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Nelson, Pope & Voorhis
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Nelson, Pope & Voorhis is an environmental planning firm with a wealth of experience in planning and feasibility, resource assessment, site investigations, and solving complex environmental problems.
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Stimulus Applicants Listed
There is no official count on how many projects made it to the list, but the report clocks in at 800 pages. According to the State Economic Recovery Cabinet, "All projects on the list have been reviewed by staff to the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet and are being forwarded to the appropriate New York State agency (as identified on the list) for a determination of potential funding eligibility and next steps." If you submitted a project, check to make sure it is on this list--it is arranged by county. You can still submit projects by visiting their website. Long Island to get Over $24 million in Energy Grants
Now the challenge for municipalities is to decide what to do with the funds. Unlike infrastructure projects that get stimulus funding for that specific project, the money here is less restrictive. Islip is considering using its $3 million to retrofit public buildings that are currently undergoing energy audits. Freeport may replace incandescent light bulbs with induction lights in street lamps with its $173,000. Other ideas for Long Island include home retrofits, replacing inefficient fleet vehicles, and more. U.S. Representatives Tim Bishop and Steve Israel have been working with town and village officials for weeks to prepare them for stimulus funds. They will meet next month to help coordinate the grants coming to Long Island. Read more and see a full list of funding by municipality at Newsday. |
As part of the stimulus package, Long Island will receive $24.5 million for energy efficiency projects. In a new energy efficiency block grant program by the US Department of Energy worth $3.2 billion, the funds will go to both counties, several towns, and one village, allocated primarily based on population. Smaller villages can apply before June 25th for a similar grant from a different pool of money. |
Rally for Long Island Bus
An MTA bailout has been delayed by several members of the Democratic majority in the State Senate. Johnson is not one of those objectors, but is the only Democratic Senator in Nassau County. He does not like the proposed idea of a payroll tax but sees the worst option as passing no plan at all. A spokesman said the Senator "is committed to doing his part to get some sort of deal on the MTA situation" and "also committed to making sure Long Island's interests are looked out for." Read more at Newsday and Tri-State's blog. Harmful Chemical BPA Banned
The bill was sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern and is actively supported by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who has proposed a similar ban nationwide. Organizations participating in the legislation include Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, Childcare Council of Suffolk County, Learning Disabilities Association of NY, NYPIRG, Long Island Teen Environmental Activists (LITEA), Clean New York, Consumers Union, Nursing Health Professionals of Nassau and Suffolk, and many breast cancer organization partners. Legislator Stern noted “Suffolk County has always taken the lead in protecting public health. We must follow the precautionary principle and be pro-active, especially when the health of our most vulnerable citizens, our babies and young children, is at risk and safe alternatives are available." |
On Monday, members of Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Long Island ACORN, Able Ride, and other groups stood outside the Garden City Park office of Senator Craig Johnson to oppose the massive fare hike and service cuts to Long Island Bus. As part of the MTA doomsday budget, a one-way bus fare in Nassau would increase by 75%--from $2 to $3.50. Able-Ride fares will also increase from $3.50 to $6. According to Newsday, Nassau County owns its bus system but contributes only $10.5 million to its $132 million budget. Lisa Tyson, of the Long Island Progressive Coalition, said at the rally, “We’re horrified. This will destroy the Long Island public transportation system.” Kate Slevin of Tri-State Transportation Campaign said, "We're here today to say you need to help us, and you need to show that Long Island Bus matters." 
This week, Long Island passed a first-in-the-nation ban on the harmful chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is found in many baby bottles and plastic cups. BPA is used to make plastic materials clear and shatter-resistant, but has also been linked to developmental problems and some cancers. The "Toxin Free Toddlers and Babies Act" is a critical step toward protecting the health of the young. The Act will fine retailers that sell products with BPA. Many retailers have already removed the products from their shelves. 
Downtown Riverhead is vacancy rates are high. Take a drive down Main Street and see full blocks of beautiful but abandoned buildings. The Riverhead News-Review recently said, "A number of isolated businesses have come and gone downtown, each owner not sure how to handle the lack of foot traffic and the sheer size of Main Street buildings, structures stuck in something of a purgatory between typical downtown storefronts and big box stores." With the infrastructure in place, Riverhead has an enormous opportunity to be a bustling downtown center. With that in mind, two Riverhead businessmen are planning to build an indoor public market. Ray Pickersgill and Anthony Coates will build "The Riverhead Mall" in the 7,500 square foot East Main Street building that formerly housed Swezey's Department Store. It will include a sort of mini-Main Street inside with 20-25 separate stores (unlike a flea market). Rents including utilities would be about $700 a month. No fears of vacancies here--Pickersgill and Coates heard from 45 interested businesspeople just one day after posting an ad in the local paper. 
