Redevelopment of Brownfield Properties - Thesis Proposal Example

Redevelopment of Brownfield Properties Redevelopment of Brownfield Properties Brownfield properties have been the focus of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States. The agency has defined brownfield as properties formerly used for commercial and industrial purposes. The agency focuses on assessing the sites, undertaking cleanup tasks and later redevelopment. Research has revealed that Brownfields have a low level of contamination of hazardous substances, and are therefore subject to successful cleanup and redevelopment. The assessment, cleanup and redevelopment phases require funding. The sites of interest in this paper have been identified as some of the Brownfields requiring clean up by the agency. From the EPA records, the sites are ready for redevelopment. The redevelopment project that will be highlighted in this paper is the transformation of the three sites into high school soccer fields. The redevelopment projects seek to identify synergies that may yield multiple benefits of preserving the environment as well as proving the properties useful. Description of the Redevelopment Project In order to redevelop a brownfield into a football or soccer field, it is critical to consider some factors. The shape of the land and acreage is of critical consideration as it determines whether the cleaned up brownfield can surface for the intended field. A football field needs a Brownfield that has exhibited a desirable shape, making it fit for this project. A soccer field categorized as small, acreage of 1-2 is required. It is important to consider the available total acreage of the brown field, as other amenities such as parking, washrooms, spectator areas, bleachers, storage facilities, surface drainage features, bad spot ad buffer zones. For a high school case, a soccer field may require about 1.8 acres of land with the field being 110 yards in length, 80 yards in width and 8 yards of goal width. These factors should be the preliminary determinants of whether a brownfield can be redeveloped into a soccer field (De, 2008). This diagram gives an idea of the shape of the field required, although measurements need adjustment to fit a high school soccer or football field. Retrieved on 22nd January 2014 from https://www.google.com/search?q=pioneer+manufacturing+soccer+field+diagram&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RMPfUsuzB6z_yAPNhIG4CA&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=539#facrc=_&imgdii=iSkW0wJ4Zgj6iM%3A%3BPl9aKP37b433AM%3BiSkW0wJ4Zgj6iM%3A&imgrc=iSkW0wJ4Zgj6iM%253A%3BzJnYE7NJu3gduM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-GaDy3DnPeoY%252FUehkFWllF8I%252FAAAAAAAAD1I%252Ff_Fnri68psM%252Fs1600%252FSoccerField.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftrumark.blogspot.com%252F%3B572%3B730 Background Information of the sites Alden Corrugated on Church Street The EPA carried out assessment on this property in 1997 and established that the site needed clean up. The site was divided into three parcels of land, and the researchers considered each parcel separately. The acquisition of two of the parcels by interested parties left only one of the parcels requiring clean up in 2003. According to the EPA websites, a process of excavation of the site served to clear the parcel of the contaminants. Completion of the cleanup exercise left the third parcel of land ready for redevelopment. The cleaned up site is 3.97 acres, an acreage fit for a small high school soccer field. Evidently, Alden corrugated cleaned up acreage allows for the construction of a high school field (De, 2008). Contoocook Valley Paper Company After assessment of this property by the EPA, it became evident that the site has a high level of contamination. Research revealed hazardous substances such as lead and petroleum products that resulted from the past use of the land. The property assessed was of acreage of 4.90. Efforts of clean up addressed the soil, sediments, and air and surface water. Evidently, in order to develop this brownfield into a high school soccer or football field, architectural design of the field is required taking into the consideration the allocation for space of the additional features described in the paragraphs above. Since the records of EPA reveal that the property underwent successful clean up, it is fit for the redevelopment project of interest. Delaware & Lewis Street (Holton property) This is the third property that will be considered for redevelopment into a soccer field for a high school. The EPA has selected this property as one of the brownfields that need clean up from the current contamination and redevelopment. After consideration of the shape of the property, it becomes evident that planning of the design of the field and other amenities that will be required is possible because it exhibits a favorable shape and size. Redevelopment Efforts For the Alden corrugated property, the cleaned up land available is of a favorable size. The sit4 resulted after the destruction of the mill by a fire in 1995, leaving the building in shambles. Clean up of the site involved the removal of all the debris. After allocating about 2 acres for the field, the rest of the acres will prove sufficient for parking, washrooms, and spectator areas. Evidently, the property underwent excavation and the remaining parcel of can be converted into green space for the field, asphalt for the parking, and the building of the washrooms. The excavation that has occurred is an added advantage because reversing the property into desired soccer field is easier (De, 2008). On the other hand, the Contoocook valley paper company needs remediation to clean the property of the lead and petroleum products contamination. In the past, the removal of the storage dams in the site served to make it fit for redevelopment. The challenge of lead can be addressed by using asphalt to cover the contaminated area as the designated parking. Addressing the lead contamination is the leading challenge in the process of redeveloping this site. According to the level of lead contamination, this site may require a higher level of expertise and grants. For the Delaware & Lewis street (Holton property), remediation will include excavation of the land, and conversion of the land allocated for the field into green space. Moreover, all forms of contamination need urgent addressing because the land had been used previously for industrial purposes (Randolph, 2004). Clean up of the property will include excavation, which will prepare the land for the construction of the soccer field as well. Asphalt will be necessary for the parking lot. Physical Changes The Alden corrugated site will require physical transformation that will start by the removal of the debris of the building that burned down in the cleanup process. Excavation will follow, although the area designated for parking will not require cleanup as asphalt will be used. The area allocated for the field will be transformed into green space. New buildings of the washrooms, spectator structures, and drainage features will need to be constructed. For the Contoocook Valley Paper Company, after the removal of water storage tanks, the destruction of the old buildings will follow. Moreover, excavation of the allocated for the field, washrooms, and spectator regions will be the next step (Greenberg, 2007). Afterwards, washrooms will need to be constructed, while asphalt will be a requirement for the parking in a bid to cover up the lead contamination. Then field area will need conversion into green space. The Delaware & Lewis Street (Holton property) will also remediation. Similar to the other brownfields, this site will undergo several physical changes. There is need to bring down the existing buildings, while converting the area allocated for the soccer field into green space. Moreover, new buildings to cater for the washrooms and spectator regions will need to be constructed (Greenberg, 2007). The new football field will also require drainage features and buffer zones. Conclusion After the cleanup, the redevelopment will begin with an architectural planning of the brownfield, highlighting these dimensions and the amenities described above. After an architectural plan of the intended project with space allocated for the parking, washrooms, spectator zones, buffer zones and drainage features, the next step is the identification of synergies whose utilization can yield environmental conservation benefits. The area designated for the parking does not require cleanup asphalt will be used to cover it up. References De, S. C. A. (2008). Brownfields redevelopment and the quest for sustainability. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. Greenberg, M. R. (2007). Environmental policy analysis and practice. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press. Randolph, J. (2004). Environmental land use planning and management. Washington, DC [u.a.: Island Press. Read More