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Be a Smart Growth News or Smart Talk Visionary
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.
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Smart Growth Awards Nomination Deadline Extended
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 here. Nomination forms and other materials 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. Please send high-quality copies, as we cannot ensure the return of materials. Sponsorship packages are available. Reserve your seats today. Click here for the nomination form or here for the registration form.
Strategies for DOT Reform Meets with DOT Reps, Airs Grievances
Like a bad report card, there were several reoccurring “areas of improvement” for the DOT such as improved coordination with local communities, collaboration amongst entities and much better communication with the public.
For more details, see David Winzelberg’s article in the Long Island Business News. Trump Hearing Again Denies Basement Ordinance
On the other side were rows of residents; some nodding off after hours waiting for the hearing to begin and others taking copious notes. One resident and student at Nassau Community College expressed support for the project and revitalization of the waterfront, a major asset for region. One of the few people under 40 in the room, he said, "Something beats nothing." His opinion was shared by some people in the room sporting "We're With Trump" stickers, but many voices disapproved of the project itself and the way it was being handled. Above all, the fact that this was the first of a series of hearings to be held on the island stung like sea salt in the eye.
Stay tuned for more information on tenacious Trump’s proposal for Jones Beach. First State of the MTA Address Given at Cooper Union; Highlights the need for Congestion Pricing
Mr. Sanders laid out an ambitious plan for the region's transit with increased access, frequency, improved communication and technology. He also outlined several monumental projects that would increase interoperability between the region's various transportation entities such as New Jersey Transit, Metro North, and the Port Authority.
The MTA is also taking a more vested interest in the relationship between public transportation and land use. Mr. Sanders emphasized the importance of Smart Growth principles, such as mixed uses and transit-oriented development, to increase transit ridership and decrease dependence on the automobile. He cited the Metro North's TOD project in the city of Beacon, in Dutchess County, on the Upper Hudson Line. In conjunction with these visionary and bold projects, is a growing understanding of the dire need for a transportation revolution from the federal, cultural, and political arenas in regards to mass transit. A combination of climate, demographic, and economical trends are starting to shake up the chain of bureaucracy and the words of "smart growth" and "transit-oriented development," finally spoken by the MTA, will hopefully become more than words.
According to Kate Slevin of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Long Island's historically anti-mass transit culture viewpoints are changing to appreciate housing variety, downtowns, and more transit choices. "We are seeing a shift in what we want as a society," Slevin said. "It's a very slow process." Combined with a gradual shift in public opinion and the time it takes for these ambitious plans to get off the ground, it may be a while before Long Islanders see any of these visions realized but, as Samuels' article shows, at least Long Island is finally on the right track. Despite Toll Hikes, Mass Transit still the Cheaper Way to Go for Most Long Island Commuters
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Due to a strong response from the community, VISION is extending the deadline for Smart Growth Award nominations to Friday, March 14th, 2008. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 12th, from 11:30am to 2:00pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. 
After years of working with, and often against the New York State Department of Transportation, a focus group of elected officials, civic leaders, planners and activists were finally able to sit down with them on Thursday, March 6th at the Neighborhood Network’s office on Route 110 in East Farmingdale. The main goal of the work session was to define the existing region-wide problems with the DOT and develop a frame of principles or strategies that they can then work with to reform their approach, process, and structure. 
Some clear solutions were also provided. The first was to stop seeing road widening as a viable solution to traffic congestion; instead, they should invest in existing infrastructure. Secondly, the DOT has to integrate land use and work with the municipalities so that zoning codes and master plans work with and not against the transportation. A third point is that most people want to be able to walk and bike safely; there must be more attention to all users of the streets by designing safe streets with traffic calming features, buffers and medians. Lastly, DOT must involve the community from the get-go by collaboratively defining the problems and consistently engaging the public in the process of finding the solutions. Several projects were repeatedly referred to as sore spots for those around the table, like the intermodal station, the third rail on the LIRR, and horrific road “improvements.”
Some might hail this event as a form of torture in strapping the DOT down to listen to the gripes and groans of Long Islanders. Others would say that the DOT never got a chance to punch back when everyone around the table got to take a hit. Either way, at the end of the day, it was clear, despite the punches, that the DOT is at least open to the idea of change so mandated for by these leaders with their own new leadership, Commissioner Astrid Glynn. They recognized that “they had a problem” and that is the first step to getting help.
VISION's roving reporter spent much of her time at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on Tuesday, March 4th, behind the coveted entry to Trump's variance hearing. A line of people, who hadn't been part of the reported "hundreds" turned away earlier that morning, were waiting to be allowed into the hearing. The seats were filled, people were standing at the back of the room and along the walls, and still the room was at capacity of 260 people, or so the guard at the entry said. While the morning's drama, over the presence of media cameras, had resulted in a temporary recess, the dissent over the public's restriction to only comment on the variance continued well past noon.
