Wadsworth details Brickyard Park remediation plan, seeks access road authorization and grant reimbursement

Public Service Director Matt Hiscock and Assistant Director Jon Bellack provided an overview of remediation activity at the former brick factory site, identifying a roughly 17‑acre remediation zone where consultants found elevated levels of benzo‑pyrene, asbestos in brick piles and naturally occurring arsenic. Hiscock said consultants and contractors planned “surgical removal” of hot spots with materials either consolidated on site in a permitted consolidation basin or removed, followed by an engineered two‑foot cover as required for EPA No Further Action documentation.

The Administration requested an ordinance authorizing the Director of Public Service to advertise, receive bids and award contracts for a gravel construction access road and parking area from Seville Road to support remediation logistics and future park access. Engineer Glenn Davis gave a rough cost sense — “in excess of one‑half million dollars, probably, very roughly” — and Hiscock said the work was expected to be eligible for the Brownfield remediation grant funding previously awarded to the City, though final reimbursement decisions rest with the Port Authority and State after consultant sign‑off. Committee members asked about grant eligibility, timing and adding a gate to limit nighttime motorized vehicle access.