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Arrow VISION would like to thank Arrow, who recently provided the organization with a $5,000 grant to support our efforts advancing sustainable, affordable housing.
Be a Smart Growth News or Smart Talk Visionary
Archives of Smart Talk and Smart Growth News Weekly are available on our website. For more information on this chance to be at the forefront of Long Island’s Smart Growth Movement, call Vision Long Island, 631-261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. |
We invite you to strengthen and sustain VISION's e-news publications by becoming a Smart Talk Visionary. For $500, you can sponsor Smart Growth News, our weekly publication. In recognition, your firm’s logo and a short description of your work will be featured in every issue. For $1,000, your organization can sponsor Smart Talk. This monthly news resource will include your firm’s logo and feature revolving articles on the organizations helping inform Long Island.|
The 2008 Smart Growth Awards are only 6 days away. There is still time to register for the event on Thursday, June 12th at 11:30am-2:00pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club.
Print the pdf version of the latest Smart Growth Awards flyer here. Master of Ceremonies
This Year's Honorees
Sponsorship Packages are Available! • Visionary package includes: Logo in materials and advertisements, prominent full-page advertisement in journal, special recognition at event and on website, banner display, table for 10 Journal Advertisements also available! • Full page black and white ad (7.5” x 10”) - $1,000 Register Now! __Visionary - $15,000 __Leader - $10,000 __Gold Sponsor - $5,000 Lead Sponsor
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Drew Scott, News 12 Long Island:
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.
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Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Calls on State to Double Suffolk’s Transit Aid to Match Nassau
Vision Long Island participated in the press conference on Tuesday in support of Executive Levy’s initiative. We thank him for asserting this cause. Cool Downtowns Conference in Rockville Centre
For more details on the event, check out Newsday. NEW YORK STATE MOVES TO CUT CLIMATE CHANGE POLLUTION
Senate Passes the Long Island Workforce Housing Act
For the full article, visit Newsday. Struggling to Bring Smart Growth Concepts and Communities to Western NY
Still, developers and government officials continue to promote and offer Smart Growth and New Urbanism solutions to local issues such as affordable housing, failing downtowns and the rising cost of gas. Some developers are even taking extreme measures, like flying out local officials to developments in other states, in order to re-educate the public on innovative land use designs and programs. APA Awards
The APA 2008 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation takes place from 5:30pm-8pm on June 16th at the New York Historical Society at 170 Central Park West, between 76th and 77th streets. For more information on the event visit the APA New York Metro Chapter website. |
Standing before a bus and one of the few covered bus shelters, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy led a press conference on Tuesday for increased funding from the State towards Suffolk’s bus system. Mr. Levy pointed to Suffolk County’s disproportionate amount of funding received for public transportation and the taxes contributed to it by the county. According to Mr. Levy, the county receives $35 million less than Nassau County and $25 million less than Westchester County for mass transit. He also cited that Suffolk taxpayers contribute more than $17 million annually for their bus system and acquire $22.5 million in state aid, while Nassau taxpayers put in $10 million and receive nearly $58 million in state aid in return.
Executive Levy will be lobbying Suffolk’s state delegation to develop a three-year plan to address the inequity. “Our service must adapt to the growing and changing demographics of our county, but we will not be able to do so without dramatically increased state and federal assistance,” he said. Suffolk County is currently undertaking a comprehensive study of the entire transit system to evaluate the extent of service expansion. Levy noted that as gas prices have climbed, so has ridership on public transit, which is up 10% in the first four months of 2008.
On Thursday, June 5th, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi hosted a conference on revitalizing Nassau’s downtowns at Saint Agnes Parish Hall in Rockville Centre. Suozzi identified existing “cool downtowns,” historic “quaint” downtowns to be preserved, auto-oriented/sprawling centers with no hope, and potential places for transit-oriented development like Hicksville, Farmingdale, and Baldwin. He emphasized that in redeveloping these downtowns, we should not “look to the past but look to the future, to what we can be, which is not urban or post-suburban but a new suburbia.” Part of that equation includes increasing our tax base responsibly, using Smart Growth in the right locations, fostering ICE (ideas, culture and education), and designing walkable communities with convenience and a mix of uses.
Other elected officials and community leaders participated in the conference, such as North Hempstead Supervisor John Kaiman, Dorothy Goosby and many others from villages, hamlets, and towns within Nassau. Over 300 people attended the event to learn of the tools and strategies that can create “cool downtowns.” The key tips gleaned from the conference were the importance of “visionings,” finding financial resources, working with developers, and understanding the community needs. In order to do this, communities must develop public/private partnerships and recognize that “zoning codes have to embrace change,” as Hempstead Town Councilman Edward A. Ambrosino said.