On one side of the gate, there was a lot of negativity about the hearing itself, the proposal, and the effects on the Jones Beach sewage treatment plant. 
This ad-hoc reporter apologizes for her lack of details as to the meeting itself, but more details came from members of the press later that day who had free passage into the event. Several hours later, Donald Trump was denied his variance. Consequentially, his attorney, Steven Schlesinger promised to file suit by Monday against the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservations, who signed the lease for 
The MTA Executive Director, Elliot Sander, gave the first-ever "State of the MTA" address, in the historic Great Hall of Cooper Union, on Monday, March 3rd. Packed with a diverse crowd of students, suits, camera crews, and flashing lights, the energy clearly illustrated the importance of the morning's address to the public and those invested in the improvement of the region's public transportation systems. 
While all of the projects will have significant effects for the region, several will directly impact Long Island and our current quagmire of congestion. The most obvious are the revenues from the congestion pricing proposal that will go towards projects like the East Side access to Grand Central Station, the 3rd track on the LIRR, and bus rapid transit. Long term possibilities for the LIRR that are in the theoretical stages include a connection to LaGuardia Airport from the LIRR Woodside station and expanding shuttle service from suburb to suburb, going north and south. 
It is more than obvious to most people living, working, or playing on Long Island that we have a problem with automobile congestion. Michael H. Samuels' article in the February 29-March 6th edition of Long Island Business News, "
Representative Steve Israel of Huntington felt that "a mass transit renaissance in suburban New York is possible," but would require much more financial support from the federal government. "One of the reasons Long Island has fallen behind in mass transit is that the federal government has turned its back on infrastructure funding to localities." Mitch Pally, Suffolk County's representative to the MTA Board, felt that carpooling is a piece of the solution, in conjunction with LIRR utilizing inter-Island transit as well as to the city. Ernest Fazio, chairman of the Long Island Mid-Suffolk Business Action, added that a light-rail system along Route 110 and a track connecting the Montauk and Port Jefferson lines would all for more inter-Island transit.
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Accessory Apartments Pass in Riverhead
MTA and LIRR Meet with Vintage Group
The Vintage Square Project is currently the only proposed TOD (Transportation Oriented Development) project on Eastern Long Island. The plans call to establish an intermodal connection for rail and bus travelers to a trolley system which would effectively reduce traffic bound for the Orient SeaJet Ferry by 90% and eliminate the hazardous parking situation in Orient created by walk-on ferry passengers. This proposed transportation system will create the necessary linkage for seamless interstate travel from Manhattan to New England. Those taking the walk-on ferry to New London, CT can park at Vintage Square in a protected, managed parking structure and be shuttled by trolley to Orient Point. This plan would keep approximately 160,000 vehicles off North Fork roads each year reducing air pollution and roadway wear and tear. The green effect will be carried further by using clean alternative fuel trolleys. More information on the Vintage Group is available here. Local Smart Growth Activist Highlighted In Newsday's Long Island Life
The article included the work of several young activists who come from a variety of backgrounds, interests and communities. A talented group who are dedicated to a wide range of causes, they are united in their desire to give back to the community and the possibility that they may not be able to afford to stay here and continue their work. Even while Ms. Whitty struggles to afford living on Long Island, she holds seminars to teach homeowners how to manage their budgets and pay their mortgages when interest rates increase. While the lack of high-paying jobs and shortage of affordable housing does add to their challenges, young activists are fighting the good fight for those "intricate details," as Ms. Whitty says, of causes from prior decades. Hempstead Town Adopts EnergyStar® Homes Law.
Originally proposed by the Neighborhood Network more than two years ago, the idea of making the voluntary, nationally-recognized Energy Star Homes program a mandatory requirement slowly gained ground amongst environmental organizations, builders and elected officials. Now, seven Long Island towns are demonstrating leadership on energy and environment issues by adopting this law. “Now we need to keep pushing to get all 13 towns to act — Long Island can lead the nation,.” said Neal Lewis. Long Island towns that have yet to join the program include North Hempstead, Islip, Smithtown, East Hampton, Southhold and Shelter Island. For more information, visit the Neighborhood Network's website. Cablevision Editorial Focuses on Mineola Condominiums
Watch the editorial to hear the newscast and learn more about these projects. |
According to Valerie Cotsales' March 2nd article in the New York Times, the battle over Sag Harbor's Bulova Watchcase Factory site is coming to close. The article, entitled "
The article states that the proposal mostly met with public support over the past few months of public hearings. Many speakers felt the law would provide much needed affordable housing as well as a source of income for older residents who could then rent out part of their home. Councilwoman Barbara Blass expects anticipates that the town will receive applications as soon as the law becomes formal. The new law simultaneously addresses the community's and regional shortage of affordable housing for the work-force, young professionals and the growing needs of our aging population.
