Online Webinar

Developing a brownfields inventory

This webinar is brought to you by the Connecticut Brownfields Initiative

July 10, 2019

Nefeli Bompoti, Ph.D., Project Manager, Connecticut

Brownfields Initiative

Connecticut Brownfields Initiative (CBI)

http://cbi.uconn.eduVisit our website:

Our Mission“To be the foremost program for education,

technical assistance and networking

opportunities on brownfields redevelopment in

the State of Connecticut.”

CBI Sponsors

Outline of today’s webinar

• Brownfields in Connecticut

• Methodology of developing brownfields inventories

• Presentation of the CBI’s Municipal Assistance Program

• Q&A

Brownfields in Connecticut

Brownfield sites definition by Connecticut General Statutes §32-760:

“any abandoned or underutilized site where redevelopment, reuse or expansion has not occurred due to the presence or potential presence of pollution in the buildings, soil or groundwater that

requires investigation or remediation before or in conjunction with the restoration, redevelopment, reuse and expansion of the property.”

Poll-Is this a brownfield?

What is the process of redeveloping a brownfield?

1. Identify property and establish project goals (budget, preliminary reuse assessment)

2. Property recovery actions (acquisition of the property or leasing, tax incentives)

3. Conduct due diligence (Environmental Investigation Assessments – Phase I, II/III, Remedial Action Plan, Cleanup)

4. Development phase

BF inventories – What are they?

Digitized lists of brownfield sites in a community, town, or state.

Purpose: To provide a reasonable estimate of the number, likely location and general characteristics of brownfield sites (EPA).

BF Inventories - What are the benefits?

• Community plan & stewardship activities

• Public information dissemination and disclosure

• Demonstrations of the public and community economic returns to redevelopment of brownfields

• Providing hard data on the actual risks associated with brownfields

• Attract private investment

• Easier to meet federal requirements for grant recipients

• Credit for Sustainable CT Action 1.1

Source: Meyer, 2002. Closing the Brownfield Information Gap: Practical Methods for Identifying Brownfields

BF inventories – Identify propertiesWhat are you looking for?

• Abandoned property

• Active site but underutilized

• Tax delinquent property

• Property blighted that significantly conflicts with the Master

Plan of the community

What information should be included in a BF inventory?

• Site Name

• Address and parcel number

• Owner

• Property size

• Site status (vacant or occupied)

• Site type (industrial, residential, former landfill, etc.)

• Zoning regulations

• Floodplain

• Opportunity zones

What information should be included in a BF inventory?

• Past uses

• Tax Status (if not tax delinquent, owner’s consent is necessary in order to include it in the inventory)

• Existing buildings in the property

• Under federal or state program

• Environmental Status (i.e. environmental assessment started)

• Site photos

• Site documents

• Additional details

BF inventory should look like:

Site

Name Town No. Street

Zip

code

Parcel

Number Status

Site

Type

Size

(acres)

Current

Zoning

Fed

Floodplain

Is property in an

opportunity / tax

incentive / PDD zone?

If so, identify it.

Current

Owner

Tax

Status

Existing

Buildings

If yes, sq

ft of

buildings

Site

photos

available?

Site

documents

available?

LEP, if

any

Is property in a fed/state program

(i.e., Transfer Act, Voluntary

Remediation, etc)? If so, identify the

program. Comments

Where to start from?

Available sources to identify brownfield sites:

• CT DEEP list of potentially contaminated sites (not all sites are brownfields – some of them could be already completed https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2715&Q=325018

• Tax delinquent properties (mytaxbill.org for each town – IRS data)

• Existing brownfield lists provided by the town

• Direct communication with residents and town officials

How to gather information on specific sites?

• Zoning regulations: Town zoning and GIS maps (Town’s website)

• FEMA floodplain https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

• Opportunity zones http://ctmaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=5e0c6a70e75744b0b0bcd3b4d5280571&extent=-74.0893,41.0406,-71.4526,42.0163

• Status of the site (occupied or vacant), current and past uses, existing buildings, photos: Google maps, site reconnaissance

• Environmental documents: DEEP File Room (remediation) https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2701&q=323428&deepNav_GID=1511

An example in the Town of Branford

• Site existing in CT DEEP list of potentially contaminated sites

https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2715&Q=325018

Arcola Wire Company

CT Transfer Act

CT Transfer Act: Regulates the transfer of polluted real

properties and business operations in the state - properties on

which or a business operation from which hazardous waste was

generated or processed, or a dry cleaning, furniture stripping

or vehicle body repair business operated.

Example: BF in the Town of Branford

• Zoning maps of Branford https://branford.mapxpress.net/portal.asp

Example: BF in the Town of Branford

• FEMA flood plain: Property in minimal flood hazard

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search?AddressQuery=13%20Beaver%20rd%20#searc

hresultsanchor

• Tax status: delinquent

https://www.mytaxbill.org/inet/bill/search.do

• Opportunity zone: No

http://ctmaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=5e0c6a70e75744b0

b0bcd3b4d5280571&extent=-74.0893,41.0406,-71.4526,42.0163

Example: BF in the Town of Branford

Site Name Town No. Street Zipcode Parcel Number Status Site Type

Size

(acres)

Current

Zoning

Fed

Floodplai

n

Is property in an

opportunity / tax incentive

/ PDD zone? If so, identify

it.

Arcola Wire (aka Durable Wire) Branford 13 Beaver Rd 06405

B07/C08/001/0000

1 Inactive Industrial site 3.62 IG-2 No No

Current Owner Tax Status

Existing

Buildings

If yes, sq ft

of buildings

Site photos

available?

Site

documents

available? LEP, if any

Is property in a fed/state program (i.e., Transfer

Act, Voluntary Remediation, etc)? If so, identify

the program.

ADAMS BRADWAY B TRUSTEE Delinquent Yes Yes No Transfer Act – Form III

Poll-BF inventories

How often should we update the BF inventory?

- No need for update

- Once a year

- Once a month

- Once information for a BF site is received

How can CBI help?

Brownfields Corps – Service

Learning

Municipal Assistance Program

Fall 2019: Lecture and

project course

Support for EPA grant

proposal

Spring 2020: Practicum

Various BFs projects (BF

inventories, Phase I ESA,

etc.)

ENVE 3995:

Special Topics

Brownfield

Redevelopment

RFP for Spring’ 20 will

open in late Fall’ 19

Who will oversee the student work?

CBI team includes

Dr. Maria Chrysochoou, Associate Professor and Department Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Nefeli Bompoti, Assistant Research Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

CBI partners (DECD, DEEP, industry)

Who can apply?

• Municipalities

• Regional Planning Organizations

• State-sanctioned Redevelopment Agencies

• Other non-profits and non-profit community development entities

What is the applicant commitment?

• Assign a contact person who will communicate with the students and CBI staff and be available for periodic meetings and calls

• Provide the necessary access and resources needed to develop the inventory (i.e., access to town files and information, connecting students to the necessary departments)

How can you apply?

• Online at cbi.uconn.edu/for-communities

• Page includes full RFP and FAQs

• Fill out Google Form

RFP for Spring’

20 will open in

late Fall’ 19

Q&A

Developing a brownfields inventory

For more information: http://cbi.uconn.edu

Contact us: brownfields@uconn.edu