Drafter
Clerk 12/05/2015
Title
AN ORDINANCE establishing additional sending site criteria to transfer development rights from land in public ownership; amending Ordinance 13274, Section 4, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.37.020 and Ordinance 13733, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.37.110; and declaring an emergency.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The county sometimes purchases land in rural, unincorporated King County that has not been fully developed and has the capability to provide open space land for the production of food, fiber and forest crops. While purchasing the property is in the public interest, in unique circumstances retaining exclusive rights to the property may not provide the most economical benefit to the community. Returning the property, encumbered with a conservation easement to preserve the open space and provide for the potential of active agriculture or other uses compatible with the purposes of a conservation easement, may be the most economical and sustainable way of conserving the property.
2. In such instances, when the county purchases property for which it does not intend to retain exclusive rights, the development rights generated by subsequently encumbering the property with a conservation easement should issue and be transferred to the transfer of development rights ("TDR") bank to fund future acquisitions of development rights.
3. The Tall Chief acquisition presents such a unique opportunity. It was purchased with the intention of ecological protection and agriculture production.
4. A code clarification is appropriate to eliminate any ambiguity that the development rights generated from the reservation of a conservation easement from the conveyance of the Tall Chief parcel by the county may be issued to the TDR bank, which will preserve the potential of the county realizing approximately $600,000 from the sale of such development rights.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The county co...
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