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Board of Equalization sets value of 3.6-acre Weston Creek parcel at $61,370; owners may reapply for ag exemption
Summary
After hearing from owners and the Echo County assessor, the Board of Equalization voted to value a 3.6-acre, floodplain parcel at $61,370 ($17,000 per acre). The board noted the owners may apply next January for an agricultural exemption if they meet the $1,000 gross-income requirement.
The Echo County Board of Equalization voted unanimously to set the assessed value of a 3.6-acre parcel near Weston Creek at $61,370, or $17,000 per acre, after testimony from the property representatives and the county assessor.
Owners and a presenter described the lot as divided from larger family holdings and used for animals, saying development is constrained by its location in a floodplain. "It's literally you can't develop or do anything with it," one owner said, describing the site as mostly sagebrush and a hill.
Echo County Assessor Chris Barton told the board he confirmed with the building inspector that the parcel is in a flood plain and "it is unbuildable." Barton said his appraiser identified a small set of comparable recreational sales, including parcels that were unbuildable or had poor access, and that those comparables supported a defensible recreational value of roughly $17,000 per acre for this property.
Board members questioned the owners about a $10,000 estimate they had mentioned; the owners acknowledged they had not obtained a formal appraisal and that the figure was a "wild guess." A commissioner who said he passes the parcel frequently agreed the lot appears unbuildable and cited local sales of unirrigated dry farmland as context for valuation discussions.
The board also discussed the countys agricultural-exemption rules. Barton explained that parcels under five acres must show $1,000 in gross agricultural income during the application period (Jan. 1 to April 15) to qualify and that horses alone do not automatically qualify the land as agricultural. He noted the current application period is closed and that owners may submit a new application during the next window.
A commissioner moved to adopt the assessor's recommendation to value the parcel at $17,000 per acre for a total of $61,370 and to permit the owners to pursue agricultural reclassification in the next application period; the motion was seconded and the chair called for a vote. The chair announced the motion carried with no opposition. The board then closed the board-of-equalization session and adjourned the meeting.
The immediate effect is an amended assessed value for tax purposes; owners retain the right to apply for agricultural valuation under the county's established application timeline.
