BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In April 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Land-of-Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) Regional Brownfields Initiative (RBI) a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to provide funding and technical assistance to developers of brownfields sites within Buncombe, Madison, Henderson and Transylvania Counties. EPA also awarded the City of Asheville a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to address brownfields sites within the Asheville River District.   

These Brownfields Assessment Grants are used to identify, characterize, and prioritize hazardous waste and petroleum-contaminated sites; perform Phase I and II environmental site assessments; develop cleanup plans; and conduct community involvement activities. LOSRC is managing both the City of Asheville and the RBI Assessment Grants in order to prioritize the sites with the highest development and public benefit potential, both in the region and in the River District target area.   

Cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfields sites helps the region preserve its natural resources, restore its historic and cultural assets and attract businesses and industries to the area, resulting in increased tourism revenues, jobs, and tax revenues. LOSRC anticipates this project will foster the revitalization of blighted properties throughout the Land-of-Sky Region. 

As of December 2008, the RBI has adopted nineteen (19) sites into the program as redevelopment partners. Here are a few examples of our partners and their projects:

• The Town of Fletcher is redeveloping an abandoned lumber treatment facility into the new Fletcher Town Hall – the cornerstone of the future “Heart of Fletcher” town center.
• The Town of Woodfin worked with Reynolds Mountain to redevelop a closed landfill into a multi-million dollar golf course community and housing development.  
• RiverLink is revitalizing the Historic Cotton Mill, an anchor site for the rebirth of Asheville’s French Broad Riverfront District. Other RBI sites within the Asheville River District include the Ice House, Day Warehouse, and the Karen Cragnolin Park.
• For further information on all sites in the RBI, CLICK HERE.

REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP

The RBI is a partnership among Western North Carolina’s economic developers, local officials, bankers, environmental planners, realtors, LOSRC and other stakeholders that assists the region’s Brownfield owners address potential contamination issues and create economic development opportunities in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania Counties. Brownfields are underutilized or abandoned properties that have actual or perceived contamination.

 

The LOSRC formed the Regional Brownfields Initiative to address Brownfields on a long-term basis.  The RBI began in early 2003, with funding from an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant of $200,000, a $50,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and funds from AdvantageWest.  Five LOSRC staff members with backgrounds in economic development, transportation planning, land use, housing, and solid waste management help facilitate the RBI.

 

The RBI has adopted twelve sites in the region to date.  Some of them are:

• The Town of Fletcher is redeveloping an abandoned lumber treatment facility into the new Fletcher Town Hall – the cornerstone of the future “Heart of Fletcher” town center.
• The Town of Woodfin is working with private developers to redevelop an old landfill into a multi-million dollar golf course community and housing development.  
• The City of Hendersonville and the Old Mill Cultural Center plan to transform the Grey Hosiery Mill into a cultural arts center, furthering revitalization of downtown Hendersonville.
• RiverLink is revitalizing the Historic Cotton Mill, an anchor site for the rebirth of Asheville’s French Broad Riverfront District.
• The RBI has utilized funds from EDA and AdvantageWest to create an asset-based business plan with a targeted marketing component for the Ecusta Business Development Center.

APPLICATION SELECTION CRITERIA

Sites are selected on a competitive basis based on site selection criteria (below).  Sites receive higher priority if a redevelopment plan exists or is underway and the owner/developer is eager to redevelop the site.  The RBI is interested in helping site owners get through the environmental assessment process so the sites will be redeveloped and put back into active use.  The RBI is also very interested in helping sites that are key to downtown or neighborhood revitalization efforts. 

The threshold criteria that must be met for a site to be considered in the selection process are:

         Site meets EPA qualifications as a Brownfield;

         Site owner is willing and able; and

         End use is identified and consistent with adopted plans and/or zoning.

Sites that pass the threshold criteria are competitively compared using the following ranking criteria.  These criteria are listed in priority order:

         Developer is willing and able to redevelop the property successfully;

         Redevelopment plan appears to be feasible (e.g. developer has financial capacity and ability, funding sources identified);

         Nature and amount of economic impact (jobs created, tax base increase, quality of life, etc.);

         Site redevelopment is part of a larger plan;

         Location within city/town, county and region;

         Historical and/or architectural value;

         Infrastructure available that matches end use;

         Environmental impact of redevelopment (green space, green building, clean-up, etc.);

         Some environmental assessment has been done; 

         Environmental justice issues/impacts;

         Site has insurance.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DETAILS

1.       Site owner or site representative contact Land-of-Sky Regional Council (251-6622) and speak to a Brownfields Team member:  Jon Beck (Site Selection Chair), Kate O’Hara (RBI Project Manager), or Holly Bullman (Public Outreach and Involvement).     

2.       Site owner or representative fill out and submit a Site Identification Form.

City of Asheville Site Identification Form

Regional Site Identification Form

 A site representative may be an environmental consulting firm and a firm may submit more than one site for consideration.  Each site will be evaluated separately.

Selection Process – Next Steps:

The RBI Site Selection Committee will evaluate applications during a special site selection meeting, held prior to a quarterly Brownfields Advisory Group meeting. The Site Selection Committee will recommend to the Advisory Group which sites should be adopted into the program.   Applicants will be notified shortly following the Advisory Group meeting whether or not their application was selected.

Application Deadlines 2009:

March 13, 2009

June 11, 2009

September 10, 2009

Brownfields Advisory Group 2009 Meeting Schedule:

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2008

Thursday, July 9, 2008

Thursday, October 1, 2008

A request for proposals (RFP) may be released for a group of sites or released for each adopted site, tailored to its assessment needs.  Prospective developers currently working with an environmental consultant will have the option to continue working with that firm or release a bid for Brownfields assessment activities.  

 * Sites may be considered and selected in between quarterly meetings via email communication with the Brownfields Advisory Group.