Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Brownfields Pilots - Boston, Massachusetts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department
of Transportation (DOT) are working together under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to ensure that federal
investments, policies and actions support development that is more efficient and sustainable. This partnership is based
on "liability principles" that guide inter-agency collaboration and support the integration of: safe, reliable and economical
transportation; affordable, energy-efficient housing; and sustainable reuse of idle or underutilized land. Pilot communities
were selected by EPA's Brownfields Program with input from HUD and DOT. Pilots receive technical assistance and support
from EPA, HUD and DOT. The three agencies are working with the Pilot communities to build on past investments, as well as
identify opportunities to link housing, transit and brownfields, and coordinate sustainability resources.
Project History
Boston's Fairmount/lndigo Corridor is a commuter rail line
that passes through diverse, predominantly lower-income
urban neighborhoods. Historically, this nine-mile rail line
has traveled from suburban locations directly into the city's
central business district, bypassing several large, urban
neighborhoods. As a result, these neighborhoods have
endured the environmental impacts of the rail line without
receiving any of the transportation and economic benefits
associated with rail station access. Through EPA grants and
other sources of public- and private-sector funding, several
brownfields along this rail line have been assessed, cleaned
up, and in some cases, redeveloped. However, there had
not been a coordinated effort among EPA, DOT and HUD
to collectively enhance the liability of these neighborhoods
prior to the Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Brownfield Pilot. Along with the technical assistance provided
by the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities,
this project has attracted support from local entities such
as the Fairmount Collaborative, a group of four community
development corporations that are working together on area-
wide revitalization, including creating a "Greenway" along the
length of the Fairmount/lndigo Corridor: a chain of recreational
land and multi-use, on-road paths for commuting and leisure.
Pilot Activities
The City of Boston, aided in part by EPA Brownfields
Assessment and Cleanup grants, has already assessed
and/or cleaned up multiple city-owned brownfields along
this rail line and is planning to provide environmental
assessments on several more. In addition, the Fairmount
Collaborative has developed a master plan for the Greenway,
identified opportunity sites, and is developing resources
for its realization. The Pilot will build upon this momentum
by supporting three projects related to the Corridor—one
Corridor-wide project and two site-specific projects.
Pilot Technical Assistance Activities
Technical assistance for this Pilot is being provided for three
separate but related projects, as indicated below.
• Offer planning and design consultation to complete
project designs and zoning compliance evaluation, which
is intended to meet funding application requirements for
identified funding sources (Morton St. Homes Project)
• Assist with planning and public engagement for public
review of site plans to be submitted to the city (Morton
St. Homes Project)
• Ensure public participation articulates the dynamics
of brownfield redevelopment and transit-oriented
development (TOD) (Talbot Commons Project)
• Consolidate existing site inventories and development of
prioritization framework to complement city brownfield
efforts (Corridor-wide)
• Provide strategy for Collaborative and members to
identify past site uses, likely contaminants, and site
evaluations to determine viability for incorporation into
the Greenway (Corridor-wide)
Fairmount/lndigo Corridor Project—In cooperation with
the Fairmount Collaborative and the Boston Department of
Neighborhood Development (DND), technical assistance
under the Pilot was used to consolidate existing inventories of
more than 150 potential opportunity sites that could be used
for housing, economic development or other community-
based initiatives including the Greenway. The inventory
includes all properties located within one-half mile of the
Fairmount/lndigo Line, and identifies known and potential
brownfields. The technical assistance being provided under
this Pilot will be used as part of the Fairmount Collaborative's
strategic approach to acquiring or otherwise using some of
these properties for the Greenway.
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Morton St. Homes Project—A site-specific design concept
has been refined for a brownfield located close to the recently
refurbished Morton St. transit station. The design concept will
guide development of the property into mixed-use affordable
housing and commercial operations. In turn, this will create
a transit oriented development (TOD) on a former brownfield
in an area that has had difficulty accessing commuter rail in
the past. Technical assistance was also used to improve the
understanding of brownfield implications on site design, real
estate transactions, financing and development. The site-
specific design concept was presented at several community
meetings to gather support for the project necessary for its
application for affordable housing grants and loan assistance.
Talbot Commons Project—To support the reuse of
brownfields for a TOD with affordable housing and walkable
access to transit services where none currently exists, a
site-specific redevelopment strategy was created by a local
community development corporation (CDC) for properties
surrounding the new Talbot Avenue transit station. Previous
public engagement efforts identified concerns over increased
density and other issues related to the development.
Technical assistance under this Pilot was provided to re-
engage the community regarding the benefits of brownfields
redevelopment and discuss the merits of increased
density through TOD. Working with the local neighborhood
association and CDC, a public forum was held to discuss the
potential benefits of increasing density, including a facilitated
community driven dialogue that identified and recorded their
priorities that new development should reflect. This informed
not only the potential future TOD development program and
design but also started a longer community planning process
that can inform broader community-wide change.
Ensuring that current residents are not displaced or otherwise
disturbed is an ongoing priority for this Pilot. HUD, DOT
and EPA will assist communities within the Corridor with
TOD planning to help minimize displacement of residents
and encourage development of affordable housing. Federal
assistance will also help increase the capacity of nonprofit
housing providers, such as CDCs, to clean up and redevelop
brownfields within the Corridor.
Ultimately, this Pilot will help the city and local CDCs provide
more accessible light rail service for the first time to residents in
more vulnerable areas, as well as new recreational space and
mixed-use redevelopment with a focus on affordable housing.
Brownfields redevelopment in progress along
Boston's Fairmount/lndigo Corridor
Major Technical Assistance Partners
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
Boston Redevelopment Authority
The Fairmount Collaborative (comprised of the following):
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Mattapan Community Development Corporation
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation
Talbot Norfolk Triangle Neighborhood
Outcomes
The expected outcomes from this Pilot include:
• Increasing capacity within the Fairmount Collaborative and
its members to pursue brownfield and other opportunity
sites for the Greenway and provision of affordable housing
in TOD.
• Improving capacity of local stakeholders to establish
public- and private-sector partnerships within the targeted
community that leverage investment in brownfields
redevelopment.
• Creating a site prioritization tool that will help identify
revitalization opportunities for sites in proximity to the
Corridor, including TOD initiatives and the proposed
Greenway.
The expected completion date for work under the Boston
Pilot is February 2011. For more information on this Pilot,
please contact Jessica Dominguez with EPA Region 1 at
(617) 918-1627, or via email at dominguez.jessica@epa.gov.
United State;
Environmenti
i Agency
Partnership for Sustainable Communities Fact Sheet - Boston, Massachusetts • January 2011 *EPA-560-F-11-014
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