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Building a movement... Three powerful statements were made this week that speak to the strength of citizen movements as catalyst for change against powerful odds. Despite the fears of peak oil, subprime market impacts, and ongoing political issues, these “movements” have given me hope for the future of not just a community or a region, but our nation. The first one is national; I am writing this message from Austin, Texas from the Congress for the New Urbanism conference. The CNU Congress is the annual gathering of planners, designers, advocates, developers, and government officials dedicated to making quality towns and villages across the country (and around the world). Not sure of this year’s headcount but it is usually over 1,500 folks who are essentially attempting to transform communities one place at a time. This year’s theme is about merging the green building and sustainability movements with the New Urbanism. In addition, there are sessions looking at the retail market, housing options, the SmartCode, transit-oriented development, roadway redesigns, and gentrification. About forty folks from the New York Chapter who were here held a meet up and heard from former Mayor of Milwaukee and CNU President John Norquist. VISION is on the Chapter Board and we will be seeking to increase membership and support for New Urbanism in New York State as we move forward. In short, this cross section of leaders from around the country has profoundly challenged how land use planning, transportation, and development have occurred. It is now seeing some pretty remarkable results. Next week’s issue will focus on the results from this year’s Congress, so stay tuned. The second example is from the local communities in Mastic and Shirley. Civic, business, and government leaders have come together with the leadership of Suffolk Legislators Kate Browning, Wayne Horsley, the Montauk Highway Project, and Save the Forge River for the creation of a Forge River Sewer District. You can read about the details in this issue, but this community of 45,000 folks at the head of the Forge River is in desperate need of this infrastructure. The visioning process and resulting plans that we have been working through over the last six years have led to this convergence of leaders. The approved land use plan and Main Street Business District code and the revitalization efforts on Montauk Highway and Mastic Beach cannot be fully realized without this investment. This community and legislative effort exemplifies the power and persistence of an often-ignored community that can plan properly for its future and produce great results. The last example is regional. I had the opportunity to be a part of the LI Progressive Coalition’s annual awards luncheon last week. The organization has a nearly 30-year history for bringing about progressive change through issue campaigns, organizing, and direct action. For the purpose of our work on Smart Growth, sustainability, and placemaking, they have essentially founded the concept on Long Island with their early efforts (with our Board President, Ron Stein) on sustainability as early as in 1992. Over time, they have helped nurture and mentor leadership in many different sectors across the Island. Special credit here goes to the vision, intelligence, persistence, and inspiration of Dr. David Sprintzen, Director Lisa Tyson, their Board President, Diana Coleman, as well as many others who have also carried the torch for organizing change on Long Island. This fell into focus for me at the luncheon when I read the list of past honorees and efforts of an incredible list of Long Islanders who have made a difference (which, incidentally, is the title of the award). Vision is proud to have two folks on that list, but more importantly, we are proud to be in some pretty amazing company. You can read the list here. In all of these powerful efforts, the theme I see is that we need complete change. We need the spark, the fuel, the right conditions, and ongoing maintenance and accountability. I was at a well-organized conference recently where there were some very smart people talking about various suburban trends and future public investments. It was very interesting, but it was missing the decision makers: local elected officials, business/property owners, and local community leaders as a core part of shaping the change. These are just this week’s examples of three movements that are developing holistic change in their own ways, which is reshaping our region and, hopefully, the nation.
Eric Alexander |
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Smart Growth Awards Coming June 12th: Register Today!
Registration forms can be mailed to our office at 24 Woodbine Ave., Suite One, Northport, NY 11768, sent by fax to 631-754-4452, or emailed to info@visionlongisland.org. Sponsorship packages are available. Reserve your seats today. Click here for the registration form.
