Smart Talk
News and Views about Growth on Long Island
August, 2003
Welcome to “Smart Talk”, Vision Long Island's e-mail newsletter on Smart Growth!
While we often decry the problems impacted and exacerbated by conventional development, it is equally important to consider the successes and failures of Smart Growth planning and land-use efforts. By sharing these news updates and reports, we become better equipped to make informed land-use decisions that meet Long Island's most pressing needs including housing, open space, transportation and economic development.
We welcome your feedback! If you would like to contribute to future issues of “Smart Talk” please e-mail us: info@visionlongisland.org.
Carol Eckert, Editor
Eric Alexander, Director
Katheryn Laible, Communications Director
TABLE OF CONTENTS...........
EVENTS
"Smart Growth Awards 2003"
"Up Next…The Smart Growth Summit 2003"
TOWN NEWS
"Huntington: A Town-Wide Visioning is On the Way"
"Brookhaven Considers Overhaul of Town Code"
"Brookhaven: Middle Country Road gets its Moratorium"
"Brookhaven Targets Economic Development in Sixth District"
COUNTY NEWS
"Nassau HUB Major Investment Study Process Begins"
"Suffolk Unveils $14 Million Proposal for a Montauk Hwy Makeover"
"Ed Romaine Gets GOP Nod for County Executive Race"
LONG ISLAND NEWS
"Long Islanders: Who Are We?"
NEW YORK STATE UPDATE
"DiNapoli Offers Legislation to Increase Workforce Housing"
NATIONAL UPDATE
"Realtors get it; do you?"
"Revitalization, Funding Concerns Determine EPA's New List of Active
Superfund Cleanup Sites"
"Sprawl Taking its Toll on Elderly and Children"
IN OTHER STATES...
Massachusetts: "New Development Council to Bring Sustainable Development,
Smart Growth to Massachusetts"
Nevada: "First Leg of Las Vegas Monorail Scheduled to Open in 2004" South
Carolina: "Neighborhood Schools Get Boost from Bill Rescinding Space
Requirements"
Wisconsin: "Gov. Doyle Vetoes Bill Calling for Funding Cuts to Land
Protection Programs"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENTS
“Smart Growth Awards 2003”
VLI's second annual awards honored five individuals with Leadership Awards: Government Leadership, Civic Leadership and Corporate Leadership.
Not one but three government officials received the Government Award: State Assemblyman Thomas P. DiNapoli, Brookhaven Supervisor John Jay LaValle and Brookhaven Councilman Edward Hennessey. Our good friend, Neal Lewis, took home the Community Leadership award for his work with L.I. Neighborhood Network and the Nassau Hub Citizen Advisory Committee. Robert Cattell with KeySpan was awarded the Corporate Leadership Award in recognition of KeySpan's Cinderella Grants Program and preservation of open space in Jamestown.
In addition to the coveted Leadership awards, there were ten other categories honoring initiatives and projects that are either completed or on the way, making strides toward true Smart Growth development on Long Island.
We believe Long Island is ready for positive change in the way we grow. Over 300 attendees joined us in acknowledging the efforts of these award winners. Together, we are advancing the Smart Growth movement on Long Island in a real way, building better communities for all. To learn more about the awards visit us at http://www.visionlongisland.org/
“Up Next…The Smart Growth Summit 2003”
Join us in October for this unprecedented opportunity to make an impact!
Interactive workshops featuring key experts and decision makers from throughout the region will address the impacts of land-use practices on a variety of issues including schools, civic institutions and the local economy, housing, transportation, the environment and public health. Sessions geared toward planning and legal professionals will address cutting edge planning practices, codes and regulations. If that's not enough to get you excited, a special Civic Summit immediately following the main event will explore and discuss real life solutions for Long Island.
The primary goal of the day is to offer tools for initiating and evaluating efforts, and for developing policy on Long Island.
Last year was a precedent setting event. This year promises to deliver the same. For more information about the Summit or sponsorship opportunities, or to discuss ways to make the most of this exciting event, contact Eric Alexander at 631.261.0242.
TOWN NEWS...
