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Emtec
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.
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Emtec is a consulting engineering firm specializing in the design of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems for commercial, educational and institutional buildings. They approach all projects using the most efficient and sustainable solutions available. They believe the engineering components should help construct buildings that work and flow with the natural environment. Their commitment to sustainable design is best illustrated through their partnership with Energy Star and USGBC.
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Vision Long Island hosted the 2009 Smart Growth Awards on Friday, June 19th from 11:30am-2:00pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY. The Awards celebrate the people, projects, and policies advancing Smart Growth on Long Island. Large attendance, fantastic honorees, a great MC in Adrienne Esposito, and a guest appearance by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer all came together to make the event a huge success. 600 Long Islander business, community, government, educational, and environmental leaders attended the 8th annual Awards.
The event kicked off with a presentation with Vision’s Executive Director, Eric Alexander, who reviewed the organization’s milestones over the past year. Notable progress includes the recent Long Island Lobby Day, April’s Green Business & Infrastructure Summit, the work of the Long Island Smart Growth Working Group and partner organization Empire State Future, regional planning efforts such as Brookhaven 2030 and Long Island 2035, and community work in places such as Gordon Heights, Islandia, and many others. Master of Ceremonies Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, presided over the rest of the event.
Each of the winners were featured in video interviews. The honorees included:
Sponsors included: Lead Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Sponsors
Elected Officials in attendance included: US Senator Chuck Schumer, NYS Assembly Members Steve Englebright and Joseph Saladino; Michael Harrison of the Office of Governor David Paterson; Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink; Suffolk County Legislators Kate Browning and John Kennedy; Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko, Councilwoman Connie Kepert, and Councilwoman Kathy Walsh; Hempstead Town Councilman Ed Ambrosino and Councilwoman Dot Goosby, Town of Huntington Councilwoman Susan Berland, Councilman Stuart Besen, and Councilman Mark Cuthberson; Town of Islip Councilman Steve Flotteron; Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, Councilman Chris Coshignano; Town of Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale, and Councilman James Wooten; City of Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi and Councilman Sean Dwyer; Village of Mineola Mayor Jack Martins; Village of Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri; and Village of Northport Trustee Henry Tobin. For more information, visit visionlongisland.org or call (631) 261-0242. A copy of the event journal in .pdf form is available here. The Smart Growth Awards is one of two primary Smart Growth events held on Long Island each year. On November 20, 2009, Smart Growth leaders will reconvene for the annual Smart Growth Summit, a full day of work sessions and talks designed to analyze Smart Growth issues on Long Island. More information is available on our website here. |
United States Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer made a big entrance for the luncheon’s keynote speech. After telling a few funny stories, New York’s senior senator dove into the importance of Smart Growth. Growth is inevitable, he explained, so we must grow in an intelligent, sustainable way. Schumer finished with three programs that Washington is looking at that will affect us in Long Island: the transportation bill reauthorization, sewer funding, and the Community Development Block Grant Program, focusing on downtowns and municipalities.
Revitalizing Communities: Trammell Crow Residential for the Alexan @ West Hempstead. The Alexan @ West Hempstead will be a much-needed rental housing building, located at the site of the Courtesy Hotel—which the community has long considered a drug and crime-ridden blight. Alexan is strategically located adjacent to the West Hempstead LIRR station. It will serve as a central piece of revitalization plans for the area. 
Preserving Open Space: Lisa Ott of the North Shore Land Alliance. Lisa Ott is being honored for her efforts to pass environmental bond resolutions in multiple municipalities in Nassau and Suffolk. She has done exceptional work with open space bonds in Nassau County and the Town of Huntington, helping to develop the bonds and later helping to allocate the funds. Ms. Ott has helped both counties preserve over 600 acres of land.
Mix of Uses: TRITEC for New Village in Patchogue. TRITEC’s redevelopment plan in the heart of downtown Patchogue will include office, retail, mixed-income housing, public space, and a hotel. The 4.87-acre site will help revitalize an area that has been depressed for many years, using Smart Growth principles to enliven the neighborhood.
