6th Annual Smart Growth Summit Coming November 16th - Register Today!

Join Vision Long Island for the 6th Annual Smart Growth Summit to be held on Friday, November 16th from 8:00am to 3:00pm at the Melville Marriott. This comprehensive land-use conference brings Long Island's leaders and experts together to address issues of Smart Growth and Livability.

Workshop topics include: Transportation & Congestion Pricing, Clean Energy & Green Building, Sewers & Infrastructure, Codes & Regulations, Commercial Corridor Redevelopment, Community Planning & Public Process, Regional Planning, Housing & Gentrification, Downtown Revitalization, and Projects of Regional Significance.

Sponsorships are available. Register today! Click here for the full brochure about the event or here for the registration form.

Rocky Point Visioning Under Way This Week

A public participation workshop, sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven and the Rocky Point Civic Association, will work on revitalizing the downtown business district. The visioning process is expected to result in conceptual plans and renderings that will guide redevelopment. Importantly, all stakeholders will be involved and will work together with civic leaders, Town officials, local businesses, residents, and the community at large. The event is being held this week. The first session took place on Wednesday evening, October 10th at the Rocky Point VFW Hall.

A rainy autumn night didn’t deter the throngs of people coming to the opening session; a line of people streamed out the door of the VFW Hall and soon grew into a standing room only audience. In addition to the packed house of business leaders and residents, several elected officials made an appearance at the meeting and spoke on the importance of the visioning process. Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley, Legislator Dan Losquadro, and Councilman Kevin McCarrick spoke in support of the project and its process, emphasizing the potential for existing and new partnerships to improve the quality of life in Rocky Point.

Rocky Point Civic Association President Diane Burke opened the meeting with a warm welcome and handed it off to Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island, who began with a presentation on the downtown area, past projects, and future possibilities. Alex Latham, Principal of ADL III Architecture, presented on the technical design aspects of downtown revitalization and provided examples of downtown revitalizations with successful implementation of Smart Codes and Master Plans. Following these introductory slide shows, the community offered their “Hopes and Horrors” for their downtown. A colorful board of drawings and wishes, made by the local Girl Scout troop suggested their own hopes, such as an ice cream parlor, puppy store, park, bookstore, and movie theatre. Adults from the community echoed some of the younger generations’ hopes, such as much needed downtown housing, a community center, bus shelters, and many other places and amenities that would create a renewed sense of place. The town produced pages of hopes to draw from and only a small number of horrors, such as the need for proper sewage treatment, parking, and the present neglect of several existing properties downtown. From these hopes and horrors, the community voted on locations that they would like to see preserved and those that they would like to change to achieve their vision.

Using the feedback from the community's meeting on Wednesday night, the next step in the Rocky Point visioning process is to translate this into design. Saturday, October 13 is the Rocky Point design workshop, from 9:30 am to 3:00pm, There, the community will be given the tools and paths to put their ideas onto paper and further into action and implementation. For more information, click here for the flyer.

Be sure to visit Vision Long Island's new YouTube channel on the web to view exclusive clips from Wednesday's opening session.

Click here to see comments from Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley, Councilman Kevin McCarrick, Councilman Dan Losquadro, and civic and community leaders from Rocky Point.

Clean Energy Task Force meets In Farmingdale

The Clean Energy Leadership Task Force held a meeting at the Farmingdale offices of the Neighborhood Network in Farmingdale, which organizes and facilitates the group. The mission of the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force is to work in a unique collaboration between environmentalists and municipal officials to get local government to lead by example on energy issues by renovating government buildings with energy efficient improvements, converting vehicle fleets to alternative fuels, and adopting policies that reduce energy consumption. Most of Long Island’s towns and the two counties are members of the Task Force and were represented by the more than 60 government officials that were present at the meeting.

Speakers included Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley who has introduced a bill to set efficiency standards for lighting. Todd Stebbins, the Director of the Suffolk County Office of Energy handed out a new Executive Order (10-2007) signed by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, which mandates that only energy efficient lighting (such as compact fluorescent bulbs) shall be used in government buildings starting in January. Assemblyman Robert Sweeney discussed his efforts to convince Governor Spitzer to eliminate bottled water from State buildings. The Neighborhood Network announced a new public education campaign to discourage use of bottled water because it wastes energy, water, and money while also increasing the waste stream since most bottles are discarded rather than recycled. Steve Jones from the Suffolk County Water Authority explained that the standards for the safety water are much higher for tap water than for what is bottled and sold in stores.

A regular feature of the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force meetings is to do a “municipal spotlight” where one municipality provides a detailed presentation on their clean energy efforts. Brad Tito, the deputy director of Energy Coordination, presented a comprehensive review of Nassau County’s Clean Energy Action Plan, a copy of which is posted on the Neighborhood Network's website. Another regular meeting feature is to cover one energy technology, at this meeting Solar Thermal water and space heating were reviewed by Ron Kamen of EathKind Energy.

