Election Day is a time for new beginnings. We look forward to having a new administration that will address issues of infrastructure, specifically transportation and sewers. President-Elect Barack Obama plans to re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that Smart Growth considerations are taken into account. He wants to restore the strength of the Superfund program by requiring polluters to pay for the cleanup of contaminated sites they created. This administration plans to work with cities so that we make our new and existing buildings more efficient consumers of electricity.

We are hopeful that Long Island's Congressional delegation, which we know is supportive of Smart Growth, will have the ear of the new administration. We are aware that Congressman Steve Israel, a long-time supporter of Smart Growth, and Congressman Tim Bishop are specifically focused on transportation and sewer issues that will lay the groundwork for Smart Growth across Long Island and beyond.

Congratulations to long-standing supporter of President-Elect Barack Obama, John Cooper, who is also a leader in Smart Growth. We look forward to his leadership in connecting with the new administration.

While a lot has been written about this historic election, please see a message from our governor, David Paterson. He articulates New York State's vision in context of the election.

Finally, our old friend and chief advocate of walkable communities, Dan Burden, wrote a very inspiring message that we wanted to share.

Covanta

Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized group that converts municipal solid waste into renewable energy, primarily for communities in the United States. They have converted more than 250 million tons of waste into watts, thus offsetting 250 million tons of greenhouse gases. We thank them for their support.

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.

7th Annual Smart Growth Summit

Less than One Week Away

Register Today!

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
8:00am to 3:00pm
at the Melville Marriott

Please join us for the 2008 Smart Growth Summit. This event represents the culmination of the six previous Summits.  Its format is being enhanced to include improved interaction and profiles of best practices in Smart Growth and land use planning.   For those of you who have attended in the past- you know the inherent value of this event; for folks who have not yet participated- you will not be disappointed. 

The 2008 Smart Growth Summit will focus on an array of workshops that are focused on current Smart Growth projects and emerging policies.  Last year, we had over 700 Long Island leaders as it was literally a "who’s who" of land use and transportation planning for the region.  This year we will have the leaders of the various Towns and Villages as well as a particular focus on State policies that can enable or inhibit Smart Growth planning.  In this difficult market it is necessary to stay on the cutting edge, share experiences as to what is working as well as set goals as to where we need to go as a movement. 

Workshops include:  Affordable Housing in a Changing Market, Global Warming & Clean Energy, Sewers and Infrastructure, Downtown Revitalization, Transit Oriented Development, Taming the Big Box, Regional Planning, and Changing Demographics. Technical Worksessions include: Light Imprint Urbanism, Visioning to Implementation, Land Use, and Transportation Coordination.   In addition, by invitation only, there will be the second annual civic summit and a youth summit that will both be focused on how Long Island can better plan to meet its goals.  Plenary sessions in the morning will focus on Town and Village leadership while the luncheon session will focus on New York State policies, regulations, and legislation.

Schedule Announced

7:45-8:15    REGISTRATION

8:15-9:45    MORNING PLENARY:

“STATE OF THE TOWNS & VILLAGES”
Ron Stein & Eric Alexander: “Smart Growth Agenda for Long Island”
Hon. Phil Cardinale, Supervisor, Town of Riverhead
Hon. Phil Nolan, Supervisor, Town of Islip
Hon. Steve Bellone, Supervisor, Town of Babylon
Hon. Jon Kaiman, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead
Hon. John Venditto, Supervisor, Town of Oyster Bay
Warren Tackenberg, Nassau Village Officials Association
Josh Horton, Suffolk Village Officials Association
Joye Brown, Newsday, Moderator

9:55-11:05  WORKSHOPS I

Affordable Housing in a Changing Market
Shuprotim Bhaumik, Economic Research Associates
Roger Clayman, Long Island Federation of Labor
Peter Elkowitz, LI Housing Partnership
Peter Florey, D&F Development
Marcelle Fischler, New York Times, Moderator

Global Warming & Clean Energy on Long Island     
John Waffenschmidt, Covanta Energy
Gordian Raacke, Renewable Energy LI
Hon. Marc Alessi, Assembly, NYS
Adrian Tuluca, Viridian
Beth Fiteni, Neighborhood Network, Moderator

Sewers & Infrastructure
Hon. Kate Browning, Legislator, Suffolk County
Ron Lupski, Save the Forge River
Charles Bartha, Sidney Bowne
Mike Kelly, Pulte Homes
Bob Scheiner, H2M Group, Moderator

Downtown Revitalization
Dan Deegan, Forchelli Curto Deegan
Andrea Lohneiss, Empire State Development, NYS
Jim Constantine, Looney Ricks Kiss
Dan Livingston, Livingston Development Group
Tom Pellicane, Canvas Magazine, Moderator

Developments of Regional Significance - Suffolk
Gene Murphy, Town of Islip
William Mannix, Town of Islip
James Ptucha, Four Towns Civic Association
David Winzelberg, LI Business News, Moderator

11:10-12:20  WORKSHOPS II

Transportation - Transit Oriented Development
Ernest Tollerson, MTA
Peter Leibowitz, AKRF
John Burke, Vintage Group
Drew Martin, Rocky Point Civic Association
John McNally, Rauch Foundation, Moderator

