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Smart Talk News and Views about Growth on Long Island December 2006 -- Vol. 4, Ed. 4 |
Vision Long Island Home Table of Contents
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EDITOR'S NOTE
We've turned the corner. As we look back on the last year and take stock of our accomplishments, it is clear Long Island has much to be proud of. Never before has there been such support for progressive land use change. Underlying trends, groundbreaking projects and shifts in political winds have yielded more allies for Smart Growth than ever.
Developers, municipalities and civic leaders are increasingly looking to VISION, who is in turn bringing them together to understand their roles in the greater context of Long Island. We have extensive influence on county policy, have worked intensively with federal officials, and are helping spearhead a regional planning process for Long Island. We are excited about opportunities at the State level, as newly elected Governor Eliot Spitzer has voiced strong support for Smart Growth and seems to really be listening to the people here on the ground.
Of course, our roots are the grass roots. In addition to numerous other direct efforts, VISION is continuing to bring communities together across Long Island to assess their communities and advance unique visions for their future. Most recent events have occurred in Gordon Heights, Shoreham, and now Mount Sinai, while efforts to advance existing visions and to work in groups like the Nassau Business and Community Planning Coalition continue to gain ground.
The 5th Annual Smart Growth Summit convened over 700 governmental, professional, community and environmental leaders. At core were 15 interactive work sessions, featuring 70 presenters addressing diverse issues. At the annual Supervisor’s Plenary, Town leaders committed to a Council of Governments. Featured presenters included LIPA Chairman Richard Kessel, U.S. Representative Tim Bishop, and nationally renowned developer Steve Maun, President of LeylandAlliance.
A 10-point plan has emerged. It represents top strategies drawn from past summits presentations, consultations and community planning efforts across Long Island. It provides immediate steps to address issues impacted by land use, and is serving as the launching point for a Smart Growth platform that will be presented formally to elected officials.
Nothing can be accomplished alone. Our mission is one of partnership, bringing Long Island’s diverse interests together to establish our common future. We hope you will help us identify the stongest forces for quality development and preservation by submitting nominations for the 2007 Smart Growth Awards. Sponsorship packages are also available.
We care about your concerns, and hope you will join us as we focus efforts on the opportunities ahead. We have knowledge, expertise, and successful models to draw upon. Together, we can build a brighter future for us all.
Let us know what you think! Send comments and contributions to "Smart Talk" at info@visionlongisland.org.
Eric Alexander, Executive Director
Katheryn Laible, Assistant Director
VLI NEWS & EVENTS
5th Annual Smart Growth Summit
Nominations Being Accepted for 2007 Smart Growth Awards
Mount Sinai Visioning Continues January 17th
Vision Job Posting: Bookkeeper/Administrator
AROUND THE ISLAND
Atlanticville: Quogue Boon or Community Bust?
Nassau Open Space Bond Act Passes with Flying Colors
LI Bus: Why Study When Demand is Clear?
Babylon First to Adopt Green Building Code
Oyster Bay Issues Major Report on Zoning
Avalon Preparing for Another Proposal
ACTION ALERTS & KEY RESOURCES
Beth Says...A Must See: Fast Food Nation
Great Resource from the EPA: This is Smart Growth
Knowledgeplex Providing Monthly Dataplace Demonstrations
STATE LEVEL
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Programs Accepting Applications
NATIONAL NEWS
Our Say Report Useful, But Can it be Implemented?
National Low Income Housing Coalition Reports Rental Housing "Out of Reach"
STATE BY STATE
CONNECTICUT
Regional Tax Sharing, State Tax System Reform Key to Preserving Local Character in Rural Connecticut
DELAWARE
NEW HAMPSHIRE
EPA Workshops, Presentations Helping Laconia Use Smart Growth
NEW JERSEY
VLI NEWS & EVENTS
5TH ANNUAL SMART GROWTH SUMMIT
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700 Guests, 70 Speakers, 10 Major Policy Recommendations
Our 5th Annual Smart Growth Summit was an extraordinary success. Over 700 government, professional and not-for-profit leaders from throughout the region came to offer their energy to this lively, thought-provoking effort. A major highlight came at the opening Supervisor’s Plenary, where leaders of Brookhaven, Oyster Bay, Riverhead, Hempstead, and North Hempstead committed to creating a Council of Governments that would work together to address regional planning issues.