Encouraging Walkability: Kingdom Family Holdings for the Marquis at Mineola. The Marquis at Mineola is a multifamily residential project in downtown Mineola. The project incorporates progressive design elements combined with a strategic location in downtown Mineola to encourage walking. The project’s features align with the Village of Mineola’s Master Plan, which emphasizes pedestrian facilities. 
Providing a Range of Housing Types: Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless. The Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless will be honored for their work in helping Long Island’s homeless find sufficient housing and support services. The group is a strong voice for an underrepresented demographic. Over the past 15 years, they have helped Long Island receive $91 million in federal HUD money for housing and services.
Creating a Sense of Place: Hon. Steve Flotteron and Hon. Phil Nolan of the Town of Islip for the Bay Shore Marina. Councilman Steve Flotteron and Supervisor Phil Nolan were strong voices for the reconstruction of the Bay Shore Marina. The revitalization of the 21-acre Marina has transformed a struggling section of the community into a thriving public space. Through exceptional local leadership, the community helped to create a place that works for everyone.
Compact Design: The Dennis Organization for Hawthorne Court. Hawthorne Court is a nearly-completed multifamily housing project in Valley Stream. The project provides walkable access to the Valley Stream train station, downtown shops and businesses, and more. Compact building design is an alternative to sprawl development, so that buildings are created with maximum resource efficiency and open space preservation.
Providing Transportation Options - The Town of Brookhaven and VHB for the Ronkonkoma Hub. The Ronkonkoma Hub is a redevelopment plan for the land around the Ronkonkoma LIRR station. The project will change zoning to allow for transit-oriented development and a variety of transportation options, including shuttle buses, train, taxis, walking, biking, and more.
Green Building & Energy Efficiency: The Village of Amityville for Village Hall. The Village of Amityville is receiving an award for their brand new Village Hall building, which was built with green standards. The building reduces energy consumption, minimizes environmental impact, and improves the long term health of Village employees. Amityville has shown a strong commitment to reducing the Village’s energy costs, saving taxpayer money, and improving the environment. 
Providing Certainty: Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi for the Glen Cove Master Plan. Mayor Ralph Suozzi has made development decisions fair and predictable for the City of Glen Cove through its recently-adopted Master Plan. This plan successfully involves the community and lays the groundwork for multiple redevelopment projects from the waterfront to the downtown.
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Sustainability Institute Releases Report on Municipal Clean Energy Efforts
“Many accomplishments have been made by dedicated municipal staff at our towns and counties that are worthy of recognition, and more such projects are anticipated as municipalities begin to receive federal stimulus money,” said Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the Sustainability Institute. Some highlights from the report:
For a full copy of the report, go to the Sustainability Institute's website. The Clean Energy Leadership Task Force has been meeting for 5 years and brings together representatives from all Long Island towns, 2 counties, and some villages to catalyze the implementation of clean energy projects and to keep them informed of current incentive programs. NCCC Meeting Highlights 2010 Census
The Census is important in countless ways that we may not even realize--"it permeates every aspect of our lives," said Enriquez. Census draws district lines for federal, state, and local governments, and federal dollars are allocated according to population at the time of the most recent Decennial Census. As an example, Brentwood became a new district due to increased population there. Census also draws school district lines and assists in community planning and research. Aside from political and economic uses are social and cultural ones, brought about by funding allocations and community indicators. The information collected is safe and confidential for all--which protects "illegal" residents. Nationally, there is a very low rate of return on Census--about 67%. Here on Long Island, especially on the East End and in many of the Villages, there is a higher rate of return--80-90%. The Census gives relevant and accessible data about our communities, which is useful for any community leader or organization. If you have never used American FactFinder, it is a great tool for research and planning that is worth exploring and will be even better by next year. The NCCC meeting also highlighted the success of Long Island Lobby Day (which President Chris Murray attended), mentioned the plethora of upcoming events hosted by the chambers, and featured an interesting proposal by Matt Crosson of the LIA to organize to fix Albany. Albany Madness Continues
We got some great feedback the last time we asked for your thoughts on the State Senate meltdown. Some notable mentions include:
Some Long Island politicians had their own perspectives on the Senate coup:
I very much understand the call to walk into the Senate chamber, put all of this aside and do the people’s business. This is what I was elected to do. It is unfortunate that the media has chosen to portray these past few weeks as a time where no work is being done. This is far from the truth. My office has been assisting constituents, hosting office hours throughout my district at various libraries to answer questions and provide information. I have also been reviewing legislation and making decisions on how I will vote when we do go back into session. Much work is getting done. There is no doubt that much more needs to happen. However, I cannot simply give credence to a group of people who want nothing but pure, selfish, absolute power in the name of reform. The Senate Republicans and Pedro Espada are shameful. What has happened stains all of us. I continue to negotiate in good faith. I am hopeful all sides will come together shortly and end this very dark time in our State’s history."
