Turning Bases
Into Great Places:
New Life for Closed Military Facilities
»•"!• jR
1 11
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Acknowledgements
The EPA team that wrote this report—Mary Kay Bailey, Rosemary Monahan, liana Preuss, Aimee Storm, and Megan
Susman—would like to recognize the following individuals for their contributions and comments on earlier versions of
this document: Bryan Barnhouse, International City/County Management Association; Greg Block, The Corky McMillin
Companies; Tara Butler, National Governors Association; Terry Fancher, South Shore Tri-Town Development Corpora-
tion; Tim Ford, Association of Defense Communities; Jim Hicks, RKG Associates, Inc.; Theo Holtwijk, Town of Brunswick,
ME; David Pace, Baldwin Park Development Company; Hilarie Portell, Lowry Redevelopment Authority; Mary Ryan,
Nutter McClennen &Fish, LLP; and Vic Wieszek, Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Environment, Safely, and Occupational Health. We would like to acknowledge EPA staff who offered
comments: Carl Dierker, Trish Garrigan, Margherita Pryor, Mary Sanderson, Tracey Seymour, Mark Stephens, Patty
Whittemore, and Christine Williams. We also would like to acknowledge staff members of the Department of
Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment (Frank Barton, Amanda Leiker, and Joseph Cartwright) for providing
informal comments on the role of the local redevelopment authority.
For additional copies of this report, please send an e-mail to smartgrowth@epa.gov. For an
electronic version, please visit www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.
About the EPA offices that produced this report:
Development Community, and Environment Division (DCED) I
DCED works with communities, states, and the development industry to help them reach more
environmentally friendly development alternatives, while improving economic conditions and quality of life. DCED
provides information, education, and technical assistance. For more information about EPA's smart growth program,
see www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.
EPA Region 1: Smart Growth Program
EPA Region 1 works with communities, agencies, and organizations in the New England states to encourage envi-
ronmentally sound development practices. For more information about the New England Office of EPA, see www.
epa.gov/region01.
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO)
To overcome the difficulties posed by environmental contamination at federal facilities, FFRRO (and its counterpart offices
in the EPA regions) works with the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, and other federal entities to
develop creative, cost-effective solutions to environmental problems at their facilities. By focusing on partnering and pub-
lic involvement, FFRRO accomplishes its mission of facilitating faster, more effective, and less costly cleanup and reuse of
federal facilities. EPA, since the inception of FFRRO in 1994, has been an active partner in the Defense Department's Base
Realignment and Closure program. For more information, see www.epa.gov/fedfac.
Land Revitalization Office
The Land Revitalization Office works with EPA programs, other government agencies, and external partners to
promote and develop land revitalization measures, tools, information, and training. The land revitalization vision is to
restore the nation's contaminated land resources and enable communities to safely return these properties to benefi-
cial economic, ecological, and societal uses. For more information, see www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/.
Cover Photo: Citizens helped develop the plan that turned the former Orlando Naval Training Station
into the new neighborhood of Baldwin Park.
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Contents
Introduction 2
How can this guidebook help your community? 3
Steps to success 5
Forming a Local Redevelopment Authority 7
Getting everyone on board 8
Taking stock of assets and challenges g
Creating a redevelopment plan for the base 16
Involving the public 17
Incorporating good development practices 18
Creating a business plan 22
Implementing the plan 22
Developing design guidelines and zoning consistent with the vision 22
Investing in infrastructure improvements 23
Keeping the public involved 23
Conclusion 25
Case studies:
Baldwin Park, Orlando, FL 27
Liberty Station, San Diego, CA 31
Lowry, Denver, CO 35
Appendix: Resources 39
Endnotes 41
Photo Credits . . 43
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Illlll Introduction
Having a military base close or reduce operations can be traumatic for its host community. The future
is uncertain—residents worry about losing jobs and declining property values, local business owners
fear a devastating impact, and people are concerned about environmental contamination on the base.
The challenges may seem daunting, but many communities have transformed former bases into valuable
assets. Indeed, many of these redevelopments have become showplaces for the entire region—boosting
the economy, creating jobs, providing homes, and protecting the environment.
A completely or partially closed base may offer a com-
munity a large parcel of land for redevelopment—and the
enticing potential for a new and enduring neighborhood
that brings jobs, residents, visitors, and tax revenue. By
accommodating growth on previously used land, the
property allows the community to add new businesses
and residents without having to build on undeveloped
land elsewhere in the area.
Many of the most successful military-base redevelop-
ment projects share several important traits. First, local
leaders began planning for redevelopment early, in some
cases even before they were certain that the base would
close, and they planned with an eye toward long-term
benefits instead of short-term gains. They listened to
the community's desires, needs, and ideas and kept the
public involved throughout the redevelopment process.
They considered how best to balance the area's need for
jobs, homes, and public amenities like parks and natu-
ral lands. They used the base's location, infrastructure,
historic buildings, and environmentally sensitive lands
to the best advantage. They emphasized good design to
create neighborhoods that would feel welcoming, fit in
with the surrounding community, be easy to get around
in, and become a place people would be proud to call
home. Communities around the nation have used these
strategies to plan for growth, maintain and improve their
quality of life, and protect public health and the environ-
ment. These approaches often are called "smart growth."
This publication will describe smart growth principles and
practices in more detail later on.
Planning for redevelopment at the former Lowry Air Force
Base.
What if your base
is partially closing?
Many of the practices discussed in this guide-
book will be useful to communities near mili-
tary installations that are reducing operations
and partially closing ("realigning") under the
federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
process. In cases where only a portion of the
base is closing, communities can apply these
practices to the part of the property that will
be made available to them. In this guidebook,
the term "closed military base" also applies to
partially closed facilities.
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A new neighborhood planned for the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.
Several military base reuse projects have explicitly
used smart growth techniques to plan redevelopment.
The former Lowry Air Force Base outside of Denver is
now a flourishing community that preserves its military
history and honors its heritage as a training center with
several educational institutions. It also has homes,
shops, offices, and parks, all of which are welcome
additions to the surrounding neighborhoods. Orlando's
former Naval Training Center has become Baldwin
Park, an award-winning neighborhood that truly feels
like a community, with new, much-needed homes, eco-
logically important habitat, shopping, and offices—all
just 2 miles from downtown Orlando. The transforma-
tion of the former Naval Training Center into Liberty
Station reopened the San Diego Bay waterfront to the
public for the first time in more than 80 years, and it
preserved beautiful historic buildings while adding new
houses, offices, stores, and arts facilities. This guide-
book describes the smart growth techniques used in
these and other successful base redevelopments to
help communities with newly closed or partially closed
bases chart a vibrant, new future.
How can this
guidebook help
your community?
Many other documents describe the steps
that a community should take to develop and
implement a reuse plan for a closing military
base. A list of those resources appears in the
appendix. This guidebook, by contrast, pro-
vides information on smart growth principles
that communities can use to develop a vision
of how a redeveloped base can enhance their
neighborhoods, economy, and environment.
It offers ideas for communities to weave this
vision into the redevelopment process to cre-
ate a reuse plan that is fair and economically
successful, provides people with choices, and
enjoys broad public support.
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Local governments, community members,
and others can use the guidebook to pursue
base reuse that:
• Creates vibrant neighborhoods;
• Brings amenities to residents and the surrounding
neighborhoods;
• Provides a balanced mix of jobs and housing;
• Capitalizes on historic, cultural, and natural assets;
• Protects environmental resources; and
• Is embraced by the community.
One of the key goals of base redevelopment is to
replace the jobs lost when the base closes. The smart
growth practices described in this guidebook create
places with lasting economic value:
• Places that attract businesses and skilled workers
because they offer amenities, transportation options,
convenience, and character.
• Places that have walkable neighborhoods where
residents and visitors can live, work, shop, eat, and
socialize.
• Places where children can walk to school and older
residents can more easily access stores and services.
• Places that make the most of their natural assets,
support their cultural resources, and honor their local
history.
Communities that preserve and market their unique
and distinctive aspects distinguish themselves from
surrounding areas and become more economically
competitive. In the 2005 Emerging Trends in Real
Estate* report, real estate experts concluded that
"revived districts that can offer a strong sense of place
experience increased market demand. These visionary
projects can change the fortunes of neighborhoods and
entire cities."' Many redeveloped bases have preserved
their character and sense of place and reaped the
economic benefits. The historic brick buildings of the
Watertown Arsenal just outside Boston lure businesses.
The natural areas, unmatched views, and historic
buildings of the Presidio in San Francisco attracted
filmmaker George Lucas to move his multimedia
company there, building a new $350 million complex,
paying $5.6 million in annual rent, and bringing with
him 1,500 well-paid employees, many of whom will
now live and spend money in the area.
The practices described in this guidebook also can
save communities money by placing jobs, homes, and
services closer together. Studies have shown that it costs
less to provide sewer, water, and transportation infrastruc-
ture; transport school children; and deliver emergency
services in better planned, more compact areas."
These strategies are good for the environment and
public health too. With destinations closer together in
a walkable neighborhood, people can choose whether
to walk, bike, take transit, or drive. Having these op-
tions means less air pollution from cars and trucks, as
well as less traffic on the roads. In addition, compact,
well-planned development results in less paved area
per capita because it has smaller-scale parking lots and
roads. Because runoff from paved surfaces is a major
source of water pollution, reducing the amount of
paved area per capita helps protect water quality.
The Presidio's dramatic location and historic buildings make it attractive to residents and businesses.
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The Glen, formerly Glenview Naval Air Station in Illinois, brings housing, shopping, and entertainment within walking distance
of residents.
Steps to success
Base redevelopment presents a unique opportunity for communities. As other base reuse pub-
lications emphasize, leadership and early action in developing a reuse plan are essential. Every
community facing a base closure or realignment has to consider its individual circumstances,
values, and needs. Local economic and market conditions, the extent of environmental contami-
nation, the future owner(s) of the property, and the amount of land available to the community
will influence the pace, type, and viability of redevelopment. To manage the reuse of the former
installation, communities must understand the federal government's process for determining
how to "dispose" of a closed military property. The community also must understand the local
demand for office space, housing, retail, and other forms of commercial development, as well as
for recreation and green space. Armed with this information, the community can start planning
for a new future. Communities that have successfully redeveloped former bases into thriving
neighborhoods have found that the steps described below were critical to their success.
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How should communities prepare for life after
closure?
The Association of Defense Communities (ADC) suggests that communities facing
a base closure follow these steps:
"Create a plan that works: A community's first task is to create a plan and this must happen as
quickly as possible. The plan should be a realistic vision guided by market forces and environmental
conditions. Information improves planning. From environmental conditions to infrastructure assets
—communities need to get all available information from the Department of Defense (DoD).
