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Vision Long Island |
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Stay On Long Island Holds Inaugural Meeting
Following the group's introduction, developer Gerald Wolkoff took the podium and from that point on, questions revolved around the Heartland proposal, his plans, and challenges he had faced. Questions continued in this vein until Morgo and Montano reminded the inquisitive audience that the meeting was about this "nascent group." Considering that less than half of the audience was within the age group being "drained" from LI, it seemed that most of the audience was interested in Mr. Wolkoff's plans for the Pilgrim State site rather than Stay On LI's next step. On the other hand, at a time when the phrase "brain drain" is becoming more commonplace and the Long Island Association's estimations on the losses of people between 25 and 44 are nearly memorized, the presence of young voices advocating for affordable housing is a refreshing change. Real Estate Next Addresses The Current Housing Market and Smart Growth
In relation to Smart Growth, Phil Thomas Di Giulio, Co-Founder of WellcomeMat.com, aptly mentioned that in real estate, "people buy stories" and that providing the story of a place or community is just as important as the home itself. The marketing of Smart Growth and its real estate trends means considering the nationally emerging trends their translation locally for LI. Eric Alexander suggested addressing the region's needs such as affordable housing, green building, mixed use and a range of housing options, stating that "real estate should flock to the Neighborhood Network and other non-traditional alliances to connect green initiatives and the real estate industry." It is also important to engage with civic groups, in order to "demand as a resident and a real estate agent to support those voices," with groups like the Long Island Housing Partnership, which advocates for these housing issues. In short, real estate has to sell what people in the region need for housing and maintaining healthy communities. For more information, please visit Real Estate Next's website. New Cross-Sound Tunnel Plan Met With Optimism, Caution
Newsday editorial columnist Joye Brown quoted Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto as saying, "Is the idea brilliant, or is it buts? I've heard people in the community say it's both." Brown continues, "In theory, it should work. The interchange exists; the techonology exists, and so does our collective desire to secure another route off Long Island... But is there enough space in Syosset for the project? Will it really reduce traffic and air pollution? What will it look like above the gorund? Where would the new traffic, which the tunnel is certain to generate, line up? Why the emphasis on cars and not public transportation?" State Sen. Carl Marcellino announced on Tuesday that there would be a public hearing during the third week of January on the matter. VISION and its Board of Directors recieved a presentation on the issue. The proposal should be studied closely, as it has many potential environmental and social benefits for Long Island and the region. For more information, visit CrossSoundLink.com Battle Continues Over Former Cerro Wire Site
On May 31st, the Coalition’s 16-member Alternate Development Committee unveiled what it claims is a Smart Growth alternative to the mall proposal. The proposal, jointly designed by the Florida-based Lennar Corporation and the New Jersey-based Roseland Property Company, entailed 500 condominium units, a Marriott hotel, and some office and retail space. Due to concerns over increased traffic congestion and negative impacts to the environment and local commerce, the Coalition and Town have worked to reject the plan since 2001. Taubam Centers Inc., on the other hand, claims that construction will generate jobs and real estate tax revenues without adding students or costs to the school district. In addition, the Michigan-based company already owns the 39-acre lot, and claims that the Town’s refusal is a violation of its property rights. Taubman’s 860,000 square-foot center ranks amongst the region’s several potential mega projects with retail as the magnet. New York Times Article Discusses Homelessness Amid Affluence
To combat this issue, Nassau County is developing a 10-year plan to house the chronically homeless, as part of an effort being undertaken by 320 counties nationwide. The goal is to get people in permanent housing, rather than in motels or shelters. “Emergency housing is important, but you have to get to the root of the problem,” County Executive Tom Suozzi said. Integral parts of that root are high rents and a lack of rental property in the region. The Long Island Index states that only 17 percent of properties are rentals and, according Ms. Noguera, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless, the average monthly rent on LI is $1,600. Many advocates for the homeless see increased housing options as a solution. They want more housing for lower-income workers built to help stem the number of people becoming homeless. But without changes in zoning and misconceptions on density, redevelopment, and multifamily housing, there is little chance for improvements. For more information, check out Ms. Correal’s article at www.nytimes.com 2007 Smart Growth Summit Draws Record Action-Oriented Crowd
Newsday’s Joye Brown led this year’s “State of the Towns” breakfast session and challenged many of the Town Supervisors to move forward and act on the plans that had been set out last year. Each of the day’s other sessions, including panels on green building, projects of regional significance, transit-oriented development, and greatest misses, were action-oriented, rather than sounding boards for what should or should not be done. The keynote speaker at lunch, hosted by Long Island Business News’ John Kominicki, was The Lighthouse Corporation’s Scott Rechler, who fielded questions after his presentation on the Nassau Coliseum Redevelopment Project. After lunch, the invite-only Civic Summit concluded with distinct action steps that are already in progress.
