Commissioners debate transfer-of-development-rights amendment after conservation, preservation officials warn of risks

County Commissioners at their June 24 meeting in Centreville heard extended testimony and staff discussion about County Ordinance 25-07, a citizen-sponsored text amendment that would allow reconfiguration of parcels from which development rights (TDRs) have been transferred.

The amendment drew public comment from conservation and land-preservation officials who said the measure, as drafted, risked weakening permanent easements that support the county’s agricultural preservation program.

Jay Paulstead, speaking for the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association, asked commissioners to “push forward an unfavorable” recommendation on the amendment, saying it “will open the doors to unnecessary development on areas where it was not meant to go in the first place.” Donna Landis Smith, Land Preservation Administrator for the Queen Anne’s County Soil Conservation District, told commissioners that altering TDR configuration could jeopardize the county’s certification with…