STUART — The Martin County Commission took no action Tuesday on a proposal to sell 17 county owned lots with a market value of about $740,000 and asked county officials to give them a list of all the county-owned properties.

“This may not to be the most opportune time to sell those lots,” Commission Chairman Doug Smith said. “Maybe we hang onto them for another six months, eight months to a year and see if the market starts to come back some.”

There were too many issues with many of the 17 lots throughout the county that county officials determined were not needed, several commissioners said.

For example, five lots on Southeast Dixie Ross Street and Parkwood Drive were purchased more than 14 years ago with tax money from Commission District 4 for storm water drainage.

That means the money raised by selling the lots must go into the Commission District 4 account, said County Attorney Stephen Fry.

But Commissioner Sarah Heard, who represents District 4, said she wants the county to keep those lots for drainage in the flood-prone neighborhood. Selling the lots could upset neighboring homeowners, Heard said.

Some other county-owned lots seem like they would be appropriate for sale, but weren’t on the surplus list, such as the old Humane Society site on the corner of Dixie Highway and Airport Road, said Commissioner Lee Weberman.