At core were 15 diverse and informative sessions featuring 70 presenters examing the full gamut of issues affecting and impacted by land use decisions. Key highlights included:
• A call for the MTA to create a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program. This would help focus development in a way that serves people who want public transportation to be a convenient and practical option.
• An emphasized need to focus on the sewer infrastructure needed for Smart Growth development. This would address existing environmental issues, while enabling the creation of denser mixed-use nodes that foster a sense of place, fill a market need, and save open space.
• A push for new types of affordable housing that are attractive, have a more positive impact on communities, and further reduce expenses through energy efficiency and access to jobs and consumer goods.
In his keynote presentation, LIPA Chairman Richard Kessel called on Long Island to address the great risk our rapidly growing energy consumption poses, stressing the need for all of Long Island to follow the lead of LIPA and landmark legislation in Brookhaven, Babylon and Southampton. U.S. Representative Timothy Bishop, who sits on the House Transportation Committee, committed to implementing transportation projects in line with Brookhaven community visions in Gordon Heights, Middle Island/Coram, Lake Ronkonkoma, Mastic and Shirley. He commended Kessel’s message, voicing his view that the Federal Government has a critical role to play in advancing federal transportation and energy policy, and in creating incentives and tools for local governments to improve land use planning.
A 10-point plan was presented by VISION, representing top strategies drawn from past summits and thousands of presentations, consultations and community planning efforts across Long Island. The plan provides immediate action steps to address issues impacted by land use. It is the launching point for a Smart Growth platform that will be formally presented to elected officials.
Flyer with complete schedule
Post-event Press Release, complete with 10-point plan and images from the event
Learn about previous Summits on our website, www.visionlongisland.org
NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR 2007 SMART GROWTH AWARDS
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On June 15th, Vision Long Island will honor the people, project and prolicies advancing Smart Growth on Long Island. Now is the time to let us know your nominations for these important awards, which annually set the bar for quality development and preservation Island-wide.
Click here for a nomination form (pdf)
Click here for a printable Save the Date form (pdf)
MOUNT SINAI VISIONING CONTINUES JANUARY 17TH
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Come to Mount Sinai High School Wednesday, January 17th from 7:30 - 9:30pm for the second Mount Sinai Visioning Meeting. Input will be sought from residents as to the usage of 28 acres of light industrial property on NYS Rt. 25A.
Call 631-261-0242 for more information.
Since 1993, the Congress for the New Urbanism has sponsored annual Congresses. The meetings provide CNU's diverse members the opportunity to converse and to teach one another how to develop better cities and towns. In 2007, join us for CNU XV in Philadelphia, May 17-20, 2007
If you plan to attend, please let us know. Vision Long Island is currently organizing a Long Island delegation to provide a strong voice of Long Island at these important national events. Call 631-261-0242 or email us for details.
VISION JOB POSTING: BOOKKEEPER/ADMINISTRATOR
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VISION is seeking a conscientious, energetic person for bookkeeping, administrative assistance, database development, eventx planning, and more. This is a valuable opportunity to broaden your skill base, work with great people, and learn about the issues impacting Long Island.
To learn more please call 631-261-0242 or contact us. Please put "Admin Inquiry " in the subject heading.
AROUND THE ISLAND
ATLANTICVILLE: QUOGUE BOON OR COMMUNITY BUSTER?
East Quogue is the cozy South Fork home of teachers, firefighters, fishermen and other mostly middle-income residents and their families. The close-knit community has been largely spared the hubub of hot-spot Hamptonites. Recently, however, several major development proposals have the sleepy little hamlet stirring.
By far, the most exciting of these is being is proposed by Charles Partlato, who inherited nearly 200 acres in East Quogue from his father, and Attorney Randall Weichbrodt, who managed Southampton’s preservation fund from 1999 to 2002. Dubbed 'Atlanticville', the area's original name, the project strongly embraces Smart Growth principles. Over 40% of the land would be preserved. The rest would be transformed into a mixed-use, transit-oriented downtown including a train stop and water taxi, that embodies energy efficiency, top-line sewage treatment, and relatively affordable homes with a preference toward local residents.
