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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Brownfields and Beyond – Economic Development
Essentials
Town of Tyrone
Presented: August 29, 2013
© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Topics
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What keeps us up at
night!
What keeps us up at
night!
Brownfield
Redevelopment
Brownfield
Redevelopment
Elements of an Effective
Economic Development
Program
Elements of an Effective
Economic Development
Program
Just Part of the Solution
Positioning for the Future
Identifying the Issues
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
What Keeps Us Up At Night?
� Elementary School Closure
� Lack of a Formal Town Center
� Maintaining Industrial Jobs
� Attracting Business
� Competing in the Marketplace
� Positioning for the Future
� Reputation
� Building Consensus
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT
JUST PART OF THE SOLUTION 4
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Brownfield Redevelopment – Just Part of the Solution
� The EPA has defined Brownfields as: “…real property, the expansion,
redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant”.
� Cleaning up and reinvesting in Brownfields protects the environment,
reduces blight, and takes development pressures off green spaces and
agricultural lands.
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Projects leveraged $17.39 per EPA dollar expended
Leveraged 68,963 jobs nationwide
Can increase residential property values 2 to 3 percent when
nearby Brownfields are addressed
Promotes area-wide planning
© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Primary EPA’s Brownfield Grant Programs
Assessment (Hazardous Materials and Petroleum, 100%
reimbursement)
Cleanup / Remediation (Site specific 20% match - $200,000)
Revolving Loan Fund ($1 million grant
managed by municipality or
coalition)
Targeted Brownfield Assessment
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Assessment Grants
EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants
Community-Wide Site-Specific Coalition
Up to $200,000 for hazardous
substances and $200,000 for
petroleum
Up to $200,000 for hazardous
substances or petroleum
Up to $1,000,000 (current
awards typically $600,000) for
hazardous substances and/or
petroleum
No waiver of funding limit May request a waiver for up to
$350,000
No waiver of funding limit
Maximum combined amount
$400,000 Maximum amount $350,000 Maximum amount $1,000,000
May also apply for a site-
specific grant; may not
apply as a member of a coalition
May also apply for a
community-wide grant;
may not apply as a member
of a coalition
May not apply for an
individual community-wide
or site-specific grant or as part
of another coalition
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
EPA Grant Proposal Time Line
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Begin planning Now!
Average proposal takes
40-80+ hours to complete
Guidelines published
during summer months
Proposals due generally
45 – 60 days after
guidelines are published
Expect award
notification
March – June
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Proposal Tips
� Upfront Coordination with EPA
� Tell a focused “deserving” story to
establish need & emphasize benefits
� Demonstrate Public Notice of Intent
� Consider Establishing a Brownfield
Steering Committee, including:
� Municipal officials
� Neighborhood association
members
� Transit agency
� Clergy
� Commercial realtors
� Local industry / business leaders
� Misc. community group
representatives
� Use Comprehensive Plan for
demographics and vision
� Identify leveraging opportunities
& recent success stories
� Past Grants management
experience
� Establish and document realistic
budget
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Think Three to four Steps Ahead
Select Properties with True Development Potential –
Don’t Collect Data for the Sake of Collecting Data
Solicit the Opinion of Local and Regional Commercial Realtors
Identify and Consult Developers that are Used to Dealing with
Contaminated Properties
Join the Georgia Brownfield Association
Leveraging for the Future
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Brownfields Project Manager
Revitalization Support
EPA Region IV
Atlanta, GA
678-951-2926 (cell)
EPA Region 4 Contact:
Up-front Agency Coordination
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Camilla Warren Camilla Warren
© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
State Options and Other Resources
� Leverage Georgia State Brownfield and Voluntary Remediation
Programs for:
� Liability Relief
� Tax Incentives and entice Developer Interest
� The Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center
http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/
� Brownfields Federal Programs Guide:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/partners/brownfields-federal-
programs-guide-2013.pdf
� Guide to Federal Tax Incentives for Brownfield Redevelopment:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tax/tax_guide.pdf
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
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Informed
Decision Making
Smart Growth
Sustainable Development /
Redevelopment
Business Friendly Planning
Shovel-Ready
Sites
© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Proactive Planning is the Key to Success!
� Economic development decisions should be made with the forethought
of future implications and the ability to provide smart and sustainable
opportunities for generations to come.
