The 10th Annual Smart Growth Summit

Over 100 presenters and 1000 regional business & community leaders convene to advance placemaking & economic development
on Long Island

The 10th Annual Smart Growth Summit took place on Friday, November 18th at the Melville Marriott. With 1000 attendees, 110 speakers, nearly 50 elected officials, 15 breakout sessions, a youth component, productive networking and excellent remarks by both federal and local leaders, the Summit was a clear demonstration of the tremendous support in our region for Smart Growth solutions. The crowd included elected officials, chambers of commerce, civic leaders, developers, architects, planners, not-for-profits and concerned citizens.

The Summit’s 15 breakout panels, youth summit and elected officials session were intelligent, thought-provoking, energetic and inspirational for the attendees. This year’s Summit theme, “Crisis and Opportunity: Placemaking in a Time of Economic Uncertainty,” seemed to focus more on progress than on challenges, though we still have a great deal of work to do to create a truly sustainable region.

State of the Towns and Villages

Warren Tackenberg, Nassau County Village Officials Association / Hon. Jon Kaiman, Town of Hempstead Supervisor; Hon. Peter Cavallaro, Village of Westbury Mayor; Hon. Jim Wooton, Town of Riverhead Councilman; Hon. Wayne Hall, Village of Hempstead Mayor

Joye Brown, Newsday (moderator) / Hon. Susan Berland, Town of Huntington Councilwoman; Hon. Steve Flotteron, Town of Islip Councilman; Hon. Connie Kepert, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman

The day opened with a breakfast plenary session called State of the Towns and Villages. The implementation of Smart Growth for Long Island ultimately comes down to our Town and Village officials, a dozen of whom gave local updates through this panel. Panelists included Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Town of East Hampton Deputy Supervisor Theresa Quigley, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert, Town of Islip Councilman Steve Flotteron, Town of Riverhead Councilman Jim Wooten, Town of Hempstead Councilman Ed Ambrosino, Town of Huntington Councilwoman Susan Berland, Village of Hempstead Mayor Wayne Hall, Village of Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, Village of Farmingdale Mayor George “Butch” Starkie and Nassau County Village Officials Association Executive Director Warren Tackenberg. The panel was moderated by Newsday’s Joye Brown.

Top row, l-r: Hon. Jon Kaiman, Town of North Hemsptead Supervisor; Joye Brown, Newsday; Hon. Steve Flotteron, Town of Islip Councilman; Hon. Butch Starkie, Village of Farmingdale Mayor; Hon. Peter Cavallaro, Village of Westbury Mayor; Hon. Ed Ambrosino, Hempstead Town Councilman. Bottom row, l-r: Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College; Elissa Ward, Vision Long Island and ADL III Architecture; Hon. Theresa Quigley, Town of East Hampton Deputy Supervisor; Warren Tackenberg, Nassau County Village Officials Association; Hon. Connie Kepert, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman; Hon. Susan Berland, Town of Huntington Councilwoman; Hon. Jean Celender, Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor; Hon. Wayne Hall, Village of Hempstead Mayor; Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns; Ron Stein, Vision Long Island

Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island / Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns; Hon. Butch Starkie, Village of Farmingdale Mayor; Rev. Stanley Deveaux

Don Monti of Renaissance Downtowns, a self-proclaimed “recovered developer,” kicked off the plenary session with a special presentation. Monti provided some words of wisdom to help get revitalization projects done: you must take a holistic approach to downtown revitalization and you must put process over plan. You must also include the community in the process of creating a project, so you can improve and create an ideal vision together. Monti discussed his Glen Isle project as an example. “As a developer,” Monti said simply, “I want to create communities.” He closed by acknowledging the political officials on the panel, because they are the ones who can ultimately make a difference.

Developing New Town Centers

l-r: Hon. Connie Kepert, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman; Brian Ferruggiari, The Meadows in Yaphank; Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns; Vincent Pizzulli, Certilman Balin; David Wolkoff, Heartland Town Square

The Developing New Town Centers panel went in depth on many of Long Island’s proposals for new town center developments. Moderator Vincent Pizzulli of Certilman Balin helped explore the progress, challenges and roadblocks to successfully getting projects approved in light of a difficult building environment. David Wolkoff of Heartland Town Square discussed how the large Brentwood project will become a sustainable community for Long Island including mixed-use buildings, mass transit, retail, restaurants and more. The project still needs to be approved and there are many complicated steps moving forward. Brian Ferruggiari spoke on The Meadows of Yaphank, a recently- approved project which will provide nearly a thousand units of housing including rental and workforce apartments. There will also be retail stores plus neighborhood and larger corporate office space. The residential and commercial sections will be easily walkable. The project’s compact design is expected to reduce traffic up to 17% during the weekday and up to 40% on the weekend. Don Monti of Renaissance Downtowns spoke about suburban revitalization issues through the lens of his Glen Isle waterfront project. He discussed how market forces are now driving town center development, which is what Long Island needs to keep its young people. Connie Kepert, Councilwoman for the Town of Brookhaven, discussed the importance of implementing green building practices when developing new towns, such as Brookhaven’s EnergyStar homes program that was passed a few years ago, as well as the Green Homes initiative.

Regionalism vs. Localism

Katie Wilson, Wilden Financial; John Cameron, LI Regional Planning Council; Bob Scheiner, H2M; Larry Levy, Hofstra University; Hon. Jack Martins, NYS Senate; John McNally, Rauch Foundation

The Regionalism vs. Localism panel, moderated by John McNally of the Rauch Foundation, began with the premise that villages and hamlets work independently while some issues must be solved regionally. How do we bridge the divide? NYS Senator Jack Martins, former Mayor of Mineola, discussed how not every locality has the ability to deal with regional issues, as some have railroad hubs, etc. The role of a local leader is to mold opinion and direction of growth; to explain the benefits of growth and do what makes sense. We must balance local and regional planning by listening to the wants and needs of the community and use local action to improve the region. Peter Cavallaro, Mayor of the Village of Westbury, noted that certain zoning doesn’t work Islandwide, which necessitates local government to focus on requirements for a particular area. This also makes it easier to get a sense of the community’s needs.