More than a dozen environmental groups from across the state called on lawmakers to support the measure. Groups included Vision Long Island, Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), The Nature Conservancy, NYPIRG, and many others. New York recently received a “D” on a scorecard of clean energy policies. The State is trying to rectify this with the Climate Change Solutions Act & Fund, which would earmark resources generated by New York’s role in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and legislation to expand the state’s net metering law, which would encourage clean energy use by crediting consumers for the renewable power they generate themselves. There is strong bipartisan support for the Cap and increasing movement and dialogue on these issues. Hopefully, this new legislation will pass during the current State Legislative Session.
On Wednesday, June 5th, State lawmakers passed the first new set of rules aimed at boosting affordable housing on 
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Shrinking Cars and Our Carbon Footprints This past week, a number of stories were reported on the relationship between global warming, automobile production, and the rising costs of fuel. Above all, these articles illustrate the cause and effects of our current energy/gas concerns.
Read Mr. Dillin’s full article, “$4 Gas: It’s Our Fault"
Read “GM Shifts Focus to Small Cars in Sign of SUV Demise” here.
For the full article, see “Industries Allied to Carbon Cap, Differ on the Details,” |
To begin with, ABC News reporter John Dillin claimed that the $4 gas prices are the fault of consumers, Congress, and the White House. During the first energy crisis in the 1970s, these players responded by downsizing cars, shrinking engines, and cutting highway speed limits to increase efficiency. Tougher gas mileage requirements were also enforced. However, “by the 1990s, we were again buying larger cars and new, gas-hungry SUVs,” and resumed our bad habits by ignoring energy efficiency and conservation. 
Now that gas is expensive and we’ve exceeded our “peak oil” point, automakers are responding to changing consumer demands again. Bill Vlasic of The New York Times reported on June 4th that, “with no end in sight for elevated gas prices, 
In conjunction with this statement from General Motors, the public also learned that because we rekindled our relationship with gas guzzlers, the planet saw its 10 warmest years on record. It is known fact now, that transportation sector makes up a third of carbon emissions in the United States. In response to accelerating global warming, the Senate spent this week debating the details of a bipartisan-sponsored bill that would cap carbon dioxide emissions. According to Jad Mouawad’s article in the New York Times, “the government would then issue permits for carbon use that could be traded among companies. The net result of this cap-and-trade system would be to increase the cost of energy use.” The bill is not likely to pass this year because of its complexities and holes. President Bush also stated that he would veto it. But it is representative of a “serious national debate about energy use.” Negotiating the conflicting business interests with an effective global-warming action plan will be a colossal challenge for the next President. Fortunately, for us and for the planet, both presidential candidates understand basic logic. |
Tell Your SenatorS To Support the Smart Growth Public InFrastructure Act
Please contact your State Senator with this message: Dear Senator: UNI Bill S.4369 (Lavalle)/ A7335 (Hoyt), The Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Act, has passed the State Assembly and is now in the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. This bill will take a good first step in conserving taxpayer dollars and reinforcing State resources and infrastructure. The Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Act would require that:
Passing this bill before the end of this session could not be more important. Smart Growth works to help rein in out-of-control costs. It protects the environment. By prioritizing maintenance of current roads, rails, and other infrastructure, it helps moderate the costs of quickly-rising gasoline prices and reduce congestion. New York is behind the curve on this issue - and success stories related to state Smart Growth efforts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have shown that realigning priorities helps areas that are stagnant to re-grow. In an era of fiscal constraint and environmental strain, these goals could not be more important.
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As our legislators in Albany prepare for the summer recess, it is crucial that we join together to push for the passage of The Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Bill before the end of session. 
