State Advances Transfer of Development Rights Tools
Washington's Department of Commerce has released a draft guidebook and toolkit on TDR and LCLIP programs for local governments.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Remote Work
The Washington State Department of Commerce has developed a draft TDR and LCLIP Guidebook and Toolkit, available on its TDR webpage. Burien and Bothell city councils have voted to include the programs in their 2027 work plans.
Why it matters
The guidebook is designed to help local governments understand these programs, evaluate their feasibility, and identify implementation opportunities across the state. Commerce is working directly with cities in central Puget Sound to explore how the tools could apply locally.
Three feasibility studies have been completed in central Puget Sound, and Commerce is assessing three additional cities for TDR and LCLIP potential. Whether these studies will lead to adopted programs has not yet been determined.
The players
Washington State Department of Commerce
The state agency responsible for economic development, community planning and local government support, which developed the draft TDR and LCLIP guidebook and toolkit.
ECOnorthwest
A Portland-based economics and planning consulting firm that led the team of consultants who helped develop the state's draft guidebook and toolkit.
The details
Commerce developed the draft guidebook and toolkit with consultants led by ECOnorthwest, and held its first educational workshop on the programs in June 2025. The Bellevue feasibility study was designed as a planning tool for updating that city's existing TDR program.
Timeline
June 2025: First TDR and LCLIP educational workshop held.
2027: Burien and Bothell include TDR and LCLIP in their work plans.
2027: Commerce plans a second educational workshop to share feasibility study findings.
Remote Work
Transfer of development rights and LCLIP tools give cities under Washington's Growth Management Act a way to direct growth while preserving rural and open land. The state's draft guidebook extends that framework by giving local governments a structured path to test these programs.
Residents in Burien, Bothell and surrounding cities may see land-use proposals shaped by these tools once the 2027 work plans move forward. Homeowners and developers should watch council agendas for implementation steps as the programs advance.
The takeaway
Local officials exploring growth tools now have a state-backed starting point for evaluating transfer of development rights before committing to a program.
Further reading
For broader context on how state policy shapes local planning, explore Remote Work coverage across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Longview Daily News.
