“The current business and the future endeavors that the Sewage District will allow for will help change the face of Brookhaven allowing for job creation and expansion that is so needed in today’s economy. In both economic and environmental terms, this is a great step forward.”

- Brookhaven Town Councilman Daniel Panico

Long Island Community Foundation

The Long Island Community Foundation enhances the well-being of the people and communities of Long Island by providing leadership in the identification of current and future community needs, and building a permanent endowment to address these needs; strengthening, through effective grantmaking and technical assistance, the capacity of the Island’s not-for-profit sector to respond to community needs; offering comprehensive services to donors, thereby supporting and enhancing their philanthropy; and working cooperatively with others seeking to encourage philanthropy on Long Island, or otherwise to support the mission of the Foundation.

Become a supporter of Smart Growth

Vision Long Island prides itself on having a broad range of supporters.  Become one today. A donation as small as $50 buys outreach materials to help a community build support for their vision. $500 sponsors an entire newsletter.  $5,000 makes you a lead sponsor of our Smart Growth Summit, buying 10 tickets and a key branding opportunity for your organization.
 
Your tax-deductible donation goes directly to Vision and lets you help strengthen efforts to put Smart Growth principles into action.

Register now for the 2010 Smart Growth Awards

The eight Smart Growth Awards will honor individuals and organizations taking leadership in advancing Smart Growth projects, policies, regulations and initiatives.

The Awards will be handed out on Friday, June 18th from 11:30am-2pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club.

Stay tuned early next week when we announce this year's honorees!

Registration information is available here.

Newsday feature: LI's transportation future

It's transportation week at Newsday. In a segment called The Future of Long Island, the paper collects ideas from the public on how to plan for LI's future. Sunday's paper featured a cover story, 14-page special section on transportation.

The story begins by outlining three major transportation solutions for Long Island: "The Long Island Rail Road pushes more people west--into the city--and more people east, beyond Ronkonkoma. The bus system lays down strong north-south links to fill the gaps left by the trains. And trucks are taken off the clogged LIE by freight rail yards, where trains deliver shipping containers for final delivery by trucks on local roads." It continues, "Most broadly, [transportation experts] suggest that decreasing vehicle traffic volume on Long Island requires no less than a fundamental cultural change. Cars and the construction of new single-family homes--two fundamentals of the Long Island postwar rise--must be de-emphasized."

Vision's Eric Alexander was quoted in the article: "What happened in the suburban pattern is that you just make roads and then development follows the roads. We need to reverse-engineer the thinking. It's land use first, and the transportation planning second."

Several transit megaprojects and transportation problems/solutions are highlighted, including East Side Access, Third Track, high occupancy toll lanes, improved bus service, designing roads to work for bikes and pedestrians, expanding MacArthur airport to ease the region's air congestion and the pie-in-the-sky plan to build a tunnel from Long Island to Connecticut. LIRR President Helena Williams, who claims the LIRR is still committed to the Third Track project that would help reverse commuters come to work on Long Island, added that Long Island needs to create places people want to come to before the Third Track project can be successful: "It may be very important to Long Island's future, but right now we don't have cities on Long Island that people want to come to," she said. Most of the ideas in the feature are right in line with Smart Growth principles, although some ideas, like banking on twin rotor jet-packs, or suways under Rt. 110 border on the bizzare.

On Monday, Newsday featured an article in response:

Reacting to Newsday's special section Sunday focusing on Long Island's transportation woes, experts said smaller, less costly solutions funded locally are more likely in the near-term.

"That's why a group like ours and some other planning groups are pointing to small-scale, transit-oriented developments and not the big-budget items," said Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island.

He said it's hard to justify pushing for funds for big new mass-transit projects when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is cutting rail and bus lines it operates now.

An editorial on Tuesday, The way out of LI gridlock, argues that the Island's transportation solutions rely primarily on rethinking land use policy, a large part of which includes increased density and transit-oriented developments.

You can check out Sunday's section online here. Monday's article and Tuesday's editorial are also available from Newsday.

