20 Years of Recognizing Community Revitalization
on Long Island

Vision Long Island’s 20th Annual Smart Growth Awards was held virtually on Friday, June 11th, continuing Vision’s long-time practice of honoring Long Island development projects, community leaders, non-profits and municipalities who promote downtown revitalization efforts.

In weeks leading up to the virtual program, Vision Long Island presented the awards to honorees at their respective project locations, sixteen in all. Among those honored were the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency and PSEG Long Island for regional leadership; Rich and Mike Cave and the Pink Tie Foundation for corporate leadership; and the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Sol Marie Alfonso Jones of Long Island Community Foundation for community leadership.

The Beechwood Organization and the Village of Southampton were honored for historic preservation of The Latch in Southampton. Housing choice awards went to The Town of Islip and Jobco Organization for Foxgate in Central Islip; the Town of Brookhaven and Concern For Independent Living for Liberty Landing in Lake Ronkonkoma; and the Village of Farmingdale and D&F Development Group for Sterling Green in Farmingdale.

Transit-oriented development awards were presented to the Village of Lindenhurst and Tritec Real Estate for The Wel; the G2D Group for The Shipyard in Riverhead; the Town of Hempstead and Woodcrest Apartments for Woodcrest Village Park in Oceanside; and the Village of Roslyn for its establishment of a transit-oriented mixed-use district.

Environmental awards were presented to the Town of Babylon and the Posillico Organization for the Posillico Wash Plant and Ørsted for Ørsted Wind. A walkability award was presented to the Village of Greenport and the Greenport BID for outdoor dining, parklets and public space.

“These are some fantastic honorees with projects planned, under construction or completed in over 25 communities across Long Island,” stated Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and founder of Long Island Main Street Alliance. “All of these projects were planned with the local community and had more support than opposition at their multiple hearings. They serve as models for the types of projects and plans that will need to be in place as we look toward a recovering economy.”

Vision Long Island would like to acknowledge and thank its sponsors of this event:

Platinum Sponsor: 1st Equity Title.

Gold Sponsors: National Grid; RXR.

Silver Sponsoirs: GPI; 3rd Street Associates; Concerned for Independent Living; Cameron Engineering; Heartland Town Square; Southwest Airlines; Mill Creek Residential; Terwilliger & Bartone; PSEG LI; H2M Architects & Engineers; Engel Burman; AT&T; G2D Group; Lalezarian Properties; and VHB Engineers.

Bronze Sponsors: BHC Architects; WSP; St. Joseph's Collegel; Rivkin Radler Attornies; Cronin & Cronin Law Firm; The Gitto Group; Forchelli Deegan Terrana; GRCH Architecture; Caithness Long Island; Zucaro Construction; Albanese & Albanese; Nassau County IDA; Hofstra University; New York & Atlantic Railway; Greenview Propertiesl; Certilman Balin; Long Island Board of Realtors; McBride Consulting; Posillico; Harras, Bloom & Archer; Ruskin Moscou Faltischek; PX4 Development; Long Island Youth Summit; People's United Bank; D&F Development; Plumbers Union 200; Hofstra University; Jovia Financial; MRV Group; Orsted Wind; EmPower Solar; Mattone Investors; NICE Bus; Sahn Ward Coschignano; Conifer Realty; GEI Consultants; The Beechwood Organization.

Media and Friends: Tiedin Studios; American Heart Association; Blank Slate Media; Fair Media Council; Long Island Business News; African American Chamber of Commerce; Noticia; Video Masters; Insperity; Pink Tie; Nassau County Village Officials Association; AARP Long Island, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce; South Asian Chamber of Commerce, Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; The Herald; Long Island Main Street Alliance

Over two hundred fifty community leaders, business leaders, and governmental leaders attended this year’s virtual event, including Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Suffolk County Presiding Officer Robert Calarco, and Nassau County Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello - all congratulating the inspired, creative and unique array of winners.

"Congratulations to all of the honorees," said County Executive Curran while speaking to the attendees. "Your vision is becoming a reality and I think it’s a vision we all share: Good, solid transit oriented development"

"It’s important for us to talk about our infrastructure needs," noted Presiding Officer Calarco.  "With the federal government out there debating an infrastructure package we need to make sure we’re raising our profile so our elected officials in Washington can fight for us."

