Planning Commission suspends transfer‑of‑development‑rights for two years pending analysis; debates agriculture, rentals and road‑design policies

The County Planning Commission voted to suspend the Transfer‑of‑Development‑Rights (TDR) program until the county completes an analysis — targeted for a two‑year timeframe — to determine whether economic conditions would support reactivating the program.

Staff and consultants told the commission the TDR mechanism has not resulted in any transfers since adoption and now functions as an economic barrier to meeting the county’s housing density targets in urban growth areas. Planning staff said converting specific parcels within unincorporated urban growth areas from SR‑2 to SR‑3 zoning (about 31.1 acres in total) is necessary to demonstrate sufficient capacity for very low‑income and low‑income housing. Planning staff recommended suspending the TDR program, not eliminating it, while the county analyzes conditions under which the program could work in the future.

Why it matters: The Growth Management Act requires counties to demonstrate adequate capacity to accommodate projected population and housing need within urban growth areas. Planning staff said the TDR program, as currently structured and under present market conditions, prevents some higher‑density residential development that the…