Officials say phase 1 will focus on stormwater and conservation, not property acquisition

At the meeting, several participants emphasized that the corridor effort's first phase should concentrate on stormwater management and conservation rather than large‑scale property purchases. A committee member argued that "I think we're stage phase 1 is stormwater and conservation and trying to get the flow of the water right" and that acquiring property as an initial step would generate public pushback.

Members agreed on a phased approach: prioritize ditch and filtration work, secure grants for water quality and lagoon restoration, then pursue further transportation or right‑of‑way actions only when broadly supported. The Chair and others noted that framing the work around water quality would better unite cities and county officials for grant applications; no motion to adopt a formal phase 1 scope was taken during the meeting.