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by Will Sands
At least one group has come out
strongly against transferable development rights, and it is one
of La Plata County and Grandview’s biggest players. Last
Monday, representatives for the Southern Ute Tribe’s development
group fired a warning shot at La Plata County commissioners.
The commissioners were in the
midst of a hearing on adopting a six-month moratorium in the Grandview
area to, among other things, consider the feasibility of TDRs.
At that time, Laranne Arbaugh, a lawyer representing the tribe,
took a hard stand against such a new program, saying it might
prohibit the relocation of Mercy Medical Center to the area.
“We’re not opposed
to the moratorium, but we are opposed to using transferable development
rights as a tool for controlling growth in the Grandview area,”
she said. “They will essentially prevent relocation of the
hospital to that area.”
Specifically, Arbaugh represents
the Tierra Group, which handles real estate for the tribe’s
Growth Fund. She went on to add, “Analysts for the Growth
Fund have determined that if Tierra had to purchase transferable
development rights, it would make the development unfeasible.”
La Plata County officials were
quick to respond that the tribe’s statements were premature.
“One basis of a transferable
development program is that you’re getting the right to
additional development,” remarked county lawyer Jeff Robbins.
“You’re not losing money at the end of the day.”
However, Arbaugh replied that
from Tierra’s standpoint, TDRs would only increase the tribe’s
costs. Besides, she argued, the tribe has already worked out density
levels with the city, which “are going to make Tierra money
anyway.”
Commissioner Bob Lieb replied
that the program would be totally voluntary and added that the
tribe was making the assumption that the city would give it enough
density to develop it feasibly.
“All (TDRs) would give
you is the ability to go even more,” he said. “You
just have to go out and buy it.”
Commissioner Josh Joswick also
voiced his disappointment over the tribe’s reaction.
“It’s real bothersome
to me that there’s an up-front, blanket indictment of this
plan 85 I was hoping there would be a more cooperative plan,”
he said. “We don’t even know what this is going to
look like. You don’t even know what this is going to look
like.”
Commissioners unanimously voted
to begin the six-month moratorium and undertake a study of the
feasibility of transferable development rights. The day following
the meeting, Joe Crain, director of planning services, said everything
would likely be smoothed over.
“A lot of people react
before they have the full knowledge,” he said. “I
think a lot of people won’t be as reactive as they were
yesterday once they get the full knowledge.”
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