What is a TDR?

A TDR, or Transferable Development Right is a development right that may be transferred from a “Sending Site” to lands that are designated as suitable for development (“Receiver Site”).

What is a Sending Site?

A Sending Site is a lot/parcel of land from which development rights are severed and transferred. The Sending Site is deed-restricted against further development.

Sending Sites include:

• Any legally created lot/parcel within the Rural/Remote (R/R) or Transitional Residential (TR1 and TR-2) Zone Districts.

• Lands within the Conservation Development PUD (CD-PUD) Zone District.

• A “constrained site” or a “visually constrained site” not within the R/R, CD-PUD, TR-1 or TR2 Zone Districts.

• A “Limited Development Conservation Parcel” located within the AR-10, RS-20, RS-30, RS35 or RS-160 zone district.

• Properties are designated to the Pitkin County Historic Register.

What is a Receiver Site?

• A Receiver Site is a lot/parcel of land within unincorporated Pitkin County to which

  development rights are transferred from a Sending Site.

• Special Review approval is required to designate a lot/parcel a Receiver Site for TDR(s),

  except when a TDR(s) is used for additional floor area within the Aspen Urban Growth

  Boundary and in certain County approved subdivisions.

• Properties within the following zone districts may not be Receiver Sites for TDRs: R/R, RS160, TR-1, RS-G, MHP, AH, AH-PUD, B-1, B-2, VC, P-I, T, SKI-REC, VR, I, PUD, AC-REC2, and FPV-O.

How can TDRs be used?

1. To Obtain a GMQS Exemption for a New Development Right.

• TDRs may only be used to create a new development right for a single family residence

  on a lot/parcel within the Aspen Urban Growth Boundary.

• Each TDR for a new development right provides 2,500 square feet of floor area.

• Subject to a One-Step Special Review by the BOCC.

• The number of TDRs required for exemption from the Growth Management Quota

  System (GMQS) depends upon the size of the residence proposed.

• TDRs from any Sending Site may be used on any Receiver Site approved for a new

  development right.

2. To Obtain a GMQS Exemption for Additional Floor Area.

• Special Review approval is not required to utilize TDRs for additional floor area up to

  the final maximum size on lots in certain County approved subdivisions or on

  lots/parcels within the Aspen Urban Growth Boundary.

• A One-Step Special Review by the Hearing Officer is required to utilize TDRs for

  additional floor area up to the final maximum size on all other lots/parcels within eligible

  Zone Districts.

• Each TDR used for additional floor area provides 2,500 square feet of floor area,

  except within the TR-2 Zone District, where one TDR provides 1,000 square feet of

  floor area.

• The number of TDRs required for a GMQS exemption depends upon the size of the

  residence desired.

• TDRs from any Sending Site may be used on any Receiver Site as a GMQS exemption

  for additional floor area.

Purchase of a TDR does not automatically guarantee approval of a Receiver Site for

development. Development of a Receiver Site is still subject to any applicable land

use reviews, including Special Review, Site Plan Review, Subdivision, etc.

Provided by: Pitkin County