Rauch Foundation sponsors "Build A Better Burb" design competition

The Rauch Foundation's Long Island Index has released details on its "Build a Better Burb" design competition, which was first announced at the release of their 2010 study on downtown redevelopment in January.

Suburbia is not as built out as it seems. Consider the mapping of 8,300 acres of opportunity - vacant parcels and parking lots - in the many small downtowns of the country's "first suburbs" on Long Island recently completed by the Long Island Index. On the occasion of the release of these revealing new interactive maps, the Long Island Index invites all architects, urban designers, planners, students, visionaries and everyone else interested in shaping our suburbs' future to help us "Build a Better Burb." This ideas competition seeks bold design proposals for retrofitting underutilized asphalt in suburban downtowns into innovative and surprising new uses, forms and urbanisms.

There should be no preconceptions about what is or is not possible. What would you do on these acres of opportunity? Build a car-free community for thousands? Plant an oasis of urban agriculture? Produce renewable energy and provide well-paying green jobs? Use landscape systems to repair ruptures in regional ecologies? Introduce armatures to enhance public space and the civic realm?

Competitors are encouraged to work in collaborative teams and must register on the website, before June 21st. At least 20 finalists will be selected by a blue-ribbon panel of jurors who will award a guaranteed first prize of $10,000 and $10,000 in additional prizes. The public will be invited to vote for a Long Island Index People's Choice Award and there will be a $2,500 prize awarded to the top project submitted by a  student currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. Finalists will be announced July 6th and the winners will be announced in September. 

Check out Build a Better Burb on Twitter  and Facebook.

Newsday also announced the contest in an article here, as part of their ongoing downtown redevelopment series. They are currently featuring a cool picture of Vision's home downtown, Northport Village in the print edition and online.

Brookhaven officials break ground on Shirley sewers

Brookhaven Town officials, along with State and Federal representatives broke ground yesterday on the $10 million Shirley sewer project. Sewer District #2, slated for completion some time next year, will help the Town expand Brookhaven R&D Plaza in Shirley. The light industrial complex area has been stunted by a lack of adequate sewers for decades. The actual construction would add 30 short-term construction jobs and the completed facility would make it possible for businesses to move in and create upwards of 500 new, permanent positions.

The project is being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, half from a grant and the rest in an ARRA loan. US Congressman Tim Bishop, who attended the event, was vital in securing the stimulus dollars. He said, “this stimulus-funded project will provide immediate construction jobs and lay the foundation for long-term private sector growth in Brookhaven." He continued, "expanded sewer capacity in the Empire Zone is exactly the kind of investment we need to be making in our community’s future."

The finished property will comply with the Pine Barrens act, which mandates the maintenance of natural vegetation on 35% of the lot area.

Read more in Newsday. Congressman Tim Bishop's press release is available here

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits: the free workshop on April 6 (Rescheduled)

Rehabilitation tax credits provide real financial incentives for the reuse of historic buildings. Under-utilized on Long Island, these credits are not limited to distressed census tracts, have great potential in downtown revitalization, and can apply to both commercial and residential properties. Learn more about the full scope of the federal and state programs from industry experts and the New York State Historic Preservation Office for a workshop discussion on program eligibility, application procedures and how credits can be monetized. This free workshop will include program overviews with information on National Register eligibility and listing, financing information (including syndication opportunities for non-profits), case studies and time for question and answers. Developers, preservationists, local governments, property owners and architects will have special interest.

The workshop will take place on April 6th (rescheduled due to snow) from 7-9pm at Riverhead Town Hall (200 Howell Avenue in Riverhead). It is hosted by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) & Town of Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission. Speakers will include Elizabeth Martin, Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator and Virginia Bartos, Historic Preservation Program Analyst at New York State Historic Preservation Office; Ward Dennis, Partner at Nixon Peabody, LLP; and Charlotte Lee, Associate at Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC. Introduced by James Wooten, Riverhead Town Council; Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Services Director, SPLIA; and Richard Wines, Riverhead LPC.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Alexandra Wolfe at SPLIA by phone 631-692-4664 or email awolfe@splia.org.

