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First Smart Growth Bill To Ever Pass Assembly and Senate
"With this legislation, the State takes its first step towards reducing the taxpayer burden and refocusing development to where it costs the least,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. “These smart growth principles will reinforce communities across New York State and make New York more competitive. As a smart growth champion I am proud to be the Assembly sponsor of New York's first smart growth law.”
Albany Round-up SMART GROWTH CABINET
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"This legislation is a great first step in moving our State from suburban sprawl to smart growth. We need to focus state resources on creating livable neighborhoods that protect our open spaces, and reduce the need for cars and their air pollution,” Senator Carl L. Marcellino said. “Without action, our environment and communities are threatened by shortsighted and poorly planned developments.”
The passage of this bill is largely due to the efforts of the Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet. More progress has been made towards Smart Growth since the Cabinet’s inception 6 months ago than in the last 12 years. It has prompted state-wide initiatives on Smart Growth in the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation and many other areas of the State government. According to Vision’s Executive Director, Eric Alexander, the success of the Smart Growth Principles Act illustrates that "with this action and the Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet, we have seen positive progress towards a Smart Growth agenda for New York."
In December 2007, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer established a Smart Growth Cabinet to “review state agency spending and policies to determine how best to discourage sprawl and promote smart land use practices,” according to the press release. The Cabinet will be staffed with high-level policy-makers from agencies that impact growth and development patterns. Mr. Spitzer has stated that “Smart Growth is a bottom-up process that relies on the active participation of the communities involved.” The Cabinet will thus focus on assisting local leaders and residents in assessing what is best for their communities and the best ways to implement Smart Growth projects. With the creation of this Cabinet, Mr. Spitzer has acknowledged the role the State must play in establishing a more sustainable economy that, says Marcia Bystryn, Executive Director of the New York League of Conservation Voters, “protects our natural resources and quality of life.”
Vision Long Island, along with other Long Island leaders, had the opportunity to meet with the Governor following the creation of this Cabinet in the hopes of maintaining an open dialogue for future policies and projects. The Smart Growth Cabinet has since met to outline the progress it is making with specific policies and incentives from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Vision, alongside other organizations including the LI Progressive Coalition, Neighborhood Network, League of Conservation Voters, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, and the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, has formed a Smart Growth Working Group to watch the Cabinet’s progress.
The Smart Growth Principles Act passed in the Assembly with a vote of 136-3 and in the Senate soon after on June 24, 2008. The purpose of the bill is to outline State Smart Growth principles and to direct State infrastructure agencies to implement these principles in funding future policies and programs. The Assembly has recognized the myopia of the State’s history of development leading to the poorly planned urban and suburban sprawl we are currently familiar with. As such, the State has acknowledged its role in encouraging smart development and will now require State agencies to recognize Smart Growth principles when undertaking new projects.
Bill S04369, the State Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Act, has been under debate in the Committee for Environmental Conservation since January 9, 2008. This bill is intended to provide privity in public funding for projects that use, maintain, or improve existing infrastructure and that protect and preserve natural resources. It also establishes the criteria for Smart Growth regarding public infrastructure and authorizes state infrastructure agencies to create their own Smart Growth advisory committees. This bill has passed the Assembly, but has not come up for a vote in the Senate.
On June 5, 2008, the State passed the Long Island Workforce Housing Act, which, according to Elizabeth Moore’s article in Newsday, will “allow real estate developers building five or more homes anywhere in Nassau or Suffolk to increase their building density by 10%” while requiring them to set aside at least 10% for affordable housing. Sponsored by Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), the bill passed in the Senate with a vote of 48-9 and unanimously without debate in the Assembly. Affordable housing is reserved for households earning up to 130% of Long Island’s median income of $88,350/year for a single resident or up to $126,250 for a family of four.
The Downstate Suburban Workforce Act supports a tiered income structure targeted from 80% below median income to 120% above and includes support for the development of rental units, encourages higher density developments, and establishes a one-time payment for planning and developing Housing Opportunity Areas. This act would concentrate on Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, which suffer unique economic growth problems due to the severely high cost of living and a lack of affordable housing to sustain the workforce population. As of February 29, 2008, the bill has been referred to the Housing Committee in the New York State Assembly and to the Education Committee in the Senate.
The Returnable Container Act, or the “Bottle Bill,” is now aimed to include non-carbonated beverage containers. The act requires payment by deposit initiators, generally manufacturers or distributors, of unclaimed deposits to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and provides financial incentives to municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses to enhance container recycling capabilities. The Bottle Bill has been one of New York State’s most successful recycling and anti-litter initiatives, contributing to the decrease in litter and broken glass in public places while also reducing the burden of solid waste disposal shouldered by local governments and taxpayers. This update to the bill to include non-carbonated beverage container will provide an incentive for increased recycling. Meanwhile, by requiring companies to provide unclaimed deposits to the State for deposit into the EPF, the bill also generates new funding for State and local environmental programs. It is estimated that this bill will now result in at least $100 million for deposit into the EPF. The bill passed 91-54 in the Assembly but has not yet passed the Senate.
