by Susan Westa (Green Valley Institute)
Last year I was lucky enough to spend a year on sabbatical with my family on the “left side” of the country (as my daughter says). As a planner it was especially interesting to see how different parts of the country are addressing many of the same land use issues we’re struggling with here in New England.
While in CA, we lived on the central coast in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County. SLO County had been addressing growth through innovative planning and development techniques for over 20 years. They decided early on that they didn’t want to grow the same way they saw Southern CA growing.
One of the tools they have used to focus growth and protect important open space is Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). The Land Conservancy of SLO County acts as a TDR Bank, facilitating the purchase of development rights from rural areas and selling development rights for increased density in downtowns and other areas identified for new growth.
The City of SLO, population of 45,000, is the center of the county and the home of Cal Poly University. Morro Bay, population 10,000, is located about 20 minutes west of SLO on the coast. Both cities have developed at urban densities and there is no sprawling development along Route 1 in between the two – no 2-acre residential lots and no sprawling commercial development. There are some institutional uses and there is a significant amount of protected land. This land has been protected through a variety of programs – agriculture, coastal zone and TDR. It was really interesting to see how these programs can be used to make a difference.
A region can grow smarter with the right tools in place and with innovative planning techniques. The Borderlands Region and the Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor should learn from the experiences of higher growth regions and implement theses tools before it’s too late. Before we’ve lost those important farms, wildlife corridors and other open spaces we cherish and before our village centers and downtowns are lost to sprawling new development. TDR is one of the many tools that could make a difference in how this region grows.