Smart Talk Blog

The Following Op-Ed by Eric Alexander appeared in the July 14th edition of Newsday:

In the past 10 years, many Long Island residents have been taking the reins of planning from developers and municipal planners and mapping the future of their own communities. More than 10,000 residents in nearly 30 communities have engaged civic and business leaders and many new voices to shape some innovative and practical plans.

More than anything else, the trigger for this era of collaboration has been the awareness of residents, political leaders and developers alike that Long Island's existing land-use system is just plain broken. Lack of affordable housing, the high cost of living, loss of open space, continued sprawling development, the dearth of sewer and transit infrastructure and quality-of-life issues are all now part of the discussion.

While in the past, many citizens followed the anti-everything mantra of a popular rock band - "I like you better when you go away" - visioning processes have been conducted to plan the future of local communities and have brought out supporters for all forms of projects and initiatives.

No one said creating new town centers, reclaiming sprawling commercial corridors or filling in existing downtowns would be easy. Once a vision has been articulated, countless barriers appear: arcane zoning regulations, bureaucrats who embrace and celebrate the status quo, builders who repeatedly offer sprawling developments, beleaguered municipal officials with frozen feet. Community members may worry about negative impacts on their school districts (often without justification).

And some regional planners and academics - even those who have embraced the concepts of "smart growth" and community planning - haven't discovered the best ways to help toward those ends and at times work at cross purposes. This lack of communication is one of the growing pains of attempting some very difficult tasks.

The good news is that there are many low-profile but high-impact projects that are advancing. These plans are not the subject of glitzy stories or big headlines, but they're part of a punch list of goals and objectives of communities across Long Island. And they're setting the table for the much larger vision efforts that will soon follow.

For example, in Middle Island/Coram, Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert was able to approve nearly 300 units of workforce housing, a new park and road design, and to preserve hundreds of acres of open space.

The Village of Farmingdale has completed two traffic calming projects, a new pocket park and a renovated village park; approved two workforce housing projects, five new business openings; and is considering two major upcoming mixed-use projects.

In Bay Shore, a marina and waterfront park were infused with $4 million worth of improvements, including new bulkheading, boardwalks, pump-out stations, a sprinkler park, an ice rink and a related initiative for workforce housing.

In addition, communities like the Villages of Patchogue, Mineola, Westbury and Freeport are seeing many of their projects built after having completed public planning processes.

Mundane but meaningful results from these plans include: Lake Ronkonkoma's monthly community cleanups and preservation of historic properties, Mastic Beach's increased police presence and code enforcement, Rocky Point's anticipated sewer district, and Gordon Heights' action on its concentrations of sex offenders and support for its local fire department. These communities are implementing small and large tasks at their own pace with the resources they can marshal. And these plans have inspired more than 70 smart-growth projects that are being planned, approved or built across Long Island.

Regional planners can help advance these visioning efforts by researching the economic and tax impacts of new plans and conducting school district analyses to buttress the recommendations. They can also engage in strategic lobbying with federal officials to implement sewer and transportation infrastructure and ensure that county actions don't conflict with the goals and objectives of visioning plans.

Robin Garr, author of "Reinvesting in America" wrote that "changing people's lives is labor-intensive work. You can't rush 1,000 people through a program in a week and expect them to walk out with jobs and lives that are whole. It's necessary to work one on one with people, respecting their intelligence and capabilities and at the same time being as tough as you need to be."

Similarly, the transformation of Long Island's suburban communities to meet the needs of our changing population is going to take time and a whole lot of effort. Community members should participate in initiatives, educate themselves and help implement changes. Regional leaders should follow.

Let's all get to work.

The piece can be found here:

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opxxx5763152jul14,0,3173313.story

 

As we head into the holiday weekend with our family and friends, let us take a moment away from barbecuing and fireworks watching and respect Independence Day with an updated message.

Let's raise a glass to celebrate the promise of independence from fossil fuels that are bankrupting our nation and polluting our environment and independence from the high consumptive lifestyles that take time and resources away from our family and friends.

We are not there yet, but let's celebrate the work we will do to achieve that and many other Visions for our community.

Have a Happy 4th.

Vision Long Island

On the positive side, there was a very informed and thoughtful public hearing for the scoping of the Lighthouse Development project in front of the Town of Hempstead.  In Brookhaven, we saw the groundbreaking for 200 workforce housing units in Coram from Avalon at Charles Pond, the first development project from the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan.   In Islip, NYS Sen. Owen Johnson secured $1.5 million for the implementation of the Bay Shore Marina Visioning project. 

On the awareness raising front, the Long Island Junior Chamber of Commerce had a very productive session that outlined the need to keep young people on Long Island.  Channel 21 is also presenting a three part series on Leaving Long Island next week.

Up in Albany, the NYS Smart Growth Cabinet held its second meeting this week and outlined the progress it is making with specific policies and incentives from the DEC, MTA, and some serious restructuring of operations at NYS DOT.   VISION, along with Tri-State Transportation Campaign, LI Progressive Coalition, Neighborhood Network, League of Conservation Voters, the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce,  the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, and local civics and chambers have formed a Smart Growth Working Group that will be watching the progress of the NYS Smart Growth Cabinet, which will meet again in July.  Stay tuned for future reports and pending legislation.

VISION is proud and honored to have played a part, ranging from lead to support player, in the above initiatives. 