On June 19, 2008, Gov. David A. Paterson announced an agreement with the Legislature on net metering, which, according to a recent press release, “allows electricity customers with qualified renewable energy systems to sell excess electricity back to their local utility.” The bill is expected to lead to a greater investment by homeowners, farms, and businesses into clean, renewable sources of energy while increasing demand in renewable technologies to attract manufacturers and installers to New York State. This bill will focus specifically on three areas of renewable energy: solar power, wind power, and farm waste. 
An amendment to the Environmental Conservation Law in relation to global warming pollution control has passed in the Assembly by a vote of 124-14, but has not yet passed the Senate. The bill is intended to authorize the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to establish rules and regulations regarding greenhouse gas emissions. It would require emissions to be less than the aggregate level of emissions for 1990, decrease by 2.3 percent by 2015, and be less than 80% of the initial limit by 2050. This legislation hopes to prevent the worst impacts of global warming while providing public involvement and input into the regulatory process in order to prevent undue environmental or economic hardship. Five other states have already adopted similar programs. In the Senate, the bill has been referred to the Committee for Environmental Conservation.
The “Advance New York Energy Cost Reduction Program” is intended to allow certain Industrial Development Agency (IDA)-sponsored projects to create jobs and obtain low-cost electricity, and to allow a tax credit to utilities that furnish low-cost electricity to businesses in these projects. The program will only apply to select businesses that will be required to create a minimum number of jobs and invest a minimum amount in either plant or equipment. It would prohibit distribution until it has been proven that the business has met these requirements. The program will thus provide an incentive to businesses that are making significant capital investments and creating real jobs in New York rather than just simply trying to remain competitive. The bill has been referred to the Energy Committee in the Assembly.
Following the release of our 2007 Blueprint for Smart Growth, Vision partnered with the ESF to take the following actions: implementation of the Smart Growth Executive Order, initiation of agency Smart Growth assessments, passage of legislation such as the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit, the Priority Infrastructure Bill and garnering State funding for strategic and targeted demonstration projects. Vision also launched a Long Island Smart Growth Working Group, which is currently focused on the New York State Department of Transportation and other agency actions. The Working Group also lobbies for specific Smart Growth legislation and served on a transition team to revitalize State-wide Smart Growth actions.
The growing population of people over the ages of 60 has one New York County very concerned. County officials in Westchester have begun assessing the degrees of isolation caused by poorly designed streets and traffic congestion with “walkability surveys.” According to Juli S. Charkes’ article “Finding Solutions, Together,” in the New York Times on June 22nd, the survey is “part of a new county initiative to help understand what older residents need to live independently in their own homes and to get around their neighborhoods.” Mr. Posner, a Westchester resident for 44 years stated, "That’s a metaphor for what America has become: You can’t walk, you have to drive. There’s no such thing as being a pedestrian in Westchester, and for those of us who don’t drive, that’s a problem.”
John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for New Urbanism, appeared live on |
Southampton Unveils Downtown Plan
AntiHamptoms.com Launches
Located on the South Shore of Suffolk County, Long Island just 70 miles from NYC, and accessible via the LIRR Montauk line, it is best known for the incredible county beach, Smith Point, which is home to the Flight 800 Memorial and the ”Gateway to the Fire Island National Seashore. ”People are always asking me why it’s called the AntiHamptons” says Maureen in a press release. “It’s because this place is the polar opposite of the Hamptons. There are no gated McMansions crowding the waterfront. Nobody ‘clubs’ here. There is no ‘scene’. It is quiet, multi-cultural, and family-oriented.” Granted, if the Anti-Hamptons were truly “Long Island’s Best Kept Secret,” there wouldn’t be a website advertising it… |
According to a recent article in Newsday by Mitchell Freedman, the Riverside Town Board believed their neighborhood was neglected and without a downtown center where people could gather and feel a sense of community. In response, a new downtown plan is set to fulfill their desires in spades. Making use of a 52.8-acre site that includes the old Flanders Drive-In and the south side of State Route 24, ADL III Architecture P.C. and Hutton Associates have proposed a plan to zone the area for a variety of new uses, including highway business, light industry, and a 15,000-square-foot residential development. The proposal also calls for the creation of a zoning overlay district that would allow the developer to concentrate homes and businesses inside a 12.74-acre stretch of the site, establishing new streets, open spaces, and an independent sewage treatment system. And, mirroring the urban blocks of New York City, the Town Board has also proposed strict design standards that call for including apartments and offices above the proposed stores in order to create a 24/7 community where people live, work, and shop.
The community reaction to the proposal thus far has been very positive. The design is set to unite Riverside, Flanders, and Northampton, knitting the communities together and invigorating local participation. “This is our first public hearing,” says Supervisor Linda Kabot. “It will not be our last.” Meanwhile, Michael Brewer, representing the Flanders Riverside and Northampton Community Association, says, “We’re 95 percent pleased with this project.” There are some reservations about the plans to introduce more affordable housing into an area where all the homes are already considered affordable, as well as some worries about what an increase in the population might mean for the already-crowded school district. Nonetheless, the Town Board hopes that this project will finally put Riverside on the map.
