City identifying potential brownfields; Spitzer says he’ll make sure needy

NORWICH –  Even if the Brownfield Opportunities Area Program only jumpstarts development of one or two underutilized or abandoned sites in the City of Norwich, it can still be considered a success, one city official said.

Statewide, however, Gov. Eliot Spitzer says the brownfield program has been a “failure,” claiming hefty amounts of state subsidies have gone to multi-million dollar projects that didn’t need any help from taxpayers.

Norwich isn’t at the redevelopment stage, yet. With the help of a $37,000 grant, the city is still identifying areas that may or may not even be Brownfield sites.

What is a brownfield site? According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a brownfield is a property with the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant which may complicate its expansion, redevelopment, or reuse.

The city has currently identified 20 potential brownfield spots east of Broad Street. Sites include a few areas near Hosbach Trail along the Chenango River and a property next to the P&C grocery store.

The city hired Shelter Planning, an Albany-based grant administrator, to help them develop a focus area, map out the potential brownfield properties in that area and act as a go-between for potential brownfield property owners with the state as the bureaucratic process moves forward.

“It’s an attempt to evaluate some of these underutilized properties to find out whether or not there are environmental issues,” said city Planning and Community Development Specialist Todd Dreyer. “If this helps us redevelop a couple of nice pieces of property, that would be enough to make this project a success.”