Councilor Little pushes to start county-run TDR program, propose pre-priced credits
Summary
Councilor Little proposed adding comprehensive-plan language and a parallel motion to authorize the county to establish a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program in 2027, proposing the county act as a 'bank' and pre-price credits to give landowners and developers predictability.
Councilor Little proposed adding general comprehensive-plan language and a separate motion directing staff to launch a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program with implementation work beginning in 2027. He told the county he preferred a system in which “the county would be essentially the bank in the system” to hold credits and assess values for sending and receiving areas.
Councilor Little explained the proposal would include pre-setting credit values so landowners and developers know project economics ahead of time. “Say for example, we set a TDR at 25,000 per TDR,” he said, describing how a landowner could know the value of their acreage in credits and a developer could plan costs for a given project. He emphasized the agreements would be voluntary while the county’s role would add predictability to transactions.
Staff and fellow councilors discussed whether the policy language should remain broad in the comprehensive plan and whether a separate motion could drive implementation steps such as a stakeholder roundtable. Oliver, a county staffer, advised using existing policy 1.1.24 as a starting point and suggested council members present specific replacement language at the public hearing if they wished.
Consultants and commenters who addressed TDRs argued for clarity in the plan text. David Toyer of Toyer Strategic Advisors said a draft he submitted clarifies that “this particular policy essentially directs the creation of a TDR uh program. It's not the TDR program itself,” and urged explicit commitment to follow-through after adoption. Councilors asked staff to prepare options on governance (county-run bank versus third-party administrator), implementation staffing, and scheduling for outreach.
Next steps: Council agreed to deliberate on final language during upcoming hearings and to consider a separate motion that would authorize a community roundtable with cities and stakeholder groups before formal program implementation work begins.
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