A press release from the Vintage Group, developers of Vintage Square in Riverhead, shared the details of a roundtable discussion on February 28th between the Vintage Group, the MTA, LIRR, Vision Long Island, Suffolk County Legislature, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, Riverhead Town Board members, Riverhead Community Development Agency, and local business and labor leaders. In total, more than 2 dozen people attended the meeting in which The Vintage Group presented its vision for the $70 million Vintage Square Project for downtown Riverhead.
Newsday recently featured the work of a number of young activists on Long Island in their March 2nd edition of "Long Island Life." The article, written by Dave Marcus, was entitled, "
According to a press release from the Neighborhood Network, the Town of Hempstead is the 7th town on Long Island to adopt the EnergyStar Home Law, which created stricter energy standards for new homes. Executive Director of the Neighborhood Network Neal Lewis states that “this measure will reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, reduce our reliance on foreign oil, reduce the energy bills for town residents that live in the new homes for decades to come, and it will promote economic growth by pumping up the green construction industry.”
A Cablevision editorial featured the recent approval of The Winston, a 9 story apartment building on Old Country Road in Mineola. Supported by Mayor Jack Martins, the project will bring people to downtown Mineola, provide affordable housing units for seniors and is “neither too tall nor too big for its Old Country Road site.” Other Long Island projects that further the prototype of a “smart growth strategy,” that will reinvigorate ailing downtowns with higher density housing, can learn from the process and approach of Polimeni’s proposal. With the Winston’s overwhelming success in Mineola, other projects in the works, like Patchogue’s, may have found the recipe to moving from community consideration to community acceptance. When it comes to taller heights or increased density, a project must find the appropriate context in its location, surrounding buildings and community needs.|
The LICC, like many other charities, is struggling to feed a growing number of in-need Long Islanders. “Donations have been strong,” explains the Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director of the Council, “but every month, more and more people come to us for emergency food. This is particularly true in Eastern Suffolk. We fed 1095 people in January at our Riverhead Emergency Food Center, up from 644 in January, 2007, and nearly three times the numbers we fed three or four years ago. We fed 42 families there in just a few hours last Wednesday and the shelves are nearly bare.” The LICC and other emergency food pantries will gladly take non-perishable food of any kind--even fruitcake. Monetary donations are welcome, of course, and even more helpful. Donations for the LICC can be dropped off at their Riverhead office (407 Osborne Avenue at Lincoln, opposite the Polish Town Civic Association, 631-727-2210), their Hempstead office (in Christ’s 1st Presbyterian Church at the village green on Nichol’s Court, 516-565-0290), or their Freeport Emergency Food Center (450 North Main Street, 516-868-4989). The LICC encourages donations to any food pantry, not just ones that they run. Downstate Suburban Workforce Act
Supporting documentation can be found here, along with sample letters here and here that can be modified and sent out. Tell Your Legislators to Support Congestion Pricing
In order for this to happen, the State Legislature must approve the plan by March 31. VISION urges everyone to urge their state legislators to pass this modified congestion pricing plan and bring much-needed traffic relief and transit improvements to the region. |
Do you have anything that needs to be cleaned out of your cupboard? Why not donate them to your local emergency food pantry? The Long Island Council of Churches urges you to do some spring cleaning and remember your neighbors in need as you clean out your kitchen ("C.O.O.K.") and pantry.
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.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign recently highlighted the NYC Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission's modified congestion pricing plan, which they say proposes an answer to the region's overcrowded buses, subways and roads that will cut commute times, achieve real traffic reductions, and reduce air pollution throughout the region, and raise more than $500 million a year for transit.
