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By this time, you’ve no doubt heard of NIMBYs—people who subscribe to the Not in My Backyard philosophy. But how about BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone)? Or CAVE, for Citizens Against Virtually Everything?
For the longest time, any of those terms could be slapped onto the collective identity of Long Islanders, whose parochial interests quickly downed or dismantled plans that would dare threaten to bring higher-density, mixed-use developments, transportation that didn’t come with four wheels or, good heavens, sewers. Never mind the positive effects on the economy, the environment, or the lifestyles of average folks—especially young professionals and retired seniors.
These days, though, a good number of municipalities have begun to recognize the need for these elements in their communities, as well as the need to reduce energy consumption. Here are some of the more prominent projects in the works courtesy, in large part, to Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island, a smart-growth advocacy group.
Town of Brookhaven, Tallgrass Village
The Tallgrass proposal calls for the conversion of 321 acres into a mixed-use development that will include 125,000 square feet of commercial space, 352 residential units, a 1½-acre village green, and about 18 acres of ballfields. The Brookhaven town board’s approval is hailed by some as the most significant land-use decisions in the town over the last 20 years. The project will include a 20 percent–affordable housing component and a 45,000-square-foot limit on the size of retail outlets, preventing so-called “big-box” stores from locating in the development, thereby curbing the eastward expansion of sprawl in Suffolk County. The proposal is a hard-fought compromise that saw reductions in the number of retail spaces, houses, and the number of schoolchildren that would come along.
Sustainability advocates also note that Brookhaven has seen advances in community coordination for parks and open space and “visioning” projects to support the local hamlet center. The town also gets high marks for passing a clean-energy action plan and an Energy Star initiative, requiring developers to include high-efficiency appliances in new-home construction, as well as setting aside a percentage of units for affordable housing in return for increased housing density.
Town of Islip, Heartland Town Center
Developer Gerald Wolkoff wants to build a 460-acre mini city on the old Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center site; it would include 9,000 apartments and more than a half-million square feet of retail and office space. Town of Islip officials are concerned about the increase in traffic and sewage the development will generate, but Wolkoff says it’ll be half as much as the technical guidelines predict. Wolkoff and town officials have agreed to study the levels and their impact on the surrounding area as the project progresses.
Among its other sustainability pros, Islip has aggressive economic development and planning support for local downtowns, and it generates the most affordable housing of any town on Long Island.
City of Glen Cove, Glen Isle
Glen Isle Development Co.’s proposal to replace a 52-acre superfund site in Glen Cove with 860 condominiums, a luxury hotel, office space, retail shops, and restaurants has gotten a mixed reception, with some officials concerned about its size and lack of infrastructure and others applauding it as an inviting mixed-use waterfront community with great cultural amenities and a host of transportation options. Advocates say the project would complement Glen Cove’s existing downtown.
Town of Hempstead, Lighthouse Project
The Lighthouse, proposed for Nassau County’s Hub, calls for a redo of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, as well as residential, retail, sports and entertainment development, conference centers, hotels, and office space. Developers Scott Rechler and Charles Wang initially wanted to build a skyscraper as the the project’s centerpiece, resembling—you guessed it—a lighthouse, but that idea was quickly shot down. Of note, there are no plans for a direct connection to existing public transportation infrastructure or the creation of light rail to reduce traffic. There are, however, proposals for trolley service to alleviate some of the traffic congestion that will arise during peak travel times.
Town of Riverhead, Apollo Project
Another already-scaled-down project, Apollo Real Estate plans to revitalize downtown Riverhead, building condos above retail space on the waterfront, an esplanade that will run underneath a bridge connecting them to the park, architecturally hidden parking structures, and a straightening out of Roanoke and Peconic Avenues to ease the flow of traffic. There will be a 500-foot-long walkway connecting Main Street to the water, a village green for events, a 65,000-square-foot ground-floor with specialty food stores and cafes, a 12-screen multiplex theater, a hotel, a park, 30,000 square feet of waterfront retail space, and 160 units of residential development in three- to four-story buildings.
Elsewhere on Long Island
Also in the mix are a nine-story condominium project in Mineola called the Winston, which will have 285 market-rate condos and will include the renovation of an adjacent office building; a proposal in the Village of Islandia that includes an eight-story condominium, a seven-story hotel, retail shops, and restaurants; and another mixed-use project in the Village of Patchogue, which calls for a nine-story mixed-use building that could include a hotel on the top six or seven floors. The project would replace the old Sweezey’s department store.
From a clean-energy standpoint, the past year has seen promising action on the part of municipalities, according to a recent report by the Neighborhood Network, an environmental research and advocacy group. In “Leading the Way,” the organization details efforts by the 10 towns and two counties to combat global warming. The report states the vast number of municipalities have upgraded their building to be more energy efficient, are investing in alternative fuels, and have dedicated staff to clean-energy initiatives. However, the report states that only nine of 15 municipalities have adopted clean-energy action plans and only six towns have adopted Energy Star–code requirements for new-home construction.