" Whether the project’s in Nassau county or Suffolk, Lynbrook or Port Jefferson, whether the project involves downtown development, affordable housing, assisted living, creating walkable, pedestrian, bike-friendly communities, the work that is being done is truly transforming our island and our region to meet the demands of the 21st century," said Nassau County Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello

Over 50 elected officials joined us during the virtual or preceding live events including: Hon. Mario Mattera, NYS Senator, Hon. Phil Boyle, Office of NYS Senator, Hon. Anna Kaplan, Hon. Judy Griffin, NYS Assemblywoman, Theresa Santuro, Office of NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mike Caplace, Office of NYS Comptroller Tom Dinapoli.

Hon. Laura Curran, Nassau County Executive, Hon. Rich Nicollelo, Nassau County Presiding Officer, Hon. Rose Walker, Nassau County Legislator, Hon. Debra Mule, Nassau County Legislator, Hon. Laura Schaefer, Nassau County, Nassau County Legislator, Hon. Steve Rhoads , Nassau County, Nassau County Legislator.

Hon. Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Executive, Hon. Rob Calarco, Suffolk County Presiding Officer, Hon. Kevin McCaffrey, Suffolk County Legislator, Hon. Tom Cilmi, Suffolk County Legislator, Hon. Steve Flotteron, Suffolk County Legislator.

Hon. Tony Martinez, Town of Babylon, Deputy Supervisor, Hon. Dan Panico, Town of Brookhaven Councilman, Hon. Anthony D’Esposito, Town of Hempstead Councilman, Hon. Joan Cergol, Town of Huntington Councilwoman, Hon. Jim O’Conner, Town of Islip Councilman, Hon. Veronica Lurvey, Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman, Hon. Wayne Wink, Town of North Hempstead Clerk, Hon. Laura Maier, Town of Oyster Bay Councilwoman, Hon. Tom Lohmann, Town of Smithtown, Deputy Supervisor.

Hon. Dennis Siry, Mayor, Village of Amityville, Hon. Mary Adams, Mayor, Village of Babylon, Hon. Ralph Ekstrand, Mayor Village of Farmingdale, Hon. Jorge Martinez, Village of Freeport, Hon. Clariona Griffith, Village of Hempstead, Hon. Kevin Boone, Village of Hempstead, Hon. Mike McGinty, Mayor, Village of Island Park, Hon. RJ Renna, Village of Lindenhurst, Hon. Mike Lavorata, Mayor, Village of Lindenhurst, Hon. Alan Beach, Mayor, Village of Lynbrook, Hon. Damon McMullen Village of Northport, Hon. John Durkan, Mayor, Village of Roslyn, Hon. Sarah Oral, Village of Roslyn, Hon. Peter Cavallaro, Village of Westbury, Hon.Brian Tymann, Village of Westhampton Beach, Hon. Elisabeth Treston, City of Long Beach.

Ralph Krietzman, NCVOA, former Village of Great Neck Mayor, Steve Levy, former Suffolk County Executive, Jack Martins, former NYS Senator, Monica Martinez, former NYS Senator, Michele Schimel, former NYS Assemblywoman, Jon Kaiman, former Town of N. Hempstead Supervisor

Congratulations To This Year’s Distinguished Honorees!

Regional Leadership

Nassau County IDA

The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) consists of a team of professionals whose mission is to promote the economic welfare and prosperity of Nassau County. From helping businesses relocate, expand operations, and finance new investments, its motto is “Helping Businesses Grow in Nassau County.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, discussing the success of the Nassau IDA and its chairman Richie Kessel, stated, “Under Richie’s leadership, he has made sure that there is transparency, that all meetings are open and streamed out to anyone who is interested. The other thing that Richie and the board do so well is that they have relationships on both sides of the aisle. He’s got great relationships with developers and with labor so that problems can be solved before they mushroom into something bigger. I am so impressed with his ability to connect with communities, talking to the civics, to the chambers, the local stakeholders, where projects are being built.”

“It’s important to be transparent,” Chairman Kessel agreed. “Before we do any project, I personally call the elected officials representing that area to tell them about [a pending project]. To tell them if they want to support it or oppose it. We have public hearings. It’s important to have community support.”