Know the process: Base redevelopment is a complex process involving a myriad of state and
federal agencies and regulations. Knowledge will be an important asset to ensure the community's
voice is heard.
Speak with one voice: Communities must reach consensus about the future of a closed base in
a timely manner. While attaining consensus among community members can be burdensome, the
impact of neglecting this step can be huge.
Learn from experience: Impacted communities are not alone. Hundreds have struggled with base
closure following past rounds and their experiences will provide new communities with an important
source of knowledge.
Remember, base Closure is a community issue: Base closure is more than a real estate
transaction; it is about people, their jobs, and a way of life—it is a true community issue. Planning for
life after closure must be a community-driven process."
The historic brick buildings of Watertown Arsenal outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
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Forming a Local
Redevelopment
Authority (LRA)
Jurisdictions affected by the Base Realignment and
Closure (BRAC) decisions will need to establish a Local
Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for all installations where
property ownership will be transferred. The Department
of Defense (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA)
works with community leaders to structure an LRA and will
recognize the LRA on behalf of the federal government.
The LRA is responsible for creating a redevelopment plan
for the base or directing implementation of the plan. The
OEA administers programs that help LRAs develop a base
reuse plan, and other federal agencies, including the De-
partments of Labor and Commerce and member agencies
of the President's Economic Adjustment Committee, offer
resources to support economic recovery. (See Resources
appendix for more information.)
The LRA is made up of members of the community
affected by the base closure and reuse and should represent
the widest possible range of interests. The Resources ap-
pendix of this guidebook lists some documents that provide
advice on how to form an LRA, including guidance on size
and composition. These publications also describe experi-
ence gained by LRAs in previous base closures, which will
be useful to communities as they consider the LRA structure
that will best meet their needs. Once formed, the LRA
should work with other local leaders to involve the commu-
nity in the redevelopment planning process, keep the public
informed about progress, ask what the community wants
and needs, solicit ideas for the redevelopment, and give
feedback about those ideas. The more open and collabora-
tive the planning process is, the more likely it is that the plan
will gain the public support it needs to succeed.
The LRA also must work with DoD to transition the base
from military ownership to private or local government
control. The property screening process gives the federal
government an opportunity to use the land. If the land is de-
clared surplus, federal, tribal, state, and local governments
can request that the land be used for public benefit, such as
parks, schools, or housing for the homeless.
The more open and
collaborative the planning
process is, the more likely
it is that the plan will gain
the public support it needs
to succeed.
Federal property
screening, surplus
land determination,
and disposal process
Before a BRAC installation is determined
to have surplus federal land or facilities,
the appropriate military department
(Army, Navy, Air Force, or other DoD
component) notifies other federal agencies
and military services regarding the avail-
ability of the property. Thus, all or part of
the property may be transferred within the
federal government. The redevelopment
plan should recognize and provide for
these federal agencies' needs (as identified
before the surplus property determina-
tion). Once federal property is determined
to be surplus, the LRA solicits and consid-
ers the needs of state and local entities, in-
cluding public- and private-sector interests,
such as affected tribal and other govern-
ments, recreation and conservation inter-
ests, development consortia, education
and health care institutions, and providers
of homeless services. A successful reuse
plan also must take into account compat-
ibility of uses. More information on the
screening and disposal process for federal
property is available in the OEA publica-
tion Responding to Change: Communities
& BRAC (see Resources appendix).
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The historic buildings at the former Naval Training Center in
San Diego are being restored and reused.
Sometimes closed bases languish for years, their
buildings falling into disrepair as developers or local
governments squabble over reuse plans. The city of
San Diego found one innovative idea for keeping the
buildings in use. The Navy closed its Naval Training
Center on San Diego Bay incrementally over 4 years.
During that time, the city leased base buildings from
the Navy and then subleased them to other entities.
This arrangement kept the buildings occupied and
in good repair until the city officially took over the
property. Other bases awaiting redevelopment, includ-
ing South Weymouth Naval Air Station, have used
similar leasing arrangements. Communities will need
to review current regulations and work with DoD to de-
termine where and under what circumstances leasing
arrangements are possible.
Getting everyone on
board
As with any development project, the key to success
is building broad public support for the plan. People
will support a plan that represents a clear, shared vision
for the future, is fair, and benefits the community as a
whole. The LRA's great challenge will be to construc-
tively harness the interest and enthusiasm of the vari-
ous constituencies affected by the base redevelopment.
The community's efforts will be most effective if they
speak with one voice. The LRA must delicately balance
the need to get input and develop consensus with the
need to keep the project moving forward.
Education is fundamental to winning public sup-
port. Citizens must understand the possibilities and the
limitations of the base redevelopment process. The
LRA and the community can learn from other closed
military bases that have been successfully redevel-
oped into vibrant, sought-after neighborhoods. These
transformations can show local residents how the
base can become a neighborhood. Peer exchanges
can provide essential information about how other
LRAs successfully transformed their bases—especially
important details about financing, governance, and les-
sons learned. In addition, outside experts in the fields
of urban design and planning can help the community
visualize the possibilities on the site.
Cultivating community interest and support in the
project is critical to success. From the earliest stages of
gathering data on existing conditions, the public can
play a role in providing information and comments. As
the work shifts into planning for the future of the base,
the LRA can work with community members to develop
a vision for the site. Through a visioning exercise, the
LRA can gain a sense of the community's goals and
aspirations for the redevelopment. To carry out this ex-
ercise, the LRA may want to consider bringing in one of
the many firms that specialize in visioning processes.
As the plan develops, community input is critical.
At the Orlando Naval Training Center, the commis-
sion creating the redevelopment plan held more than
170 public meetings over 2 years. At Lowry Air Force
Base, the LRA brought the community together for
thousands of hours of meetings to develop the reuse
plan. In some cases, the public may vote on the reuse
plan or adopt zoning to implement it, making early and
ongoing public involvement even more important.
The goals of the public outreach are to motivate
people to participate and to give everyone interested in
the redevelopment a chance to get involved. Outreach
techniques that work in one community may not work in
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others, but some techniques are generally more likely to
succeed. A public notice in the newspaper, for example,
may satisfy legal requirements for informing the public,
but it rarely generates the enthusiasm necessary to mo-
tivate someone to invest his or her time and energy in
helping develop a great plan. Person-to-person contact,
on the other hand, usually works well. Cultivating a core
group of people who are interested in the project from
the beginning and who are influential in their neighbor-
hoods and community helps the LRA enlist a broad
array of people in developing the plan.
Partnerships with state and regional government offi-
cials can help the LRA secure grants, loans, and financial
incentives and navigate state and federal regulatory pro-
cesses. These officials can also help by sharing informa-
tion about the activities of other LRAs in the state.
Taking stock of assets
and challenges
A successful redevelopment plan based on smart
growth principles depends on a realistic assessment
of local assets and challenges. This assessment will be
the foundation for the plan that the LRA will develop
with the public's help. It also can identify limitations on
potential redevelopment. The community should start
by determining what is special about local neighbor-
hoods and the region and what people see as their
community's identity. The assessment should also
include what the community needs and wants. From
there, the community can consider what the base has
to offer, such as its unique history, structures, natural
resources, open spaces, and cultural assets, and what
community needs it can help meet. If any DoD activi-
ties remain on or near the base, the community must
consider how compatible the redevelopment will be
with those activities. To help develop this understand-
ing of present conditions and a vision for the future, the
community might consider some detailed questions,
such as those suggested below. The LRA may consider
commissioning economic, environmental, transporta-
tion, and other necessary studies to help answer these
and other questions.
Is there any environmental contamination
on the base? If so, what are the contami-
nants, and where are they?
Many military facilities have contaminated areas on
or near the property because of DoD's former missions
and activities at the base. Under federal law,'" DoD is
responsible for cleaning up the property to a level that
is protective of human health and the environment. In
many cases, DoD already has investigated and cleaned
the contamination or is in the process of doing so.
Through discussions with DoD and federal or state
environmental regulators, the LRA should learn which
locations on the base contain (or may contain) envi-
ronmental contamination, as well as locations where
environmental cleanup actions already are complete.
Different uses may require different levels of cleanup.
Where cleanup activities are underway or complete,
reuse plans should consider how site protectiveness
will be maintained. The LRA must seek out information
about the location and extent of any contamination
before it begins developing the reuse plan with the
community.
Where might
contamination be
found on a base?
Possible locations of environmental con-
tamination on an installation include in the
groundwater; in the soil; under buildings;
within buildings (e.g., lead-based paint, as-
bestos); under water towers and outdoor
operational, storage, and maintenance
facilities; in closed landfills; in training or
maneuvering areas; on munitions and
small-arms ranges; in the wastewater;
or in ponds, lakes, or streams. LRAs also
should learn about the history of the base
to help uncover other areas with possible
environmental contamination.
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256 buildings, 200 miles of underground utilities, and 25
miles of road were demolished and recycled for the
development of Baldwin Park.
Knowing the type and location of contaminants
will greatly benefit the LRA in formulating base rede-
velopment options and making future land use deter-
minations that appropriately take contamination and
cleanup options into consideration. Many installations
have a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) comprised of
representatives from the community, the military instal-
lation, local government, and regulatory agencies. The
RAB members provide input to the installation about
its cleanup program, activities, and decisions. If an RAB
exists at the base, the LRA and RAB members should
communicate regularly to ensure that the base reuse
plan and the cleanup strategy schedules are in accord.
Additionally, the LRA should discuss past, ongoing, and
planned cleanup efforts with DoD and the environmen-
tal regulators to ensure that the base cleanup and reuse
planning/redevelopment timelines are coordinated and
synchronized, if possible. This coordination can be more
efficient, saving the community time and money.
Special caution should be taken when planning new
uses at installations where military munitions were
once produced, stored, or utilized, as residual risks
from unexploded ordnance and munitions constitu-
ents likely remain at the site. Ensuring that these areas
are delineated and appropriately reused is essential.
Another critical aspect to managing contamination is
knowing the responsibilities of each party—DoD, the
LRA, the new property owner(s), and others as appropri-
ate—regarding adherence to and ongoing maintenance
for land use controls.
DoD and federal and state environmental regula-
tors examine various factors—such as risks to hu-
man health and the environment, the current use of
the property, the anticipated future land uses of the
property, past cleanup activities, remediation feasibility,
estimated costs, and time to complete—when ad-
dressing cleanup of environmental contamination at a
base. The LRA also should examine these factors when
considering redevelopment options. Successful reuse
will hinge on the LRA's ability to stay informed about
all issues regarding environmental contamination and
to understand fully how to manage reuse planning and
construction in concert with long-term protection of
human health and the environment. Striving to create a
base reuse plan that aligns future land uses with envi-
ronmental cleanup and site conditions is in everyone's
best interest.
