Brownfield Grant Writing Tip #17 - The BRAC

Unless you are new to Brownfield Redevelopment or have been locked away in a closet for the past year or so, you've probably noticed a considerable emphasis on "Community Engagement" from EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER).  The head of OSWER is Mathy Stanislaus, who was appointed Assistant Administrator for OSWER in April of 2009.  Prior to his appointment, Mathy was Co-Founder and Co-Director of New Partners for Community Revitalization, Inc. and served as a Board member of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance.  One of his first major initiatives was the EPA OSWER Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) which was unfolded for public comment (i.e., public engagement) in December 2009.

Given the emphasis on Community Engagement, it might not be a bad idea for you to hold a public meeting NOW with two objectives in mind.  First, introduce the concept of brownfield redevelopment to the general public.  Most folks have a hard time spelling brownSfield (sp!), so your community needs to be informed about your plans to apply for grant funding and educated about the concept, goals, and benefits.  Second, you need to use the public meeting to announce the creation of the Brownfield Resident Advisory Committee (BRAC).  Prior to unveiling the BRAC, you should get a really good handle on what the BRAC will do, its power, and expectations.  Good community planning (and brownfield redevelopment is essentially community planning) starts from the bottom and works its way up.  The people that work and play in the area(s) that your grant will focus on can be your greatest resource or (if done wrong) your greatest threat.  Buy-in starts with meaningful involvement.  I encourage you to take a gander at what the City of Portland, OR is doing with their BRAC.  It involves work and patience, but without grassroots involvement and ultimate buy-in, your great brownfield redevelopment idea ain't worth squat.

Good Luck!