Pitkin County and the City of Aspen have implemented programs which utilize the concept of transfering development rights from a  “Sending Site” to lands that have been identified as being more suitable for development (”Receiver Site”). This valuable land use planning tool has been utilized extensively, particularly in Pitkin County, to preserve thousands of acres of backcountry. Magill & Associates- Planning and Landscape Architecture has been involved with the aquisition and utilization of TDRs, mainly in the County, since the inception of the program in 1993. See the “News” page of this website for more information on TDRs.

There have been two TDRs utilized to increase floor area in the Morningstar project below, with the potential for three more. Magill first identified that the Morningstar project area was well suited to “receive” these TDRs due to its proximity to existing services and lack of any major environmental concerns.

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Morningstar Aspen is a premier mountain residential development on the Roaring Fork River east of Aspen, Colorado. Magill & Associates provided land planning,  landscape architecture, site planning and project management services for this project since 2000. Magill was lead planner and designer for the project that  includes over 15 acres of prime Colorado mountain landscape. Magill obtained all of the  land use entitlements for the project for a total of  52,000 square feet of residential floor area.  Magill was  directly involved with the layout of the “subdivision” including locations for roads, building sites and water delivery systems. Magill and Associates authored detailed and environmentally-sustainable landscape guidelines for the project that are strictly enforced by covenants. The project is approximately 50% complete as of January 2010.

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WetBank Gunnison – “Wetlands Mitigation Bank”

Magill & Associates- Landscape Architecture and Planning worked in concert with other consultants (wetlands biologist and a Clean Water Act expert) and the property owner to restore/create 109 acres of wetlands on a 125 acre parcel near Gunnison, Colorado. Wetlands Banking is becoming more and more popular in the American West as an acceptable method of offsetting impacts of development on wetland habitat. Magill was a primary contributor in the preparation of a detailed ”Wetlands Mitigation Banking Instrument”, necessary to satisfy the requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Clean Water Act.

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Magill provided land planning & entitlements for this undeveloped 27 acre site adjacent to the Northstar Nature Preserve near Aspen, Colorado. The property will utilize several Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) to increase the floor area beyond the maximum allowable under the underlying zoning. The property is approved for a 10,750 square foot residence with the option for an agricultural outbuilding. This property is an outstanding residential opportunity. Magill & Associates also provided site development services which included assisting with the design and alignment of the driveway, and the personal supervision of  it’s construction .