Stafford County Planning Commission, as early as next month, could recommend passage of legislation that could change forever any hope the county has of saving its remaining farms, forests and ecologically sensitive areas from development.

Paul Milde reports an ordinance working its way through the commission will directly affect The Crow’s Nest (TCN) and all rural parts of the county. Milde represents Aquia District on Stafford Board of County Supervisors.

A change to the county’s zoning ordinance would recommend establishing a transfer of development rights (TDR) program. Milde urges support of the original TDR proposal, which would give property owners the option of saving forever more than 78,145 acres of their land in the county. Under the program, a property owner could voluntarily transfer residential density from a sending area to a receiving area located near the central areas of Stafford. “This process will permanently save agricultural and forest lands, cut development densities on those and other lands and save rural open spaces and natural scenic resources,” Milde explained.  “After five years of working on this TDR legislation, it is now threatened by the same old tired politics as usual. Some are more concerned about whom gets the credit and less concerned about saving open space forever. This is coming from both sides of the aisle,” the supervisor charged.