COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP AND REDEVELOPMENT OF MASKER S THEATER & THOMPSON S WHARF PROPERTY 45 FRONT STREET BELFAST, MAINE REV.

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1 COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP AND REDEVELOPMENT OF MASKER S THEATER & THOMPSON S WHARF PROPERTY 45 FRONT STREET BELFAST, MAINE REV. 02 Prepared for: City of Belfast, Maine 131 Church Street Belfast, Maine (Using U.S.EPA Brownfields Funding Under Belfast s Assessment Grant No. BF ) Prepared by: Ransom Consulting, Inc. 400 Commercial Street, Suite 404 Portland, Maine (207) Project February 11, 2015

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN SPOKESPERSONS AND INFORMATION REPOSITORY SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY Site Location and History Previous Environmental Investigations and Summary of Environmental Conditions Proposed Remediation Plan Future Site Use COMMUNITY BACKGROUND Community Outreach Public Meeting and 30-Day Public Comment Period Stakeholder Meetings Key Community Concerns CONTINUED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SCHEDULE FIGURES Figure 1: Figure 2: Site Location Map Site Plan Showing Current or Existing Site Features

3 1.0 OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN The purpose of this Community Relations Plan (CRP) is to describe the City of Belfast s and its Brownfields Cleanup Task Force s strategy to address the needs and concerns of its citizens and visitors who may potentially be affected by the proposed remediation and redevelopment at the Masker s Theater & Thompson Wharf property located at 45 Front Street in Belfast, Maine (the Site ). This CRP outlines how the City and its Brownfields Cleanup Task Force has involved, and will continue to involve its citizens and visitors, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), and local organizations in the decision-making process regarding proposed remediation and redevelopment activities at the Site. Active residents involved in neighborhood issues are important resources for the success of the CRP because they have an understanding of the Site area and they hold positions of responsibility within the community. The City and its Brownfields Cleanup Task Force regard these citizens as key points of contact and communication. The long-term success of the remediation and redevelopment of the Masker s Theater and Thompson s Wharf property will be enhanced by informed citizen involvement during each step of the cleanup and redevelopment process. Ransom Project Page 1

4 2.0 SPOKESPERSONS AND INFORMATION REPOSITORY The primary spokesperson for this project is Thomas Kittredge, Economic Development Director for the City of Belfast. Other spokespersons for the project include members of the City of Belfast s Brownfields Cleanup Task Force. Contact information for these spokespersons is summarized in the table below: Name Organization Phone Thomas Kittredge City of Belfast Economic economicdevelopment@cityofbelfast. org (207) ext. 16 Development Director Wayne Marshall City of Belfast City Planner planner@cityofbelfast.org (207) ext. 25 Sadie Lloyd City of Belfast Assistant Planner assistantplanner@cityofbelfast.org (207) ext. 25 Breanna Bebb Our Town Belfast bre@ourtownbelfast.org (207) Dorothy Havey Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce dorothy.havey@maine.legislature.go v (207) Skip Pendleton Megan Pinette Vyvyenne Ritchie Keith Small Larry Theye Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition Belfast Historical Society & Museum Healthy Waldo County Waldo Community Action Partners Brownfields Selection Committee skipen@midmaine.com (207) info@belfastmuseum.org (207) vritchie@wchi.com (207) ksmall@waldocap.org (207) ext. 110 drstheye@myfairpoint.net (207) The information repository for this project, including the environmental assessments, remediation plans, and other environmental information is located at the City of Belfast s Economic Development Director s office (address presented below): Belfast City Hall Attn: Mr. Thomas Kittredge, Economic Development Director 131 Church Street Belfast, Maine Ph: (207) ext. 16 Hours: 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday Ransom Project Page 2

