Transfer of Navy property is a cooperative process
March 7-8, 2009
Newport Daily News
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act or “BRAC” may not be widely familiar, but for Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA), BRAC 2005 is a positive change and a unique economic opportunity for the Aquidneck Island communities.
The Navy’s economic impact in Rhode Island is impressive. Approximately 6,000 employees work at the various commands on the base and an additional 9,300 students annually attend one of the highly regarded schools located at NAVSTA. The Navy is the largest single employer in Newport County and third overall in the state. NAVSTA provides myriad economic, service and social contributions to Aquidneck Island.
BRAC is the congressionally authorized process used by Department of Defense (DoD) to reorganize its military base structure. Whereas BRAC actions often result in base closures, due to vigorous efforts by the RI Congressional Delegation, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and other groups, Naval Station Newport gained significantly in BRAC 2005 with the addition of nearly 600 personnel, the Officer Candidate School and the Navy Supply Corps School among several other activities. BRAC further offers financial planning assistance to affected communities through the DoD Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA).
Using a master planning process designed to focus new investments and identify unnecessary functions, the Navy identified 384 acres outside its immediate footprint as “excess,” which are no longer central to its mission. Under BRAC legislation, these unneeded properties are to be sold at fair market value, with the proceeds returned to benefit the military and help defray the costs of base consolidation.
There are certain instances in which land transfers may take place at no cost as a public benefit (such as for park land), however, these conveyances are rare and contrary to some misperceptions, are not expected to be a significant part of NAVSTA’s disposal process. In fact, a shared island-wide vision which supports the Navy’s needs and is based on an orderly, well planned redevelopment process will result in the most equitable outcome for all.
Properties the Navy has declared excess include: Tank Farms 1 through 4 in Portsmouth; part of Defense Highway (Burma Road); Stringham Road; the former Navy Lodge property in Middletown at the corner of Coddington and West Main Road; the former Navy Hospital in Newport.
Transforming these properties for new uses will create jobs, diversify the local and regional economy, satisfy public facility and service needs, and add once-exempt federal real property to the tax base. BRAC requires communities to create a redevelopment plan which balances social and economic needs. The OEA offers financial assistance to create the plan, which will be based on the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission’s (AIPC) West Side Master Plan, developed over the last decade and endorsed by all island communities.
BRAC also requires communities to form a redevelopment authority to work with OEA and administer the planning process. In response, Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport Councils recently voted to form the “Aquidneck Island Re-Use Planning Authority” or “AIRPA,” a regional agency represented by two appointees and one alternate from each community. Almost a dozen ex-officio members were added from key local, regional and state agencies. Bylaws are approved and a memorandum of understanding was signed with the RI Economic Development Corporation outlining assistance that agency may provide as requested.
The three communities asked AIPC to serve as the initial point of contact with OEA to conduct preliminary planning, and also tasked it with preparing a grant proposal to OEA to secure funds for a project manager, a market analysis and a contract for a new redevelopment plan. AIPC’s role in the BRAC process builds upon its traditional strengths serving island communities and supports public participation throughout the process.
In April, the DoD will formally list the excess property notice in the Federal Register, after which AIRPA will launch the redevelopment planning process for Aquidneck Island. AIRPA bylaws protect each community’s individual oversight for properties within their boundaries, while still providing a unified voice for key island concerns in the planning process. The planning process will take from 18 to 24 months, followed by an environmental review, after which the properties will be ready for sale/transfer.
The sale and transfer of excess Navy property on the west side is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is a transformative process which will require the close cooperation of the municipalities, OEA, the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, the RI Economic Development Corporation and many other civic, state and federal partners. The reward will be an even stronger Naval Station Newport flanked by positive new economic growth in the surrounding communities.
Tina Dolen, executive director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, wrote on behalf of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, which provides this monthly column.