Program Director Beth Fiteni reviewed a draft of a report called: “Leading the Way; Long Island’s Local Governments Implementing Clean Energy Solutions,” which will be released shortly, and which details the clean energy initiatives of all of L.I’s towns and two counties. “People will be surprised to learn how many energy initiatives are underway at the local level,” said Ms Fiteni.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

· Greater Long Island Clean Cities- “Advancing the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Choice Conference,”
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at the Huntington Hilton from 8:30am -3:30pm.
· Green Building International Conference and Expo, Chicago, November 7-9, 2007.
See www.greenbuildexpo.org for more information.

New York Times Covers Transit-Oriented Development

The New York Times published an article, by Real Estate writer Valerie Cotsales, this weekend on transit-oriented development in the region. It specifically talked about projects on Long Island in Mineola and Valley Stream. An excerpt from the story is below.

"In addition to communities like Great Neck and Long Beach, which have long had housing near the Long Island Rail Road station, towns and villages in both Nassau and Suffolk County have found that building homes near the train is central to reinvigorating struggling downtown business districts where many of the stations are situated.

There are plans or completed condos within walking distance of train stations in Freeport, Patchogue, Riverhead and Islip, among others. Many projects include shops to serve the new residents. The village of Mineola, the Nassau County seat, has started implementing a master plan “almost exclusively centered on building residential down by the train station,” according to the mayor, Jack Martins.

Village officials seek to attract proposals for new condominiums near the train station by granting additional floors, and therefore more apartments, to developers. The mayor also expressed the belief that the higher density would keep prices for the new units low.

...A recent meeting on the subject at Hofstra University drew planning and housing organizations, transportation advocates and representatives of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Some participants said the MTA should be leading the effort to build more residential development near trains. “We’re calling on the MTA to create a formal transit-oriented development program" providing both financial incentives and technical assistance, said Kate Slevin of the nonprofit Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

But Ernest Tollerson, director of policy and media relations for the transit authority, countered that such plans were premature, because transit-oriented development is “at an embryonic stage.”

The Long Island Rail Road president, Helena Williams, said one obstacle the authority might face is that most of the land underneath and around stations on Long Island is leased to the railroad by villages and towns and is thus under their strict control.

“You have to find communities that want transit-oriented development,” Ms. Williams said. “It’s not something that the MtA can impose upon a community.”

Another criticism aired at the meeting: of the recent development near transit sites, the housing is more in the luxury than the affordable category.

“Where we have seen it happening, it has been happening as market-rate development, not affordable housing,” said Suzy Sonenberg, the executive director of Long Island Community Foundation, a part of the New York Community Trust, which helped Hofstra organize the conference. “We try to promote a mix, so that people who need to live near transit centers can afford to live near transit centers.”

Diana Weir, executive vice president of the Long Island Housing Partnership, mentioned that to offset the costs of “smart growth” developments like those near train stations, there was some help to be had from a $25 million state bond floated in May. Ms. Weir’s group administers those funds."

To read the full article in the New York Times by Valerie Cotsales, click here.

Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize For Work on Global Climate Change

On October 12, 2007, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to former Vice President Al Gore and to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for its work to alert the world to the threat of global warming. According to New York Times coverage of this momentous honor, Rajendra K. Pachauri, an Indian scientist who leads the United Nations committee, “the award is a vindication of science over the skeptics on global warming.”

“The message that it sends is that the Nobel Prize committee realized the value of knowledge in tackling the problem of climate change and the fact that the I.P.C.C. has an established record of producing knowledge and an impartial and objective assessment of climate change.”

Whether or not the award is a direct criticism of the Bush Administration’s stance or lack thereof on global warming, is not, according to the Nobel Prize committee, the point. Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ole Danbolt Mjoes, stated that “it is an appeal to the entire world to unite against the threat of global warming,” and a message of encouragement to those working to educate the global population. And in the absence of current and potential political leaders hammering in the message of environmental responsibility, it is more important than ever to reward those who do. Mr. Gore’s efforts to alert the public has brought about the film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” increased public awareness and intensified grassroots action around the nation. This includes a growing awareness and appreciation for Smart Growth principles that directly relate to every aspect of sustainability: social, economic and environmental responsibility. Cooling the climate and our planet means walking which requires more walkable communities, better mass transit, alternative energy initiatives and an end to sprawl.

Development and climate change go hand in hand; key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. Gore’s award is a sign of encouragement for all of us to continue our battle against sprawl so that there will never be a “Dumb Growth” award again.

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Upcoming Events

AIA Peconic To Hold Public Event on The Future of the East End

The AIA Peconic Chapter is holding a public event on Friday, October 12th and Saturday, October 13th from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. Entitled "The Future of the East End:" Sprawl/The Public Realm/The Spirit of the Place, this two-day symposium will be held at Chancellors Hall at the SUNY Stony Brook campus in Southampton.