For more information, including press releases, images, and video recordings of the panels, please call the office at 631-261-0242 or visit our website. |
The grassroots organization for Next Generation housing, "Stay on LI," held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, November 28th at Suffolk Community College's Grant Campus in Brentwood. Composed of recent college graduates and current student chapters, the group aims to encourage local government to do more to keep Long Island's young people here by providing more affordable housing options and jobs. Suffolk County Department of Economic Development's Jim Morgo and Legislator Ricardo Montano began the meeting, providing the numbers and facts driving the need for affordable housing. They emphasized the impact Suffolk County Executive Levy's initiative should have on the issue as well as the importance of builders and developers embracing density in design. Stay on LI President Natalie Gaebelein briefly spoke about the group's purpose, stating that growing in membership and regional presence was the next goal. 
After years o f silence following the failed attempt to build a bridge from Long Island to Rye, NY, a new plan has emerged, proposing a cross-Sound tunnel. According to the developer, Polimeni, the "Long Island Cross Sound Link Tunnel" is forecast to carry between 59,000 and 79,000 vehicles per day when completed in 2025. In addition to the reduced travel times and distances, the developer notes that the tunnel would significantly reduce CO2 emissions, improve public health, reduce traffic, and will not come at any cost to taxpayers.
The 6th Annual Smart Growth Summit, held on November 16th at the Melville Marriott, was a huge success. Over 700 elected officials, government, business, non-profit, environmental, and community leaders came together for the day-long session that featured hands-on sessions focused on the implementation of Smart Growth principles.
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LED Lights Save Money On Your Holiday Season Electricity Bill
To offset the higher cost of LED lights, LIPA is offering a downloadable coupon, available at lipower.org/cei/led, that offers a discount for buyers, along with a list of participating stores. The site also lists several other benefits of LED lights. Newsday's article notes that the lights last longer and burn less fossil fuel. "To use a string of 100 conventional lights five hours a day for one month, over five seasons, you can expect ot pay $761.25. For the same number of LED lights over the same time frame, you'd be spending $7.61 in electricity. Read the editorial in Newsday here. The Neighborhood Network also offers more information and a humorous, if not informative, clip from "National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation."
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Newsday recently ran an Op/Ed piece about LIPA and the Neighborhood Network's efforts to promote LED lights this holiday season. LED lights conserve electricity and have already been put in place on holiday light displays at Rockefeller Center, with the promise of RexCorp Plaza joining the trend next year.