On a lighter note heading into Memorial Day weekend, you have the choice of biking and hiking with the Sierra Club, street painting in downtown Riverhead, and, my personal favorite, a Zombie Crawl through downtown Brooklyn.  Though I would be curious to meet the folks who would do all three, hopefully at least one suits your fancy.

As we are writing this message, oil has hit $126 a barrel.  We do not need to preach to anyone the implications of this development- four years ago, we were screening the movie, "End of Suburbia," which was the precursor to the book, "A Long Emergency," from James Kunstler.  In this issue is a link to a Newsday Editorial by Bob Keeler that outlines some of the challenges we face with gas prices and our love of large cars.

At our 2004 Smart Growth Summit, we put out the spector of $5.00 a gallon gasoline and were laughed at by many folks who thought we were fear mongering.  Unfortunately, the thought that we are going to have development patterns that sprawl all the way through Suffolk County continues to this day.  Clearly, there are many folks in various industries who benefit economically from sprawl development while the approval processes for alternatives to sprawl are still needlessly complex.

The good news is that we have more allies than ever and the folks fighting the creation and re-creation of downtown centers are begrudgingly starting to look at Smart Growth solutions.  The Long Island Index released a survey this week, outlining Long Islanders responses to this crisis and broader energy and climate change issues and we are seeing a growing awareness for changes.

The opportunities for Smart Growth development are out there now.  The question is how much progress is being made.  

A few bright spots this week...

Last week, I spoke glowingly about some movement on the State level to reform the NYS Department of Transportation as well as work with other State agencies to implement Smart Growth policies. This week, there was an announcement about a 200-unit project in Coram that follows the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan.  We are very proud of that plan as it represents a long and arduous visioning process and set of actions that have been taken by the community the local Councilwoman Connie Kepert and comprimises from the development community.  You will hear more about this project as it proceeds.

In Rocky Point we are seeing a new development with a the re-creation of Frank Cariola's Sundance.  For folks who remember many a night hearing great local and national talent, there will be an opportunitiy for live music in the heart of downtown Rocky Point.

Lastly, we need to acknowledge the hard work of the local community leaders, business leaders, and government officials that are working day in and day out on Smart Growth projects and policies. Many of them will be acknowledged at our seventh annual Smart Growth Awards this year on June 12th.  We will make it worth your time (and money) to attend, as this will be a can't-miss event.

Tremendous progress was made this week in a worksession dedicated to implementing Smart Growth solutions here on Long Island.  Vision Long Island, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Neighborhood Network, LI Progressive Coalition, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce hosted the event with support from ten civic organizations, local chamber of commerce leaders, developers, and local government officials.  State officials that participated included the NYS Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, Empire State Development Corp, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Department of State.  

We had an opportunity to hear from Paul Beyer, New York's Director of Smart Growth, as well as Peter Fleischer who is the Executive Director of the Smart Growth advocacy group, Empire State Future.  Paul was able to lay out his recent accomplishments with the newly formed Smart Growth Cabinet.  Two items of note include incentive packages for transit-oriented development with the MTA as well as a priority infrastructure proposal from the DEC.  Peter presented the role and activities of Empire State Future to keep NYS agencies and legislative priorities in sync with the Smart Growth priorities from the various subregions of New York.

The main focus of the session was dialogue with the NYS DOT.  Due to some very poor communication and lack of openness to design considerations that consider pedestrians, bicyclists, and mass transit, their was some pent up frustration.   After years of fighting with the DOT Region 10, progress is being made.  Kudos to the Albany staff who commandeered a group of officials to participate in a roundtable worksession.  The respectful tone in the room from civic and business and environmental leaders evidenced the seriousness of potential collaboration.  No one wants to waste any more time fighting over roadway priorities and we imagine that the Department is tired of stalled projects and decreased productivity.

Too often, big thinkers belittle residents for their focus on their communities and perceived lack of attention to a broader regional interest.  That perceived myopic view, or NIMBYism, was not on display at this meeting or at many of the other session for which we have taken part or organized.  The sophistication, awareness, and overall openness to change is beyond what we have seen in years from our local leaders.  Local developers, civics, and local officials are ready for change what we need now is for State officials to transform some very arcane regulations and start to provide incentives for implementing the difficult work of Smart Growth planning solutions

This Smart Growth Working Group will meet again within the next two months.  An upcoming action item will be support for the NY Smart Growth Priority Infrastructure Act.  The bill passed the Assembly on April 15th and is now ready to get moving in the Senate.  You will start to hear more about this in the coming weeks.

This coalition of organizations is going to keep the progress going and continue the interagency/multi-stakeholder dialogue. Please call Juliana Roberts in our office if you would like further information on a Smart Growth agenda with New York State at 631-261-0242.

One of the best parts of this job honoring some dynamic and very special leaders and projects on Long Island.  This year, we had a very difficult set of decisions with nearly 40 nominations for Smart Growth Awards.  Attached, you will see a thumbnail sketch of this year's winners.  Stay tuned for future detailed announcements.  Regardless, please do not miss this event as it will be the biggest and best Awards luncheon yet!  Hope to see you all there.


And the winners are...

Clean Energy: Richard Kessel, former chairman of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). An advocate for alternative energy sources like solar and wind power, Mr. Kessel spent his term committing LIPA to an energy efficient Long Island and is a champion of renewable energy and environmental issues. Notable accomplishments include decommissioning the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, developing the Neptune Regional Transmission System, and the Caithness Long Island Energy Center (CLIEC). Mr. Kessel also pioneered LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative, a 10-year program designed to promote energy conservation and energy efficiency, as well as the development and use of alternative energy technologies.

