Smart Talk
News and Views About Growth on Long Island
November,
2003
We received a terrific response from readers
of our inaugural newsletter. Thank you to all who responded with
comments, suggestions and corrections. We welcome your feedback!
We keep our eyes and ears open for current issues related to Smart Growth on Long Island. If you would like to contribute to future issues of "Smart Talk" please e-mail us at info@visionlongisland.org
Carol
Eckert, Editor
Eric Alexander, Director
Katheryn Laible, Communications Director
TABLE OF CONTENTS…
EVENTS
SAVE
THE DATE!! November 21 st is the 2003 Smart Growth Summit: “Making Smart
Growth Work”
TOWN
NEWS
Huntington Gives Thumbs Up for Open
Space and Thumbs Down for MTA Rail Yard
More Roundabouts on the Horizon for Huntington?
Brookhaven Announces Plans for Community Preservation Fund
East Patchogue: Old Caldor Site May Get Second Chance
A Mini Manhattan Where Pilgrim State Used To Be
Questioning Glen-Cove's New Apartments
Greenport
Still Funky After All These Years
COUNTY
NEWS
Nassau: LI Bus Cuts Stalled for Now
LONG
ISLAND NEWS
Rent Increases Continue to Outpace
Incomes
Long
Island Environmental Voters Forum
STATE NEWS
New
York City's Growth Is Doomed
NATIONAL UPDATE
Help on the Way for Communities Seeking
Guidance for Smart Growth
Landmark Study Describes Link Between Sprawl and Obesity
STATE BY STATE
Georgia:
Curbing Sprawl is Key to Eliminating Hazards of Smog
Maryland: Baltimore's "Smart Commute" Program Adds Incentives
for Home Purchases Near Transit Stations
Wisconsin: Gov. Doyle Expects State Smart Growth Law to Remain in Force
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VLI
NEWS & EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE!!
November
21st is the 2003 Smart Growth Summit: “Making Smart Growth Work”
Government,
business, development, not-for-profit and other key leaders are coming
together for Vision Long Island's annual interactive land-use conference,
the Smart Growth Summit. Last year was a precedent setting event that
drew over 600 participants. This year promises to deliver the same.
Last year the Summit went far to put Smart Growth on the map and has helped synergize project-based development and community efforts. Recommendations coming out of the event have influenced legislative and policy agendas on Federal, State, County and municipal levels, and have acted as catalysts in the private sector. Follow-up, including a special session geared toward builders, has resulted in a series of mixed-use proposals from the development community.
This year's theme is “Making Smart Growth Work”. An extraordinary array of leadership has committed to participate, including Suffolk County Executive elect Steve Levy and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. In addition, to date the Supervisors of Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Hempstead and North Hempstead have agreed to participate. There will be strong involvement from planning and zoning board members, engineering, highway, and transportation leadership as well.
The event will feature workshops and interactive sessions dedicated not simply to educating about best practices, but to forging consensus on policies that will transform both the planning process and resulting built products. Topics include Regional Planning, Brownfields Redevelopment, New Techniques in Community Design, Housing Opportunities, Economic Development, Transportation, Codes, Sprawl and Public Health, Sewers and Infrastructure, and Smart Growth 101.
For
more information about the Summit, sponsorship opportunities, or to discuss
ways to make the most of this exciting event, call Eric Alexander at 631-261-0242.
Visit our web site, www.visionlongisland.org
TOWN NEWS
Huntington Gives Thumbs Up for Open Space and Thumbs Down for
MTA Rail Yard
MTA Rail Yard: August was a busy month at Huntington Town Hall.
The agenda item garnering the most attention was a public hearing to collect
testimony that will be used to fight a proposed 16-track MTA rail yard
on any site in the Town of Huntington. Two sites still being eyed
by the MTA are in Huntington Station and in East Northport. Both
were deemed unacceptable by the several hundred residents in attendance
and a united Town Board.