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. Archives of Smart Talk and Smart Growth News Weekly are available on our |
The IPCC Issues the "Summary for Policymakers of the Synthesis Report" for Climate Change 2007
The latest edition's final section, “The Synthesis Report,” issued on November 16th, provides an integrated view of climate change based on the individual reports from the three Working Groups of the IPCC. The “Summary for Policymakers of the AR4 Synthesis Report” focuses on the observed changes in climate and their effects, the causes of these changes, projected future climate change and its impacts, and mitigation options. It also offers a long-term perspective by determining what constitutes “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system” in relation to key vulnerabilities and Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC. For detailed accounts of the IPCC’s assessment reports visit their website. Mayors' Conference Makes Push for Greener, Walkable Cities From SmartGrowth.org: "The federal government must do more to fight global warming than it has done in the past seven years, but for now, 'cities must take up the slack,' even if many are struggling to convince voters about benefits of ''green'' investments and anti-pollution measures, reports New York Times writer Tom Cochran from the U.S. Conference of Mayors' two-day Climate Protection Summit in Seattle, where former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore via satellite, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and others stressed that sustainable and fiscallyong cities must be walkable, livable and energy-efficient, offer residents jobs and focus 'on people and public transit, not cars.'" Read the full article in the New York Times. Maryland Eyes Connection BEtween Sprawl and High COst of BUsing Students Some Maryland advoacy groups are calling for more walkable communities that are closer to schools in order to cut down on the immense expenses placed on bus transportation throughout sprawling developments. 1000 Friends of Maryland Executive Director Dru Schmidt-Perkins recently released the group's Yellow School Bus Blues report on just one ''hidden cost'' of recent sprawl practices statewide, which shows that total school fleet trips in the state's 23 counties have increased between 1992 and 2006 by 23 million miles to 117.2 million, and that combined county busing expenditures have risen from $215 million to $436 million. To curb related costs, they recommend local policies to maintain neighborhood schools, locate new ones where more students can walk or bike, and build bike lanes and sidewalks to make students' biking and walking safe. ''Smart growth better supports schools and makes communities stronger,'' the report points out. ''School budgets are too tight to have scarce dollars disappear out of school bus tailpipes.'' Click here to read the article from the Baltimore Sun or here for more information. |
The African Amercian Media Network is hosting its 14th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday, December 5th, from 4pm-11pm at Giggles, Comedy Plus at 468 Peninsula Blvd. in Hempstead. |
Shop Downtown This Holiday Season
One such downtown is Port Jefferson. The Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce, along with the assistance of the C.D.M. Chamber of Commerce, The Port Jefferson Arts Council, Port Jefferson C.O.C., and other area organizations, are working hand-in hand on a holiday shop local campaign at the railroad car information center. All merchants are invited to the kick-off events, to drop off their business flyers, volunteer services or staff all in an effort to help promote shop local now and in the future. To volunteer service or supplies for the Port Jefferson efforts, call Mr. Kevin Cantwell at 631-696-7353, or President Joe Savastano, at 331-1444, for general information. other Downtown Holiday Happenings Around the Island this weekend, many communities and landmarks are embracing the holiday season, with visits from Ebenezer Scrooge at this weekend's Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson to tree lighting festivities on land and sea. Long Island's largest tree will be lit for the season at RexCorp Plaza on Saturday. The lighting ceremony is from 5-6 p.m. and wraps with a visit from Santa until 7. Visit www.rexcorprealty.com/treelighting or call 516-683-0339 for more details. Great Neck native and Olympic figure skater Emily Hughes will perform on the rink as part of the free festivities. Throughout many downtowns and Main Streets, communities will be gathering to celebrate the holidays. On Saturday, Santa will be lighting the tree and sending fireworks off at Belmont Lake State Park. Families can gather at 4:15 p.m. for horse-drawn wagon rides, holiday music and displays. It's free at the park, off Exit 38 of the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon. Call 631-667-5055 or visit nysparks.com for more information. Festivities start Sunday at noon as the Ward Melville Heritage Organization celebrates its 28th Annual Holiday Festival with its "Promenade of Trees" lining paths throughout the Stony Brook Village Center. Performances from 1-5:30 p.m. include the International Baptist Church Choir; Santa arrives at 2 at the post office before lighting the 70-foot tree at 5:30. The event is also free. Call 631-751-2244 or visit wmho.org/events.asp for more information. The Syosset Chamber of Commerce's 10th annual "Holiday Lighting Spectacular" kicks off at 3:45 p.m. on Sunday with the Orchestra for Talented Youth, followed by a roster of singers, church and synagogue choirs, and dancers leading up to the lighting of the community Christmas tree and menorah. Call 516-364-7150 or visit syossetstreetfair.com for more info. If you favor a seabound celebration, visit Freeport on Friday night at 7 for "Freeport's Nautical Mile of Lights," with the second annual boat parade through Woodcleft Canal, including free rides on the Miss Freeport, Nautical Princess and Capt. Lou to see residents' holiday displays. On Saturday, there will be pony rides and crafts along the Nautical Mile from 2pm-5pm. A parade starts at 5:30 and kids eat free at some restaurants. Call 516-223-8840 for more info. |
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. For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at: |