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Vision Long Island Announces 2009 Smart Growth Summit
Vision Long Island is pleased to announce the 2009 Smart Growth Summit, to be held on Friday, November 20th from 8:00-3:00 at the Melville Marriott.
Each year, the Summit brings together a broad range of action-oriented decision-making Long Island leaders from community, civic, and governmental sectors. The Summit includes a morning plenary session, a luncheon, and over a dozen workshops throughout the day. We invite you to participate in the Summit by attending, sponsoring, and submitting your early ideas on themes If you are interested in participating at any level or if you have any questions, feel free to contact our office at any time at 631-261-0242 or by visiting our website at visionlongisland.org. 
A registration form is available online here. We look forward to seeing you on November 20th! Register Today! [ ] Visionary - $15,000 [ ] Leader - $10,000 [ ] Gold Sponsor - $5,000 [ ] Sponsor - $2,000 [ ] Seat(s) at $125 each
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GreenStreet LI
Check out greenstreetli.com for some great tips on green living! 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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GreenStreet LI offers Long Islanders simple (and free) ways to go green. The GreenStreet LI Advisory Group consists of volunteer non-profit organizations hand-selected by Newsday’s Community Affairs department to collaboratively inform and support the responsible launch and development of Newsday’s GreenStreet LI program. Members of the Advisory Group are other Long Island non-profits chosen for their dedication and expertise in local environmental, sustainability and smart growth issues.
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NYSDOT Region 10 Local Safe Streets Program to be Reinstated
Last month, Tri-State filed a Freedom of Information request to see what grant disbursements have occurred, along with implementation and budget reports pertaining to the program. They found that though the program is still on the books, "there have been no solicitations, awards, or even program announcements of its existence since 2006." Despite the loss of $8 million in local safe streets funding, NYSDOT intends to restart the program this fall: "Region 10 will be soliciting funding proposals in the fall of 2009, with local design of selected projects in September 2010 and construction in September 2011. Presumably the process would repeat itself each fall through 2012." They continue: "Unfortunately, however, the funding levels remain at 2006 levels. Considering this program is popular with Long Island towns and villages, Region 10 should, at the very least, replenish the program with the $8 million lost since 2006, in addition to the annual $2.7 million appropriation. Doing so would make up for time lost and further encourage Long Island towns to create safer and more balanced streets." Read more on Tri-State's blog. Senator Schumer Introduces Legislation to Lower LIPA Bills
Newsday concludes, "Fifteen cents of every dollar on LIPA bills goes to service the debt, which LIPA has said won't likely be paid off by 2013, as the authority has previously planned. Schumer said passage of the bill would lower a monthly bill from $150 to around $130." Senator Schumer added in his press release: “The fact that 15% of every Long Island resident’s electric bill goes to pay debt services at LIPA is simply outrageous. With so many publicly owned utilities struggling during these tough economic times, we have to do everything we can to provide some relief to LIPA and the millions of families that are simply trying to make ends meet. With my new legislation, LIPA will be able to refinance their $7 billion of debt and save Long Islanders hundreds on their electric bills.”
