Our community has been actively pursuing redevelopment and cleanup activities for existing Brownfield sites (abandoned, idled, or under used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination).

Since 1999, we have stimulated and/or supported numerous Brownfields redevelopment projects on priority sites identified by the Brownfields Committee. These efforts have been initiated through the Town's existing EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Grant Pilot, a grant through the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, and by a brownfield's tax exempt by-law that the town has created.

Two sites that were once considered brownfield sites but local developers had a vision and are now redeveloped are the 1333 Main Street site (now a medical office building) and the 757 Main Street site ( now Splish Splash Car Wash). The Town of Walpole's Central Business District (CBD) Parking Lot Project is almost complete. This was developed on a brownfields site. Federal grant monies were used to assess the site and develop remediation requirements for the Town to use in the parking lot construction. The Town received state monies for the actual clean up and construction of the project. The remediation requirements that occurred will ensure that the site is safe for public use and the environment.

The next big project that the Brownfields Committee is "taking on" is the Main Street Site. Last summer, the Town completed a preliminary master plan, market study and financial analysis to determine if a golf course/training facility would be a reasonable redevelopment activity on this site consisting of 21 parcels. The purpose of converting the site to a golf course was to find a redevelopment alternative that could be beneficial, attract developers, but most importantly ,protect the Town's sole source drinking water aquifer. The results of the study indicated that there is a strong and increasing demand for golf facilities in the market area, financing of the project would be possible, especially if further grant funding was obtainable, and finally the assessment, remediation, and redevelopment of this site as a recreational facility would address the Town's concerns regarding potential impacts to the water supply aquifer. The Brownfields Committee is reaching out to the owners and explaining the project, the goals of remediation and asking them to consider being a part of this venture. We have met with the various owners and have asked them for their concerns and input. We will continue to update them and keep them informed of our progress. Many Town departments are in favor of the Brownfields Committee exploring this project further.

In order to continue to explore this potential redevelopment of the Main Street site, the Town needs to complete a comprehensive environmental site assessment of the parcels to identify past impacts and remedial requirements along with wetland limits and mitigation requirements. This information is necessary to finalize the financial analysis of the project viability. Currently, the Health Department is putting a very competitive grant application together for further site assessment monies from EPA to be used to assess these parcels. Any input that the general public has for this grant will be welcome!

The Town will also need to continue to evaluate private development options (and it does not have to be a golf course project, just one that promotes remediation, clean up and protection of the aquifer) and to solicit interest from private developers in order to explore all redevelopment options.

For more information on this project, please call the Board of Health at (508)660-7321.