Environmental
insurance
Commercially available financial products,
such as environmental insurance, may
help manage uncertainties that underlie
redevelopment of contaminated proper-
ties. Environmental insurance policies
can be tailored to cover potential legal,
financial, and environmental risks that
may be associated with redeveloping a
former DoD property. LRAs may explore
how insurance or other financial products
can assist with reuse challenges resulting
from site conditions.
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What type of development (commer-
cial, Industrial, residential, or a mix
of these uses) best capitalizes on the
base's location, existing structures,
and infrastructure?
With long-term economic success as a goal, com-
munities should consider market forecasts as well as
current conditions when developing a reuse plan. A
mix of uses may provide the most overall benefits for
the community. Commercial development and even
light industry can coexist with residential development
and open space in a well-planned development. The
base and the local area's unique assets and needs can
help determine suitable uses. A base may be ripe for
marketing to a specific sector or niche depending on
regional economic conditions. For example, the region
may be a center for pioneering research and need a
site for product manufacturing. Many bases can pro-
vide the large sites that some manufacturers, research
facilities, or other businesses often have trouble find-
ing. A reuse plan with zoning that allows these uses as
part of a well-designed, mixed-use development can
be very attractive to businesses seeking to build such
facilities. No matter what the reuse plan contains, the
community may need to adopt new zoning, ordi-
nances, and regulations to implement it.
Can the base connect to a surrounding
neighborhood? Can a redeveloped
base become a town center?
Bases that are surrounded by residential and com-
mercial development will be easier to redevelop with a
mix of those uses. For example, Baldwin Park, a former
Naval Training Center, is in urban Orlando, Florida. It
connected easily to the surrounding neighborhoods,
providing much-needed parks for the entire area, while
the existing community around it offered a ready sup-
ply of customers for Baldwin Park's retail businesses.
For some towns, the base is already emotionally or
physically the heart of the community, and redevelop-
ment simply reinforces that role by making it a town
center. If a base is farther from an existing community,
the reuse plan should consider how the redevelopment
will connect to the rest of the community.
The community can
consider what the base
has to offer and what
community needs it can
help meet.
Early transfer of
BRAG properties
The LRA also should learn about the early
transfer process if the community is inter-
ested in accepting base property from DoD
before cleanup is finished. Under the early
transfer provisions in federal law, a com-
munity gains title to the property through
a transfer from DoD prior to the completion
of cleanup activities."' An additional consid-
eration is whether DoD or the property re-
cipient will continue cleanup activities until
complete. If the property recipient agrees
to conduct the cleanup on behalf of DoD,
DoD still ultimately retains responsibility
to ensure that cleanup is accomplished
properly and in a timely manner. Certain
uses on the property may be restricted
until site cleanup actions are complete and
concurred on by the appropriate environ-
mental regulatory agency. Additionally, the
governor of the state must grant his or her
concurrence before any BRAC property may
be transferred early. EPA needs to concur
on an early transfer if the base is listed on
the Superfund National Priorities List. To
find out if an installation is listed on EPA's
Superfund National Priorities List, please
see www.epa.gov/fedfac/ff/index.htm.
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The Presidio's architecture spans centuries, making it a
unique destination.
What are the base's unique historic and
natural assets? What other community
amenities already exist at the site?
Historic buildings or other treasured features on the
base can serve as focal points for redevelopment and
connect the new development with the rich history of
the facility. Perhaps the most prominent example is
the Presidio in San Francisco. The Presidio served as
a military base since the Spanish built it in 1776 until
it was closed in 1994. The site has buildings from two
centuries of military construction. It also has exten-
sive natural lands, parks, and waterfront access. The
Presidio's rich history makes it a tourist attraction as
well as a unique place for businesses to locate and
people to live.
Building on history
Taking advantage of its medical history, the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo-
rado, is redeveloping into a world-class health sciences campus and biotechnology research park. The
University of Colorado's Health Sciences Center, with its attendant hospitals, specialty medical institutes,
and laboratories, has led the way, bringing a projected 19,000 jobs to the site by 2010. At completion,
the site will have a town center with retail and 400 to 600 homes, as well as a police station and hotel.
For more information, see www.colobio.com/index.html.
Fitzsimons is home to a world-class health sciences campus with hospitals, housing, research facilities, and amenities.
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Updating historic
buildings
After 200 years as a cannon and armament
manufacturing facility, the former Water-
town Arsenal in Massachusetts closed
in 1995. It is now an office and manufac-
turing center, with a mix of restaurants,
retail, childcare centers, sports facilities,
and pedestrian and bicycling trails. The
historic brick buildings that house the new
development create a unique and appeal-
ing setting. The renovation preserved the
structures' architectural integrity while
modernizing every building, including
rewiring them with fiber-optic cables so
all tenants could have internet access.
Modern updates to historic buildings make office space in
Watertown Arsenal enticing.
Some bases occupy very desirable land: a water-
front, the center of a growing neighborhood, or prop-
erty surrounded by parks. Many of the former installa-
tions were communities unto themselves, so they often
already have golf courses, playing fields, swimming
pools, bowling alleys, recreational facilities, and other
amenities. The community may decide to restore these
facilities during redevelopment or build new ones.
The LRA also should consider where it makes sense to
continue using facilities like hospitals and schools for
appropriate similar civic uses.
Protecting wildlife
habitat
Closed in 1991, New Hampshire's former
Pease Air Force Base sits on the shore
of Great Bay, which supports the largest
concentration of wintering black ducks
and bald eagles in the state. The local com-
munity recognized the habitat value of the
lands bordering the bay early in the reuse
planning. In 1992,1,054 acres of the 4,365-
acre site were transferred to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to create the Great
Bay National Wildlife Refuge, now en-
joyed by about 60,000 visitors every year.
Establishing the refuge was an important
catalyst for a larger habitat protection
effort in New Hampshire's Seacoast area
that has led to the protection of more than
7,000 acres of marshes and uplands. The
remainder of the former base was redevel-
oped into Pease International Tradeport,
which consists of an international airport
and an industrial park with 75 tenants
employing nearly 2,000 workers.
Natural assets create amenities for the entire region surrounding
the former Pease Air Force Base.
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Natural assets as an
economic advantage
Lawrence, Indiana, took advantage of Fort
Benjamin Harrison's proximity to rolling
hills and woods. Soon after the reuse
plan was approved, the state applied for a
public benefit transfer for 1,700 acres. Fort
Harrison State Park became the first urban
state park in Indiana. Lynn Boese, then ex-
ecutive director of the Fort Harrison Reuse
Authority, noted that "We could not have
predicted how important it would be to
the redevelopment of Fort Harrison.... Busi-
nesses like to locate nearby, and people
desire to live near the park. It has become
one of our best marketing tools."v
Many bases have large, undisturbed natural areas
that can continue to provide great habitat for fish and
wildlife and recreational space for people. In other
cases, some tracts are best left undeveloped because
of contamination that makes them unsuitable or unsafe
for human use. The community should be able to
get information from the base and from federal and
state agencies on natural resources such as wetlands,
streams, flood plains, and fish and wildlife habitat. A
conservation easement or conservation conveyance
can preserve some or all of these lands in perpetuity
if the community desires. The LRA can consult with a
The Presidio provides much-needed housing.
This historic building on the former Fort Benjamin Harrison has
been converted into the Kendall Inn, a 28-room boutique hotel.
land trust and DoD to pursue this option. Siting new
development to protect important natural resources
will make it easier to get the necessary development
permits from local, state, or federal agencies.
Are there enough places for people to
live in the region? Are there housing
choices (that is, different sizes, styles,
price ranges) so that a variety of people
can live there?
Fearing higher costs for schools and services, a local
government's initial reaction often is to shun residential
development. Many communities turn to retail develop-
ment to help prop up their tax base, but retail will not
survive without customers. Retail development needs
residential development—not only for a customer base but
as a source of workers too.
In many parts of the country, regardless of their
income, people are having trouble finding homes that
they can afford in a convenient, safe location. Base re-
development can help fill that gap by providing homes
for the various community members who need them,
including young people just starting out, singles, empty
nesters, families, and active retirees. These homes can
house people vital to a community's health and safety,
such as nurses, firefighters, police officers, and teachers,
who are often priced out of the communities they serve.
The Presidio, for example, occupying a prime location
in one of the nation's most expensive housing markets, has
a Public Safety Housing Program that reserves up to 40
units for full-time. Presidio-based firefighters and U.S. Park
Police officers. Participants pay 30 percent of their gross
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Cameron Station has lots of housing options—townhomes,
apartments, and single-family houses, with ample parks for
neighbors to enjoy.
income for rent. All full-time employees of organizations lo-
cated in the Presidio get preference for housing, no matter
what their income. Rent for workers making less than area
median income is 30 percent of their gross income."'
Housing in a hot
market
Once home to the Army and the Defense
Logistics Agency, Cameron Station is now a
residential development in Alexandria, Vir-
ginia. The Army sold 101 acres to a private
developer and transferred 63 acres to the
county parks department. The surrounding
area is rich with employment but short on
housing. The project has more than 2,000
homes, including townhouses, condomini-
ums, and single-family homes. Residents can
walk or take a community shuttle to reach
many of their daily needs. In addition to the
park, Cameron Station has a small commer-
cial area with a daycare facility, corner mar-
ket, coffee shop, dentist, florist, and salon.
The development also has a new elementary
school—the first new school constructed in
the city of Alexandria in 30 years. Its location
and design have made Cameron Station
a very desirable neighborhood in the hot
Washington, DC-area real estate market.
Balancing commercial
and residential
growth
During the development process, LRAs
should consider how to balance the rates
of residential and commercial develop-
ment. Some bases, such as the South
Weymouth Naval Air Station, choose to
phase in homes and commercial develop-
ment together. Phasing gives nearby com-
munities time to adjust to and absorb the
impacts of the redevelopment. It allows
infrastructure improvements to keep pace
with growing demands, and it can respond
to changing market conditions.
In South Weymouth, the LRA and the
communities surrounding the former base
required the development to be built in
three phases over a period of approxi-
mately 14 years. Each phase has a maxi-
mum amount of residential development
that can be built and a minimum amount
of commercial development that must be
built before the developer can proceed to
the next phase. For example, in Phase I,
the developer can build up to 1,000 homes
and must build at least 300,000 square feet
of commercial development before start-
ing Phase II. The recreational amenities are
similarly phased in. See www.ssttdc.com
for more information.
How well is the base served by transpor-
tation? Can additional transportation be
easily extended there if necessary?