Village of Hempstead Mayor Wayne Hall made this statement: "Thank you Governor Paterson for standing up for those whose voices are silenced by the State Senate's inaction. Partisan squabbling in Albany will not help the poor and underserved residents of my village. I call upon all our senators to heed Governor Paterson's call to action and conciliation so that essential revenue streams such as sales taxes, moving violations surcharges, mortgage recording fees and other local government assistance can be enacted to the benefit of our neediest citizens who rely on essential social service programs." Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick, The Village of Freeport added, "I applaud Governor Paterson for taking strong and decisive action to resolve the State Senate standoff. While our senators argue about who's in charge, those who elected them are hurting back home. The loss of sales taxes and other important revenues will take its toll on the most vulnerable among us as vital social service programs, especially here in Nassau County where our budgets are already severely stressed, will not be able to be funded on the local level. I encourage the State Senate to respond constructively and maturely to the Governor's leadership during these difficult times." As the drama continues, we can only hope that the agenda set forth at Long Island Lobby Day on June 8th will still carry some weight. Our agenda from Lobby Day included items such as increasing sewer funding, passing Complete Streets legislation, looking at wind energy for Long Island, and more. There's no way that Vision Long Island is taking a position on this, but what we have repeated many times is that we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Long Islanders. Tick tock...tick tock...We're still waiting, Albany. Read the Long Island Lobby Group's Albany agenda here. House Transportation Bill Released
"Regrettably, our transportation system, once the envy of the world, is losing its battle against time, growth, weather, and wear. The system is suffering from decades of underinvestment, and the costs are staggering." The summary goes on to list some of the costs, including this striking one: "The quality of our transportation system is deteriorating: almost 61,000 miles (37 percent) of all lane miles on the National Highway System (NHS) are in poor or fair condition; more than 152,000 bridges--one of every four bridges in the United States--are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete; and more than 32,500 public transit buses and vans have exceeded their useful life. The nation's largest public transit agencies face an $80 billion maintenance backlog to bring their rail systems to a state of good repair and, within the next six years, almost every transit vehicle (55,000 vehicles) in rural America will need to be replaced." The bill's blueprint for reform includes consolidating federal programs, improving federal highway safety investments, emphasizing high speed rail creation, creating a National Infrastructure Bank, and more. It "focuses the majority of transit funding in four core categories to bring urban and rural public transit systems to a state of good repair; provide specific funding to restore transit rail systems; provide mobility and access to transit-dependent individuals; and plan, design, and construct new transit lines and intermodal facilities." Most notably, it provides $450 billion over the next six years, which is admittedly called "the minimum" amount needed. The need for clear objectives seems to be missing, but a bill has been proposed that accompanies this one that sets transportation goals. The National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009 was released in early June by Congressman Russ Carnahan, and sets objectives such as "Triple walking, biking, and public transit use in 20 years" and "Reduce transportation-generated carbon dioxide level by 40 percent in 20 years." Just before the release of the reauthorization bill, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called for an 18-month extension on the current transportation bill. Folks are highly encouraged to take a look at the bill's summary. Read the condensed outline of the bill here and see the full 775-pager here. Read Transportation for America's blog for an analysis of the bill. Verizon Launches Long Island News Channel
GreenStreet LI Seeking Nominations for GreenLeaders
For consideration of this unique honor, contact Liz Dysart at elizabeth.dysart@newsday.com or (631) 843-4708 for a nomination form. Nominations will be reviewed by the GreenStreet LI advisory group, an independent panel of local environmental non-profit organizations. GreenStreet LI will be setting up a booth at several events in July, including:
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Earlier this week, the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College’s Clean Energy Leadership Task Force released its latest report on actions being taken by local municipalities to move forward clean energy solutions. The report, "Leading the Way," documents actions taken in 2008 through spring 2009 by the 13 towns and 2 counties on Long Island to implement energy efficiency in five areas: building retrofits, greening their fleets, use of renewable energy sources, policies, and public outreach. Each municipality completed a survey to document their achievements for this report.