At the same time, local government must not act in a vacuum, as all growth has a regional impact, and we can learn from other areas. John Cameron of Cameron Engineering and the LI Regional Planning Council discussed the challenge of getting people informed and engaged in regional planning issues. He covered the benefits of long-term sustainable strategies for the region, which can address issues such as affordability, high taxes, large-scale redevelopment projects (i.e. the NYS Regional Economic Development Councils), offering alternatives to federal recommendations, marketing LI goods and services, infrastructure, and the disparity of school performance. Larry Levy of Hofstra University called regionalism vs. localism a straw man: the two perspectives don’t work without the another. He also cautioned that our current governmental structure gives one village the power to prevent regional plans. Bob Scheiner of H2M said that it is very hard to get things done on Long Island due to multiple agencies, permits and levels of government involved in the decision-making process, but he gave examples of successful projects. This process is time consuming, but some reforms are necessary. Katie Wilson of Willdan Financial said that there is motivation from the fiscal crisis to cut costs in government. We should do efficiency studies to cut costs properly, and also focus on the need for strong local leadership.

Nassau Hub: What Happened & What's Next?

Roger Clayman, LI Federation of Labor; David Pennetta, Oxford & Simpson; Richard Bivone, LI Business Council; Hon. Wayne Wink, Nassau County Legislature; Scott Britton, Long Island Herald; Randi Marshall, Newsday

The Nassau Hub: What Happened & What’s Next panel began with moderator Randi Marshall of Newsday reviewing the redevelopment history of central Nassau, which has been ongoing since the 1980s. In terms of building a mixed-use town center, the Lighthouse didn’t happen. The Lighthouse Lite didn’t happen. The casino concept failed. The bond vote to publically finance the redevelopment failed. State infrastructure dollars did not come in. The question remains: Why are we still looking at asphalt? Why is it so difficult to build anything?

According to Roger Clayman of the Long Island Federation of Labor, nothing succeeded because political leaders and community leaders did not come together. There is a real need for jobs in the region and past proposals would have provided them. David Pennetta of CIBS added that government should be facilitators. Instead, information is not put out early because opposition is “right around the corner” and so we get nothing accomplished. Richard Bivone of the Long Island Business Council said that we cannot have a stagnant community doing nothing, nor can development be too large to be sustainable. The political structure makes this project a political football. We need to take the politics out of it. Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink said that after 20 years in government, he has learned that bad process will trump good policy every time. After the failed public financing option, it is clear that we need a real, strong public-private partnership moving forward. Scott Brinton of LI Herald called redevelopment the “clash of two visions:” a macro vision from planners and a micro vision from nearby homeowners.

Problems to date with redevelopment include unrealistic building heights, infrastructure dollars that did not come in, sewage plants with no more capacity, an under-equipped fire department and too many other unanswered questions. The panel continued to discuss why the August bond vote failed, then looked to the newest proposal for “Accelerate Nassau,” which would include a new Coliseum and a bio-science research facility.

Transportation: Federal, State, Local Initiatives

Charlene Obernauer, Long Island Jobs With Justice; Pat Bowden, Transport Workers Union; Mark Gander, AECOM; Mitch Pally, Long Island Builders Institute; Tanya Golikova, NYS Department of Transportation; Pam Robinson, Patch.com

The Transportation: Local, State and Federal Initiatives panel was moderated by Pam Robinson of Patch.com. The first speaker was Mark Gander of AECOM, who discussed federal TIGER grants that are available for infrastructure projects as part of the Recovery Act. Mitch Pally from the Long Island Builders Institute and member of the MTA Board spoke about the East Side Access project which would open up the LIRR to the east side of Manhattan via Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Second Avenue Subway line which would relieve congestion on the Lexington Avenue line.  Patricia Bowden, President of Transport Union Workers Local 252 spoke on the privatization of Long Island Bus by Veolia Transportation and alleged that the company will not contribute to the community as they are a foreign company with U.S headquarters in Illinois. Also speaking on the subject was Charlene Oberneur of Long Island Jobs with Justice. She added that Veolia has not been transparent with plans for the bus system in regards to fare increases and transfers from Nassau County to NYC transit systems. Tanya Golikova of the NYS Department of Transportation discussed the need for adequate bus service and also discussed funding for the system. A lively discourse between Pally, Obernauer and Bowden occurred over the LI Bus as well as LIRR issues.

Downtown Revitalization: Strategies for NYS & LI

Michael Puntillo, Jr., Jobco Realty & Construction; Robert Dadas, NYS Urban Council; Bruce Migatz, Albanese & Albanese; Victor Dadras, NYS Main Street Alliance; Michael Levine, Town of North Hempstead

In Downtown Revitalization: Strategies for NYS & LI, Victor Dadras of NY Main Street Alliance moderated an exciting panel that covered many of the revitalization efforts going on in our region. Michael Puntillo, Jr. of Jobco Realty & Construction talked about the Glen Cove Piazza project, a public-private partnership that was recently approved. The revitalization of the 80,000-square foot area bases its design on famous Italian architecture. The community will benefit from the convenience of a nearby train station and the utilization of existing parking infrastructure. Michael Levine, Planning Commissioner for the Town of North Hempstead, talked about various planning patterns throughout the Town. In Port Washington, people seem to be embracing the “New Urbanism dream,” as evidenced by plans for new mixed-use buildings and affordable housing. The train station is causing major automobile congestion problems, so there is serious dialog about the implementation of shuttle buses to help Port Washington residents. Levine also discussed the New Cassel project which will make over many streets and buildings. Tom Brown from Nelson/Nygaard discussed parking management, addressing the common misconception that there is not enough parking in a given downtown. Somewhat congested streets actually add value and vibrancy to a street, while adding more parking requires a great deal of land which could be better used for other purposes. Rather, we should promote walking downtown in alignment with what young people want. Robert Dadras of NYS Urban Council said that an entire community has to be included in the revitalization process, or else the project will be rejected. He covered other strategies that have worked throughout New York State, ranging from restoring historic structures to planning educational seminars to inform people about what is happening in their community. Bruce Migatz of Albanese and Albanese spoke about legal issues in revitalization, including zoning, land-use regulations and the permitting process. He also compared the process of moving a project through approvals and permits in several different Long Island municipalities.