Discussing the issue of taxes, Mr. Kessel noted, “I think a lot of people think IDAs lower taxes. We don’t lower them. What we do is put incentives down so a developer can feel confident they can come there, they will know what their tax payments are, and that is an attraction for developers to come here.”

Of top importance, Mr. Kessel advised that the Nassau IDA is looking for ways to use some of the money the County is getting from the federal government to continue to help small businesses and downtowns survive and thrive.

“It’s great when the County lays out something it’s going to do and it gets it done,” Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance, stated, referring to the commitment County Executive Curran has shown to helping downtowns. “Salute to the County Executive and Richie Kessel for their leadership here.”

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Environmental

Town of Babylon & Posillico Organization
The Posillico Wash Plant

The Posillico Wash Plant was designed and built with an eye towards sustainability. In 2019, Posillico Materials opened the largest and most advanced contaminated soil washing facility in the world, capable of processing 250 tons/hour. It is a state-of-the-art facility that has revolutionized the way manage waste on Long Island is managed.

“The contribution our partners in government made is unapparelled,” Michael Posillico, Principal of Posillico Organization, stated. “We had many design meetings and many collaborative meetings with government to come up with a solution to bulk waste. The type of material we are able to recycle has to have an end solution that is sustainable.”

Located at 1610 New Highway Farmingdale, the facility diverts hundreds of thousands of tons of waste away from landfills each year by washing and recovering recyclable products of value to the construction industry. The waste taken in is processed through a 100% electric-run plant that harvests and utilizes 4.2 million gallons of stormwater per year via a closed-loop, zero-discharge water treatment system, reducing both our carbon footprint and the demand on public water supply.

“The best part of this,” Thomas Posillico, Manager of Posillico Materials stated, “is that we are putting in the type of material in that would normally go to a landfill and we are able to recycle up to 85% of that material.”

The material produced is made exclusively from post-consumer waste and includes washed, recycled aggregates, as well as high-quality sand, lowering dependence on Long Island’s natural sand deposits, which are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. The demand for sand and gravel products is significantly higher than the amount of sand in which resources can sustainably provide. It has been described as one of the major sustainability challenges of the 21st century.

“We are taking true waste and turning it into resource for reuse back into the market,” Robert Tassey, Manager of Posillico Wash Plant, explained.

Responsibly handling contaminated material is critical to the success of any environmental project. Posillico Wash Plant accepts, remediates, and recycles contaminated fill from both Long Island and NYC projects.
 
“This project is so unique,” Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance stated after the award presentation. “It is so important in building trust in the redevelopment community across Long Island.”

Posillico believes that the construction industry has a responsibility to help community through sustainability efforts by educating, innovating and showing ethical sustainability practices along the way. Through the Posillico Wash Plant comprehensive system of processes, policies, training and communication, they are paving the way towards a better future.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Walkability

Village of Greenport & Greenport BID
Outdoor Dining, Parklets and Public Space

As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses, hitting downtowns particularly hard, the Village of Greenport and Greenport Village Business Improvement District (BID) began looking for solutions to help bring downtown patrons’ safety back into restaurants and local businesses.

“When the pandemic hit, we realized we all had a very serious emergency on our hands, with the shutdown occurring at the beginning of our high season, which the merchants rely on up to 85% of their annual income,” stated Dave Kapell, former Mayor of Greenport. “We knew we had to do something dramatic. So, the only solution was to accommodate them on public property.”

The goal was to create greater outdoor opportunities. A group of engaged citizens and leaders, along with award winning architects, worked on the issue of outdoor space. These conversations immediately moved to the parklet design. Parklets, small sidewalk extensions that provide space and amenities for people to use outside, are typically created within parking lanes and use several parking spaces. Embraced by the community, these innovative designs were utilized to encourage walkability and public space for downtown visitors. Local restaurants were able to use them as table space for outdoor diners, thereby creating a safe and enjoyable environment.

Rich Vandenburgh, President of the Greenport BID, stated, “What we did was pretty innovative. We took fifty-one parking spaces, roughly 9,000 square feet of on-street parking and created it into an outdoor dining environment. It was necessary to our businesses and our merchants to make that happen. It also had the impact of creating an environment where people felt more comfortable walking the streets. It created a lively, vibrant atmosphere. We heard from merchants that it created a lifesaving tool for them to be able to survive… And we heard from residents and visitors that they enjoyed the atmosphere of the street.”

