EPA Brownfields Grant Application and Community-Wide Assessment Grant Implementation

Advancing Community‑Driven Brownfields Revitalization on the Central Oregon Coast

MFA provided grant research, writing, and implementation support to help the coastal town of Lincoln City secure a $500,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Grant and advance community-driven redevelopment along its main commercial corridor. The successful grant, written for fiscal year 2022, funded community engagement, property owner education, reuse planning, and environmental assessments to support revitalization, economic development, environmental protection, and future housing opportunities across the city.

Located on the central Oregon coast in largely rural Lincoln County, Lincoln City has a population of approximately 10,300 and includes lands historically home to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. When the City incorporated in 1965 it united several towns and unincorporated communities along Highway 101. Later annexations resulted in a roughly seven-mile, linear auto-oriented pattern with several historical commercial districts rather than a single downtown core. The Brownfields Assessment program focused on the entire city (seven districts and 5.68 square miles) to support coordinated reinvestment, encourage property owner participation, and align environmental cleanup with long-term community goals.

Brownfields Program Implementation: Turning Environmental Uncertainty into Opportunity in Lincoln City

Following the award of the EPA grant, MFA was competitively selected to implement the program beginning in September 2023. MFA partnered closely with City staff, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and EPA to guide grant delivery and maximize grant funds. Our team led community engagement to identify willing property owners, facilitated quarterly meetings with a Brownfields Advisory Committee, and successfully delivered all required technical documentation and assessments, exceeding targets established in the City’s work plan with EPA. Assessed sites included a marina, former dry cleaner, former fuel facility, recreation site, former residential properties, and a concrete batch plant. This work positioned the City for future brownfields funding, including cleanup and redevelopment opportunities.

Through this effort, MFA helped the City transform environmental uncertainty into opportunity, laying the groundwork for revitalization that is community-informed, environmentally responsible, and economically resilient.

Measurable Outcomes from Lincoln City’s Brownfields Assessment Program

• Completed an EPA-approved quality assurance project plan.
• Conducted 19 Phase I environmental site assessments (ESAs) and 9 Phase II ESAs to identify potential contamination on brownfield sites.
• Prepared one sub-area plan and three market studies to support redevelopment.
• Expanded the City’s brownfields inventory through inclusive community engagement with City staff, community-based organizations, and citizen groups.
• Coordinated with DEQ to provide technical assistance to protect human health and the environment from immediate threats and help define and limit the liability for the prospective purchaser during property transactions.
• Provided technical assistance to property owners and local jurisdictions on the purchase, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfield sites, providing them with information and connecting them to the appropriate resources.
• Strengthened partnerships and leveraged resources to prepare sites for reuse.