Youth Vision for Long Island's Future

Youth Vision for Long Island’s Future featured Kelly Douglas, student at Manhattan College, Joe Conte of Gotham Government Relations & Communications, Alyssa Copeland, student at Dowling College and moderator Dr. Elana Zolfo of HIA-LI. The panel also included participation by many of the students who were part of the Youth Summit and Charrette. Conte and Douglas began the discussion by listing out some of their wants: reviving local businesses, having smaller government and giving younger people a voice in their communities. Copeland and other young people in the room felt that the adults don’t take the younger generation seriously, despite their major stake in the future of the region. Now, many youth leave the Island because they feel that there is nothing to do.

Discussion focused on investing in Long Island’s youth so they do not feel they have to leave. Groups should get more involved in helping youth through internships or pointing them toward career-minded fields, including chambers of commerce, businesses, local colleges and high schools. Youth also need to play their part and be more involved – they should start political clubs and get involved in local civic organizations. Joe Conte made a noteworthy comment, that “what doesn’t grow eventually dies.” This panel energized the youth and adults in the room and many pledged to continue these discussions and begin to take action!

Complete Streets

Jill Wagner, News 12 Long Island; Heather Sporn, NYS Department of Transportation; Mark Mancini, Greather Smithtown Chamber of Commerce; Nadine Lemmon, Tri-State Transportation Campaign; Sandy Vega; Hon. Jean Celender, Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor; Hon. Chuck Fuschillo, NYS Senate

The Complete Streets panel focused on the recently-passed New York State Complete Streets law as well as several local traffic calming and pedestrian-enhancing initiatives. Car mobility was a key factor in the creation of our streets, but now safety problems mean we must accommodate the needs of all people, of all ages and capabilities, especially pedestrians. NYS Senator Charles Fuschillo, the Complete Streets bill’s sponsor and advocate, Sandi Vega, a major advocate for the law after her daughter Brittany was killed by a car on Sunrise Highway in Wantagh, and Nadine Lemmon of Tri-State Transportation Campaign discussed the process of getting the state law passed and possibilities for the future. While the law only mandates considering Complete Streets in already-funded road projects, there is hope that developers implement them because these changes do not cost any additional money. Fuschillo also talked about the need for funding to upgrade aging infrastructure. Jean Celender, Mayor of the Village of Great Neck Plaza, and Mark Mancini of Greater Smithtown Chamber of Commerce discussed local traffic calming initiatives. In Great Neck, traffic calming changes have been enormously successful, while Smithtown desperately needs safer streets as fast speeds are killing both local businesses and people. Heather Sporn of NYSDOT also gave commentary on traffic calming initiatives. Jill Wagner of News 12 Long Island moderated the panel.

Financing Smart Growth

Michael S. Carleton, Herald National Bank; Bill Tuyn, Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.; Dan Deegan, Forchelli Curto Deegan; Doug Manditch, Empire National Bank; Hon. George Maragos, Nassau County Comptroller

The Financing Smart Growth panel was moderated by Dan Deegan of Forchelli Curto Deegan. Doug Manditch of Empire National Bank spoke about the difficulty of obtaining capital for Smart Growth projects and noted how most developments are privately funded. Banks are making excuses not to finance projects unless leases are available for them. George Maragos, Nassau County’s Comptroller, spoke on the development friendly environment of Nassau County and how the County Executive is focusing on development of small businesses. Councilman Ed Ambrosino of the Town of Hempstead acknowledged the fact that communities need places to live, work and play, but these communities need financing for these visions to come to fruition. Michael Carleton of Herald National Bank lamented that the financing environment is more conservative now. He added that money needs to go to Huntington Station to finance new growth initiatives.  Finally, Bill Tuyn of Greenman-Pedersen spoke about the need to eliminate red tape in order to build needed infrastructure to rebuild communities. He also went into the need to change the public’s perspective on Smart Growth, density and compact buildings.  

Energy & Smart Growth

Phil Austen, National Grid; Matt Frank, MDF Development Group; David Schieren, EmPower Solar; Nandita Kamdar, Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor; Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College; Richie Kessel; Elissa Ward, Vision Long Island; Keith Samaroo, Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor

Energy and Smart Growth was moderated by Richie Kessel, former President and CEO of LIPA and thes. Vision Long Island’s Elissa Ward spoke about the energy efficient qualities of Smart Growth and how compact building and concentrating development around transit reduces our dependence on oil.  Neal Lewis from the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College explained how energy efficient standards do not apply to multifamily housing and commercial buildings and how there is a lack of testing done to make new construction energy efficient. He proposed that towns update their energy codes and not allow anything which is not energy efficient to be built. Nandita Kamdar of PS&S spoke on the energy projects her company has been focusing on, including air reuse in hospitals and other large buildings via air purification systems. Matt Frank of MDF Development Group lamented that building codes need more flexibility in order to utilize the most energy efficient technologies available at the time of construction and that solar panels need to be made smaller and more attractive to entice people to install them on their residences. In a similar vein, David Schieren of EmPower Solar spoke about his firm and how the rise in oil prices will make more people use solar power as their main form of energy in the 21st century. Phil Austen of National Grid spoke about coordinated programs with LIPA and NYSERDA and a research project on barriers to energy and Smart Growth.

Transit-Oriented Development: What is Working & Where?