Several years ago Councilman Mark Cuthbertson led the charge to shut down plans for a facility on Lake Road in Greenlawn. Huntington thought it had won. However, it appears that while they may have won a battle, the war had just begun.
Residents feel left out of the planning process and suspect notification of proposed sites is intentionally released at the final hour to hinder the appeal process. The MTA, however, insists that this is just an early stage in the planning process. A series of public hearings are being held in various locations, with one in East Northport scheduled for November 12th.
The MTA says they need the storage facility to accommodate increased ridership. An increase in ridership and, therefore, less dependency on cars sounds like a good thing. However, residents feel that the railroad is failing to take into account other transportation plans and studies that impact the entire region. They argue that proposing sites based on their size and convenience to the Port Jefferson line, despite their proximity to residential areas, is unreasonable. The situation has devolved into a shout down by the Town of Huntington to rule out consideration of any possible sites.
We think it's time for both sides to start communicating in a neutral forum that allows for a productive exchange of ideas so a workable solution can be found.
Sounds
smart to us.
Open Space Referendum: On a more positive note, the Town Board voted unanimously to add a $30 million open-space bond referendum to the ballot this November. The last bond, voted on in 1998, received overwhelming support and was approved by 72% of voters. This year the referendum passed with 65.4% in favor.
Through
the bond, $20 million will be allocated to open-space, $7 million to
park improvements and $3 million for neighborhood enhancements.
The $10 million slated for park improvements and neighborhood enhancements
will allow the Town to continue to maintain the parkland it already owns,
while bringing needed funds to areas that do not have open space to acquire
but could use the funding to improve the character of their existing community.
More
Roundabouts on the Horizon for Huntington?
In its proposal for NYS Route 110
Reconstruction & Drainage from Prime Avenue to Young's Hill Road,
the New York State Department of Transportation, lays out three primary
goals:
• Provide a cost effective drainage system to help alleviate existing deficiencies.
• Reconstruct the NY Route 110 pavement and shoulder from Prime Ave to Young's Hill Road.
• Provide traffic flow alterations to improve existing travel patterns as well as provide an increased level of safety and access for all users.
The
third item -- where the roundabouts come in -- was added after an initial
traffic study found that two existing intersections require significant
improvements despite having received updates to their traffic signals.
The proposed roundabouts and median islands will enhance traffic flow,
improve the area's appearance, reduce pavement area, and provide shorter
safer streets to cross.
Brookhaven Community Preservation Fund Proposal Pulled from Ballot
Preservation funds have been established in all five East End townships. Brookhaven was looking to follow suit when Supervisor John Jay LaValle and NYS Senator Ken LaValle announced a proposition to establish a Community Preservation Fund.
The fund would have provided dollars needed to protect environmentally sensitive sites and to improve the overall quality of life in the Town. The Southampton fund amassed over $67 million in just under five years.
The Brookhaven fund was to be financed through a 2% transfer tax on property purchased for more than $250,000. However, language in the bill did not clearly indicate whether it was the buyer or the seller who paid the tax. As such, the bill was challenged and then pulled from the ballot.
Brookhaven is not giving up yet. The Town intends to resubmit the proposition. Stated LaValle, "As the largest Township in New York State, the potential for Brookhaven's preservation efforts will sky rocket. This will change the face of Brookhaven forever."
East Patchogue: Old Caldor Site May Get Second Chance
A Smithtown-based real estate investment group is kicking around the idea of Smart Growth on a nearly abandoned Caldor site on Montauk Highway. The owner proposes to demolish the existing building and create street-level retail units with second and third stories dedicated to a mix of affordable and market rate apartments.
The proposal follows recommendations in the October 2000 “Smart Growth Policy Plan for Suffolk County” that encourage the redevelopment of old strip malls into mixes of housing and retail.
