Profiled 2024 

The City of Stanton, population 37,962 (2020), is located in northern Orange County, California, roughly 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. In 2013, the city adopted Chapter 20.545 Transfer of Development Rights aimed at encouraging the provision of various community benefits.

In approving a sending site, the City Council must find that a reduced density/intensity of the site would provide benefits to the city in any of five areas: 1) The provision of extraordinary open space, public views, increased parking, or other amenities; 2) Preservation of historic or natural resources; 3) Improved scale/character of development; 4) Reduced vehicular trips and traffic congestion; and 5) Consolidation of parcels to achieve more efficient use of public land. The maximum gross floor area allowed on the sending site must be reduced by the amount of the transfer of development intensity to the receiving site. These benefits must be permanently secured by a covenant or other suitable, binding agreement as part of the transfer.  

Receiving areas are properties located within or proposed for annexation to the City. The combined total gross floor area allowed on all of the sites involved in the transfer cannot exceed the combined total gross floor area allowed for the sites in which they are located.   

Proposals to transfer development rights must be approved by the City Council via the Conditional Use Permit process. In addition to the benefits listed above, the City Council must find that the transfer: 1) Will not result in adverse traffic impacts; 2) Will be compatible with surrounding development in scale and character; and 3) Will be suitable in terms of circulation, views, open space, topography, and sensitive resources.