Calvert County Raises Development Rights Purchase Price To $6,500

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Calvert County will offer landowners $6,500 for each transferable development right purchased through its agricultural preservation programs during fiscal 2027.

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved the price Aug. 18 and directed the Department of Planning & Zoning to open the annual Purchase and Retirement Fund application cycle. One commissioner abstained from the vote.

Established in 1992, the Purchase and Retirement Fund allows the county to buy transferable development rights, commonly called TDRs, and permanently remove them from the development market. The program compensates participating landowners while preventing additional residential development on preserved agricultural land.

The county’s TDR Reserve operates as a revolving program that facilitates development-right transactions between farmers and developers.

Calvert County has $12,950,067 available for Purchase and Retirement Fund acquisitions and $982,495 available through the TDR Reserve in fiscal 2027, according to the Department of Planning & Zoning.

Together, the programs have as much as $13,932,562 available, although actual spending will depend on applications and revenue received.

The Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board recommended the $6,500 price after reviewing land values, other preservation programs and recent private TDR transactions. Private sales averaged $4,705 per TDR in 2025 and $5,459 during 2026 through the date of the county’s report.

The newly approved price is $270 higher than the $6,230 offered during the fiscal 2026 cycle.

That fiscal 2026 price represented an increase of approximately $1,500 per TDR from the previous year. At the time, the county had nearly $10.3 million available for Purchase and Retirement Fund acquisitions and $655,630 in the TDR Reserve.

A portion of the county’s preservation funding comes from recordation taxes. Of each $5 collected, $1.70 is directed to the Agricultural Land Preservation Fund. The program also receives state agricultural transfer tax revenue.

The advisory board said its latest recommendation was intended to balance fair compensation for participating property owners with the goal of preserving as much eligible land as possible using the available funding.

County officials are expected to release additional information about the fiscal 2027 application period.

Watch the full meeting below.

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