Overview

In 2013, King County and the City of Normandy Park entered into an interlocal agreement for the implementation of a regional program to transfer development rights from Puget Sound shorelines in rural King County to the Manhattan Village Subarea in the City of Normandy Park.  While establishing a marketplace for TDR credits, this agreement will preserve critical shoreline habitat identified as important to the City of Normandy Park and King County.  Specifically, sending sites areas will include the near-shore and shoreline properties surrounding Vashon Island in King County.  These rural areas have been deemed important to the ecology of Puget Sound and preservation of these lands will help maintain the undeveloped scenic and open spaces views from the city across the waters of Puget Sound.  King County provided the city with an amenity investment of $350,000 in Conservation Futures Tax (CFT) funds for the creation and acquisition of in-city open space and parks.   

Location

The City of Normandy Park is located between the cities of Burien and Des Moines.  The Manhattan Village Subarea is just minutes from SeaTac Airport and within easy access to freeways.  

Manhattan Village Subarea Rendering

Using Rural TDR Credits in Manhattan Village Subarea

TDR credits may be used in the Manhattan Village Subarea (see map of receiving area below) from rural sending sites in the near-shore and shoreline properties surrounding Vashon Island, including sending sites that are part of King County’s TDR Bank.  Normandy Park’s Municipal Code allows development projects within the Manhattan Village Receiving Site to increase residential density and commercial development capacity beyond an established base with the purchase and use of TDR credits, as shown in the table below.

For questions about the TDR Program, Nicholas Bratton, TDR Program Manager, or Anne-Gigi Chan, Land Conservation Project Manager, King County WLRD Rural and Regional Services Section.