“We are doing what we can to stay on the forefront of interesting, walkable places to visit,” Mr. Vandenburgh concluded.

Tawaun Weber, Vision Long Island Assistant Director, noted, “This project gives you a sense of place. Something that is sustainable even after COVID.”

The installation of these parklets throughout the Village has been both valuable and well-received, even inspiring other municipalities to reach out to Greenport to help them in recreating this idea in their downtown areas.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Transit Oriented Development

Village of Lindenhurst & Tritec Real Estate
The Wel, Lindenhurst

TRITEC Real Estate’s 260 residential unit development is located at 75 Hoffman Avenue in Lindenhurst. It is situated on a former industrial site, is located across the street from Lindenhurst Train Station, and is two blocks from Wellwood Avenue, the main thoroughfare in the Village of Lindenhurst. This location promotes both mass transit and enhances a walkable neighborhood.

Kelley Coughlan, Executive Vice President at TRITEC, explained, “It is a mix of studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom apartments. This 103-million-dollar project is a tax benefit for the community, has created roughly 660 construction jobs, and we have seen a growth of roughly 17 new restaurants, breweries and shops coming into downtown.”

The Wel draws design inspiration from the site's existing industrial roots and character from the surrounding neighborhoods. The Wel took its name from Lindenhurst history, honoring founder Thomas Welwood whose last name is misspelled on the main thoroughfare. TRITEC incorporated arched windows into the design, reminiscent of the windows formerly found in the Lakeville building that previously occupied the site. Artifacts salvaged during demolition, like the original cast iron door from the boiler, will also be a part of the interior design of the new facility.

Michael Lavorata, Village of Lindenhurst Mayor, stated, “We have become a culinary destination and now we are going to become a residential destination for a lot of young folks that want to stay here, transit-oriented people who work in the city, and some of the older folks who decided they don’t want to have homes anymore.”

The facility is 3 and 4 stories in height and has underground parking below a portion of the building. TRITEC made improvements to the creek that bisects the site. The building and two bridges will span the waterway, restored to its natural state as an amenity for the residents.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Transit Oriented Development

Town of Hempstead & Woodcrest Apartments
Woodcrest Village Park, Oceanside

The Woodcrest Apartment project, a $60 million, 250,000 square foot 230-unit apartment complex on Rockaway Avenue in Oceanside, sits upon a 5.9-acre plot and is located adjacent to the East Rockaway LIRR Train Station on its western border. The site was home to a 105-unit rental complex which was destroyed by Super Storm Sandy. The project is intended to attract young professionals who might otherwise move out of Nassau County.

David Mammina with H2M Arcgitects and Engineers stated, “This project went through a very arduous process with the DEC because we do back up onto a creek in back. At the same time, we had to rezone this property with the Town of Hempstead. Workforce housing is very important for Long Island… This should provide a lot of housing alternatives.”

A variety of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are located throughout the building. Common spaces include a large community room that opens to an exterior terrace area with outdoor seating and dining areas, gas firepits, and gas barbecue. A card room and fitness center containing a yoga room are also available. Parking is provided onsite and under the building, with the capacity to hold 385 cars.

Michael Faltischek, attorney of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek and representing Woodcrest Village Park Associates, advised, “We were well received by the County and received support from the industrial development agency as well, which allowed for this development to be more affordable than it might otherwise have been had it been subject to the significant tax burdens we face on Long Island. This gives our young families a start and a great opportunity for the future.”

The Woodcrest Apartment project was developed to encourage housing with easy access to transit hubs. It is rental housing, accessible to a train station, thus advancing economic development in Nassau County.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Transit Oriented Zoning

Village of Roslyn
Establishment of Transit-Oriented Mixed-Use District

The beautiful and historic Village of Roslyn has embraced transit-oriented development and advanced a new zoning code, the purpose of which is to encourage development that takes advantage of proximity to the Long Island Railroad’s Roslyn station and provides for a mix of uses appropriate for its unique location within the Village of Roslyn.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Village, Mayor Durkin explained, “When we started this project, a developer came to us with an idea to put housing and retail in a derelict section of town. We investigated that section and decided it would benefit from a transit-oriented zone, which we created to accommodate this project. We in Roslyn are very cautious about our development. We believe in development, but responsible development. We thought this would carry out our vision to help complete the growth of the downtown in Roslyn.”