Taming the Big Box
Raul Cotilla, Loews
Ed Glackin, King Kullen Grocery Co.
Paul Elliot, Prudential Long Island Commercial
Carol Meschkow, Concerned Citizens of Plainview Old Bethpage
Bruce Migatz, Albanese and Albanese, Moderator
 
Changing Demographics: Diversity on Long Island
Hon. Rick Montano, Legislator, Suffolk County
David Lee, Korean American Public Affairs Committee
Mohinder Taneja, Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs
Jorge Martinez, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Tawaun Whitty, Gordon Heights Civic Association, Moderator

Developments of Regional Significance –  Nassau
Scott Rechler, RexCorp – Glen Cove/Lighthouse
Hon. Ralph Suozzi, Mayor, City of Glen Cove
Richard Bivone, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, Moderator

Long Island 2035/LI Sustainability Plan
Gerry Bogacz, NYMTC
Diana Coleman, EOC of Nassau County
Sarah Lansdale, Sustainable Long Island
Michael White, Long Island Regional Planning Council
Ron Stein, Vision Long Island, Moderator

12:30-1:45  LUNCHEON

Hon. Tom Suozzi, County Executive, Nassau
Jim Constantine, Looney Ricks Kiss

Panel: Smart Growth in New York State
Paul Beyer, NYS Director of Smart Growth
Peter Scully, NYS DEC
Peter Fleischer, Empire State Future
John Kominicki, LI Business News, Moderator

1:50-3:00  TECHNICAL SESSIONS

Light Imprint Urbanism, Sustainability
Sal Coco, Beatty Harvey & Associates
David Berg, Cameron Engineering
Alex Latham, ADLIII Architecture

Visioning to Implementation: Getting it Done
Hon. Jack Martins, Mayor, Village of Mineola
Hon. Allan Dorman, Mayor, Village of Islandia
Brenda Prusinowski, Town of Brookhaven
Janice Scherer, Town of Southampton

Land Use & Transportation Coordination
Heather Sporn, NYS DOT
Renee Espiau, Project for Public Spaces
Bob Eschbacher, VHB Eschbacher

Youth Summit – (Coordinated by Dowling College) by invitation only

Civic Summit – by invitation only

*invited

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Islandia moves forward with village center plan, despite objections

The Village of Islandia plans to go forward with its "Main Street Planned Development District." Taking up 12 acres of vacant land on the southeast side of Veterans Highway and Motor Parkway, the project aims for a walkable village center with two large hotels, an 8-story luxury condo building with 150 units, and 80,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, and office space. As commendable as the effort toward walkable, mixed-use development may be here, the project seems a little contradictory. Although the development will focus around a village green, there is little else in the plan that suggests that people will actually want to walk around this area. Perhaps this is why both residents and the Suffolk County Planning Commission came out against the plan. There is fear that the development will be too dense and bring new traffic problems.

The original site plan had called for a 14-story residential high rise building, but residents came out vehemently against the idea. This project led to the election of a new mayor in 2005: Mayor Allan Dorman opposed the high-rise plan, arguing that it would have made Islandia look like Queens. With a new Village limit on building height of 100 feet (about 8 stories), Mayor Dorman and the Village Trustees accepted the developers' new proposal, despite continued objections.

The Islandia Village Board voted unanimously on October 14th in favor of the development, a decision that is powerful enough to override the Suffolk County Planning Commission's disapproval. Site plans and new zoning plans currently exist, but the project still is waiting for final approval from the Village to begin construction.

Vision Long Island worked on the initial redesign of the project with the developer and community representatives. This project is unique as the first mixed-use design in an office-zoned parcel. In addition, we are of the understanding that 10% of the project will contain afforable housing, in accordance to the new state law. We feel this is step toward a Smart Growth success story.

To read more, see Long Island Business News.

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HomeCT program encourages affordable housing in Connecticut

A new initiative by Connecticut, HomeCT, encourages towns to use Smart Growth principles in their developments, particularly focusing on affordable housing through density. The program brings control of projects to the towns, out of the hands of developers. Towns can select sites, set design standards, and oversee construction. The program encourages affordable housing development near transit, retail, and sewer systems--thus providing sustainable communities for people of all income levels.

In Redding, Connecticut, compliance with a mandate that requires a 10 percent affordable housing ratio is not happening, primarily due to 90% of the Town being in a watershed that is inappropriate for higher buildings. (Of course, this is a silly excuse, because you can build affordable housing without vertical density. See the Hope VI program for an example). HomeCT will allow Redding to build residential units on Town-owned land that is 100 percent affordable. The town is excited about this new type of development and has even written it into their draft Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

Oregon Governor unveils new energy agenda

Governor Ted Kulongoski of Oregon has announced his new plan to make Oregon a cleaner, greener place to live. Kulongoski wants zero-emission skyscrapers and green houses, tiny electric cars, a cap and trade system for the industrial sector, a reduction in VMT (vehicle miles traveled) that will incentivize transit, a $5000 tax credit to buy electric cars (as opposed to the $1500 credit to buy hybrids that is now in place), and many other ambitious programs. Scientists say these programs could have a huge effect on carbon emissions, sea levels, weather patterns, and drought conditions. And all this will only cost the state $10 million. 

