Board asks staff to explore funding options for purchase‑of‑development‑rights program

Culpeper County staff reminded supervisors that the county already has a purchase‑of‑development‑rights (PDR) ordinance on the books but no funding to implement it, and the board asked staff to identify and estimate possible funding sources.

Mr. Cooley said the county’s conservation easement/PDR ordinance exists but is unfunded. He noted several possible funding approaches discussed during the meeting: using rollback‑tax receipts when property leaves land‑use assessment, asking developers (including data‑center applicants) to contribute as part of proffers, pursuing state matching funds for locally sourced PDR dollars, and applying for private or federal grants.

Supervisor Gugino and others stressed that, if taxpayer funds were to be used, the board should examine options carefully. “As long as taxpayer funds isn’t one of them,” one supervisor said, “I agree” — reflecting differing views about taxpayer funding. Staff noted some localities use rollback taxes or developer contributions to seed PDR funds, and that the Virginia state program can provide matching funds for locally provided PDR money.

Supervisors asked staff to return with estimates: how much local revenue could be raised from rollback taxes, potential proffer scenarios tied to rezonings (for instance, data‑center approvals), and what state or private match programs might supplement local dollars. Staff also noted that any consultant work on costs or program design (for example, a Weldon Cooper or American Farmland Trust study) may require following procurement rules depending on the contract.