Peeling The Onion: How To Find Brownfields In Your Own Backyard Brownfields 2011 April 5, 2011 David F. Laney, CHMM

City of Flagstaff Route 66 Central Corridor

Started with basic infrastructure information (transportation, parcel maps, floodplains, high resolution digital aerial photographs, etc.) Created an Access database and a series of GIS map layers to display available information Included information from several sources

City of Flagstaff Route 66 Central Corridor Regulatory agency databases (RCRA generators, LUSTs, etc.) Land use data from City Directories between 1929 and 1985 Interview with long-time City residents Sanborn fire insurance maps for period

Route 66 Central Corridor Brownfields Sensitivity Mapping Where were the most significant environmental impacts most likely to have occurred? -Regulatory records -City directories - Resident interviews Where was the most intensive land use? -Profile of cumulative years of use

Tips, Tricks and Techniques Overlaying transparent Sanborn fire insurance maps over a current, color, high resolution air photo provide valuable information For impact of former land use on a site, consider not only what the site was used for, but when use occurred and for how long There are only a few downsides and many useful insights to be gained from layering disparate types of information – don’t be afraid to experiment Don’t neglect to consider unlikely or potentially unreliable sources of information Document everything you do

City Comments What Is The Value of Having Data In GIS Format? The Brownfield Land Recycling Program uses the GIS format a lot to look for information about how properties were used in the past. It is an invaluable tool. The Community Development Department has the GIS application at their disposal to use when someone has a question about a potential Brownfield property. City employees with access to a certain shared drive can access a limited form of the application as well.

City Comments How Are You Using This Application? I have sent the application to several people that wanted Brownfield information for grants they were writing or projects they were working on. For this application it is most useful. The Brownfield Land Recycling Program uses the GIS format a lot to look for information about how properties were used in the past.

City Comments How Will You Use This Product In The Future? I think the map will continue to be used as it is now with the exception that more people will figure out that they can log on and use features like the Sanborn layer or the Small Quantity Generator filter for their work. Right now, I think people don’t know what features are available and think it’s just for Brownfields.

Lessons Learned What Worked I really like the way the map turned out. I can tell what properties received Phase I’s, which went on to receive Phase II’s and the reports are right there attached to the parcels (something our GIS Department helped me with). I especially like the Sanborn map feature, this gives the history of how the parcels were used throughout history as far back at the late 1800’s. What To Do Differently If I had to do something differently I might suggest that grant applicants pay to map their entire Cities. It is a bummer to only be able to offer this application for a small area of town.