Councillors agreed they would like to see any new buildings on the land make use of materials from the old hotel.

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That being said, differences in land use and farming practices since the Dust Bowl make the comparison of real-world impacts more complicated.

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"We're going to make better use of land that's already in the urban growth boundary, " Bragdon says.

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The extension and clarification of land rights would enable more productive use of that land and make it available as collateral to attract financing.

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