On January 5, 2010 the City of Fort Bragg finalized the acquisition of 92 acres of parkland and ocean-front property – part of which stretches for 3.5 miles along the Pacific coast. The mill property was the key visual and economic force in Fort Bragg for more than a century, but this land transfer marks another significant step on the Path Forward, reconnecting the city with its coastline and setting the stage for the transformation of the former mill property into a vital recreational, economic, and cultural resource for residents and visitors alike.
The final agreement is the result of a multi-year collaboration between the City of Fort Bragg, the California Coastal Conservancy, and Georgia-Pacific, and marks the beginning of a new era for the city. The closing of the mill in 2002 sparked fears that the local economy would crumble, but the unique blend of natural resources, recreational opportunities, and scenery has fueled a rebound.
The city purchased part of its new property using a $4.2 million grant from the California Coastal Conservancy, and Georgia-Pacific donated a 100-foot-wide corridor encompassing over 57 acres along the site′s coastal bluffs for a trail. The corridor is slated to become part of the California Coastal Trail, which will eventually extend 1,200 miles along the entire coastline of California.
Click the play arrow to begin.
Video footage of the Glass Beaches and the proposed northern portion of the coastal trail. June 2008 (3.5 minutes)
Although the land transfer is complete, the former mill property remains an active industrial property, and public access to the parkland and coast will be restricted for the next two years. During this time, the city will continue to work with members of the community to advance plans for developing the Coastal Trail extension, managing the parkland, and taking steps to conserve and restore native vegetation and habitats.
Read the press release on the coastline deal, and watch the video clip to the right to get a sneak peek at what walking along the northern part of the trail will look like.
Another collaborative process is underway to guide overall plans for re-use or redevelopment of the mill site property. The Specific Plan – which is expected to be adopted in 2010 – will represent the community′s vision for the future of the mill site.
City Council and Planning Commission Explore Conceptual Plans for Redevelopment
June 2009
The joint study session with the City Council and Planning Commission on Wednesday June 24, 2009, provided an opportunity for the RRM Design Group consultant team to present the Illustrative Vision Plan and Conceptual Land Use Plan to members of the City Council and Planning Commission and the general public in attendance. An overview of the process to date included input received from the Community Workshops and how that informed the Illustrative Vision Plan. In addition, RRM shared a presentation on the sustainability concepts that have been integrated thus far in developing the Illustrative Vision Plan and sustainable principles and objectives that will be considered throughout the Mill Site Specific Plan document.
During the public comment period and City Council and Planning Commission question/answer segment of the meeting, circulation and land use issues throughout the plan area, understanding the urban form and protection of coastal views, recognizing natural resources, and sustainability opportunities were covered. The southern area of the site was discussed in greater detail and questions were asked about the process for implementing potential land uses in that area while retaining a fair amount of flexibility. The City Council recommended a subsequent City Council and Planning Commission Study Session to further study the southern area of the site and to have the consultant team introduce recommended policy measures to encourage and implement the desired uses. The session has been scheduled for September 2, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall.
Specific Plan Community Workshop #3: Review of Conceptual Land Use Alternatives
May 2009
The third Mill Site Specific Plan community workshop on May 9 brought more than 70 community members together to review and discuss ideas for future redevelopment of the Georgia-Pacific Mill Site. They joined representatives from the City, DTSC, Coastal Conservancy, Coastal Commission, Georgia-Pacific, and the RRM Design Group consultant team.
Participants considered economic factors that will shape the redevelopment process, and two Conceptual Land Use Alternatives developed from priorities established by groups of community members during the second workshop′s interactive design charrette process. See a comparison of the two Conceptual Land Use Alternatives below. See a comparison of the two Conceptual Land Use Alternatives.
Community members discuss the concepts illustrated in the two conceptual land use alternatives for future redevelopment of the former mill property.
Following a summary of the key components of each of the Conceptual Land Use Alternatives, including the circulation patterns and proposed land uses illustrated in each alternative, small groups of workshop participants collaboratively discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Ideas were recorded directly on alternative maps and discussion notes taken by group scribes. Afterward, each group presented their three main responses to the two Conceptual Land Use Alternatives. The RRM team gathered all the information after the meeting, along with additional community comments, to be considered in each subsequent phase of land use planning for the Mill Site Specific Plan. Watch a video clip of the third community workshop group presentations.