Highlights of the event include a presentation by guest speaker Bill Reed AIA, founding member of LEED and Regenesis as well as a guided tour of Hubbard County Park by Assemblyman Englebright. There will also be presentations by Lance Brown, FAIA - Architecture and Urban Design, Scott Carlin, LIU Professor of Environmental Science, and Dr. Martin Schoonen, Interim Dean of Stony Brook Southampton. Presentation topics include: Five Towns Rapid Transit proposal & Sustainable East End Development Strategies study, RELI, East End Municipal planning studies, A New Town Hall and Urban Design for Riverhead, a visionary multi-family/hamlet project by Maziar Behrooz AIA, in addition to panel discussions and audience participation. Eric Alexander, of Vision Long Island, will provide a regional update on Smart Growth.

Admission to this event is $30 on Friday and $45 on Saturday. There will be four continuing education credits available each day for an additional fee of $75 each day. Advance registration is required.

For more information, please visit the AIA Peconic's website at: www.aiapeconic.org, or by calling 631-728-7832 to make a reservation and to obtain additional information. You can also view the flyer here.

Nassau-Suffolk Coalition For the Homeless Presents "An Island United to End Homelessness" On October 12th

The Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless's 19th Annual Conference, "An Island United to End Homelessness," will be held on Friday, October 12th at the Touro Law School in Central Islip from 8:00am to 3:45pm. The conference is devoted to the issue of homelessness. Providers of housing and services, the business/banking community, community leaders, grassroots organizations, homeless persons, and other concerned persons are invited to join us at this important event. This conference encourages collaborations and information sharing aimed at reducing homelessness on Long Island.

Click here for the registration form.

Sierra Club To Hold Seminar on Schools Choosing Renewable Alternatives

As part of their mission statement to "Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources, " The Sierra Club is putting together a seminar entitled, "Schools choosing Renewable Alternatives." The purpose of this seminar is to inform the community about renewable energy and cost-saving solutions that are affordable options to school districts with no impact to the taxpayer.

In an effort to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and in the interest of teaching the next generation social and environmental responsibility, the public is invited to attend this important event. It will be held on Wednesday, October 24th, at 7:30pm at Babylon Town Hall (200 East Sunrise Hwy. in Lindenhurst).

Topics to be discussed will include how energy performance assessments of schools can help reduce energy consumption and how installing renewable energy can reduce energy bills while helping to reduce the cost of operating a school district thereby, reducing the tax burden to the taxpayers.

Speak to the experts who work in the industry and have helped schools save millions of dollars in energy and operational costs. How is this accomplished? By conducing energy audits of building operations - electrical, lighting, heating, cooling, security, fire and life safety - while guaranteeing savings which school districts can then use to finance renewable energy installations and improvements to facilities.

Speak to the Carle Place School District Facilities Director who has implemented an energy assessment program in his school.

RSVP is respectfully requested to 516-826-0801 or http://newyork.sierraclub.org/longisland.

Hofstra University To Host "Safer Homes, More LIvable Communities: Design Strategies for Aging In Place" Conference

Hofstra University's School of Education and Allied Human Services, Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation - Gerontology Center will be holding a conference, Safer Homes, More Livable Communities: Design Strategies for Aging in Place, on Thursday, October 25th from 8:00am to 1:00pm at the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center. The conference is designed for professionals concerned with making homes and communities safer for older people, including architects, urban planners, interior designers, builders and contractors, geriatric care managers, home heath workers, and geriatric social workers.

Speakers include Howard Foster, director of adult services at the Mid-Island Y JCC and adjunct professor of social work at Adelphi University; Elissa Friedman, assistant director of adult services at the Mid-Island Y JCC; Edward M. Hennessey, Suffolk County Executive’s Office for the Aging; Joseph D. Monticciolo, regional administrator/regional housing commissioner for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Region II, New York (1981-88); Michael O’Neal, former Minneapolis Empowerment Zoning Executive Board; Ron Stein, Vision Long Island; and William Stoner, Associate State Director, AARP.

Register before October 10th to Martin Blum. Click here for the flyer and registration form.

It Takes a Village: Intergenerational Programs That Work Conference

Whether in the workplace or the community in general, relationships among different generations are more important today than ever before. As life expectancies continue to rise dramatically, generations depend on one another for much longer periods of time. Not only are middle-aged individuals providing shelter, food, clothing and education for those under 25, many of these same families are also caring for and providing support for relatives over age 75.

While many young people are leaving Long Island in pursuit of affordable housing elsewhere, many older people are leaving for southern retirement communities or choosing to remain on the island, but moving into age-restricted communities. The unfortunate result is a separation of the generations. These circumstances pose real challenges to the normal balance, and urgently call for new and creative ways to encourage generational groups to communicate with one another, care for one another, and support public policies that don't divide them by age.

It Takes a Village: Intergenerational Strategies That Work is designed to bring together Long Island's community organizations and its business community to create effective intergenerational programs and promote public policy that meets the needs of all generations. The conference takes place on Monday, November 12, 2007 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University. Click here for a registration form, or visit Intergenerational Strategies' website here.

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For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.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