From: Press Release from Rebuild Iowa Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2009
Media Contact:  Tina Potthoff
Rebuild Iowa Office
(515) 242-5232 (o)
(515) 975-9211 (c)
Fax: (515) 242-5006


FIVE IOWA COMMUNITIES SELECTED FOR SMART GROWTH ASSISTANCE

State & federal agencies team up to help disaster-impacted communities 
better plan for rebuilding

(Des Moines)  - Five Iowa communities affected by the tornadoes and floods 
of 2008 will receive assistance in recovering stronger and smarter through 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Smart Growth Implementation 
Assistance (SGIA) program.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), the Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) and the Iowa Department of 
Economic Development (IDED) recently announced that New Hartford, Cedar 
Falls, Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Iowa City have been chosen to receive 
expert technical assistance to help with growth and redevelopment.

This assistance is typically awarded through a competitive application 
process.  No Iowa cities have been chosen in the past.  However, FEMA and 
EPA worked together to make sure federal resources would be available to 
Iowa after last summer's level of devastation and to build on the progress 
with which FEMA has already helped.  For this application, ten cities in 
Iowa were eligible for the program.  Eight cities applied and five were 
chosen.

"We are grateful to have the opportunity to tap into some outside 
 expertise," said Bob Miklo, senior planner for Iowa City. "Bringing in a 
consultant from the EPA and a consultant who has worked with other cities 
will bring us some input we wouldn't have thought of locally."

Under a federal contract that supports EPA's Smart Growth assistance 
program, each selected community will receive direct technical assistance 
from a team of national experts organized by EPA and other partners to work 
on redevelopment plans with local leaders. Team members will have expertise 
in disciplines relevant to each community's unique needs.

 "This is an excellent example of how partnerships between various state and 
federal agencies benefit the communities most severely affected by a 
disaster," said FEMA ESF #14 Long-Term Community Recovery Branch Director 
Steve Castaner.

Aaron Todd, a community planning specialist with the Rebuild Iowa Office, 
helped coordinate the application process, and will continue to work with 
the EPA and other agency partners to provide assistance. Coordinating 
recovery and redevelopment of Iowa's communities in a sustainable manner is 
a priority outlined in the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission's 120-day 
Report.

"Incorporating sustainable redevelopment policies in Iowa's recovery not 
only reduces our impact on the environment, but also fosters economic growth 
and helps to reduce the potential damage of future natural disasters," he 
said.

Special Projects Coordinator Stephanie Weisenbach with the Community 
Development Division of IDED, is also collaborating with the communities and 
various agencies on the Smart Growth program.

"Cities are still faced with complex challenges about how and where to 
rebuild after last year's natural disasters," she said. "Expert help on 
sustainable redevelopment choices can help overcome these challenges and 
create more vibrant places for businesses and families."

The selected communities have a unique opportunity to redevelop in ways that 
can help revitalize their economies, protect environmental resources and 
public health, and enhance quality of life for their citizens. Community 
officials are also interested in putting into place development approaches 
that will help the community become more resilient to future flooding.

Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews said city officials are appreciative of the 
technical assistance, adding that city staff found out about the SGIA 
program shortly after returning from a Smart Growth conference in New 
Mexico.

"It was perfect timing. Hopefully this will help us grow well and 
thoughtfully, taking into account transportation, land use issues, flood 
plain management and planning more green development."

Initial visits to each of the communities by the technical assistance teams 
and representatives from the various agencies involved will take place 
between March 24 and 26.

The community projects are:

·         Cedar Falls will receive assistance in expanding home ownership 
and rental choices in portions of the city deemed most appropriate for new 
growth and infill development. The city also wants to identify strategies 
for implementing green infrastructure approaches in flood-prone areas.

·         Cedar Rapids will receive assistance in identifying existing or 
potential barriers to more sustainable development in current development 
policies and codes.

·         Coralville will receive assistance with creating a vision and 
ensuring that codes and ordinances can help accommodate future growth 
through infill redevelopment and dedication of well-designed open space in 
flood prone areas.

·         Iowa City will receive assistance in redeveloping the South 
Gilbert Street Commercial Corridor.  EPA will help identify strategies for 
accommodating future growth in this corridor and for increasing green 
infrastructure and open space areas that could help mitigate future flood 
events.

·         New Hartford will receive assistance with its storm water 
management and prevention of future flooding.  EPA assistance will be used 
to organize a workshop outlining green infrastructure strategies New 
Hartford could adopt to address its storm water and flooding challenges.
 

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