Why is it better for the County to allow 650 homes when the landowner can only build 500 homes under the existing zoning?
A. Allowing the entire 2,760 acres to be developed into 2 and 5-acre ranches would split the property into several owners, allow clearing of all usable uplands and fragment the property with roads, fences and other structures. The opportunity to acquire the land in its currently pristine state would then be in jeopardy. Clustering allows the landowner to efficiently develop only 15% of the property and donate about 85% of the property to the county — all at no cost to taxpayers. Because the property is targeted for public acquisition, the project saves taxpayers more than $70,000,000. Additionally, the land to be developed remains on the tax roll and increases the taxable value of the property.
