Electrical deregulation?

[cowman]

Folks have an opportunity to send a clear message to government when they choose the new leader.

Each candidate should be on the hot seat asked questions about how they are going to deal with industry vs people, or hog farms vs people etc.

Genuine concerns of people should come first, sadly to say they don't at this point in time.

[cakadu]

That is partly why I don't get this whole transferable development credit solution being proposed in the county. I get the concept well enough but how does one value the credit?

The premise, as I understand it, is that if someone close to the city or to the QEII wants to develop, they would have to buy development credits from a landowner that, as cowman pointed out, has been zoned agricultural, therefore not supposed to develop the land (power lines, pipelines and drilling rigs notwithstanding.) If I were to "sell" my development credits now it would be at a "price" the county deems appropriate. Here is where my questions come in.

If I sell my credits, I'm finished as far as any more compensation or development ability is concerned. Meanwhile, the entity that buys my credits, develops the land and then goes on to sell it, reaps the increase in value of the development. How will I ever see an increase to my end of the deal? Why would I ever want to sell my credits, particularly in the early stages? Wouldn't it make more sense to hold on to them to see what land values in the county get to? To my way of thinking, if they paid $20,000/acre for the transfer station, then surely to goodness my development credits must worth at least that.

Emrald, maybe you can shed some light on this. (As an aside, how is the land use committee coming along? Please feel free to e-mail me: cakadu@telusplanet.net as I really would like to hear about it.)

[cowman]

Well I know they talked a lot about that transferable credits, but I think that was all it was...talk?
I don't think it would work or at least it sure would cause a lot of problems? Especially if the county tried to impose a set price? Maybe if it was wide open on the market?
It is a difficult problem and no matter what a council decides there is going to be dissent when it comes to these zoning/land use deals?