Nassau County Master Plan

New Suburbia

Nassau County Master Plan

Thomas R. Suozzi Nassau County Executive

Prepared by: BFJ Planning, Urbanomics and Stantec

DRAFT | December 2009

2009

Nassau County Master Plan

2009

New Suburbia Thomas R. Suozzi, Nassau County Executive Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive Jeffrey H. GreenďŹ eld, Chair Nassau County Planning Commission Patricia Bourne, AICP, Executive Commissioner, Nassau County Planning Department

BFJ Planning 115 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10003 In association with Urbanomics and Stantec DRAFT | December 2009

Contents

Page 1

Chapter 1 Nassau County: The Vision for New Suburbia

Page 25

Chapter 2 People and Hoursing: Who We Are and Where We Live

Page 51

Chapter 3 Land Use: Target Development in Growth Areas — The 90/10 Solution

Page 87

Chapter 4 The Economy: Support and Promote Industries

Page 117

Chapter 5 Infrastructure: Invest In Infrastructure Improvements

Page 149

Chapter 6 The Environment:Protect and Enhance the 90%- Single Family Neighborhoods, Open Spaces, Waterfronts, and Historic and Scenic Resources

Page 173

Chapter 7 Action Plan

Master Plan for New Suburbia

List of Figures 5 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 19

Figure 1-1: Population Figure 1-2: Employment in High Tech, Healthcare and Education Figure 1-3: Sales Tax Collections Figure 1-4: Employment Growth Figure 1-5: Built OfďŹ ce, Industrial and Retail Space Figure 1-6: New Housing Starts Figure 1-7a: Property Taxes: 2002 Figure 1-7b: Property Taxes: 2010 Figure 1-8: Percent Population by Age Figure 1-9: Owners vs. Renters Figure 1-10: Young Adult Population in Nassau and Suffok vs. Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas Figure 1-11: Nassau County Rush Hour TrafďŹ c Figure 1-12: Population below Poverty Level Figure 1-13: Emerald Ribbon/Golden Thread

26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 43 43 44 45 46 47 48 48

Figure 2-1: Nassau County Population Trends: 1950-2030 Figure 2-2: Nassau County Population by Age and Sex: 1970 Figure 2-3: Nassau County Population by Age and Sex: 2005 Figure 2-4: Nassau County Population by Age and Sex: 2020 Figure 2-5: Nassau County Population by Age and Sex: 2030 Figure 2-6: Nassau County Working vs. Dependent Populations: 2000- 2030 Figure 2-7: Net In/Out Migration by Age Group, All Races/Sexes: 2000-2030 Figure 2-8: Nassau County Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000-2030 Figure 2-9: Nassau County Resident Occupations: Change 2000-2007 Figure 2-10: Nassau County Total Labor Force by Race: 2000-2030 Figure 2-11: Households by Race/ Ethnicity of Head of Householder: 2000-2030 Figure 2-12: Nassau County Household Income Structure: 2007 Figure 2-13: Nassau County Housing Stock by Tenure: 2007 Figure 2-14: Nassau County Housing Unit Density by Census Tract: 2000 Figure 2-15: Nassau County Median Home Sales Price Figure 2-16: Nassau County Construction Costs per Unit Comparison: 2008 Figure 2-17: Nassau County Median Home Value vs. Median Household Income: 2000-2007 Figure 2-18: Affordability Index: NYC Suburban Counties: 2000-2007 Figure 2-19: Nassau County Owner-Occupied Units with Mortgage: Monthly Housing Costs 2007 Figure 2-20: Nassau County Foreclosures- 2008 Data through 3rd Quarter Figure 2-21: Rental Households by Income and Type with Housing Cost Burden Greater than 50% of Income Figure 2-22: Housing Cost Burden Greater than 50% by Income and Housing Tenure Figure 2-23: Nassau County Existing Housing Stock by Number of Bedrooms Figure 2-24: Nassau County-Household Size Distribution

Master Plan for New Suburbia

List of Figures (continued) 53 55 56 57 62 70 70 73 74 74 75 77 78 78 79 80 80 81 81

