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Fall River RDA pauses costly MEPA analysis for Flint urban renewal plan pending state guidance
Summary
The redevelopment authority discussed whether to spend about $20,000 for an environmental review required under MEPA for a draft Flint urban renewal plan, and decided to seek clarity from state offices before committing funds set aside for implementation.
The Fall River Redevelopment Authority on April 30 discussed whether to commission an intensive environmental analysis for its draft Flint urban renewal plan, and said it would seek guidance from state officials before spending roughly $20,000 set aside for that review.
Sarah Page, executive director, told the authority that an engineering consultant would need to perform detailed analysis of potential emissions, vehicle trips and other impacts if the plan were routed into a higher level of review under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). "It will cost around $20,000," Page said, noting that the money was available from prior MassHousing funding but that the authority could use those funds for other implementation tasks if the MEPA requirement were eliminated.
Page said she had been in touch with the lieutenant governor's office and that the office had discussed a change to state policy that could remove the requirement that urban renewal plans undergo the more intensive MEPA review. "We're trying to get to the bottom of that," she said, urging patience so the authority would not spend funds on analysis that state policy might soon change.
The draft urban renewal plan has already been revised to address earlier comments from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and from MEPA reviewers, Page said. The authority also has $1.7 million in infrastructure grant funding associated with the plan; Page said that funding would not be affected by the urban renewal plan process. She also noted that state legislators had included $7 million in the economic development bond bill for Pleasant Street improvements and that the authority was preparing budget details and timelines for possible use of that bond funding.
Board members discussed the timing and tradeoffs of paying for the engineering study now versus waiting to see if the state removes the MEPA requirement for urban renewal plans. Page said she would reach back to state staff and the lieutenant governor's office and report at a future meeting.
What’s next: staff will send the revised urban renewal plan to state reviewers seeking a determination of whether the higher‑level MEPA analysis is required; the authority will not authorize the estimated $20,000 study until it receives guidance.