Transportation Choices: The City of Glen Cove and Urbitran’s Glen Cove Ferry Terminal, for its creative revitalization of a former federal superfund site into an energy efficient commuter service. In addition to adhering to LEED standards in construction, the ferry terminal would accommodate fast ferries that run on clean diesel and compressed natural gas technology and would supply commuter service to Manhattan, LaGuardia and other potential commuter and recreational destinations while restoring Glen Cove’s waterfront.

Compact Design: Avalon Glen Cove North, the multi-family residential luxury rental community in the heart of downtown Glen Cove. This highly successful project uses density to take advantage of compact building design and fosters a walkable, attractive neighborhood. Located on 1.31 acres, the building holds 111 units ranging from studios to one- and two- bedroom units, bringing a diverse housing stock to downtown Glen Cove.

Revitalizing Communities: Diana Coleman, of Nassau County’s Economic Opportunity Commission (EOC) in Hempstead, a highly respected activist who is committed to promoting equal access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and economic development issues. Co-founder of United People for Social, Economic and Racial Justice (UPSERJ), she has worked tirelessly to provide low-income and minority individuals in Nassau County the opportunity for education, training, employment, health care and decent housing and “help people help themselves."

Walkability: Polimeni Associates, for the Winston in downtown Mineola. The 9-story multi-family residential building exemplifies successful transit-oriented development, as it is in easy walking distance to the Mineola LIRR station, several bus lines, businesses, and amenities of downtown.  The Winston brings additional foot traffic to Mineola’s streets and greatly enhances the visual aesthetics of the corridors of Willis Ave and Old Country Road by replacing an aging office building.

Certainty: Gene Murphy, Town of Islip Planning Department for Chelsea Place in Bay Shore, which involves a range of housing choices including condominiums and rentals, and has an affordability requirement. It exemplifies the model for downtown re-development. In order to redevelop a marginalized block of failing commercial sites, the Town of Islip approved the zoning changes necessary for transit-oriented development, mix of uses, and higher density housing. Located across from the LIRR station, the project also includes two commercial units on the first floor, creating a destination and sense of place in a highly utilized part of the downtown.

Mixed Use: Vintage Square in Riverhead. The energy efficient transit-oriented development project revitalizes downtown Riverhead’s Railroad Avenue corridor with retail space, office space, parking for the NYS Supreme Courts, and a residential component that provides next-generation housing. Utilizing green construction techniques and material, the plan includes tiered parking for the transportation hub and shuttle service to other destinations, such as the ferry at Orient Point and Main Street. It also features a 10-screen cinema complex, a public plaza for cultural and community events, and a dynamic civic space.

Environmental Enhancements & Infrastructure: Save the Forge River, a non-profit community organization created to restore the livelihood the Forge River. The river has deteriorated as a result of Suffolk County’s reliance on septic tanks. Through grassroots organizing and legislative initiatives, they have raised public awareness and concerns for the hazardous environmental effects of poor infrastructure and waste-water management. The group continues to advocate for the creation of a sewer district for Mastic, Shirley, and Mastic Beach.

Community Leadership: West Hempstead Civic Association, led by President Rosalie Norton. The Civic Association has educated and galvanized the community to support higher density, multi-family housing to remove the blighted Courtesy Hotel. Reversing what could’ve been a NIMBY campaign, the West Hempstead Civic Association embraced the progressive ideas of Smart Growth, zoning changes and context sensitive solutions. Founded in 1995 to start a revitalization campaign in the community, the civic association has made improvements with safety initiatives and keeps the community informed.

Sense of Place: Village of Baxter Estates and Condeco Development. The rehabilitation of 299 Main Street, an aging historic building in the downtown of Port Washington, is exemplary of successful historic preservation and the subsequent sense of renewal that comes to the community. The rehabilitation of the four-story concrete and brick building, constructed in 1912, into a mixed-use building of retail and residential units, was planned with officials from the Village of Baxter Estates and Condeco Development, LLC of Deer Park. While retrofitting the existing historic building, the architectural firm of Notaro Group and Associates duplicated the original façade and architectural style, complimenting the downtown’s aesthetics.

Building a movement...

Three powerful statements were made this week that speak to the strength of citizen movements as catalyst for change against powerful odds.  Despite the fears of peak oil, subprime market impacts, and ongoing political issues, these “movements” have given me hope for the future of not just a community or a region, but our nation.

The first one is national; I am writing this message from Austin, Texas from the Congress for the New Urbanism conference.  The CNU Congress is the annual gathering of planners, designers, advocates, developers, and government officials dedicated to making quality towns and villages across the country (and around the world).  Not sure of this year’s headcount but it is usually over 1,500 folks who are essentially attempting to transform communities one place at a time.  This year’s theme is about merging the green building and sustainability movements with the New Urbanism.  In addition, there are sessions looking at the retail market, housing options, the SmartCode, transit-oriented development, roadway redesigns, and gentrification.

About forty folks from the New York Chapter who were here held a meet up and heard from former Mayor of Milwaukee and CNU President John Norquist.  VISION is on the Chapter Board and we will be seeking to increase membership and support for New Urbanism in New York State as we move forward.

In short, this cross section of leaders from around the country has profoundly challenged how land use planning, transportation, and development have occurred.  It is now seeing some pretty remarkable results.  Next week’s issue will focus on the results from this year’s Congress, so stay tuned.