Cities embrace bike sharing
The Paris Velib system is a government-sponsored program, currently featuring 20,000 bikes at 1,450 automated rental stations--never more than 1,000 feet apart, with plans in place for expansion. It is estimated that each bike gets used 10-15 times per day. Users are encouraged to use bikes for short trips, as the first half hour is always free with a $50 annual subscription fee. The bikes are designed to be much sturdier than commercial bikes, and anti-theft mechanisms are in place by requiring credit cards to rent. According to StreetFilms, "Vélib is effectively a new form of public transportation that has generated more than 25 million new bicycle trips in its first year, 10% of which substitute former car trips." It is estimated that the program raises the city $10 million in revenue, and it has improved city air quality and traffic congestion immensely. After a successful program in London, the U.S. finally took notice when Washington, DC launched SmartBike DC in August 2008. Though not yet at the scale of the European systems, there is great potential to add more bikes and stations. With sleek bike designs, rental requires an online subscription of $40 for a SmartBike DC user card that allows up to 3 hours of use at a time. An electronic tracer monitors the bikes. Their official website includes up-to-date bike availability at each station. A "Bike-in-Transit" system has been proposed in the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment plans, which would position the bike stations next to mass transit stations. Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Taiwan, and others around the world are also considering similar programs. Bike sharing is cheap and sensible, and it's a wonder why it hasn't spread faster! Even without an organized system, consider riding your bike to work once in a while. Exercise, fresh air, and environmental consciousness: what more could you ask for in a method of transportation? For more on bike sharing, see this blog. Florida County Sees Slumping Economy as Opportunity to Advocate for Smart Growth
In the economic downturn, construction projects have slowed significantly and leaders are hoping that as things pick up again, they will be able to incorporate some of these principles, including ways to reduce pollution, energy use, and traffic through the use of incentives. County Commissioner Jon Thaxton noted in the article from The Herald, "Now we're in a recession and there's no better time to rebuild this model [pre-WWII]... [and] build a platform where we can jump when things turn around." Read more in Smart Growth Online or in the Herald Tribune from March 17th. |
As the country's collective consciousness becomes more eco-friendly, a new trend is beginning to take hold. Massive-scale bike sharing started in Paris in July 2007, and has since spread to London, Washington, DC (the first American city), Montreal, Denver, and many other global cities on a smaller scale. It has also proved successful on many college campuses. Basically, users pay a small fee (daily, weekly, monthly, or annually) and are able to rent a bike at one of many city-wide automated stations. It functions similarly to the popular Zipcar system. 
Sarasota County, Florida officials have hired Stefanos Polyzoides, an LA-based Smart Growth and New Urbanism specialist, to help restructure the zoning and development codes for the region, along with "better landscaping and perhaps light rail to create walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods in areas now dominated by huge parking lots and intersections that make motorists sped up to get through."
Take action to stop the proposed transit cuts! Vision Long Island, in coordination with Tri-State Transportation Campaign, ACORN, Long Island Progressive Coalition, and other advocacy organizations, are calling on Long Islanders to oppose the massive budget cuts and fare increases proposed by the MTA. Call your State Senators and Assemblypersons to seek alternative funding mechanisms to fund needed transit services. The recommendations proposed in the Ravitch Commission report spell out necessary funding offsets such as payroll taxes and tolling of East River and Harlem bridges.
Living Foods for a Living Body, April 4th
For more details and to register, call (631) 421-5591 or email info@healthy-planet.org. More information is available on their website. Pedals for Progress - Used Bike Collection on April 4th
This year's collection will have a Long Island location on Saturday, April 4th from 11-2 at the Massapequa Public Library, Bar Harbour branch (40 Harbor Lane in Massapequa Park). It will be hosted by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Long Island. Because the cost of shipping a bicycle is up to $35, those donating are asked to include a minimum $10 shipping fee. The program also accepts cash donations from corporate and community sponsors. For more information on Pedals for Progress, see their website and this article in Garden City Life. For more on the April 4th collection, call Bette Bass at 516-606-1400 or Linda Merola at 516-242-2041. Regional Plan Association Regional Assembly on April 17th
Speakers throughout the day include New York State Governor David Paterson, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, Chairman of the 2009 Assembly and Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Christopher Ward, Moody's Economy.com's Chief Economist and Co-founder Mark Zandi, and other national and state elected officials and regional leaders. RPA will recognize Richard Ravitch with a Lifetime Leadership Award, "for his extraordinary role in revitalizing the region's infrastructure...as a business leader, philanthropist, and champion of regional planning." Breakout workshops throughout the day will focus on the economy, energy, housing, transportation, and water. Tickets are $185 and $160 for members. Read more and sign up here. Great Brookhaven Cleanup April 18