Describing the project, Mayor Durkin stated, “The project itself will be 54 apartments and a group of retail stores. We have put aside 20% for workforce housing. We are very proud of that and we feel we listened to the public, we listened to the applicant and we were able to accommodate both. We were able to create a new zone, we created a new district and as a result of that we were able to approve this project. We are excited about it and think it will be a great addition to our village.”

The new code is consistent with the Village’s Comprehensive Plan Update, which received a Smart Growth Award several years ago.

The $35 million mixed-use project is located at 281-301 Warner Avenue, near the Long Island Rail Road, and previously housed a strip of empty storefronts. The owner and developer, Roslyn-based JK Equities, plans to build one floor of retail, and 23 one-bedroom and 31 two-bedroom units on the three upper floors. The development will also include 104 onsite parking spaces.

Board of Trustee Sarah Oral, who Mayor Durkin credited for spearheading the project and implementing the zoning, voiced enthusiasm for the historic Village’s embrace of transit-oriented development. Describing transit-oriented development has a more progressive type of planning, Trustee Oral stated, “It is something that is accepted by our community, as a whole. This is something that needs to happen on Long Island in order to retain not only the younger members of our community, but also those people who want to downsize, like the empty nesters who no longer want to live in their large homes and who want to live in a walkable community.” 

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Transit Oriented Development

Town of Riverhead & G2D Group
The Shipyard, Riverhead

Greg DeRosa and his team at G2D Group have a number of Main Street projects underway Island wide. One such project is The Shipyard in Riverhead.

“Our mission at G2D is to add value to the towns that we develop in,” explained Alison DeRosa, Principal Broker the G2D Group. “We like to get feedback from the community about what they are open to, what they need, what they are receptive to.”

The Shipyard, once complete, will be a four-story, 36-unit building on a .36-acre site situated at 331 E Main Street, in the center of town. Amenities will include a landscaped roof-deck, a private parking lot and river-views. It will add 812-square-foot of retail space on Main Street. The units will all be market-rate apartments.

“The fact that this is market-rate coming downtown is fantastic,” stated Brian DeLuca, Executive Director, Long Island Aquarium. “We are on the cusp of really exploding the town.”

“We are going through a renaissance at the moment and it’s very exciting,” added Yvette Aguiar, Riverhead Town Supervisor. “There has been a tremendous amount of development here. I am told that all the buildings south of Main Street are either in contract or sold. This is a sure sign that people are having faith in Riverhead.”

“It’s great to see a supervisor and developer working together,” noted Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Housing Choices

Concern for Independent Living & Town of Brookhaven
Liberty Landing, Lake Ronkonkoma

Liberty Landing includes eight townhome-style buildings, on approximately 7 acres of land located at 58 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma. This unique development is a mixed income, multifamily project, consisting of 40 one-bedroom apartments, 16 two-bedroom apartments and 3 three-bedroom apartments. Liberty Landing includes 30 apartments for homeless veterans with disabilities. The remaining apartments are for individuals and families with incomes at or below 50% of the area median income. The grounds include a community building, which features an exercise room, a computer room, a room for community gatherings, a basketball court, bocce courts, community garden, and seating areas.

“This particular project houses 30 veterans who didn’t have a place to live,” explained Ralph Fasano, Executive Director of Concern for Independent Living. “We are really happy to see the veterans thriving in this community.”

David, one of the veteran residents, explained since moving into Liberty Landing, he has seen many veterans prosper. “Everybody is stepping up. They have gotten cars, licenses, jobs. Everybody gets along. The staff helps people, they give you information when you need it and they are always there for you.”

Located on Portion Road, between the central business district and Lake Ronkonkoma, the site is located in close proximity to neighborhood amenities, public transportation, and support services providers. This includes schools, grocery stores, restaurants, health facilities and retail stores/shopping. Directly adjacent to the development is a bus stop, and the Long Island Railroad’s Ronkonkoma Train Station is less than 2 miles away. Additionally, the site is located in close proximity to County and Town operated parks, including Lake Ronkonkoma County Park.