Gerry Bogacz, NYMTC; John Callegari, Long Island Business News; Jennifer Cribbs, HUD Region II; Sal Coco, BHC Architects; Maria Rigopolous, Mill Creek Residential Trust; Dave Genaway, Town of Islip Planning Department; Mike Kelly, Kelly Developent Group

The Transit Oriented Development: What is Working & Where? panel was moderated by John Callegari of Long Island Business News. Sal Coco of BHC Architects talked about the Wyandanch Rising project, which will revitalize the community by focusing on redevelopment around the train station. The project will promote mixed-use development, manage parking to promote walking, include parks and greenery and design to fit into the local community. Maria Rigopoulos of Mill Creek Residential Trust spoke about several successful TOD projects throughout the country. She focused on the West Hempstead project to redevelop the site of the former Courtesy Hotel, which is adjacent to the train station and was met with enormous community support. Mike Kelly of Kelly Development Group noted that TOD necessitates political courage, as evidenced by various efforts underway in Patchogue. Eric Zamft of VHB discussed Farmingdale’s revitalization process in the context of master plan zoning. Dave Genaway of the Town of Islip Planning Department discussed several successful and potential TODs, including Bay Shore and the Ronkonkoma Hub. He added that planning boards are important and must have the courage to move forward with creative zoning plans. Long Island has seen a paradigm shift, and there is a need for some higher density areas. We can relocate density to areas that can handle it. Gerry Bogacz of NYMTC noted that there are different ways of thinking at the regional level. Regional planners can look at local plans and see how they work together, then work to “fill in the gaps.” Jennifer Cribbs of HUD Region II talked about the Sustainable Communities Partnership, which integrates the federal level to increase efficiency. The program’s grants include livability principles.

Helping Small Businesses Thrive

Jorge Martinez, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Diana Coleman, Nassau Economic Opportunity Commission; E. Christopher Murray, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce; Sylvania Diaz, Noticia; Mark Alessi, Long Island Angel Network; Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Dowling College

The Helping Small Businesses Thrive panel was a great discussion on the ways we can improve the small business climate on Long Island. Participants in this panel were Jorge Martinez of the LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and BCM Solutions, Marc Alessi of the Long Island Angel Network, Silvana Diaz of Noticia, E. Christopher Murray of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, and Diana Coleman of the Nassau Economic Opportunity Commission. The Panel was moderated by Dr. Nathalia Rogers of Dowling College.  The topics discussed in this panel included the difficulty small businesses have in competing with big box stores, the need to label Long Island as a technology zone, the need to use social networking such as Facebook and Foursquare to make small businesses relevant and accessible and the need to continue to grow minority and women-owned businesses. Unincorporated villages, according to some panelists, rarely have a say in what goes up in their communities and more regulation would help prevent too many of the same type of businesses from coming in. A preliminary theme in a federal study being conducted by Dowling College is that a vast majority of small business owners, even those not located in downtowns, thought that revitalizing downtowns is very important to the small business climate.

Luncheon

Top row, l-r: Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns; John Keating, National Grid; E. Christopher Murray, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. Middle row, l-r: Peter Fleischer, Empire State Development; Steven Kreiger, Engel Burman Group; John Norquist, CNU; Will Stoner, AARP; Richie Kessel; Jorge Martinez, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Front row, l-r: Roger Clayman, LI Federation of Labor; Richard Bivone, LI Business Council; Hon. George Maragos, Nassau County Comptroller; Michael Posillico, Posillico; Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Hon. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator; Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Dowling College; Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Sylvania Diaz, Noticia; Ron Stein, Vision Long Island; Dr. Elana Zolfo, HIA-LI; Vinny Mentar, JP Morgan Chase

Angela Powers, New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce / Ron Stein, Vision Long Island / Vinny Mentar, JP Morgan Chase

The lunch program began with Angela Powers of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce singing the Star Spangled Banner. Vision’s Eric Alexander gave brief updates on the CNU New York chapter, the recently-passed Complete Streets law and the LI Lobby Coalition.

Tawaun Weber, Vision Long Island with Sen. Schumer / Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano with the Senator / Roger Clayman, LI Federation of Labor; Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Hon. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate; John Norquist, CNU

A full program of featured speakers began with United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, who gave an inspiring and focused message on infrastructure investment. Despite deficit troubles, Schumer said, there are three areas that we absolutely must continue to invest in in order to be prosperous: education, scientific research and infrastructure. We cannot grow and create new jobs if we cut infrastructure. In fact, the U.S. is in 24th place in the world’s infrastructure, behind places like Barabados. On Long Island, bridges are structurally deficient, water and sewer infrastructure is crumbling or nonexistent and economic development projects lack proper funding. These problems need to be fixed as soon as possible.

Senator Schumer said that there are two federal initiatives that people should rally around to promote infrastructure: passing a new federal transportation bill with equitable funding and creating an infrastructure bank that could leverage $300 billion in private funds. On the local level, there have been recent successes in funding the Ronkonkoma Hub and East Side Access as well as grants from the Sustainable Communities program.

Long Island was the first suburb; now, we need to become the first 21st Century suburb, said Senator Schumer. He is confident that Long Island will remain the powerhouse that it was in the 20th Century.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano gave a well-recieved and passionate speech on the Nassau HUB. The HUB is vitally important to Long Island; its revitalization will help create jobs, jump-start the region’s economy, replace an aging Coliseum, and create a strong community. However, every plan, to date, has failed for the site. It is a major failure that nothing has progressed over the last decade. There are currently opportunities at the state level with a renewed interest in investing in infrastructure at the site, which is a critical piece that was previously missing.

We simply have to redevelop the site, said Mangano, and we have to do so affordably. “Let’s make the next one a success,” he said.

