Vision Long Island would like to wish all of Long Island a safe and Happy Thanksgiving this year! We hope each and every one of you can take the time to gather, eat and reconnect with the ones you love!

More than 1,000 business, community and government leadersthis year’s event. Over twenty workshops featuring 140 speakers focused on varying topics related to downtown revitalization and infrastructure investment.

The 14th Annual Smart Growth Summit kicked off last week a little after 8AM with a standing-room only crowd filling the Grand Ballroom at the Melville Marriott for the Morning Plenary Session.  Hundreds of business, civic and leaders as well as elected officials and designees from all levels of government listened on as Vision’s Co-Chair Bob Fonti addressed the crowd, leading with the Pledge of Allegiance and thanking the dozens of sponsors that helped make the Summit another success.  Vision’s Director Eric Alexander touched on some of the recent transit-oriented development projects throughout Long Island, with 40 communities having projects currently open or under construction and nearly 11,000 units approved over the last decade.

“The Summit continues to support the activity, benefits and strategic advantages of Long Island’s downtowns. The good news is there have been numerous successes, including Farmingdale, Westbury, Great Neck Plaza, Rockville Centre, Valley Stream, Freeport, Mineola, Glen Cove, Port Washington, Hempstead, Huntington, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Babylon, Bay Shore, Wyandanch, Patchogue and many others,” Vision Long Island Director Eric Alexander said. “And the folks that attend return to the thousands in their communities, creating more positive change back home.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano addressed the crowd, first discussing the long-awaited Nassau Coliseum project coming to fruition.  The $260 million dollar, privately funded project is expected to bring up to 2,700 construction jobs with a completion date of the end of 2016, bringing life back to the site while allowing future development, including Sloan Kettering cancer research. The County continues to work with state officials to assist this project, as well as others that are complimentary such as Bus Rapid Transit to the area.

Mangano closed with noting that new investment has led to 24,000 jobs over the past five years, and that a strong transit-oriented development program will answer the workforces’ and business owners’ questions of,  “How will employees be able to afford to live here? Where will they live?” ““Transit- oriented development housing opportunities are opening all over Nassau County, and you can view our housing initiative  that not only assists young families, it revitalizes downtowns by eliminating community blight and increasing economic activity” The County Executive thanked Vision and the Smart Growth movement for aiding the progress of downtown revitalization and transit oriented development.

State of the Towns and Villages

The morning plenary, moderated by Vision Long Island Director Eric Alexander, was a consortium of progress reports, ideas for the future, and a platform to discuss the struggles that municipalities face. “The day was fruitful,” Supervisor Petrone said about the Summit. “The essence of it is when you hear what other groups are doing, other towns are doing, other Villages. The bottom line is we are feeling the same growing pains whether from a political perspective, financial perspective or governmental operation perspective.”

Supervisor Frank Petrone of Huntington Township remarked on the Gateway Plan for Huntington Station, which will redevelop three sites within walking distance of the Huntington LIRR station to include mixed-use development as well as a hotel, office space, and artists’ residences. Renaissance Downtowns, the Town’s master developer for Huntington Station, can now apply for site approval for the projects thanks to the Town’s approval.  Other projected improvements include much needed sewer improvements for the area from South Station to North Station, parking improvements, and $20 million being allotted toward next year’s infrastructure improvement for the area. The Supervisor thanked Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone for his assistance in securing $1 million into the planning of the sewering that will help drive the local economy.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth remarked on the housing needs for her area, highlighting partnerships between the Town, Community Development Agency and Long Island Housing Partnership which yielded 15 newly constructed 2 bedroom homes offered in a lottery.  Zoning changes for senior housing were also lowered to 55 years of age, making more residents eligible to participate in opportunities. The Supervisor said that finding affordable housing on Long Island is “not an easy task”, and that we “need to work together to find housing and make the Town accessible to the workforce”.

Ed Romaine, Brookhaven Town’s Supervisor, spoke about reserving and saving funds and working with the Town Board to prioritize projects to fit a conservative budget. Pension and debt has been paid off according to the Supervisor, and the new budget is structurally balanced, paving the way for projects and initiatives that will make Brookhaven an area to invest in and live. Brookhaven’s newly adopted budget provides a 20% funding increase for protecting the Town’s environmental resources, as well as other increases while having no net increase on the Property Tax Levy while complying with New York States’ Tax Cap.  He also outlined the progress at the Ronkonkoma HUB and the upcoming TOD plans that will be moving forward in cooperation with Councilwoman Connie Kepert. 

Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney from Town of Hempstead emphasized the need to continue bringing development downtown and said that a large emphasis is being committed towards bringing success to Grand Avenue’s redevelopment. The large Township, which has a population of nearly 800,000, understands that the success of the local economy is dependent upon investments towards successful downtowns, and continues to work to obtain that goal.

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said that the AAA bond rating that the Town was now given will allow them to do many things. There are now 28 units of workforce housing that will be made available on a site in Sandy Hollow which will target middle-income residents’ needs in the area. She spoke also of the downtown revitiliztion plan for Riverhead and Gateway River which will allow for 2,300 units with about 50% being below market value. “The overwhelming word was hope, this is giving us hope”. “The annual Smart Growth Summit has not only been an important teaching and learning experience for Long Islanders - be they practitioners or legislators - but also a helpful think tank for the betterment of local development projects. Our own efforts to develop the exciting Riverside Revitalization Action Plan (RRAP) reflects much of these valuable regional conversations.”

Mayor Reggie Spinello of the City of Glen Cove spoke of many advances in his area, including public/private partnerships, downtown revitalization incorporating mixed-use, and the goal of the Chamber of Commerce to make the City to emphasize the area’s entertainment and Waterfront living potential. There have been 35 new businesses opened up, and the goal to make Glen Cove transform from “bedroom community to a destination location” is well underway. “From downtown Glen Cove to our City’s waterfront, 2016 will be a watershed moment for smart growth in our municipality,” “Through successful private-public partnerships and the support of the County and New York State agencies, we are getting ready to break ground on a $1 billion development that will put 56 acres of desirable waterfront property back on the tax roll while continuing the revitalization of our downtown with a mixed used development that will feature rental units, retail and restaurants to bring more vibrancy to downtown Glen Cove.”

Councilman Steve Flotteron of Islip spoke of the efforts in his Township, including the $4 billion Heartland Town Square which will repurpose the vacant Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center, allowing 9,000 apartments and 4 million square feet of commercial space in Brentwood. Other exciting projects include a grant for Complete Streets to connect transportation to ferries, redevelopment of derelict buildings for mixed-use purposes, and summer walking initiatives. Councilman Flotteron received a Smart Growth Award in 2013 for his work, along with Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors, on the park revitalization efforts in Central Islip. “We in the Town of Islip are extremely committed to downtown revitalization. We are so fortunate to have several thriving downtown districts such as Bay Shore, Sayville and Islip. The ongoing revitalization of Bay Shore in particular is something that the Town is proud of. Restaurants are thriving, the arts center is a huge success, and new housing is being developed. The Downtowns in Islip have become the place to be, so far different from the days of the 80’s & 90’s.”

Farmingdale’s Mayor Ralph Eckstrand discussed the efforts being undertaken in his Village, including Jefferson Plaza, which was coined the “lynchpin of transit-oriented development” efforts in the area. The units are 100% occupied, with retail units fully rented out. The retail space provides retail opportunities for LIRR riders with the housing units keeping residents within walking distance of mass transit.  More plans are in the works for the Village, setting the stage for a great turnaround for the area.

Village of Great Neck Plaza’s Mayor Jean Celender  said that the Village’s biggest accomplishment was infrastructure improvements while staying within the Tax Cap.  Six traffic calming improvements to the tune of $4 million were awarded through State grants in order to incorporate walkability and the includion of the senior population to have safer streets. The Mayor noted that the Village has one of the densest downtown senior populations on Long Island, and is working with AARP to incorporate a livable action plan to have Great Neck Plaza be a Smart Growth-friendly community.

Alexander brought up the topic of transit-oriented development to the panel-at-large, with many chiming in on struggles and solutions. Many that spoke mentioned the need to create housing opportunities that are close to transportation services, with retail and entertainment venues reaping benefits from such development in the area. Supervisor Bosworth said that there have been challenges with affordable housing and redevelopment, with pushbacks from school districts and others that feel that workforce housing is not a “fir with the character of the area”. Mayor Eckstrand said that a Visioning processes was needed for the downtown, with the youth population growing in Farmingdale and in other areas. Many echoed that the key to revitalization is infrastructure investments, with parking being a major issue in many downtowns.