Neighbors of redevelopment projects often are
concerned about increased traffic, but locating homes,
offices, recreational amenities, and shopping closer
together gives people choices in how they get around
and can reduce the extra traffic that new development
will bring. Reuse plans should examine how well the
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The former control tower was converted into a bookstore at
Glenview Naval Air Station.
base is served by roads, as well as by public transit
(such as buses, rail lines, or shuttles) and bicycle and
pedestrian routes. On the former South Weymouth
Naval Air Station, for example, the proposed develop-
ment will be close to a commuter rail system that runs
to and from downtown Boston.
Street design is important, not only for automobile
traffic, but also for pedestrians and bicyclists. Narrower,
tree-lined streets with attractive sidewalks make pedes-
trians feel safer and are more interesting and comfort-
able to walk along. A grid network of streets distributes
traffic more evenly throughout a development instead
of concentrating it on a few heavily traveled arterial
roads. For example, removing the fence that had sur-
rounded Baldwin Park when it was a military facility
created more than 30 new entrances and actually
relieved rather than increased traffic in nearby neigh-
borhoods because drivers had more options.
Is there existing infrastructure on the
base (e.g., sewer, water), or is there
sufficient capacity nearby?
Access to sewer, water, roads, and other infrastruc-
ture is key to attracting high-quality, compact develop-
ment. If the existing infrastructure cannot support re-
development, the LRA must find funding to rehabilitate
sewer and water systems, roads, and other services.
Many communities have had to rebuild the existing
infrastructure on a base. This overhaul is expensive.
and some communities have offered developers incen-
tives to balance the added expense. The city of San
Diego gave Liberty Station's developer a ground lease
on almost 200 acres of land to compensate for the cost
of demolishing and replacing the base's infrastructure.
The Glen, the mixed-use redevelopment of the former
Glenview Naval Air Station in Illinois, covered its infra-
structure replacement costs with revenues from land
sales and property taxes. Many base redevelopments,
including Liberty Station and Baldwin Park, recycled
the demolished material into new roads and other in-
frastructure, saving money and conserving resources.
The proposed development around the commuter rail
station at South Weymouth.
Creating a redevelopment
plan for the base
The LRA is responsible for developing a reuse
plan for the property. Depending on its staff's size and
expertise, the LRA may need to hire consultants to help
draft the plan. If the LRA or local government is going
to acquire any of the property, they may want to hire
a developer early on to work with them as they draft
the plan. Regardless of who the LRA hires to help, the
reuse plan must be economically feasible. A pretty plan
isn't enough—it must respond to the market.
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Involving the public
Lessons learned at
Fort Devens in
Massachusetts
Jeffrey Simon, former director of Fort
Devens during its redevelopment, recently
summarized the reuse planning process:
"Here is what we did right:
• We had strong leadership starting with
[former Governor William R] Weld and [for-
mer] Lieutenant Governor Paul Cellucci.
• We provided lots of forums for the public
to vent.
• No one spent time trying to reverse the
[closure] decision.
• We approached this as an opportunity to
define the future.
• We created the Devens Enterprise
Commission, a new form of municipal
government that recognized that the
only chance for economic recovery
lay in recognizing the limitations and
overcoming them.
• The state worked closely with the towns
in a partnership unique in Massachusetts.
Here is what we did wrong:
• Out of fear of the impact on municipal
budgets we brushed aside nearly all of
the strongest market and quickest path
to economic recovery—residential
development.
• We took too long getting this property
back in productive use.
• We allowed a federal prison on the prop-
erty, which compromised the quality of
other development. v"
Using the vision for base reuse and other available
information, the LRA and the community can begin
drafting the plan for redevelopment. As the Association
of Defense Communities notes, "[the] LRA Base Reuse
Plan offers the best opportunity to shape the future use
of a closed base."™' To take full advantage of that op-
portunity, the LRA must describe an effective strategy
for replacing jobs and demonstrate vigorous public
engagement throughout plan preparation.
One of the most important steps the LRA can take is to
ensure strong public involvement in developing the reuse
plan. Broad community support is critical to a successful
redevelopment. Successful base reuse projects all have
included extensive, ongoing public involvement.
Many tools are available to help the LRA and local
governments educate the public about the benefits of
a compact and well-designed redevelopment, solicit
community input on the design, and clearly envision
the kind of development the community wants. A vi-
sual preference survey, for example, shows images of
different development types and asks the participants
to rank them by preference. Software tools compare
different redevelopment options based on the ameni-
ties each provides, the traffic each generates, the water
each consumes, and the proximity of households
to parks and transit. Public participation workshops,
including design charrettes, are very effective and help
develop a plan that is economically feasible and that
the community supports. For more information on
these and other tools, see the Resources appendix.
Residents of the surrounding towns participate in developing
the plan for South Weymouth.
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Engaging the
community
through a design
charrette
Design charrettes can be very effective in
creating a plan with broad support. Char-
rettes are intense workshops, usually lasting
about a week, in which a design team meets
several times with the public and individual
stakeholder groups to get their ideas for the
development plan. The team sketches out
plans based on this input and, in a series of
feedback loops, shows them to the public,
then refines the plans based on the public's
comments. The result is a plan that com-
munity members are more likely to view as
fair, because they have had several chances
to comment on it. Charrettes require skilled
professionals to lead them and a great deal
of up-front preparation, and they can be
expensive. Most communities feel, however,
that the cost is worth it. Ultimately, many
developers find that they spend less time
and money on a charrette than they would
if they had to fight public opposition later in
the process.
At Fort Ord in Monterey, California, the
redevelopment plan for the East Garrison
portion of the site was initiated by a week-
long design charrette in November 2001. A
team of nationally recognized experts led
participants in crafting principles to guide
the development and sketching images
of what that development could look like.
The developer said of the process, "While
considerably more planning, analysis and
implementation lies ahead, the East Garrison
charrette process will long be remembered
as the defining moment that helped put
aside differences and created common goals
and understandings."'1" For more information
about Fort Ord, see www.eastgarrison.com.
Incorporating good development
practices
When growth comes, communities must balance
the impacts of the new development while preserv-
ing and enhancing the best aspects of their neigh-
borhoods and regions. Growth brings investment,
along with new residents and new workers who need
transportation options, homes, stores, services, and
other amenities. The communities that have used that
investment to their advantage—giving residents new
amenities, more housing and transportation choices,
and more convenience—typically employ a similar set
of techniques. These techniques, often referred to as
smart growth, have been distilled into ten principles
reflecting the experiences of successful communities
around the nation. Smart growth practices help ensure
that development improves the economy, community,
public health, and the environment.
Participants use drawings, maps, and building-shaped blocks
to envision the future layout of Baldwin Park.
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Several homes in Baldwin Park are grouped along a shared front yard, creating easy opportunities to mingle with neighbors.
For more information on smart growth
techniques HHHHIIj
EPA's smart growth program has many resources to help communities grow and develop while pro-
tecting environmental resources. See www.epa.gov/smartgrowthior more information. EPA is also
a partner in the Smart Growth Network, a coalition of environmental groups, historic preservation
organizations, professional organizations, developers, real estate interests, and federal, state, and local
government entities. The network's Web site, www.smartgrowth.org, features hundreds of resources,
including news articles, research reports. Web sites, tools, and case studies, to help communities learn
about development practices that protect the environment and public health, benefit the economy, and
create lively, safe, and attractive communities. Some specific publications that may be useful are:
Getting to Smart Growth: 100 Policies for Implementation
(www.smartgrowth.org/pdf/gettosg.pdf [2.7 MB PDF]): This publication is a road map for states and
communities that have recognized the need for more efficient and environmentally sound develop-
ment, but are unsure about how to achieve it.
Getting to Smart Growth II: 100 More Policies for Implementation (www.
epa.gov/smartgrowth/getting_to_sg2.htm): The second volume offers more concrete techniques to
improve development and growth in communities.
Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth (www.epa.gov/smartgmwth/
pdf/waterresources_with_sg.pdf[1.4 MB PDF/A' This publication features 75 policies that communities
can implement to protect water resources while they grow.
Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community (www.epa.
gov/smartgrowth/densfty.htm): This publication highlights nine community-led efforts to create vibrant
neighborhoods through density and introduces design principles to ensure that density becomes a
community asset.
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Mix land USes: Putting jobs, homes, shops, and
recreation near each other gives people options for
getting around. They can walk, bike, drive, or take
public transit. The traditional neighborhoods and
small towns that many people cherish have this mix
of uses. Locating homes near offices and shops also
means that people will be walking on the streets at
different times of the day, making the community
livelier and safer.
Use land efficiently: Communities can save
money and resources by building compact neighbor-
hoods where it makes sense. In denser areas, com-
munities spend less on new infrastructure, consum-
ers spend less on water, and emergency services can
respond more quickly. Compact neighborhoods can
offer more transportation choices by putting desti-
nations close enough for people to walk. Balancing
different levels of density lets communities provide
residents with choices—offering urban living to some
residents while preserving suburban living for others.
Create a range of safe, convenient, and
affordable housing opportunities and
Choices: Providing high-quality homes for people
of all income levels and at all stages of life is an
integral component in any smart growth strategy.
The type and location of homes affect commut-
ing patterns, energy and water use, and access to
transportation, community services, and education.
Communities can give their residents more choices
by encouraging different types of housing in existing
neighborhoods and in new development.
Create walkable neighborhoods: Mixing
uses and placing them close together makes it easier
for people to walk to school, work, shopping, and
fun. Communities also can encourage walking by
creating more pleasant sidewalks and safer streets.
Walkable neighborhoods give people options for
getting around and also offer them an easy way to
incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.
Foster distinctive, attractive communi-
ties with a strong sense of place: New
development should respect the unique culture,
history, and geography of a community. People are
proud of a community that has a distinct character.
Such places attract tourists, new businesses, and
new residents.
Preserve natural lands, farmland, and
critical environmental areas: Protecting the
natural environment means cleaner air and water,
healthy habitat for fish and wildlife, and beautiful
vistas and recreational lands. Many communities
also want to preserve working lands, like farms and
ranches that are fiscally self-sustaining and are a criti-
cal part of their economy, history, and culture.
The Glen's interesting mix of retail attracts visitors and residents
alike.
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Strengthen and direct development
toward existing communities: Reusing
existing infrastructure, schools, and public services
helps make the best use of taxpayer dollars. Building in
existing communities also protects undeveloped land.
Provide a variety of transportation
Options: Making it easy for people to walk, bike,
or take transit can reduce traffic congestion and air
pollution. People who cannot or choose not to drive,
including children, seniors, and disabled persons,
have more freedom when they can get around easily
without depending on someone to drive them.