The second example is from the local communities in Mastic and Shirley.  Civic, business, and government leaders have come together with the leadership of Suffolk Legislators Kate Browning, Wayne Horsley, the Montauk Highway Project, and Save the Forge River for the creation of a Forge River Sewer District.  You can read about the details in this issue, but this community of 45,000 folks at the head of the Forge River is in desperate need of this infrastructure.

The visioning process and resulting plans that we have been working through over the last six years have led to this convergence of leaders.  The approved land use plan and Main Street Business District code and the revitalization efforts on Montauk Highway and Mastic Beach cannot be fully realized without this investment.

This community and legislative effort exemplifies the power and persistence of an often-ignored community that can plan properly for its future and produce great results.

The last example is regional.   I had the opportunity to be a part of the LI Progressive Coalition’s annual awards luncheon last week.  The organization has a nearly 30-year history for bringing about progressive change through issue campaigns, organizing, and direct action.  For the purpose of our work on Smart Growth, sustainability, and placemaking, they have essentially founded the concept on Long Island with their early efforts (with our Board President, Ron Stein) on sustainability as early as in 1992.   Over time, they have helped nurture and mentor leadership in many different sectors across the Island.  Special credit here goes to the vision, intelligence, persistence, and inspiration of Dr. David Sprintzen, Director Lisa Tyson, their Board President, Diana Coleman, as well as many others who have also carried the torch for organizing change on Long Island.  This fell into focus for me at the luncheon when I read the list of past honorees and efforts of an incredible list of Long Islanders who have made a difference (which, incidentally, is the title of the award).   Vision is proud to have two folks on that list, but more importantly, we are proud to be in some pretty amazing company.  You can read the list here.

In all of these powerful efforts, the theme I see is that we need complete change.  We need the spark, the fuel, the right conditions, and ongoing maintenance and accountability.  I was at a well-organized conference recently where there were some very smart people talking about various suburban trends and future public investments.  It was very interesting, but it was missing the decision makers: local elected officials, business/property owners, and local community leaders as a core part of shaping the change.

These are just this week’s examples of three movements that are developing holistic change in their own ways, which is reshaping our region and, hopefully, the nation.

It was a pretty good week for proponents of Smart Growth. 

Progress in Albany:
After an inspiring swearing in for Governor David Paterson, talk in Albany turned to getting back to work.  The NYS Smart Growth Cabinet met to map out activities for the year after years of hoping that New York State government agencies would coordinate their activities towards Smart Growth policies.

Congestion Pricing advocates flocked to Albany on Tuesday to present the benefits of the full program.  The response was somewhere between cautious pessimism and reluctant optimism.  The need for a recurring funding stream for transit is necessary in order to fund East Side access, third track, station improvements, improved service, and fare stabilization.

Sewers in Our Future:
Kudos to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy for organizing Long Island’s first Sewer Summit.  Over 250 folks attended and there are real opportunities to move sewers in Mastic/Shirley, Rocky Point, Smithtown, and Kings Park.

Opposition to Wal-Mart:
On a jubilant note community leaders mobilized to beat back a proposal from Wal-Mart in Rocky Point. In coordination with the Rocky Point Civic Association, local business leaders, and Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner, we will be screening the movie “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price”.  If you have a free evening to spend with a great community, some free popcorn, and an informative movie, come to Rocky Point next Friday.

On a final note, the planning for the 6th Annual Smart Growth Awards is underway.  We have some fantastic applications this year all around.  Special thanks to all who spent the time to submit their projects and programs.  We want to make this year's event the biggest ever, so please plan on attending and spreading the word.

Raised in Harlem and legally blind, Mr. Paterson got his start in the State Senate in 1985 and has been a diligent public servant since then. He served as Lieutenant Governor under Eliot Spitzer until Wednesday, when it was announced that he would take over the Governorship on March 17th.

We would like to welcome the new governor and look forward to continuing the work of the NYS Smart Growth Cabinet, both in Albany and here on Long Island.  In particular, the Smart Growth Cabinet shall advise and make recommendations to the Governor on the most effective mechanisms to promote Smart Growth and related priorities, including, but not limited to:

(a) identification of barriers to and opportunities for incorporation of Smart Growth principles in state policies and decision-making;

(b) alignment of state grantmaking and capital programs for both the public and private sectors to foster Smart Growth development patterns in appropriate regions of the state;

(c) assessment of the effectiveness of existing state programs to provide technical and other assistance to local governments for comprehensive land use and economic development planning that incorporates Smart Growth principles and identification of opportunities for new and improved programs to effectively deliver such assistance; and

(d) recommendations to facilitate state and local Smart Growth initiatives.

Other states have adopted similar state-run Smart Growth plans and seen great successes, such as New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Maryland’s Department of Planning encouraged the General Assembly to pass five pieces of legislation and budget initiatives that were collectively known as "Smart Growth." Since then, the Smart Growth department has directed the State to target programs and funding to support established communities and locally designated growth areas and adopted principles of Smart Growth to guide development and redevelopment.

Massachusetts’ Smart Growth and Urban Environments Program uses enhanced local land use plans and regulations, through planning policies and programs for innovative state approaches to Smart Growth. The program provides technical assistance programs, tools, and direct outreach to local officials and decision makers across the State. Closest to home is New Jersey’s State Department of Community Affairs Office of Smart Growth, which initiated a State Development and Redevelopment Plan that has coordinated planning activities and established state-wide planning objectives, developed a New Jersey Planning Commission, created a Main Street Revitalization program, and provide numerous resources on brownfields, planning and zoning education, and other land use policies.