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Last year, over 500 people came out to honor projects from across the Island in fields such as mixed-use development, green building, and regional leadership. See more on last year's event 
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Archives of Smart Talk and Smart Growth News Weekly are available on our website. For more information on this chance to be at the forefront of Long Island’s Smart Growth Movement, call Vision Long Island, 631-261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. |
We invite you to strengthen and sustain VISION's e-news publications by becoming a Smart Talk Visionary. For $500, you can sponsor Smart Growth News, our weekly publication. In recognition, your firm’s logo and a short description of your work will be featured in every issue. For $1,000, your organization can sponsor Smart Talk. This monthly news resource will include your firm’s logo and feature revolving articles on the organizations helping inform Long Island.|
Sewer Press Conference at Forge River Marina
Legislator Browning put it simply- “We need sewers. We want sewers.” Through public private partnerships, resident support and increased funds from the State and Federal level for infrastructure, a sewer district would simultaneously benefit the health of the environment, residents, and the region’s economy. “Without sewers we can’t build homes and without homes we can’t get workers,” said Save the Forge River President, Ron Lupski. Legislator Horsely called it the “tipping point” for Suffolk County to do something progressive to move the County into the 21st century, despite the ancient Romans having them (so progressively) in the 9th Century B.C. See more on Long Island Business News' BizBlog. Three Towns Pass EnergyStar Legislation
Community Outcry on Yaphank Project
The chosen developers, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. and Damianos Realty Group, LLC have drawn up three alternative plans for “the Villages at Carmans River.” According to their project summary, the proposal is a 'high quality mixed-use development built on Smart Growth principles that responds to community needs such as affordable work-force and “next generation” housing, but also includes a sports complex, arena and a building for Yaphank’s YMCA.' A website on the proposed plans is available here. |
Thursday morning held a rare sight for the ducks and swans at the Forge River Marina. A crowd gathered on the docks; members of the press holding cameras and microphones, residents holding up a banner saying “Save the Forge River,” and a Town of Brookhaven podium standing, waiting for the river to have its say. What the ducks didn’t know was that this gathering of environmentalists, elected officials, local civic leaders, business and property owners and residents were gathering to save their home. The sights and smell of septic tanks refuse, the results of poor waste water treatment in the deterioration of the Forge River, illustrate the hazards of this antiquated system and the dire need for sewers in Suffolk County.
What may have started off as a call for restoration of the river has grown to a rallying cry for action by correcting the detrimental use of septic systems. The press conference, organized by Legislator Kate Browning and Legislator Wayne Horsely, and the not-for profit group, “Save the Forge River,” called for the creation of a long overdue sewer district in Mastic-Shirley. Legislator 
Three towns on Long Island have made it mandatory for all new homes to be built in compliance with EnergyStar standards of energy efficiency and conservation. In these pioneering towns of Babylon, Riverhead and Brookhaven, new construction will require builders to use extra insulation, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, and power saving appliances. The law applies to single-family homes and multifamily residences of four units or less. 
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Congestion Pricing Passes the City Council
According to the New York Times, Speaker Christine C. Quinn said that the approval would send a message to the Legislature that the “people who were elected to represent the New Yorkers who live in our five boroughs are sick and tired of our streets being clogged with traffic, we’re sick and tired of the children who live in our city literally having to fight to be able to breathe, and that we see congestion pricing as a solution to this problem.”
Several important changes were made to the bill to enable Council Members to approve congestion pricing. The new legislation will require the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to contribute $1 billion to the MTA 5-Year Capital Plan. If they fail to do so, the toll offset offered to Hudson River commuters will be reduced. In response to concerns about how the money from congestion pricing will ultimately be spent and by whom, a special provision was written into the bill stating that congestion pricing funds can only be used by the MTA for capital expansion and improvements to the city's transit system, also known as a “lock box” provision. For commuters eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, congestion pricing fees that exceed the cost of a monthly Metro Card will be reimbursed in full, and in addition to any vehicle with a valid handicapped license plate, all vehicles driven by New Yorkers with EZ Pass and a New York City handicapped tag will be exempted from the congestion pricing fee. Representatives in Albany now say that they will not vote on the matter until Monday at the earliest. Nassau Hub Gets NEarly $20 Million in Funding for Needed Transportation Studies
The $19.5 million would go towards hiring an outside consultant to oversee the selection with the oversight of another consultant who would conduct an environmental impact study for transportation improvements, as well as the study itself, Bourne told the Committee on Planning, Development and the Environment of the Nassau County Legislature. These transportation improvements would include some form of light rail and/or bus lines that would make connections between the Village of Hempstead, the Village of Mineola, the Roosevelt Raceway site, Hofstra, and other significant areas, serving as one of the first North-South lines of alternative transportation. These transportation alternatives are imperative to an area that already sees 51,400 cars from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. each day, especially since an estimated 80,000 more cars would be added if the project goes forward. For more details, see Newsday's article by William Murphy and Sid Cassese. Adirondack Region Featured on Smart Growth Network
Awarded to 18 communities throughout the region, the impressive applications from community planners exemplified grassroots problem solving for economic challenges like housing needs, rising energy costs, and unrealized tourism opportunities. According to Paul Beyer, Director of Smart Growth for the Department of State, there is even a movement toward a park-wide vision for environmentally sustainable economic growth. The region has a range of opportunities from adaptive reuse of defunct factories or mills, converting existing infrastructure to “bio-power” generators, developing an environmentally friendly year-round tourism economy, historic preservation, and many others that can help the region grow in an environmentally sustainable path. For more details, visit the Smart Growth Network’s website. |
On April 1st, Newsday reported that Nassau County has received $19.5 million in federal funding for the next step in its plans for improving transportation in and around The Hub. Patricia Bourne, of the Nassau County Planning Commission, testified at a legislative hearing that it would take five to eight years just to complete the environmental review for whatever transportation changes are planned. While this is a lengthy process, creating mass-transit alternatives in an already heavily congested area is essential for the success and survival of the site and the affected surrounding communities.
