WORKSHOP SUMMARY BROWNFIELDS NUTS & BOLTS TRAINING - MARCH 25, 2008

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1 INTRODUCTION WORKSHOP SUMMARY BROWNFIELDS NUTS & BOLTS TRAINING - MARCH 25, 2008 On Tuesday March 25, 2008, the City of Blue Island hosted a Brownfields Nuts & Bolts Training Workshop, which also served as kick-off meeting for the Brownfields Advisory Team (BAT) associated with the City s USEPA Brownfields Assessment grant project. This report summarizes the workshop content, feedback provided by attendees and next steps in Blue Island s Brownfields Assessment project implementation process. For background on the USEPAfunded project associated with this workshop, please refer to the Blue Island Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet available online at WORKSHOP OVERVIEW Format The workshop was presented through a powerpoint presentation and divided into the following three segments: What are Brownfields and Why Should I Care?; The Site Assessment Process; and Elements of a Successful Brownfields Program Attendees received an agenda, a packet of the powerpoint slides, a copy of Blue Island Brownfield Priorities describing how to rank sites and an example copy of how the rankings will apply to potential sites. Workshop Objectives 1. To explain linkages between brownfields redevelopment planning and economic development planning. 2. To provide education on factors affecting brownfields redevelopment. 3. To promote community involvement in site selection process for assessment grant money. Presented by Delta Redevelopment Institute Delta Redevelopment Institute, a non-profit organization formed in 1998, specializes in brownfields redevelopment to revitalize Chicago-area blighted communities. They improve environmental quality and promote community and economic development in the Great Lakes region. Delta s extensive experience includes: Facilitation of community participation and brownfields site prioritization process with the South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association for eight communities (Chicago Heights, Lansing, Posen, Riverdale and South Chicago Heights in 2001; and for Burnham, Markham and Robbins in 2004). Partnership with the Michigan City (Indiana) Economic Development Corporation to clean and redevelop a former foundry site in northern Indiana. Redevelopment plans for several hundred acres of brownfields in disadvantaged communities including Gary, Indiana, and Riverdale, Illinois. 1

2 WORKSHOP CONTENT Workshop Agenda 1. What is a Brownfield and why should I care 2. The Site Inventory & Assessment Process 3. Elements of a Successful Brownfields Program What are Brownfields & Why Should I Care? Presented by Christine Slattery, Senior Associate Director of Delta, this segment explained the definition of a brownfield, the impact brownfields can have on a community and basic methods for brownfields redevelopment. A brownfield is defined by the USEPA as Real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence of potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Brownfields can exist in many buildings and sites, such as abandoned gas stations, and could harbor hazardous substances like asbestos or lead. Many brownfield sites go unnoticed in areas, which puts residents well being at risk. It is important to learn about brownfields to improve environmental quality and human health. Redevelopment of brownfields will enhance economic development and may be eligible for federal grant opportunities while it offers information on opportunity sites for potential developers. Learning about brownfields will provide an understanding between development plans, zoning and environmental cleanup requirements in the area. Conditions affecting redevelopment of brownfields involve time, cost, and market factors A simple ABC process may choose site prioritization. Possible criteria for assigning site priorities in Blue Island include whether the site is concurrent with existing plans, a location within TOD target area, environmental concerns, a different marketable use that will generate jobs and the economy, and/or short return time on redevelopment given environmental factors, ownership status, and market conditions. The Site Assessment Process Presented by Abigail Corso, Associate Director of Delta, this segment explained the process potential brownfield sites undergo prior to and during testing. The Site Assessment Process occurs after the site selection. The Illinois Site Remediation Program (SRP) is a voluntary cleanup program for brownfield sites administered by the IEPA. The SRP establishes investigation and cleanup standards that vary based on the zoning and use (or proposed use) of the brownfield site. Once a site has completed the program, the IEPA issues a "No Further Remediation" (NFR) Letter stating that the cleanup is satisfactory for the site's intended use and the owner has no additional responsibility for completing an approved cleanup plan. This is only available if the site is enrolled in the SRP program. Following is the Phase I ESA, which can cost from $2,500-$5,000 depending on the site. Phase I identifies potential Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs), which is the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances on a property that may indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of the substance(s) into structures on the property, or into the ground, groundwater, or surface water of the property. 2