Statewide Organizations:
Regional Endorsers:
East End APA-Credit Planning Workshops To Take Place June 11th
Registration for this unique event includes three one-hour workshops, networking, a light supper, and AICP continuing education credits. In addition, the Suffolk County Water Authority has made a limited number of scholarships available to entry-level planners, so include a request for a fee waiver with your registration. To pre-register, please make your $25 check payable to the APA – Long Island Section and mail with your name, title, affiliation, address, phone, email, and AICP number, if applicable, to: David L. Berg, AICP, LEED AP at APA - Long Island Section, c/o Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP, 100 Sunnyside Blvd., Ste. 100, Woodbury, NY 11797. Registration at the door is $30. For questions, please contact David Berg at 516-827-4900 ext.206 or by email. East End Towns Plan Community Charrette for the “Duck Project"
The event is hosted by the Stony Brook Southampton Campus. On Friday, June 13th, the public forum will be held from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Chancellor’s Hall at Stony Brook Southampton and on Saturday, June 14, the Charrette stakeholders will meet from 8am-5pm in the Fine Arts Building. Please RSVP by email or phone, by calling 631-728-7832. For more information about this event visit www.aiapeconic.org and click on #5 NEWS, or to schedule an interview with the Project Director, Ms. Eva Growney, please call 631-907-1077 or e-mail her. Upcoming Event: West Hampton Dunes Documentary Screening Throughout THe Summer
"Incredible Journey: The Story Of West Hampton Dunes" will be shown at the Hampton Arts Cinema at 2 Brook Road in Westhampton Beach at 7 PM on Saturday, June 14, July 19 and August 23. General admission tickets for these exclusive screenings are $25.00 each and can be purchased in advance online at http://thestoryofwesthamptondunes.com/ or by calling (516) 496-3959. Tickets are also available at the Hampton Arts Cinema box office during regular business hours. Neighborhood Network Gala To Be Held on June 26th in Oakdale at 6pm
Neighborhood Network invites you to attend Gala 2008 and help celebrate these and many other accomplishments. With your support, you will help ensure that the Neighborhood Network continues to be here every day to promote environmental awareness and develop innovative, proactive strategies to protect Long Island. |
On Wednesday, June 11, a series of Planning Workshops will be held at Southampton College from 4-8pm. Sponsored by the LI Section of the APA and SUNY Stony Brook at Southampton College, the workshops will offer a range of topics such as Green Building and LEED certification, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Asset Management, Innovative Storm Water Management Systems, Creating Comprehensive Master Plans, Zoning for Mixed Uses and Planned Unit Development, Form Based Codes, and Traditional Neighborhood Development.
On June 13 & 14, local architects from the five east end towns who are members of the AIA Peconic, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, will sponsor a charrette, bringing together members of the community to study, analyze, and recommend a draft plan for an ecologically sensitive, low-impact use of Hubbard Park, a Suffolk County-owned, 500 acre tract of pristine estuary marsh and forest on Peconic Bay in Flanders. Known as The Duck Project, the park contains almost a dozen structures on a historic homestead and hunting estate once comprising the Black Duck Lodge owned by financier E.F. Hutton.
This year’s gala honors Edward Thompson for his 15 years as Chair of the Neighborhood Network Board. The gala will also be a celebration of 2008’s successful programs, mounting press recognition, and other achievements. This includes the flourishing Energy Star Home Campaign, which resulted in more than half of the 13 Long Island towns adopting higher energy efficient standards for new home construction. This initiative grew out of the work with municipalities that have been participating in their Clean Energy Leadership Task Force, a project that works with local governments to help them lead by example- by renovating government facilities and fleets with clean energy improvements. Other achievements include public education campaigns that teach thousands of Long Islanders about the environmentally responsible choices that they can make at home, such as professionals that offer organic services and environmentally friendly household products. 
Suffolk Community Council The Suffolk Community Council is now hiring for the Project Coordinator position. A full or part time position, the Project Coordinator would focus on two related projects, The Network of Women with Disabilities and Accessible Long Island. An ideal candidate has experience in community organizing campaigns, possesses leadership qualities, and interpersonal and communication skills. He or she must be comfortable presenting to elected officials and committees, able to run committee meetings, well organized, flexible with assignments, and willing to travel locally. Legislative connections are a plus. The full-time salary is between $30,000 to $35,000 depending on experience, with individual health care, dental insurance, and a pension plan. The part-time salary range is $15,000 to $17,000, also with health insurance. Email your resume to Suffolk Community Council, Attention: Judy Pannullo, Executive Director. |
Sea Fair Patchogue River Festival
NY Solar Fest Concert for Peace
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Head to Patchogue for the 5th Annual Sea Fair Patchogue River Festival from June 6th (3 PM – 9 PM), 7th and 8th (Noon – 9 PM) at the Hill Ferry Terminal in Patchogue (corner of Division and West Streets). The festival is presented by the Patchogue Riverfront Committee in celebration of the Patchogue River. The whole family can enjoy water boat shows, car show, live pirate shows, live outdoor music, kid-friendly activities, arts and crafts exhibit, ecology displays, more. The festival is largely free except for a small fee for carnival, the local food court, and arts and crafts for kids. Contact: Committee Chair, Mike Bruemmer (631) 804-0595 for more information!
This weekend, the NY Solar Fest Concert for Peace will be held at the Solar Café at 1 First Avenue in Brentwood. The nation’s first solar powered café will feature musical performers, vendors, solar energy related displays and information from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm on Saturday and 11:00 - 6:00 pm on Sunday. Check out 
SMART GROWTH NEWS Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Communications Director We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.
For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at: |
