LANSING – A plan by State Representative John Espinoza (D-Croswell) to enable more communities to redevelop brownfield properties was passed out of the New Economy And Quality Of Life Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the full House for a vote.
"All communities deserve the opportunity to transform blighted areas into safe neighborhoods and attractive sites for new homes and businesses," Espinoza said. "Redeveloping these brownfield sites is vital to building strong communities, and we need to do everything we can to encourage it. This legislation gives townships and cities in Sanilac County, in particular, the power to raze dilapidated structures and clean up asbestos and lead at brownfield sites."
Sanilac County has no "core" communities – defined as historically denser, urban areas. Currently, authorities in these "non-core" communities are not allowed to use their allotment of property taxes to clean up lead or asbestos at the site, which creates health and safety risks for local residents. They also cannot use the money to demolish structures that stand in the way of development.
Espinoza's legislation solves those problems by allowing brownfield development authorities in "non-core" communities to use their funds for those purposes.
The legislation also allows brownfield redevelopment authorities to reimburse legal and consulting firms for reasonable costs incurred in the redevelopment process. Developers often shy away from dealing with brownfield sites because of these costs, which they can avoid by choosing to develop green space instead.
"It is imperative that we remove barriers to brownfield redevelopment, including economic barriers," Espinoza said. "This plan makes brownfield redevelopment more attractive and competitive, providing the incentive that developers need to take on projects that will make our communities safer and stronger."