There are several staging areas for the Cleanup: Percy Raynor Park, Heritage Park - The Wedge, Centereach Ball Field, KK Athletic Complex Parking Lot, St. Joseph the Worker Church, Patchogue Village Hall, and Woodhull Elementary School. You are welcome clean in these areas or others. After registering, you will receive detailed instructions on picking up official clean up materials, what to bring, and more. Register here or call (631) 451-6222 for more information. Reducing your home energy costs seminar from LI Sierra Club - April 18th
Presenters at the event will include a tour guide from the Heritage Center at North Shore Heritage Park, Chuck Schwarz from L.I. Green, Leah Sontag from Sun Power Systems, and Anita from Majestic Son and Sons. JANE JACOBS' LEGACY CELEBRATED IN JANE'S WALK MAY 2ND-3RD
Now, community lovers throughout the U.S. and Canada are coming together to celebrate Jacobs' ideas with "Jane's Walk." Jane's Walk began shortly after Jacobs' death in 2006, when a group of her friends and peers organized to honor her legacy. Anyone can join in for one of several free neighborhood walking tours, with the intention of fostering connection to the built and natural environment, as well as to one another. Jane's Walk promotes urban literacy by combining insights into urban history, planning, design, and civic engagement. The walks are accessible, fun, and free. "It's about getting out and walking, observing your city, meeting your neighbors, discovering new areas, and learning about civic institutions and agencies that shape our urban existence. Jane's Walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership." This year's Jane's Walk will take place on May 2nd and 3rd, with participating cities so far including New York City, Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C. Tours are generally kept under an hour and a half. You can also create your own walk--all you need is an enthused tour guide, a knowledge base of your neighborhood, and the capability to plan a route that is logical and wheelchair accessible. You do not need to be an expert on your neighborhood, but rather need to be passionate about it (and have some stories to back it up). More details can be found on the Jane's Walk website. After all, as Jacobs once said, "No one can find what will work for our cities by looking at ... suburban garden cities, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You've got to get out and walk." Learn more about Jane's Walk here. CNU 17 in Denver Runs June 10th-14th
Connect and collaborate with other New Urbanists, experience traditional urbanism firsthand through local tours, learn how practitioners are applying the Charter for the New Urbanism in the field, stay on the cusp of the latest New Urbanist trends, contribute your own ideas and experience to take New Urbanism to the next level, and learn about new products and the latest innovations at CNU exhibits. Denver will serve as a laboratory to explore in depth why New Urbanism is the "convenient remedy" to some of society's most pressing issues, including rising carbon emissions, unpredictable fuel costs, and a projected 50 million unit increase in demand for new residences by 2030, with demand growing fastest in walkable communities. Connect with new people, get your toughest planning questions answered, and take home specific strategies to apply these New Urban remedies. Register online and see costs here. CNU members receive significant discounts. Thursday's Child of Long Island Spring Gala
The gala will honor Long Islanders who have made unique contributions to Thursday's Child, including Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and members of the Suffolk County Legislature, Cameron Alden, Jon Cooper, Lou D'Amaro, Jack Eddington, DuWayne Gregory, and Lynne Nowick. The fund raiser will take place at Flowerfield Celebrations, 199 Mills Pond Road in St. James. Sponsorships are available and individual tickets are $75-100. Call (631) 447-5044 or see the Thursday's Child website for more info. African American Media Network Presents Strong Island Live
Three performance locations in the area will air on channel 18. Bands must be live: no background CDs! To register or for more information, call 516-478-4334 or 516-503-6282, or see the website here. |
On Saturday, April 4th at 7:30pm, join world renowned health expert and Director of the Hippocrates Health Institute Dr. Brian Clement for "Living Foods for a Living Body." Dr. Clement is a leading expert in the natural health field, the author of seven books on health, spirituality, and natural healing, and a highly regarded professional speaker both here and abroad. An extensive question and answer session will follow the talk, and attendees will leave with personal road maps to vibrant, disease-free lives. This is a part of Healthy Planet's popular Long Island Saturday evening lecture series, which looks at how some of the most daunting health, environmental, and social problems can be solved by daily lifestyle choices. The lecture will be at Sweet Hollow Hall, Melville, West Hills County Park on Gwynne Road. Doors open at 7. 
Every year, Americans purchase 22 million new bicycles. Go Americans! From a planning perspective, biking is one of the best modes of transportation: zero energy emissions, support of local communities, and exercise. However, with new bicycles come old, unwanted bicycles, many of which end up sitting in storage space for years before ending up in a landfill. One group has found a win-win solution to this problem. Pedals for Progress is an international program that collects old bikes and ships them to communities in developing countries overseas. The poor communities are in need of inexpensive, non-polluting transportation to get to jobs, schools, and markets. The program also supports local bike repair shops by offering the first of a series of bike cargo shipments for free (money raised from selling those bikes pay for the next shipment). In its 6 years of existence, Pedals for Progress has collected 117,892 total bikes, with 6,628 in 2008 alone.
