Landfills of any type can knowingly or unknowingly be a burden to the communities in which they exist. They often present environmental, human health and associated infrastructure hazards. They may also create nuisances by attracting unwanted or otherwise illicit activities in addition to their generally unappealing aesthetic presence. Ensuring that human health and the environment is protected from such facilities should be a top priority and finding a way to accomplish that while providing a benefit to the community is a win for the environment and the region; understanding them is the first hurdle. This document is intended to present information to help communities and other stakeholders understand regulatory obligations tied to these facilities and provide some insight into what these facilities could become with some creative thinking and community support.
Together, the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (Cuyahoga Land Bank) and West Creek Conservancy (West Creek) hope that this document will serve as a model for landfill re-use planning and predevelopment across the State of Ohio.
Simultaneously to preparing this guide, we chose one particular Ohio-based site, the 42-acre Schaaf Road Landfill in Brooklyn Heights, and took it through the steps that would be required to consider a redevelopment project. We looked at what information was already publicly available from the Ohio EPA, conducted an ALTA survey, developed cost estimates for repairing and maintaining the site, and imagined future uses based on our findings. We then developed checklists that would help guide the redevelopment process. All of the relevant documents are linked electronically and can be accessed at https://cuyahogalandbank.org/about/news-reports/. We invite you to read the full project report, available here.
We wish to thank all those who participated in this process:
The US EPA, the Ohio EPA, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Partners Environmental, The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc., and the Village of Brooklyn Heights.