New Milford, CT Smart Growth Ordinance Denied
The proposed four-level building would’ve been raised on stilts, since the site is in a flood plain, which caused many safety concerns for members of the Commission. Zoning Enforcement Officer Laura Regan had questioned several aspects of the proposed regulation, including traffic flow information and complications from the flood prone area. Zoner Bill Taylor said the commission should embrace mixed-use regulations that are applied fairly, but the proposal had too many regulation "exception clauses" that he said say "If I do this, then I can do that." "It's written very favorably for a specific individual," he said. The Presidential Race and the Future of National Transportation Policy An article from the Los Angeles Times on February 4th, entitled “How Will the Next President Shape National Transportation Policy,” raised an important question about this year’s presidential contest. Writer Steve Hymon suggests that these presidential candidates ''have offered little more than platitudes'' about transportation. Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ''have indicated that they want more mass transit'' amongst Republicans, Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney have said little, with the latter convinced that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could ''lessen dependence on foreign oil,'' while Texas Representative Ron Paul and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee would likely put more school buses on the road and widen I-95 on the East Coast, respectively. The writer then asked experts about what ''can a president do'' to relieve road congestion and other transportation issues. ''If a new president came into office and made it a priority to revise the way that we spend our transportation funds and if the president spent an enormous amount of energy and political capital trying to make it happen, it might,'' said Claremont McKenna College professor of government Andy Busch, noting a problematic congressional habit of loading transportation bills with ''earmarks,'' or funds for their local ''pet'' projects. Rand Corp. specialist Martin Wachs, who helped write the Clinton campaign's transportation policy paper without endorsing her, said the next president should try to increase the nation's mobility and counter global warming, a tough challenge given that that transportation is responsible for one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. ''I don't think she or any of the candidates have said enough to satisfy me,'' he told the writer, hoping to hear more from all. For more information, visit the LA Times or Smart Growth Online. International News - UK Takes on Car-less Community Planning An article from “Kicking Tires: The Blog for Car Buyers,” revealed that the British government is taking the idea of compact communities, more tightly organized communities which create less car trips, to a new level. According to the article, “As Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his government plan the construction of “eco-towns” across the English countryside, they plan to make at least one of these hamlets a completely car-free zone. The town will serve as a prototype, and if all goes well, others may soon pop up.” The blog raises some good questions about this experiment. Considering that residents of the 10,000-home development will have to either walk or use public transportation to get around, what would happen to those who have mobility issues, like the elderly, invalid or handicapped? What happens in the event of an emergency? |
According to an article from the 
dan Burden of Walkable Communities, Inc. will return to Oyster Bay on March 14 – 15
Dan Burden has returned to Oyster Bay to help the community develop a vision for the Town of Oyster Bay’s Municipal Lot #06, also known as “Firemen’s Field.” Mr. Burden, who has expertise as a community consensus builder, will serve as a neutral facilitator and will help the community address the concerns and opportunities raised by the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s (TRA) proposal. The Walking Tour at the proposed site will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 15th; the Town Meeting will be held that afternoon from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Further details, including the location of the Town Meeting, will follow in the coming weeks. Call 516-922-6982 for details. Cold Spring Harbor Library Event on March 18th
Visit the Cold Spring Harbor Library's website for more information. Long Island Progressive Coalition Celebrating 29th Anniversary on March 29th
Tickets are $65 each, with a discount for 2 at $110 and a table of 12 for $600. Sponsorship and journal advertisement opportunities are also available. For more information, visit the LIPC's website. RPA to Hold 18th Annual Regional Assembly on April 18th
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Members of the community are invited to attend a walking tour and town meeting to consider the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s proposal to locate a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Museum and Research Center at Municipal Lot #06. The event is sponsored by the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association. 
The Cold Spring Harbor Library will be hosting an event on March 18th to bring awareness to the community about Smart Growth, Energy, and the Environment. This interactive discussion brings together members of Vision Long Island, the North Shore Land Alliance, and the Neighborhood Network and takes place from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
REP-LI is holding a luncheon to celebrate 29 years of the Long Island Progressive Coalition on Saturday, March 29th, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, at the Timber Point Country Club in Great River. Honorees at the luncheon, celebrating the fight for social and human dignity, include RWDSU/Local 338 President John Durso, Vision Long Island Executive Director Eric Alexander, New York State Assemblyman Charles Lavine, Reach Out America's Barbara Zeller, South Fork LIPC's Helen Fitzgerald, the AQE Youth Committee, and Volunteer of the Year Barbara Buehring.
The Regional Plan Association has launched a 
Landmark on Main St. in Port Washington to Host "An Irish Evening with Cathy Ryan"
Visit the website for more details.
Visit this tasty spot’s website for more details: |
This weekend, visit Port Washington's Landmark on Main Street for an “Irish Evening with Cathy Ryan” on Friday, March 7th at 8pm. Sponsored by WFUV, Sandy Hollow Associates, LLC and Finn MacCool’s, this singer-songwriter is one of Celtic music’s most popular and enduring artists. 
Another landmark for arts and music to visit this weekend is the Eastenders Coffee House, in the heart of historic downtown Riverhead. On the calendar for this weekend is a performance by Blue Wild Angel, a Jimmy Hendrix cover-band, Friday night from 8 to 11pm. On Saturday, from 1-3pm you can hear the modern R&B sounds of Clutch & Ahmad. |
VISION staff was unsure whether to place this image in the category of Sight for Sore Eyes or as an Eyesore. In the end, we decided that this image of a "Katrina Mansion" (whether it really exists or not) is a creative solution to a distressing problem that has affected the Gulf region for too long. |
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: |
