|
Communities Prepare for BRAC
By Zanetta Doyle, Digest Editor
 “Jacksonville Base Gets New Life After Closing.” Augusta Chronicle, GA.
“Realignment Means Job Losses in Pensacola Bay Area.” Pensacola News Journal, FL.
“Senators Once More Appeal for Crane Jobs.” Evansville Courier and Press, IN.
“Help Recruited for GIs Headed to El Paso: Sen. Salazar Meets With Officials to Determine What the Area Will Need for an Anticipated Population Boom.” The Denver Post, CO
Whether the news reports are positive or negative, the BRAC Commission’s recommendation for closures and realignments could take effect by the end of 2005, and communities are bracing for the outcome. Consequently, RDOs serving communities targeted for realignment and closure have the chance to be actively involved in planning the military sites’ redevelopment.
If adopted, the recommendations, which were announced in May 2005, would close 33 major bases and involve the major realignment of another 29 bases plus 775 smaller closures and realignments, and would save $50 billion over 20 years according to DoD estimates. Annual savings are pegged at $5.5 billion a year after that.
Philip W. Grone, DoD Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, recently commented that many civilian communities emerge from military base closures or realignments in better economic health. After reviewing more than 60 locations impacted by the four prior BRAC rounds (1988, 1991, 1998 and 1995), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that almost 70 percent had unemployment rates equal to or lower than the national average. Additionally, almost 50 percent of those GAO-reviewed communities had income growth that exceeded the national average.
David Witschi, Associate Director of DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), in Arlington, VA, explained that even though this is a long-term process, and many areas are currently challenging the closings or realignments of bases in their area, OEA is encouraging communities to start planning. “It’s never too early to start planning for the end result of BRAC. If any community is interested in learning about the BRAC process or exploring some of the reuse opportunities available, we will work with them,” Witschi said.
OEA offers technical and financial assistance to state and local governments for base reuse plans and studies, staffing and administrative costs required to facilitate reuse of former military property. While multiple communities may be impacted by a particular base closing, Witschi said they are looking for communities to partner as one voice in determining how the land will be redeveloped, particularly in determining the zoning or other land-use controls that should guide redevelopment. “It’s important that communities speak with one voice. We encourage them to tell the federal officials what they want because this is their community. They have a unique opportunity to decide the future of their area,” Witschi added.
In addition, OEA is encouraging communities to think innovatively when determining the outcome of redeveloped land. “This is an opportunity for some communities to have more property for redevelopment and to take advantage of existing structures,” Witschi said. However, while thinking innovatively communities should be realistic and design a reuse strategy that makes sense in terms of affordability, examines the condition of the land and determines the amount of environmental clean up and infrastructure development that may be necessary. Witschi explained that in past BRAC rounds, some communities struggled to agree on a single vision for property reuse. In other cases, initial reuse plans were economically ambitious and consequently, the plans did not come to fruition and required mid-course adjustment.
One of the planning steps for base closure communities includes the formation of a Local Reuse Authority (LRA) which usually consists of representatives of local political jurisdictions with zoning or land use control authority, plus a wider group of jurisdictions, authorities and organizations, including economic development organizations impacted by the closure. However, Witschi explained, "In the case of a realignment, where little or no property will be disposed, or for installations that will experience growth rather than reduction, the formation of a special LRA may not be necessary, especially where existing economic development planning capacity is present."
“There is potential for RDOs to be involved especially when dealing with issues of economic impact,” Witschi commented. “Instead of going through the process of forming a new authority, communities might choose to tap into existing economic development entities such as districts. There are 29 major realignments proposed for the 2005 round. It is an opportunity that districts need to be aware of because they certainly have capabilities and resources that can be used.”
Redevelopment Could Result in Closure for ‘05
The closure of the Loring Air Force Base in Caribou, ME in 1994 resulted in the out-migration of more than 8,000 people. This was detrimental to a region that experienced substantial population loss since the 1960s due to six prior military installation closings. “The base definitely provided economic stability,” said Robert Clark, Executive Director of the Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) in Caribou, ME. “About 10,000 people lived there. It provided substantial purchasing power.”
