HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-20-2007-5mORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 20, 2007
Action Agenda
Item No. ,5 - m
SUBJECT: Proposed Grant Application for Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
DEPARTMENT: Planning
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
Request for Applications
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Craig Benedict, Planning Director
245-2585
Perdita Holtz, Special Projects Planner
245-2611
PURPOSE: To consider submitting a grant application to the Development, Community, and
Environment Division (DCED) in the U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation for
implementation assistance related to smart growth in the Efland area.
BACKGROUND: The Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program provides technical
assistance to communities and states that are interested in fostering economic growth,
protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for
development. The program consists of direct technical assistance in the form of a multi-day visit
from a team of experts organized by EPA and its national partners to work with local leaders (it
is not a direct funding grant program).
The adopted Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan (EMSAP) includes a recommendation for a Mixed
Use area in Efland and the development of site and architectural guidelines for the proposed
Mixed Use area. These recommendations are directly related to Smart Growth concepts. If
Orange County were selected as a community for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
Program, the team of experts could provide direct assistance with developing the policies and
guidelines that are needed to implement the concept of a Mixed Use area in Efland.
EPA plans to assist three to five communities in 2007, anticipates announcing the selected
communities in Spring 2007, and expects to work with the communities over a 12-month period.
The application must be received in EPA's offices no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 8,
2007.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no cost to the County associated with this application. If the
County is a recipient of the assistance program, existing staff can provide support to the expert
team. Although this assistance will be free to the applicant, communities, regions, and states
that show commitment through partnerships, such as local government staff time, support from
local businesses, and other local resources, will have priority in the selection process. Matching
funds from the applicant will allow greater use of the expert team for the selected project. Staff
will examine application criteria to enhance the possibility of the award.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the submittal of
an application for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program and authorize the
Chair to sign the application for submittal prior to the March 8, 2007 deadline.
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Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
2007 Request for Applications (RFA)
The Development, Community, and Environment Division (DCED) in U.S. EPA's Office of
Policy, Economics, and Innovation is seeking applications for assistance from states, regions,
and communities that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other goals. EPA
will provide technical assistance to successful applicants as described below. Eligible entities are
tribal, local, regional, and state governments and nonprofit organizations that have a
demonstrated partnership with a governmental entity. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. EST,
Thursday, March 8, 2007.
SMART GROWTH AND U.S. EPA
Development practices that reflect the principles of smart growth support national environmental
and public health goals by protecting sensitive watersheds, minimizing water quality impacts
from development, reducing air emissions by increasing transportation choices, and encouraging
clean-up and sustainable redevelopment of browntields. Smart growth is often characterized by a
common set of principles:
-- mix land uses;
-- take advantage of compact. building design;
-- create a range of housing opportunities and choices;
-- create walkable neighborhoods;
-- foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place;
-- preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas;
-- strengthen and direct development towards existing communities;
-- provide a variety of transportation choices;
-- make development decisions'predictable, fair, and cost-effective; and
-- encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.
For more information on smart growth,'please visit the DCED Web site at
tiv?vw.eua. gov/smartgrowth.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITY
Communities and states around the country are interested in fostering economic growth,
protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for
development, but they may lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals. In
response to this demand, EPA is offering direct technical assistance from national experts to
communities and states that want to incorporate smart growth techniques in their development.
This assistance from EPA is intended to help applicants overcome roadblocks by providing
evaluation tools and expert analysis.
EPA is soliciting applications from communities, regions, and state governments that want
assistance with either policy analysis or public participatory processes. Previous applicants and
assistance recipients may re-apply. Examples of project ideas include, but are not limited to:
• crafting policies that allow or encourage specific smart growth techniques (e.g., transit-
oriented development, infill, etc.);
• reviewing state department of transportation investments to support smart growth;
• using smart growth to reach economic development goals;
o analyzing plans, guidelines, criteria or procedures for school investments;
• retrofitting a commercial corridor;
• coordinating communities' smart growth design with active aging programs;
+ using smart growth to address BRAC-related challenges, including either growing due to
military realignment or closing of a local military facility;
+ reviewing state investments to support compact development;
• conducting a site design workshop for redevelopment;
• analyzing a pending update to zoning codes;
• meeting a statutory deadline on stormwater ordinances; or
• reviewing subdivision regulations to support complete street networks and compact
development.
