Park City, population 7,558 (2010), is located 32 miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City. It is a famous ski resort center and the site of the Sundance Film Festival.
Park City uses TDR to preserve landmarks like this one.
In 2011, Park City adopted a transfer of development rights overlay zone designed to preserve open space, scenic views, environmental areas, steep slopes, sensitive lands, agriculture, forests, outdoor recreation sites, parks, trails and structures of aesthetic, architectural or historic significance.
The code focuses on three sending areas: Sending Treasure Hill (TDR-STH), Sending Old Town (TDR-SOT) and Sending Historic District (TDR-SHD). Every time credits are transferred from a sending site, a conservation easement or deed restriction is recorded. When all credits have been purchased, the sending site may only be used for the purposes allowed by the easement.
The TDC allocation ratios differ in these three sending areas. In the TDR-SHD, one TDC is allocated per vacant lot of record or for each 2,000 square feet of unused development potential from a site listed on the Historic Sites Inventory.
Developers may use the TDC option to increase density beyond base zoning if approved via the Master Planned Development process. The TDR ordinance suggests that TDC is the only way that sites can exceed base zoning. Using conversion ratios, one TDC credit is equivalent to 1,000 square feet of bonus commercial floor area or 2,000 square feet of bonus residential floor area.