Commission explores rural preservation and transfer-of-development-rights tool

Presenter outlined options to preserve farmland and limit residential sprawl, including designating rural areas and investigating a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program under state law. The proposal would create receiving areas—likely inside the urban growth boundary—where developers could use purchased development rights, while sellers retain their land in perpetuity.

Presenter said the state recently authorized a TDR framework and noted it has not been widely used; he described the mechanics—creating a point system based on soils, size and frontage, and assigning values that would allow landowners to sell development rights. "The transfer development rights program is a new thing... But one of our goals... is to preserve farmland without encroaching on people's land use rights," Presenter said. Commissioners asked staff to flesh out receiving areas and to bring the proposal to the county commission because adopting TDRs would require commission approval.

No formal action was taken; staff said it will work with a state planner and return with maps and proposed metrics.