In the areas covered by the blanket, no new development may take place. The remainder of the land will be covered by a conservation easement. While land covered by a conservation easement will remain open, it should not be confused with what people now think of as open space because the land itself remains under private ownership. Think back to the example of property as a series of layers. The development rights layer is owned by Boulder County but the surface rights layer is owned by a private entity.
Density refers to the number of development rights originating from a parcel of land.
In most Boulder County zoning districts, one dwelling unit per 35 acres is the allowable density without a public review process. If a property owner takes part in the TDR program as a sending site, a conservation easement will be placed over the property. This means that instead of having one unit of density, or development right, per 35 acres, the owner may instead be granted two or even three units of density, or development rights. The bonus density depends on several factors which will be discussed later in this guide. The information contained herein is for personal use only.