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Site Redevelopment Program Background and Funding Sources

Vision

Washington County and its communities are nationally recognized leaders in transforming underutilized, blighted and brownfield sites into productive assets contributing to a strong tax base and desirable places to live, work and thrive.

Mission

Working collaboratively, the Site Redevelopment Program advances targeted and impactful redevelopment of blighted, underutilized, and brownfield sites by leveraging valuable and sustainable funding and other resources to provide economic growth and vitality and enhance the quality of life in Washington County.

Core Values

Transformative Collaboration - Through a shared vision and an actively engaged citizenry, proactively assisting local governments and developers throughout the redevelopment process to mitigate risk and maximize opportunity.

Shared Resources - Providing local governments and developers with valued expertise and an innovative and competitive toolbox for brownfield redevelopment.

Fiscal Operations - Contribute to solving the fiscal challenges facing municipalities in providing essential, expected public services in a data-driven way.

Goals

  1. Assess and Redevelop Properties Throughout Washington County
  2. Obtain Maximum Leverage
  3. Implement the Marking Plan of the Site Redevelopment Program
  4. Integrate the Inventory with GIS
  5. Integrate Partnerships into Planning and Project Development
  6. Sustainability of the Site Redevelopment Program

In 2013, Washington County formed a coalition with the City of Hartford, City of West Bend, Village of Jackson, Village of Richfield and Village of Slinger to apply for a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant for Hazardous Substance and Petroleum Brownfields. On May 28, 2014 Washington County received a $600,000 grant. The grant funds were used to complete a county-wide inventory and prioritization of sites that have redevelopment potential, and perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on priority sites. The Site Redevelopment Program has received four additional funding sources to continue the program:

  • In 2017, the US EPA announced that Washington County was successful in securing a second Countywide Coalition Brownfield Assessment Grant totaling $600,000 to fund an update of the inventory and site prioritization, perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on priority sites, complete remedial action plans and redevelopment plans for select sites, and perform community outreach and education.
  • The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved $600,000 to establish a County Brownfield Environmental Assessment fund to continue the work of the SRP Program in March of 2020. This ensures the program will endure without depending solely on federal funding.
  • The Board of Supervisors also approved $1,000,000 to establish a County Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). This loan fund will provide loans to support brownfield cleanup activities that will support the creation of jobs, the cleanup of distressed areas, the elimination of blight, and increase the tax base. 
  • Along with the County's sustaining support and leadership, the U.S. EPA has awarded Washington County with an $800,000 Revolving Loan Fund Coalition Grant to capitalize a revolving loan fund.

Economic Development Washington County will play a key role in managing both the County and U.S. EPA funding sources and RLF programs. The two RLF funding sources are an outstanding addition to the SRP, since they greatly expand the funding available for brownfield cleanup and site revitalization.

In 2019, the Village of Germantown and the Village of Kewaskum joined the coalition in applying for FY 2020 Assessment and Revolving Loan Fund grants.

The successes of the Program are directly related to the work that is contributed by the partners who are involved. Site redevelopment collaboration partners consist of local governments and organizations such as Economic Development Washington County, Wisconsin DNR, and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

In an effort to effectively redevelop and revitalize selected sites throughout the County, a Site Redevelopment Steering Committee was formed to provide input into the grant application and implementation of the grant. SRC members include:

SRP Success Stories and Development

 Jeff Schleif
 County Board Supervisor
 Mark Piotrowicz
 Director of Development - City of West Bend
 John Griffin
 City Engineer - City of Hartford
 Margaret Wilber
 Administrator - Village of Slinger
 Tom Hostad
 Hartford Area Development Corporation
  Curt Pitzen
 SRC Chair/Newmark Knight Frank
  Christian Tscheschiok
 Executive Director EDWC
 Anna Kissel
 Deputy Village Planner - Village of Richfield
  Jen Keller
 Administrator - Village of Jackson
 Brian Krebs
 County Board Supervisor
 Adam Gitter
 Administrator - Village of Kewaskum
  Steve Kreklow
 SRC Vice Chair/Administrator - Village of Germantown

 

Site Redevelopment Program Funding Sources

Washington County has received multiple funding sources from the U.S. EPA since 2014. Since the program has been so successful in revitalizing blighted sites in communities, Washington County has also created a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund and a Brownfields Assessment Grant to continue the program work.

U.S. EPA FY2020 Revolving Loan Fund Grant

This Grant period started in Fall of 2019 and the SRP is currently working with Economic Development Washington County to support loans, subgrants, remediation of contamination, analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives, and Community Involvement Plans.

View the Quarterly Reports submitted to the U.S. EPA below.

FY2022 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.1 Q1 FY2021

FY2022 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.2 Q2 FY2021

FY2022 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.3 Q3 FY2021

FY2022 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.4 Q4 FY2021

FY2022 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.5 Q1 FY2022

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.6 Q2 FY2022

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No.7 Q3 FY2022

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 8 Q4 FY2022

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 9 Q1 FY2023

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 10 Q2 FY2023

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 11 Q3 FY2023

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 12 Q4 FY2023

FY2020 U.S. EPA RLF Grant Quarterly Report No. 13 Q1 FY2024

Washington County Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund

The County Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund will support loans, hazardous material testing, remedial action plans, environmental planning, remediation of contamination, asbestos abatement, demolition and reconstruction of brownfield sites.

Washington County Brownfields Assessment Fund

The County Brownfields Assessment Fund will be used to assist in the assessment of contamination of sites in Washington County. The Site Redevelopment Committee will determine site eligibility and provide approval. The County Executive Committee will provide consensus on the project funding.

Past Funding Sources and Final Reports

U.S. EPA FY2014 Brownfields Assessment Grant Final Technical Report (5/10/2018)

U.S. EPA FY2014 Brownfields Assessment Grant Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) (7/10/2015)

U.S. EPA FY2017 Brownfields Assessment Grant Final Technical Report (4/29/2021)

U.S. EPA FY2017 Brownfields Assessment Grant Quality Assurance Project Plan Update (QAPP) (10/9/2019)