Liberty Landing is an example of housing solutions and choices which help combat homelessness and expand access to affordable housing to Long Islanders.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Housing Choices

The Town of Islip and PX4 Development
Foxgate, Central Islip

Foxgate at Islip is a 184-unit condominium development with twenty percent of the units set aside for affordable housing. Foxgate is located on Eastview Drive and Lowell Avenue in the hamlet of Central Islip and is a highly-amenitized private community with a fully-equipped gym, multi-purpose lounge, heated outdoor in-ground pool, spacious patios, ponds, playground and scenic walking paths. Prices start at $250,000.

"There is high demand for these residences because they offer luxury at an affordable price," Michael Puntillo, from PX4, has expressed in the past. "We are addressing this demand as quickly as possible."

“Our relationship with Central Islip started twenty years ago,” Mr. Puntillo explained. “I am proud to say, the property is completely sold out. We were geared towards first time home buyers, as well as empty nesters, with a truly affordable home. It worked out very well and we are thrilled.”

The convenience of the location is another draw for buyers, particularly commuters. The development is in close proximity of the Long Island Expressway, the Southern State Parkway, LIRR's Central Islip Station, Bethpage Ballpark and Central Islip Town Center.

Nancy Manfredonia, former Director of the Central Islip Civic Association, noted, despite many different problems, such as zoning, during the past twenty years, PX4 has come up with wonderful plans for the community, including the Foxgate development.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Housing Choices

D&F Development and Village of Farmingdale
Sterling Green at Farmingdale

This Transit Oriented Development project, located in the Incorporated Village of Farmingdale and 0.7 miles away from the Long Island Rail Road, will consist of 71 units of Workforce Housing. The $31.69 million project will bring affordable rental apartments to a 1.99-acre site, located at 860-906 Fulton Street. The development will contain twenty-nine (29) one-bedroom, forty-one (41) two-bedroom units, and one two-bedroom unit for the property superintendent. The development will be affordable for those households that earn 30%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Rents will range from $645 to $2160 monthly. The project is expected to create 200 construction jobs.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Levittown-based development group was co-founder and partner, Peter Florey. “It’s a great honor receiving this award,” Mr. Florey stated. “Sterling Green is going to accomplish a number of things. It is going to get rid of one of the last blighted areas in the Village of Farmingdale. It will supply greatly needed affordable housing, specifically 71 units, 100% affordable. It will be a beautifully designed project. We are very excited.”

Village of Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand, accepting the award for the Village of Farmingdale, proudly stated that the Sterling Green development will be the first 100% workforce housing in the County of Nassau. “Farmingdale is always first,” Mayor Ekstrand noted, “and it is great that we joined together with Vision Long Island to work together to make it happen.”

Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance, stated, “The Village of Farmingdale has done a fantastic job of revitalizing its downtown. There is a need for affordable housing for young folks, seniors and families. That’s what this project seeks to do.”

Along with smart design, the project will pursue EPA Energy Star Multifamily New Construction certification through performance paths and will select 2020 Enterprise Green Communities as its Green Building Program.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Historic Preservation

Village of Southampton & Beechwood Organization
The Latch Southampton Village

The Latch Southampton Village is a new Hamptons condominium community of twenty homes in the heart of Southampton Village on the site of the former Village Latch Inn, Hill Street, Southampton Village. The Project embodies adaptive re-use, sense of place including historic preservation, walkability to Village amenities, green building & sustainability, and citizen/stakeholder participation.

“What we feel we are doing here is extremely special,” stated Steven Dubb, Principal of the Beechwood Organization. “In 2020, with consultation of 15 agencies, neighbors and the Village Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation, approval was finally granted. The reason we built the Latch is because people want to live in the Hamptons. They want to be able to walk to the village shops, they want to walk to the beaches and they want it in a no maintenance way.”

The Beechwood Organization transformed a run-down 67-unit rooming house on 5.24 acres with a modern 20-unit condominium home development. The project meets the demand for low-maintenance, relatively small condominium housing for full-time and part-time residents ages 50s, 60s and 70s who find maintenance of larger estate properties, and homes with steps they must climb, to be burdensome. The Latch is a five-minute walk to restaurants, shops, entertainment and Lake Agawam Park or a one-mile bicycle ride to Cooper’s Beach.

