newlotsresourceIn trying to understand how our land use planning policies and rules have impacted development and growth to date, staff analyzed existing data.  One of the key issues we wanted to understand was growth potential based on our current regulations.

The infographic below demonstrates, based on our current zoning designations and rules, the potential new lots available for creation in our natural resource zones (farm and forest).  Although not all of these lots would necessarily be eligible for development like a new dwelling, it still gives us a rough picture of the future potential for new densities of activity.

The large number of potential new parcels in the A-1 (160) Zone (Exclusive Farm Use) reflect the many large ranches and farms we have throughout the county that are significantly larger than 160 acres.  The map shows the concentration of those larger farms and ranches is in the middle of the county.

With over 98 percent of non-National Scenic Area lands in one of our natural resource zones, it important to understand how things like our minimum parcel size requirements for each zone (160, 40 and 80) impact future divisions and the creation of new lots.

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