There are real, concrete actions that the incoming Governor can take now. They include:

The continued work of a Smart Growth Cabinet is a step in the right direction. Granted, we’ve been accomplishing these lofty goals with individual, quality communities on Long Island for several years already; but the Governor’s group has the potential to make it a REGIONAL priority.  We look forward to continuing to work with the NYS regional staff to create Smart Growth incentives and policies here on Long Island.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the new Governor and Smart Growth by sending us an email here.

Much as happened in the last two weeks alone:

- Paul Beyer, the new State Smart Growth Director, visited Long Island and heard from a receptive group of over 100 leaders.

- In Riverhead, the Vintage Group in Riverhead held a meeting to outline its residential, office, parking, and movie theatre project.

- In Patchogue, the Tritec development team has proposed a nine story mixed-use office, residential (including affordable/workforce), commercial and hotel project to community support.

- In Mineola, the Polimeni Organization received approvals for its nine story residential project with 20% affordable senior housing and over four million dollars of public benefits.

- In Islandia, Motor Parkway Associates presented a mixed-use project including a hotel, office, retail and residential uses to broad public support.  This project replaced a dated single-use 14 story tower that, fairly or not, forced the former Mayor out of office.

- In central Nassau, the Lighthouse Group presented their model and plan in a worksession with the Nassau Business and Community Planning Coalition, a coalition of Chambers of Commerce, village officials, and civic and environmental leaders.

In order for these and other emerging Smart Growth projects to be successful, there needs to be: 1) a market for the development; 2) infrastructure in place or readily available to support the density; 3) a community planning process or, at a minimum, involvement and support; and 4) Smart Growth design principles that adapt the development into the context of the community so it adds to the quality of life as well as the local economy.

I had an opportunity to present to the LI Chapter of the Sierra Club last week and review many of the Smart Growth projects proposed in varying downtowns across Long Island.  I also was able to speak on News 12's Long Island Talks program with Matt Meng from the East Norwich Civic Association.  It was surprising that the callers were not as fervent in their opposition and were, in fact, supporting a nine story building in downtown Mineola.

The key for our success is to pick up the pace on downtown development, while discouraging overdevelopment outside commercial corridors and transit centers.  We have a long way to go in this area and look forward to working closely with our civic and community organizations across Long Island, as well as local business and government leaders.  Stay tuned.

In other news, we have extended the deadline for nominations for Smart Growth Awards until March 14th.  We have a number of great applications but we want to cast the widest net possible this year.

VISION's roving reporters have checked in from our nation's capital to brief us on the conference:

Beginning with a ambitious Advocacy Day at Capitol Hill, the 7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference started with a strong agenda. Combined with the promise of political and climate change, this year's conference is covering a wide range of issues and speakers.

With an attendance of nearly 1,400 people from 6 different continents from varying backgrounds, this year's event is emblematic of the nation's hunger for change and action.

The topics in discussion illustrate the varied backgrounds and professions that compose the conference: affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure, LEED-ND, environmental protection, open space preservation, alternative energy sources, green building, transit-oriented development and sustainability.

The conference also offers tours of adjacent communities that were planned with Smart Growth principles or are illustrative of what Smart Growth aspires to for the nation's communities.

Once we are back in town, we will share with you some of the best practices from other suburban areas around the country. Stay tuned.

While we were not surprised by the results of the 2008 Long Island Index, which highlighted growing support from Long Islanders for living downtown as well as support for increasing density in the downtown areas, any effort to help publicize and call greater attention to the needs of our downtown communities is welcome. We congratulate the Rauch Foundation and the Long Island Index for their comprehensive analysis and hard work.

This was also the week for analyzing big plans in the region: the potential for a Cross-Sound tunnel as well as congestion pricing initiatives are being reviewed by the State and we are glad to see the attention and interest in making sure these bold proposals get the proper review.

As we speak, there is also an energy summit underway with LIPA, Keyspan, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the Neighborhood Network and other environmental organizations, and US Congressman Steve Israel looking at Long Island's energy future.

Next week's issue will start to focus on individual projects while we are moving on big plans to focus on communities such as Farmingdale. It is important for us to learn from our successes and failures; so please send us initiatives that you're working on so that we can spread the word, as we want to be as representative as possible.

Lastly, please nominate a project, policy, or an individual for a Smart Growth Award. We are accepting nominations and will have a review committee analyze the proposals. In the past, we have received some fantastic projects, but we don't pretend to know everything that is going on around LI, so please submit deserving applications.

It has been a busy week as plans take shape around the region.  The NYC Traffic Mitigation Commission is wrapping up its work with some interesting support for transportation investments.  Folks across Long Island are eagerly awaiting a presentation from the 2008 Long Island Index.  Speculation grows on how Long Island will fare in the New York State budget, particularly in light of the Governor’s recent State of Upstate address.  In addition, a rather bold proposal for a cross sound tunnel will be the subject of a New York State Senate hearing next week.

Fresh off a number of inaugural events, Long Island Towns are shaping up their agendas  for the coming year.  In the Town of Brookhaven, folks want to keep the momentum going on implementing visioning efforts with the cooperation of the new Town Board leadership. The Town of Oyster Bay has formed a new economic development office that will focus on redevelopment activities, while the Town of Hempstead is showing some signs of flexibility in reviewing the plans for the Lighthouse development and revitalization efforts in Baldwin and Elmont.

Feel free to contribute news, events, links and other information.  Please send us data, articles, images and video clips of new or emerging issues.