By lowering density of the development from 67 transient lodging units to 20 permanent homes, upgrading a malfunctioning and standard cesspool sewage disposal system to an AIS state-of the-art sewer system, and enhancing stormwater management measures, this project shows Beechwood’s commitment to green building, energy efficiency and sustainability measures.

The project contains one 4,792 square feet home, which is the restored Terry Cottage; fifteen townhomes, two of which are in the restored Latch building; and four villa residences. Behind the historic buildings is a clubhouse with a fitness center and an outdoor pool.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Environmental

Ørsted Wind
Sunrise Wind Project

Sunrise Wind is a proposed 880MW offshore wind farm. According to Brian Tymann, Development Manager, Ørsted Wind, “Sunrise Wind is a proposed and approved wind farm that we will be developing about 30 miles east of Montauk Point.”

Promoted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the project is a joint development of Danish power company Ørsted and US-based energy provider Eversource.

Ørsted Wind is a renewable energy company that takes tangible action to create a world that runs entirely on green energy and has been recognized for its efforts in transforming fossil fuels to renewables during this critical time in the fight against climate change. Eversource is a national energy leader with homegrown expertise in regional energy transmission.

“From environmental to economic, there are many reasons why this project makes sense for this region. It will drive investment in a new industry which Long Island and New York will directly benefit, generating up to 800 construction jobs through the projects development, and thousands of other indirect and induced jobs,” stated Ray Collins, External Affairs, Offshore Wind.

This project will generate enough electricity to power up to 600,000 homes. It will support New York State’s target of producing 9,000MW of offshore wind power by 2035 and mandate to generate 50% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. It will be located adjacent to South Fork Wind Farm and Revolution Wind projects in federal waters off the northeastern coast of the US.

“This project is absolutely the future of power in this country,” explained Beth Wahl, President of Mastic Shirley COC. “We have to start using clean sustainable energy here. More importantly, the number of jobs that will be generated, especially at this time with the pandemic and so many people out of work.”

Construction of the Sunrise project will be started in 2022, with operations scheduled to begin in May 2024. The wind farm will be undetectable by Long Island residents and visitors to the beach.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Regional Leadership

PSEG Long Island
Downtown Public Space/Beautification Grants

PSEG Long Island has been active in working with local businesses and towns to help revitalize communities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. “PSEG has done a number of community grants to benefit different areas in our downtowns,” explained Tawaun Weber, Vision Long Island Assistant Director.

From offering Main Street Revitalization grants to Vacant Storefront discounts to businesses, “PSEG Long Island knows that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our communities and our local economy,” said John Keating, manager of Economic and Community Development at PSEG Long Island.

“It became evident that outdoor dining and shopping was becoming a lifeline for a lot of small businesses,” Mr. Keating stated. “We were very happy to roll out grants to communities to help them facilitate that outdoor dining and shopping experience.”

Therefore, in 2020, the company began offering “Outdoor Spaces” grants to local chambers of commerce to help transform sidewalk areas and plazas with the seating, lighting and heating needed to keep customers dining and shopping locally. Limited funding for this grant program has been renewed for 2021. This program offers funding of up to $5,000 to a Chamber of Commerce or Business Improvement District. So far, over $120,000 has been given out to 27 different chambers and business improvement districts.

“It is through the grant that last year that we were able to light up School Street in downtown Glen Cove. We had such a great reaction to that,” stated Patricia Holman, Executive Director, Glen Cove BID.

“We are doing our best to try and help small businesses across our territory,” Mr. Keating concluded.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Community Leadership

Sol Marie Alfonso Jones
Long Island Community Foundation

Sol Marie Alfonso Jones has been with Long Island Community Foundation (LICF) since 2009. As senior program officer, she oversees the Foundation’s competitive grantmaking program, which distributes approximately $2.5 million annually.  

Tawaun Weber, Vision Long Island Assistant Director, introducing Ms. Alfonso Jones described her as a caring, giving person, who treats everyone like family. “We’ve known her for a long time, throughout all of her roles. She has always wanted to help and pay attention to communities who may not always have access to resources.”

