The 6th Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop
Impact: Innovative Techniques for Creating Sustainable Communities
To download Plenary or Breakout Sessions, please click on the session title.
| NSCW 2015 - Workshop Summaries | ||
| Morning Plenary Session | ||
| Important Brownfield Program Reforms in the Region (NY, CT, and NJ |
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| The NY/CT/NJ metropolitan area has been an important center of brownfield and sustainable redevelopment for years. All of the states in the region have mature programs that are undergoing exciting upgrades. At the same time, USEPA--the catalyst program for so much of the region's brownfield successes--will emphasize the changes the Agency has made and continues to make to encourage success at the municipal level. Speakers will discuss ways that their programs are being reenergized to better respond to the state's and local government's needs. New infusions of funding for municipalities, a rewrite of the brownfield statute to respond to different economies in the state, and a move toward a broader funding program that emphasizes job creation and job retention and deemphasizes the clean up status of the site will be discussed. | ||
| Moderator: Gary Rozmus, GEI Consultants, Inc. | ||
| Panelists: Tim Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner, CT DECD; Bob Schick, Director, NY DEC Division of Environmental Remediation; Tim Bartle, PE, Section Chief, NJDEP’s Office of Brownfield Reuse; and Terry Wesley, Brownfields Section Chief, USEPA Region |
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| Sponsor: GEI Consultants | ||
| Morning Breakout Sessions | ||
| Breakout 1A - Stakeholder Response to NY State Brownfield Cleanup Program Proposals | ||
| This timely session will discuss the legislative amendments to the NY State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) from those who helped shape the changes to the BCP. Among the topics to be discussed are the revised eligibility criteria for the tangible property tax credit for brownfield sites in New York, the important changes to the Site Preparation Tax Credit definition, revised new definition of a brownfield site. Speakers will also discuss practical implications of the changes and strategies for navigating the new BCP. |
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| Moderator: Larry Schnapf, Schnapf LLC | ||
| Panelists: Linda Shaw, KNAUF SHAW LLP; Phil Bousquet, Bousquet Holstein PLLC and Jon Schuyler Brooks, Phillips Nizer LLP |
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| Sponsors: Schnapf LLC, Bousquet Holstein PLLC, KNAUF SHAW LLP, and Phillips Nizer LLP |
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| Breakout 2A - Innovative Private Funding and New Tools for Site Redevelopment | ||
| The redevelopment of brownfields is changing along with real estate markets as well as government programs. These include new sources of funding and information;such as EB-5 which ties investment to visas; crowdfunding via the internet and other new real estate finance options; and new ways for promoting and find redevelopment opportunities - think Zillow for brownfields. This session will discuss innovative, entrepreneurial approaches, mostly from the private sector. | ||
| Moderator: Barry Hersh, NYU | ||
| Panelists: Charlie Bartsch, Sr. Advisor for Economic Develoment-USEPA; Gary Friedland, Esq.-NYU; Dan French-Brownfield Listings | ||
| Sponsor: Brownfield Listings | ||
| Breakout 3A - Navigating Urban Waterway Redevelopment | ||
| Urban waterfront redevelopment can be far more complex than land-bound development. Urban waterfronts were historically constructed on filled land and generally used for industry and manufacturing – effectively creating contiguous brownfields along shorelines. Many urban communities are now reclaiming their waterfronts and creating vibrant residential and mixed-use communities with waterfront access and open space through rezoning. The complexities of urban waterfront development include brownfields remediation, storm resiliency, lack of infrastructure/transportation, wetlands and permitting. Whether a waterfront project is large or small, approvals must be sought from and coordinated among more than a dozen federal, state and local regulators. Our panel, comprised of tri-state developers with waterfront experience, an environmental lawyer focused on waterfront planning and permitting, an architect and an engineer, will explore these complexities drawing on real world experience. Our panel will also explore the application of Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) – an incentive-based rating system that promotes strategies to improve public access and support recreation, enliven the waterfront, support economic development, improve water quality, restore and protect shorefront habitats, improve governmental regulation, and increase resilience to climate change. | ||