Figure 3-1: Existing Land Use Map Figure 3-2: Village of Hempstead, Downtown Vision Figure 3-3: Elmont Community Vision Plan Figure 3-4: Glen Cove - Cedar Swamp Road Corridor Study, October 2008 Figure 3-5: Cool Downtowns Map Figure 3-6: Nassau Hub Figure 3-7: Rendering of Proposed Lighthouse at Long Island Project Figure 3-8: Megaprojects Map Figure 3-9: 105 acres at Bethpage Figure 3-10: Belmont Park Redevelopment Study Area Figure 3-11: Glen Cove Waterfront Figure 3-12: Landscaped Median Figure 3-13: Landscaped Buffer Figure 3-14: Parking Lot Landscaping Figure 3-15: Community Shopping Center: Aerial Photograph Figure 3-16: Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 1-Bird’s Eye View Figure 3-17: Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 1-Street Level View Figure 3-18: Community Shopping Center: Phase 2-Plan View Figure 3-19: Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 2-Street Level View

88 Figure 4-1: Growth vs. Declining Industries in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, 2000-2008: Changes in Employment and Real Earnings 89 Figure 4-2: Unemployed Labor Force in Nassau County, Annually 2000-2008, by First Quarter, 2000-2009 89 Figure 4-3: The Influx of Commuter Earnings to Nassau County as Share of Total Work-Based Earnings: 2000-2008 93 Figure 4-4: Nassau County Total Out-Commutation: 2000 97 Figure 4-5: Nassau- Suffolk Built Commercial Space: 1998-2008 98 Figure 4-6: Location of Major Malls 106 Figure 4-7: High-Tech Employment in Nassau and Suffolk Counties by Subsector: 2006 108 Figure 4-8: Nassau County’s Green Energy Employment by Activity: 2006 110 Figure 4-9: Selected Age Group Breakdown Comparison: 2007 111 Figure 4-10: Nassau and Suffolk Counties vs. Fastest-Growing MSAs (2007) 114 Figure 4-11: Employment in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Industry of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties: 2006

Master Plan for New Suburbia

List of Figures (continued) 118 121 121 122 122 123 124 125 126 127 135 138 139 139 146

Figure 5-1: Nassau County’s Transportation Network Figure 5-2: Existing Traffic Congestion: AM Peak, 2005 Figure 5-3: Projected Traffic Congestion: AM Peak, 2030 Figure 5-4: Existing Traffic Congestion: PM Peak, 2005 Figure 5-5: Projected Traffic Congestion: PM Peak, 2030 Figure 5-6: Regional Freight Movement Figure 5-7: Proposed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel Figure 5-8: Long Island Rail Road System Map Figure 5-9: MTA Long Island Bus Map Figure 5-10: Emerald Ribbon Figure 5-11: Nassau County Struggling Schools and Districts: 2007-2008 School Year Figure 5-12: Arterial Pedestrian/Bicycle Lanes Figure 5-13: Southwest Nassau County Cool Downtowns, HUB, Meadowbrook Parkway Bicycle Route Figure 5-14: Smart/Green Lanes Figure 5-15: Nassau County Property Tax Collection Breakdown: 2002 and 2010

151 Figure 6-1: Open Space Map 157 Figure 6-2: Hurricane Storm Surge Zones 186 Figure 7-1: Growth Areas Map

Master Plan for New Suburbia

List of Tables 10 Table 1-1: Property Taxes as Percentage of Income 11 Table 1-2: Total Property Taxes Paid 30 32 33 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 41 42 44 47 49

Table 2-1: Nassau County Net Migration by Age, All Races: 2000-2030 Table 2-2: Nassau County Labor Force Participation Rates by Race: 2000-2020 Table 2-3: Nassau County Resident Occupations: 2000-2007 Table 2-4: Nassau County Average Household Income in Real Dollars: 2005-2030 Table 2-5: Nassau County Labor Force Shares by Age: 2000-2030 Table 2-6: Household Formation by Type and Tenure: 2000 and 2007 Table 2-7: Nassau Average Household Size: Historic and Forecast: 1970-2030 Table 2-8: Nassau County Household Income Structure: 2007 Table 2-9: Nassau County Housing Structure Types: 2007 Table 2-10: Nassau County Existing Housing Supply: Year Structure Built Table 2-11: Nassau County Fair Market Rents: 2005 and 2009 Estimate Table 2-12: Construction Costs per Unit by Type of Structure Table 2-13: New York Suburban County Housing Affordability Index: 2007 Table 2-14: Nassau County Monthly Owner Costs: 2007 Table 2-15: Nassau County Housing Unit Characteristics, 2007 Table 2-16: Nassau County’s Existing Affordable Housing Stock