Omar Enriquez, outreach coordinator for the 2010 Census on Long Island, spoke at a meeting of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce (NCCC) on Thursday morning 6/25. 
The first draft of the much-anticipated Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill has been released! Representative James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the 775-page document on Monday, with a shorter summary available a few days earlier. At first read, the bill seems right on target with its priorities: automobile alternatives are heavily prioritized. 
This past Monday, Verizon launched its FiOS 1 News Channel on Long Island, the first area in New York State to receive this new, 24-hour channel. FiOS 1 Long Island will be all about Long Island, with content about and from the community. FiOS 1 has partnered with prominent institutions on the Island, such as North Shore - LIJ Health System, to create programming that truly reflects and serves the needs of the Long Island community. The new FIOS 1 channel will carry local sports programming, including high school games of the week. FiOS 1 will also offer a program called "My Long Island," a program focused on people sharing their living and working experiences on the Island. This is a very exciting new service for Long Island. It is available on Channel 1 only on Verizon FiOS.
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Glen Cove Waterfront Project Hearing
About 100 residents and local leaders showed up to the hearing. Speakers included RXR's Scott Rechler and Matthew Frank, who described the project and its importance. The overall response to the project seemed mostly positive, minus some concerns over the reliability of the environmental components in the DGEIS--especially water quality impacts--and some traffic and density concerns. Vision based its preliminary testimony on the DGEIS released in May 2009. Though the Board of Directors of Vision have not supported the project yet, we are very enthused by its goals of accomplishing a Smart Growth waterfront district in Glen Cove. We encourage residents to read the application thoroughly and ensure that your voices are heard in the development process. CR-58 Update: Suffolk Planning Commission's Response
The Suffolk County Planning Commission recently released some notable documents. A resolution was unanimously passed in early June to write a letter to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, arguing for better design elements. Planning Commissioner David Caldone writes, "While the status quo is untenable, the County's 2003 Smart Growth Policy Plan and other Commission-established planning principles and objectives dictate that any increased automotive capacity must be achieved in a manner that is consistent with public safety and with other multi-modal travel options." Caldone goes on to explain that the desired improvements could be made within the current timetable and for a reasonable cost, effectively debunking the County Executive's claims of safety improvements increasing the project's length by 3-5 years. Furthermore, the Planning Commission is recommending a comprehensive traffic study for CR-58 and surrounding areas, which will account for Riverhead's expected growth in the next 5-10 years. According to the Planning Commission, the County has plans to widen County Road 58, beginning in 2010 with a completion date of 2013. The $55 million project involves reconstruction of a two-lane traffic circle at Roanoke Avenue and would create a four-lane road for the length of Route 58 with a raised or flush center median. A number of additional design features should ideally be undertaken with the road widening. These design features include: sidewalks along the length of the corridor with ADA compliant handicapped access; pedestrian signals and equipment at all signalized locations; frequent bus stops with turn-outs and bus shelters; six-foot shoulders on each side to accommodate bicyclists; additional capacity improvements at intersections where needed; fully coordinated traffic signal system. To read previous Smart Growth News articles on the project, see here and here. |
On Thursday evening, 6/25, Vision attended and gave testimony at the hearing for the RXR Glen Isle Mixed Use Waterfront Development Project in Glen Cove. As designed, the project has the potential to be a great asset to the City of Glen Cove; adding a significant residential component and waterfront recreation to the downtown area can be very helpful for revitalizing the community. The project will include workforce housing, a luxury hotel, spa/conference center, 50,000 square feet of office, and 25,000 square feet of retail. The project fits within the boundaries of the City of Glen Cove's Master Plan that was recently adopted and received a Smart Growth Award this year.
