Committee approves Phase I assessment funding for Weston FEMA buyout property

The committee voted to accept a Weston property that is part of a FEMA buyout program into its brownfields assessment pipeline and approved funding for a Phase I assessment to inform floodplain restoration planning.

Sue, a staff member, introduced the nomination form for the property and said the parcel has flooded multiple times. "Phase one is fairly inexpensive, $3,000 to $5,000," Sue said, adding the townrequested the assessment to support floodplain restoration planning even if the site will remain open space.

Members discussed whether a single-family residence is ordinarily eligible for brownfields assessment funds. One committee member noted that single-family homes are not typically treated as brownfield redevelopment sites but that exceptions exist when a property formerly had a commercial use. "There was one other single-family home I can think of that we assessed and that was because it had been a general store," Sue said.

Stephen, a committee member, urged the committee to make flood-resilience criteria more visible in the project-matrix and to prioritize projects that demonstrably restore flood resilience. Other members said redeveloping the site as open space with public access could be a public good even if it does not by itself fix broader river-channel issues.

A member moved "we accept the project into the program and the funding available for this phase one assessment." The motion was seconded, and the committee approved the motion by voice vote (recorded as "all those in favor say I"). The motion did not have a recorded mover or second in the transcript.

The committee did not record a numeric roll-call tally in the minutes; the vote was taken by voice. The next steps are to proceed with the Phase I assessment using the approved funds and to report back on findings and any recommended follow-up actions.

Note: place names and spellings appear as recorded in the meeting transcript.