Committee approves 2025 scoring criteria for Purchase of Development Rights program

The Planning and Policy Committee approved and forwarded to the Board of Commissioners the 2025 scoring system used to evaluate applications under the county’s Purchase of Development Rights program, a land‑preservation tool that permanently protects farmland.

Becky Heidega, economic development coordinator, said the PDR scoring criteria are reviewed annually and that the 2025 version makes modest changes: it refines the "development pressure" measure by adding population density and population growth and adjusts the "economic impact" criterion using updated Agriculture Census and sector data. "We didn't make a lot of significant changes. We did tweak the development pressure piece...and relooked at our economic impact criterion," Heidega said.

Commissioners said the committee’s prior deliberations were robust and thanked staff for the clarifications. The motion carried by voice vote and will be forwarded to the Board for final adoption and use in the 2025 property evaluations.

Ending: The scoring system will be used to rank properties for potential purchase of development rights; staff said they will continue to revisit criteria during the year.