Our county council favors a coddled building industry over a transparent, public process. They should be ashamed.
The council hired an independent consultant, appointed an advisory group and directed experienced staff members to analyze data and accurately calculate our land capacity for development. They did.
After the committee rendered its decisions, three councilors voted to reject the committee’s transparent data-driven process at a nonpublic hearing and adopt the biased product presented by the building industry. A product the staff and the independent consultants stated is not supported by the data.
The county has lots of land ready for development in Urban Holding zones that is ready to develop as soon as the county can provide services (sewer, water and roads). The industry’s product will create grossly exaggerated Urban Growth Boundaries beyond foreseeable need, favors developers (some nonresidents) over residents and will cost the residents millions in taxes while the developers take the equivalent home as pay.