Make development decisions predict-
able, fair, and cost effective: One of the best
ways to get private-sector support for a community's
vision is to create certainty and predictability in
where and how the community will develop.
Encourage community and stakeholder
collaboration in development decisions:
Give everyone with a stake in the community a seat at
the table. Development decisions should be open and
fair, with public involvement to ensure that the commu-
nity's needs are met.
Making the devel-
opment attractive
to businesses
The former Fort Devens in Massachusetts
has become a national leader in sustain-
able economic development. Now run
by the Devens Enterprise Commission in
cooperation with MassDevelopment, the
former base is a thriving jobs center that
has attracted 75 firms that employ more
than 3,000 people. One reason for the
redevelopment's success is its one-stop
permitting program. The commission acts
on all applications to locate on the former
base in less than 75 days, with many
completed in only 45 days. No other facil-
ity in the region can match this approval
speed, making Devens very attractive to
businesses.
Incorporating many or all of these principles will
help ensure a plan that is fair, is likely to succeed eco-
nomically, and enjoys broad public support. Perhaps
most important for base redevelopment is making
development decisions that are fair and inclusive.
The public will support the plan if the citizens feel like
their concerns have been heard and addressed, and
the business community will support the plan if the
decisions are predictable and economically viable. The
LRA should be confident enough in its process that, if
the plan goes to a public vote, it can be reasonably sure
that the plan will be approved.
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The proposed town center for South Weymouth will put jobs, homes, and shops near each other so people can walk to their destinations.
Compact design wins approval
At the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, the surrounding communities of
Weymouth, Rockland, and Abington voted to adopt a reuse plan that protects about 70 percent of the
1,400-acre property's natural lands and mixes development uses on the remaining 30 percent. The plan
calls for nearly 3,000 homes and up to 2 million square feet of commercial and industrial development.
Using a software tool called Smart Growth INDEX," EPA helped the communities compare the likely
environmental impacts of the proposed reuse plan with earlier versions that had focused largely on just
one type of development. The proposed plan is more compact, mixes uses, and preserves more open
space. It gives the area more transportation options by making better use of the commuter rail system
and making walking easier and more attractive. Mostly because of the compact design, the blend of
uses, and the preserved natural lands, the development will produce much less stormwater runoff than
the earlier plans would have.
Creating a business plan
In concert with the land use planning, the LRA needs
to conduct financial analyses and develop a business
plan. The LRA must estimate the costs of developing the
property, including infrastructure investments and op-
erating costs, and assess expected revenue sources. An
ADC publication. The Community Base Reuse Planning
Process: A Layman's Guide, notes that "[redevelopment
of these typically large-scale, complex facilities is costly,
often requiring large investments in basic infrastructure
along with a professional organization capable of manag-
ing the process over several years."" This publication and
others listed in the Resources appendix provide informa-
tion on financial planning for redevelopment.
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The Lawrence Government Center at the former Fort Benjamin Harrison was built under the architectural guidelines.
Implementing the Plan
The LRA may choose to implement the plan itself or
hire a developer to implement it. The decision on whether
and when to hire a developer will depend in part on
whether the LRA receives the property, and whether the
LRA or local government has the financial resources and
expertise to develop the former base. Some communi-
ties, like Lowry, replace their planning LRA with an imple-
menting LRA. The local government's redevelopment
agency could act as the implementing LRA if its members
have the authority to oversee local redevelopment. Re-
gardless of who implements the plan, the following steps
will help make it successful.
Developing design guidelines and
zoning consistent with the vision
Too often there is a gap between an attractive plan
and the development that ensues. The LRA should
insist on superior design and ensure that it is imple-
mented. Development that is designed well from the
beginning has lasting economic benefits for communi-
ties, and it will improve property values in surrounding
areas as well as on the former base. Building-design
guidelines, architectural standards, street-design stan-
dards, and zoning that adhere to the vision will ensure
that the community-supported plan is built as intended.
Architectural
guidelines preserve
character
Fort Benjamin Harrison was the heart of
Lawrence, Indiana. Many of its buildings
were built between 1906 and 1910, and
others date from the 1930s and 1940s.
The Fort Harrison Reuse Authority (FHRA)
recognized these structures as an impor-
tant asset for the area's character and a
draw for new employers and residents. To
ensure that additional development on the
base would be compatible with the exist-
ing buildings, FHRA designated historic
districts and established architectural and
development standards. The standards
require that new construction reflect the
style and materials of the older buildings.
According to FHRA, this has created a
near-seamless transition between the new
construction and the historic buildings.
Since the base closed, the property has
added more than 1,000 homes and more
than 100 businesses, creating 1,500 jobs.""
See www.fhra.org/architecture.htm.
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Keeping in touch
with the community
Neighborhood participation was critical in
developing the Lowry reuse plan, and that
involvement did not stop once construc-
tion began. A 21-member community
advisory committee counsels the LRA on
implementation matters and any updates
that have to be made to the plan to reflect
changing market conditions. Other com-
mittees, for design review, affordable
housing, and environmental cleanup, meet
regularly. The LRA keeps residents and
businesses informed through a monthly
newsletter called Re: Developments, as
well as maintaining LowryLink.com, a Web
site with calendars for events and public
meetings. Residents have organized Lowry
Neighbors, a grassroots neighborhood
association. The LRA supports the Lowry
Employers Action Network, which brings
together Lowry businesses to build skills,
network, and socialize.
A sense of ownership
is a powerful motivator
to keep people
engaged.
Investing in infrastructure
improvements
On many bases, the existing infrastructure, such as
roads, utilities, sewer, and water, may be antiquated
and inadequate for the planned development. The LRA
should develop an infrastructure plan that will support the
reuse plan. This plan should address how the improve-
ments will be financed. It may be difficult to market the
site until some of these investments are made. At Lowry,
the LRA invested heavily in the infrastructure to give the
first home builders the security they needed to under-
stand and embrace the development vision. In addition,
the LRA did not launch a sales effort for the commercial
district until it had demolished the runways and obsolete
buildings, installed infrastructure, and landscaped the
grounds. This upfront investment was essential to make
the site attractive to private investors.
Keeping the public involved
As important as public involvement is in developing
the reuse plan, it is equally important in seeing the plan
through. Citizens keep the LRA and local government
accountable and on track with the vision. Keeping the
public engaged throughout implementation also will
minimize the risk of last-minute challenges that could
prove costly and time-consuming for the developer
and/or the LRA. Although sustaining public interest
and enthusiasm for such a long time can be demand-
ing, many base reuse projects have done so success-
fully. Newsletters, Web sites, and public meetings can
share information with the public. The LRA must also
periodically give people opportunities to comment on
the plan's progress—information sharing cannot be a
one-way street. Once construction is underway, public
tours of the project give citizens a chance to see their
vision becoming a reality. This sense of ownership is a
powerful motivator to keep people engaged.
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Conclusion
We can learn a lot from communities that faced base closures in previous BRAC rounds:
• The steps in this guidebook can help create redevelopment that may be better for the
community economically and environmentally than when the base was active. But getting
to this point takes time.
• Taking stock of assets and challenges is important. A reuse plan that is well thought out and
based on solid information is fundamental to success.
• Getting everyone on board is critical. Investing time and energy upfront in substantive public
education and involvement leads to broad-based support later.
• Good development practices are essential. A reuse plan based on smart growth practices
results in development that is good for the economy, the environment, public health, and the
community.
• Help is available. Many agencies and organizations, some specializing in base reuse and some
specializing in smart growth practices, have resources and even funding to help LRAs develop
and implement their plans.
Learning that the military base that provides jobs and revenue to the community is about
to close can be frightening. But it doesn't have to be devastating. In fact, as many redeveloped
bases have shown, base closure can open up new opportunities. It can provide jobs and homes
to people who need them, create parks and recreational resources for the entire region, and be-
come a truly distinctive legacy for the community. The history and resources of the base remain
after the military leaves; now those treasures belong to the whole community.
We hope that this guidebook helps your community make the most of this unsought but
unique opportunity.
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Baldwin Park
(formerly Naval Training Center)
Orlando, Florida
The U.S. Navy announced the closing of its Orlando Naval Training
Center (NTC) in 1993, and the base officially closed 3 years later. Although
the community initially felt a sense of loss, the demand for developable
land within Orlando meant that opportunities abounded for redevelopment.
Today, the former base is Baldwin Park, an award-winning development
only a few miles from downtown Orlando.
When the Navy announced that the base would close, the city of Orlando
immediately formed a base reuse commission to create a redevelop-
ment plan. The commission, made up of 150 central Florida business and
government leaders, held 174 public meetings over the next 2 years to get
the public's ideas and feedback on proposed plans. When the commission
finished its plan in 1995, the city created a seven-member NTC Advisory
Board to implement it and held more than 100 public meetings to select the
developer and refine the plan. Among the tools at these public meetings
were visual preference surveys that showed attendees different building
and community design options, and then asked them to rate each one. The
vision that came from these meetings was "the overwhelming desire to
link the property with surrounding neighborhoods, provide public access to
lakes, form a network of green throughout the project, create a vibrant main
street, and disperse automobile traffic through a gridded street network.""'"
The city received the base from the federal govern-
ment and transferred it to a private developer, chosen
through a competition, who renamed the parcel Baldwin
Park. The developer paid $7.6 million for 1,093 acres: 90
acres went to the federal and state governments for gov-
ernment offices and 468 acres were protected wetlands,
lakes, and land set aside for parks, leaving 535 develop-
able acres for more than 4,000 homes, 1 million square
feet of offices and stores, a new elementary school, a
new middle school, a church, and three community
centers. The developer also paid $1.7 million to cover
additional cleanup costs. The city offered the developer a
loan and a line of credit to help with demolition, envi-
ronmental remediation, and construction, and a $13.5
million impact-fee credit based on what the Navy had
spent on the base's infrastructure.xiv As the planning and
building proceed, the city holds monthly public meetings
in cooperation with the developer, and the Navy moni-
tors environmental conditions at the site.
"Baldwin Park is
an ideal location
to build a new
practice and not
have to drive 45
minutes from my
home everyday.
I look forward to
serving the people in
my own community
and establishing long-
term relationships with
them—not only as
patients, but as neigh-
bors and friends, too."
Dr. William Dunn, a dentist who lives in Baldwin
Park and plans to open a new practice there"
The Baldwin Park Development Company set aside 468 acres
as protected wetlands, lakes, and park land.
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27
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111111 "Th0 planning and
partnerships which
have brought us to
this day will carry us
through to the day
when we can
celebrate youngsters
riding their bicycles on
community sidewalks,
families picnicking in
one of the community's
parks and grandparents
watching their grand-
children thrive in a
true neighborhood."
Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, at an event
celebrating the start of construction at Baldwin
Park, June 5, 2001*ix
The developer reconnected the former base to the surrounding neigh-
borhoods by taking down the fence that had surrounded the property and
extending the neighborhood streets through Baldwin Park. To re-create the
look and feel of traditional neighborhoods, Baldwin Park includes narrow,
tree-lined streets with wide sidewalks; homes designed in the architectural
style of pre-1940s central Florida, with front porches and garages in the rear;
and a blend of uses close together so people can walkfrom their homes or
offices to parks, restaurants, shops, school, or church. The development has
more than 15 different housing styles, ranging from rental apartments to
townhouses and high-end custom houses. It features more than 50 miles of
walking trails and sidewalks.
The developer had to almost completely rebuild the base's infrastructure,
dismantling 200 miles of underground utilities and 25 miles of roads and
demolishing all but 5 of the 261 existing structures. The developer recycled
as much of this material as possible to build new roads and other projects,
such as stormwater filtration systems and parkland.
Audubon of Florida worked with the developer to help create viable
ecosystems in Baldwin Park by restoring natural features that had been
displaced when the base was built 50 years earlier. The developer also
preserved the base's mature trees as much as possible and planted 4,000
new street trees.
The city anticipates that when Baldwin Park is completely built and oc-
cupied sometime in 2006, the development will house 8,000 residents, sup-
port 6,000 permanent jobs, and generate more than $1.5 billion in property
tax value, more than $30 million in annual property tax revenue, and more
than $180 million in payroll.'™' The development began
spurring investment in surrounding neighborhoods even
before most of its residents had moved in; nearby, two
shopping centers are being redeveloped and a medical
building is under construction.™' As David Pace, managing
director of the development company, points out, other
benefits to the surrounding community include "the addi-
tion of hundreds of acres of parks the public gets to use,
grocery stores they don't have to go out on Highway 50 for
anymore, and property appreciation."™"
Baldwin Park includes a variety of housing types.
28
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The city notes that "Baldwin Park is what the citizens
of Orlando ask for: quality homes; a mixture of uses
with businesses, schools, residences, and recreation
contained within one community; job creation and
tax generation."xx The development has won national
recognition with awards such as EPA's National Award
for Smart Growth Achievement (2005), Urban Land
Institute's Award of Excellence (2004), the National
Arbor Day Foundation's "National Building with Trees
Award of Excellence" (2004), and the Council for Sus-
tainable Florida's "Sustainable Florida Best Practices
Award" (2004). The developer won the Distinguished
Corporation Award from Audubon of Florida, and one
of the architects won a Palladio Award for his design of
one of the development's recreation centers.
Web site: www.baldwinparkfl.com.
For details on the city's process, see
www.cityoforlando.net/planning/ntc/ntcclos.htm.
Year base closed: 1996
Year construction started: 2001
Year first homes were occupied: 2003
Year of completion: 2008 (projected)
Acreage: 1,093 (535 developable)
Number of homes: 4,100 (projected)
Commercial and retail space: 1 million square feet
Residents: 8,000 (projected)
Jobs: 6,000 (projected)
Total property value: $1.5 billion (projected)
Annual tax revenue: $30 million (projected)
Neighborhood shops and services are convenient for Baldwin Park
residents.
Attractive office space is a critical part of the
Baldwin Park project.
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29
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9 B B
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Liberty Station
(formerly Naval Training Center)
San Diego, California
The Naval Training Center (NTC) trained members of the U.S. Navy and
U.S. Naval Reserve for 70 years. Almost 550 acres in size, NTC included 624
buildings, many in the Mission Revival style, with nearly 3 million square feet of
space. Using many of these historic buildings and the base's prime location on
San Diego Bay, the city has turned the training center into a beautiful redevel-
opment, restoring waterfront access to the public for the first time in 80 years,
creating new parks, and establishing creative arts facilities.
After the 1993 BRAC round slated NTC for closure, the Navy closed the
facility incrementally. As the NTC closed, the city and the Navy reached an
agreement in 1995 that gave the city interim use of 67 acres of the site (the
agreement was later expanded). The city subleased buildings to nonprofit
organizations, city departments, and small businesses. This interim leasing
allowed the city to keep the buildings and landscape areas in good shape while
the Navy decreased its funding.""' The Navy officially closed NTC in 1997 and
transferred the NTC to the city of San Diego through a no-cost economic devel-
opment conveyance.
Liberty Station, the name for the redeveloped NTC, encompasses 361 acres
and several distinct districts. On the north shore of San Diego Bay, just a few min-
utes from downtown and the airport, the community will have 125 acres of parks
and open space, including a waterfront path that leads all the way to downtown;
a nine-hole golf course (constructed in 1925 and considered a national historic
resource); shopping villages and restaurants; a 28-acre civic, arts, and cultural
district called NTC Promenade; two hotels; a seven-building office district; 349
homes in 3 neighborhoods; and a 22-acre educational campus including seven
schools. Because of the way the military buildings were clustered. Liberty Station
has separate districts for homes, offices, shops, and cultural activities rather than
blending these uses together. As the development is only about 1 mile from end
to end, and all of the facilities are connected by landscaped walkways, walking
from one district to another is easy. About 94 acres will be new construction, and
another 95 acres will make up the historic district, which includes more than 50
historic structures to be preserved, as well as the USS Recruit, a landlocked ship
built in 1949 and used in training for many years."""
After the base closing was announced, the city held hundreds of community
meetings, design charrettes, and public workshops. Thousands of people, not
only neighbors but also retired Navy officers who still lived nearby, participated
in the process. The public had not had access to this section of the waterfront
since the base opened in 1923, and regaining access was one of the main de-
"We've worked
for more than a
decade now to
transform the
former Naval
Training Center
into a resource all
San Diegans can
use, while reflecting
the rich maritime his-
tory our city enjoys.
We're one step closer
to the vision of NTC,
ultimately as a destina-
tion for residents and
visitors alike; a place
surrounded by green,
bordered by water and
centered on history."
Hank Cunningham, assistant executive
director of the San Diego Redevelopment
Agency1"1'"
A landscaped promenade creates a pleasant
walking environment for residents.
mill
31
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mill
New housing built in the traditional architectural style of the area.
sires expressed in the meetings. This public process resulted in a comprehen-
sive plan for Liberty Station that emphasized public use, a pedestrian-oriented
environment, and a vibrant mix of uses that would replace the jobs lost when
the base closed. A residents' group called Save Our NTC has kept a watch on
the development process. Contentious issues have included objections to the
height of some proposed buildings and concerns that the public space is being
developed more slowly than the offices and housing.
Without the money to redevelop the base on its own,
the city held a competition and awarded the redevelop-
ment to a private developer, with the San Diego Redevel-
opment Agency as a partner. Redevelopment is estimated
to cost $850 million over the first 15years,and most of
the money will come from private financing. As an incen-
tive, the city gave the developer 81 acres to develop and
sell for homes and offices. The developer holds a 66-year
ground lease, owned by the city, on the remainder of the
property to develop and lease for commercial uses.
The development is expected to create 8,000 perma-
nent jobs. Room tax from the two hotels is expected to
generate $4.8 million annually. Tax revenue from the
developed property could bring in $2.4 million a year,
including $750,000 annually for low- and moderate-in-
come housing.xxiv The developer is obligated to build $125
million worth of infrastructure improvements, including sewer, water, electric,
cable, phone and storm-drain system improvements, new parking areas, and
new road and traffic improvements to internal and surrounding streets. Road
improvements include new curbed medians, renovated sidewalks, bike lanes.
Liberty Station occupies a prime location near downtown San Diego.
32
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and extensive landscaped paths. Demolition of obsolete infrastructure
created about 300,000 tons of crushed concrete and 200,000 tons of
pulverized asphalt, almost all of which is reused for fill and road base.
In the initial offering. Liberty Station home prices ranged from
about the mid-$400,OOOs to the high $800,OOOs. More than 1,500
families entered a lottery for a chance to purchase the first homes.
The development was more than 50 percent sold out within 8
months and completely sold out by March 2004. The townhouses
and detached homes are a blend of architectural styles that represent
the base's history and reflect the style of nearby neighborhoods.
Homes feature off-street, alley-access garages shielded from the
street; include porches and balconies to foster a sense of commu-
nity; and use green building materials. As noted earlier, to meet San
Diego's requirement of 15 percent affordable housing, the redevelop-
ment agency will set aside tax revenue to provide housing elsewhere
in the city to people of low and moderate incomes.
The developer proclaimed that Liberty Station would be a model
of smart growth and noted how well it fits with San Diego's "City
of Villages" plan."0™ The company saw this project as an excellent
opportunity for infill development. Although increased traffic is pos-
sible from suburban residents coming to work at Liberty Station, the
developer hopes to keep the amount of traffic in and out of the com-
munity down by giving residents everything they need—a place to live,
work, shop, and eat—within the development.
Websites: www.sandiego.gov/ntcand
www.libertystation.com.
Preserving the unique architecture on the former base.
Year base closed: 1997
Year construction started: 2001
Year first homes were occupied: 2003
Acreage: 361
Number of homes: 349 homes
Commercial and retail space: 680,000 square feet
Jobs: 8,000 (projected)
Annual tax revenue: $7.2 million (projected)
Illlll
33
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Lowry
(formerly Lowry Air Force Base)
Denver, Colorado
In 1991, after 54 years of operation, the 1,866-acre Lowry Air Force Base
found itself on the BRAC closure list. A member of the Lowry Redevelopment
Authority characterized the unique challenge: "Most real estate developments
don't start out with 1,000 vacant buildings, 28 miles of obsolete streets, three
runways, and a 12-mile-long chain-link fence. Not to mention environmental
issues and no money.""0™ But that was the starting point for the redevelopment
of this base, just 15 minutes from downtown Denver.
Realizing that 7,000 jobs and $295 million in annual spending were leav-
ing the area, the mayors of Denver and Aurora, the two communities with
jurisdiction over Lowry, forged an unprecedented alliance to charge ahead with
redevelopment. As soon as closure was finalized, the mayors established the
Lowry Economic Recovery Project (LERP), a 40-member advisory committee
charged with reuse planning.
Between 1991 and 1993, LERP embarked on an intensive 18-month plan-
ning process. Representatives from the community served on committees
focused on transportation, housing, and economic development issues. There
was no shortage of community participation during the thousands of hours
of public meetings. Many nearby residents from the historic neighborhoods
surrounding the base had never been behind the fence and on the base. They
were eager to see redevelopment that would add character, amenities, and
value to the existing neighborhoods.
At the same time, LERP ensured that its congressional delegation was able
to intervene on its behalf with any federal property issues. LERP was able to
raise money by hiring a property management group to lease 800 homes on
the base. In the longer term, this funding served as collateral for larger infra-
structure loans.
