Department of Community Development
Reference: Historic Splendid Valley TDR Study
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Jane Bais DiSessa, City Manager
Holly Prather, AICP, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Anneli Berube, Ag Innovation Specialist
Date Prepared: November 18, 2020
PURPOSE
To present the findings of a TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) Study completed by Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS).
STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA
* Recognizable and Well-Planned Community
BACKGROUND
The City of Brighton (City) and Adams County (County) are working together to preserve agricultural land and encourage local food production for the future of the greater Brighton area and the benefit of residents. The District Plan, a joint plan adopted by the City and the County in 2016, highlights the appetite of the local community to preserve its unique heritage and assets. This plan also identifies necessary initiatives to preserve valuable, productive farmland, promote agritourism, and attract local food businesses.
A TDR program is one possible tool to both preserve farmland and encourage context-sensitive development. Exploring this tool is listed as a tactic in the District Plan Action Plan: "Evaluate the County's Land Development Code to further explore Transfer of Development Rights and/or improve Cluster Standards to align with market realities and recommendations of the District Plan and the Be Brighton Comprehensive Plan. Key outcomes of this TDR study include reflecting market conditions, identifying receiving areas within the Brighton GMA, establishing maximum densities in receiving areas, applying the programs to properties under 160 acres, and outlining potential City code revisions to incentivize TDR and Clustering," (District Plan, pg. 72).
In order to explore a TDR program, City Council and the Adams County Board of County Commissioners adopted an intergovernmental agreeme...
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