Suffolk County Executive-elect and current Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone filmed a special video message for the Summit which emphasized his eagerness to implement Smart Growth strategies at the County level. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to… work together with Vision Long Island to solve the challenges and problems that we face as a region, and they are many,” said Bellone, adding "I am confident that working together, we can overcome them and we can create a more sustainable and prosperous future for all families and businesses in our County.”

John Norquist, President of the Congress for the New Urbanism and former Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shared his perspective on federal improvements to housing and transportation that could help finance Smart Growth projects in our downtowns. Before the Federal Housing Administration was created in 1934, mixed-use buildings were very common. This was in part because lenders believed mixed-use development was the most profitable, as buildings with both housing and retail provided two sources of income. If one failed, the other would profit. Today, lenders see mixed-use buildings as risk – if one fails then why build any at all? As demand for mixed-use development has increased over time, these federal lending policies present a major impediment to downtown revitalization. We need to get rid of separate use zoning; and we need to reform the FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD in order to do this. These lending policies “get in the way of good urbanism” said Norquist.

Norquist also talked about some great downtown places and what makes them great: an interconnected street grid spreads traffic and land use around which promotes mixed-use development. Mixed-use helps businesses to be prosperous and creates social gathering spaces. There may be some congestion on the streets, but just like cholesterol or fat, there are both good and bad types of congestion: automobile congestion also means lots of pedestrians, which means more patrons for local businesses and more sales tax revenues. Our government and private sector leaders need to think differently about bringing more people into our downtowns.

Housing in a Changing Market

Marcelle Fischler, New York Times; Linda Bonarelli Lugo, Long Island Board of Realtors; Steve Krieger, Engel Burman; Will Stoner, AARP; George Siberon, Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association; David Okorn, Long Island Community Foundation

The Housing in a Changing Market panel, moderated by Marcelle Fischler of the NY Times, provided a vibrant discussion on Long Island’s most immediate housing needs. Panelists included Linda Bonarelli Lugo of LI Board of Realtors, David Okorn of LI Community Foundation, Steven Krieger of Engel Burman Group, Will Stoner of AARP, and George Siberon of Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association. 37% of the market is first-time home buyers; it was 50% last year. The decrease in this statistic is important to note – market demand is changing. There is a need for more rental housing and more affordable housing. In terms of demographics, we need to concentrate on accommodating seniors and the younger generation. Our youth leave Long Island in part because there is no affordable housing. If they are forced to pay such high prices, many would rather move to the city. Krieger discussed his Seasons at East Meadow project as a successful development that has benefited from an active market. Stoner discussed “inclusive design,” a design policy that would enable individuals to age in their existing homes if they want to, through simple changes such as no-step entries and maneuverable space on the main floor. Panelists discussed the foreclosure crisis, which has left many people stuck without affordable owning or renting options. Another major issue is that immigrants are living illegally by doubling up in housing – at least 10,000 people are not accounted for in the Census. Again, this demographic is stuck with no safe and affordable housing options.

Components of Great Places: Food, Arts, Music & Destinations

Pat Snyder, East End Arts Council; Neal Hoffman, Hoffman Greyson Architects; David Winzelberg, Long Island Business News; Mike Maroni, Maroni's Cuisine; Andreaus 13, African American Media Network; Richard Panchyk, Hazen & Sawyer

Components of Great Places: Food, Arts, Music and Destinations was moderated by David Winzelberg of Long Island Business News, and holds the distinction of being the only panel with live music courtesy of musician Jared Scot. The first speaker was Mike Maroni of Maroni Cuisine in Northport. He explained that when his restaurant was in its beginning phases, local ordinances forbid him from serving food and now, his business is a flagship of Northport Village and well-known beyond the Village's borders. He expressed a desire to have a high speed ferry in Northport Harbor to facilitate the image of Northport Village as a destination for people in Connecticut. Next was Neal Hoffman of Hoffman Grayson Architects. He gave a presentation on what he called “postcard towns,” towns that have attractive downtown areas. He explained that symbolic locations, such as the Greenpoint Carousel are important destinations for towns to have because they incorporate local history and tourism simultaniously.  Richard Panchyk of Hazen and Sawyer was next with a presentation on the Westbury Theater project. He explained that improvements can be made by retrofitting abandoned theaters and making them destinations to downtowns. Pat Snyder of the East End Arts Council gave a presentation on various art and music programs on the East End and how Riverhead is using its empty storefronts as gallery spaces.  Andreaus 13 of the African American Media Network wrapped up the panel with his story of how he grew up with a wide array of options to perform and youth today no longer have places to go to hone their talents especially if they are from marginalized areas

Beyond NIMBY: The Community as a Partner

Bazeel Walter, Porter Trejo Action Network; Brandon Palanker, Renaissance Downtowns; Rosalie Norton, West Hempstead Community Support Association; Eliot Bloom, Law Offices of Eliot Bloom; Patrick Mitchell, AMVETS/South Shore Civic Alliance

The panel Beyond NIMBY was moderated by Alex Latham of ADL III Architecture. Patrick Mitchell of AMVETS and the South Shore Civic Alliance Spoke of getting a 400-unit project down to a 200-unit project which would have less impact on traffic in the area. He made a point to say that an alliance helps development. His group would like developers to concentrate on the areas in need of improvement rather than build more units. Eliot Bloom, a Mineola attorney, also believes that an alliance between the local government, the people and the project helps development. He cited the expansion of Good Samaritan hospital. Many in the area believed the expansion would impact traffic in residential areas. Good Samaritan held meetings with the public and that relieved the burden off of the town to answer questions. To this day, the hospital holds open forums with the surrounding town. Rosalie Norton of the West Hempstead Community Support Association noted that in order to get a project embraced by the public, they must be aware of it first before the town board. She suggested mailing brochures regarding the project to everyone in the zip code before presenting the project to the town board. Brandon Palanker of Renaissance Downtowns agreed and also suggested using social media networks such as Facebook to crowd source potential projects. Finally, Bazeel Walters of Porter Trejo Action Network noted that without housing, there are no people and the community dies. He mentioned the need to get churches involved because if the people are gone, the churches die out as well.

