Sustainable Long Island
June 2013
Sustainable Long Island Newsletter
The one-stop-shop...
For all Sustainable Long Island news! 
In This Issue
Carbon Footprint Challenge
Citi Foundation Awards SLI Grant
Brownfield Summit
Wyandanch Rising Update
Stawberries on LI
High School Fellowship
Sustainability Simplified
NEWSLETTER SPONSOR
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Board of Directors
Ruth Negrn-Gaines: President
---------------  

Kevin McDonald: Vice President

The Nature Conservancy   
---------------  

Charlotte Biblow, Esq: Secretary

Farrell Fritz, P.C.
--------------- 
   

Lauren Furst: Treasurer   

---------------   

Russ Albanese

Albanese Organization Inc.
---------------  

Lennard Axinn

Island Estates   

---------------

Robert Bernard

Capital One Bank 

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Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III
SUNY College at Old Westbury    

---------------   

Dr. Miriam K. Deitsch

Farmingdale State College,
State University of New York

---------------  

Pat Edwards

Citi Community Development     
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Amy Hagedorn
Hagedorn Foundation

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Jeff Kraut

North Shore - LIJ Health System

---------------   

Mitchell H. Pally

Long Island Builders Institute

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Dr. Robert Scott

Adelphi University 

--------------- 

Ron Shiffman

Pratt Institute

--------------- 

 

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Carbon Footprint Challenge   
Sustainable LI, North Shore LIJ Health System provide findings, results on new pollution prevention program

Earlier this year, Sustainable Long Island and North Shore-LIJ Health System (NSLIJ) partnered on the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute funded Carbon Footprint Challenge, an initiative designed to increase awareness of pollution prevention, and educate health system employees about strategies for minimizing pollution and improving sustainability in order to build healthier homes, work places, and communities.

 

Sustainability in health care uses a forward-thinking, holistic approach to operations, maintenance, and future growth, while redefining patient care, engaging staff, and being a good neighbor. Not only do sustainable practices and policies have a positive impact on the environment, they can also improve the bottom line - enhancing productivity, recruiting and retaining employees, and building partnerships that can further advance these efforts within the community.

 

Many health systems share common goals with the decision to move toward sustainability. These include preventing and minimizing waste, reducing energy and water usage, and being more conscious of how resources are used. Often the reasons for such a transition could be to more clearly demonstrate the mission through respectful work environments or to assume a leadership role in responsible buildings and operations. Implementing sustainability practices and policies also offers health systems the opportunity to engage the surrounding community in environmental design and construction, while demonstrating an alternative way to operate its facilities.

 

Making a commitment to sustainability requires leadership from within - leadership that can implement procedures and policies and engage employees in the effort to ensure their success. It also demands a clearly defined, yet flexible process that is open to continuous improvement. It is recommended that businesses seeking to become more sustainable "assess and set goals, plan and prioritize actions, implement change and measure results, and monitor and improve performance (New York State Pollution Prevention Institute)."


The Carbon Footprint Challenge had three primary project components: 
  • Education and Information Sharing 
  • Raising Awareness, Measuring, and Training
  • Encouraging Replication 
METHODOLOGY  

Best Practices Research: were conducted to better understand how diverse aspects of sustainability can be implemented at an individual and system-wide scale, while providing a range of techniques that can be tailored to match one's needs.  

 

Train-the-Trainer Sessions: were designed to enlist select NSLIJ staff as champions of the Carbon Footprint Challenge who would communicate the goals of the initiative to their     colleagues and encourage widespread participation across the health system in reducing pollution and improving sustainability.

 

Carbon Footprint Calculator & Survey: the calculator was utilized in order to establish a baseline measure of carbon footprint across NSLIJ to which future improvements could be compared; the online survey was utilized in order to understand how employees use resources and where changes can be made to improve upon their individual and collective environmental impact.

 

Lunch & Learns: were designed as educational workshops, which included a presentation, informational material, and the opportunity to complete the Carbon Footprint Calculator and Survey on-site. Small, eco-friendly incentives were raffled off to generate excitement and drive participation.

 

CLICK HERE for a comprehensive look at the Carbon Footprint Challenge, including expanded methodology, data analysis, and lessons learned.

