We need your help! Please call or e-mail the Board of County Commissioners today!
The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) is holding a Public Hearing on Monday, December 15, 2014 beginning at 11:00AM in the BoCC Hearing Room on whether to amend the County’s Comprehensive Plan to include a Transferable Development Rights (TDR) Program.
Written comments will be allowed until 4:30PM, Wednesday, December 17, 2014.
You may submit written comments via email to pdscomments@co.skagit.wa.us All comments must be received by the deadline and include (1) your full name, (2) your mailing address, and (3) the name of the proposal or project you are commenting on. Comments not meeting these requirements will not be considered.
Below are links to more information about the Comprehensive Plan update:
• Department Memo on Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendments 2014 Docket and Recommendations
• Notice of Availability, Written Comment Period, and Public Hearing
• Department Memo on Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendments 2014 Docket
Additionally; please call or e-mail the Commissioners and ask them directly to move forward with amending the Comprehensive Plan to include a Transferable Development Rights Program.
Skagit County Board of County Commissioners
1800 Continental Place, #100
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
FAX: 336-9307
PHONE: 336-9300
E-MAIL:
Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt: kend@co.skagit.wa.us
Commissioner Sharon Dillon: sdillon@co.skagit.wa.us
Commissioner Ron Wesen: ronw@co.skagit.wa.us
Please send a copy to Linda Hammons: lindah@co.skagit.wa.us
Background
Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (SPF) has been an advocate for the development of a TDR Ordinance since 1992. In 2013 our Board of Directors reaffirmed SPF’s commitment to TDRs with the update of our Six-Year Strategic Plan, which in part, identifies the creation of a TDR program as one of SPF’s top strategic priorities.
For more than two years SPF has been participating on Skagit County’s TDR Advisory Committee which was tasked to study and make recommendations to the BoCC regarding the preparation of a TDR Ordinance for public review and comment. In July of this year the TDR Advisory Committee recommended moving forward with the development of a TDR Ordinance. Click here to read the full REPORT
Please call or e-mail the Commissioners and ask them to move forward with amending the County’s Comprehensive Plan to include TDRs!
What is a TDR Program?
A TDR Program is a program that facilitates and promotes the voluntary sale of the right to develop some or all of one property (the “sending site”) to a party that is eligible to develop another property (the “receiving site”) more intensively than the current base zoning. Sending areas are places that a community determines it wants to conserve, such as agricultural land, forestland, wetlands and wildlife habitat. Receiving areas are places that a community determines are better suited for locating additional growth, most often within existing municipal boundaries.
TDR transactions are voluntary and take place between willing buyers and sellers in a private market place with minimal to moderate government involvement. If landowners in sending areas choose not to participate in the TDR program, they are entitled to develop as permitted by current zoning and development regulations. Likewise, in receiving areas, developers who choose not participate in the TDR program are allowed to build to current zoning and development regulations. To receive development incentives such as additional density or relief from development regulations like parking requirements, developers must purchase TDR credits.
Individual property owners, developers, or other parties, may freely negotiate the price for the purchase and sale of eligible development rights. Jurisdictions can customize the elements of the program to reflect their community’s conservation and development objectives and to address the market conditions and growth patterns of their particular area.
The creation and adoption of a TDR Ordinance in Skagit County ensures we will be able to continue the conservation and protection of our working lands for future generations!
For more information on TDRs and the process please go to Skagit County’s TDR webpage at:
http://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PlanningandPermitTDR/Main.htm
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