52 71 71 72 72 73 75

Table 3-1: Nassau County Existing Land Uses Table 3-2: Proposed Development on Nassau County Community College Campus in the Hub (in square feet) Table 3-3: Proposed Development of Roosevelt Field South in the Hub (in square feet) Table 3-4: Proposed Development of Mitchel Field in the Hub (in square feet) Table 3-5: Proposed Development of Museum Row in the Hub (in square feet) Table 3-6: Proposed Development of Dispersed Soft Sites in the Hub (in square feet) Table 3-7: Megaprojects: Expected Job Growth and Housing Development to 2030

90 94 95 95 96 98 101 109 112 115

Table 4-1: Top Ten Sectors in Nassau County’s Economy—Employment and earnings, 2008: Qtr III Table 4-2: Adopted NYMTC Forecasts for Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk County Employment to 2035 Table 4-3: Revised Forecasts for Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk County Employment to 2035 Table 4-4: Occupations with the Most Job Openings in Long Island: 2006-2016 Table 4-5: Commercial Office and Retail Space in Nassau County: 2009 Table 4-6: Existing Retail Floor Space and Land Area Characteristics Table 4-7: Industrial Space in Nassau County: 2009 Table 4-8: Health Care and Education in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, 2006 Table 4-9: Existing Multifamily Housing in Nassau County’s Cool Downtown Communities Table 4-10: Countywide Economic Development Goals for Growth Sectors

Master Plan for New Suburbia

List of Tables (continued) 119 119 120 125 126 128 136 145

Table 5-1: Nassau County: Means of Transportation to Work Table 5-2: Nassau County: Place of Work Table 5-3: Summary of Congestion Performance Measures for 2005 Table 5-4: Long Island Rail Road Ridership (in millions) Table 5-5: Long Island Bus Ridership (in millions) Table 5-6: New York Metro Area Airports Table 5-7: Nassau County’s Struggling School Districts: Tax Rates and Per-Pupil Spending Table 5-8: Highest Property Tax Bills by County, 2007

152 Table 6-1: Projections of Land Available for Development, 2000-2050 (in acres) 163 Table 6-2: Comparison of Nassau County Groundwater Recharge and Public Water Demand, 1997 183 Table 7-1: Model Requirements for Intersection Spacing (Case Studies) 186 Table 7-2: Action Plan Matrix

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Downtown Garden City

Chapter 1 Nassau County: The Vision for New Suburbia A. Introduction: Nassau Today Nassau County is located in the southeastern portion of New York State, approximately 18 miles east of Manhattan. Nassau has a total land area of 287 square miles and over 1.3 million people and includes three towns, two cities and 64 incorporated villages. It is bordered to the west by the New York City Borough of Queens and to the east by Suffolk County. Its northern and southern borders on the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean comprise nearly 188 miles of scenic coastline.

As one of the nation’s first suburban communities and home to Levittown, Nassau was the prototype for suburban America. Due in part to the GI Bill, which promoted home ownership for returning veterans and their families, in the post World War II period Nassau was the realization of the American dream with its single family homes, back yards, and baseball fields. Sixty years later, while other places across the country continue to experience suburban expansion and sprawl, Nassau County is no longer growing. It is a built-out community that has “sprawled.” The question it now faces is: What happens next?

Putnam

While other places across the country continue to experience suburban expansion and sprawl, Nassau County is no longer growing. It has suburban “sprawled.” The question it now faces is: What happens next?

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

Nassau County Today Existing Industrial & Commercial Areas

Rockland

Westchester

Suffolk NYC

Nassau

Nassau County and other mature suburbs across the country were the first to experience the possibilities of suburbia and are now the first to face the real challenges of unbridled, auto-dependent growth. Very high property taxes, an exodus of young people, traffic congestion, and pockets of poverty are putting a tremendous strain on Nassau’s residents and its economy. How can Nassau address these problems while also preserving what drew people to the county in the first placethe promise of single family homes, great schools, great healthcare institutions, parks and open spaces, and waterfronts and beaches, all in close proximity to one of the country’s most famous metropolitan centers? The answer is New Suburbia.

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Single family homes, great schools, great healthcare, parks, open spaces, north shore waterfronts and ocean beaches are what people love most about Nassau.

1

1

New Suburbia seeks to preserve what people love about the suburbs (90 percent) ...

2

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Glen Cove Waterfront

... and concentrate future growth in Cool Downtowns and Mega Projects to enhance our quality of life (10 percent).