5 This information is available for viewing at the City Hall during normal business hours and is also available at the City s Economic Development website, which is listed below: Website: Under Maine s Freedom of Access law and MEDEP policies, the same information is available at the MEDEP office s located at: Maine Department of Environmental Protection Attn: Ms. Tracy W. Kelly, Brownfields Project Manager State House Station Tyson Drive Augusta, Maine Ph: (207) Tracy.W.Kelly@maine.gov Public meetings will be primarily held at the Belfast City Hall, at the following address: Belfast City Hall 131 Church Street Belfast, Maine Phone: (207) Additional public meetings may be held periodically at the Site or at another public venue. These alternate meeting times and places will be advertised in local newspaper(s) and/or the City s website, as applicable. Ransom Project Page 3

6 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY 3.1 Site Location and History The Masker s Theater & Thompson s Wharf property is an irregular-shaped parcel of land, encompassing approximately 1.45-acres situated between Front Street and Belfast Harbor. The Site is identified by the City of Belfast s Assessor s Office as Lot 136 on Tax Map 11, which corresponds to 45 Front Street. The property is currently developed with two buildings, the Masker s Theater building and a Storage building (the Site buildings ) and a marina wharf along the harbor shoreline (Thompson s Wharf). A Site Plan depicting the current or existing Site features is includes as Attachment A. The Masker s Theater building is located at the northern portion of the Site and consists of three interconnected buildings that were constructed at various stages from circa 1870 to circa This building is a one and two-storied wooden structure, occupying an approximate footprint of 4,000 square feet constructed on concrete pilings with no basement. The building was originally constructed by Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad (B&MLRR) and was utilized as a freight house and office for the railroad until B&MLRR vacated the property in The building reportedly remained vacant from 1985 to The building was last utilized as a playhouse for the Belfast Masker s Theater troupe from 1994 to Belfast Masker s vacated the property in 2011 and the building has remained vacant to the present date. The Storage building is located at the southwestern portion of the Site and consists of a single-story, concrete-block building that was constructed circa 1951 on a dirt floor with no basement. This building s footprint encompasses approximately 900 square feet and was originally constructed for locomotive storage by B&MLRR. The Storage building has reportedly been vacant since circa 1985, but has been occasionally utilized for miscellaneous storage by the City of Belfast. Thompson s Wharf was constructed in 1997 and consists of floatable wooden docks and platforms utilized as a seasonal private marina for Belfast Harbor. The docks and platforms extend approximately 50 feet from the shoreline into Belfast Harbor. Thompson s Wharf is located at the northwestern corner of the Site. 3.2 Previous Environmental Investigations and Summary of Environmental Conditions The following environmental assessments/investigations and cleanup plans have been completed for the Site: 1. Phase I Environmental Site Assessment: Masker s Theater & Thompson s Wharf, 45 Front Street (Tax Map 11, Lot 136), Belfast, Maine, prepared by Ransom Consulting, Inc. (Ransom), dated November 13, 2013; 2. Phase II Environmental Site Assessment: Masker s Theater & Thompson s Wharf, 45 Front Street (Tax Map 11, Lot 136), Belfast, Maine, prepared by Ransom, dated January 15, 2014; 3. Hazardous Materials Inventory: Masker s Theater & Thompson s Wharf, 45 Front Street (Tax Map 11, Lot 136), Belfast, Maine, prepared by Ransom, dated January 15, 2014; Ransom Project Page 4