Neil Lewis, the longtime executive director of Neighborhood Network, says he’s come to believe that government mandates are necessary to improve the effects of energy consumption, and municipalities seem to be responding better than businesses do, anyway. It’s encouraging, he said, that a tipping point toward clean energy is nearing, in part thanks to a general awareness of environmental issues and more enthusiasm by younger people.
Then there’s the Long Island Power Authority’s near-billion-dollar energy-efficiency initiative, the details of which were not available at deadline. LIPA Chief Kevin Law acknowledged such a program was in the works at a meeting of the Energeia Partnership, a regional stewardship group (full disclosure: this writer is a member), but he said we’d have to “wait and see” for the full story.
Being Smart has its Rewards
As the drumbeat for sustainability grows louder, one of its tenets is getting more and more attention. Smart growth—in large part defined as “development that creates a community dynamic for all ages and income levels through mixed-use real-estate projects and a strong transportation system”—is becoming a modern rallying cry against suburban sprawl.
And chief among the groups promoting smart growth is the advocacy and planning group Vision Long Island. While it’s taken a long time for the idea of smart growth to gain traction on Long Island, with the status quo often winning out, it’s taken hold in recent years as research from the Long Island Index has shown a greater public interest in a downtown lifestyle.
Since 2002, Vision Long Island has sought to prod the movement along with its Smart Growth Awards, which honor people, policies, and projects across Long Island that the organization believes have advanced smart-growth principles.
The idea, says executive director Eric Alexander, is to inspire regional power players with a say in real-estate development¬¬—from local villages and towns with zoning jurisdiction, to residential and commercial developers, to civic associations, to politicians on larger stages—to back mixed-use projects that Long Islanders have long shied away from.
The awards, to be handed out June 12 at the Crest Hollow Country Club, in Woodbury, are judged by past awardees and modeled after a similar program done by a nonprofit called New Jersey Future. Smart Growth Award categories include regional leadership, sustainable development, preserving open space, clean energy, and green building; they encourage community participation in development decisions.
Among this year’s front-runners are participants in plans for a nine-story condominium project in Mineola called the Winston, which will have 285 market-rate condos and will include the renovation of an adjacent office building; those involved in a downtown-esque proposal in the Village of Islandia, which includes an eight-story condominium, a seven-story hotel, retail shops, and restaurants; and another mixed-use project in the Village of Patchogue, one of the more progressive smart-growth-friendly municipalities, which calls for a nine-story mixed-use building that could include a hotel on the top six or seven floors, according to Long Island Business News. The project would replace the old Sweezey’s department store.
Alexander said he’s encouraged about the future of smart growth on Long Island thanks to a spike in the number of projects that are either being built, have been approved, are in planning stage or in the “visioning” stage. He’s also seen a greater “desire on the part of municipal officials to have a little more courage” in supporting smart-growth projects.
For more information visit www.visonlongisland.org
Josh, Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 10:55 PMLike so many Long Islanders, I am a transplant from NYC who commutes to Patchogue from his job in Manhattan rather than to live in the outer boroughs of NYC where there are smothering high rise buildings, congestion of people and cars, noise pollution and air pollution. The proposed construction of a 102 ft. tall hotel at Main Street & N. Ocean Avenue in Patchogue Village would create nothing short of an assault on the senses. The various towns and villages that dot the South Shore along Montauk Highway have their appeal in that they invoke a sense of quaintness and tranquility. Buildings taller than 35 feet are definitely out of scale with the character of this region. Tall buildings are obtrusive as well as cold and impersonal. They veil the sky and distant landscape. They block daylight and sunlight. They lack aesthetic appeal except, perhaps, when viewed from afar. (According to the publicized artist's rendering, the street scene resembles that in a picture of Manhattan, and the subject proposed hotel complex looks imposing and reminds me of a hospital.) Tall buildings dwarf the pedestrian both physically and spiritually. The visage of streets bounded by walls of buildings is no more appealing than that from inside an imagined giant maze. I imagine that many Long Islanders share the sensitivities about which I speak, but many people don't appreciate what they have until it is taken away. Perhaps I should state my objection more plainly. The plan for construction of a 102 ft. tall hotel must be scrapped! It is precisely this kind of so called "development" prevalent in NYC's outer boroughs from which first generation Long Islanders had run away! The plan must be downscaled to accommodate a maximum height of 35 feet. Simply put, there is absolutely nothing appealing about facing a wall. And the perception of a wall would, essentially, equate to the psychological effect on pedestrians who are within close proximity to such a tall structure. The structure would disgrace Main Street. It would destroy the area's small town ambiance. The building would create an oppressive walled-in effect