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Supervisor Speak
In 1987 Township Supervisors were Randy Scott Chairman, Frank Shelly Vice Chairman, Carol Butterworth, John Paul and Ruth Ramins. I want to share an article with you related to the TDR Program. I found it quite simple and to the point. This is the township's own words on its TDR program (16) years ago. It is a little long but, I promise you will understand the concept of TDRs by reading it just once.
Beginning of article . .Headline TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PART OF GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN. Growth management is a term being heard more and more in the conversations of residents of Bucks County, particularly Warrington community members. Simply defind, it means a plan established to direct and monitor the growth of a community and also the changes that the growth causes in services needed by the community.
Warrington's growth management plan was begun in 1980 with the help of some outside consultants. The plan established the parameters for development in the township. Some of the parameters are related to groundwater resources, the sewage disposal and its limit of capacity, and the retention of land for agricultural purposes.
Related to the INTENT to keep some land for agricultural purposes, is the innovative concept in land use management - the transfer of development rights (TRDs) which is part of Warrington's plan. While most residents agree that an environmental balance is needed to ensure health and safety, retain open space and productive land for water and air quality, and give some psychological relief from the sprawl of housing development after development, the balance is distrubed when a resident wants to sell his open land for a high price to a developer. His neighbors feel that his good fortune threatens their properties. The transfer of development rights is a process to solve this dilemma, and combine sound planning with certain aspects of property law.
The basic process begins with a township designating an area to be open space and prohibiting development. Repay then the residential development potential of the designated area is transferred to another area or district where the citizens agree that development and growth are feasible. Hence the name - transfer of development. The landowners in the restricted area can still benefit financially by selling their development rights to the developer and yet KEEP THEIR LAND. So environmentally important areas are preserved, but with fair compensation for the owners. There is NO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS with land having to be bought by the governing body in order to preserve it. But the housing needs of the expanding population are met, in districts where the planners of the community think best for development.
With all TDR plans, there is a formula ratio established for the district in question. The formula calculates how many development rights are valued in how many acres of land to be preserved.
One additional benefit of using TDRs is that more accurate calculations can be made of the total density of population to be reached because the desired number of people to live in the community is established through the designation of the districts and also, the development rights are established for each area. Thus better planning for municipal services and capital improvements can be achieved, and real growth management can take place..end of article.
Supervisor Butterworth's own personal comment. Summary of the program to date. The TDR Ordinance passed in 1985 stated it must have guidlines approved before adminstation of the TDR program. Guess what? It hasn't happened. The board is allowing the DEVELOPERS to use their on set of guidlines by saying they are meeting the INTENT of the ordinance.
Example: Grant a zoning change for a property for the purpose of increasing the density then allowing use of TDRs to increase the density again. Hello, THIS IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE TDR PROGRAM! This is another township violation OF procedure which should be challenged by anyone who was effected or will be effected by use a TDR.
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