Priority Infrastructure

Paul Beyer, NYS Director of Smart Growth; Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment; David Calone, Suffolk County Planning Commission; Michael Posillico, Posillico; Peter Fleischer, Empire State Future

The Priority Infrastructure panel was moderated by Peter Fleischer of Empire State Future. Kelly Morris of the Glen Cove CDA spoke about revitalizing an industrial waste site in part through a new commuter ferry service to Manhattan. Michael Posillico of Posillico also worked in Glen Cove as well as other areas on infrastructure issues. Suffolk County Planning Commission’s David Calone said that we cannot rely on state or federal government for things such as sewer funding. Sadly, a lack of infrastructure is preventing economic growth. Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said that sewage treatment plants are in disrepair and are nationally underfunded. The federal government must be held accountable, and LI has to remain livable. NYS Director of Smart Growth Paul Beyer noted that the NYS is implementing the Smart Growth Infrastructure Act through their current funding process. Discussion followed as Fleischer asked what has changed for infrastructure in recent years, especially since the NYS Public Infrastructure law was passed. Panelists agreed that environmental issues have been ignored, but we must look at the Island holistically and note that environmental issues are tied to the economy. Posillico said that public-private partnerships are stronger now, while Calone discussed the possibility of local government taking over private sewage treatment plants that are not kept up. Panelists also discussed how to get more public support for infrastructure issues, as well as the difficult issue of how to pay for all our pressing infrastructure needs.

Youth Summit & Charrette

Participants in the Youth Summit with (bottom row, l-r) Elissa Ward, Vision Long Island; Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Dowling College; Catie Vandrei, Hoffman Grayson Architects; Dr. Elena Zolfo, Hauppauge Industrial Association

In the afternoon session, the students from Dowling College and Copiague High School reconvened to develop a youth vision for what downtowns need near college campuses. After a brief presentation about principles of Smart Growth and walkability from facilitators Elissa Ward of Vision Long Island, Dr. Nathalia Rogers of Dowling College and Catie Vandrei of Hoffman Grayson Architects, the students split into four groups. Two groups worked on designs to make downtown Oakdale a more student-friendly place and the other two groups focused on creating a new center in and around Dowling’s Brookhaven campus. Many of the students added restaurants and entertainment destinations including bowling alleys, amusement parks and indoor sports facilities as well as mixed-use buildings with retail and apartments for students and graduates. Several groups highlighted connections to the waterfront as a feature for the community in some cases creating new water features as a central focus of a new neighborhood. Mass transit was also a strong feature with students making transit connections to the Shirley train station from the Brookhaven campus and in one case relocating the Oakdale train station closer to campus and more central to their proposed development. Jobs were also considered in many of the student’s designs with professional and medical offices close to campus for student internships as well as factories for manufacturing jobs. All of the students designs considered the needs of the existing residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and tried to protect them from noise and traffic while giving them convenient access to the added amenities.

New Elected Officials Worksession

Top row l-r: John Cochrane, Town of Islip Councilman-elect; Steven Kreiger, Vision Long Island Board Member; Hon. Steve Flotteron, Town of Islip Councilman; Hon. Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Legislature; Richard Bivone, Vision Long Island Board Member; Hon. Jack Martins, NYS Senate; Hon. Peter Cavallaro, Village of Westbury Mayor; Carrie Solages, Nassau County Legislator-elect; John Norquist, President of CNU and former mayor of Milwaukee; Bottom row: Hon. Connie Kepert, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman; Rob Calarco, Suffolk County Legislator-elect; Dina DiGiorgio, Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman-elect; Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island

About a dozen recently elected and existing local elected officials gathered to share ideas on how to accomplish Smart Growth in their communities. Vision’s Director and select board members, along with John Norquist, joined them to share best practices and some of the challenges to revitalization.

Summit 2011 wrap-up

Smart Growth solutions of targeting infrastructure investment into growth centers save money for local and regional governments. Investing in small businesses in our downtowns helps preserve our economic base and supporting mixed use development in key locations will grow our economy, house our young people and create jobs. This year’s Summit brought together the best practices of Smart Growth from LI, the region and the nation. Progress is underway: Nearly 5,000 units of housing adjacent to transit have been approved over the last five years with another 5,000 under review. Millions of dollars in infrastructure investment targeted towards Long Island’s downtowns, corridors and new town centers is planned, approved or under construction as well.

“In times of economic uncertainty just as families pull together to make ends meet community, government and business leaders need to work together to keep our downtowns and communities afloat.” Eric Alexander, Executive Director of Vision Long Island

Cindy Mardenfeld, Infinity; Bob Fonti, Vincent James Management Company / Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns; Michael Posillico, Posillico / John Norquist, CNU; Ron Stein, Vision Long Island

John Keating, National Grid; representatives from National Grid; Bill Mannix, Town of Islip / David Berg, APA-LI Chapter; Keith Archer, Harras Bloom & Archer / David Okorn, Long Island Community Foundation; Will Stoner, AARP

AJ Johnston; Peter Perraro, Mill Creek Residential Trust; Maria Rigopolous, Mill Creek Residential Trust / Matthew Cordero; Nandita Kamdar, PS&S; Keith Samaroo, Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor; Hon. Tom Dwyer, Town of North Hempstead Councilman/ Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Richie Kessel

Representatives from AECOM; Larry Rosenbloom, AECOM; Atma Sookram, AECOM / Tara Bono and Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment / Richard Bivone, LI Business Council; Hon. Charles Fuschillo, NYS Senate; Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Hon. Wayne Wink. Nassau County Legislature

Roger Clayman, LI Federation of Labor; Carrie Solages, Nassau County Legislator-elect; Charlene Obernauer, LI Jobs With Justice / Trudy Fitzsimmons, Leadership Huntington; David Spritzen, LI Progressive Coalition / Hon. George Maragos, Nassau County Comptroller and Justin Hernandez