After the conceptual land use alternative review exercise, Debbie Rudd of RRM led participants in a visual preference survey to help determine guidelines and standards for the height, size and architectural style or character of future structures on the former mill property. Participants used hand-held remote control devices to vote electronically as images of structures were displayed on a screen. Voting options ranged from "very appropriate for Fort Bragg", to "very inappropriate for Fort Bragg." The results of this direct community input will be integrated into revised design concepts and other components of the Specific Plan.
″This is not the last opportunity for public input on these plans,″ Fort Bragg City Manager Linda Ruffing reminded participants. ″We′re going to have another workshop that will be a Planning Commission/City Council workshop where you′ll be talking to the Council and Planning Commission about what you want – and that′s going to be in the middle of June. ...We′re probably not going to get to the [final approval and] adoption process for the Specific Plan for a year. So, we′re well on our way into the process, but we′re certainly nowhere near the end.″
After the meeting, approximately 125 community members joined Georgia-Pacific representatives and RRM on guided bus tours of the 415-acre former mill site. Participants were able to see firsthand the soil consolidation cell, the bioremediation land farm, the former log ponds, the future Coastal Trail area, the historic sailors′ graveyard, and the deer, rabbits, geese and other wildlife that frequent the site. If you missed the bus tour, you can explore a virtual tour of the mill site.
An open house was also held at the Project Center with community liaison Allen Palacios and Lynette Dias of RRM on hand to talk with community members after the workshop. Allen reminds all that the Project Center is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stay tuned on this website later in the summer for more on the Specific Plan process and the path forward at the Fort Bragg Mill Site.
Consolidation Cell Design Approved by DTSC and Coastal Commission
March 2009
The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) and the California Coastal Commission (CCC) have approved Georgia-Pacific′s Consolidation Cell Design Document. The document contains specific details about the on-site impermeable liner and drainage system that will be built to hold targeted dioxin-containing soils excavated from portions of OU-A. The Consolidation Cell Design Document is a companion to the OU-A RAP, which was approved by DTSC in August 2008 and the CCC in February 2009.
The consolidation cell will be constructed under DTSC oversight and is designed to withstand a variety of storm conditions and disturbances including seismic and tsunami events, long-term bluff erosion, a 100-year storm, and flood conditions. View an illustration of the consolidation cell or learn more about how dioxin-containing soils are being addressed.
The cleanup activities in OU-A are just part of the remediation work taking place in 2009. Visit the website throughout the construction season to read updated highlights of remedial progress.
Targeted Soil and Groundwater Cleanup Areas (Click image to enlarge.)
Starting March 16, another season of cleanup work at the Fort Bragg Mill Site will get underway. This phase of work, which is scheduled to continue through late October 2009, will focus primarily on the coastal trail area of OU-A and portions of OU-C (view Operable Unit tour). Read the official Work Notice issued by DTSC.
With DTSC oversight, field crews will implement the activities described in the DTSC-approved Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for OU-A. The first step will be the construction of a 1.5-acre consolidation cell to isolate dioxin-containing soils from the environment – the cell will be lined with an impermeable liner system to protect the underlying soil and groundwater. Then targeted soils from small areas of OU-A (see map of targeted locations to the right) will be excavated and placed into the cell. Other soils from isolated areas containing lead and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) will be excavated and transported offsite for disposal in a commercial landfill. All excavated areas will be backfilled with clean soil and restored. Read answers to a series of frequently asked questions on the work at OU-A, and read more about the overall plans for OU-A.
The Phase 2 work described in the DTSC-approved Interim Action Remedial Action Plan (IARAP) will also be carried out this year under DTSC oversight. In OU-C and OU-E, existing foundations will be removed to access soils impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons that are targeted for excavation. Soils in this one-acre area will be excavated and moved to the onsite land treatment units (located in OU-D, see map to the right) where petroleum will be removed using natural bioremediation techniques. After about three months in the treatment cells, the clean soils will be placed back in the excavation areas, and the work areas will be restored. Groundwater in the excavation areas will be treated through a process called biosparging – oxygen-rich nutrients will be added with air to break down the hydrocarbons.
