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and open spaces, creating parks, compromising water quality, improving roads and traffic signals, traffic congestion and roadway capacity, there being too many people for the fragile ecosystem, lack of affordable housing for workers, too much low-quality housing, inadequate infrastructure, loss of wildlife habitats, the proliferation of strip malls, and the impact of the growth on the environment and the County’s quality of life. The community encourages balancing growth and conservation, promoting environmentally responsible development, improving infrastructure, preserving open spaces, promoting diverse housing options, and cultivating a diverse economy. Indian River County needs more….? Respondents identified affordable housing and housing for young adults, families, new residents, and retirees as equally important needs for the County. The County additionally needs workforce housing and conventional neighborhoods. In open-ended responses, there was a clear, general sentiment against more development in the County, though recognizing that development can be difficult to stop, the community recommended innovative approaches to residential development regulations and patterns. The community wants community-focused development with improved aesthetics and walkability, increased green space, and more mixed-use neighborhoods. Where should new households be located? Respondents recommend mixed-use development (vertically and horizontally), in-fill development in existing neighborhoods, and a combination of approaches for new households, focusing on areas where services like water and sewer can be or are already provided before moving on elsewhere. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings to create housing is suggested. Finally, the community is concerned about urban sprawl. Increasing density in built-up areas, adapting non-residential buildings into housing, and in-fill development in existing neighborhoods are the three main themes across responses. Despite the overarching themes described above, there are community proponents of development being pushed to undeveloped areas, especially western portions of the County. What kind of economic development does Indian River County need (commercial, office, or industrial)? Half of the respondents answered commercial. 30% responded industrial, and just under 20% answered Office. PAGE 15