While an official proposal for the site has not been submitted, Brookhaven seems interested. Planning Commissioner Dan Gulizio stated that "It's an interesting concept, the Town would give serious consideration to a neo-traditional or Smart Growth development, which is akin to the traditional downtown. It represents a nice opportunity."
Places like this abandoned strip mall present golden opportunities to reclaim areas taken over by sprawl and to create working communities. This is Smart Growth.
A Mini Manhattan Where Pilgrim State Used To Be
That's how Jerry Wolkoff describes his vision for the old Pilgrim State site located at the crossroads of Long Island: the Long Island Expressway and the Sagtikos Parkway. His plan is to raise an old style city on the defunct site, taking a stab at New Urbanism right here on Long Island. He'll call it Heartland Town Square.
The proposal was featured in a recent Newsday article, where the tone was both optimistic and cautionary. Reasons for optimism were found in the idea of a healthy community in the heartland of sprawl. Build it there and you can build it anywhere. Caution flags were raised for the facsimile of a community that could result instead. It's not easy to overcome the guaranteed local opposition to such a plan without compromising the original vision.
Wolkoff plans on pouring more than 4 billion dollars into the 52-acre site over the next several decades. His vision is a destination where people live work and play all within Heartland. Plans include 9000 town house apartments encircling office buildings, boutique retail space, larger retail locations and a movie theater. There will be art on display in town squares and tree-lined streets in a village setting. The proposed density is 44 residents per acre.
This level of density in the heart of Long Island is a major concern. That most residents will not regularly travel outside the community seems highly unlikely. The road improvements Heartland will necessitate and the additional burdens on an already overtaxed highway system present serious challenges.
So-called “moderate” rents will range from $1,100/month for a studio apartment to upwards of $3,000 for a 3-bedroom. The plan won't pass the New Urbanist "Popsicle test", either, where a 10-year old child can safely walk to a store alone to buy a Popsicle without crossing unsafe highways, blighted areas, or parking lots, either. Well…if it's an adults-only development, it won't pass the first test of a true community, anyway.
Wolkoff is quoted in the Newsday article as saying he won't rent to families. He claims he will use gentle persuasion to discourage children from joining the community by not offering 3 bedroom units. Only 1-bedroom units for a 10-year lease will be available.
There is however, a lot to hope for here. Thomas Isles, Director of the Suffolk County Planning Department realizes his jurisdiction is 90 percent built-out, "If we look at where the opportunities are, they're in the redevelopment and infill of institutional sites."
Long Island's future lies in redevelopment. There are only 20,000 acres of unprotected farmland left in Suffolk County. If built out under the misguided zoning regulations in place today, at best 20,000 new homes are left to build.
Wolkoff's plan is bold. It could change the face of future development not only on Long Island but for other areas in the Northeast as well. This type of development is working in other areas of the United States, but it has fallen short when too many concessions have been made.
It is difficult to find one's way through the regulatory maze of zoning and civic opposition to anything new on Long Island. If Wolkoff can address the community's legitimate concerns while staying true to the original Smart Growth vision, this could be the start of something good.
For the time being we are cautiously optimistic that this may be a smart thing.
Questioning Glen-Cove's New Apartments
The Long Island Press recently ran a piece questioning the benefit of a new 256-unit, five story mid-rise called Avalon Bay I to the city of Glen Cove. A second, 108-unit, four story Avalon building is planned for completion by the end of the year.
According to the Press, opinions are split between Glen Cove's Business Improvement District (BID) and Planning Board, who feel the buildings will bring consumers and a strengthened tax-base, and the County Planning Commission and local residents who find the structure an oversized departure from the community character and a hindrance to people and cars trying to safely navigate downtown Glen Cove.
A major complaint from detractors is that the city is not waiting to see how the first building fares before allowing completion of the second. Jed Morey, Republican mayoral candidate for Glen Cove and publisher of The LI Press would like to see the impact on traffic and if the rental spaces – averaging $2,000 for a one-bedroom unit – will even be filled.
