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Lawmakers press for larger Brownfields fund and prioritization for housing in downtowns
Summary
Regional planners and advocates urged larger appropriations for brownfield assessment and cleanup to enable housing and mixed‑use development in village centers; committee discussed a multi‑million funding need and directed staff to refine prioritization language.
Regional planning commissioners and housing advocates told the Senate committee that brownfield sites are a major constraint on creating housing in Vermont’s downtowns and village centers, and they urged increased state funding and program priorities to support remediation and redevelopment.
Thomas Kennedy, director of community development at a regional commission, said the administration’s proposal for brownfields funding is insufficient to address known needs; in his quick estimate he identified roughly $48 million in brownfield cleanup needs across downtowns. Committee members discussed an administration proposal that includes $2 million for the agency program plus additional money; during the meeting a staff witness said a package could include $4 million directed to the revolving remediation program and an additional $2 million for a manufactured home improvement program — a combined $6 million in requests was discussed.
Members discussed prioritization for housing and mixed‑use projects in walkable centers. Committee members instructed staff and agency partners to add language prioritizing remediation funding for sites that enable housing or mixed‑use redevelopment and to consider density and affordability outcomes when awarding grants or loans. Some senators warned against an overly narrow restriction that would exclude job‑creating projects; others argued state money should be directed to projects that produce the most housing units and the deepest affordability.
Committee members also raised technical questions about remediation rules and the cost of managing contaminated soils; planners asked the agency of natural resources for review of standards that raise costs (for example, transport and handling of contaminated soils across long distances). Staff said they would coordinate with DEC and ACCD to refine program criteria and funding allocations before returning to the committee.
No appropriation was adopted during the session; committee members asked staff to return with language tying brownfield remediation funding to housing prioritization and with more precise cost estimates.
