TDRs
There is a new buzzword circulating. It’s really a buzz-initial: TDR. This stands for Transfer of Development Rights. The idea is that someone could purchase the development on a piece of land and then transfer it to another location.
Yarmouth has been looking at TDRs as a way of changing the motel sprawl along Route 28. The idea is that someone could purchase already developed motel units along Route 28 and transfer the rights to those units to somewhere else, perhaps to one of the resort complexes along the shore. New units could then be built at the new location. The Route 28 motel would disappear and the land would become available for some other use.
TDRs are also being considered as a tool to create village centers. The idea is to transfer some unwanted developments out of the village centers and transfer wanted developments in. Without some kind of incentive, it will be a difficult task to create village centers where there is little or nothing now. The Yarmouth Comprehensive Plan identified five potential village centers along the three miles of Route 28 that runs through the town. If you have driven that road, you will understand what a difficult job it will be to create separate and distinct village centers there.
I am skeptical of TDRs; there are too many variables involved.
Let’s look at an example. Suppose Yarmouth wishes to create a village center along a quarter mile of Route 28. The area is currently occupied by four motels, two restaurants, a couple of women’s clothing stores, a T-shirt store, a post office, a gas station and a place where they sell inflatable swimming toys. Of these, the women’s clothing stores, the restaurants and the post office fit into the vision for the area.
The four motels would have between one and two hundred rooms. These would have to be “transferred” to some other location. Finding a place to put them that would be acceptable to the town is almost asking the impossible. For instance, let’s say there were 160 rooms combined in the four motels. Each room, with its corridor, would be about 350 square feet. That means new building of 56,000 square feet plus space for amenities (restaurants, gift shops, swimming pools, etc.). That’s like building two new supermarkets. Think of the paved parking area this would require. Think about the sewage treatment required. How about traffic?
What happens if no one wants to purchase the development rights?
Another question: could TDRs help to relocate a gas station?
Perhaps the T-shirt place and the store that sells inflatable swimming toys can be moved to a new location that is satisfactory to them. Or maybe they simply sell their places and move on.
After the extraordinary effort it will take to accomplish the above, the town will be left with a few acres of vacant land for sale, two restaurants, a couple of shops and a post office, all with a major highway running through. Now the real work begins. The town will have the job of purchasing the land it feels is necessary to create the village structure, perhaps a town green or parks or a marina. It will also have to control the development of the remaining open land so that developers will provide the numbers and types of amenities, stores and living units that will make a working village center. The control part is difficult enough. Attracting developers willing to risk their money on what are called “Mom & Pop” stores will be even tougher. “Mom & Pop” stores are those that have no or few branches. They are primarily family owned and their owners work long hours in order to run all aspects of the business. They are prized in village center planning because their owners work behind the counter, they live in the community and they survive by providing personal service. From a developer’s point of view, “Mom & Pop” stores are the very highest risk.
Then there are the problems of working with the State in order to make changes to the road consistent with the village center concept.
Perhaps I have overstated my case, but I have not as yet heard any answers to the points I have raised. I think we need to have more information before we consider the use of TDRs.
Bill Richmond is an architect living in Yarmouth Port, MA. He may be reached at WHRichmond@comcast.net.
