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Community
Services Center, Montgomery Creek, CA
The problem: A community-based organization
in rural Shasta County was leasing a former gas station to house
their after-school programs, community library, and nonprofit
cafe. The nonprofit was contacted by the owner of the property,
who was very interested in selling the property quickly. Since
the organization had occupied the site for over a decade and
was reluctant to relocate, they expressed interest in purchasing
the property but were concerned about the site's previous use
and potential liability.
CCLR assistance: CCLR provided technical assistance
to help the organization determine the extent of the contamination,
and hence, the risk involved in purchasing the property.
Result: The property was not purchased due
to an identified plume of MTBE, which presented too much risk
for the organization. The property was sold and the new owner
agreed to allow the nonprofit to continue to lease their portion
of the site.
Lessons learned: The importance of conducting
environmental due diligence prior to purchase cannot be underestimated.
Low-Income Housing Development, East
Los Angeles, CA
The problem: An affordable housing developer
was interested in developing a vacant parcel in the Temple-Beaudry
neighborhood of Los Angeles. The site was located in an area
where naturally occurring oil fields are closer to the surface,
creating higher levels of methane gas in the soil. The site
was located just down the street from the Belmont Learning Center,
and the community had lingering health and safety concerns about
any development.
CCLR assistance: CCLR provided funds and technical
assistance for a Phase II Site Assessment, risk management,
and cleanup of the site, and made certain that the nonprofit
hired a qualified and experienced environmental consultant.
Result: The project overcame all major obstacles and
will open in Fall 2005 (see rendering below). The project will
not only bring much needed housing to very low-income families,
but will provide free support services to residents including
after-school tutoring, case management, crisis intervention,
and computer training.
Lessons learned: Hiring a qualified environmental
consultant and conducting thoughtful risk communication is key
to a successful project.
Under-utilized Rail Yard Site, Truckee,
CA
The problem: A charming and rustic community
nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains found itself under tremendous
growth pressure, with development crawling up its picturesque
hillsides. At the same time, a 40-acre rail yard lay vacant
adjacent to the town's historic downtown, offering a critical
infill opportunity. Two significant challenges hindered the
rail yard's redevelopment: first, the long-standing and prevailing
myth that the site was dangerously contaminated, and second,
the town's historically strained relationship with the railroad
company.
CCLR assistance: Even though an old timber
mill had operated on the site at one point in its history, by
gathering all the existing environmental documents, CCLR was
able to dispel the prevailing myth that the site was seriously
contaminated. CCLR then facilitated the first open dialogue
between the town and the railroad company.
Result: The site was not as contaminated as
the public perceived. An open dialogue, initiated by CCLR, helped
the community and the railroad company come to an agreement
on developing this key infill location.
Lessons learned: Prevailing myths about the perception
of contamination can be dispelled with information and appropriate
communication. A third-party mediator can be helpful in bringing
a recalcitrant landowner to the table.
Abandoned Gas Station, San Pedro,
CA
The problem: An historically under-served
port community of Los Angeles was skeptical about converting
an abandoned gas station and adjacent arroyo into a neighborhood
park and restored natural canyon , The San Pedro Welcome Park.
The property was being used for illegal dumping and drug trafficking
and has been a community concern and eyesore for years.
CCLR assistance: CCLR provided funds to facilitate
a community outreach program and conceptual design for the park.
Result: Not only has the community made a collective
decision to embrace the idea of a park, but they have created
a Neighborhood Watch program and hold regularly organized neighborhood
cleanup weekends. The project has acquired funding for acquisition
and construction.
Lessons learned: With small but strategically applied
amounts of financial and technical assistance, a neighborhood
can create a significant community benefit.
Auto Dismantling Facility, Oakland,
CA
The problem: For years, a historically
under-served East Oakland neighborhood had been trying to shut
down an old auto dismantling facility (see photo below), which
had become a community eyesore. An affordable housing developer
was interested in developing the site but was uncertain about
how to finance the site assessment, and was concerned about
liability exposure.
CCLR assistance: CCLR provided
funds to the nonprofit developer for a Phase II Site Assessment,
and secured pro bono legal assistance to procure a prospective
purchaser agreement, which limited the organization's liability
exposure. CCLR also assisted with procurement of additional
funds for completion of the cleanup.
Result: Funds provided by CCLR were leveraged
to secure additional funding for the cleanup.
Lessons learned: By strategically leveraging small
amounts of funding, nonprofit developers can achieve what may
appear out of reach to an organization with limited resources.