In a state where a major city has made enormous strides in transit reform, these energy standards will help bring Oregon to the forefront of progressive land-use strategies. Governor Kulongoski's prospects look good in the legislature; last year, he passed a goal for power companies to get 25% of their power from renewable sources by 2025 as well as tax incentives for solar and wind power companies. Those incentives made Oregon the country's leading solar manufacturer.

For more on Governor Kulongoski's plan, see Oregonlive.com.

Pennsylvania Smart Growth News

The Township of Newtown, Pennsylvania has passed a proposal for a huge town center. The 210-acre project will feature 410 housing units, up to 450,000 square feet of retail space, and 75 acres of open space. BPG Development Company estimates the project will cost $500 million. 

It seems to be a trend that developments--even good developments--that are proposed without public participation will face objection. In Newtown, one of the Township Supervisors who voted against the project said that the development is too big for the community of 12,000 that stretches across 10.2 square miles. Supervisor Linda Houldin said, "they're putting a city here."

Here's a lesson that Vision can never stress enough: don't ignore the people when you are making these plans. You will not only face opposition, but you will not be grounded in the reality of your community. 

For more on the Newtown development, see the article on Philly.com.

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Suffolk Community Council seeks Partners in Unity project coordinator

Suffolk Community Council is looking for a part-time coordinator for their Partners in Unity project. Partners in Unity works toward finding an ethical and humane way to deal with the immigration influx to Suffolk County. The group works with the Brentwood day laborers to help them organize and receive services. The project coordinator will act as a liaison between the Brentwood day laborers, the Partners in Unity Committee, and the rest of the community. The position entails planning meetings and informational workshops. The candidate must be able to write and speak in English and Spanish, be a proficient public speaker, be willing to travel locally, possess leadership capabilities, and have strong interpersonal skills. Connections to the Brentwood community is a plus. Salary is $20-$22 per hour depending on experience. Email your resume to Suffolk Community Council, Attention: Judy Pannullo, Executive Director, at info@suffolkcommunitycouncil.org.

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LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and UUC at Shelter Rock Present Populist Forum Featuring David Sirota on November 12th

On Wednesday, November 12th the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock will present a forum on "Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington," featuring writer David Sirota. Sirota is a political journalist, activist, columnist, and a two-time New York Times bestselling author who is widely known for his "tenacious focus on working class economic issues that are often ignored by America's political elites." Come to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, located 48 Shelter Rock Road in Manhasset  at 7:30PM for a dynamic discussion of current events on Wall Street and in Washington and their economic implications for the working class.

The event is co-sponsored by Great Neck SANE/Peace Action, Code Pink LI, LI Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi LI, and the Social Justice Committee of UUCSR. There is a suggested donation of $5. For more information, contact the LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives at 516-741-4360 or longislandpeace.org and UUCSR Shelter Rock Forum at 516-627-6560, ext 122.

Directions: From LIE, exit 35 north (from east) or 36 (from west). North 1-1/2 miles on Shelter Rock Rd. Entrance on left by white fence. From Northern Blvd. Go South 1/2 mile on Shelter Rock Rd.  Entrance on right.

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Post-Election Oil Show

Don't worry, it took us a while to get it too.

LaMantia Gallery at 127 Main Street in Northport is having an oil show (as in art oils) this Saturday and Sunday. Caption reads "A collection of close to 300 original oils by some of the world's most dynamic painters. Come early and take your paintings home on approval!" A brilliant ad campaign, if we do say so ourselves. 

American Girl Fashion Show

Bring your kids to the official American Girl Fashion Show this weekend! This is one of the cutest events we've ever found on Long Island, so if you have kids, you won't want them to miss out. Take a trip through history as you learn about the lives of the American Girls. The show includes snacks and desserts, party favors, raffle prizes, and souvenirs on sale.

At intermission, 12 lucky girls will get the opportunity to be guest models and walk down the runway wearing their own American Girl clothing. Each guest model will get a special American Girl T-Shirt, and the event announcer will tell the crowd all about their interests and life. You must register ahead of time for this opportunity. 

The show will take place at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 240 South Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst. You can walk there from the Lindenhurst train station. Show times are Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 3pm and 7pm, and Sunday at noon, and tickets cost $35. They're selling out, so hurry up and book yours ASAP! Visit the website to purchase tickets and get more information.

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"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours: We are not enemies but friends ... Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." -- Barack Obama, quoting Abraham Lincoln

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SMART GROWTH NEWS

Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Communications Director
Contributors: Juliana Roberts, Planning Coordinator; Eric Alexander, Executive Director;
Katheryn Laible, Assistant Director; Tawaun Whitty, Director of Special Projects; Tara Klein, Planning Assistant

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:
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One Northport, NY 11768. Phone: (631) 261-0242. Fax: (631) 754-4452.
Email: info@visionlongisland.org