“Huntington: A Town-Wide Visioning is On the Way”
Following a two-year selection process chaired by Vision Long Island, the Town of Huntington has selected Wallace Roberts Todd Associates (WRT) as the consulting firm to conduct a Town-Wide Visioning for Huntington. This effort is a major first for Long Island. Most exciting, Huntington's new Master Plan will be based on the results of the Visioning.
What is the significance? It means all of the hamlets that comprise Huntington will be given an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of their Town. It means Long Island top-down conventional planning will be turned it's ear and transformed into a bottom-up planning process that aims to address up front the concerns of it's citizenry.
A series of public planning sessions will be aimed at getting stakeholders involved at the ground level of the planning process. This approach asks residents of Huntington to weigh in on what they desire for their community, so these interests may be used as a basis for planning. This is very different from the standard process that only seeks public input after critical decisions have been made.
Now that's smart!
“Brookhaven Considers Overhaul of Town Code”
After announcing plans to rework existing commercial codes that are outdated and overly complex, several hundred stakeholders came out for a public hearing to comment on the proposed changes. The idea is to simplify, consolidate and reallocate many of the classifications that are already on the books.
In addition to the proposed code changes, there have been significant changes in the personnel and policies dealing with the planning process. All members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board will now be required to undergo training and new appointments have been made to all of the oversight boards. According to Town Planning Commissioner Dan Gulizio, ‘Special permit applications have the greatest potential for impact and the least town review. Reversing that trend is the mission of this revision'.
Most public comments were made by real estate developers and residents. Developers were suspicious of the plans, while residents were mostly supportive. They agree that the current planning process isn't working and are ready for a change. Grace Ioannindis, President of the Citizen's Action Committee proclaimed, ‘We are moving forward with Smart Growth.'
“Brookhaven: Middle Country Road gets its Moratorium”
Members of the Middle Country Road Renaissance Project were surprised last month with a long awaited moratorium on a stretch of Middle Country Road in Coram.
Residents welcome this unexpected change. They are very concerned with what they see as overdevelopment and inappropriate development on this corridor. Their main grievance is that recent land-use decisions undermine efforts underway to adopt a more comprehensive plan for the revitalization of this area.
“Brookhaven Targets Economic Development in Sixth District”
Brookhaven Town Councilman, Edward J. Hennessey, moved to authorize the expansion of the Suffolk County Industrial/Commercial Incentive Plan (ICIP) to include portions of the Montauk and William Floyd Highways. The effort is aimed at encouraging economic development, providing employment opportunities and broadening the tax base in the community.
The commercial incentive tax exemption program could be an important component of a successful revitalization on Montauk Highway. ‘I am happy to deliver this benefit to the people of Mastic Shirley,' said Councilman Hennessey.
If implemented, ICIP amends the real property tax law for the purpose of allowing an accelerated exemption schedule for commercial and industrial alterations or improvements.
Currently, all ten towns in Suffolk County participate in the program, including portions of Brookhaven Town. Prior to inclusion, the request must be considered and approved by the Suffolk County Executive and Legislature.
COUNTY NEWS...
“Nassau HUB Major Investment Study Process Begins”
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi has begun progress on the long-stalled, federally funded Major Investment Study (MIS) of the Nassau Hub area, focused around Nassau Coliseum. The Hub Citizens Advisory Committee applauds the new administration for finally moving forward with this vitally needed study.
The County has the MIS off to a good start by agreeing to our main concerns that 1) The County involve the public in the earliest stages of the project, 2) The study area be expanded from the original three mile square area to a larger traffic congestion problem confronting most of central Nassau, and 3) The County seek out planners with national reputations for innovative ideas.
Although
the County is off to a good start, most of the hard work lays ahead. Opportunity
for citizen participation and comment are ongoing. The first public scoping
session was held Tuesday, June 10, 2003 at the Hofstra University Student
Center Theater. A second meeting was a Land Use Planning and Transportation
Workshop, held Tuesday July 15. At this meeting, stakeholders participated
in an interactive process of evaluating the strengths, weaknesses and
desired outcomes for various sub-areas of the Hub, and investigating a
variety of options for density of development, economic uses, and community
resources.