The State of New York was featured in the Smart Growth Network newsletter this month, in regards to the Adirondack Parks region receiving $1 million in Smart Growth grants. “This is a new era of partnership with Albany,” said Pete Grannis, commissioner of the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation, “and the funding supports a progressive array of forward-thinking projects.”|
Civic Group Looks to Hempstead Community to help Rename Handball Courts at High School
One of the criteria that the foundation is looking at are the number of comments each proposal receives. The Association is asking that supporters log in and voice their support. Downstate Suburban Workforce Act
Supporting documentation can be found here, along with sample letters here and here that can be modified and sent out. |
The Family and Children's Association, along with many in the community of Hempstead, is applying for funding for a community project in the Village. The Association hopes that 
VISION urges you to get out your pens and take action to join a letter writing campaign in support of the Downstate Suburban Workforce Act. The Downstate Act (which differs somewhat from the LI Workforce Housing Act) supports a tiered income structure targeted from 80% below median to 120% above median, includes support for development of rental units, encourages higher density developments, and establishes a one-time payment for planning and developing Housing Opportunity Areas.|
NBC Reports on Emerging Schools of Sustainability at American Universities NBC's Environmental Affairs Correspondent, Anne Thompson, reported on March 24th that colleges throughout the nation are taking notice of a growing demand for “green” educations at our nations universities and colleges. Ms. Thompson visited a class at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton on Long Island; they offer a major in environmental studies. Whether addressing local concerns like tending to injured seals or addressing the potential effects of climate change on LI, these students are taking a keen interest in protecting the environment. In creating this new “Sustainability Major,” schools are taking an interdisciplinary approach in an effort to find solutions to environmental issues. Arizona State University is leading the charge to create a new "sustainability" major, one that combines architecture, engineering and urban planning. The full story is available on MSNBC's website. NPR Series on ‘Climate Connections’ Looks to Suburbia The National Public Radio (NPR) program, “Climate Connections,” is exploring the causes, signs and solutions to climate change. As part of this series, NPR profiled two Atlanta families: the Carvalho family, who moved from the city to the suburbs, and the Taylor family, who moved from the suburbs to the city. In “Life in the 'Burbs: Heavy Costs for Families, Climate,” by Elizabeth Shogren, interviews a family from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia and the financial and environmental costs they chose for a suburban home. On the other hand, a new community model, suitable in and outside of the city, is seen as a solution to curbing our contribution to climate change. In “Atlanta Family Slashes Carbon Footprint,” Shogren explores the Smart Growth community of Atlantic Station; it is transit-oriented, compact, mixed-use, and walkable. Check out these two stories and the chart that lets you compare the carbon footprints of typical suburbia and Smart Growth communities.
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RPA to Hold 18th Annual Regional Assembly on April 18th
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The Regional Plan Association has launched a |
- "Good one!! I was starting to wonder was the world going mad." - "You had me for a while!" - "You got me. And good." - "it took but a few lines to get the joke. Your April fools edition was brilliant, painfully funny and well written. My favorite story is toss up between the Neil's love of Hummers or the best design award for Commerce Bank." - "The more I read the angrier I got!!! I thought I was missing something!!! Thanks for explaining!!!!! Ha?" And our favorite, with a taste of our own medicine: - "If God wanted us to work in mixed-use, walkable communities, He wouldn’t have invented office parks. Get back to work, tree hugger!" |
We are forgoing the Eye Sore and Sight for Sore Eyes feature this month in lieu of our 
Clean Up Sagtikos Manor in Bay Shore
For more information, call 631-661-8348 or visit their website. Suffolk Community College To Hold Garden Symposium
For more information on the Symposium, call 631-727-7850 ext. 337. For additional information on organic lawn care and garden tips, visit the Neighborhood Network. |
Sagtikos Manor is seeking volunteers to help do some spring cleaning on the historic property on Montauk Highway in Bay Shore from 9:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday. They ask that you provide your own gloves, as they will have the lawn tools and supplies. A light lunch will be served and volunteers will also receive a free ticket for a tour of the manor when it opens for the season. 
Suffolk Community College is hosting the Spring Gardening Symposium on Saturday, from 8:30am to 4:00pm at their Brentwood campus. Tickets cost $65 and include breakfast, lunch, and access to a full day of informational and instructional seminars on topics ranging from growing organic vegetables to eco-friendly lawn care. 
The joyous occasion was captured by StreetFilms, which is a project of the New York City Street Renaissance (NYCSR), a collection of non-profits geared towards re-imagining the city’s public spaces and making the streets safer for pedestrians, bicycles and non-vehicular modes of transportation. Check it out here! |
While SMART GROWTH NEWS Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Communications Director We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.
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