 

Citi Foundation Awards
Sustainable Long Island $50,000  
Funding ongoing recovery efforts in the City of Long Beach

Sustainable Long Island (SLI) announced it has received $50,000 from the Citi Foundation in support of the organization's recovery efforts in the City of Long Beach Recovery following Superstorm Sandy.

 

SLI began working with the City of Long Beach in November of 2012 and had been providing in-kind services in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane. Entering the spring of 2013, resources were running low, yet SLI realized they could not walk away from the City's residents who were - and still are - in need of assistance.

 

Along with additional funding streams*, Citi Foundation's support enabled SLI to work with the City Manager's office and the Local Development Corporation (LDC) for the visioning process needed prior to rebuilding the tourist segment of the community, specifically the 2.2 mile long boardwalk which serves as the most important economic driver for the City.

 

SLI is also helping small businesses damaged by Superstorm Sandy recover by jump-starting economic activity; reaching out to residents and business owners for their input on what a new, stronger Long Beach tourist segment should and could look like.

 

The small businesses of Long Beach were devastated by the record-setting storm surge, driving winds, and rain which caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Hundreds of small businesses were damaged by Sandy and it was estimated that roughly 75% of them remained closed weeks after the storm.

 

SLI is working with local organizations, such as the Long Beach Latino Civic Association, to ensure small businesses and all residents, regardless of background, have a say in the recovery - connecting them with resources to rebuild businesses physically and economically, while attracting a stronger customer base.

 

Coordinating with partners such as the LDC, the Chamber of Commerce, FEMA, Small Business Administration, and Small Business Development Centers, SLI has and will continue to facilitate all of these efforts by:

  • Holding focus groups and meetings to engage residents and business owners and foster dialogue and collaboration about long-term planning
  • Distributing surveys to gather input and information on a range of storm recovery-related topics
  • Developing a marketing and branding campaign to promote the City's resiliency; including both large-and-small-scale promotional events
  • Setting up a temporary office in the City to help displaced businesses get up and running once again; providing shared space, Wi-Fi, computers, printers, and additional office amenities.
  • Working with over two dozen identified businesses-in-need to help enhance their financial knowledge, skills and access to resources; developing 'continued operation plans' in order to withstand future storms and disasters

All of these efforts will strengthen the local economy, sustain or create jobs, spur new investment, and boost tourism in Long Beach. SLI believes this will have the combined effect of improving the community of the City of Long Beach as a whole.

 

*Sustainable Long Island previously announced it had also been awarded $130,000 from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation (UUC) at Shelter Rock supporting the organization's ongoing recovery and revitalization efforts in the City of Long Beach.

 

New Partners for Community Revitalization's Brownfield Summit 
Sustainable LI a lead presenter on BOA programs

Sustainable Long Island's Executive Director Amy Engel was in Albany last week as a lead presenter at New Partners for Community Revitalization's Brownfields Summit. This year, the Summit addressed a wide range of issues
connected to brownfields and the Brownfield Opportunity
Areas (BOA) program, including Brownfield Tax Credits,
BOA grant awards, BOA and green energy, legislative
updates, etc. Amy presented on the roundtable "Planning in NYS: How to maximize the BOA program to craft and implement community-supported plans." The panel was moderated by Andrew J. Raus,
AICP,Business Segment Leader, Bergmann Associates. 

 

This roundtable offered both upstate and downstate perspectives on the value that the BOA program brings to communities and their efforts to plan for their revitalized future. It highlighted the investment that the BOA program leverages, and also touched on some of the programmatic challenges.

 