On Friday, April 17th from 8am-3pm, Regional Plan Association presents its 19th annual Regional Assembly, "America 2050: Building the Next Economy." It is likely that in the future, 2008 will be remembered as a year of economic infamy, similar to 1929. This year's assembly will focus on how our region's leaders can once again guide us through challenging times. How can we use these challenging times to plan for long-term sustainability? RPA's national planning initiative, America 2050, is shaping the national discussion by identifying specific transportation, energy, and water infrastructure investments and policies to power the nation's growth. It is time to think big again and this event will serve as a forum to begin those conversations. 
On Saturday, April 18th, join in to "Keep Brookhaven Beautiful" with the volunteer event The Great Brookhaven Cleanup. Keep Brookhaven Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and the Great American Cleanup, which is the nation's largest organized cleanup, beautification, and community improvement program. Last year, over 2.3 million people in more than 15,000 communities volunteered to pick up litter, renew parks, plant community gardens, beautify roadways, clean up water bodies, and more. The Brookhaven event saw 4,000 volunteers last year. 
The Long Island Sierra Club will be hosting an upcoming presentation called “Reducing your Home Energy Costs.” On April 18th at 1:30pm at the Heritage Center in Mt. Sinai, come to this free, 2-hour community meeting to learn how to save money on your energy bills. The educational program will give you a tour of a very efficient public building and provide ways for you to reduce energy consumption while making your home more comfortable. The meeting will also explain how to become free from paying LIPA for all the electricity you use with no upfront costs, with monthly payments less than or equal to your current ones. You will also learn about energy audits and how to get one for little or no cost, as well as home-ready solar systems that are no more than what you currently pay. 
Jane Jacobs is a legend in the planning world. Some would call her the anti-Moses (Robert Moses, that is), a staunch advocate for pedestrianized communities and dense urban living. Build mixed-use, she said, and communities will flourish. Build smaller blocks, she said, and there will be more opportunity for commercial and residential development, not to mention walkable communities with high quality of life. Most importantly, Jacobs believed in a community based approach to planning. She organized grassroots efforts to block urban renewal projects that would have decimated communities, such as Moses' Lower Manhattan Expressway. In 1961, her masterpiece The Death and Life of American Cities was published, and remains to this day one of the most widely read and praised planning books.
Each year, the Congress for the New Urbanism hosts a multi-day conference on New Urbanism and Smart Growth. This year, CNU 17: "Experiencing The New Urbanism: The Convenient Remedy" will take place in Denver, Colorado from June 10-14. The weekend's expected attendees include 1,500 leaders from diverse fields who will participate in breakout sessions, lectures, tours of Denver, and great social and networking experiences. 
On Wednesday, June 17th from 6:30-9:30pm, Thursday's Child of Long Island presents their Spring Champagne Gala to benefit their new children's summer program, "A Day of Fun in the Sun at the Long Island Game Farm," part of an initiative called Safety Net Project which provides an array of family services designed to maintain medical care and personal dignity for HIV/AIDS patients. Thursday's Child is an HIV/AIDS community service charity that reaches out and provides assistance to hundreds of Long Island families each year who are living with this disease. This event celebrates 20 years of service to the community. 
The Long Island based African American Media Network will be hosting "Strong Island Live" music festival from June 24-28. Several days of live music performances will include gospel, rock, rap, R&B, jazz, blues, reggae, and salsa. These genres will compete for prizes including studio time, a music video, and cash.
Death of the American Mall
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SG field report number 432009-03 submitted by Elissa Ward|
Freedom Friday Tea Party at Northport Harbor
Meet at the Gazebo on the Village Green, then the group will head over to Northport dock for the main event. Bring some tea, some signs, and your pitchforks, and wear your powdered wigs and tri-cornered hats! View the event flyer here. Annual Spring Egg Hunt in Bay Shore
Registration is required and tickets are $5 per child. The YMCA is located at 200 West Main Street in Bay Shore. Call (631) 665-4255 for more information. |
This afternoon (Friday 4/3) at 4pm, come down to Northport Harbor for the Freedom Friday Tea Party. Long Islanders are protesting taxes and defending freedom with this pseudo-reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. "Will you be there when liberty needs you most? Surely, the defense of liberty is worth ONE afternoon of your life!" 
This Saturday, April 4th, from noon til 2pm, the Great South Bay YMCA will host its Annual Spring Egg Hunt. Activities will include cookie decorating, a moon bounce, rock wall climbing, rides, arts and crafts, sports games, a visit with the bunny, and more. Fun for more than just the Easter-celebrating crowd! 
We'll end the week on a lighter note, highlighting some of the more entertaining responses to our April Fools Newsletter:
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