Selected communities or states will receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a
team of experts organized by EPA and other national partners to work with local leaders. EPA
will provide this assistance through an Agency contract vehicle, not a grant. Team members will
be nationally known experts in disciplines to be determined by the community's unique needs.
Team visits consist of meetings with state or local staff to study the context and specific project
and meetings with elected officials, business leaders, citizen organizations, and representatives of
many different sectors. On the last day, the team presents preliminary findings to the applicant
and its leadership. After the visit, the team works with the applicant to deliver a final report.
EPA plans to assist three to five communities in 2007. EPA anticipates announcing the selected
communities in spring 2007 and working with the communities over the next twelve months.
The lessons learned from these projects will be used to help other communities with similar
challenges. For more information on the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program,
visit www.epa.i4ov/smartgrow~th/sgia.htm.
EPA must receive applications by 5:00 p.m. EST, Thursday, March 8, 2007.
PREPARING THE APPLICATION
EPA will evaluate applications based on the criteria listed below. Project descriptions should be
detailed and clearly identify the challenge the community, region, or state agency is facing and
the specific activities that would be most helpful, from the EPA team. The criteria listed below
will be used to do a preliminary review of the applications. Following this initial review, EPA
will conduct conference calls with finalists. Conference calls will include the applicant and major
partners identified in the application. These calls will be used to further evaluate the extent to
which the applicant is successful in meeting the criteria. EPA will make final selections
following the completion of the conference calls.
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance - 2007 Request for Applications
EVALUATION CRITERIA
1. The applicant must be: (1) a tribal, state, local, or regional government; or (2) an
incorporated nonprofit organization incorporated or domiciled in the United States that has a
demonstrated partnership with a governmental agency. Applicants must be located in, and
project activities must be conducted within, the United States, Puerto Rico, or a territory or
possession of the U.S.
2. Technical assistance will be provided to integrate the principles of smart growth into state or
local planning processes to promote infill development. The assistance must relate to policy
analysis or public participatory processes that will improve the overall climate for brownfields
redevelopment as well as revitalization of other infill sites.
DCED will not consider applications that have a principal purpose of providing *training,
research, and technical assistance to individuals and organizations to facilitate the inventory of
brownfaeld sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, site preparation, or
community involvement associated with the clean-up, assessment, or inventory of brownfield
properties. EPA funds these types of projects only under the Office of Brownftelds Cleanup and
Redevelopment's "Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants and
Cooperative Agreement Program. "
We will consider applications for policy analysis or public participatory processes (as illustrated
by the bulleted list on pages 1 and 2) associated with the smart growth redevelopment of infill
generally in a city, county, state, or on tribal lands that includes brownfields sites as well as other
types of sites. However, community-involvement activities associated with the clean-up,
assessment, or inventory of individual brownfield sites are not eligible for funding under this
RFA.
3. The community, region, or state must have a demonstrated understanding of and commitment
to the principles of smart growth. Applicants should describe actions that the community, region,
or state has taken to address the location and design of development, regardless of whether they
have been successful. EPA is looking for applicants that have already learned about the
principles of smart growth and now want implementation assistance.
4. The community, region, or state must clearly be facing a development-related challenge,
whether it involves growth pressures, attracting more development, or planning for the future,
and must have identified opportunities for changing the way it handles growth. The application
should include a discussion of growth conditions in the area of interest, as well as assets and
challenges to implementing smart growth practices. The application should also specify the type
of assistance (policy analysis or public participatory processes) being requested and how it will
be applied.
5. The application must have a specific, clearly defined project, and there must be a clear
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Smart Growth Implementation Assistance-2007 Request for Applications
role for a team to assist with policy analysis or public participation. Applicants must describe the
project; discuss how it relates to local, regional, or state growth; describe partnerships in place to
help the project succeed; and explain how its success would affect the applicant's environmental,
social, and economic health. EPA will work with each selected applicant to develop a detailed
statement of work to ensure that the contract support maximizes the expert assistance available to
the community, region, or state.
6. The applicant must be able to demonstrate how it anticipates using the results from the EPA-
led team to implement changes at the local, regional, or state level. The applicant should also
describe the authority that it has to implement any changes and the steps necessary to implement
design or policy options developed through the project.
