Deschutes County will hold a public hearing Tuesday on creating a new zoning buffer between urban development in Bend and rural areas outside town.

The new transect zone would be used on 717 acres on the northwest edge of Bend, near lots where the city of Bend already can expand. It would allow a maximum of 200 single-family homes on 2.5-acre lots.

If a county hearings officer and the Deschutes County Commission approve the new zone, new homes in the area would have to be designed to reduce the risk of wildfire and have a minimal impact on wildlife.

Tuesday’s hearing will begin at 6 p.m. in the Barnes and Sawyer Room in the Deschutes County Services Building.