In an effort to slow the conversion of rural, farm and forest land, effective July 26, 2009, the State of Washington will implement a new regional transfer of developments rights (TDR) law focused on four counties and 71 cities within the Puget Sound region. Developed as a result of 2007 legislation that required the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to conduct a process that would lead to a regional TDR program consistent with existing TDR authorization in state law, the new law is a voluntary, incentive-based program. Modeled from a December 2008 report, the law sets forth criteria that cities and counties are required to follow and it directs the state to develop quantitative and qualitative performance measures for monitoring the program. The goal of the law is to foster county, city and town participation in the program so that interjurisdictional transfers occur between counties, cities and towns, including transfers for counties to cities and towns in other counties.
Chapter 474 of the Laws of 2009 (HB 1172) can be accessed at:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202009/1172-S2.SL.pdf
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