OTTUMWA —
The Ottumwa Brownfields Project can provide environmental assessments for properties that could attract development.
In a community outreach meeting this week, 40-50 business and private property owners along the Main Street corridor turned out to learn more about the brownfields project.
“There’s properties in these locations that prior to a developer being able to potentially obtain a loan on redevelopment of that property, often times lenders will request an environmental assessment of the property,” said City Planning and Development Director Dave Shafer. “Being able to provide that is another economic development tool and financial tool to assist with the completion of an environmental evaluation.”
The Main Street corridor is similar to the other proposed brownfields area, the Hayne Street/railroad district, due to the vast number of uses of the areas in the past.
“When you think about the history of the Main Street corridor and all the various types of uses that have occurred over the last 150 years, each location may have had different types of uses,” Shafer said.
He said that’s the major selling point of the program.
“There are often times areas that may appear to have had some negative type of environmental use,” Shafer said.
One of the key topics discussed at the meeting was evaluation criteria to be considered for a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, which include conformity to the comprehensive plan, redevelopment potential, potential for job or business creation, elimination or prevention of slum and blight, potential for land banking and other available funding.
“The key message is we encourage anyone that has questions about the program to come in and visit with us personally about their individual property or site locations,” Shafer said.
Participating in the program can pay for the expense of a Phase I assessment and potentially a Phase II assessment.
Shafer said the evaluations will not only help stabilize land value but will make a difference in whether it’s affordable for a potential developer to redevelop the property.
“One price doesn’t fit all,” he said. “The cost is all related to past uses and if there is any exposure to hazardous materials.”
Sometimes an environmental assessment can be a substantial cost, Shafer said, and can make a difference whether a particular site is financially viable to proceed with redevelopment.
“The dollar amounts aren’t out of this world, but nonetheless there are hard costs associated with it,” he said.
Shafer said the city will continue to work with citizens with questions about participating in the program.
“It will remove any stigma that may be associated with the property,” he said.
The city received two $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate brownfield properties in the community.
Local News
September 1, 2012
Replacing environmental stigma with redevelopment
Assessments could stabilize land value, attract development
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