Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/124273
Sarasota News Leader April 26, 2013 everything the county was considering. In particular, Miller says, the ESLOC was never informed about the potential value of county TDRs: Estimates range from $30 million to $90 million. Page 35 gle-family residential unit or residential condominium unit," numbers established through real estate sales data. Staff also suggested creating a TDR pilot program on 503 acres of county-owned, environ"That's really important information," says mentally sensitive land in the Deer Prairie Miller. "The public needs to know the mag- Creek area. The plot would yield 635 TDRs, nitude of the amount of money we're talking according to county analysis. about." Control Growth Now President Dan Lobeck Commissioner Nora Patterson tells the News spoke against the proposal Wednesday, arLeader she supported Mason's decision to guing that the free market should determine move back the discussion. "I would have how much TDRs are worth. "Let the market raised that issue and asked that it be post- decide," he said. "We're all Republicans here." poned," she says. The proposals had changed significantly since their last pass through the He called the TDR plan an attempt to "lowOversight Committee, she notes, particularly ball" the county. the value estimates. "I agree with Mr. Lobeck," Miller said, after The basic concept behind TDRs is to allow a asking the commission to allow the Oversight landowner to sell the right to build new dwell- Committee to weigh in. "I think you need to ings on his or her property. The purchaser let the market decide. I think the Republican is then allowed to apply those development position should be to trust the market." rights to other areas, pushing higher density to already developed areas. The goal is to Other speakers chimed in, saying the counprotect open space while encouraging urban ty's development rights should be preserved to protect the value of county property. infill. Miller tells the News Leader the Oversight Committee next meets May 6, when he expects it should review the county's TDR data. A call to Oversight Committee Chairman Gary Serviss was not returned by deadline for this The TDR discussion has been in the works issue. since last year, when the County Commission asked staff to compile a list of potential coun- "We just feel like we haven't been appropriatety TDRs and to research "existing methodol- ly in the loop and that the county really should ogies for setting a value on publicly owned be turning to their advisory boards for their TDRs," per a staff report. County employees combination of technical insight and reading eventually proposed setting the price at "10 the pulse of the public," Miller says. "It's agpercent of the median sales price of a sin- gravating." % But how much should TDRs cost? That's what the County Commission is trying to figure out, as it looks to sell TDRs associated with publicly owned lands.