When the Air Force officially closed its
operations in September 1994, LERP already
had completed the reuse plan. According to the
LRA, Lowry was the first base ever to have a
reuse plan in place before it closed. Many have
attributed the successful redevelopment to this
early planning. The plan called for 4,500 homes,
2 million square feet of commercial space,
schools, and 800 acres of parks and recreational
amenities. In particular, the plan called for de-
velopment guided by several principles:
• To blend with the surrounding neighborhoods
and build upon their strengths;
"I chose to live
in Lowry because
it allowed me to
live in a community
that has retail and
recreational services
within walking
distance of residential."
Ken Gordon, Colorado State Senator1™""
The conditions at Lowry Air Force Base before redevelopment.
mill
35
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mill
"Our employees
have several
lunch options at the
Town Center. In addi-
tion, if our employees
want to get outside and
exercise during lunch or
after work, they've got
countless options. This
move has been good
for our company and for
employee morale."
Jeff Tetrick, employee advocate, Pinnacol
Assurance, a 535-employee company1"™
• To reflect a diversity of home styles and price points;
• To be pedestrian friendly; and
• To provide easy access to parks, schools, and businesses.
By 1994, LERP dissolved, and the Lowry Redevelopment Authority (LRA)
was formed to implement the plan. The LRA was set up so that it could issue
revenue bonds to fund infrastructure improvements, which was one of the first
steps to encourage investors to look at the property. Redevelopment progressed
in stages, with the LRA beginning residential construction in areas without
environmental contamination. To ensure high-quality construction and design,
Lowry established architectural design guidelines reflecting Denver's urban
architecture. The Southwest Neighborhood, with 650 single-family homes and
townhouses, opened with great fanfare at a 1998 "Parade of Homes" event. As
the LRA Deputy Director Montgomery Force noted, "This event, like no other,
launched Lowry as a desirable place to live.""0™'"
The employment, educational, commercial, and other residential projects
quickly followed suit. Building on its legacy in education as an Air Force training
center, Lowry currently is home to three early childhood centers, five primary
schools, a private high school, and two adult learning institutions.
The reuse plan sought to diversify commercial properties by constructing small
and large office spaces and reusing historic structures. Employers range from
financial services to medical office firms. By 2003, Lowry had 89
employers and 5,947 employees on site."*" Lowry has been able
to sell itself to employers because of the amenities within walk-
ing distance (restaurants, parks, and retail) and the proximity of
the site to employee housing and schools. The town center is
the retail showcase for Lowry. It has more than 40 shops, includ-
ing a full-service grocery store, and is designed so that employ-
ees and residents can walk to it. Several apartment properties
are adjacent to the center, helping to create a lively atmosphere.
Lowry retained many of the distinctive and historic
features from the base. For example, two of the massive
hangars were preserved and now serve as the Wings Over
Trails connect homes to parks, libraries, and other amenities. ^ Rockjes Ajf gnd Spgce Museum Many of the off icers-
quarters have been redeveloped as high-end housing, while the enormous,
1,000-man barracks building has become apartments for a senior living facility.
The original steam plant has been redeveloped into the Power House Lofts and,
on the parade grounds, loft homes have been constructed on Officers' Row.
During the reuse planning, Lowry promised residents a wide spectrum
of housing choices. Currently, the site has approximately 3,000 homes and
apartments ranging in price from $115,000 to $2 million. To ensure that
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homes would be available to moderate- and low-income residents, the LRA
created the Lowry Community Land Trust (LCLT) to manage the sale of
up to 300 affordably priced homes. LCLT owns the land, while the homeowner
owns the home. Thus, the homeowner builds equity in the house, but LCLT's
land ownership keeps the resale price lower so that the house remains af-
fordable in the future. Despite these efforts, Lowry has struggled with imple-
menting the homeless housing provisions required under federal BRAC law.
Following a lawsuit brought by homeless-assistance providers in 1999, the
LRA built two mixed-income apartment buildings that will house the home-
less, along with providing market-rate and affordably priced units.
Sidewalks line every street in Lowry, and a trail system connects residents
and visitors to parks, the town center, and the popular neighborhood library.
Lowry also provides residents with real-time transit information and bike park-
ing and storage to encourage alternatives to automobile travel.
Lowry's redevelopment has been a success for its residents, for the cities
of Aurora and Denver, and for the region as a whole. Between 2003 and 2005,
home values at Lowry increased an average of 9.42 percent, outperforming
Denver's median increase of 2.7 percent.""' Lowry employees have created a
net economic benefit to the city and county of Denver of $1.4 billion, including
wages, retail sales, and purchases. Lowry residents have generated $188 mil-
lion to the city and county of Denver through spending and sales and property
taxes. The LRA estimates that between 1994 and 2003, the entire redevelop-
ment created a $4 billion gross economic impact and created a tax base where
there was none previously. Extensive community involvement, thoughtful
attention to design principles, and neighborhoods with lasting amenities have
ensured Lowry's success.
Web site: www.lowry.org.
Year base closed: 1994
Year construction started: 1996
Year first homes were occupied: 1998
Year of completion: 2009
Acreage: 1,866 (800 acres of open space)
Number of homes: 4,500 (projected)
Commercial and retail space: 3.8 million square feet
Residents: 10,000 (projected)
Jobs: 7,000 (projected)
Total economic benefit (1994-2003): $4 billion
'The renovated build-
ings, recycled runways,
and other elements
anchor residents to
Lowry's heritage, while
we build a new legacy
for the future. The
Lowry Redevelopment
Authority and other
entities have worked
hard to preserve the
sense of place that
Lowry has always
possessed."
Amy Ford, neighborhood leader1""1"
Lowry is just a short distance from downtown
Denver.
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37
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Appendix: Resources
Base closure
Federal agencies
U.S. Department of Commerce,
Economic Development Admin-
istration (www.eda.gov/Research/
DefenseConversion.xml): Informa-
tion and federal resources to assist
communities with BRAC-related
defense conversions.
U.S. Department of Defense:
Information on Base Realign-
ment and Closure (BRAC) for 2005
(www.defenselink.mil/brac). For
information on prior BRAC rounds,
see www.defenselink.mil/brac/
priorbracs.html.
Office of Economic Adjustment
(www.oea.gov): Manages and
directs the Defense Economic Ad-
justment Program and coordinates
the involvement of other federal
agencies to provide resources
for communities affected by DoD
program changes. Publications on
website include:
• Responding to Change: Com-
munities & BRAC. Available at
www.oea.gov/oeaweb.nsf/
LIBbyTitle?readform.
• California Military Base Reuse.
Department of Toxic Substanc-
es Control, CAL EPA. Available
at www.oea.gov/OEAWeb.
nsf/DB074580440F7293852570
1500417E70/$File/eac.pdf
• From Barracks to Business. MIT
Military Base Redevelopment
Project. March 2000. Available at
www.eda.gov/Research/
ResearchReports.xml.
• Use of Master Developers in
Implementing Military Base
Reuse Plans. Economic & Plan-
ning Systems, Inc. March 1999.
• Economics of BRAC Sites. June
2005.
• Early Transfer Authority: A Guide
to Using ETA to Dispose of
Surplus Property. October 2005.
President's Economic Adjustment
Committee (EAC): Committee of
22 federal agencies that support
BRAC-related activities through
technical assistance and financial
resources for affected communi-
ties. OEA coordinates resources
available via the EAC. A descrip-
tion of the EAC is available at
www. oea.gov/OEAWeb. nsf/
7B2D6546FA4B85256E83004488F2/
$File/eac.pdf.
U.S. Department of Labor, Employ-
ment and Training Administration
(www.doleta.gov/BRACand www.
brac-coach.org): Tools and ser-
vices for BRAC-affected workers
and communities.
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Federal Facilities Restora-
tion & Reuse Office (www.epa.
gov/fedfac): Information on envi-
ronmental contamination, cleanup,
and reuse for military installations
being addressed by EPA.
Organizations
Association of Defense Communi-
ties (formerly National Association
of Installation Developers) (www.
naid.org): Resources for active and
closed military base communities.
Publications include:
UThe Community Base Reuse
Planning Process: A Layman's
Guide. National Association of
Installation Developers.
NAIDinfoseries. February 2004.
Available at www.
defensecommunities.org/
ResourceCenter/Base_Reuse.pdf.
• Dawson, Yvonne. Organizing
Your Planning Effort: The First
Steps in Installation Redevelop-
ment. National Association of
Installation Developers. Infobrief.
May 2005. Available at www.
defensecomm unities, org/
Planning_LRA.pdf.
• Herberghs, Todd. Understanding
Base Realignment: What Com-
munities Should Know First.
National Association of Installa-
tion Developers. Infobrief. May
2005. Available at www.
defensecomm unities, org/
lnfoBrief_Realignment.pdf.
• NAID and ECS, Inc. Environmen-
tal Insurance and BRAC Com-
munities: Building a Successful
Partnership. 2001. Available
at www. defensecomm unities.
org/ResourceCenter/
En vironmentaljnsurance. pdf.
International City/County Manage-
ment Association (www.icma.org):
Services and resources, including
technical and peer assistance, for
local governments. Publications
include:
• McMillen, Jacen, and Dan-
iel Pickett. ICMA Base Reuse
Handbook: A Navigational Guide
for Local Governments, Second
Edition. International City/County
Management Association. 2002.
• Smart Growth Issue Summary:
Military Encroachment and Base
Reuse. March 2005. Available at
www. icma. org/upload/
library/2005-05/{27100F1D-6291
-4 71F-8883-089488C11AD3j.pdf.
• Baseline Newsletter.
National Governors Associa-
tion (www.nga.org): Resources
aimed at state-level officials.
Publications include:
• "The Redevelopment of
Former Military Installations"
fact sheet. May 2005. Avail-
able at www.nga.org/Files/pdf/
0505BRACStateFS.pdf.
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39
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Publications
Defense Environmental Network
& Information Exchange. "Using
Environmental Insurance in DoD
Property Transfers: A New Tool
for Managing Cleanup Risk." April
2001. Available at https://www.
denix. osd. mil/denix/Public/ES-
Programs/Cleanup/ei_factsheet.pdf.
General
information
about growth
and development
patterns
Organizations
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (www.epa.gov/
smartgrowth): Offers research,
publications, tools, a policy
database, and other resources.
Particularly useful are Getting to
Smart Growth, Volumes I and II,
with 100 policies in each volume
to help communities improve
the quality of their development.
Also available is Protecting Water
Resources with Smart Growth, a
book of 75 policies to protect water
quality while continuing to grow.
