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BROWNFIELDS SUCCESS IN NEW ENGLAND

BUTTERFIELD PROPERTY
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RUTLAND, VERMONT
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Property Details
Property Address:	Lincoln Ave & US Route 7 North
Property Size:	1.86 acres
FormerUse:	Residential/Automoti ve
Contaminants Found:	Lead
Current Use:	Plant nursery
Current Owner:	Pratico's Landscaping and Fence Co.
Project Partners
Town of Rutland, Vermont; Rutland Regional Planning Commission
Funding Details
EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant, Phase I:	$2,160
EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant, Phase ®	$17,852
Private redevelopment funding:	$180,000
Project Highlights
•	Environmental assessment gives long-vacant property a clean bill of
health for redevelopment
•	Assessment results in sale of property and redevelopment as a
nursery and landscaping business, revitalizing an important gateway
area to the City of Rutland
Motivation for Redevelopment: The 1.86-acre Butterfield site
near Rutland, Vermont had been vacant for more than 40 years,
creating a long-standing eyesore in the neighborhood. A highly
visible location on US Route 7 and access to infrastructure and
services made the property a prime candidate for redevelopment.
However, numerous attempts to sell the property failed due to
concerns about its past use and debris on the site that indicated
possible contamination. After the original farmhouse on the
site burned down in the 1960s, the property hung in limbo as it
passed through the hands of the original owners" descendants
without being redeveloped.
In 2006, a successful landscaping and fence business was
outgrowing its location approximately one half mile south of the
property on US 7. The underutilized Butterfield property was
a logical fit for the business" expansion in terms of its size and
location. Due to the site's past use, however, the potential buyers
suspected potential environmental contamination and contacted
the Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC).
Through a cooperative agreement with the RRPC's Rutland
Region Brownfields Reuse Program, EPA Brownfields funding
financed Phase I and II assessments at the site. The assessments
resolved concerns over contamination, giving the property a
clean bill of health for redevelopment.
Property History: The site is located in a mixed commercial,
agricultural and residential area. East Creek, known for its
covered bridges, borders the site. The property was used for
agricultural purposes from the mid 1800s until the 1920s. The
original farmhouse was built during this era, and an existing
onsite bam dates from 1885. From the 1920s through the 1940s,
the site was used as an automotive service garage, filling station
and store. In the 1950s, the widening of US 7 restricted the
usefulness of the site for commercial purposes, and the business
closed. In 1967, the farmhouse was damaged by fire and the
property was abandoned. Since then, significant debris (old
drums, car parts, etc.) was present at the site related to the fire
and the property's previous use.
Project Results: Through EPA Brownfields funding, a
property that sat vacant for more than 40 years at the gateway to
the Rutland city center has been transformed into a successful
commercial enterprise.
Financed by a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant
awarded to Rutland RPC in 2003 for regional brownfields
projects, Phase I and II assessments of the site began in January
2007. Assessment of the property revealed that while there was
some lead in the soil, the contamination was localized and likely
related to building demolition. No other contaminants of concern
were found.
Resolved concerns over contamination of the property led to its
immediate purchase by Pratico's Landscape and Fence Company.
Limited site remediation in fall 2007 involved removing debris,
after which construction of the new facility began. Pratico's
opened its new facility on the site in spring 2008, offering a
plant nursery and fencing store. The company invested $180,000
for redevelopment in addition to the sale price of the property.
Relocation and expansion at the site created seven new jobs,
and provided much-needed economic vitality on the edge of
Rutland's urban core.
Project Timeline
January 17, 2007
Phase I Assessment Completed
July 25, 2007
Phase II Assessment Completed
August 2007
Property Sold
October 2007
Redevelopment Begins
May 2008
Redevelopment Completed
September 2009
Local Contact: Ed Bove, Regional Planner, Rutland Regional Planning Commission • (802) 775-0871 x208 • EBovefilrutlandrpc.org

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