Transfer of Development Rights

The City of Sammamish's Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program allows landowners to sell development rights from their land (a "sending site") to a developer who then can use these rights to increase density on their project property (a "receiving site"). In exchange for selling its development rights, a "sending site" property will have a conservation easement placed on it that ensures that the land will be preserved for the public benefit. The receiving site will gain the ability to increase density on a development site beyond what is otherwise allowed by the zoning map. 

Sammamish has three distinct TDR programs:

• An Interlocal TDR Program with King County. This program authorizes the sale of 75 TDR credits from unincorporated King County (the "emerald necklace") to the Sammamish Town Center subarea's A, B, and C zones.
• An in-city TDR program. This program authorizes the sale of TDR credits from properties located within the Thompson or Inglewood subbasins, erosion hazards special district overlay, or the wetland management areas special district overlay to the Sammamish Town Center subarea's B and C zones. 
• A Town Center D-Zone program. This program authorizes the City of Sammamish to sell 240 TDR credits from the Town Center D-zone to developments in the Town Center A-Zone. 

Please note that, pursuant to Section D-II of the King County Interlocal agreement (available below), the first 20 development rights used for additional residential and commercial development capacity in the Town Center must be those purchased through the King County program. As of July 2017, those 20 development rights have been purchased but have not yet been used. Until these 20 development rights are used, development rights from other programs may be purchased but may not be used as part of any development project in Town Center. 

Staff Contact

• Kellye Hilde, Planning Manager, (425) 295-0582