Please note - We have edited our list to delete those who have either moved away or are involved in other efforts across the region.  We have also added a few hundred new members who may be interested in the issues we are covering on a weekly basis.  If you would like to unsubscribe, there is an 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of this newsletter.  Conversely if you know anyone who would like to receive this weekly publication, please send them over to info@visionlongisland.org

Vision Long Island recently had the opportunity to visit the capital for the State of the State address. We were very happy with the tone and themes of cooperation and a number of creative initiatives for the State in the areas of energy policy and affordable housing. Some critics were questioning the lack of specific priorities for Long Island and it is true that Long Island was only mentioned once or twice in the State of the State. In our view, a speech is simply that, a speech, and budget and legislative priorities will have to be waded through in order to properly analyze the benefits for Long Island.

Issues that were not addressed, but we have hope they will be tackled in the next legislative session, budget cycle or by executive order, include the restructuring of NYS DOT Region 10, incentives for downtown revitalization from the NYS ESDC and a program for transit oriented development out of the MTA. Assemblyman Sam Hoyt's Public Infrastructure Act, in whatever form it takes, is also a priority for advocates of Smart Growth. Furthermore, the creation of a Smart Growth Cabinet, that was developed in the fall of 2007, allows for the opportunity for the State to audit its operations and focus on actions that encourage Smart Growth planning. We are looking forward to that discussion as well as working with legislators on bills for housing and infrastructure incentives in the coming term. Rest assured it will not be boring, so stay tuned.

What a week: an exciting project in the region, action by our Governor on Smart Growth, and some legislative possibilities for affordable housing.

Liberty Harbor Tour - VISION recently had the opportunity to visit Liberty Harbor in Jersey City, designed by New Urbanist planner Duany Plater Zyberk, as part of a tour organized by the New York Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism.  While under construction and a bit cold, it was not hard to see the walkability, both to the PATH trains and the Ferry into Manhattan.  The project effectively blends the existing neighborhood into this development, while also mixing in small scale retail and recreational uses.  The townhouse style housing and the larger apartment buildings range from $250,000 to over $600,000 with penthouse and rooftop units at over one million, mixing incomes as well.  What was great to see is that the average age for this development is 33 years old.  When we ask where young people are going, it is not simply affordability that is causing our young folks to leave: it is also about the mix of activities. 

New York State action on Smart Growth - Governor Elliot Spitzer has just launched a Smart Growth cabinet for New York State.  We are hopeful that this internal committee will be helpful in reviewing state policies that are counterproductive to Smart Growth particularly, in the NYS DOT, MTA and ESDC.  With that said, some members of the Long Island Senate delegation, who have worked very hard to meet the needs of our aging infrastructure, affordable housing, and open space and environmental priorities, are critical of the Governors lack of focus on Long Island.   VISION had the opportunity to meet with the Governor along with other Long Island leaders during his trip to Long Island this week and hope that it leads to a more sustained dialogue around some policy and project priorities.  Toward that end, please e-mail us with the top preferences for state action either in the form of a new initiative or legislation or reconfiguring existing State agency directives.   We will be spending a bit more time in Albany this session and would like your input in order to stay on track.

New York State action on housing -  In more pressing news, the debate about what to do about affordable housing has taken a new turn.  Two approaches to addressing the problem are underway and both have merit.  The Long Island Association and the NYS Senators and Assemblymembers who worked hard on moving the Inclusionary Zoning legislation are continuing their effort at a bill.   The new proposed "incentives only" legislation by Suffolk County, in concert with the Regional Plan Association and multiple counties, is also a unique approach.  Coordination with local municipalities and State officials will make it even better.   Tell us your thoughts on the best way to achieve a consensus on a housing bill for Long Island.

As we head into the holidays, it is appropriate for us to give thanks to the hundreds of Long Island leaders who brought ideas, strategies, and potential solutions to Long Island's most difficult problems at last week's Smart Growth Summit. We are spending time now reviewing the tapes and attempting to capture all of the ideas put forward, so watch for a future newsetter that will better document what was covered.

For now, let us take the energy, enthusiasm, and sense of hope forward into your work, both in your community and in your varying professional roles. We will take couple of days off to rest and relax with friends and family while going into this Thanksgiving with a special sense of optimism, thanks to the work you all have done. Thank you.

2007 Elections...

I confess to being a bit of a political junkie and like many folks, get lost in the drama of local elections up until Election Day. Afterwards, there is that strange feeling. What does it all mean? Mixed messages were sent this political cycle. On the positive side, none of the challengers campaigned hard on a Smart Growth platform and most of the incumbents who were working to implement Smart Growth solutions were handily re-elected. The biggest failure was that of the Brookhaven Community Preservation Fund; it became a real missed opportunity for the region to stopping sprawl and preserving open space. On a hopeful note, the passage of the Oyster Bay and Suffolk County Open Space Funds is very significant in an environment where voters are understandably concerned about taxes.

NIMBYs - err... um... I mean Concerned Citizens

In other news, we really stirred up a sea of emotion with our commentary and pledge to stop using the NIMBY jargon. Impassioned responses from both sides of the debate emerged. A few samples...

Supporters -
"Appreciate your recent article re "NIMBY" label as inaccurate most times, too convenient an excuse for others, and not doing anyone any good. Thanks for it."