Northport ArtWalk kicks off April 11th

Starting on Sunday, April 11th from 4-7pm and continuing May 2nd and June 13th during the same hours, the Northport Chamber of Commerce and the Northport Arts Coalition are hosting a new event, Northport ArtWalk. The free event includes a self-guided walking tour of established and emerging artists at many galleries, studios and eclectic gallery-for-a-day venues in Northport's Main Street area. Enjoy possible performances, music, restaurants, antique shops, boutiques and cafes. It's a great way to check out Northport's bustling and diverse art community.

You can pick up a map at a "Welcome Booth," located at Caffe Portofino (249 Main Street) and Copenhagen Bakery (79 Woodbine Avenue). The map is also available online here. Many of the participating venues will be hosting special events for the day and everyone is welcome to attend this FREE event! For more information, see their website.

Innovation and the American Metropolis: Regional Plan Association's 20th annual Regional Assembly on April 16th

Regional Plan Association presents its 20th Annual Regional Assembly, "Innovation and the American Metropolis" on Friday, April 16th from 8am to 4pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, 333 Park Avenue at 49th Street in New York City. The Regional Assembly is New York City's premiere civic event, bringing together top business, civic and academic leaders and professional planners, with municipal, state and federal officials and architectural, design and engineering firms from across the metropolitan region and the nation.

This year’s Assembly will focus on how cities can use new design and management techniques and harness emerging trends in technology and data to improve quality of life and economic competitiveness. Among the eight panels at this full-day conference are Building a Green Infrastructure, Radical Housing, America’s Energy Future, and Smart Transportation: Changing Urban Mobility. Featured speakers include Richard Ravitch, Lieutenant Governor of New York State; Richard Burdett, Centennial Professor in Architecture and Urbanism, London School of Economics and Founder and Director, LSE Cities Program; and William A. McDonough, Founder William McDonough and Partners.

Registration is $250 for non-members, $225 for members. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact rivanova@rpa.org. Visit RPA's website to register and for more information.

Long Island Business News honors top real estate and development professionals on April 27th

Long Island Business News presents the 2010 Real Estate and Development Awards, taking place on April 27th from 6-8pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Many projects and companies are being honored this year that Vision has supported in the past.

For Top Smart Growth Project, Hawthorne Court in Valley Stream is being honored. Created by The Dennis Organization, the project won a 2009 Smart Growth Award for Compact Design (watch a video here). The Top Mixed-Use Project went to Four Corners in Patchogue, as developed by Tritec Real Estate Company. The project, titled New Village, also won a 2009 Smart Growth Award for a Mix of Uses (video is here). Tritec is also being honored as Commercial Developer of the Year. The company consistently plans great Smart Growth projects throughout Long Island. The award for "Rising Star in Commercial Real Estate" is going to Developer Scott Burman of The Engel Burman Group, whose company is a strong supporter of Vision's work. Top Residential Development (multi-home/units) goes to The Aqua at Long Beach, developed by The Engel Burman Group. Finally, the Residential Developer of the Year is Matt Whalen from Avalon Bay Communities. Mr. Whalen has been a friend of Vision through Avalon's affordable housing projects in communities like Coram, Glen Cove, and the current proposal in Huntington Station.

Tickets for the Awards are $75 until 4/19, and $95 thereafter and at the door. To purchase tickets visit libn.com or call 631-737-1700.

Fair Media Council's Folio Awards on April 30th

The Fair Media Council's Folio Awards began decades ago, to honor excellence in local news coverage. The award-winning entries are chosen by community leaders to provide the news media with invaluable feedback on what the news consumer truly thinks of the local news media's performance. As the news media has changed, so have the Folio Award categories. In 2009, the Fair Media Council expanded the Folio Awards, once again, to reflect the important role social media plays in shaping the way people communicate news and information. It all goes back to FMC's fundamental mission: to ensure the public gets the news they need to protect their quality of life and keep their communities vibrant.