7 4. Draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives and Conceptual Remedial Action Plan, Masker s Theater & Thompson s Wharf, 45 Front Street (Tax Map 11, Lot 136), Belfast, Maine, prepared by Ransom, dated December 15, 2014; and 5. Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP), Voluntary Response Action Program (VRAP) Application, dated December 11, Copies of these reports are available in the information repository (see Section 2.0). Findings from the previous investigations listed above have identified the following environmental conditions in connection with the Site: 1. Surficial soil samples collected from the Site contained urban fill with elevated concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and arsenic (metal). These contaminants exceeded their respective MEDEP Remedial Action Guidelines (RAGs) for Residential exposure scenarios; 2. Soil vapor samples collected at the Site contained elevated concentrations of volatile petroleum compounds, which may present a potential vapor intrusion risk to future occupied buildings at the Site; and 3. Hazardous building materials, including asbestos-containing building materials, leadbased paint, and universal wastes (i.e., mercury-containing fluorescent light tubes, thermostats, etc.) were identified in the Masker s Theater building and the Storage building. 3.3 Proposed Remediation Plan As part of the City of Belfast s Brownfields Assessment Program, Ransom completed a Draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) & Conceptual Remedial Action Plan (RAP), dated December 15, 2014 to evaluate potential cleanup alternatives for the Site. Based on the draft analysis, the Full Abatement/Removal of Hazardous Building Materials and Soil Cover/Soil Management Plan Alternative has been initially selected as the most feasible and cost-effective alternative for the Site. This proposed alternative involves mitigating the potential for human exposure at the Site by removal and abatement of hazardous building materials identified in the buildings in accordance with State and Federal regulations. Since the Site is currently unoccupied and utilized as a parking lot, contaminated soils identified on-site currently pose a low exposure risk to human health including the general public. The existing surficial soils are also acting as a temporary cover system to mitigate direct contact with underlying impacted soils. Therefore, final or permanent mitigation of contaminated soils will be conducted during Site redevelopment in accordance with a MEDEP-approved Soil Management Plan. Soil mitigation activities will likely include the removal and proper off-site disposal of contaminated soils that cannot be reused during Site redevelopment due to geotechnical- and/or construction-related reasons (i.e., excess soils). Upon completion of redevelopment activities, the impacted soils will be covered with a MEDEPapproved cover system (e.g., building foundation/slab, asphalt/concrete-paved parking areas, sidewalks, raised landscaped beds, etc.). In addition, Ransom recommends implementing a deed restriction and/or institutional controls in the form of a Declaration of Environmental Covenant (DEC) for the Site and the installation of a vapor mitigation system for any new occupied buildings constructed at grade at the Site. Ransom Project Page 5

8 3.4 Future Site Use The potential future use of the Site is not fully defined at this time, but it is proposed to be likely redeveloped for office, commercial, and/or residential uses (mixed-use). The current remedial action plan considered this reuse scenario, and therefore, the final selected remedial action measures will be incorporated into the final redevelopment plans. Ransom Project Page 6

9 4.0 COMMUNITY BACKGROUND The City of Belfast is a community of approximately 6,700 persons located in Waldo County, Maine. Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County and the City is a favorite spot for tourists and residents alike for its picturesque waterfront, active social life, and burgeoning downtown. The City also has an extensive history of maritime trading, industry, and recreation along the Passagassawakeag River and Belfast Harbor. Masker s Theater has been vacant since The building has fallen into disrepair for a number of years and is currently dilapidated. The property is a prime location for redevelopment since it is located only a half-mile from downtown Belfast and within the heart of the City s working waterfront. The property is adjacent to local restaurants, boutique shops, and the recently constructed Front Street Shipyard and Harbor Walk. This redevelopment project will assist in the City s overall goals and the goals of the Brownfields Program by revitalizing a blighted/contaminated property that would otherwise remain underutilized and/or vacant. The completion of this project will also represent an excellent example and encourage further redevelopment and reuse of Brownfields properties in Belfast. Clean up of the Masker s Theater and Thompson s Wharf property will reduce or eliminate the potential for human exposure to impacted surficial soils and hazardous building materials (including asbestos, leadbased paint, and other universal wastes). The elimination of a blighted property, combined with the creation of a new commercial and/or residential space would also be a direct benefit to the local community, making the neighborhood a more enjoyable and welcoming location to live, work, and visit. Recently, this area of Belfast has been reinvigorated with the expanding Front Street Shipyard properties and the completion of the Belfast Harbor Walk, which passes through the Site. The remediation and redevelopment of this Site will bring more residents and tourists down to Belfast s waterfront. 4.1 Community Outreach Public Meeting and 30-Day Public Comment Period An initial public meeting will be held to get the word out to the public and to outline proposed cleanup activities at the Site. This meeting will be held on March 5, 2015 during the 30-day public comment period associated with the draft ABCA/RAP review. Additional public meetings may also be held at key project milestones to keep the public informed; such as upon the completion of the cleanup activities, or a significant portion thereof, and during redevelopment planning. Meetings will be held at the Belfast City Hall, and will be attended by representatives from the City of Belfast, the Brownfields Cleanup Task Force, MEDEP, US EPA, and/or Ransom. The purpose of these public meetings will be to educate the public on the Brownfields process, the potential benefits of Brownfield site redevelopment, inform the local stakeholders of the results of the previous environmental assessments, describe what remedial measures are to be implemented at the site, and solicit input from the public on their concerns and desires for the property. The initial meeting will also discuss the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in relation to this project and how they will be met during redevelopment. An advertisement will be run in the Belfast Republican Journal on or before Thursday, February 12, This advertisement will announce the public meeting, and provides information on the availability Ransom Project Page 7

