The Environmental Services Division (ESD) of the City of Oakland is planning to apply for Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for the year 2006. USEPA brownfields grants support environmental management and protection that is locally-based, encourage strong public-private partnerships, and promote innovative and creative ways to assess, cleanup and redevelop impacted sites. For more information on the USEPA Brownfields program, please visit USEPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
What are Brownfields?
Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
What Oakland Sites are Proposed for Grants?
Coliseum Bart Area
In a joint effort between the City of Oakland and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), a compact, mixed-use, transit oriented development is planned for the area surrounding the Coliseum BART station. The BART Station Area Plan was updated and approved by the Oakland City Council in June 2003.
There are 32 properties located adjacent to the Coliseum BART station, between 66th and 75th Avenues and between Spencer Street and the railroad tracks east of Damon Slough. A figure showing the 32 Coliseum BART area properties is provided in the attachments. The properties consist of both light and heavy industrial/commercial properties, asphalt-covered parking lots, BART facilities, railroad and city rights-of-way, open land areas, and a fast food restaurant.
The City is proposing to apply for the maximum allowable Brownfields Assessment Grant of $200,000 for further evaluation of these properties.
Attachments:
Portion of Fox Theater Block
This site encompasses the two parcels to the west of the Fox Theater on the block bounded by 18th Street, 19th Street, San Pablo Avenue and Telegraph Avenue.
On November 8, 2005, the City Council authorized the Oakland Redevelopment Agency to facilitate development of one-half of this site as affordable housing, commercial/retail, and parking structures. Details of the proposed project are provided in the attachments. Plans for the remaining portion of the site include a large condominium complex to be placed on the area labeled Condo Parcel in the attachments.
The surface soils at the site are contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and will require remediation during construction of the Project. Approximately 6,000 cubic yards of Class 2 contaminated soils are estimated to remove from the site. The City is proposing to apply for the maximum allowable Brownfields Cleanup Grant of $200,000 for this project.
Attachments:
City Center Parcel "T12"
This site currently serves as a parking lot, and is bounded by Jefferson Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, 11th Street, and 12th Street in downtown Oakland. A 400-unit residential complex is planned for the block. Prior site investigations have shown that approximately 6,300 cubic yards of shallow fill in the eastern quarter of the site contain high levels of lead, and that these soils will have to be handled as hazardous waste when excavated.
The City is proposing to apply for the maximum allowable Brownfields Cleanup Grant of $200,000 for this project.
Questions or Comments?
The deadline for submitting the grant applications to the EPA is December 14, 2005. If you have questions or comments on these proposals, please call Mark Gomez, Environmental Program Supervisor, at (510) 238-7314. You may also send him an email at mmgomez@oaklandnet.com.