| Moderator: Chris Vitolano, Principal and Site/Civil Engineer, Langan | ||
| Panelists: Michael Bogin, Principal, Sive, Paget & Riesel, P.C.; Jay Valgora, Principal, STUDIO V Architecture, PLLC, Bonnie Campbell, Two Trees Management Co. | ||
| Sponsor: Langan Environmental | ||
| Breakout 4A - Remediation and Restoration for 21st Century Open Space | ||
| Ecological Engineering offers a method to remediate and restore sensitive environmental resource areas so that development and State environmental protection goals can be achieved while maintaining the community’s access to open space. Many former industrial properties remain undeveloped because hazardous contaminants have been deposited on or adjacent to environmentally sensitive natural resources such as streams, wetlands or specialized habitats (ie. Pine Barrens, forested vernal habitats). The NJDEP and other agencies dissuade redevelopment of these properties because extensive excavation or other historic remediation practices may significantly compromise the ecosystem. Or, the ecological community contains threatened or endangered species that remediation strategies might alter the existing habitat/community structure and is therefore not allowed by the various state environmental protection agencies. In addition, most properties throughout New Jersey have to contend with residual contaminant impacts associated with historic fill. This workshop will discuss the technical aspects of ecological engineering on a variety of sites to both remediate and enhance environmentally sensitive natural resources. | ||
| Presenter: Katrina VanDeusen, Senior Project Manager, EWMA | ||
| Sponsor: Environmental Waste Management Associates | ||
| Sustainability Partner, ENVIRON, On Livability Here and Abroad, Thomas V. Fusillo, Managing Principal, ENVIRON | ||
| Keynote Speaker | ||
| The Suburbs Are Dying, So Let's Create a New American Dream | ||
| Gone are the days of the binary community choice between “city” and “suburb.” Now, a third option is flourishing across the nation: “urban burbs.” Americans are opting out of traditional, cul-de-sac-filled suburban communities and instead choosing to live in those that are walkable and have access to amenities. Leigh Gallagher, author and Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune Magazine, will share her research and findings on this topic. She will discuss how the American Dream is shifting away from the traditional suburban offerings, and what this could mean for our nation’s communities and their future development. | ||
| Presenter: Leigh Gallagher, Author, The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving, and Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune Magazine | ||
| Afternoon Breakout Sessions | ||
| Auditorium |
Breakout 1B - Placemaking and Community Development | |
| In this time of increasing urbanization and the desire for walkable neighborhoods filled with city-style amenities, how can small and mid-size communities compete? This workshop will explore this question by highlighting innovative and impactful approaches to transforming spaces, and provide strategies for accomplishing redevelopment goals that placemake to both retain and attract residents. Panelists from the Highland Park Redevelopment Agency and HDR, Inc. will discuss will discuss how they created visions for redevelopment (a walkable Main Street in Highland Park, NJ and Community Arts and Cultural Spaces at the Bethlehem Steel Site in Bethlehem, PA, respectively) that highlighted existing amenities, and how they have made and are continuing to make the most of these spaces, despite challenges. Sustainable Jersey will also discuss its Municipal Certification Program and provide approaches to both initiating and accomplishing these types of community development projects. | ||
| Moderator: Cristin D. Mustillo, Esq., Sedita, Campisano & Campisano, LLC | ||
| Panelists: Randall Solomon, Commissioner – Highland Park Redevelopment Agency & Co-Executive Director – Sustainable Jersey; Wlliam K. Ahlert, Ph.D., Vice President – HDR, Inc. | ||
| Sponsors: Wanda Chin Monahan, Esq. and HDR, Inc. | ||
| Breakout 2B - Private Sector Response to Important Brownfield Program Reform | ||
| This session highlights the private sector's response to all of the activity in the region discussed in the morning plenary. CT's Business and Industry Association will discuss what program changes mean to their members, The Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association will discuss whether the privatized LSRP program is really the biggest brownfield site reform in recent years in NJ. A representative of the New York State Environmental Law Section and the New York City Brownfield Partnership will discuss the initiatives those organizations have taken to affect the ongoing debate about how best to reform the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program. | ||
| Moderator: Gary P. O'Connor, Esq., Pullman & Comley LLC | ||
