Agenda - 08-19-2010 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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16 Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities King County, Washington, home to Seattle, has adopted a num- ber of policies that help preserve rural land in unincorporated areas of the county while developing great neighborhoods in the incorporated areas. In 1999, the county adopted a TOR policy. It now administers both a TDR Exchange and a TDR Bank. The TDR Bank began with $1.5 million in funds to protect rural lands and an additional $500,000 to develop "urban amenities" in neighborhoods accepting a transfer. At the time of the trans- fer, the rural land is placed under a conservation easement. Since 2000, King County's TDR program has protected 137,500 acres. In addition to TDR, King County has four specific zoning des- ignations for working lands and rural communities: agriculture zone, forest zone, mineral zone, and rural area zone. Together, these zoning designations help protect King County's working lands and the character of rural communities while minimiz- ing the conflict between them as well as between the growing Seattle metropolitan area and the rural landscape! fragmentation of wildlife habitat.30 However, cluster development will be effective only if it is coordinated with other development and conservation priorities in the region. Implemented poorly, clustering works at cross - purposes with smart growth approaches. For instance, lack of coordination and planning can result in conservation subdivisions further fragmenting valu- able natural resource land as well as an increasing need for residents to drive if services, amenities, and jobs are not located nearby. Cluster development has become popular in a number of states, notably Mas- sachusetts, where towns like Mashpee, on upper Cape Cod, have revised zoning codes to require that at least 50 percent of new development sites be preserved as open space," Finally, King County promotes rural home clustering through its green building guidelines. The guidelines state that homes should be clustered to minimize their environmental impact and disruption of the landscape. In order to facilitate rural home clustering within rural area and urban reserve zones, King County offers a critical areas designation, which allows landowners and developers to define critical areas near the project site and to use Build Green1m grants for community and multifamily developments as well as for single - family homes.z King County's TDR program, zoning designations, and green building program have helped create great neighborhoods, both urban and rural, while maintaining the integrity and viability of the rural landscape. I King County Sustainable Building. "Transfer of Development Rights Program:' hftp: / /www.kingcounty.gov/ environment /stewardship /sustainable-buildi ng/ transfer -development-rights.aspx 2 King County Solid Waste Division. "Green Building for Rural Residents. "' http :// you r.kingcounty.gov /solidwaste /g reenbuilding /residential /rural.asp Agricultural, ranching, and forestry zoning can help preserve working lands. 105