See EPA's brownfields site (vmw.
epa.gov/swerosps/bf/index.html)
for information about redevelop-
ing contaminated sites.
Smart Growth Online (vmw.
smartgrowth.org): A service of the
Smart Growth Network, a coalition
of more than 35 organizations,
including environmental groups,
historic preservation organiza-
tions, professional organizations,
developers, real estate interests,
and local and state government
entities, that work together to en-
courage development that benefits
the economy, community, public
health, and the environment.
Affordable Housing Design
Advisor (www.designadvisor.org):
Demonstrates that moderately
priced homes can look just like
market-priced ones. It has exam-
ples and practical advice.
U.S. Green Building Council, in
partnership with the Congress for
the New Urbanism and the Natural
Resources Defense Council, is
developing a LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental De-
sign) standard for Neighborhood
Developments (LEED-ND). Currently
in the preliminary draft stage, this
rating system details the design, site
plan, and other components that
qualify a project as smart growth.
The certification program is ex-
pected to launch in 2007. Available
in draft at www.usgbc.org/Display-
Page.aspx?CMSPagelD= 148.
Publications
The Smart Growth Shareware
CD-ROM (Smart Growth America,
2004) compiles a wide range of
smart growth resources, including
publications, articles, fact sheets,
and Web links to more than 100
resources. It is available at www.
smartgrowthamerica. org.
Smart Growth Network and
National Neighborhood Coalition.
"Affordable Housing and Smart
Growth: Making the Connection."
2001. Available at www.epa.gov/
smartgrowth/pdf/epa_ah_sg.pdf.
Visioning
resources
Organizations
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning
Council assists cities and towns
with community visions. Its Web
site contains several completed
community visions. See www.
tbrpc. org/livable/cvt.htm.
The Charlottesville, VA, area
developed a vision for the city
and three surrounding counties.
The Thomas Jefferson Planning
District Commission Web site de-
scribes the process and outcomes.
See www.tjpdc.org/community/
e pi.asp.
Publications
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
Planning for the Future: A Hand-
book on Community Visioning.
Second Edition. 2000. Available at
www. rural pa. org/visioning.pdf.
Green, Gary, et al. Building Our
Future: A Guide to Community
Visioning. University of Wiscon-
sin Cooperative Extension. 2000.
Available at http://cecommerce.
uwex. edu/pdfs/G3708.pdf.
The Planning Center. Growth
Visioning for Sustaining a Livable
Region: Visioning Design Process.
Southern California Association
of Governments. 2001. Available
at www.scag.ca.gov/livable/down-
load/pdf/FULLREPORT.pdf.
Community
involvement
tools
Organizations
The National Charrette Institute
(www.charretteinstitute.org) offers
training in organizing charrettes
and other public-engagement
processes.
PlaceMatters.com (vmw.
placematters.com) offers tools,
techniques, and case studies to
help communities undertake
vision-centered place-based
planning, civic engagement, and
community design and decision
making.
U.S. EPA offers resources for
concerned citizens (www.epa.
gov/epahome/Citizen.html), includ-
ing information on environmental
issues and tools to help people
become involved and make a dif-
ference in their communities.
Publications
Boyd, Susan, and Roy Chan.
Placemaking: Tools for Commu-
nity Action. Fall 2002. Available at
www.sustainable.org.
Goldberg, David. Choosing Our
Community's Future: A Citizen's
Guide to Getting the Most Out of
New Development. Smart Growth
America. 2005. Available at www.
smartgrowthamerica. org.
Local Government Commission.
Neighborhood-Scale Planning
Tools to Create Active, Livable
Communities. No date. Available
at www.lgc.org/freepub/PDF/
Land_Use/fact_sheets/
neighborhood_planning.pdf.
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40
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Endnotes
' PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Urban Land Institute. "Emerging Trends in Real Estate—2005." New York, NY. p. 19.
" See, for example:
Burchell, Robert, et al. The Costs of Sprawl—Revisited. TCRP Report 39, Transportation Research Board. 1998.
Burchell, Robert W., and Mukherji, Sahan. "Conventional Development Versus Managed Growth: The Costs of
Sprawl." American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 93, No. 9. Sept. 2003. pp. 1534-1540.
Muro, Mark, and Puentes, Robert. Investing In A Better Future: A Review of the Fiscal and Competitive
Advantages of Smarter Growth Development Patterns. Brookings Institution. 2004.
" Office of Economic Adjustment. Renaissance: New Jobs, New Uses of Space and Resources, New Life for
Former Military Bases. 2002. Available at www.defenselink.mil/brac/docs/oeabro02.pdf.
"' Title 42 USC Section 9620. Also known as Section 120 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Liability, and Compensation Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended (the federal Superfund law).
iv Title 42 USC Section 9620. Also known as CERCLA Section 120 (h) (3).
v Boese, Lynn. "Fort Benjamin Harrison" in Case Studies in Base Conversion, ed. John E. Lynch. National
Association of Installation Developers. July 2002.
vi The Presidio Trust. "Presidio-based Employee Housing Programs." Available at www.presidio.gov/Leasing/
ResidentialLeasing/LiveWorkPrograms/default.htm.
vii Simon, Jeffrey A. "Lessons for Hanscom." Boston Globe. April 18, 2005.
viii Association of Defense Communities. Community Base Reuse Planning Process: A Layman's Guide. 2004.
ix Anderson, John. "The Plan Background and Current Status." Fall 2002. Available at www.eastgarrison.com/
wwwroot/documents/articles529.html.
x For more information on Smart Growth INDEX, see www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/topics/sgjndex.htm.
xi Seymour, Craig, and Jeff Donohoe. "Financial Implications of the Initial Base Reuse Plan." The Community
Base Reuse Planning Process: A Layman's Guide. NAID infoseries. February 2004. pp. 44-48.
xii Schneider, Rob. "Base closings brought changes; Military facilities targeted in '90s are now residential, business and
recreational areas." Indianapolis Star. May 19,2002. Available at www.dinfosalum.org/dinfos/pages/article.htm.
xiii City of Orlando. 2005 Entry Package for the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.
xiv Haner-Dorr, Noelle. "The Good, the Bad, the Beef with Baldwin." Orlando Business Journal. Nov. 16, 2001.
"" Press release. "Commercial Land in Sparse Supply at Baldwin Park—Neighborhood Offices Almost Sold Out."
Baldwin Park Development Company. May 4, 2005. Available at www.baldwinparkfl.com/web/pressreleases.
asp?NEWS_ID=55.
™ City of Orlando. 2005 Entry Package for the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.
xvii Krueger, Jill. "Baldwin Park Spurs Redevelopment, Growth." Orlando Business Journal. Oct. 1, 2004.
xviii Krueger, Jill. "Cleaning Up." Orlando Business Journal. April 1, 2005.
xix Krueger, Jill. "Developer Names New Community Baldwin Park." Orlando Business Journal. June 5, 2001.
xx City of Orlando. 2005 Entry Package for the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.
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Endnotes
lod City of San Diego. "Overview: History of the Naval Training Center." Available at www.sandiego.gov/ntc/over-
view/history.shtml.
xxii Liberty Station Web site. Available at www.libertystation.com/about/faq.html.
xxi" Press release. "McMillin Gets Green Light to Build NIC Park." Liberty Station. May 26, 2005. Available at www.
libertystation.com/about/press-releases/pr_5-26-2005.html.
xxiv San Diego requires redevelopment areas to reserve 15 percent of homes for people of low and moderate in-
comes, or else provide twice that amount of affordable housing elsewhere. Liberty Station contains no afford-
ably priced homes, so the redevelopment agency must set aside tax revenue to provide housing elsewhere in
the city to people of low and moderate incomes (www.sandiego.gov/ntc/housing/affordable.shtml}.
xxv For more information on the City of Villages plan, see www.sandiego.gov/cityofvillages.
xxvi Portell, Hilarie. "Marketing a Closed Military Base: If You Build It, We May Come." Lowry 101 Mobile Workshop
manual at National Association of Installation Developers/An Association of Defense Communities conference.
June 4, 2005.
xxvii Lowry Redevelopment Authority. "Lowry 10 Years in the Making: A Report to the Community." 2004.
xxviii Force, Montgomery. "Lowry Air Force Base," in Case Studies in Base Conversion. National Association of
Installation Developers. July 2002.
xxix Lowry Redevelopment Authority. "Lowry 10 Years in the Making: A Report to the Community." 2004.
xxx Lowry Redevelopment Authority. "Lowry 10 Years in the Making: A Report to the Community." 2004.
xxxi Lowry Redevelopment Authority. "Re:Developments Newsletter." May 2005.
xxxii Lowry Redevelopment Authority. "Lowry 10 Years in the Making: A Report to the Community." 2004.
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Photo Credits
Front Cover: Photo collage of Baldwin Park. Top photo, U.S. EPA; middle and bottom photos. Courtesy of Baldwin
Park Development Company.
Page 2: Lowry Redevelopment Authority
Page 3: Rendering by Tom Laging
Page 4: © Brenda Tharp
Page 5: Village of Glenview, Illinois and Samuels Architectural Photography
Page 6: Warren Patterson Photography
Page 8: Dave Harrison
Page 10: Courtesy of Baldwin Park Development Company
Page 12: top: © Brenda Tharp
Page 12: Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority
Page 13: top right: Warren Patterson Photography
Page 13: bottom left: Marcus Walsh, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
Page 14: top right: Fort Benjamin Harrison Reuse Authority
Page 14: bottom left: U.S. EPA
Page 15: Cameron Station Homeowners Association
Page 16: top left: Village of Glenview, Illinois and Samuels Architectural Photography
Page 16: middle right: Tricia Bruno
Page 17: From the Village Center Plan, used with permission
Page 18: Courtesy of Baldwin Park Development Company
Page 19: U.S. EPA
Page 21: Village of Glenview, Illinois and Samuels Architectural Photography
Page 22: From the Village Center Plan, used with permission
Page 23: Fort Benjamin Harrison Reuse Authority
Page 24: Fort Benjamin Harrison Reuse Authority
Page 25: From the Village Center Plan, used with permission
Page 26: Debbie Cirillo
Pages 27 and 28: Debi Harbin
Page 29, top: Doug Scaletta
Page 29, bottom: Judy Hodge
Page 30, top: San Diego Historical Society
Page 30, bottom: U.S. EPA
Page 31: The Corky McMillin Companies
Pages 32-33: U.S. EPA
Pages 34-37: Lowry Redevelopment Authority
Page 38: Baldwin Park. Doug Scaletta
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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(1807-T)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA231-R-06-002
January 2006
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth
Recycled/Recyclable-Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% (minimum 50% postconsumer) recycled paper.
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