The Regional Brownfields Initiative is now accepting applications for sites with real or perceived hazardous material and petroleum contamination to be adopted into the program.  Adopted sites are eligible for grant funding and technical assistance.  See below for background information and submission details. Click here for a Site Application Form.  

BACKGROUND ON GRANT FUNDS

Land-of-Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) was awarded a $1,000,000 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant and a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October, 2004.  LOSRC was awarded another $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant in October, 2006.  The Assessment Grants are for three-year periods, beginning on the grant award dates. These grant funds are being used to expand economic development and technical services provided by the Regional Brownfields Initiative (RBI).  

Assessment grant funds 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 will capitalize the Revolving Loan Fund to provide low-interest loans and subgrants to local governments and small businesses for Brownfields cleanup projects within the four-county Land-of-Sky region. 

Cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfields sites will help 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. The Land-of-Sky Regional Council anticipates this project will foster the revitalization of properties throughout the Land-of-Sky Region. 

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.

 SITE SUBMISSION AND SELECTION PROCESS

 

1.       Site owner or site representative contact Land-of-Sky Regional Council (251-6622) and speak to a Brownfields Team member:  Holly Bullman, Linda Giltz, Kate O’Hara, Ron Townley or Jim Stokoe.    

2.       Site owner or representative fill out and submit a Site Identification Form (attached; an electronic version is available HERE.  

 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.

LOSRC accepts site applications anytime throughout the year. 

Site Selection:

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;

*         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.

Selection Process – Next Steps:

The RBI Site Selection Committee will develop a proposed list of sites to be selected for the RBI and present this list to the Brownfields Advisory Group. The Brownfields Advisory Group will decide which sites to adopt into the RBI program at their next meeting (January, 2007).*  Applicants will be notified in mid-January whether they were selected or not.

A request for proposals (RFP) will be developed and released for each adopted site, tailored to its assessment needs.  For sites that already have an environmental consultant working with them, we will ask for a proposal from that consultant to be considered first, but the site owner will have the option of choosing another consultant if desired.

 

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