Turn Your Local Eyesore into Eye Candy!

If you have an eyesore nearby that may be detracting from the price of your property, your community may qualify for a government grant to clean up and revitalize the area. The U.S. Environmental Protection agency, (EPA) has so far given out millions of dollars in grants to help revitalize unsightly environmental wastes and turn them into local beauty spots or into community assets through the Brownfields Program.

Brownfield land is that area of a community that may have been used for industrial purposes or be a residential neighborhood that is largely abandoned. Chemical contaminants often make this kind of land unfit for human use. Left untouched, this land poses a hazard to the health of a community in the form of toxins, illegal activities and loss of revenue from tourism and people avoiding settling in the community due to its perceived squalor.

The EPA's Brownfields Program not only cleans up contaminated and abandoned areas, it also aids the community in the form of increased commercial activity and jobs, not only in the reclaimation of the land and construction of buildings and green space, but also in the businesses that are encouraged to set up residence once the land is fully restored.

The allotted funds apply to industrial and commercial redevelopment, as well as other more pleasant changes. Some of the community enhancements that were possible using the EPA money included making landfills into golf courses and turning gas stations into housing. Other enhancements include making industrial waterfronts into river front parks and also turning old railway tracks into wilderness trails.

The Brownfield Program can also be utilized where the problem of contaminated waste or the possible presence of harmful substances can complicate or even hinder potential development.

The money for these projects is made available in the form of grants for various stages of land reclaimation, such as Brownfield Assessment Grants, Brownfield Job Training Grants and Brownfields Cleanup Grants. The grants can be used for rural, waterfront, urban or suburban re-development. This grant money has, so far, been distributed between 43 states, but it has actually been awarded to specific communities that have applied to the EPA through their Brownfields Program.

If you are finding that your community has a brownfield, you can do something about it through the Brownfields Act. A group of concerned citizens can make a great difference in their community by gathering information and applying for funds. Revitalization efforts have never had so much help as they do now - take advantage of them!

For more information about the EPA's Brownfields Program, go to epa.gov/brownfields/

For information on Sandestin Beach real estate, contact Michael Taylor, your Beaches of South Walton real estate expert, at DestinRealEstateSales.com