Opponents - One fellow seemed a bit enraged -
"Stop using word NIMBY? I say absolutely NOT! I am not in favor of avoiding the use of such an acronym. However, there are a number of other acronyms that support the Anti-Growth, Anti-Property Rights Movement, that I avoid and that I think others should avoid using as well. Please avoid using the following acronyms:
"Open space preservation" - Government purchase with taxpayer money of developable land to be sterilized in its natural state forever ...destroying the land's future conversion to productive capital.
"Over development" - development
"Affordable Housing" - lower priced housing or lower cost of housing
"Inclusionary Zoning" and "Affordable Housing Mandates"- Government subsidized housing or housing price controls
"Government Planning" - an oxymoron
"Visioning" - an act of communism where the commune of voters meets to decide what happens to a titleholder's property, without his or her consent
"STOP NIMBYism!" ...not the use of the word!"

And folks with some alternate ideas -
"I suggest you would get more mileage and the same effect by promoting YIMBY as an alternative. Forget NIMBY, proudly hold up YIMBY as who you are, as who we are. Yes in my back yard!"

The responses are three to one in favor of ditching NIMBY and moving on more constructively. The point here is that, regardless of the terminology, we need to work together a bit more constructively. More on that in future issues.

2007 Smart Growth Summit

Lastly, I want to take a moment to personally invite everyone/anyone who reads this newsletter to attend our Smart Growth Summit next Friday. We are anticipating 40 civic leaders, 50 elected officials, 25 not-for-profit organization, and a slew of supporters, sponsors, and representatives from 10 of LI's thirteen Towns and over 15 Villages. We will have 15 worksessions with over 70 presenters and are anticipating close to 700 folks.

This may be our biggest event ever, but we need a broad representation to create the energy and synergy in the room. For folks who have attended in the past, the Summit is a place to share ideas, learn the best practices in Smart Growth planning and development, as well as develop policy solutions for Long Island.

Check out the Summit schedule below. It is a who's who of decision makers on land use and planning issues on Long Island. As for what is new or different this year, we have added additional sessions, afternoon technical worksessions on Placemaking, Implementation and Green Building, as well as a Civic Summit for folks who are working to implement Smart Growth Solutions on a community level. Also new this year is our location. After five years at the Huntington Townhouse, we needed to change our location to the Melville Marriott.

Again, we look forward to seeing folks at this event. We all need to step up in order to accomplish these very challenging tasks.

Folks outside the development process, editorial boards, county governments, not-for-profit organizations, housing advocates, and other associations often decry the impact of NIMBY interests.

The most recent failure of large scale projects in Hempstead Village, Plainview, Cerro Wire, as well as numerous moratoriums throughout Brookhaven and other municipalities, are examples of Long Island being ruled by the NIMBY's.

What does the word NIMBY mean? According to Wikipedia: NIMBY (an acronym of "Not In My Back Yard") describes the opposition of residents to the nearby location of something they consider undesirable, even if it is generally considered a benefit for many. Examples include: an incinerator, an ethanol plant, a nuclear-power plant, or a prison. The term is usually applied to opponents of a development, implying that they have narrow, selfish, or myopic views.

Do we really believe that all folks who oppose development on Long Island have narrow, selfish, or myopic views? Does calling folks NIMBY simply foster the us vs. them mentality in development and planning? How can we raise the bar with quality development proposals that meet community needs without a dialogue or rational discussion about what those needs are? In short, are we building an understanding with local communities or simply calling them names?

Who are these NIMBY's? After meeting thousands of residents in the majority of communities on Long Island, most of the NIMBY's are good, smart, hard working people who are struggling to deal with impending changes in their community. They often feel that the developer or their government is not working in the best interest of the community and that the folks calling them a NIMBY have their own narrow, selfish, or myopic interests that will forever change the character of their neighborhood. Maybe we should join civic associations in our own community and understand the work that these NIMBY's do. It is often the tireless and thankless tasks of clean ups, code enforcement, maintenance, fundraisers, community events and, yes. tackling difficult development proposals.

Let me be perfectly clear: we are not happy when communities oppose progressive and well-organized plans. I often joke that I could double my staff and probably double my salary by fighting projects, calling for moratoriums and ultimately killing projects that have not garnered community support. Having said that, despite their frustration, our organization, most developers and many local governments know that they need to work with the public in order to get a successful plan, project, or development application moving forward.

Is there hope? When we first started in Huntington, 95% of folks wanted more input in development decisions. The first wave of community involvement is to stop projects and wield some power in the planning process. The next step is to be more proactive and move projects forward. There are civic leaders who do support plans and progress- witness, Connie Kepert from Middle Island, Richard Johannessen from Rocky Point, Neal Lewis from the Neighborhood Network, and countless others. Their are about forty civic associations on Long Island that are working very proactively to make their communities better and manage to not simply oppose change. Courageous stands on very difficult land use and development issues are not easy for community leaders and when there are folks who take these positions, we should embrace them.

At best, we should work with the NIMBY's from the start. These folks ARE going to be deciding the future of many development projects on Long Island. We should, at the very least, listen, learn, adapt our proposals, and try to work with community leaders as projects emerge. In the end, if we are so enraged, angry, obsessed, and feel the behavior of NIMBY's is unfair, let us keep our anger and frustration to ourselves, yell about it over a beer, work out, go for a run, or take an anger management class. Let's not just call folks who are opposed to development names. We can do better.

I am asking folks to take a pledge to say that we will not be calling folks NIMBYs from here on out. Please e-mail or call us with your thoughts on this matter and if you agree to take the pledge.

 

Eric Alexander
Executive Director
Vision Long Island

What a whirlwind of a week. Three communities we are involved in have had meetings to tackle their future growth and development.

