Kent’s Community and Economic Development Department will host an informational event Tuesday, April 23 for residents to learn about the city’s efforts to clean up contaminated land sites for reuse and revitalization.
Residents are encouraged to attend to learn how they can become actively involved in the prioritization of reuse/revitalization opportunities in the city and specific neighborhoods, according to a city media release.
The free event is from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 220 Fourth Ave. S.
A reuse/revitalization opportunity site is defined broadly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “abandoned, idled or under-used property, where the expansion or redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant,” according to Josh Hall, city economic development specialist.
“The goal of the program is to turn these sites from community blight to community benefit, restoring them to safe, viable properties that contribute to the economic well-being of the city,” Hall said.
Last year, the EPA awarded the city two community-wide assessment grants to provide up to $400,000 to support the reuse and revitalization of properties within the city.
In conjunction with the EPA grants, the city is soliciting the support and involvement of community-based organizations and the general public in the development of a sustainable Site Reuse and Revitalization Program.
As an example of a former contaminated site, Borden Chemical operated a plant from 1956 to 2001 on First Avenue where the Kent Station shopping mall now stands. The state Department of Ecology (DOE) listed Borden as one of the worst hazardous waste sites. Clean up efforts put the property back on the market. The shopping mall opened in 2005.
Typical properties eligible for this funding include:
• Former gas stations
• Former dry cleaners
• Former automotive repair shops
• Old dumps or landfills
• Any buildings with asbestos/lead-based paint
• Old manufacturing plants
• Methamphetamine labs
• Former industrial sites
• Former paper products manufacturing
• Old foundry companies
• Former battery manufacturing or recycling facilities
• Old salvage yards
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