Below are just a handful of some of the points we highlighted:
  • BOA programs offer a unique aspect to brownfield redevelopment projects through the public participation that takes place. The BOA project consultants and team will often provide professional insights and analyses about the project area and hear input from specific community members. This input helps to embrace the community-collaborated vision for planning guidelines and redevelopment scenarios.
  • On Long Island, through the many BOA processes Sustainable Long Island has been involved with, we have found that series of small focus groups are very successful at building support and gathering feedback compared to larger public meetings. This is because each individual will have more time and attention paid to them and have a greater opportunity to provide their insight on community issues and concerns.
  • Sustainable Long Island also believes that the area-wide approach to brownfield redevelopment is extremely important in addressing an entire project space rather than a site-by-site piecemeal approach.
  • One example of BOA success driven by community involvement includes Wyandanch. Sustainable Long Island recently assisted the Town of Babylon with outreach for a design charrette during the NYS BOA Program for Wyandanch. The Final NYS BOA Program Step 1 and 2 have been completed for the area. Implementation of transit-oriented-development projects are ongoing as part of the larger 'Wyandanch Rising' project. The project, currently in the design phase of major site improvements, will ultimately encompass a 40-acre redevelopment of a major portion of the downtown area along Straight Path. The first phase is concentrated in the vicinity of the Wyandanch railroad station and will consist of a new and relocated railroad station, a town-square park and four new three- and four-story mixed-use buildings that will contain approximately 280 apartments above neighborhood-type retail occupants.
  • While the BOA process is a great tool for success, it also comes with its share of programmatic challenges. One issue that is often faced by communities is the timing. The timing of any given BOA process is often very lengthy with many steps to take. We have found that many communities grow tired of the process and want tangible results in a much more timely manner. This issue risks maintaining any momentum and enthusiasm that may be achieved by community residents when participating in the BOA process for the first time.

 

Wyandanch Rising Tries to Undo Long Fall 
By Will James of the Wall Street Journal

The hamlet of Wyandanch is a rarity on suburban Long Island-a community with blighted streets and higher-than-average poverty rates where residents have grappled with social ills like gang violence and illegal drug use for years.  

 

Now, local governments and private developers are trying to turn Wyandanch's downtown into something equally rare amid Long Island's sprawl: a compact, pedestrian-friendly community where people live in multistory buildings and don't need cars.

 

The first phase of a $500 million redevelopment of the area surrounding Wyandanch's Long Island Rail Road station is slated to break ground in the coming weeks, starting with a five-story building containing apartments, restaurants and stores.

 

The revitalization effort-which residents and public officials have nicknamed "Wyandanch Rising"-is taking shape almost exactly a decade after hundreds of residents gathered for a multiday meeting (facilitated by Sustainable Long Island) to begin conceiving it. The hamlet takes its name from Chief Wyandanch, a 17th-century leader of the Montaukett Native American tribe.

 

The project now stands to be the first of several planned developments on Long Island aimed at reversing decades of sprawl and consolidating people and businesses in denser, more urban downtowns.

 

Similar efforts to apply urban planning principles are taking shape in Long Island's suburbs like Ronkonkoma, Brentwood, Farmingdale and Hempstead, but they haven't yet progressed as far as Wyandanch.

 

"The fact that Wyandanch, with all of its problems, is the first place on Long Island where you're going to have a major transit-oriented development is both amazing and an indictment of how we conduct business on Long Island," said Steve Bellone, the Suffolk County executive, who spearheaded Wyandanch Rising when he was the supervisor of the Town of Babylon. "Our inability to do things of regional significance on Long Island is what's been causing young people to leave for the last 20 years."

 

Representatives of the Albanese Organization, the project's master developer, said the project was feasible only because local governments like Babylon and Suffolk County were willing to spend millions of dollars on infrastructure and acquiring land over the past decade.

 

For instance, Babylon spent about $26 million to buy up the properties where the new downtown is supposed to take root and $17 million to install sewers in Wyandanch-a project slated for completion in May. A local park surrounding Geiger Lake is closed as the town adds a water park and basketball courts and makes other improvements.

 

The town plans to spend about $20 million more on roads and a plaza for the first phase of the project, and the county recently approved $1.7 million for parking, sidewalks, lighting and other site-preparation work. Federal and state grants, as well as low-interest loans, help the municipalities bear some of those costs, officials said.

 

As a result, the Albanese Organization is betting it can make money in Wyandanch-a place where even McDonald's closed up shop several years ago and which the Suffolk County Planning Department in 2001 named the most economically distressed community on Long Island.

 

"We believe that this isn't a particularly lucrative project, but it will run in the black," said George Aridas, senior vice president of the Albanese Organization. "It will pay its debt at least on these first buildings, and we believe this investment will present future returns. The Wyandanch of the past and the Wyandanch of the future are very different places."