Without much fanfare, the Village of Farmingdale finished its visioning process with a number of accomplishments, including a revitalized public park/village green and fountain, traffic calming road projects, and four new development projects including market rate and affordable housing mixed with retail use. We will be updating you with more detailed results of these accomplishments. In this case, the community was positive but cautious and the Village took the lead, working hard for implementation.

In Rocky Point, the community kicked off a visioning project to revitalize its downtown through zoning changes, realigned parking, investments in sewer infrastructure, and a new mix of retail, along with additional housing, in the downtown. At this time, the driving force behind this vision is the civic community, but the local property owners and Town of Brookhaven, the sponsor of the planning process, are not far behind.

In Shoreham, the Tallgrass proposal for a PDD of 352 units of housing, 125,000 square feet of commercial space, ballfields, a village center, village green, and farmers market was approved 5-2 by the Brookhaven Town Board. This project showed the developers, Ornstein Leyton Companies, accepting an alternative to a 283 unit residential subdivision. Clearly, this was the longest and most contentious of the three projects, taking over 3.5 years, with the last 1.5 years being a visioning process that honed down some of the alternatives for a plan acceptable to the community. Of the endless letters, web posts, flyers, and e-mail blasts over the last few months with strong emotions and arguments, an anonymous message from a Shoreham resident on the Newsday blog sums it up:

We as residents spoke loudly and essentially brought down the # of units from over 700(Day 1) to now 352. The system worked. The input of all was heard. Everyone had a seat at the table over 3.5 years.. Now - lets all get over it and paint the canvas with the best community on Long Island. I remain greatly positive of the future of Shoreham, It's Schools and this new community. Shoreham - Time to heal and go forward in a positive manner.

After ten years of proposing different medium to large scale mixed use projects, this is the first time a new town center has been approved on Long Island. The developer took the lead in this case, but the Town of Brookhaven should be credited for taking on a very difficult decision in a highly charged political environment.

I suppose the message we are sending here is that these three communities (as well as many others) have worked hard at planning their future. If they can work through difficult issues, we all can make better land use and planning decisions. The system is not broken; we just need to work together, roll up our sleeves, and work harder and more effectively.

Eric Alexander
Executive Director

After a week of very difficult land-use issues, please allow us to indulge you in some "reports" from the battlefield. Below is a post we placed on a Long Island Business News blog on Brain Drain that we thought was worth reprinting.

How do we keep young folks here? According to a recent poll, 53% of young people on Long Island want to live in a downtown, walkable community accessible to shops, transit and other lifestyle amenities. Having said that, only about 15% of proposed developments actually mirror that desire. Clearly, we have some work to do in order to meet this market demand, not just in the proposal stage, where some progress has been made, but with approvals and built projects. Based on our experiences, or to put it more bluntly, "war stories," here are some thoughts on how to get this done:

1) Understand who the decision makers are for land use generally and specifically, workforce or next generation housing: If we are not talking about civic associations, the property owners themselves, and local officials, you probably have a very skewed view of who the power players are. These groups are the decision makers and without them, nothing happens. Folks from the outside who try to make decisions for local communities without their support create more of a problem in the long run and, quite frankly, can cause a backlash that may include some unintended consequences (moratoriums, anti-development fever, paralyzed local officials, continued sprawl and conventional development, etc).

2) Educate ourselves and model best practices nationally and locally: Part of why a majority of Long Islanders do not trust development and have tremendous anxiety about new proposals is the abject failure, until recent years, to put forward any new or innovative proposals (i.e. developments that include safe streets, parks, open space preservation, mixed income housing, public benefit packages to schools, ballfields, green building, or respectful architecture). Thankfully, we have seen a number of really creative mixed use and Smart Growth projects of small (4-50 units) medium (50-300 units) and large scale (300+) developments come forward over the last 5-6 years. We still have a lot to learn from suburbs and State policies in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, as we often have an Island mentality when it comes to new information and ideas.

3) Recognize proposals and policies that are in place and help move them along: There are over 50 Smart Growth projects either proposed or built on Long Island. These projects need priority support for approvals, incentives, infrastructure supports, etc. We must get behind them, support their passage on a local community level, ask the question of yourself, "What can I do to move these visions, policies and projects forward," and then do it!

4) Build in the right locations and lay the groundwork with sewer, transportation, and other infrastructure investment: Long Islanders want preservation of existing open and green space. However, there are opportunities to build in downtowns and commercial corridors that would be economically and politically viable, with the infrastructure supports in place. Even before projects are proposed for downtowns or in commercial corridors, begin to put in place revenues to support the infrastructure needed to make development work.

5) Be prepared for the long haul: Despite the policy pronouncements, cheerleading and complaining that often happens, getting creative projects proposed, approved, and built is a very long and difficult process. You may need to analyze yourself to see if you have the temperament to do this work. If you believe that your ideas are better and smarter than most folks, that all the civics are NIMBY's, that all local officials lack leadership, and that all developers are greedy, then working in the arena of land use and planning may not be the best use of your time.

Everyone should educate themselves on the best models, locally and nationally, and join a civic association in their own community to advocate for change on the local level. If folks cannot get themselves into local issues, they should use their energy to create resources and incentives to move projects forward quicker, more efficiently, and with high quality. It is our experience that it is not the compelling ideas from smart folks that makes things move. Instead, spend the time to work together with fellow Long Islanders to make their communities a better place for themselves and their children. Finding that enlightened self interest in all of us is really the key.