FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2010
Contacts: Heather Ballash, Commerce TDR Program Manager, 360.725.3044
Ivan Miller, Puget Sound Regional Council Principal Planner, 206.464.7549

Commerce, PSRC Award $1 million in Transfer of Development Rights Grants
Funds will help cities plan for and encourages private investment in growing communities while protecting county forest, farm and watershed lands

OLYMPIA, WA - The Washington State Department of Commerce and the Puget Sound Regional Council announced over $1 million in grant awards to 10 cities for transfer of development right (TDR) planning and program development. TDR is a voluntary, incentive-based, and market-driven approach to preserve land and relocate development away from rural areas and into urban areas.

The TDR grants are awarded to cities in the central Puget Sound (King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties) to plan for accepting development rights from lands the counties have designated as important for conservation. The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Puget Sound Watershed Management Assistance Program to support planning at a regional level.

“With these funds, cities will be creating a market for developers to increase the value of their projects while protecting land that is important for farming, forestry and watershed protection,” said Rogers Weed, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce. “Tools like TDR are market-driven and encourage private investment in growing communities and land conservation.”

David Dicks, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership agreed, adding “This is a key element from the Action Agenda which helps protect Puget Sound while supporting regional economic development. We commend the Department of Commerce and Puget Sound Regional Council for leading the way.”

“We’re excited to see these cities conserve important land as they focus growth in urban places,” said Bob Drewel, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council. “The tool helps us achieve the region’s VISION 2040 goals for a growing region that protects land vital to our economic health and quality of life.”

The following cities have been awarded grant funds for TDR planning contingent on contract execution:

• Arlington – ($130,000) funding for up front environmental analysis, capital facilities planning, market analysis, policy development, and working towards an updated inter-local agreement with Snohomish County for the West Arlington subarea for TDR.
• Everett – ($30,000) a feasibility study of what will make TDR receiving areas viable.
• Issaquah – ($100,000) up front environmental analysis, market analysis, and working towards an updated inter-local agreement with King County for a TDR receiving area in the Central Issaquah Subarea plan.
• Mountlake Terrace – ($100,000) up front environmental analysis, sending and receiving area identification, subarea planning, market analysis, and working towards an inter-local agreement with Snohomish County for a TDR receiving area around the new transit center and in the Town Center.
• Normandy Park – ($100,000) up front environmental analysis, subarea planning, and working towards an inter-local agreement with King County for TDR in Manhattan Village, the future downtown.
• Port Orchard – ($97,000) TDR policies and regulations for a receiving area in the downtown, sending and receiving area identification, and working towards an inter-local agreement with Kitsap County.
• Puyallup – ($100,000) upfront environmental analysis, TDR policies and regulations, and working towards an inter-local agreement with Pierce County for receiving areas in downtown and South Hill.
• Seattle – ($153,100) market analysis, subarea planning and TDR policies and regulations, and working towards an inter-local agreement with King County for South Lake Union and Northgate.
• Snohomish – ($100,000) water utility planning for a TDR receiving area, and working towards an inter-local agreement with Snohomish County in the Pilchuck District.
• Tacoma – ($100,000) subarea planning and upfront environmental review for a TDR receiving area, and working towards an inter-local agreement with Pierce County for the Hilltop/Martin Luther King Mixed-Use Center in downtown.
  
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  About Commerce
  Commerce is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington. For more information, visit www.commerce.wa.gov. To learn more about locating or expanding a business in Washington State, visit www.choosewashington.com.
  
  About Puget Sound Regional Council
  The mission of the Puget Sound Regional Council is to play a key regional role in keeping central Puget Sound thriving as we grow. PSRC is committed to creating a great future for the region through planning for regional transportation, land use and economic development, under authority embodied in state and federal laws. Find out more at www.psrc.org.