| Panelists: Eric Brown (CBIA), Steve Senior, Esq, NJ LSRPA; and David Freeman, Esq., NYC Brownfield Partnership | ||
| Sponsor: Pullman and Comley | ||
| Breakout 3B - Social Equity and Redevelopment Brainstorm | ||
| Sustainability initiatives are increasingly focused on social equity, in addition to environmental improvements and economic development. Around the region, state and local government and non-profits are changing approaches and offering new resources to improve outcomes for disadvantaged communities. We’ll hear about new ordinances, effective public participation, affordable housing development, better transparency and communication, education and training, mitigating environmental impacts, and support for community planning. Speakers will briefly present their organizations’ efforts to increase social equity through redevelopment work. After a conversation between the panelists, we will brainstorm with the audience about how redevelopment can meaningfully improve disadvantaged neighborhoods and increase opportunities for residents. | ||
| Moderator: Lee Ilan, Chief of Planning, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation | ||
| Speakers: Daniel Walsh, Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation; Rahim Islam, President & CEO, Universal Companies (Philadelphia, PA); Riché Outlaw, Environmental Justice Coordinator, NJDEP; Angela Harris, North Star Center for Human Development (Hartford, CT) | ||
| Breakout 4B - Accessing Pro Bono Services: BCONE, TAB for USEPA Regions 1 & 3, and the NYC Brownfield Partnership | ||
| This session will feature no-cost, advisory resources currently available for municipalities and non-profits, including how the BRIGHT (Brownfield Redevelopment Implementation & Guidance Help Team) project of the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast (BCONE) works. In addition, you will learn about how you can access free assistance from NJIT Technical Assistance Brownfield (TAB) program for communities and non-profits in USEPA Regions 1 (New England) (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) & 3 (Mid-Atlantic) ( PA, MD, DE, WV, VA, & DC) looking to accomplish their brownfield goals while supplementing the traditional public brownfield funding incentives. Also learn about the New York City Brownfield Partnership's Pro Bono counseling program to your needs at the individual landowner level. The session promises to include dialogue and brainstorming with the audience to identify other tools needed to take brownfield redevelopment to the next level. This session will allow time for one-one discussions for participants to meet with TAB and BCONE BRIGHT providers to discuss specific projects. | ||
| Presenters: Elizabeth Limbrick, Project Manager – Strategic Initiatives, NJIT TAB; Trevan Houser, BCONE; and Gary Rozmus, GEI & NYCBP | ||
| Late Afternoon Breakout Sessions | ||
| Breakout 1C - How to Use the State, Local and Federal Tools, Including Funding | ||
| This is the 'How To" panel: how to identify all of the tools available to your community and use them successfully. The NYC Office of Environmental Remediation will describe their new programs and how they fast track brownfield projects, especially for the critical need for affordable housing, and how they streamline the submittal and review process. CT will describe the inner working of their grants and liability relief programs, and NJ will describe the funding programs that are assisting Camden, Atlantic City and other areas in the Garden State. | ||
| Moderator: Deborah Shapiro, President, NYC Brownfield Partnership & Sr. Technical Director, AKRF | ||
| Panelists: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, NYC Brownfield Cleanup Program, NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation; Mark Lewis, Brownfields Coordinator, CT DEEP; Paul Ceppi, Community Development Program Manager, NJEDA | ||
| Sponsor: NYCBP | ||
| Breakout 2C - Building Resilient Communities: The (Un)Intended Consequences of Water Quality Actions on Resiliency | ||
| How can water management shape sustainable communities. This session will examine: 1) Long-Term Control Plans & CSO Communities-Explore how requirements of the Clean Water Act’s requirement to address Combined Sewer Outfalls can pull double-duty in terms of improving water quality, spurring economic growth and creating sustainable communities. 2) Full life cycle costs (and benefits) of green infrastructure for stormwater management – Doing a cost-benefit analysis seems like the job of an economist. But, when managing millions of dollars of wastewater and stormwater assets comparing costs and benefits of alternative management solutions is important. Maintaining the status quo can actually be a higher cost alternative! 3) Water Consideration in Green Design –Explore the uses of water in high performance development as an economic driver for a project. |
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| Moderator: Colleen Kokas, Water Resources Director-NJDEP | ||
