Purchase and Retirement Option (PAR)

Overview

The Purchase and Retirement (PAR) was established by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in 1992. The program serves as an added mechanism for the sale of TDRs. Unlike a traditional market sale PAR transactions utilize county funds to retire TDRs thus removing density rather than moving it. The BOCC sets the TDR price based on the recommendation from the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board (APAB). Eligible Agricultural Preservation District (APD) owners can apply to sell TDRs to the PAR fund. Applications are ranked by the APAB. The APAB sends offer letters until funding is exhausted.

Fiscal Year 2020 PAR Application

Download the PAR application form (fillable PDF).

If you need any additional information please contact Ron Marney at 410-535-1600 x2336.

PAR Ranking

Once an application from an eligible APD has been submitted for PAR it is ranked based on the following:

NOTE:  In the event that two or more PAR Fund Applications are tied in rank, first priority will be given to the application which has least recently conveyed TDRs to the PAR Fund and second priority will be given to property enrolled in an APD for the longest time.

Land Use

  Points
Active working farm  
60% Tillable 33
40% Tillable 25
20% Tillable                     17
Active Tree Farm 13
Undesignated Land                                                                                                            0

Location

A plus B Points
A  
In DAA 15
Not in DAA 0
B  
Adjacent to preserved APD 10
Adjacent to unprotected APD 5
Not adjacent to an APD                                                                                                     0

Size

  Points
100+ acres 25
75+ acres 20
50+ acres 15
25+ acres 10
10+ acres 5
-10 acres                                                                              0

Soils

  Points
50% Class I 17
50% Class I and II 11
50% Class I, II, III 5
                                                                                          0

Bonus Points

  Points
Any property that has not sold any development rights to any purchaser 10