County Executive Suozzi has announced that additional public meeting regarding the Hub MIS will be held in the fall. Dates have not yet been set.
Citizen activists have long been critical of the closed nature of the original planning process for the Nassau Hub. The Nassau Hub Citizens Advisory Committee was formed to fight for community input on the planning process for the Nassau Hub. It is made up of 50 civic associations, chambers of commerce, community organizations, environmental groups, and individual residents. It is a citizen watchdog group, organized by the Neighborhood Network, and is not affiliated with any governmental agency.
The Citizens Advisory Committee is primarily concerned with ensuing that the development proposed for the Hub does not increase traffic congestion in central Nassau, nor conflict with efforts to revitalize downtown business districts. The Advisory Committee has developed specific recommendations, including a map of proposed transportation routes for the upcoming MIS and for Hempstead Town
“Suffolk Unveils $14 Million Proposal for a Montauk Hwy Makeover”
The proposal is to renovate the Shirley and Mastic corridor, a 2-mile stretch that runs between Upton Blvd in Shirley and Barnes Road in Mastic.
Vision Long Island worked with the residents last year to create a vision for this area that local civic groups have been concerned about for years. Citizens wanted to avoid runaway development and to redefine the look and feel of the corridor. The big news is that one of the proposals that came out of the community vision process has been adopted with the addition of three proposed roundabouts. This will slow traffic by about 8-10 mph, promoting foot traffic while improving overall vehicular flow -- exactly what you want in a downtown area.
Stay tuned. Suffolk County officials plan to hold a public hearing sometime in August regarding the proposals.
“Ed Romaine Gets GOP Nod for County Executive Race”
Romaine has declared that fiscal stability, more aggressive efforts to prevent overdevelopment, encouragement of Smart Growth and affordable housing initiatives figure prominently in his agenda. We hope so. Let's wait and see...
LONG ISLAND NEWS...
“Long Islanders: Who Are We?”
A recent poll commissioned by the Rauch Foundation located in Garden City asked almost 1,400 Long Island residents about quality of life issues. Residents of New York City, Northern Suburbs of NYC and New Jersey Suburbs were polled on the same issues. Results showed that Long Islanders, in general, are happier with their quality of life than other Suburbanites.
Are we concerned about jobs and do we hate to sit in traffic? You bet, but overall 74% of Long Islanders rated their quality of life either ‘good' or ‘excellent.' 86% of you said you identified ‘very' or ‘fairly strongly' with your region compared to 77% of City dwellers.
Uncontrolled development registered the highest level of concern as it related to environmental issues in all three suburbs. Most Long Islanders rated Traffic Flow as ‘Fair' to
‘Good', yet Traffic was cited as one of the ‘Major Problems' facing Long Island, second only to Jobs. 75% of you granted Police protection, Sanitation, and Education high marks. At the same time Public Transportation suffered because ‘it doesn't go where you want to go'
The overwhelming majority of us, 86%, belong to some type of organization, but almost none of the respondents volunteer or are involved in a civic organization. That's not so smart, we are not involved enough to know what's going on in our own communities.
NEW YORK STATE UPDATE...
“DiNapoli Offers Legislation to Increase Workforce Housing”
Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli, D-Great Neck, drafted legislation to reward additional density only in exchange for inclusion of affordable housing.
The bill Assemblyman DiNapoli introduced in April would require ‘workforce housing' equal to 10% of any additional yield as a result of the higher density granted to the developer. If the site were not suitable for affordable housing it would provide a developer the option of making a contribution to a trust that would be slated for future development of affordable housing.
It's not a silver bullet that will put an end to the shortage of affordable housing on Long Island, but it's a smart start.
NATIONAL UPDATE...
“Realtors get it, do you?”
In a recent publication of On Common Ground, Realtors and Smart Growth , the lead article was ‘Marketing Smart Growth'. What was once old is new again. Think of it, before World War II, we planned neighborhoods, provided a mix of housing types and placed our schools, civic and religious institutions close by to create a strong sense of community.