3 Required elements to conduct a Phase I assessment include: 1. A site visit. 2. Interviews with knowledgeable persons of site. 3. A background review of records pertaining to the property and surrounding properties, including Sanborn maps. 4. A comprehensive written report. Phase II ESAs further investigates RECs from the Phase 1 process. This includes soil, groundwater, and building materials sampling and may cost $10,000 and up per site. Once these steps are complete, extensive reports, such as the Site Investigation Summary, which include the sampling analyses from the sites, and the Remedial Action Plan, which is a workplan on how to reduce site contamination, will be drafted and studied to move forward with the brownfield site redevelopment. Elements of a Successful Brownfield Program Presented by Donna Ducharme, President of Delta, describing the importance of municipality and community involvement in brownfield redevelopment and approaches to receiving proper funding. Elements of a successful Brownfields Program requires a vision and goals in the long-run, such as a master plan, target area plans, and a focus on sustainability. Municipalities should know their available properties and be knowledgeable of their ownership and control. Successful programs should apply for a number of available of grants and incentives, while also investing in local loan funds, tax incentives, and TIF moneys. The program must prepare marketing strategies such as market research, placing properties and other information on the Internet, and targeted outreach. Preventing Pollution and Future Brownfields Presented by Jen Wang, Associate of Delta, providing information and tips to avoid potential Brownfields. The most important element of a successful Brownfields Program is the effort to prevent future brownfields by having adaptive reuse and infill, green infrastructure and building codes, and reuse construction, placing pollution prevention ordinances, and controlling stormwater runoff, among other things. Next Steps Presented by Christine Slattery, Associate of Delta, who provided guidelines and tips for the upcoming steps in the Brownfield redevelopment process. In order for Blue Island to begin Brownfields redevelopment process, the City along with the BAT will devise goals, objective and site selection criteria. Based off those guidelines, 25 priority sites in the TOD areas will be selected for Phase I ESAs. From that sampling, two sites for will be chosen for Phase II sampling. Additionally, an update in Blue Island s Economic Development plan will help with the redevelopment process. 3

4 CONCLUSIONS & NEXT STEPS The Brownfields Nuts and Bolts Training Workshop was designed to educate stakeholders with enough information to be able to provide informed input into the project decision making process. The workshop was generally well perceived by participants and facilitators alike as a useful and worthwhile training. Some concerns from participants included: Determining which sites to choose for site selection process Ownership issues Cooperativeness with property owners to conduct site assessments These issues and concerns will be addressed as the project progresses. Next Steps Project/Meeting Schedule (Tentative) DATE ACTIVITY RESPONSIBLE 3/25/08 BAT kickoff & Brownfields Training Workshop BAT Members April-May 2008 Complete Inventory. Score properties based on weighted criteria Staff/Consultant Mid-May 2008 BAT Workshop 2 Refine project selection criteria and scoring BAT Members Late May 2008 BAT determine Phase I properties based on scores BAT Members Late May 2008 Final Phase I property list present to mayor & Council for approval Consultant May-June 2008 Complete and submit 25 Site Eligibility Determination request to USEPA. Wait for approval. Consultant 2 & Staff June-August 2008 Perform 25 Phase I ESAs Consultant August 2008 Market Study to determine sites with highest redevelopment potential Consultant Sept 2008 (estimated) Fall Choose 2 sites to receive Phase II ESAs BAT/Staff/Consultant Sept 2008 Consultant complete & submit HASP and QAPP. Wait for USEPA approval Environmental Engineer Dec 2008 Consultant complete & submit Sampling Plans. Wait for USEPA approval Environmental Engineer Spring 2009 Perform Phase II Site Investigations Environmental Engineer Spring 2009 BAT Meeting Update on assessment results and next steps BAT Members Public Workshop 2 A second workshop will be conducted in mid-may. The second workshop will be allow BAT members to provide input on project objectives, goals, and scoring criteria which will eventually be used to determine potential sites that will receive ESAs. A final date and time for this workshop will be announced in the near future. 4

5 Appendix A 5

6 BLUE ISLAND BROWNFIELDS WORKSHOP March 25, :00 a.m. 12:00 noon Blue Island Public Library Annex 2433 York Street 9:10 Welcome and Introductions Jodi Prout 9:15 9:45 1. What Are Brownfields and Why Should I Care? Break 10:00 10:45 2. The Site Assessment Process Break 10:55 11:30 3. Elements of a Successful Brownfield Program 11:30 12:00 Next Steps, Q & A 6

