The Pierce County Transfer of Development Rights Program (TDR) is a market-based program that shifts development rights from ecologically sensitive and resource rich lands (Sending Sites) to lands more suitable for development (Receiving Sites). This shift preserves rural and resource lands while redirecting growth to urban areas.
TDR programs are based on the concept that property owners have a bundle of rights, including the right to use land, lease, sell or give, and build on it. When a landowner sells property, generally all the rights are transferred to the buyer. A TDR allows landowners to transfer some or all of a parcel's development rights of to a different parcel of land.
For more detailed information, you can review Pierce County Code Title 18G. If you would like an estimate of how many Development Rights your Sending Site may have available or how many Development Rights your Receiving Site may require, please contact our staff.
Pierce County's TDR Bank currently has 67 Development Rights for sale, with an established base price of $14,179 each.
Development rights are transferred from the sending site. Once the rights are transferred, the land is restricted with a permanent conservation easement. The number of development rights that may be sold from a sending site are calculated by using the base density of the underlying zone.
Development rights are transferred to the receiving site. Buying these rights generally allows the owner of the receiving parcel to build at a higher density than ordinarily permitted by the base zoning.
Pierce County has a list of TDR receiving sites (in unincorporated Pierce County) resulting from approved Comprehensive Plan Amendment(s). If you would like specific information about these receiving sites, or want to contact a receiving site landowner(s), please use contact us. Please visit the Pierce County Public Geographical Information System database for more information about receiving site areas, using the "Development Rights (TDR/PDR)" option under the "Parcel" tab.