Council hears Landify plan to remediate former gun range; MOU would let company study feasibility at no cost to city
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Summary
Council heard a study-session presentation from Landify proposing a no-cost feasibility study to remediate an 8-acre former gun range in Huntington Central Park and reuse it for recreation. Landify said lead is the primary contaminant; council members pressed for timelines, Measure C/L conflicts and details on remediation costs.
City staff and a private firm described a proposal to study whether an abandoned, lead-contaminated gun range in Huntington Central Park could be remediated and converted to public recreation without upfront city expense.
Ashley Wysocki introduced Facilities and Development Manager Chris Cole and Jonathan Bridal of Landify, who said the company's model is to import clean fill into derelict or polluted parcels and fund park development with tipping fees paid by construction projects. "We see this as a resource," Bridal said of excavated material, adding that firms pay tipping fees and the fees can fund the public improvements built on top.
The site under discussion is roughly 8 acres adjacent to the sports complex and Sully Miller Lake. Landify said preliminary testing indicates the "primary contaminant" is lead from historic range activity and that bio-remediation and containment are possible techniques. The presentation emphasized that the proposed memorandum of understanding would allow Landify to do studies at no financial risk to the city and that company-paid consultants would produce data on contamination levels, remediation options, volumes of clean fill required and a timeline.
Councilmembers asked specific questions about: how long feasibility work would take (Landify estimated a matter of months to reach an initial determination); whether remediation would require excavation or on-site containment; whether the volume of incoming clean fill would be sufficient to fund the work; and whether there are conflicts with Measure C and Measure L (land-use ballot measures). Staff and Landify said those questions are precisely what the feasibility study would address. Several councilmembers also asked whether other firms were solicited; staff said Landify approached the city and no competitive search has been conducted.
Why it matters: If feasible, the project could convert an unused contaminated site into park space without the city issuing capital upfront; but it raises land-use, environmental-review and public-engagement issues, and the company said any subsequent project using Landify's imported-fill model would likely be done with Landify as the implementer.
Next steps: Council provided feedback and staff said it would return with an MOU for council consideration that would authorize Landify to begin testing and technical studies.
