Lima Workforce and Small Business Development Coordinator Amber Martin speaks at a community outreach meeting outlining the city’s search for potential brownfield sites Thursday at the Lima Public Library.
Craig Kelly | The Lima News
LIMA — Officials are seeking public input in selecting potential brownfield remediation sites in Lima in the hopes of taking environmentally contaminated property and cleaning it up for redevelopment.
This new initiative, outlined in a public meeting Thursday evening at the Lima Public Library, is being funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program is aimed at “abandoned or underutilized property where there is possible environmental contamination, real or perceived,” according to the City of Lima website.
“One of the bigger parts of this is we will be creating a city-wide brownfield inventory,” Workforce and Small Business Development Coordinator Amber Martin said. “Why that is useful is when we have that city-wide inventory, we can prioritize sites where we see the most promise in redeveloping and targeting. Once we have that very specific list, we can partner with other community stakeholders, and we can go after other funds to help identify them and redevelop them.”
Once a site is proposed, the evaluation would occur in two phases, according to project geologist Tim Brown, of Terracon, the Columbus-based environmental consulting company working with the city.
“Phase one is partially a desktop study where you look at environmental reports, things like aerial photographs and directories, and there is a site visit involved,” he said. “(Phase two) would include sampling, usually of soil and groundwater.”
Typical brownfield sites could include former gas stations, dry cleaners, industrial properties, junk yards, landfills, rail yards and illicit dumping sites.
The grant covers selected U.S. Census tracts within the city covering Faurot Park, areas east of South Cole Street up to West Market Street. It also includes areas east of North Metcalf Street up to West Wayne Street in the north, along with the area around Schoonover Park.
The areas east of the railroad tracks near Jackson Street and north of East Kibby Street are not included in this grant.
The $500,000 is enough to cover between 15 and 17 Phase One studies and 10 Phase Two studies.
More information on the program is available on the City of Lima website at bit.ly/3wtob33. Questions can be directed to Martin at 419-223-7281 or at [email protected].