This legislation means that LIPA can focus more attention on energy efficiency programs. Study Confirms: Walkability Valued
The study, “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities,” looked at 90,000 homes in 15 different U.S. markets, combining home sales data with Walk Score ratings. In 13 of the 15 areas--including places such as Chicago, Tuscan, and Jacksonville--homes in highly walkable neighborhoods sold for $4,000 to $34,000 more than their less pedestrian-friendly neighbor. The study controls for features such as home size, neighborhood income levels, and access to jobs, which implies that there is more going on than simply people paying more for homes in high-density metropolitan areas. The study "suggests that neighborhood walkability is 'more than just a pleasant amenity' and deserves far more attention from politicians and other urban leaders." Read more at CNN and CEOs for Cities. Vanderbilt Imagines New York as Motopia
Now, what would happen if all those people didn't have the subway? What if all 388,802 individuals drove to work in the morning? Could you imagine? Frumin did: "At best, it would take 167 inbound lanes, or 84 copies of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, to carry what the NYC Subway carries over 22 inbound tracks through 12 tunnels and 2 (partial) bridges. At worst, 200 new copies of 5th Avenue. Somewhere in the middle would be 67 West Side Highways or 76 Brooklyn Bridges. And this neglects the Long Island Railroad, Metro North, NJ Transit, and PATH systems entirely. Of course, at 325 square feet per parking space, all these cars would need over 3.8 square miles of space to park, about 3 times the size of Central Park. At that point, who would want to go to Manhattan anyway?" Despite this unimaginable idea, many decades ago this WAS the vision. At least, the ubiquitous driving part. Many planners, including Ludwig Hilberseimer, had a vision of cities "built for the motor age," which would include huge, easily flowing highway networks that never had traffic, combined with dense clusters of people. The people and the cars would always be separated by level--either with elevated superhighways or with elevated "catwalks" for pedestrians. In modern times, planners would scoff at this idea and rather propose complete streets and mixed-uses. Not to mention how terrible the NY metropolitan area would be without mass transit. Despite a metropolitan transit system that is ridden with budgetary and infrastructure problems, we should consider ourselves lucky that this early vision of "motopia" did not materialize. Read more at Tom Vanderbilt's blog. |
Regional transportation advocates Tri-State Transportation Campaign have been covering the NYSDOT Region 10 Local Safe Streets and Traffic Calming Grant Program, which may or may not still exist. The program began in 2000 and promised $2.7 million a year for pedestrian and bike projects throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It has paid for over 40 projects thus far. However, there has been relative silence on the program since 2006. Tri-State did some digging to uncover the truth on the program and whether it was unceremoniously discontinued. The official NYSDOT word was that the program had not been eliminated, but was "under review."
Each year, Long Island Power Authority customers pay $500 million to service the agency's $7 billion debt, which is primarily due to the decommissioned Shoreham nuclear power plant. On Wednesday, Senator Charles Schumer announced that he is proposing legislation to allow refinancing of the borrowings at lower interest rates, which would cut bills by at least 5% a year. The legislation would extend the Rural Electrification Act to include urban and suburban public utilities such as LIPA. It would decrease the interest rates of federally-backed loans from 4-7% down to about 2%, eliminating annual financing costs from $150 million to $175 million.
According to 
This legislation was urged by leaders of the Fix LIPA Coalition, which formed early this year to denounce the utility's debt-inducing policies and advocate for better planning moving forward, including trying to get a federal bailout for LIPA's debt. In January, Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said, "The debt is crushing Long Island ratepayers. Our money is being used to pay for the foolishness of the past instead of planning for our energy needs of the future." 
A new study on walkability was recently released by a group called CEOs for Cities and, according to CNN, "the results seem to confirm that many urban residents agree with urban guru Jane Jacobs that dense, mixed use neighborhoods are more vibrant and interesting than soulless planned developments or suburban sprawl." 
What would New York look like without transit? Tom Vanderbilt, bestselling author of Traffic, pondered this question in a |
Smithtown Gets Creative on Sewers
The 11 credits would be sold to the Town for $75,000 to $80,000. Payment would be made to the Historical Society over three years. According to Newsday, "If approved by the town board, Smithtown would sell the credits at cost to a developer for workplace housing and revitalization of the town's three downtown areas - Smithtown, Kings Park and St. James." This plan is a win-win for Smithtown: downtowns get additional sewer capacity, and therefore more development and business, and undeveloped land gets preserved as open space. Suffolk County Legislator William Lindsay has proposed limiting the credit transfers only to projects that would "foster smart growth in downtown areas." Read more in Newsday. Leadership Huntington Now Accepting Applications
