2015 rising seas summit - mitigating brownfield risk

Regional Brownfield & Climate Risk MitigationNovember 3, 2015

Brian BidolliExecutive DirectorConnecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (METROCOG)

• Introduction & Context

• Regional Brownfields Partnership

• Climate preparedness workshops

• Tools, process, and outcomes

• East Bridgeport Development Corridor

• Next Steps…

OVERVIEW

•169 autonomous municipalities within the state

•Little to no statutory requirement to coordinate outside of local boundary

•Municipal property taxes comprise large proportion of local budget

•Difficult to change historical municipal-centric governance

•Environment does not care about political boundaries

PLANNING CHALLENGES IN CONNECTICUT

Emphasis from state and federal agencies on regionally shared services

Regional planning required for federal transportation and transit funding, growing interest in conservation.

Increased number of grant programs supporting/favoring regional applications

MOVING TOWARD REGIONALISM

Source: FEMA

SANDY FLOODING,GREATER BRIDGEPORT REGION

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Comprehensive (All Hazards) & Community Driven

Proactive Planning & Mitigation vs. Crisis Management

www.coastalresilience.org

Objectives

Identify vulnerabilities & strengths – hazard, infrastructure, societal and ecosystem profiles.

Initiate development of actions for the City, local organizations, businesses and community groups and the region.

Identify opportunities to advance actions that reduce risk and increase resilience.

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Giny Fullam

• City of Bridgeport: Emergency Management, Planning Economic Development, Public Facilities, Finance, Health & Social Services, Utilities, Land Use, Environmental Health, Sustainability, Parks

• Business Community• Education• Environmental Consultants• Federal/State Agencies• Congressional Representation

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WHATYOUSAID…

www.coastalresilience.org

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Results…

• Economically, environmentally and mobility limited population

• Proposed Barnum Station to act as the gateway to East Bridgeport (East Side and East End)

• Connections to Bridgeport Hospital and other development opportunities

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• Approximately 2/3 of the parcels within ¼ mile of proposed station are vacant or underutilized

• Many of the parcels require environmental cleanup before development

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• Along with commercial development there are proposed environmental improvements

• Implement recommendations of BGREEN 2020

• Repair riparian corridor and create greenway

• $10 M TIGER Grant for Barnum Station

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REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS

• Brownfield assessment program primarily focused on local economic development

• Process could benefit from a conservation corridor approach, and encourage retreat when appropriate.

• Incentives could be structured to encourage mitigation of climate risk through brownfields redevelopment

• Integration of federal, state, and local programs can achieve economies of scale and scope.

NEXT STEPS

• Regional analysis of brownfields corridors to rank environmental and economic benefits of site remediation.

• Prioritization of sites for regional remediation funding.

• Continue awareness program

• Integration of federal, state, and local programs can achieve economies of scale and scope.

Brian BidolliExecutive DirectorMETROCOGbbidolli@ctmetro.org203-366-5405

THANK YOU