By Brett Rosenberg
December 7, 2009

The Brownfields 2009: Sustainable Communities Start Here conference in New Orleans provided a forum for mayors to share their perspectives on redeveloping local brownfield sites. A panel included Southfield (MI) Mayor Brenda Lawrence and several mayors from small southern communities, namely Philadelphia (MS) Mayor James Young, Hayneville (AL) Mayor Helenor Bell, and Yellow Bluff (AL) Mayor Glen McCord. Although the session was ostensibly about using more sustainable, "green" methods to renew their cities' sites, it became clear that there is a gulf between how mayors perceive environmental issues, what resources they have available, and their relationships with their state and federal governments.

Lawrence indicated that Southfield is often able to leverage federal and private resources to advance redevelopment efforts. Although the process can be challenging and time'consuming, Lawrence said that she is confident in her city's abilities when it comes to securing funds, assessing, and redeveloping brownfield sites. "The beauty of the brownfields program is that you can tap into so many resources," she said.

Lawrence cited a couple of Southfield brownfield examples. In one case, the city and developers transformed a blighted, crime'ridden trailer park site into a lively mixed'use commercial development. Early in the redevelopment process, an environmental assessment uncovered evidence that the site also used to be a landfill, which triggered additional environmental review. Through $5.2 million in tax increment revenues, $4.1 million in local and state taxes and other assistance through the national brownfields program, the site now contains multi'family apartments, residences, commercial enterprises and a regional shopping center.

Lawrence also noted that The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement was a catalyst for the development of the Keep Southfield Green Committee. Among the committee's several notable efforts and achievements, Lawrence said that it has been instrumental in creating more green space on brownfield sites, planting trees throughout the community, and leading a greenhouse gas reduction campaign. In closing, Lawrence said, "As a mayor, I can't tell you how important it is to demonstrate leadership and collaborate to drive the brownfield redevelopment process." She concluded, "With brownfields, you never know what you're going to get, so fasten your seatbelts."

The mayor's comments illustrated the level of sophistication and advantages Southfield and other cities often have when it comes to improving the local environment.

The three mayors from small southern cities had considerably different experiences. Young said that his community of 8,000 people and other central Mississippi cities often miss out on the development opportunities of the northern and southern parts of the state. Young, the first African American mayor of Philadelphia, said, "We're growing, we're processing and we're redeveloping our thought patterns" with regard to going "green" in a down economy. But, he said, "If I want to green our economy, I need access to the same resources as larger communities."

Bell described the process of transforming a historic jail into a museum and souvenir shop. Although the jail project, along Alabama's Civil Rights Trail qualified for an EPA brownfields assessment grant, Bell said that other environmental issues seemed much more pressing, such as updating water infrastructure in such a way that many of the city's 1,100 residents need no longer rely on 60'year old wells for their drinking water. She urged the EPA to consider small towns as it rewrites brownfield and other policies.

McCord expanded on Bell's theme, saying, "Before we can get to a level to green our communities, we need to solve several quality of life issues." According to McCord, Yellow Bluff, a town of 180 residents, lacks many of the environmental amenities most Americans enjoy: safe drinking water, sewers, and good air quality. McCord asked, "Do I try to get sewers for my community or redevelop the old factory?" He and the other southern mayors agreed that more outreach on their part would help their cause, but urged the EPA and other federal agencies to focus more resources on small town America.