The need for sewering was also discussed, with Supervisor Romaine discussing the long-awaited treatment project for the Forge River Watershed area, which has received funding.  Throne-Holst mentioned that 360,000 homes are using cesspools, and that technology is needed to treat waste on-site, and that incubator and research could lead towards further economic development and job creation for the area.

Other topics included the constraints of the 2% tax cap, the abundance of regional planning and overall infrastructure improvements and costs.

Networking Luncheon

The Summit’s Networking Lunch included remarks from four State Senators who presented a strong commitment to support downtown and critical infrastructure commitment on Long Island, some of which would come from a $550 million windfall, with Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul delivering the keynote address.

Suffolk County Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory addressed the crowd, noting the importance of Suffolk providing infrastructure funds to shape the capital budget of downtown areas and providing jobs.

Senator Carl Marcellino acknowledged the need to for user-friendly communities, and urged municipalities to make their zoning work for their areas. “You have to tell us what you think is worthwhile,” Marcellino said, noting that municipalities need to make their zoning work. He insisted that communication is key and that planning needs to be done for the people. Senator Jack Martins commented on the limitless opportunities on Long Island, and that it starts with infrastructure. He said that the “best years are ahead of us”, and that the future of Long Island is optimistic. "Infrastructure is one of the smartest investments we can make. Infrastructure projects create jobs, grow our economy, and enhance our quality of life. Whether it's roads, bridges or other vital systems, Long Island has no shortage of need, which is why we delivered $550 million for Long Island infrastructure projects in this year's state budget. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to address these important needs for our communities."

Lieutenant Governor   Kathy Hochul as the keynote speaker said that those in attendance were “living proof that leadership matters.”  She spoke of increasing the connection to Long Island Communities, and stressed the importance of local government leading the way. Lt. Governor Hochul als expressed her commitment to work closely with local civics, grassroots organization, businesses and Vision Long Island to move efforts on Long Island forward in the positive direction that is needed. She was impressed of what Long Island has to offer in terms of shorefront and history, and stressed the importance of those in the room to fight to maintain it. “Never compromise. Once it’s gone, it’s gone”.

“This Summit provides a unique opportunity to bring together local stakeholders with a common vision of creating smart growth communities. In order to sustain a vibrant economy, we must continue to invest in development projects that transform our downtowns. By utilizing key transportation assets, supporting mixed-use development, and providing better affordability for our young people, we can ensure a positive and livable future for all Long Islanders.” Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, Planning Commission Chair Jeff Greenfeld; Suffolk Comptroller John Kennedy and Planning Commision Chair David Calone participated in different aspects of the program bringing their plans and resources to the day.

“As a Suffolk County Legislator for 10 years, I supported downtown revitalization and sewer expansion to grow businesses especially and the Town of Smithtown can now raise commercial buildings from 35 to 50 feet all due to the expansion of sewers. I will continue to encourage new ideas and programs as Suffolk County Comptroller.” Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy

“Vision Long Island is at the forefront of encouraging badly needed sustainable economic development. I applaud their accomplishments focused on Smart Growth springing up throughout Long Island” Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos

A Youth Summit incorporated students from Dowling College, Molloy College, St. Joseph’s College, Hofstra University and SUNY Old Westbury commenced for the 8th straight year bringing young people into the planning process of their communities
Initial press was provided by the LI Business News, Newsday and Verizon FIOS1.  Vision staff will be releasing notes, pictures and workshop summaries in a future Smart Talk newsletter.  

Small Business Saturday returns for 2015!

Since 2010 American Express has been working to encourage local shoppers to avoid the long lines and waits associated with going to the mall and big box stores by heading to their local downtowns and locally owned shops. The initiative, known as Small Business Saturday, will take place this weekend on November 28th. Vision Long Island encourages you to go out and do some holiday shopping this weekend at you favorite downtown shop, and help support our small businesses!

Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and a member of President Obama’s Cabinet, made the following statement:

“On Saturday, November 28, please join the U.S. Small Business Administration in supporting America’s small business and entrepreneur community by participating in the sixth annual ‘Small Business Saturday’ and encouraging American consumers to ‘shop small’. Small Business Saturday plays a key role in driving customer traffic and growing revenue for our 28 million independent businesses during the important holiday retail season. We’re also encouraging consumers to ‘dine small’ by grabbing a bite at a local eatery.

You can read more about Small Business Saturday at American Express' website here.