According to Morey, “Our demand is, now that we have to deal with the first one, they must stop the second one, because there's no reason to bring it in if they're not going to wait to see if there is a hazard [created by the first building].”
While we generally support infill housing, we also have our doubts. According to VLI Director Eric Alexander, “It's not wrong to have an apartment building in a downtown. The question is to what degree it's connected to the downtown, particularly for pedestrians.”
We believe that if the city wants new housing to generate local consumers, it had better consider whether there's easy access to local retail. Appropriate downtown housing is safe, attractive, convenient for walking, and in line with the character of the surrounding community. Is Avalon Bay I? We think the city should wait and see.
Greenport Still Funky After All These Years
In the 70's, almost half of Greenports downtown retail was vacant. You could find a home in the neighborhood of $20,000 and no one thought Greenport could come back from being one of the most depressed economies on Long Island.
Then came the grapes. The 20 odd vineyards that now dot the East End are breathing new life into an old town that time somehow forgot.
The real success story here is not about grapes but about Greenport, and how the town has managed its comeback without falling into the over-commercialization trap that has plagued other hamlets in the east.
Greenport, has so far managed the success of the vineyards well, and has become the capital of the North Fork. Much of the old Greenport remains. The Arcade bustles with visitors looking for a good old fashioned five and dime bargain. Claudio's Restaurant has been a major destination for the seasoned traveler since 1870, while new shops and restaurants have filled all the empty storefronts. The waterfront is undergoing a major revitalization, including installation of the old Grumman Carousel -- complete with a chance to grab the brass ring -- in the center of the waterfront park.
It seems Greenport has definitely grabbed that brass ring. "People come here because it's real and it's a little funky," says Mayor Kapell, "With some good luck, it will stay a little funky." We hope so.
COUNTY NEWS
NASSAU
LI Bus Cuts Stalled for Now
After learning of more than $15 million in unanticipated savings from changes to the NY State Medicare program, Nassau County officials decided to restore 50% of the $4.8 million cut in Nassau's LI Bus subsidy. The rest will be used to help pay down principle of the County's debt, saving the County $3 million per year.
The public transportation cuts found in County Executive Tom Souzzi's 2004 budget proposal are expected to eliminate seven weekday routes, and reduce an additional 28. The $2.4 million proposal from legislative Democrats will postpone the changes until June.
While the county urges LI Bus to spend its budget more efficiently, legislative Democrats continue to oppose the cuts. According to Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), “My members were totally opposed to that cut and we made that very clear from the beginning…This was something we knew we had to restore in some way.”
LONG ISLAND NEWS
Rent Increases Continue to Outpace Long Island Incomes
According to a recent Newsday article, Long Island continues to be among the least affordable in a nation experiencing a rental-housing crisis. They reported that the annual “Out of Reach” study conducted by the Low Income Housing Coalition found that a minimum-wage worker has to work 198 hours per week to afford a standard 2-bedroom apartment.
An apartment is considered affordable if it costs 30% of one's income or less. Therefore, a person must make nearly $53,000 a year to afford an average $1324/month two-bedroom apartment.
The Campaign for Affordable Rental Housing is a coalition of more than 60 business and labor groups, government officials and housing groups. They have been working hard to put faces on the issue, highlighting the significant strain housing costs are putting on Long Island's workforce. Among those most impacted include our teachers, nurses, and firemen and other hardworking residents.
We believe much of the opposition to affordable housing is driven by fear: fear of negative impacts on home values and schools, fear of “those people”. Many of the myths surrounding affordable housing are either unfounded or result from poor planning and lack of integration of home values.
Among the greatest threats we really face is the loss of the workforce that drives Long Island business, the loss of children who don't come home after college because they can't afford to live here, and the loss of family as most parents struggle to keep a roof over their kid's heads.
