Planning for Brownfield Community Involvement

Source: Center for Hazardous Substance Research, T. Boguski
3/2007

Community involvement is a key component of successful brownfield redevelopment programs. A community outreach plan is an effective tool for managing community involvement activities. Th e purpose of this guide is to help those who wish to develop and implement a community outreach plan..

Your community outreach plan should be appropriate for the size of your program. Cities with larger, more extensive brownfield programs may expect to have a more extensive long-term community outreach plan. Smaller cities, towns, or non-profit organizations may need a less extensive, shorter term community outreach plan. At a minimum, your plan should demonstrate a commitment to open, two-way communication with the people living or working near the brownfield property being evaluated or targeted for redevelopment.

Goals, Activities, and Schedule

Make a plan and specify what outreach activities will be implemented. Use a timeline to indicate when community outreach activities will occur. Allow time to prepare for successful events. Program evaluation and specific techniques for evaluating each activity should be included in your planning. Activities could include public meetings, brownfield redevelopment workshops, and/or site visits (if the site is considered safe for visiting). Meetings should be scheduled well in advance and at times that are convenient for community participants. This may mean holding meetings during the evening or other times outside of typical business hours. It also includes seeking input from stakeholders, especially potential community participants as to when and where meetings will be held. Distribute information on meetings and other activities in a manner that encourages participation. Announcements and notifications should be targeted toward all potentially affected neighborhoods and stakeholders, and all income and age groups. Th e following are potential ways to announce meetings and activities:

• newspapers
• community newsletters
• notices displayed in stores, libraries, churches, community
• bulletin boards, and other public locations
• announcements on community television programs
• telephone calls or direct mailings to non-governmentalorganizations, and community groups in the area
• door-to-door personal invitations

You may wish to work on a mutually agreeable schedule for meetings and other activities in an initial meeting. If your program is large, it may be appropriate to set up subgroups to meet on specifi c topics, or to organize community activities which will increase community interest and participation in brownfi elds redevelopment decisions.

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