Can this major project inject life in the existing downtown, rather than suck it away? Is it possible to create a real focal point for the community without overwhelming them with tourists seeking a desireable destination? Would this development pose a major threat to schools and tax payers, or is it an opportunity for the hamlet to shore up it's base?
Learn more about the issues Valerie Costales' recent article for the New York Times
NASSAU OPEN SPACE BOND ACT PASSES WITH FLYING COLORS
Our friend, Llold Zuckerberg at the Nassau Land Trust recently wrote to offer thanks to everyone who helped pass the Open Space Bond Act in Nassau County:
"Proposition One received an overwhelming 77% plurality yesterday, providing invaluable financial support to the effort to conserve open lands in Nassau County and proving that Nassau County residents care about how open space improves our quality of life.
We at the Nassau Land Trust are grateful to you for your support of this important initiative. We will now look to you to help us find properties worthy of conservation - open lands, scenic vistas, working farms, and places that make you feel more connected to the natural heritage of Nassau County. We want to work with you.
Thank you again for your support, and please contact us with your thoughts and ideas."
To learn more about the Nassau Land Trust, visit their website
LI BUS: WHY STUDY WHEN DEMAND IS CLEAR?
Tri-State also reported on word from the Nassau County Clerk’s office that County Executive Suozzi has signed off on a 2007 budget that includes an additional $300,000 for Long Island Bus. The Nassau County Legislature's Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs intended this funding for a study of bus routes to identify which ones needs more service. TSTC contends that bus officials are well aware of usage patterns and that money is better put directly to new service.
This article and many others can be found on the Tri-State Transportation Campaign's website
BABYLON FIRST TO ADOPT GREEN BUILDING CODE
Supervisor Steve Bellone recently wrote to let us know that his town has adopted the first green building code in the Northeast for commercial, industrial and multi-residential projects over 4000 square feet. The code will be come mandatory one year after it becomes effective.
This is the third step in the "Babylon Green Building Initiative" launched last summer. The first was the building of the Long Island Zero Energy Home in Wyandanch, which is being built in cooperation with Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island chapter of the US Green Building Council and Long Island Housing Partnership. The second was Babylon, along with the Town of Brookhaven, being the first to adopt Energy Star requirements for all new homes.
Check out the Town of Babylon's Press Release
OYSTER BAY ISSUES MAJOR REPORT ON ZONING
The Northender recently reported that after nearly two years of building moratorium, a report called The Oyster Bay Hamlet Moratorium Study was released by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc. The report examines two types of residential zoning districts. According to the Northender:
An attempt to reign in the so-called "McMansions" that overwhelm small lots, Clark Associates recommends setting FAR (floor area ratio) limits on a sliding scale, whereby as lot size increases, the maximum FAR allowed decreases. The report goes even further, recommending that no new home be allowed to exceed by more than one-third the average gross floor area of the eight homes closest to it in the same zoning area.
The Northender notes that FAR controls are currently only at work in a handful of Town non-residential districts. Clark Associates recommends further study to investigate instituting these recommended controls.
Check out the full Northender Article
AVALON BAY PREPARING FOR ANOTHER PROPOSAL
The Northender also recently reported on the highly controversial Hallock Chevrolet site at 150 Pine Lawn Road in Oyster Bay. AvalonBay appears to be gearing up to submit another proposal. Previously, the developer stated that they would not go for less than 270 units on the site, now it appears they're willing to step down to 150, including 22 studios, 67 one-bedroom and 61 2-bedroom apartments.
Check out the Northender Article
View Avalon Bay's website
ACTION ALERTS & KEY RESOURCES
Beth Says... A MUST SEE: FAST FOOD NATION
Beth Fiteni, Issues Director of the Neighborhood Network also recently convinced us that the new movie Fast Food Nation -- while not directly related to land use -- is important enough to make mention of here.
