Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 188

Purchase of Development Rights
Purchase of development rights is a legal agreement whereby the landowner voluntarily
gives up the right to develop his or her land in exchange for a cash payment. The payment is
based on the different between the property’s value as open space and its development value.
Purchase of development rights is most commonly employed to protect farmland but can also
be used for sensitive areas such as steep slopes and floodplains. The end result is a conservation
easement held by a government entity or private organization such as a land trust. Funding for
this mechanism can be derived from a variety of sources. Many states (but not Kentucky) have
established programs and dedicated funding for purchasing development rights of qualified
farmland.
Tax Title and Owners Unknown Properties
There are on the tax rolls of many communities, parcels which are delinquent in their
tax payments (tax title properties) and parcels for which there is no known owner. Such parcels
may possess sensitive resources such as wetlands which restrict their development potential
and may be potentially valuable as open space. A program for identifying tax title or “owners
unknown” properties and their potential use or disposition could be implemented in Jefferson
County. The LMPRD could review any such parcels to determine if they have potential value as
part of the parks and open space system.
Land Exchange and Sales
Under a land exchange action, Louisville might “swap” a piece of land already held as
open space or parkland for another piece which is deemed more advantageous to the overall
park and open space system. Similarly, Louisville might choose to sell a property on the open
market in order to finance acquisition of an area of more value for the parks and open space
system.
Another approach which has been used for a long time, although not frequently, would
involve the purchase of land with the intention of using only part of it for a new park. The
remaining land would later be sold for development, with profits accrued being used to finance
the park development.
Service Clubs and Volunteers
Service clubs such as the Lions Club or the Kiwanis often contribute towards the
improvement and maintenance of local park facilities. Other groups such as the Boys and Girls
Clubs are already providing community center facilities in some locations of Jefferson County.
The County might also be able to mobilize volunteers to help in the maintenance of certain
portions of the parks and open space system, thereby reducing the LMPRD’s maintenance costs.
Volunteer groups which have an interest in specific components of the parks system are most
likely to make valuable contributions. Examples might include boy or girl scouts, equestrian and
hiking groups, and nature groups such as Riverfields.
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