On Wednesday evening, August 26th, Leadership Huntington hosted a wine tasting and recruitment event. Graduates of the program mingled with potential Class of 2010 members, for a fun opportunity to reflect upon and learn about Leadership Huntington. Downtown Northport's Tasting Room & Wine Cellar generously hosted the event, and donated half of all the proceeds to the Leadership Huntington Foundation. Vision's Eric Alexander, a 1999 graduate of the program, gave some remarks at the gathering: The application deadline for the next class is October 7, 2009. For more information and a link to an application form, visit their website here. Fire Island Ferries Get Federal Funding
The Ocean Beach terminal was created in 1937, and currently has a bad flooding problem. The terminal will be replaced at a cost of $600,000. The Bay Shore terminal will have 540 feet of bulkhead repaired at $250,000. The funds were included in a House bill passed last month. According to Newsday, "The Senate appropriations bill passed committee in July but has yet to come to a full Senate vote." |
The Town of Smithtown, like much of Suffolk County, has limited development capacity due to its lack of sewers. It is difficult to build restaurants or other businesses that require sewers. Now, Smithtown wants to take advantage of a county rule that allows transfers of unused sewer capacity from undeveloped properties. Town planner Frank DeRubeis said that sewer credits can be transferred as long as the seller "sterilizes" the property so it cannot be developer later. Instead of leaving the process to private entities, the Town wants to purchase some sewer credits and hold them until a private entity wants to expand or redevelop, at which point the Town can resell them. Specifically, the Town is working with the Smithtown Historical Society to buy credits for the 5.6 acres of land behind its buildings on Middle Country Road, east of Route 111. Town Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said that the purchase would not cost the taxpayers anything and would loosen up some sewer capacity.
Leadership Huntington is a 9-month program to prepare the leaders of tomorrow. Up to 32 program participants each year get a comprehensive view of the issues facing the community, develop their leadership skills, and get exposed to opportunities for involvement in the community affairs. Leadership Huntington participants are given the opportunity to meet and discuss issues with key community, business, and local government leaders. 
On Monday, August 24th, the U.S. House of Representatives announced the appropriation of $850,000 in federal funding to go toward renovating the Bay Shore and Ocean Beach ferries to Fire Island. The announcement was made by Representative Steve Israel, as well as Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan and Ocean Beach Mayor Joseph Loeffler, Jr. The ferries, which take visitors to Fire Island beaches, are essential to both the tourism industry and to small businesses on both sides of the ferry service.  Come join Long Island's first Permaculture Design Course! Classes Start This October
Permaculture is a comprehensive design science that is reflective of natural patterns and promotes mutually beneficial sustainable relationships. The study of Permaculture focuses on the most efficient and effective harmonious interrelationship of architecture, people, animals, plants, and the environment. Permaculture principles can be applied to any environment, on any scale: from dense urban settlements to individual homes, from farms to entire geographical regions. This course can transform the way you relate to the world around you and the way you perceive problems and find sustainable solutions to apply in the workplace as well as in your daily life. Revitalizing NY Summit on October 7
The event will take place at Proctors Theatre, 432 State Street--a very short walk from the Schenectady Amtrak station. Train discounts are available for those who take the Amtrak to Schenectady. Also, special group rates at particular hotels and early bird registration fees are available. Long Island Fund for Women and Girls Presents: Women Achievers Against The Odds on October 15th
The breakfast will take place at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Networking is from 7:30-8:30, and the program runs from 8:30-10:30. Tickets are $85 each, and after September 30 are $90. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information and to register, click here. Celebration of Suburban Diversity: October 22
The event will take place from 6-10pm at the Sandra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus at Hofstra. |
Empire State Future, a group that works to realize the principles of Smart Growth throughout New York State, is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Revitalizing NY Summit, taking place on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 9am-5pm in Schenectady, NY. This summit is sponsored jointly by Empire State Future and the New York State Department of State, and emphasizes building a new economy and revitalizing New York State through sustainable economic and community development. This Summit is designed for all participants to both learn about and contribute innovations and ideas for actualizing sustainable development in New York State, and to strengthen the connections among those working on this common quest. It is designed for government officials, practitioners of economic and community development, planners, and New Yorkers interested in building a stronger and more sustainable Empire State. 
