HOME
GOVERNMENT
2022 State Legislative Agenda
Administrative Hearings
Boards & Commissions
City Charter & City Codes
City Council
City Council Agendas
City Council Agendas Archive
City Council Live Stream
City Court
Current Budget
Departments
Department Contacts
Animal Shelter
City Clerk
City Manager
Electric
Finance
Fire
Legal
Personnel
Planning & Development
Police
Public Library
Public Works
Recreation & Parks
Senior Center
Utility Business Office
RESIDENTS
About Oak Ridge
City Services
CodeRED Notification System
Education
Greenways & Greenbelts
Library
Natural Assets Guidebook
Not in Our City
Oak Ridge Transit
Oak Ridge, 2030
Public Safety
Recreation and Parks
Residential Licenses & Permits
Senior Center
Utilities
Utility Contacts
BUSINESS
About Oak Ridge
Business Licenses & Permits
Chamber of Commerce
Industrial Development Board
Planning & Development
Economic Development Initiative
VISITORS
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Greenways
Livability Guide
Natural Assets Guidebook
Oak Ridge Rowing Association
Secret City Festival
EMPLOYMENT
NEWS
Archived News
Newsletter
Newsletter Archive
National Park News
Sign Up For Pickup Reminders
CONTACT US
Contact Us
Contact the City Manager
Contact Web Master & FAQs
Contact ADA Coordinator
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Selects the City of Oak Ridge for Sustainable Communities Initiative: Public Meetings May 11 & 12
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the City of Oak Ridge is among 32 communities in 26 states that will receive technical assistance to develop tools for neighborhood revitalization.
Under its Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program, EPA will visit Oak Ridge on May 11 and 12 to advise the community on a specific, development-related challenge in the city. Sustainable strategies will be explored that could result in a more environmentally and economically sustainable plan or redevelopment proposal for the selected area.
The Building Blocks program is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort among EPA, HUD, and DOT to coordinate federal actions on housing, transportation, and environmental protection. The primary goal of this interagency collaboration is to invest federal funding more efficiently in infrastructure, facilities, and services that meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives.
“It is a tremendous honor for the City of Oak Ridge to be selected for participation in this program,” said Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. “EPA’s approach is to integrate a number of community development program areas, which fits nicely with the comprehensive planning we’re undertaking in transportation, housing and sustainability. This is an opportunity to help us recreate the more pedestrian-friendly and socially-oriented community centers that Oak Ridge has been known for---where residents can gather for shopping and dining and casually meet with their neighbors,” Watson added.
In conjunction with the EPA visit, the City of Oak Ridge will host two public meetings. The first will be held on Wednesday, May 11th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the amphitheater of the Oak Ridge High School. The meeting will include an educational presentation on sustainable development and a facilitated discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of individual neighborhoods and associated redevelopment opportunities in Oak Ridge.
The second pubic meeting will be held on Thursday, May 12th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., also in the amphitheater of the Oak Ridge High School. This session will be an “open house” where attendees can review the information developed by the EPA-led team of experts and community stakeholders. Site specific redevelopment concepts and a sustainable development checklist will be on display.
Information collected will be used to establish a blueprint for redevelopment of the Jackson Square residential neighborhood and commercial center. The goal is to develop skills and a methodology for redevelopment which can be applied to other residential/commercial centers throughout the city.
More information on the Building Blocks program:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm
For more information about the public meetings, contact Athanasia Senecal Lewis at (865) 425-
3574 or asenecal@oakridgetn.gov.
News media contact: Amy Fitzgerald (865) 425-3554 or afitzgerald@oakridgetn.gov.