County Road 58 in Riverhead has come under some intense controversy and pressure in the past couple of weeks. Vision Long Island made waves with the County Executive when we rejected the road widening project, which does not include any pedestrian safety components. Vision's Eric Alexander was quoted in the Riverhead News Review: "The proposed roadway section of four travel lanes, one continuous left-turn lane and no shoulders is one that encourages the use of the private automobile while discouraging, if not preventing, all other modes of transportation...Limiting alternate forms of transportation will cause an increase in the volume of automobile traffic on the roadway and further increase congestion." The Riverhead Town handicapped advisory committee and the Suffolk County Planning Commission have similar attitudes. |
The House Transportation Bill Needs Your Help! Call your representative's office today!
With Congress moving quickly on transportation, we must go the extra mile today to make sure that Congress gets the message. Please call your federal representative's office right now. It will make a real difference, and it only takes about one minute:
What will $450 billion in transportation spending achieve? Without over-arching goals and targets -- such as reductions of vehicles miles traveled, CO2, and household transportation costs -- there's no way to be sure billions of dollars in transportation spending will truly deliver clean, affordable and smart transportation. Oberstar's bill includes a lot of what Smart Growth supporters have been pushing for, but as it stands today, it still falls short. We can do better. We can't keep pouring tax dollars into the same flawed transportation system that leaves us stuck without options. Let's tell Congress to make transportation funding smart, clean, and accountable starting TODAY. |
Representative James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, just released the long-anticipated first draft of the Surface Transportation authorization bill to replace the expiring SAFETEA-LU legislation. The bill is a good start, but as it stands today, it leaves out a few things, including something crucial: Clear national performance targets. Adjacent to the Surface Transportation Bill, Congressman Carnahan and others have released the 
Approximately 37 megawatts of solar energy is proposed to be hosted by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), purchased by Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and supplied and developed by BP Solar (BP). This utility-scale solar energy project will provide enough power to sustain more than 4,700 households and avoid carbon dioxide emissions of 34,000 tons per year. The project will be implemented through a power purchase agreement (PPA) between LIPA and BP for a term of 20 years with contracted solar energy deliveries to begin no later than May 1, 2011. BP Solar also plans to work closely with BNL to determine how it could provide solar to assist with the laboratory's energy needs, moving BNL closer towards achieving its renewable energy and energy independence objectives. In addition, as part of the project, it is envisioned that BP and BNL will work collaboratively on research to help solve technological challenges and advance the state of today's solar voltaic technology.|
Rockville Centre Street Fair
The Fair will be on Village Avenue from Lincoln Avenue to South Center Avenue. Free admission! For more info, call 516-766-0666. Native American Pow Wow at Old Bethpage
Children under 6 are free, $8 donation is requested for adults and $4 for seniors. The Pow Wow will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm. Visit their website for more information. |
This Sunday, June 28th from 10am-4pm, the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce presents the 14th Annual Rockville Centre Street Fair. This year will feature an expanded show with high quality, unique arts and crafts displayed under "juried" conditions. In addition there will be activities for children, a car show and a dining area to enjoy your food and entertainment.
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A message from Riverhead Councilwoman Barbara Blass:
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SMART GROWTH NEWS Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications 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: |