Representatives from Herald National Bank / Diana Soldano, LKB; Deborah Chase, Greenman Pedersen; M. Paul Campagnola, LKB / Julie Marchesella, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce; NYS Senator Jack Martins; Dennis Grossman, Grossman Strategies

Irwin Krasnow, Town of Oyster Bay; Hon. Wayne Hall, Village of Hempstead Mayor / Vince Ang, Village of Valley Stream

Rob Calarco, Suffolk County Legislator-elect; Eric Alexander, VIsion Long Island, Hon. Steve Flotteron, Town of Islip Councilman / Matt Frank, MDF Development Group, Eric Alexander ;Peter Waldt ,Cushman Wakefield; Larry Rosenbloom, AECOM / Hon. George Maragos, Nassau County Comptroller; Doug Manditch, Empire National Bank; Eric Alexander

Eric Alexander; Henry Goessman and Phil Heckler, Hickville Gardens Civic Association; Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College / Youth Summit participants/ representatives from St. Joseph's College

David Leno and representatives from Ruskin Moscou Faltishek; Eric Alexander / Hon. Charles Fuschillo, NYS Senate; Eric Alexander / Cara Douglas; Kelly Douglas, Manhattan College

Nick Turanksky, Community National Bank; Jonathan Krist, Town of Hempstead; Mike Kelly, Kelly Development Group / Eric Alexander (l) and John Norquist (r) being interviewed by TV55

The trade show, with 30 exhibitors, was an additional feature at this year's Summit

Here’s what some of our speakers and special guests have said about this year’s Summit:

John Norquist of the CNU said, “Long Island’s towns and villages can be very prosperous if they invest in infrastructure that can add value to their communities. We are heartened to see the progress of good downtown plans and mixed use projects integrated into your suburban fabric”

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said, "Smart Growth efforts are key to rebuilding our economy, growing jobs and making housing more affordable on Long Island. My administration is committed to reinventing government to rein in wasteful spending and prioritize efforts that lead to a stronger and more sustainable economic climate for employers and residents.”

Suffolk County Executive-elect Steve Bellone said, “Vision Long Island has been a valuable partner in the Town of Babylon as we’ve worked to revitalize our downtown areas utilizing Smart Growth principles. I look forward to working with Vision Long Island, municipalities and civic groups in my new role as Suffolk County Executive, utilizing the resources at our disposal to move Long Island in the right direction!”

NYS Senator Jack Martins said, “It is my honor to take part in Vision Long Island’s 10th Annual Smart Growth Summit. It is important to continue to seek Smart Growth projects for our communities as we come together as a region to discuss economic development. As a village mayor, I was committed to Smart Growth for areas that allowed for revitalization. Now, as a State Senator and chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government, I look forward to continuing to work toward economic development that makes sense for our communities. I commend Vision Long Island’s efforts toward meeting that goal.”

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos said “Financing Smart Growth, such as small businesses, is essential to economic development and job creation. Big banks, other financial institutions, local Industrial Development Agencies and the Small Business Administration need to work cooperatively to improve financing for Smart Growth Projects and innovative startup businesses. Events like this facilitate the required open dialogue to achieve these goals.”

Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink said: “The revitalization of the Nassau Hub is critical to the economic growth and sustainability of the Long Island economy. Since Nassau County taxpayers have stated emphatically that they do not wish to fund the redevelopment with public monies, significant private investment and grants will be essential to move forward.”

Supervisor Sean Walter of the Town of Riverhead said, "Vision Long Island is a leader in paving the way for redevelopment and smart growth projects on Long Island and the Town of Riverhead fully supports and encourages their continued efforts."

Deputy Supervisor Theresa Quigley of the Town of East Hampton said “East Hampton’s pristine environment has led to tourism, a short-seasoned industry, becoming the bread and butter of the East End economy. Town leaders recognize the need to develop a robust, year-round economic engine. The challenge lies in gaining local support for business development initiatives; many residents view business growth as adverse to the environment, and thus, to tourism.”

Councilman Steve Flotteron of the Town of Islip said, “Long Island is not unaffordable; the problem has been that we lack diversity in housing product. We’re losing our youth to places like Hoboken, Jersey City and Sunnyside because of this lack of new designs and cool products. The Town of Islip is working against this trend, and we’re offering new Smart Growth designs in downtown Bay Shore and other hamlets in the Town.”

Councilman Ed Ambrosino of the Town of Hempstead said, “Sustainable Smart Growth can only be achieved by a leveraged financing that uses a blended mixture of tax exempt debt, tax credit syndication, tax incremental financing and private equity. There is nothing smart about development that depends on a direct increase in property taxes.”

Councilwoman Connie Kepert of the Town of Brookhaven said, “To weather this economic downturn it is critical that we persevere by working together to move forward projects that create or strengthen town centers. Much like the wonderful synergy that takes place at Vision Long Island's events, where elected officials from every level of government, developers, planning professionals, public advocates, and civics join, there is a vibrant synergy that takes place in downtowns where uses are mixed and people are connected to their communities that has been lost in suburban sprawl type development.”

Mayor Peter Cavallaro of the Village of Westbury said, “Smart Growth is something that many communities attempt to achieve, and many have had some success. The summit gives community leaders, policymakers and others an opportunity to share ideas, discuss what has been successful, and what has been less so, and allows for the full spectrum of vantage points. As a village mayor, my perspective is necessarily very local and very specific as to what needs to be done, and what it is possible for us to do, in the context of a small community. However, it is also necessary for me, by board and our planning and zoning boards to have a broader understanding of what is going on around us and regionally. We need to what resources are available to us, and what challenges may exist that could affect our efforts locally. The summit allows for that kind of exposure and dialogue to take place.”