Throughout the construction season, protective measures will be carried out to keep workers and the community safe. Dust will be suppressed, air quality will be monitored, and if winds are too strong, work will be suspended until more favorable conditions return. All trucks hauling materials offsite will be covered securely. In addition, steps will be taken to minimize erosion in work areas and to protect plants and animals on the mill property.
Check the Remediation tabs on this website throughout the construction season for progress updates.
Future of Mill Property Looks Bright – Trail Development and OU-A Cleanup to Proceed
February 2009
This Conceptual Design of North Mill Site Trail Alignment is part of the City of Fort Bragg′s 2008 Draft Coastal Trail Master Plan.
The Path Forward is proceeding as planned with the City of Fort Bragg′s acquisition of 75 acres of coastal trail property. Georgia-Pacific and the city have been working with state partners to preserve open space along the Pacific coastline, protect coastal resources, create new public recreation resources, and reconnect the City of Fort Bragg to its coastline and the ocean.
The City is acquiring the new property in two parcels. At their January 26, 2009 meeting, the City Council approved the purchase of 35 acres on the mill site, which will be made possible by a generous grant of $4.2 million from the California Coastal Conservancy. Included in the parcel is an area known as the Fort Bragg Headlands and two parking areas on each end of the site. Georgia-Pacific is supplementing the purchase by donating a 40-acre, approximately 100-foot wide coastal corridor that will provide access to 3.5 miles of the Pacific coast that has been held privately for more than a century. The resulting coastal trail will eventually connect MacKerricher Park in the north to Noyo Bay in the south, forming a nearly 10-mile trail along the coast, and include the Glass Beach Parking and Staging Area, the North Soldier Bay Headlands parcel, and the South Parkland parcel. Read the city's press release.
Click the play arrow to begin.
Video footage of the Glass Beaches and the proposed northern portion of the coastal trail. June 2008 (3.5 minutes)
Georgia-Pacific will officially transfer ownership of the property once California′s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has approved the completion of remediation activities in the coastal area referred to as Coastal Trail and Parkland – Coastal Trail and Parkland – Operable Unit A (OU-A). If all goes as planned, the city will begin its development of the property in approximately a year.
The map to the above right shows the city′s tentative Conceptual Design of North Mill Site Trail Alignment for the acquired coastline – watch the video clip to the right to get a sneak peek at what walking along the northern part of the trail will look like. For more information on the city′s Mill Site Parkland plans, visit http://city.fortbragg.com/.
The remedial work at the mill site is also poised to move forward after the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously at their meeting on February 4, 2009 to approve Georgia-Pacific′s plan to clean up OU-A and cap contaminated soils. The Coastal Commission′s water quality unit staff reviewed the Remedial Action Plan developed for OU-A (as approved by DTSC in August 2008) and determined that the proposed construction of the consolidation cell with liners and cap was acceptable.
In the midst of very hard economic times, Georgia-Pacific has continued to commit its resources to keep the mill site moving on the path forward. The collaborative process underway with the City of Fort Bragg, the DTSC, and others has kept the cleanup and planning projects on track to implement effective actions that are protective of human health and environment, sensitive to protected species and their habitats, and compatible with mixed-use redevelopment of the mill property. Learn more about mill site remediation activities at the Operable Unit Map Tour.
Specific Plan Community Workshop #2: Focus on Community Collaboration
January 2009
The second community planning workshop on January 14 brought more than 40 community members together to brainstorm ideas for the redevelopment of the Georgia-Pacific Mill Site along with representatives from the City, DTSC, Coastal Conservancy, Georgia-Pacific, and the RRM Design Group Specific Plan consultant team.
Community members brainstorm redevelopment ideas in a collaborative design charrette. View more photos.
