Roseland Brownfields Revitalization Project
In 2016 the Community Development Commission was awarded a $392,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct critical environmental studies on at least 18 different sites along the Sebastopol Road Corridor and surrounding Roseland neighborhood. This page will contain updates and meeting information as the project progresses.
The Commission is seeking candidate sites throughout the community to participate in this this exciting program! Please contact Holly Trujillo (holly.trujillo@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-7523) to see if your property is eligible for grant-funded activities or click here to download and submit a nomination form for your site.
Overview
Purpose
Revitalize vacant and underutilized properties (brownfields) throughout Roseland to provide benefits to the community, including environmental restoration, job creation, increased property values, and reduced health risks.
Mission
Use EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant funding to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites for redevelopment, assess existing site conditions, and plan for cleanup and reuse of priority sites throughout our community.
Guiding Principles
- Prioritize use of grant funds on priority sites that will attract investors and become a catalyst for new employment opportunities and a sustainable job base.
- Build on past brownfield redevelopment successes.
- Promote infill development that maximizes use of existing space, infrastructure and utilities.
- Remove redevelopment barriers by addressing unknown site conditions and creating shovel ready sites.
- Invest in sites that will generate public and private revenue.
- Transform blighted areas into thriving neighborhoods.
- Protect public health and the environment.
- Promote public participation and input on priority redevelopment areas and sites.
Background
The Site Reuse and Revitalization Program is funded by two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Grants awarded in 2016 to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. The Program is managed by the Commission with support from an environmental consulting team led by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (Stantec) and a research and community outreach consultant Glen Price Group Inc. The grants will fund Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and other cleanup/reuse activities at publicly and privately-owned brownfield sites over a three-year period (through September 2019).
The EPA defines brownfields as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential [i.e. perceived] presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”
Environmental impacts from historic industrial operations and commercial activities have resulted in vacant and underutilized brownfield properties throughout the Roseland neighborhood. The project area includes approximately 71 identified brownfield sites, with more than 50 along a one-mile segment of the Sebastopol Road commercial corridor. The presence of these sites has historically reduced business vitality in the neighborhood, which, in turn, has reduced employment and economic opportunity for local residents. Brownfields along the Sebastopol Road corridor have been a significant barrier to business investment since 1984, when the area was designated as a State Superfund site. With the support and oversight of the Commission, Stantec will assess environmental liabilities and develop cleanup/reuse plans to catalyze redevelopment of high priority sites throughout Roseland.
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