10 of the project documents for review (information repository). This legal advertisement will also announce the start of the 30-day public comment period on the proposed cleanup plan, which is proposed to run from February 12, 2015 until March 16, 2015 (close-of-business) Stakeholder Meetings Additional public meeting sessions regarding the proposed redevelopment and reuse scenarios for the Site will be held, as necessary, throughout the project duration and will be advertised in the local press, as further described in Section 5.0 below. 4.2 Key Community Concerns To date, the public has voiced much encouragement and support for the proposed redevelopment plans. However, concerns expressed include: Overall potential health threats to and impacts to the quality of life in the community; The vacant site and other properties in the waterfront and downtown areas create blight in the community; and Potential impacts to neighbors from identified contaminants during Site cleanup and redevelopment, i.e., control of dust or other contaminants of concerns during construction related activities. Each of these are valuable concerns that the City and its Cleanup Task Force do not take lightly. Final cleanup and redevelopment plans and construction means and measures will clearly take into account and address these community concerns. Ransom Project Page 8

11 5.0 CONTINUED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT The City of Belfast and its Brownfields Cleanup Task Force will work to provide continued community involvement for the project. The US EPA and MEDEP have provided regulatory oversight of the Brownfields assessment process and will continue to oversee the cleanup activities through the Maine Voluntary Response Action Program (VRAP). Public notices will be placed in the Belfast Republican Journal and on the City of Belfast s website announcing the intended and ongoing cleanup activities at the Site and to notify residents of public meetings regarding the cleanup efforts. In conformance with the US EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant requirements, the public notice will also announce that the information repository on this project, including the environmental assessments, and other environmental information is located on the City of Belfast s website and also is available for viewing during normal business hours and at other times by appointment at the Belfast City Hall. As previously noted, the first public meeting will be held on March 5, The public meeting announcement and availability of the Site documents for review will be advertised in the Belfast Republican Journal on or before February 12, The advertisement will mark the beginning of the 30-day public comment period on the proposed cleanup alternatives. In addition, meeting announcements will be placed in the Belfast Republican Journal notifying residents of the public meetings to be held at the Belfast City Hall. The information repository will be updated with the inclusion of all meeting minutes, status reports, and other communications. Public comments regarding the project can be submitted at the public meetings or directly to Thomas Kittredge, Economic Development Director for the City of Belfast, via or regular mail (contact information can be found in Section 2 of this CRP). Ransom Project Page 9

12 6.0 SCHEDULE December 15, 2014 A Draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and Conceptual Remedial Action Plan (RAP) report was finalized under the City of Belfast Brownfields Program. February 11, 2015 The Draft CRP is finalized and submitted to the MEDEP and US EPA for final review and approval. February 12, 2015 A public notice is advertised, which announces the availability of draft ABCA/RAP for review, and the start of the 30-day public comment period. This public notice also advertises the public meeting and provides information on the project information repository. March 5, 2015 A public meeting is held to present the remedial plans and solicit comments from the public. March 16, 2015 The 30-day public comment period ends (close-of-business). March/April 2015 Ransom prepares bidding contract documents, issues an Invitation for Bids to environmental contractors for at least the initial phases of the proposed cleanup project, performs bidding phase services, and selects a cleanup contractor. April/May 2015 Cleanup project is initiated. May/June 2015 Initial Phase(s) of Cleanup Completed including Abatement and Demolition and/or Relocation of the Site Buildings and Temporary Cover Systems. June 2015 through August 2017 Supplemental Site Cleanup and Redevelopment, as necessary. September 2017 Deadline for completion of cleanup activities using Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Please note that this schedule has some inherent flexibility and it may be modified or negotiated at the request or direction of the City of Belfast and the Brownfield Cleanup Task Force in order to accommodate the potential to dovetail final cleanup actions with proposed Site redevelopment activities, should redevelopment plans become solidified during the project performance. Ransom Project Page 10