Abandoned Oil Well Site, Venice Beach,
CA
The problem: The Los Angeles Department
of Recreation and Parks faced a dilemma when planning improvements
for one of the State's most popular urban recreation areas.
An oil well on the beach (see photo below) had been abandoned,
leaving petrochemical contamination behind. Initially, it was
thought the costs would be far more than the City had available
to clean up the contaminants.
CCLR assistance: CCLR and its partners reassessed
the site and developed an action plan to remediate the toxics
and redevelop the site with existing funds.
Result: The site will be redeveloped for recreational
uses at less cost than the City feared it would cost for cleanup
alone.
Lessons learned: While brownfield projects can be approached
in much the same way as other redevelopment projects, the development
team must possess an additional skill set. The strategic application
of financial and technical resources can make the critical difference
for under-resourced community developers.
Neighborhood Park, Oakland, CA
The problem: A community-based organization
led a drive to convert a former industrial site on the Oakland
estuary into a much-needed waterfront park for the low-income,
multiethnic Fruitvale neighborhood. A lack of reliable information
about the nature and extent of toxic contamination and the cleanup
cost threatened to derail the project.
CCLR assistance: CCLR helped fund a site assessment that determined that cleanup was feasible and not costly.
Result: The nine-acre park opened in the fall of 2005. The park offers waterfront access, park activities, and attractive open space in an area of Oakland that has lacked such opportunities.
Lessons learned: Good information about what is or
isn't present on a site enables a reliable estimate of cleanup
costs, and consequently helps make the go/no-go decision easier.
Even small amounts of financial and technical assistance can
provide a factual basis for decision-making that can help project
proponents prevail over misperceptions.
Lumber Mill Site, North Fork, CA
The problem: When the town's lumber
mill permanently closed (one of hundreds in California to do
so in recent years) this energetic and determined community
organized to convert the site to new uses that would be appropriate
and create new jobs. But the community lacked the experience
and expertise needed to evaluate economic development options
and create a viable plan for dealing with the contamination
left on the site.
CCLR assistance: CCLR assembled a project team
that conducted a series of community workshops to focus on feasible
uses for the site, and also helped the community secure an EPA
grant to perform a targeted site assessment.
Result: North Fork now has a detailed redevelopment plan and a new confidence that is being employed in negotiations with several potential end users.
Lessons learned: Economic development planning and
assessment of the nature and extent of site contamination must
precede land use planning and the creation of a master plan.
Highly inclusive community planning processes, facilitated by
talented and plain-speaking experts, are an excellent way to
achieve plans that are appropriate, economically viable, and
community-supported, while also securing competitive advantages
with potential users.
Municipal Surplus Property, Pacifica,
CA
The problem: An older, inner-ring bedroom
suburb of San Francisco had an aging waste-water treatment plant
located on a key site in a residential neighborhood. When the
plant was closed, the City had the opportunity to redevelop
the site in a way that would reinvigorate the neighborhood,
while contributing to the City's tax base.
CCLR assistance: With CCLR's assistance, the
City engaged divergent community interests in a constructive
dialogue about reuse options for the site through a series of
planning workshops, or charettes.
Result: A hotel developer is now working with the community to redevelop the site.
Lessons learned: A planning charette can be a powerful
tool to test ideas and build consensus, but disinterested intermediaries
and strong local leadership are necessary ingredients to ensure
success. Even in the absence of financial hardship, the presence
of a neutral convenor is often critical to overcoming differences
and moving forward.
Business Incubator Project, South
Central Los Angeles, CA
The problem: When one of the largest
African-American congregations in the West decided to build
a new and larger church on Crenshaw Boulevard, community leaders
recognized an opportunity to incubate retail businesses and
revitalize an area devastated by the civil disturbances of 1992.
A CDC affiliated with the church negotiated an agreement to
purchase a dilapidated strip mall across the street from the
new church. However, the owner of the site insisted on being
indemnified against liability for contamination, and would not
allow a site assessment to determine the nature or extent of
contamination.
CCLR assistance: CCLR and its strategic partners used analyses performed on other nearby parcels to extrapolate the likelihood of contamination on the subject site.
Result: It was determined that there was a high probability
of significant groundwater contamination originating from the
site, which would result in severe liability risks for the CDC.
Lessons learned: Community-based organizations need
to be careful to distinguish between feasible and unfeasible
brownfield redevelopment projects. Not all contamination is
the same, and groundwater toxicity is much more problematic
than that of soil. Particularly for local organizations, the
margin of error is narrow. What might be a mistake for a large,
well-funded organization could be a disaster for a small, community-based
organization.
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