The 2010 Folio Awards will take place on Friday April 30th from 11am-2pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. There will be two special receptions, the awards ceremony and a luncheon with keynote speech, plus your favorite media personalities as Folio Award presenters! The event will be taped for broadcast by Hamptons Television.

Individual tickets are $275 for members and $375 for non-members, and many sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information and registration, visit the FMC's website here 

Fair Housing’s Future in a Crisis Economy: A New Decade of Challenges on April 30th

On Friday, April 30th, Long Island Housing Services presents a forum and exhibit in honor of April as Fair Housing Month: Fair Housing’s Future in a Crisis Economy: A New Decade of Challenges. The event will take place at Touro Law Center, Central Islip from 11:30am to 2:30pm, and also celebrates 40 years of fair housing services to Long Islanders. Come to the event to learn how your awareness and support will help to "Build a Long Island of Neighbors" in this new decade!

There are two distinguished speakers. Bernard (Bernie) Kleina is a civil rights and fair housing advocate. As Executive Director of HOPE Fair Housing Center in Illinois, he promotes equal housing, lending and insurance opportunities through education, research, outreach, enforcement, training and advocacy. Prof. Okianer Christian Dark is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Howard University Law School. Her personal story as a victim of housing discrimination is used for training and education nationally by fair housing agencies, law schools and the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

The Chicago Freedom Movement Exhibit, on display at the event, is a collection of more than 50 color photographs taken by Bernard J. Kleina in Chicago in 1965-1966. The photographs are a priceless historical treasure and are the only candid color photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights activists taken in Chicago at that time. The exhibit reminds us that we still have a long way to go before we achieve what Dr. King fought for and what we are fighting for now – open and fair housing and an end to racial and ethnic segregation. The event will also honor Beth M. Wickey, Esq. - Nassau-Suffolk Law Services, Inc. LIHS’ Retiring President Harriet Spiegelman - LIHS’ Projects Facilitator. 

The cost for the program, which includes lunch, is $50. Early bird registration by April 19th is $40. Exhibit viewing is free. You can also purchase a table of 10 for $400, $350 for early birds. You can learn more and register online here. For more information, call (631) 657-5111 or email info@lifairhousing.org.

Teen Arts Festival on May 15th: teen talent sought

The Third Annual Teen Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, May 15th at The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island in Garden City, beginning at 1:00 pm and running throughout the afternoon. The free festival is for local middle school and high school students to share their talents with each other and the community. The organizers are currently recruiting talent: musicians, artists, dancers, poets and more. Teens and their parents are invited to go online to download a registration form. Registration is due before May 7th. The Youth of Ethical Societies (Y.E.S.) Group is hosting the festival, with the theme: “YES We Do…Have A Voice,” to celebrate the often-overlooked power of young minds. The festival will feature hours of live music from classical to metal, art on display, dancing, poetry readings, interactive activities, refreshments and more throughout the Ethical Humanist Society building and grounds.

The festival is free, but donations are requested: nonperishable food items for the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), baby items for Ethical Friends of Children, or a monetary donation to the Ethical Humanist Society. Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $25 to $500.

Immediately following the Festival will be the Y.E.S. Group’s 16th Annual Pasta Dinner, beginning at 6:00pm. The Pasta Dinner includes a tasty meal, a keynote speaker and even more live entertainment. The cost for the dinner is $10 for adults and $8 for students. The fee will be split between the speaker’s organization (TBA) and programming for the Y.E.S. Group throughout the year, including travel to the National Y.E.S. Conference in Chicago in November 2010.

The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island is located at 38 Old Country Road, Garden City. For more information about the Teen Arts Festival, Pasta Dinner, sponsorship opportunities and more, contact Phyllis Herschlag, Office Manager at 516-741-7304, office@ehsli.org, or visit ehsli.org.