7. The applicant must form a team to work with the EPA-]ed expert team and to follow up on the
technical assistance. This team should include representatives from relevant sectors, including
government, business, public interest groups, civic associations, and individual citizens. The
team will be responsible for working with the EPA-team pre- and post-site visit, and working
with the applicant to ensure all appropriate stakeholders are represented in the assistance.
Applicants should submit letters of support and participation from the principal partners on the
team, signed by an individual who can commit the organization to the project. The EPA-led team
will be on-site for only a few days. The applicant and its partners must carry out the bulk of the
work and must have the dedication and vision to succeed. Applicants must also specify the staff
who will work on this project before and during the team visit, and during the follow-up.
8. Elected officials - mayors, county commissioners, city council members, state agency
directors, etc. - must support this project and be committed to its success. The response to this
request for applications will require a letter of support from the primary elected official in the
community, as well as a list of other elected officials who support it. If a state agency is
applying, this letter should be from the agency head or elected official who will have
responsibility for carrying out the project.
9. Although this assistance will be free to the applicant, communities, regions, and states that
show commitment through partnerships, such as local government staff time, support from local
businesses, and other local resources, will have priority in the selection process. Matching funds
from the applicant will allow greater use of the expert team for the selected project. Applicants
should include a list of local supporters and describe any previous collaborations on growth and
development issues, if applicable. Applicants should also mention any potential matching funds
and other technical assistance programs or grants for which they may be applying.
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance - 2007 Request for Applications
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SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
To be considered complete and eligible for review, all applications must include a summary
page, cover letter, project description, letter of support from the community's main elected
official, and documentation of partner participation. All parts of the application must be
submitted together. The following format is required:
Summary Page (no longer than one page)
The summary page should include the project title, contact information for the project manager,
type of assistance requested (policy analysis or public participation processes), and an abstract of
the project. If a nonprofit organization is submitting the application, then the name and contact
information for the governmental partner must also be provided.
Cover letter (does not count against page limit)
The cover letter that accompanies your application must be signed by an official with the
authority to commit your government, agency, or organization to the project and should be
written on your official letterhead.
Project description (no longer than 5 page sides)
The request for assistance must describe the project clearly and specifically. The narrative must
provide a concise overview of the project, including how it ties into larger issues of local or
regional growth and how EPA assistance will support the project. The description must detail
local support for action and resources (e.g., staff time, support from business, cost-sharing, etc.)
that the community will bring to the project. The narrative must also address how the application
meets each of the criteria and what environmental results the applicant expects. If other project
partners or funding sources are involved, their roles and contributions must be clearly defined. In
reviewing the project description, reviewers will not consider any pages over the 5 page-side
limit. Project descriptions must use no smaller than 10-paint type and should have page margins
all around of at least one inch.
Letter of support from elected official (not included in page limit)
Applicants must include a letter of support from the primary elected official in the community
(e.g., mayor, county commission chair). If the applicant is a state government agency, the letter
should be from the head of the agency or an elected official. Also include a list of other
stakeholders who support the project; letters from these people are not required. Please include
these materials with the application.
Documentation of partner participation (not included in page limit)
Applicants should include letters of support from the principal partners in the local team that will
be assisting the EPA-led team and directing follow-up activities. Please include these letters with
the application. Principal partners will be expected to participate in a conference call for the
finalists.
EPA must receive applications by 5:00 p.m. EST, Thursday, March 8, 2007. No late
applications will be accepted. Applicants must submit one original and four copies of their full
application. All applications must be submitted in accordance with the requirements described
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance-2007 Request for Applications
S
above. No fax submissions will be accepted. Postmarks or meters will not be considered
sufficient documentation of on-time delivery.
If you are sending your application via hand delivery (e.g., UPS, Federal Express, courier, or
some other means) send it to..
Ilana Preuss
Development, Community, and Environment Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1301 Constitution Ave. NW
EPA West Building, Room 1408
Washington, DC 20004
202-566-2853
If you are mailing your application, send it to:
Ilan Preuss
Development, Community and Environment Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Mail Code 1807T
Washington, DC 20460
Please note that there may be substantial delays in conventional mail service to EPA due to
heightened security screening.
If you have questions about this solicitation, please contact:
Ilana Preuss
PreusE;.ilana@epa.gov
202-566-2853
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance - 2007 Request for Applications 6