MetroFuture recommends accommodating much of the region’s growth through reuse of existing underutilized commercial or industrial sites for compact growth.  However, many such sites are affected by environmental contamination due to current or former uses.  Reuse is often obstructed by challenges with the assignment of responsibility, cost of remediation, liability concerns, and limitations on future uses.  In order to provide more opportunities for compact growth, the region needs to increase participation in existing programs and an expansion of existing programs to remediate contaminated “brownfields” and bring them back to productive use.  

Brownfield projects are complex undertakings that generally involve four steps: site inventory and assessment, site cleanup, marketing the property, and funding strategies. Active municipal participation can support each one of these steps; a municipal brownfields program can contract for site inventories, conduct public outreach and district planning, implement marketing efforts, and manage public financing.  Brownfield sites and surrounding areas should have a widely-accepted local area plan and coordinated zoning to support a predictable permitting process that will help to minimize the risk for developers.  

There are efforts underway to coordinate state policy regarding brownfields redevelopment.  The Brownfields Partners is an informal public sector effort to inventory the most critical and significant barriers to coordinated and effective public sector support for brownfields redevelopment. The Brownfields Support Team is a more formal effort recently established by the Patrick Administration; this multi-agency initiative focuses the attention and coordinated expertise of multiple state agencies on key sites.  

The Brownfields Tax Credit Program is one important financial tool to support brownfields redevelopment.  The credit is granted for up to 50% of costs incurred to rehabilitate contaminated property used for business purposes and located within an economically distressed area.  Recent legislation has extended the Brownfields credit for a longer time period; expanded eligibility to include nonprofit organizations; and allowed the sale, transfer, and assignment of credits.  Additional efforts are needed to increase participation in this program, possibly through the creation of workshops and guidance material.  

The EPA operates two grant programs for brownfield assessment and cleanup.  Municipalities that submit joint (“coalition”) applications to these programs are eligible for increased funding.  MAPC has worked with member municipalities to submit coalition applications and should seek additional opportunities to do so in the future.

State and federal actions that would facilitate brownfields redevelopment include an increase in state-level technical assistance to communities lacking staff and expertise; and an increase in funding available for assessment, cleanup, planning studies, market analysis, and demolition.  Redevelopment experts also acknowledge a need for adjustments to the 30B/municipal procurement process to expedite the transfer of public property to private developers.

18.a    Municipalities should establish a Municipal Brownfields Program

18.b    The Brownfield Partners working group should coordinate creation of a guidance document for the Brownfields Tax Credit program

18.c     The Brownfield Support Team should be given ongoing support and cooperation 

18.d    MAPC should support municipal efforts to submit “coalition” applications to the EPA Brownfield Assessment and Brownfields Cleanup grant programs

Add Comment