Walk/Bike conference to be held on Long Island June 7th

June 7th is the first ever Walk/Bike New York conference for Long Island: Encouraging Sustainable Movement. Creating walkable and bikeable environments requires an active collaboration of people with interests in safety, land use, economic development, transportation, education, law enforcement and health promotion. This one-day symposium is expected to draw approximately 200 attendees from various disciplines and provide participants with the tools to work together to create walkable and bikeable communities in New York State. A keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Arthur Wendel, Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Public Health and Built Environment Initiative. Topics will include Complete Streets, Safe Routes for Seniors and Youth, Education & Encouragement, Law Enforcement, Local Highlights, Funding Sources and Legislative Updates. Help make Long Island's roads safer!

The conference is a Quality Communities Symposium sponsored by the NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the NYS Department of Health, and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research in conjunction with the NYS Department of Transportation, NYS Department of State, New York Bicycling Coalition, Parks & Trails New York, Federal Highway Administration, NYS Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc., NYS Metropolitan Planning Organization Association and AARP.

The event will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. Early Registration fee $40 (postmarked by May 14); Late/On Site is $50. Due to limited capacity, early registration is recommended. You can register online here. For more information, contact Janine Schultz at 518-453-0291 x104 or email jschultz@itsmr.org.

S.T.R.O.N.G. Community Unity Gala on June 10th

You are cordially invited to the “Decade of S.T.R.O.N.G., Community Unity Gala,” which will be held on Thursday June 10th 2010. This momentous event is being held in part to celebrate the tenth anniversary of S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. In addition, they will be humbly honoring a handful of outstanding individuals and organizations that have played a pivotal role in their successful journey. The gala is an excellent venue to network with like-minded individuals focused on consciously making a difference in our communities.

Ten years ago, S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. had never envisioned to be one of the leading gang prevention/intervention agencies in our region. They only wanted to play a positive and impact role in reuniting our new generation. During that time, they had the opportunity to educate many young people on alternatives to violence and gang life, while creating opportunities for many youth who were seeking redirection and redemption.

All proceeds generated by this event will support the ongoing effort in continuing S.T.R.O.N.G.’s mission. If you have any further questions regarding this event and to get your tickets, call 516-408-3798 or email strong.gala@gmail.com.

National Endowment for the Arts seeks applications for Challenge America Fast-Track program

The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting applications through the Challenge America Fast-Track project. Challenge America Fast-Track offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved communities—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability. Eligibility includes non-profit organizations; state or local governments; private, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; or federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Individual awards are not to exceed $10,000.

The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 27th. For more information, contact the National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20506; 202-682-5700; fasttrack@arts.gov.

Vision Long Island Seeking Interns

Vision Long Island is seeking unpaid interns for Spring and Summer 2010. If you are interested in suburban/urban planning, community development, local government, or sustainability, consider working for us part time.

Our staff likes to say we "wear many hats," and interns will have to do the same. Interns will assist with planning, design, outreach, event planning, writing, research, attending meetings, reporting, photography, and more. Bring your unique skill set to the table! We are looking for energetic and conscientious individuals with an interest in suburban/urban planning from a bottom-up perspective. This is a valuable opportunity to work with great people in a small office environment and learn about the issues impacting Long Island. Strong writing skills a plus.

Note that hours, start date, and end date are all flexible. Although this is an unpaid position, we will gladly work with you to provide college credit and transportation reimbursement. We will also work with you to make sure you have a great experience that is tailored to your specific interests and skill set.

Individuals interested in learning more are encouraged to contact us at info@visionlongisland.org. Please put "Internships for 2010" in the subject heading. You are welcome to include a resume and/or letter, and please indicate if you are available in the Spring, Summer, or both.

Holiday weekend

Spend time with your friends, family and loved ones this weekend.

SMART GROWTH NEWS

Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications
Contributors: Eric Alexander, Executive Director; Tara Klein, Planning Coordinator;
Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director; Elissa Ward, Director of Sustainability; Juliana Roberts Dubovsky, Planning Consultant; Chris Kyle, Program Coordinator

We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.

If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities.

For more information about Vision Long Island, visit visionlongisland.org or contact us at:
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One Northport, NY 11768.
Phone: (631) 261-0242. Fax: (631) 754-4452.
Email: info@visionlongisland.org