We believe Long Island is in big trouble if people don't begin to agree that we need to provide places to live for the people that drive our economy. We need modestly priced housing that is attractive, walkable, and blended into communities to become homes that people can be proud of. This kind of growth has proven to be an asset to communities across the country. This is Smart Growth.
NEW YORK STATE UPDATE
New York City's Growth Is Doomed
A recent study financed by the Rockefeller Foundation and authored by the nonprofit group, The Center for an Urban Future, says the City should abandoned the "doomed strategy" of courting a few industries like finance and should instead concentrate on improving the climate for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The report runs counter to the long-standing practice of "corporate welfare", whereby the city uses tax abatements and real estate development subsidies to keep big companies in New York.
It makes some direct recommendations, such as doing more to encourage the growth of immigrant and minority owned businesses. It also promotes extending economic development efforts beyond large-scale commercial projects centered in Manhattan's Midtown, to neighborhoods in all five boroughs, and recommends that the city support policies that help retain middle-class residents by increasing housing stock.
The good news is that the current administration is already acting on many of these recommendations for sustainable growth.
NATIONAL UPDATE
Help on the Way for Communities Seeking Guidance for Smart Growth
Aware of a rift between good ideas and opportunities for their implementation, the Smart Growth Leadership Institute is inviting communities committed to Smart Growth but held back by outdated codes, misinformation and internal opposition to apply for technical assistance from its team of national policy, planning, development and design experts, who will help successful applicants assess their codes and zoning ordinances for any inconsistency with Smart Growth policies; examine their approval process to eliminate redundancy and streamline procedures; identify "smart sites," or potential locations for smart growth projects; and create design standards and review protocols best suited to smart growth objectives and most likely to win over local opponents.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3567&state=52
Landmark Study Describes Link Between Sprawl and Obesity
Although most discussions about sprawl and Smart Growth focus on the loss of open space or the huge public cost of sprawl subsidies, the "most fundamental aspect is health," since "with sprawl, we are designing obesity and high blood pressure and heart attacks and asthma right into our lives," said Smart Growth Leadership Institute president, former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening, as the American Journal of Health Promotion published a landmark study....
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3568&state=52
STATE BY STATE
GEORGIA
Curbing Sprawl Is Key to Eliminating Hazards of Smog
"If smog isn't routed, it returns," writes Smart Growth America
Communications Director and former Atlanta Journal-Constitution associate editor David Goldberg on the paper's opinion page, pointing out that several years ago Metro Atlanta adopted California's -- the nation's toughest -- tailpipe emission-control programs and technologies with measurable success, but now Southern California officials say sprawl and SUVs are rolling back regional air quality gains, a harbinger of what may soon happen in the Atlanta region.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3569&state=11
MARYLAND
Baltimore's "Smart Commute" Program Adds Incentives for Home Purchases Near Transit Stations
In another expansion of its "Smart Commute" initiative, which increases affordable housing choices and eases traffic congestion by linking housing and public transit, Fannie Mae partnered with Maryland and with Baltimore area banks, groups and agencies, to offer qualified buyers of homes near transit stations "greater mortgage financing flexibility," including a three-percent down payment from their own funds and assumed additional income of up to $250 a month from savings on less car use.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3571&state=21
WISCONSIN
Gov. Doyle Expects State Smart Growth Law to Remain in Force
Asked
during his visit in northwestern Price County, whose board has recently
dissolved the Smart Growth Committee, if the state will rescind its 1999
Smart Growth law, Governor Jim Doyle said, "I don't think it's going
to go away," because many counties see Smart Growth differently and
the law is backed by a broad range of groups as a tool for transferring
much of the state planning tasks to local communities. http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=3573&state=50
Many of the National Smart Growth updates are provided by the US EPA Smart Growth Network. www.smartgrowth.org
Vision Long Island
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One
Northport, NY 11768
Phone:(631) 261-0242
Fax:(631) 754-4452
info@visionlongisland.org