 

The first building will feature about 17,000 square feet of ground-floor space for businesses like cafes, delis and banks and 91 rental units on the upper four stories, with apartments designated for residents of various incomes.

 

Construction on a four-story sister building, with 20,000 square feet of retail space and 86 rental units, will start around November. Each building will take about 17 months to complete at a combined cost of about $74 million, according to Mr. Aridas. The building sites currently serve as commuter parking lots near the railroad station; the municipalities are setting aside new space for parking elsewhere.

 

Later phases of the project will likely include commercial offices, retail buildings and both rental and owner-occupied housing, the developer and public officials said. The entire project is expected to take as long as 15 years to complete.

Geoffrey Canada, the president of the Harlem Children's Zone who was featured in the 2010 education documentary "Waiting for Superman," moved from the Bronx to Wyandanch to live with his grandparents and attend high school, between 1967 and 1970. He described it as a sleepy suburban town with unpaved roads and few problems-one of the few Long Island communities where African-Americans were welcome. Today, the hamlet is more than 70% black.

 

"In many ways, Wyandanch changed my life," Mr. Canada said.

 

But residents said the advent of big-box stores and malls crippled local businesses in the hamlet, and the loss of factory jobs on Long Island contributed to its decline since then.

 

"A lot of the issues had been benign neglect of the community, really," said Anne Stewart, who has lived in Wyandanch since 1973 and ran a civic group there. "We had problems with addressing issues that other communities had no problems with, like garbage pickup for instance, drugs in our community, blight," she said.

 

Some have noticed signs of a turnaround.

 

Angela Prince, a real-estate agent with Sell Fast Realty Corp., said she has seen fewer investors buying up houses and renting them out in Wyandanch over the past few years, and more homeowners looking to settle there-a trend she attributes, at least in part, to optimism about Wyandanch Rising.

 

"If they actually pull it together, and they're able to get this project off the ground and continue on with it, it will be a very good thing for the community," she said.  

 

Red, Ripe, and Juicy 
Strawberries are ready for picking at these LI Farms

(via Newsday) - Biting into a plump, red, juicy strawberry warm from the sun and fresh off the vine is one of the pleasures of June. It is even more enjoyable when hunting in a patch where the plants are bursting with berries.

 

Yes, its berry-picking time on Long Island, and the picking will be easy, thanks to a strong crop and nice weather.

 

"We'll have plenty of berries. The weather hasn't been hot, which is good for strawberries," says Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht, co-owner of Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market in Riverhead. "We have a lot of blossoms, and I think the flavor will be good 'cause they've been growing a little more slowly."

John Condzella of Condzella's Farm in Wading River also is expecting a great season.

 

"The cooler weather we've had slows the ripening down," says Condzella. "My crop looks beautiful. Last year was very good, and the way things look now, this season will be better."

 

GOOD TO KNOW

Of course, everything agricultural depends on the weather -- so call before you go.

 

"So many people come on the weekend that patches can be picked out by Monday or Tuesday," Kaplan-Walbrecht says. "But, if you can come on Wednesday or Thursday, there are so many ripe berries."

 

When you get your strawberries home -- if you can resist the temptation to eat them all in the car -- there are ways to ensure your berries will stay nice longer.

 

Both Kaplan-Walbrecht and fellow farmer Gail Glover advise washing berries just before you're ready to use them.

"Refrigerate them unwashed," says Glover of Glover Farms in Brookhaven. "If you wash them too long before using them, they'll get moldy."

 

Glover also advises that when picking, pick them deep red for eating that day, but a little less red if you want to store them for a day or two.