“Our mission here at the Foundation is to encourage philanthropy by helping charitable Long Islander meet their philanthropic goals,” Ms. Alfonso Jones explained. “Those goals are essentially to improve quality of life on Long Island, and in particular, with a focus on vulnerable people that are furthest away from opportunity and justice in many instances. Our non-profit sector in this region is the lifeblood of Long Island. We saw that first hand during every challenging crisis on Long Island.” From helping with food, housing, healthcare, the Foundation assists people in need.

Prior to LICF, Ms. Alfonso Jones worked at Sustainable Long Island where she directed the organization’s community revitalization and brownfield redevelopment programs. Before working on Long Island, Ms. Alfonso Jones spent 17 years working in New York City, 12 years overseeing academic enrichment and college preparation programs at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and five years as a community liaison in Governor Mario Cuomo’s Office of Hispanic Affairs. She is a member of NYS Health Foundation Community Advisory Committee and serves as an advisory member of the Regional Planning Association’s fourth regional plan, a long vision for the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut region’s shared prosperity, health and livability, resiliency, and good governance.

A graduate of the University of Rochester, Ms. Alfonso Jones received a B.A. in 1987. Her professional certifications include the Columbia Business School’s Nonprofit Management Program and the American Express Non-Profit Executives Leadership Academy. She is a member of the Energeia Partnership’s class of 2011, a leadership academy dedicated to identifying and addressing complex and multi-dimensional issues challenging the Long Island region.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Community Leadership

Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 1988, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (LIHCC) is a not-for-profit which was established to serve the needs of the Long Island minority owned small business community. Through an array of networking events, members garner the contacts necessary to help their businesses thrive. Through the Coronaviryus pandemic, the LIHCC was active in connecting their members to federal and state resources and working diligently to promote public health.

“We have had a partnership with the Long Island Hispanic Chamber for many years,” advised Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance. “Through the coronavirus we got closer, getting to see firsthand their connection to communities and really helping businesses get through this crisis.”

Accepting the community leadership award on behalf of LIHCC was the President and CEO of the Chamber, Luis Vazquez. “This award is long overdue,” Mr. Alexander stated. “We know the good work this group has done for decades.”

“Muchas gracias,” Mr. Vazquez said. “Our relationship with Vision Long Island and smart growth is excellent.”

LIHCC holds workshops to provide members with the professional business, and personal finance skills necessary to optimize business operations and compete with Long Island businesses. Throughout the year, the Chamber provides events for its members and sponsors, of these events, the Latina Hat Luncheon and the Annual Gala Awards are the most attended and provide a strong network for members to draw upon.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Corporate Leadership

Rich & Mike Cave
Pink Tie Foundation

PinkTie was started by Mike and Rich Cave after their aunt died of breast cancer. Since the organization’s founding in 2012, the PinkTie mission has grown to support causes in New York related to education, food security and health.

“PinkTie was founded on the concept that that money raised stays local in the community,” Mike Cave explained.

Echoing his brother, Rich Cave stated, “PinkTie’s mission is really to support the local community, give where you live. All the money that is raised stays in the local community, which allows companies and corporations and their employees to see the impact of their philanthropic endeavors.”

In response to the pandemic, PinkTie quickly pivoted its giving efforts from its model of ‘networking for a cause,’ to food insecurity in a hyper local fashion.

“During COVID, we knew there was going to be a major need to help combat food insecurity,” Mike stated. Each week, PinkTie organized, and continues to organize, volunteers to bring food, and often financial contributions, to food pantries from Elmont to Greenport, Valley Stream to the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, and to the many communities in between. The PinkTie Team helps local volunteers and organizations serve families, children, seniors and others who have been impacted by job losses and loss of income due to the pandemic. 

By its one-year anniversary this past April, with the help of amazing sponsors and volunteers, PinkTie has made over 120 food donation stops all across Long Island. Over the past year, nearly $250,000 worth of food and financial contributions were distributed to 50 Long Island communities through their work.

“Now that the reopening is happening, we are partnering with small businesses and helping them get back on their feet,” Mike informed. A PinkTie message, “Grow your business, by giving back.” By supporting your community, PinkTie maintains, your community will support your business.

You can watch the video of the award ceremony here.

Special thanks to LI Business News, LI Herald, Greater Long Island News and WLIW and others for covering the Long Island Smart Growth Awards!