The right to develop land for residential or commercial purposes is one of a bundle of rights associated with land ownership. The County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program allows landowners of designated sending sites to separate the right to develop land from the bundle of other property rights. Sending sites are rural or resource lands with farm, forest, open space, or regional trail amenities.

Through TDR, the separated right(s) are turned into a tradable commodity that can be bought and sold – just as land can be bought and sold. When a landowner chooses to separate some, or all, development rights, the property is conserved through a conservation easement. A conservation easement can act to reduce landowner property taxes. Landowners can retain development rights on their property for future use and the land remains in private ownership.

These transferable development rights or “TDRs” are typically bought by developers of designated receiving sites. Receiving sites are typically properties in Urban areas eligible for increased density. The purchased TDRs give developers the ability to build additional houses, lots, or floor area that exceed the base density allowed by zoning. The diagram below illustrates the basic TDR principle.

For information about TDR prices, transactions, and market trends, see TDR Market Information. To buy or sell TDRs, go to the TDR Exchange.

Please visit the website by clicking "Link to full program details" below to learn more about the benefits and uses of TDRs.