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Call for Comments: NYS DOT Launches Smart Growth Website
"Governor David Paterson has made smart growth an integral part of government planning, and NYSDOT's new Web site supports this vision by providing useful, practical information to help local decision makers." Vision Long Island endeavored to move NYS DOT Long Island’s office (Region 10) towards Smart Growth transportation policies and design on Long Island. In an attempt to correct years of indifference to Smart Growth and sprawl supportive transportation decisions, Region 10 is turning over a new leaf. Prompted by the Governor and Commissioner Glynn’s initiative, several meetings have been held this year with representatives, engineers and planners from DOT Region 10. Vision is optimistic about working with DOT Region 10 on Smart Growth programs in the future.
Check out the NYSDOT Smart Growth website at: nysdot.gov/smartplanning and please submit comments to our office at info@visionlongisland.org. |
The New York State Department of Transportation recently released their new “Smart Growth-Smart Planning” website, which will provide an introduction to Smart Growth principles, checklists for community planning, and development frameworks. The site is part of New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Glynn's Smart Growth Initiative to align the DOT’s transportation projects with the principles of Smart Growth and sustainable development. According to an article featured on 
"The State Department of Transportation is committed to helping communities better integrate their land use and transportation choices. This new Web site is an important step in that process," Commissioner Glynn said.
On Thursday, July 3rd, come and hear Vision Long Island’s Bert Donley perform at the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce Cruise Night. One of VISION’s Board members, little did we know that Bert is a guitar aficionado! He’ll be playing and hosting from 6:00 – 10:00 pm at 124 South Street in Oyster Bay. No cover, no minimum, but tips will be donated to the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network). Bring your own wine. For further information: 516-922-7002
Job Opening at New Canaan Nature Center in CT
The position requires a creative leader who is passionate about the organization’s vision and mission. The successful candidate will embrace the Nature Center’s distinct nature-based early childhood and education foundation, and believe firmly in its aspiration to become a community leader in the area of sustainability.
To apply, please submit, in confidence, a letter expressing your interest, a statement explaining your qualifications as they relate to the above stated job competencies and skills (no more than three pages), and a current resume to Ben Hren, Executive Director, at bhren@newcanaannature.org (use Microsoft Word formatting). Please visit our website at www.newcanaannature.org. LIPC Seeking Affordable Housing Organizer
The Community Organizer’s primary responsibilities include identifying and building relationships with local leaders, working with the faith-based community, and developing local activists and leaders. The position will also entail organizing and strategizing for campaigns, actions, mobilizations, media coverage, and other activities. Prior experience in community organizing, as a volunteer or employed, is necessary. The position also calls for creative approaches to problem-solving, including analytic, strategic, and planning skills. It requires the ability to travel, including having a reliable car, to work evenings and weekends, and effective public speaking skills. Please send a resume, cover letter and a writing sample to: Erin Curtin, LIPC, 90 Pennsylvania Ave, Massapequa, NY 11758 or fax your materials to: 516-541-2113 or email erin@lipc.org. Services Available: Help Around the House Once a Vision Board Member, Carol Eckert is now a pioneering “handygal” offering her skills and services in home improvement to the greater Huntington Area, Fort Salonga, and Kings Park. “Help around the House” is a cross between “Take Home Handyman” and “Toolbelt Diva.” She offers help completing to-do lists, gardening, redecorating, organizing, home vacation watch, and any other little jobs that you may need help with around the house. For more information on this entrepreneur and her business, check out her website. |
The New Canaan Nature center (NCNC) seeks an Executive Director to lead a dynamic not-for-profit, which manages a 40-acre suburban sanctuary, operates an established environmental education program, and aspires to become a regional community sustainability leader. Established in 1960, NCNC manages the town-owned Susan Dwight Bliss Park, a public open space featuring diverse natural habitats. 
The position calls for an advanced degree and/or relevant work experience in conservation, science, education, and non-profit management, coupled with strong business and management skills. The Executive Director is a strategic thinker, persuasive communicator, and an excellent fundraiser, with the ability to engage the diverse communities of the greater Fairfield County area.
The Long Island Housing Partnership is looking for an experienced community organizer to focus on Affordable Housing in the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Campaign. |
Shop Glen Cove Showcase
St. Rocco Festival
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The Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce will have their 2nd annual “Shop Glen Cove Showcase” on Sunday, June 29th. It will be held at the beautiful and historic Webb Institute from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. The Webb Institute is one of the great Gold Coast Mansions and this event opens its usually closed gates to local businesses and members of the community for an enjoyable afternoon of vendors, entertainment, food, and a cash raffle. To be a vendor at this event, the fee is $100 for Chamber members and $150 for non-members. This will be an outdoor event requiring you to be responsible for bringing your own tables and/or chairs, 4’-6’ table size, but some will be available upon request. In case of rain, the date is set for July 13th. Last year’s event sold out fast and space is limited, so please 
The annual St. Rocco Festival will take place this weekend at Memorial Field at Shore and Audrey Avenues in Oyster Bay. The festival features live music, a casino, rides, and food and runs through Sunday evening. The weather is supposed to be good this weekend, so enjoy what Long Island has to offer! For more information, call 516-922-4488 x1197.
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: |
