Mar. 15, 2009 - Robert Pearce meeting update

3/13/09

Fellow Neighbors,

At our March 12 neighborhood meeting there was much discussion
regarding the recent special city commission meeting dealing with the
cleanup standard requirement and the potential land use change on the
Koppers site.

Lest there be any misapprehension about the presentation I made on
behalf of the neighborhood at the city commission meeting, below are
the verbatim excerpts from that presentation relating to the issues
raised at Thursday’s meeting.

“I have provided you with a Resolution from the Neighborhood
Association requesting remediation of the site to residential cleanup
target levels.  That is our strong desire.

“If the city commission ultimately determines that in fact the
residential cleanup standard over the entire site is an impossibility,
then at the very least, on the western portion of the property where
it abuts the residential single family neighborhood, the requirement
there, at least, should be to residential cleanup target levels.

“The western portion of the parcel is also where residential cleanup
target levels could most easily and affordably be attained, because
this is where logs are stored prior to treatment, in contrast to the
post-treatment storage area on the east.  Neither would any of the
four primary source contaminant areas have to be substantially
involved, which are outlined in red on this map.

“I would also argue that MU-1 land use would be a much more
appropriate and compatible land use than MU-2 (city staff’s proposal),
at least on the western half of the parcel.

“In contrast (to MU-2), a land use designation that includes a
detached residential component, such as MU-1, would yield a more
robust and desirable residential cleanup requirement.

“A cleanup to residential standards, at least on the western half of
the property, would allow for redevelopment that is the least toxic,
and the most compatible for the location.”

I hope this alleviates any confusion that may have developed from the
discussion at Thursday’s meeting.

Copies of the entire verbatim transcript of the 3/9/09 presentation
are available here: "koppers_land_use_presentation_Robert_Pearce".
Both the 3/9/09 PowerPoint presentation titled “Koppers Land Use
Designation” and the 5/1/08 PowerPoint presentation titled “Koppers
Air, Ground, and Water Pollution” are available on the city commission
web page (see City Commision - 3/9/2009) links are on the last page of the Agenda.PDF.

Video CD/DVD of both the 5/1/08 and 3/9/09 special city commission meetings are available through the city clerk.

Sincerely,

Robert Pearce