George Leventhal, President
Dear Mr. Leventhal
Since 2002 The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County has had a position supporting the TDR program for the preservation of agricultural land in the county. With further study in 2003, the position took into account the recommendations of the TDR task force and reemphasized the need for an adequate number of receiving areas to maintain the viability of the program. We believe it important to see the TDR program through to a logical conclusion, maintaining a market for all of the TDRs that have been authorized through the zoning.
To substantially reduce the market, even with a token nod to
agricultural land preservation, is inconsistent with the goal of compensating
landowners for the down-zoning of their property. Those who still own TDRs should not see the
size of the market diminished by council action to eliminate receiving
areas. We question the wisdom of changing the rules for what has been a highly
successful program because such a shift undermines the very principles on which
it was negotiated in the first place.
Tracking the success of the various easement programs that
the county offers, we have observed a slowing of participation in these
programs. At the present time it appears
there is more money available to buy easements than parties interested in
participating in the programs offered in
It is therefore with some dismay that we view the PHED committee’s
recommendation to accept a payment to be used for easements in lieu of the use
of TDRs in the Crown property case. We
support a policy of no net loss of TDR receiving areas and suggest that
approval for the City of
Sincerely,
Nancy Soreng, President
LWVMC