� The pathway to opportunity can benefit from informed decision
making, smart growth considerations, sustainability, business-
friendly planning, and the creation of shovel-ready development and
redevelopment sites
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
Informed Decision Making
� The first step of any successful
economic development program
is the early identification and
development of information to
allow decision-makers and
stakeholders to make informed
choices
� Development “musts and
wants” should be relevant, and
information and site marketing
materials must be readily
available to support fast-paced
site selection process and
reduce risk and liability
Considerations / Factors
� Good Data Compilation
� Data Gap & Limiting Factor
Analyses
� Environmental Due Diligence
� Geographic Information Systems
� Public Participation Planning
� Environmental Justice
Considerations
� Regulatory Agency & Permit
Review Transparency
� Site Development Profile
Availability
� Utility Provider “Will Serve”
Letters
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
Smart Growth
� Smart growth requires extensive
planning, conceptual design, and
highest and best use analyses to
bring a community’s goals and
objectives to fruition.
� Economic development objectives
must be aligned with
community infrastructure
assets, as Infrastructure is critical
to the long-term success of any
community and plays a crucial
role in attracting business and
supporting growth.
� Realistic vision is the key to
establishing a Smart Growth
initiative
Considerations / Factors
� Business Park Development
� Community & Regional Planning
� Energy Services & Incentives
� Highest & Best Use Analyses
� Liability Management
� Use-based Remediation
� Utility Planning
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
Sustainable Development /
Redevelopment
� Sustainable development /
redevelopment is essential to
meet current and future
community needs and go hand-
in hand with smart growth.
� Sustainability planning, targeted
distressed property
redevelopment, renewable
energy and waste heat recovery
planning, green infrastructure
design, and community specific
LEED goals provide a foundation
for the integration of sustainable
development programs.
Considerations / Factors
� Brownfield Redevelopment
� Consider Climate Action Plans
� Energy & Sustainability Planning
� Facility Decommissioning & Infill
Planning
� Greenfield Development Issues
� Consider Greenhouse Gas
Concerns
� LEED Goals
� Renewable Energy Planning
� Sustainable / Green
Infrastructure & Remediation
� Energy Reduction & Waste Heat
Recovery
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
Business Friendly Planning
� The basis of business-friendly
planning is a permit program
that is transparent, efficient,
and predictable.
� To be business friendly, a
community needs to facilitate
understanding of its programs
and minimize uncertainty of local
zoning and “right-to-build”
regulatory processes.
� Develop a focused guide for
developers that provides a
straight forward roadmap from
permitting through construction,
to attract quality jobs.
Considerations / Factors
� Business Incentives
� Comprehensive Planning
� Developer Handbooks
� Developer RFPs
� Funding / Grants
� Permitting Handbooks
� Zoning / Code Reviews
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Developer Handbook
� Project Planning
� Urban development / redevelopment concepts
� Know your site / know your community
� Permitting
� Zoning-related
� Business permits and building permits
� Utilities & Infrastructure
� Business Assistance Resources
� Funding
� Contacts
� Variety of formats to meet needs
of variety of users
� Narrative, matrices, checklists, flowcharts
� Web-based (with active links to additional info)
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Elements of an Effective Economic Development Program
Shovel-Ready Programs
� To facilitate growth, communities
should consider advancing the
“Shovel-Ready” status of
development sites with a local
certification program.
� One option is to develop use-
based blanket approvals.
� In addition, A community can
provide developers with
supplemental funding
opportunities and integrated tax
benefits.
Considerations / Factors
� Design-Build Permitting
� Identification of Regional
Ecological & Wetlands Concerns
� Energy Plan / Options
� Environmental Assessment Data
� Infrastructure Upgrade
� Permitting Coordination /
Transparency
� Shovel-Ready Certification
� SHPO Coordination
� Stormwater Management
� Transportation Enhancement
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Shovel-Ready Concepts
� General Concepts
� User “musts & wants”
� Know your site
› Suitability
› Developability
› Accessibility
› Approvability
� Know your community
� Planning checklist
� Baseline Site Information
� Environmental
� Due Diligence
� Constructability
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Shovel-Ready Certifications
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� Utilities & Infrastructure
� Water, wastewater, storm water,
energy, telecommunications,
transportation (will-serve letters)
� Transportation
� Access / Egress
� Highway, Rail, Air, Water
� Zoning Flexibility
� Permits & Approvals
� Zoning-related
� Environmental
� Cultural resources
� Site Maps & Photographs/GIS
� Georgia Ready for Accelerated
Development (GRAD) Sites Program
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
Town of Tyrone
Keith J. Ziobron, PE
Office: 770.781.1715 | Cell: 678-315-9264
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere24
Town of Tyrone
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© 2013 O’Brien & Gere
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� NOTICE
� This material is protected by copyright. No other use,
reproduction, or distribution of this material or of the
approaches it contains, is authorized without the prior
express written consent of O’Brien & Gere.
© Copyright, 2013 O’Brien & Gere, All Rights Reserved
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