NMDC, which provided financial and staff resources to the Loring Readjustment Committee, the LRA for the 1994 round, assisted with planning the redevelopment efforts. Their duties included developing the readjustment plan, supplying loan money to businesses, and providing land use/zoning assistance. As a result, the base was redeveloped with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center (DFAS) as the anchor tenant, which opened in 1995 and now employs 360 federal workers. The former base also houses a job corps center, in which 300 students are enrolled and 150 teachers and administrators are employed. Clark commented that while there has been some recovery since the closure, one of their challenges is that once the people are trained, they relocate, thus continuing the trend of population decline. There is also the Sitel call center, which employs 250 people, and the National Guard refurbishment center that currently employs 300 and is expected to increase to about 1,000 in a few years.
Ironically, the DFAS Center is on the 2005 BRAC list, and the community has already taken action. “The impact will be significant,” said Clark. “Our plan is to try to defeat the Commission’s analysis, which is flawed.” Clark said that they are working with their Congressional Delegation to make the Commission understand that the Limestone DFAS Center should be expanded because of its low cost of operation and the productivity of its workforce. They are also currently marketing the building to other prospective companies that could utilize the already trained work force in the event that the closure comes about.
“There is potential for RDOs to be involved especially when dealing with issues of economic impact.” Instead of going through the process of forming a new authority, communities might choose to tap into existing economic development entities such as districts. There are 29 major realignments proposed for the 2005 round. It is an opportunity that districts need to be aware of because they certainly have capabilities and resources that can be used.” - David Witschi, Associate Director, DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), in Arlington, VA
BRAC Spells Good News for Texas: RDO Helps Prepare for Population Growth
More than 11,000 additional soldiers will move to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, over the next three years under the realignment plan. As a result, the region could experience a net economic gain of $1.8 - $2 billion per year. Sensing the 2005 BRAC round was inevitable, the community began to market itself as the ideal location to re-locate thousands of troops, overcoming a number of negative images first. “El Paso has repeatedly been labeled as an area with a water shortage which we have been able to disprove,” said Jake Brisbin, Executive Director of the Rio Grande Council of Governments (COG) in El Paso. Prior to the 2005 BRAC announcement, the perception of El Paso has been that because of their desert location, their water supply would not be able to withstand a drastic influx in their population, particularly Fort Bliss, which already houses thousands of troops.
In response, and with the encouragement of Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), the Rio Grande COG developed a 50-year water planning process, which was mandated by the state. They began this project seven years ago and the work is ongoing. Some of the issues addressed in their plan included whether or not El Paso possessed the adequate water resources, projected growth in population, and the economic impact.
Peter Brock, Community Liaison for Congressman Reyes’ office explained that Fort Bliss and El Paso draw water from two large groundwater systems, or aquifers, which are capable of providing an ample water supply along with the renewable surface water supplied by the Rio Grande well beyond the 50-year plan. “The plan benefits dramatically from the planned construction of the largest inland desalination plant in the world that will convert brackish water to municipal drinking water standards,” said Brock. Groundbreaking will take place in August. Upon completion, the plant will have the capacity to produce 25 million gallons per day and is being built at a cost of $87 million, shared by the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency and the City of El Paso.
Brisbin commented on how this will benefit the El Paso community and why the relocation of the troops to Fort Bliss is ideal. “Fort Bliss is a large base and offers the space to train, available land for expansion and a plentiful water supply.” He continued. “Our community, along with Congressman Reyes looked at this carefully, and we decided that we would not sell our community on a level that we could not deliver. What’s coming here is made for here.”
“We are excited about the social and economic opportunities that this will bring to the El Paso area,” said Congressman Reyes, who actively lobbied to bring the additional military personnel to the area. “A great deal of hard work went into proving that this community is more than equipped to handle the significant population gain that will take place once the additional soldiers arrive.”
For more information contact David Witschi at 703.604.5165 or david.witschi@wso.whs.mil; Robert Clark at 207.498.8736 or rclark@nmdc.org; Jake Brisbin at 915.533.0998 or corat@riocog.org. For more information on BRAC visit www.defenselink.mil/brac.
|