Regional Locator Map Belfast SITE LOCATION Notes 1.

1/3" NED 2. USGS Quad Name: Belfast, Searsport 3.

76" W UTM Northing: 4919489.4mN UTM Easting: 500525.

feet Prepared For City of Belfast 131 Church Street

13 Regional Locator Map Belfast SITE LOCATION Notes 1. Data Source: USGS National Map Seamless Server, 24K DRG, 1/3" NED 2. USGS Quad Name: Belfast, Searsport 3. Latitude: 44 25'43.32" N Longitude: 69 0' 23.76" W UTM Northing: mN UTM Easting: me Scale and Orientation 0 1,000 2,000 1 inch = 2,000 feet Prepared For City of Belfast 131 Church Street Belfast, ME Site Address Tax Map 11, Lot Front Street Belfast, ME [ Jan 2014 Copyright: 2011 National Geographic Society, i-cubed Figure 1 Site Location G:\Data\ME\Project\131_06015\Maps\Figure_1.mxd

Front Street Shipyard (Tax Map 11, Lot 132) Legend Thompson's Wharf Site Boatyard Office Approximate Location of Harborwalk Right of Way B113 Front Street Shipyard (Former Belfast Boatyard Tax Map

14 Front Street Shipyard (Tax Map 11, Lot 132) Legend Thompson's Wharf Site Boatyard Office Approximate Location of Harborwalk Right of Way B113 Front Street Shipyard (Former Belfast Boatyard Tax Map 11, Lot 137) Spar Shed B104 Right of Way to Thompson's Wharf Former Railroad Engine House (Demolished 2012) Three Tides B105 B114 "Site" (Tax Map 11, Lot 136) SV102 B106 B110 Front Street Shipyard Building #5 (Constructed 2012) B103/TW103 Maskers Theat er Building B102/TW102 B108 B107 e Stre t n Fro BK2 Background Soil Soil SoilBoring/ Temp Well * ' Ï Soil Vapor 1. Site Plan based on Bing Orthophotography 2. Some features are approximate in location and scale 3. Property boundary taken from Tax Map provided by City of Belfast. Property boundaries are approximate. A boundary survey was not included in the scope of work for this assessment. t 4. This plan has been prepared for the City of Belfast. All other uses are not authorized unless written permission is obtained from Ransom Environmental Consultants, Inc. Right of Way to Boatyard Scale and Orientation BK inch = 50 feet [ Prepared For Storage Building Approximate Location of Petroleum-Impacted soils encountered during 2012 utility work B109 Front Street Pub B111 SV101 # * ) Ð Notes B112 B101/TW101 Front Street Shipyard (Tax Map 11, Lot 136-A) Reported Petroleum Impacted Soils Belfast Wastewater Treatment Plant City of Belfast 131 Church Street Belfast, Maine Site Address Tax Map 11, Lot Front Stret Belfast, Maine Jan 2014 Figure 2 Site Plan G:\Data\ME\Project\131_06015\Maps\Figure_2.mxd

M E M O R A N D U M. Status of the Environmental Cleanup of the Shipyard

M E M O R A N D U M. Status of the Environmental Cleanup of the Shipyard ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MICHAEL COHEN, DIRECTOR CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO GAVIN NEWSOM, MAYOR M E M O R A N D U M TO: Members of the Health Commission FROM: Michael Cohen CC: Mitch Katz,