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McCall Idaho Selected for Smart Growth Technical Assistance

Release Date: 7/7/2005
Contact Information: Dave Ryan
[email protected]
(202) 564-4355

July 7, 2005


EPA today announced the selection of five communities in Idaho, Maryland, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Rhode Island to receive assistance from a team of private sector national experts in planning for future growth. The locations include cities, inner suburbs and small towns. EPA will direct ICF Consulting to organize multi-disciplinary teams to provide the communities with tools and resources to find innovative ways of sustaining environmentally-sensitive growth and economic progress.

The Agency issued its first Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Request for Applications this spring in response to a growing number of requests for technical assistance. Fifty-six communities from 28 states applied.

Besides offering future rounds of assistance under this program, EPA will continue to offer informal help to community leaders when requested, speak at community events when possible and appropriate, make its research and publications widely available, and offer grants both to communities for technical assistance and to organizations for research and publications that will help improve development practices.

EPA's Smart Growth program encourages development that protects environmental resources and human health, expands economic opportunity, and creates and enhances the places that people love. EPA's role in smart growth at the community level is to provide information about best practices that have worked in other communities and reduced the environmental effects of development.

The communities selected are:

McCall, Idaho: A town of just over 2,000 people, McCall and its residents have crafted a comprehensive plan designed to protect environmental resources and encourage redevelopment in the city limits. In response to a new "East-West Loop Road" opening this summer, the town is looking for assistance to gather public input on proposals to encourage growth into three village centers along the roadway, as well as identify code and design changes to achieve the desired development.

College Park, Md.: The City of College Park is looking to revitalize Route 1 — which is both the city's main street and a state highway— into a vibrant, mixed-use area with new pedestrian-oriented, infill development. With EPA's assistance, the city will conduct a workshop to bring together citizens, businesses, developers, civic groups, and others to create a vision for nvironmentally-friendly development in the corridor and a consensus plan.

Taos, N.M.: This town of 4,700 people is seeking assistance to obtain community input on design and development issues along the 3.3-mile Paseo del Pueblo Sur (State Highway 68) corridor. With the community input and the team's assistance, Taos will create plans, policies, and codes to foster development in the corridor that reflects the unique character of Taos, stimulates economic development, and improves environmental quality.

Cheyenne, Wyo.: The citizens of Cheyenne have been working with local government officials to create a plan for growth that will protect environmental resources, encourage more development in existing neighborhoods, and create new development that is walkable and provides housing choices and options. The city is seeking the team's assistance to analyze existing policies, codes, and administrative processes to determine if they are meeting the community's goals as stated in the plan.


Aquidneck Island, R. I.: The island's planning commission and municipalities, along with the Navy, recently completed a redevelopment master plan that aims to protect environmental quality by preserving natural ecosystems and promoting growth in established centers. The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission is seeking assistance to confirm that the plan's goals are aligned with municipal codes and ordinances so that the communities can carry out their vision for the island.

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Related Links:

EPA's Smart Growth Information (epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm)

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