County data shows about 15,500 acres of vacant or underutilized land; mapping to be refined

Planning staff and the county's consultant presented early Strategic Growth Element (SGE) findings showing a preliminary inventory of roughly 15,500 acres of vacant or underutilized land across more than 1,700 parcels. Staff emphasized the analysis is preliminary and mapping contained errors that the consultant will correct before public materials are finalized.

"What we found is that we've got about 15,500 acres of vacant or underutilized land across a little over 1,700 parcels," a staff presenter said during the update. Staff and consultants told commissioners that a large share of those acres are outside the County's identified city/county infill area (CCI) and that constraints such as slopes, active mining, wetlands and flood hazards reduce realistic development opportunities.

Commissioners asked for spatial mapping to better visualize the data; staff said corrected maps will be presented to the commission and shared at upcoming public meetings. The SGE work is intended to inform where growth should be directed, which parcels are good targets for infill or redevelopment, and what the long-term fiscal cost would be to extend services.