Realtors have come to the realization that there is a strong market demand for this ‘type of neighborhood my folks grew up in' and are retooling the way they market these new developments. The key is to be geared more to selling the community rather than the house alone. The private space of the typical suburban subdivision is replaced with the public space of a more traditional neighborhood setting.
This is a paradigm shift not only for the Realtor, but for the buyer as well. It is a difficult concept to grasp in the planning stages and usually takes a project being implemented like ‘The Kentlands' in MD for people to really see the vision.
“Revitalization, Funding Concerns Determine EPA's New List of Active Superfund Cleanup Sites”
Having completed assessments of 20 Superfund toxic waste sites, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the $49-million start of long-term cleanups at ten sites and a delay for the other ten. EPA Acting Administrator Marianne L. Horinko stresses that she has made revitalization one of the ‘key themes' in her tenure, but there is ‘not enough money to start everything we want this year' and she must ‘prioritize based on risks to human health and the environment.'
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3484&state=52
“Sprawl Taking its Toll on Elderly and Children”
‘We really are in an environmental health crisis,' stated Dr. Samuel Wilson, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Research Triangle Park, N.C.)
This warning was among many at the ‘Sprawl: The Impact on Vulnerable Populations' workshop at the University of Cincinnati's Kettering Laboratory.
The problem? Sedentary lifestyles and car dependency increasing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, obesity and traffic accidents most pronounced among the elderly and children. The proposed solution? Experts stressed the need for Smart Growth -- with its mixed-use, pedestrian- friendly and socially diverse communities -- to promote more active lifestyles and opportunities for healthier forms of transportation.
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3485&state=52
IN OTHER STATES...
Massachusetts: “New Development Council to Bring Sustainable Development, Smart Growth to Massachusetts”
Although Massachusetts's lawmakers disappointed Governor Mitt Romney by refusing to fund the Executive Office of Commonwealth Development proposed for former Conservation Law Foundation president Douglas Foy, they instead appointed him Chair of a specially created seven-member Commonwealth Development Coordinating Council.
The change doesn't affect the scope of his responsibilities, the governor's communication director Eric Fehrnstrom stressed, ‘Doug Foy is not a Cabinet secretary de jure, but will continue to operate as a de facto member of the Cabinet.' Foy asserts, ‘We're going to do sustainable development and smart growth.'
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3492&state=22
Nevada: “First Leg of Las Vegas Monorail Scheduled to Open in 2004”
Concerned about Las Vegas traffic congestion, air pollution and flat downtown business, area officials and activists put their best hopes in the monorail, the Clark County Regional Transportation Commission's most expensive transit project.
Its $650-million first segment between casinos and convention centers is scheduled for completion early next year. The $1 billion second segment between the Strip and the downtown area is likely to open in 2006.
Sierra Club conservation organizer J.J. Straight expects this great ‘innovation for tourists and workers' to eliminate 4.4 million car trips a year, increase property values along the route by 30 percent, and ‘revitalize downtown and invigorate smart growth.'
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3494&state=29
South Carolina: “Neighborhood Schools Get Boost from Bill Rescinding Space Requirements”
In line with his first State-of-the-State speech's pledge to ‘bring back smaller community-centered schools' where no child is ignored and many live within easy walking or biking distance, Republican Governor Mark Sanford signed a neighborhood-school bill, rescinding school acreage requirements and allowing square footage waivers.
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3497&state=41
Wisconsin: “Gov. Doyle Vetoes Bill Calling for Funding Cuts to Land Protection Programs”
‘Protecting the environment is one of my highest priorities as governor,' said Democratic Governor Jim Doyle at Governor Nelson State Park on the north shore of Lake Mendota, announcing his decision to veto Republican-sponsored cuts of 43 percent -- from $572 million to $327 million by 2010 -- in the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship bonding program. This bonding program has saved from development more than 250,000 acres across Wisconsin so far.
For more, see: http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3498&state=50
Many of the National Smart Growth updates are provided by the US EPA Smart Growth Network. For more information about Vision Long Island please contact us at:
Vision Long Island
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One
Northport, NY 11768
(631) 261-0242
(631) 754-4452 Fax
info@visionlongisland.org
www.visionlongisland.org