7 Due to the large size of the powerpoint presentation, please view the slides online at 7

8 BLUE ISLAND BROWNFIELD PRIORITIES March 25, 2008 Possible Goals & Objectives of Assessment Program 1. Reinforce the community vision in the Economic Development Plan and zoning 2. Encourage redevelopment of vacant or underutilized properties in Target Areas 3. Reduce health risks to residents 4. Create economic benefits (jobs and tax base) 5. Focus on sites with the greatest potential for success in the near term (2? years) Possible Simple Site Prioritization 1. A = High priority: redevelopment of these sites is encouraged within (2? 5?) years (short term) 2. B = Medium priority: redevelopment is encouraged within (3 or 5 to 10?) years (longer term) 3. C = Low priority: redevelopment should occur at the discretion of the private property owner Possible Criteria for Assigning Priorities 1. Is current use consistent with current plans & zoning? (If not, the City may want to encourage redevelopment for a consistent land use by focusing grant $ on this property.) 2. Is the site located within a TOD Target Area? 3. Are there any known potential environmental concerns? 4. Does the site adjoin any residential property? 5. Is the site potentially marketable for a different use that would generate jobs or tax base? 6. Is redevelopment of the site within (2?) years likely given known environmental conditions, ownership status, tax status and market factors 8

9 120 Th Greenwood Division Washington Gregory Meadow California Francisco Honore Lincoln High Wood Vermont Seeley Hoyne Ashland I-57 Canal Chatham Rexford Artesian Washington High Elm Wood Stoney Brook Artesian Gregory Broadway Oak Aulwurm Grove 119th Vincennes Fulton 120th 122nd Prairie Gregory Walnut Western Union Artesian Longwood 123rd Chicago Orchard Florence Vernon Olive 121st Ann Fairway Gruenwald Orchard Collins Cochran Birdsall Burr Oak Elm Maple Highland Oak Lewis Mozart Fairview Edison Clinton Sacramento Winchester Davis 121st Krueger Old Western 120th Fairview Minnesota 128th Wahl Everett Wireton New York California Stoney Brook Chicago Seeley Winchester 120th 121st Collins Rexford Elm 122nd Ann Greenwood Honore Division Ann York Prairie Walnut Union New Hoyne Oak Grove City of Blue Island - Brownfields Assessment Project Transit-Oriented Development Sites Legend Main St/Western Ave Brownfield Area Boundary Olde Western Ave Brownfield Area Boundary South Station Brownfield Area Boundary Vincennes Ave Brownfield Area Boundary 139th St RFP Brownfield Area Boundary 123rd 139th Francisco Highland Mozart High York New Miles James O 9 Francisco Kott John Ann Vine

10 City of Blue Island - Brownfields Assessment Project Transit-Oriented Development Sites South of 127th Street North of 127th Street Burr Oak Maple 120 Th 120th Gregory Vin c Western en ne Gregory Longwood Artesian Walnut Walnut Union Union Western Division 121st Oak Oak Walnut 121st High High York York 123rd Chicago Ne w New Gruenwald 123rd Vermont Grove Ann Collins Seeley Grove Hoyne Orchard Collins Artesian Krueger Rexford Stoney Brook Orchard Seeley Greenwood Washington Fulton Cochran rn Chatham James es te Florence Ol dw Lewis Vernon 139th South Station Brownfield Area Main Street/Western Ave Brownfield Area Olde Western Brownfield Area 139th Street RFP Brownfield Area Broadway O Seeley Chicago Gregory Rexford Old Western Francisco Vincennes Brownfield Area Kott Ann Legend Canal Maple Burr Oak Davis Hoyne Olive Old Western Artesian Birdsall Hoyne 122nd Prairie Prairie Oak s Washington Western 120th Greenwood 119th Miles

11 Appendix B 11

12 Brownfields Nuts and Bolts Workshop Training March 25, AM-12PM Blue Island Library Tech Annex List of Attendees: Jason Berry Carmine Bilotto Bill Carroll David Chandler Reggie Greenwood Tom Marlin Ruth Sheahan Marti Stanley Leticia (Letty) Vieyra Donna Ducharme Christine Slattery Abigail Corso Jen Wang Nicholas Crite Aileen McEldowney Jodi Prout Historic Preservation Commission Alderman, 2 nd Ward C&H Development Center for Neighborhood Technology South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association Regulatory Compliance Management Blue Island Chamber Blue Island Resident Alderman, 2 nd Ward Delta Institute Delta Institute Delta Institute Delta Institute City of Blue Island, Planning Department City of Blue Island, Planning Department City of Blue Island, Planning Department 12