Cortez seeks feedback about a plan to assess South Broadway area as a brownfield

Part of the South Broadway corridor. (City of Cortez/Courtesy photo)
City seeks interest in developing area; survey is open until April 26

The city of Cortez hopes to gather community input about a study of the South Broadway corridor and a grant that could provide funding for environmental assessments, cleanup and redevelopment of the area.

According to a city news release, the South Broadway Area-wide Planning study is being done as part of the Statewide Brownfields Assessment Grant program, under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The grant is issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A city news release explained that the grant provides the opportunity for communities to fund environmental assessments and cleanup, site reuse and area-wide planning activities that support brownfield reuse, as well as any cleanup or redevelopment that may occur.

The EPA defines “brownfield” as “a property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence of potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.”

The survey can be found online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthBroadwayAWPSurvey.

“Providing your honest feedback about this stretch of Broadway will help the city prioritize and guide future development,” the city said. “The AWP aims to learn what the community wants South Broadway to become in the future.”

Outcomes of the study could include recommendations that are related to zoning and land use refinements, capital projects and marketing and branding activities.

“Notable AWP objectives will be to identify the community’s desired land use pattern/urban form, identify the locally preferred street network pattern, define properties with near-term redevelopment potential, define strategies to improve nonmotorized travel and define strategies to entice investment and redevelopment activities in the focus area,” the city added.

More information about the South Broadway AWP and the statewide brownfields assessment grant can be found at www.cortezco.gov/863/Revitalization-Initiatives.

The survey will remain open through April 26.