On Thursday, October 15th, from 7:30-10:30am, the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls presents their 15th annual Women Achievers Against the Odds Awards Breakfast. At the breakfast, the Fund invites and honors special Long Island women who have achieved against the odds professionally and/or personally, as well as girls who have excelled in educational areas such as the Sciences, Sports, Performing Arts or Technology. In addition, they will highlight and present this year's grant program recipients. The program also introduces this year's Commemorative Tribute to Women Journal. This year's honorees include: Maria Grasso of Flushing Savings Bank, Dr. Gerry House of Institute for Student Achievement, Lorelei McGlynn of Henry Schein, Inc., Suzy Sonenberg of Long Island Community Foundation, and high school students Lisa Rifkind and Lucely Sanchez. 
Save the date! On October 22nd, the Celebration of Suburban Diversity 2009 Committee and the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University present the Celebration of Suburban Diversity, an inspiring evening in conjunction with Hofstra's major international conference: The Diverse Suburb: History, Politics, and Prospect." 
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Seafood, Craft, and Music Festival at LI Maritime Museum in West Sayville
The festival runs on Saturday and Sunday: gates are 10am-6pm and live music runs from 11am-7pm. The museum is located at 86 West Avenue in West Sayville. Admission is $5 and all proceeds fund museum operations. No pets allowed! Go here for more information and to purchase tickets. Annual Summer Gem and Mineral Show in Freeport
The event is at the Freeport Recreation Center, 130 E. Merrick Road. Come by on Saturday 8/29 or Sunday 8/30 from 10am-5pm. There is an admission fee of $5 for adults, and children under 12 are free with an adult. Guide to Recreational Bike Routes Bicycles are a great alternative to cars, especially in the warm summer months when you want to be outside! Though Vision encourages planning communities for bike use, our preexisting suburban fabric can make it difficult to run errands or go to work on two wheels. This week, we're bringing you a list of bike trails throughout Long Island, which will help you with the recreational side of biking. This list primarily comes from WBAB's Guide to Long Island Bike Trails, as well as trails.com.
Summer Concert Special: Get outside this summer! Check out this list of some other exciting local outdoor summer concerts, bring your friends and family, and have fun:
Farmers Markets Running All Summer If you're looking for a way to stimulate your local economy while getting fresh food and enjoying your local downtown area, check out a farmers market near you! Here are a few that are centered in downtowns:
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This weekend, come to the 18th Annual Long Island Maritime Museum's Seafood, Craft, and Music Festival in West Sayville! The festival features family entertainment, maritime exhibits, craft vendors, a home show, green lifestyle exhibits, Sea Shanty Stage Maritime Music, Kings of the Coast Swashbuckling Show, Savory Seafood, and Beer and Wine Gardens. Live Music acts include nationally acclaimed LI singer/songwriter and Vision staff favorite Ryan Star, hit band Vertical Horizon, Nine Days' vocalist John Hampson, Antigone Rising, Movin' Out Band featuring Billy Joel's touring band members and Wade Preston, and many more. Click 
This weekend, come explore Freeport's Annual Summer Gem and Mineral Show for a unique Long Island experience. Dealers will be selling and showing gems, minerals, jewelry, fossils, and beads, and a goldsmith will be on hand to set stones and do repairs. Why visit a mall and pay high prices when you can get gems and minerals from around the world, or hand-crafted jewelry directly from the artist? You can buy rare fossils millions of years old and see meteorites from other worlds! 
Bethpage Multiuse Path. This paved route runs the length of Bethpage Parkway, starting at Bethpage State Park, cuts through Massapequa Preserve to Merrick Road. Good for beginners. Pick up the marked route anywhere off the parkway or at the picnic area parking lot. 
Cathedral Pines County Park. This mostly flat, wooded, single-track, off-road route has several optional hill climbs. Trail accommodates all levels, although the hill climbs are designated for more experienced riders. A Suffolk County Green Key card is required and there is a parking fee on weekends during the summer. |
"Why do we lay out subdivisions that make it impossible for a ten-year old to walk to a store for a Popsicle or a loaf of bread? Why are streets and land uses in postwar suburbs arranged so that everyone has to have a car to reach even the most routine daily destinations? Wouldn't it be better if everyday necessities were easy to reach and if the streets and sidewalks were designed as convivial places for meeting friends and neighbors?"-- Philip Langdon, New Development, Traditional Patterns |
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: |