Mayor Jean Celender of the Village of Great Neck Plaza said “The Village of Great Neck Plaza is pleased to be participating in Vision Long Island’s 10th Annual Smart Growth Summit on the “Complete Streets” panel. New York State’s recent Complete Streets law, which was years in the making, came to fruition because of the significant local support and advocacy of Vision Long Island, transportation groups, environmental organizations and many individuals in grass roots letter writing campaigns. Complete Streets is a win for easing our congested streets, calming traffic and developing shared concepts for motorists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Great Neck Plaza has been working hard in these areas to incorporate Complete Street design guidelines in our transportation reconstruction projects. I look forward to sharing case studies of our implemented state traffic calming projects on Nov. 18th.”

Mayor Wayne Hall of the Village of Hempstead said, ‘Today’s municipalities are confronted with economies, residents and communities that are under stress. But within those challenges reside tremendous opportunities for growth. In Hempstead, we recognize that the way out of the precarious economy we are now confronting is through Smart Growth. That means planning for commercial and residential development that looks to the needs of our community over the long-term. It means inducing private industry with incentives, while building on the needs of a thriving and diverse community whose very diversity represents newer and stronger markets. It is with this vision of robust growth that we are planning a $1 billion overhaul of Hempstead’s downtown and Main Street. The old timers say Hempstead was once great. We know, and visionary companies recognize, that with Smart Growth, it will be again.”

Richie Kessel said, “Vision Long Island’s Annual Smart Growth Summit is an opportunity to discuss the critical challenges that face Long Island and how we can meet them. Energy plays an important role in our future and I look forward to an exciting session discussing energy efficiency projects.”

David Calone of the Suffolk County Planning Commission said, “The future of Long Island depends on protecting our existing natural assets while growing our economic base. Critical to both of those goals is the establishment of policies and funding priorities that support the creation of desirable and thriving places to live and work. For ten years, Vision Long Island has been bringing together Long Island governmental, private sector and not-for-profit leaders to brainstorm ideas and share information that will allow all of us to shape this kind of path forward for Long Island.”

Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said, “Vision Long Island truly brings together the Long Island community to focus on our mutual goals of creating smart growth, protecting natural resources, upgrading waste water treatment infrastructure and improving our quality of life. This summit has become a critical discussion and planning forum for moving us forward in a collaborative manner,”

Roger Clayman of the Long Island Federation of Labor said “Long Island’s economy is urgently in need of an economic jump start. The development of Nassau County’s HUB for jobs, transportation, and entertainment should be a matter of the highest priority for decision makers.”

Pat Bowden of TWU Local 252 said, “Congratulations to Vision Long Island celebrating their 10th Annual Smart Growth Summit! It is organizations like yours that seek new ideas and solutions, from concerned organizations, to problems that affect our communities. Thank you for your hard work.”

Will Stoner of AARP New York said, “Smart Growth advocates and AARP members have many victories to celebrate in 2011 including Complete Streets and the Smart Growth Infrastructure Act. Collaborations are the key to success and we look forward to working together in 2012 to ensure that people of all ages and abilities can live their best lives in the home and community of their choice."

Don Monti of Renaissance Downtowns said “We must embrace change – positive change – by redeveloping our transit oriented downtowns which represent only 1% of Long Island’s land mass. By doing so utilizing a triple bottom line approach of social, economic and environmental responsibility, we can reinvigorate the economy, retain our young workforce, reduce our tax burden and create tremendous social and cultural amenities while preserving the suburban fabric of our region. ”

Brian Ferruggiari from The Meadows at Yaphank said “Smart Growth should be more than just a buzz word, it needs to guide the future of development on Long Island. The projects and principles we will be discussing in our workshop will serve as examples of how we can combat sprawl and reduce our dependence on the automobile through the development of mixed-use, walkable communities.”

Mitchell H. Pally of the LI Builder’s Institute said, “It is of great importance for all transportation funding to take into account the needs of good planning and to envision how people will move from their homes to their offices to their commercial establishments. The discussions which will take place at the Summit will assist all of us in understanding the nature of the relationship between such funding and our new lifestyles.”

Jennifer Cribbs of HUD Region II said, “Part of the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities’ mission is to foster collaboration that continues to cultivate and support sustainable, vibrant, affordable communities, in support of this, the Partnership is delighted to be part of Vision Long Island’s 10th Smart Growth Summit looking at balancing the need to preserve Long Island’s beautiful environment while simultaneously promoting community revitalization and economic growth.”

John D. Cameron, Jr., of the Long Island Regional Planning Council said “Long Island is at a critical juncture. We either decide to address our challenges today head on, or we inevitably will suffer the consequences of a unsustainable economy and a declining quality of life.”

Marc Alessi of LI Angel Network said "As we look towards Long Island's future, we need to put in place a smart growth plan for our economy as well as land use. Where will the new residents work, what type of jobs can we create, and how do we create them? I believe that Long Island is ripe to take advantage of the burgeoning Innovation Economy, because of our resident's high degree of education, our density of research facilities, and the legacy of high tech industries that remain from the defense industry days."

Michael Carleton of Herald National Bank said, “Herald National Bank is committed to helping Long Island communities and local businesses achieve their financial objectives and sees smart growth as a smart investment in regional economic development.”

Silvana Diaz of Noticia said, “According to recent study, nearly a quarter of Long Island small business owners are immigrants and 16% of all small business profits come from this population. The current economic distress has affected us all, without discrimination but this population specifically faces unique challenges.”

Patrick Mitchell of AMVETS/South Shore Civic Alliance said, “It is our goal to continue to work cooperatively with local groups, organizations and government entities to bring attention to issues that are directly affecting the residents of our communities. Furthermore, we will attempt to develop long lasting relationships that lead to solutions that positively affect the groups we represent.”

Press coverage

Here is some press coverage of the Summit, to date:

LIBN pre event
Newsday
The Corridor
Noticia

Special Thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters

Save the Date!

The 11th Annual Smart Growth Summit

is taking place on

November 16th, 2012

Melville Marriott

Stay tuned for more