| Panelists: Khris Dodson, Associate Director-Environmental Finance Center, Syracuse; Adam Zellner, President, Greener by Design; and Andy Kricun, Executive Director, Camden County MUA | ||
| Sponsors: CDM Smith and Greener by Design | ||
| Breakout 3C - Creating and Enhancing Sustainable Communities Through the Integration of Green Infrastructure | ||
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“Green Infrastructure” is nature, natural areas, parks and open spaces, low impact development techniques, and human created or human manipulated natural systems and processes that convey or manage storm water runoff. In addition to managing storm water Green Infrastructure can provide a multitude of “co-benefits” that contribute to creating and enhancing sustainable communities in urban, suburban and rural environments. These “co-benefit” may include – creation and enhancement of natural habitats, creation and enhancement of new or existing open spaces, improving air quality, mitigating urban heat island effect, contributing to improvements in public health – physical and psychological, improving ecosystem health and vitality, enhancing property values, enhancing the aesthetic of a place, etc. The Green Infrastructure panel discussion will be from three perspectives – large city scale, private industrial redevelopment (brownfield), and municipal park development (brownfield to greenfield). |
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| Moderator: Brian Clemson, Sr. Landscape Architect / Associate, Hatch Mott MacDonald Panelists: Jeff Dey, CEO, Land Resouce Solutions; Margot Walker, NYC DEP, Office of Green Infrastructure |
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| Sponsor: Hatch Mott MacDonald, Summit Drilling, Resource Renewal, LLC/Land Resources Solutions |
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| Breakout 4C - From Copenhagen to Bridgeport: New World Case Studies from the Old World’s Most Livable Cities | ||
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European cities are known for their sustainable infrastructure including pedestrian and bicycle suitability, proximity of housing to the workplace, and mass transit. Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, is for the 2nd year in a row, ranked as the #1 World’s Most Livable City. Copenhageners have immense pride in their city’s quality of life, sustainable human-scale architecture and the acceptance of a society centered on people, and not the automobile. City infrastructure is made for pedestrians, and half of all workers commute by bicycle. Only recently have US cities taken advantage of the lessons learned from the most livable and sustainable cities in Europe and beyond. Case studies will be explored showing how strategies applied and experience gained in European cities like Copenhagen can be exported to US cities. We will explore interventions used and implemented by innovative city planners; how new projects are integrated with climate change resiliency strategies, and how city economics can benefit.The proposed Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company state-of-the-art transportation hub in Bridgeport, CT incorporating neighborhood/community-oriented commercial and retail uses, will be presented. Panelists from Ramboll Management Consulting (Denmark), Bryan Cave, Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company and ENVIRON will discuss how we can apply old world lessons to new world opportunities.
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| Afternoon Plenary Session | ||
| The Brownfields Market is Alive! And Well … Brownfields Marketplace Trends | ||
| In 2008, a national leader in the brownfields movement said, "The Brownfields market is dead." In fact, capital had all but disappeared for any but the safest of deals. This was a period when Brownfield development had pretty much stopped unless led by the public sector. Today, sites, many having sat dormant for 5+ years, are coming (or are well on their way to coming!) out of the ground. So, what’s changed? Find out from those at the helm of some of the highest profile projects in the region and their public partners. Learn about the market drivers bringing equity to the table. Learn how developers are leveraging public sources of funding to overcome significant challenges at some of the toughest sites. This is a panel about what has worked. This panel will highlight developments at Lighthouse Landing (former General Motors Auto Assembly Plant) in Sleepy Hollow, NY, Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport, CT, and the Bayfront Redevelopment in Jersey City, NJ. | ||
| Moderator: Beth Barton, Esq., Partner, Day Pitney LLP | ||
| Panelists: Jonathan Stein, Managing Partner, Diversified Realty Advisors, LLC; William Hague and John Morris, Honeywell; and Robert Christoph, Jr., RCI Group | ||
| Sponsor: Day Pitney LLP, Fuss & O’Neill, Inc. and Vita Nuova LLC |
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