Following the presentation, community members gathered in groups to participate in a collaborative design charrette to brainstorm ideas for the 415-acre property, including ideas from prior community efforts. Planning experts from the RRM team facilitated the discussions and provided help for each group in turning ideas into tangible concepts for how the site might be developed in the future. Each group worked with markers, pencils, a large map of the site and materials describing a range of development types. Combining their ideas with the information needed to make informed choices, seven groups, each comprised of six or more community members, worked to develop their concepts. After working for an hour and a half, each group presented their plans, maps, and top five ideas for redevelopment of the mill site. Read more about the workshop.
Attendees also were asked to complete a community survey to determine their views on a variety of planning objectives, including economic considerations, physical development patterns, environmental resources and historic preservation. Surveys were due by January 29. Results will be shared at the next workshop tentatively scheduled for May 2009.
The May workshop will feature RRM′s alternative design concepts developed from workshop #2. A visual preference survey will also be presented to explore form and architectural character of the area to bring the community closer to consensus on a preferred design plan. The draft Mill Site Specific Plan will then be prepared and available for community input later this year, with review and approval by the Fort Bragg City Council expected in 2010.
View all of the second workshop materials, including existing conditions display maps and the 2004 conceptual land use plan, at the Second Specific Plan Community Workshop page.
Remediation work for the 2009 season is underway. Georgia-Pacific works cooperatively with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and others to implement effective cleanup projects that are protective of human health and environment, sensitive to protected species and their habitats, and compatible with mixed-use redevelopment of the mill property. All remedial activities are conducted with oversight from DTSC, and safety measures and monitoring activities protect workers, the community and the environment during construction.
DTSC Project Manager Tom Lanphar assumes oversight responsibilities this year, supported by new supervisor Dan Murphy. Both bring extensive experience relevant to remediation work at the mill site. Write to Tom or Dan at the DTSC Berkeley Field Office – 700 Heinz Avenue, Suite 200 Berkeley, CA 94710-2721.
New Virtual Tour Creates Visual Connection to Mill Site
November 2008
At 415 acres and fully a third of the City of Fort Bragg, the mill site covers a vast amount of space. Many people have asked to tour the property, which is understandable given the dramatic coastline and the community interest in cleanup and redevelopment of the site. However, the mill site is still an industrial property and an active work zone, making it unsafe for public access.
Until more public access is possible, a multi-media virtual tour via this website is available as a convenient and informative alternative. Rolled out in several phases as work progresses on the cleanup and Specific Plan process, each virtual tour module can be your personal guide to the mill site.
The first installment of the virtual tour is the new Operable Unit Map Tour module. This tour guides you through each of the operable units or OUs, which were established by DTSC as a way to optimize management of environmental investigations and cleanup. Breaking large sites down into smaller operable units is a common practice so that each OU can be individually assessed and remediated, moving the process along faster than if the entire site had to be characterized and cleaned up all at once. Indeed, this approach has allowed the Coastal Trail and Parkland OU-A to be sampled and fully characterized on an accelerated schedule. As a result, the parcel can more quickly be transferred to the City of Fort Bragg for future recreational use and natural resource preservation in cooperation with the California Coastal Conservancy and others.
The Fort Bragg Mill Site is divided into five OUs, called OU-A, OU-B, OU-C, OU-D, and OU-E. When you visit the new Operable Unit Map Tour, you will see the boundaries of each OU on a map and will also have the option of viewing a series of photographs and a brief description of each OU. Also, across the website we have linked the OU tour module to most every instance of the term operable unit or OU to make it easy to immediately jump to the tour if you need a refresher as to the where or what of any of the OUs. Note that you can enhance your virtual tour by asking questions of the technical team. Just write to us at questions@ftbraggmillsite.com.
Look for more virtual tour features soon, including modules that will allow you to tour mill site history and gain virtual access to more recent activities such as the bioremediation of soils during implementation of the IARAP in 2008 and 2009.
DTSC has approved the Coastal Trail and Parkland (OU-A) Remedial Action Plan (RAP), which sets the stage for soil cleanup in OU-A during the 2009 construction season. The approved RAP includes design enhancements for added monitoring and protectiveness, and DTSC′s Response to Comments document provides feedback on other concerns raised during the public comment period earlier this year.
The approved OU-A RAP is available online through
DTSC,
and on the Technical Reports page. A printed copy is in the document library at the Project Visitor Center.