and reduce skylight on the street. It would also give undeserved momentum to future high-rise development in the area. Ultimately, the end result are all of the undesirable aspects of a city experience -- the overcrowding of people, traffic congestion, street crime, metered street parking due to the unavailability of open parking spaces, dirty streets, noisy streets, gloomy shadowed streets, soot and other air pollution. I know well what I speak of because I have lived in NYC. Tourists who visit Long Island do so for reasons other than to experience a "city" ambiance. Clearly, Patchogue Village cannot compete with large cities such as Manhattan with regard to their cultural amenities and should not attempt to do so. However, Patchogue Village and the surrounding region have their own unique appeal, and Patchogue Village should build upon these strengths. There is a rustic charm to the stretch of landscape through which Montauk Highway winds, and it is the quaintness of the small towns and villages along its path that is their unique appeal. Not too very long ago, Queens County was largely farmland interspersed with small towns and villages. The so called "development" of this borough of NYC in the name of "progress" and "growth" has resulted in what we now see as, for the most part, wall to wall apartment buildings and commercial buildings six stories and taller, population overcrowding, vehicle congestion, noise pollution as well as air particulate pollution. Long Island's present population was largely due to the transplantation of people from NYC's boroughs such as Queens, which had begun in earnest some 40 years ago. These "transplants" chose to sacrifice their borough's close proximity to Manhattan's cultural amenities and, for many, their easy commute to work for Long Island's open space, fresh air and serenity. However, these very qualities for which Long Island is noted are rapidly being eroded away due to overdevelopment. The appeal of Eastern Long Island are all of the things that cities cannot offer and is the reason city folk visit. Isn't prudent for Patchogue Village to build upon these assets for the benefit of its residents and visitors? Nearby Sayville and Bellport are model towns which Patchogue Village should emulate, not the disgraced (dare I say ugly) Queens, Hempstead Village, Rockville Center or Mineola! There would be no incentive for residents from those western areas to visit Patchogue Village if it is perceived as just more of the same thing. Furthermore, the belief that the proposed hotel will attract visitors to the area (and bolster the area's economy) is unrealistic and naive. The appeal of Eastern Suffolk County, albeit a positive one, still does not warrant the expense and fuss associated with a hotel or motel overnight stay (with the exception of far Eastern Suffolk). The overwhelming majority of tourists are one-day travelers from western regions who visit on pleasant spring/summer/fall days. Those who visit Long Island for business purposes would likely select hotels within close proximity to major thoroughfares such as the Long Island Expressway, not in extreme South Shore and North Shore locations. Even if the appeal of Patchogue Village might someday justify an overnight stay (unlikely as it would seem), the Village's appeal would not be due to the presence of the proposed hotel. As for the present Patchogue Village, to construct a hotel and hope for visitors to fill its rooms is preposterous. Is it job promotions, political quid pro quo, personal wealth or ego that is driving this proposal? Those well salaried Tritec architects plan their destruction of Patchogue Village, collect their profits and then run away -- to their homes which are undoubtedly located in secluded areas where people are few, the air is fresh and the sky is open. While Patchogue officials should be commended for noticeable improvements in the area, construction of the subject proposed hotel would not be one of them. Similarly, while the newly erected lampposts and new curbs along N. Ocean Avenue do add polish to the area, there are too many of the lampposts. The beautiful, grand, aged trees that lined the curbs on each side of N. Ocean Avenue were uprooted. The street now reminds me of an airport landing strip! (Fewer lampposts and the presence of trees would have been much more pleasing to the eye.) Along Main Street what is simply needed is a restoration of all the facades of the buildings. The store fronts should have large windows. An occasional bench should be installed and more trees should be planted. I applaud the installation of flower beds and overhangs. More of such would provide the finishing touches to grace Main Street. Artists' lofts are a great idea so long as they are low-rise. Future housing, including affordable housing, should also be low-rise. Such would make this village a positive memorable experience, not a grotesque 102 ft. tall building! And this would be accomplished with minimal cost and disruption. Construction of a 102 ft. hotel is going in the wrong direction to achieve a revitalization of this area. Those in favor of such a building seem to envision a "concrete city" congested with people and automobiles, which nobody wants and from which Long Islander's had run away. They should think New Hope, Pennsylvania instead of New York, New York! I have a proposal; let's construct a 102 ft. tall building near the homes of Tritec officials and near the homes of all those who are pushing for this monstrosity. After all, "what's good for the goose...."
Sincerely,
Josh, Patchogue Village
tom, Monday, June 23, 2008 at 04:07 PMJosh
You make some great points here, while I believe development of some kind is inevitable and would certainly help downtown Patchogue I agree that a 10 story hotel is overkill. I hope some of the pols read your post to this story.