While many factors combine to create an ugly scenario of fast food production with negative impacts that reverberate through the animal and human world alike, we as consumers have the power to change it. Our choices matter, both on a grand scale, and to our personal health. Despite what characters like Ronald McDonald may tell us, fecal coliform contamination issues aren't just fiction, and neither are the health issues associated with consuming fast food. The massive fast-food system that pollutes our environment with large quantities of manure runoff, often exploits workers and impacts our children’s health, runs on our money. If we don’t provide it, things will change.
Read Beth's full review
Read the review published in the New York Times
GREAT RESOURCE FROM THE EPA: THIS IS SMART GROWTH
The EPA recently released a new publication that illustrates how communities can turn their visions into reality using Smart Growth techniques. Thirty-two national organizations representing diverse interests have approved This is Smart Growth.
This is Smart Growth illustrates what Smart Growth looks like, while explaining smart growth concepts and outcomes. The publication features 40 real places, from cities to suburbs to small towns to rural communities, where good development has improved the quality of life. It also describes how, when done well, development can create economic opportunities by building great places where people want to live and visit. A primary focus is preserving the qualities people love about their communities, and protect environmental resources.
Download this valuable, visual resource This is Smart Growth" from the EPA's website. Hard copies of this valuable resource are also available at our office. Call 631-261-0242 for details.
KNOWLEDGEPLEX PROVIDING MONTHLY DATAPLACE DEMONSTRATIONS
Knowledgeplex, a leading housing and community development resource has introduced DataPlace (www.dataplace.org). Sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation, this resource combines mapping technology and multiple statistical databases, allowing users to access housing and demographic data about communities, regions, and the nation.
Find out about monthly demonstrations and more on Knowledgeplex.
STATE LEVEL
LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAMS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has announced the availability to New York State tax credits under both the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHC) and the New York State Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (SLIHC)
Check out the details at www.dhcr.state.ny.us:
Low-Income Housing Credit Program
NATIONAL NEWS
REALITY CHECK PLUS REPORT USEFUL, BUT CAN IT BE IMPLEMENTED?
The ULI’s Smart Growth News reported on Eric Smith’s article for The Capital last September about Reality Check Plus, a nongovernment exercise in statewide planning, has summed up the consensus you get from intelligent laymen when they are asked how growth should be managed. That's the easy part. There was really no mystery about these views, although it will be handy to have them assembled and summarized in the report released this week. The hard part is influencing local governments - which jealously guard their right to decide about growth, and have exception-riddled zoning codes that favor sprawl.
How do you affect their decisions? That's a vital question for Maryland, already the fifth most densely populated state, and expected to add 1.5 million people and 500,000 jobs by 2030. And it's an urgent question for Anne Arundel County, which is expecting tens of thousands of military and defense contractor jobs to move to the area around Fort George G. Meade by as soon as 2010.
Reality Check Plus was organized by the Urban Land Institute of Baltimore, the University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth Education, and 1,000 Friends of Maryland. It gathered some 850 people - including politicians, environmentalists and builders - for sessions to map out the response to growth. These were, in effect, growth war games.
The consensus
The state should avoid developing any more forests or farmland. Growth should be concentrated inside the Washington and Baltimore beltways and along transit lines. The preference should be for mixed-used development that, when possible, lets people live close to their jobs - or at least close to transit that can take them to their jobs. County participants listed the environmental impact of development as a main concern. In west county, new development should be folded into existing communities, said Dru Schmidt-Perkins, executive director of 1,000 Friends of Maryland.'There was this real strong feeling that this new growth had to be accompanied by a much more efficient transit system,' she said. We expect the report will add to the push for an extension of Metrorail's Green Line to carry more commuters than today's MARC trains. You'll find few objections to any of this, as long as the discussion remains safely abstract. The trouble is that those who agree tend to envision others living in a densely populated mixed-used development and taking mass transit to work - freeing up the roads for them as they drive their cars to their far-flung suburban houses. Another problem Residents of existing communities can mutiny when they realize that the principles of smart growth will send most of the new development their way. Look at what's happening in Annapolis now. Still, the Reality Check Plus report will be valuable - as a jumping-off point as voters try to pin candidates down on how they will deal with growth without forever lowering the area's quality of life.
NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION REPORTS RENTAL HOUSING "OUT OF REACH"
Knowledgeplex recently reported that according to a new report, Stamford-Norwalk, Conn., has surpassed San Francisco as the nation's least affordable rental market, reported The Stamford Advocate. In its "Out of Reach" report, the National Low Income Housing Coalition calculates the "housing wage" -- the hourly wage a full-time worker in a given jurisdiction must earn to rent a two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30 percent of income on housing. The coalition calculated the housing wage based on federal estimates of the cost of renting an adequate but not luxurious apartment in each jurisdiction. The housing wage in Stamford-Norwalk is $30.62 per hour, while the average renter in the area makes $20.26 an hour, the report said. Joining Stamford-Norwalk and San Francisco among the most expensive metropolitan areas are Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C., the article said.
To access "Out of Reach," visit NLIHC's Web site. To access the audio/Web archive of the KnowledgePlex chat on the report, click here.
STATE BY STATE
Regional Tax Sharing, State Tax System Reform Key to Preserving Local Character in Rural Connecticut
Connecticut "has not grown economically since 1989" and "lost more 18- to 34-year-olds in the 1990s than any other state," said Regional Growth Partnership President and 1,000 Friends of Connecticut Trustee Robert Santy in his "Growing Green, Growing Smart" presentation at the town grange in East Haddam, stressing the need for both regional tax sharing among municipalities and eventually state tax system reform, to help them meet demand for new services and schools.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=5799&state=7
New Castle County's Next Comprehensive Plan Expected to Include Higher Densities, Focus on Quality of Life for Existing Communities
Its population of some 550,000 likely to reach about 650,000 by 2030, New Castle County expects to avert gridlock and secure local community identities under its next comprehensive plan, designed to rein in sprawl, save farmland, and ensure mixed uses, higher density, walkability and more housing options.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=5800&state=8
EPA Workshops, Presentations Helping Laconia Use Smart Growth
to Secure Quality of Life
Established in the heart of the state's Lake Region in 1893, bounded by 19 shoreline miles of four lakes, and prized for its history, scenery and lifestyle by the 17,000 residents and thousands of tourists, Laconia is determined to secure its assets and future through smart growth, a course discussed and mapped out at a December 11-13 series of workshops and presentations by a team of national experts, led by EPA's Smart Growth program chief, Department of Community, Environment and Development (DCED) Director Geoff Anderson.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=5806&state=30
Tax Reform That Promotes Better Land Use, Not Short-Term Tax Fixes, Needed to Boost Smart Growth in Garden State Communities
Although tax credits "can provide immediate relief for the needy," the state must have tax reform "which specifically addresses the bad land land-use decisions that arise from the chase for commercial ratables," writes New Jersey Future Executive Director George Hawkins in a Cherry Hill Courier-Post opinion, commending Democratic Governor Jon Corzine for his refusal of short-term tax fixes.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=5807&state=31
Planners Debate Mandatory Training
Knowledgeplex recently reported that under a law enacted in 2005, planning and zoning board members across New Jersey must complete a course in land use law and ethics by January 2008 or risk losing their positions, reported the Herald News. Mayors, licensed planners, and certain other individuals may be exempt from the requirement. New Jersey is among a number of states requiring such mandatory training, the article said. State officials say the unpaid volunteers serving on the boards must be equipped to deal with important, complex decisions about mega-developments, eminent domain, and affordable housing mandates. Some local board members praise the experience. Others say it burdens boroughs with class costs while offering little of value that cannot already be obtained through hands-on experience.
Special thanks to Smart Growth Online, Smart Growth America, Planetizen, KnowledgePlex, and the Urban Land Institute's (ULI's) Smart Growth News for their extraordinary news sweeps, which provide substantial content to our State and National News. Check them out!!
For more information about Vision Long Island, please visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at:
Vision Long Island
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One
Northport, NY 11768
(631) 261-0242 Fax: (631) 754-4452
info@visionlongisland.org