 

U-PICK PATCHES 

Anderson Farms

1890 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead

INFO 631-727-2559

HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (closed Tuesday)

PRICE $4-$5 a quart

 

Condzella's Farm

6233 North Country Rd./Route 25A, Wading River (3miles east of William Floyd Parkway)

INFO 631-929-5058, condzellasfarm.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

PRICE $2.75 a pound, 75 cents to $1 container fee

 

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann's

480 Hempstead Ave., Malverne

INFO 516-881-7900, nassaulandtrust.org

HOURS 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (closed Monday)

PRICE $5 for half a pint, $12 a quart

 

Densieski Farms

Lewis Road, East Quogue

INFO 631-653-5221

HOURS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

PRICE $4-$7 a quart

 

Fritz Lewin Farms

Corner of Sound and Edwards Avenue, Calverton (about 3 miles off Exit 71 on the Long Island Expressway)

INFO 631-727-3346

HOURS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

PRICE $4-$6 a quart

 

Garden of Eve Organic Farm

4558 Sound Ave., Riverhead

INFO 631-722-8777, gardenofevefarm.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

PRICE $4.50 a pint

 

Glover Farms

633 Victory Rd., Brookhaven

INFO 631-286-7876

HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

PRICE $3.75 a quart, $1 container fee

 

Golden Earthworm Organic Farm

652 Peconic Bay Blvd., Riverhead

INFO 631-722-3302, goldenearthworm.com

HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

PRICE $4.50 a quart

 

Hank's Farm Stand

324 County Rd. 39, Southampton

INFO 631-726-4667, hankspumpkintown.com

HOURS 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

PRICE $5 a quart, each person needs a container to enter field.

 

Lewin Farms

812 Sound Ave., Wading River

INFO 631-929-4327, lewinfarm.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily (closed Tuesday)

PRICE $2 a pound ($4-$6 a quart)

 

May's Farm Stand

6361 Rte. 25A, Wading River

INFO 631-929-6654, maysfarmny.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

PRICE $4-$6 a quart

 

Patty's Berries and Bunches

410 Sound Ave., Mattituck

INFO 631-298-4679, pattysberriesandbunches.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily

PRICE $5 a person to enter field, includes one quart of berries

 

Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm

2287 Sound Ave., Calverton

INFO 631-727-1786

HOURS 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday

PRICE $4 a quart; container fee

 

Wickham's Fruit Farm

28700 Main Rd./Route 25, Cutchogue

INFO 631-734-6441, wickhamsfruitfarm.com

HOURS 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday)

PRICE $4.50-$6.25 a quart; $20 annual family U-pick membership

 

Windy Acres Farm

3810 Middle Country Rd./Route 25, Calverton

INFO 631-727-4554

HOURS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

PRICE $3.50 a quart, $12 for 4 quarts; $1 to enter field


Fifth Annual High School Fellowship  
Sustainable Long Island currently accepting applications
Members of the 4th Year HS Fellowship presenting at a
youth-visioning in Downtown Bethpage earlier this year
Sustainable Long Island is excited to announce the start of our Fifth Annual High School Fellowship program to begin this July!

 

The High School Fellowship program offers students an opportunity to learn about community and regional planning, civic engagement, and sustainable development. The Fellowship is open to junior and senior high school students who are interested in planning, sustainability, and public participation, and are also committed to making an impact within their communities. In previous years, Fellows have learned about brownfields, food equity, and environmental justice as well as how to engage their peers in local revitalization projects.

 

This is an exciting opportunity for young adults to get involved in projects taking place across Long Island and learn about pressing issues the region faces while thinking through innovative steps to address challenges to create positive economic, environmental, and social change.

 

For more information or to apply, please email Janice Moynihan, Community Planner and Educational Program Coordinator at [email protected] today!

 
Sustainability Simplified

Check out these unique mobile apps to help improve sustainability and lower environmental impact

 

Gas Hog - For $0.99, this app tracks the fuel economy of your vehicle, as well as helps find tips for improving it.

 

Green Me! - Use this free app to improve your environmental impact in all aspects of your life. Record your accomplishments!

 

Fooducate - This free app helps users become more knowledgeable about what they're eating by identifying what's really inside each product, determining whether healthier options exist, and providing a grade for each item.

 

All apps available in your smart phone app store!

Together we can build a more
sustainable Long Island

 

These challenging economic times have magnified the problems we Long Islanders face each and every day. With our leaders warning us of tougher times to come, thinking regionally and acting locally is urgent. It is in all of our best interests to stay engaged and do what we can together to build a more sustainable Long Island.

 

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Sustainable Long Island that will help support our ongoing and future work within your Long Island communities; while helping advance economic development, environmental health, and social equity!

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Sincerely,

The Board and Staff of Sustainable Long Island