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

Belmont Racetrack 105 Acres at Bethpage

Mega Projects Nassau Hub

Cool Downtowns

Master Plan for New Suburbia

3

B. New Suburbia

New Suburbia seeks to preserve what people love about the suburbs, while addressing the real challenges of high property taxes, the exodus of young people, traffic and pockets of poverty that Nassau County and places like it across the country face today.

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

New Suburbia seeks to preserve what people love about the suburbs, while addressing the real challenges of high property taxes, the exodus of young people, traffic and pockets of poverty that Nassau County and places like it across the country face today. It recognizes historical suburban development patterns and the central role that the automobile plays in suburban living, while also challenging people to imagine a future where downtown centers and public transportation are important parts of daily life.

New Suburbia does not wish to change the single family neighborhoods, parks and beaches that originally drew people to Nassau County. Instead it seeks to encourage concentration of growth in identified centers, or “Cool Downtowns,” where people can live, work and play in close proximity to public transit.

New Suburbia challenges the notion that mixed use development with rental housing, businesses, restaurants, and entertainment is antithetical to the suburban ideal of single-family living. At the same time it recognizes traditional, suburban campus-style office and industrial development patterns and encourages redevelopment of former industrial sites for new, clean business and industry.

The key to New Suburbia is that future growth be targeted to approximately 10% of the county’s land area in: 1) Cool Downtowns 2) Megaprojects including: • The Hub • 105 acres at Bethpage • Belmont • The Glen Cove Waterfront 3) Underperforming strip commercial corridors For the remaining 90% of the county New Suburbia is preservation and enhancement of the environmental, scenic and historic assets that its residents love and that contribute to the quality-of-life of life that initially attracted them to Nassau.

This 90/10 Solution asks people to re-imagine Nassau as a place where growth can and should be encouraged in appropriate locations. By encouraging development in Cool Downtowns, megaprojects and underperforming strip malls, Nassau County can and will become a stronger suburban community, alleviating the property tax burden on its residents.

NC Photo Archives Center

C. Nassau’s History

Nassau County Towns, ca. 1800

In the late 17th century when New York was divided into twelve counties Nassau was part of Queens County. In 1899 the portion of eastern Queens that was not annexed to New York City – Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay – became Nassau County. The county’s name reflects the region’s early Dutch and English colonial heritage. Long Island was originally referred to as the “Isle of Nassau,” honoring William III (1650-1702), King of England and member of the House of Nassau.

4

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Pre World War II

Source

During the 1920s and 1930s Nassau County began a notable shift from sprawling farmlands to modern suburbia. The expansion of Nassau’s parkway system and the nation’s growing automobile industry enhanced access to Nassau and encouraged movement from crowded inner city neighborhoods to growing suburban communities. From 1920 to 1930 during this initial era of suburban growth, Nassau’s population grew by 140 percent.

: Sudha

us & E rlenkott

er Prin ter

While Nassau County was largely rural and agricultural through the 19th century, the eastward expansion of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) during the 1860s gave rise to modest suburban development. During this period notable members of high society including the Vanderbilts, Astors and Guggenheims built their mansion retreats along Nassau’s “Gold Coast.” At the same time peripheral commuter towns began to absorb a portion of New York City’s population growth and rail-to-ferry service enabled former Manhattan residents to commute from the east to jobs in the city. In 1911 the LIRR established direct commuter service to Pennsylvania Station.

Long Island Railroad, ca. 1878

Post World War II While the County enjoyed continued growth through the 1930s and 1940s, in the1950s and 1960s Nassau experienced a second population boom, as shown on Figure 1-1. In the post World War II period Nassau’s population grew by nearly 160 percent. This was largely due to expanded electrification of the LIRR and the birth

Figure 1-1. Population

Nassau

Suffolk

1910

1920

1940

1,512

1990

2000

2007*

667

1980

276

197

161 303 1930

1,353

1900

84 96

78

55

250

126 110

500

407

673

750

1,335 1,419

1,000

1,287 1,322

1,250

1,125

1,300

1,428

1,500

1,322 1,284

(In Thousands)

1950

1960

1970

NC Photo Archives Center

Source: NC Photo Archives Center

Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2007 (reflects successful challenges by Nassau and Suffolk Counties)

Levittown, ca. 1951 Master Plan for New Suburbia

5

NC Photo Archives Center

of Levittown and other similar developments, which created affordable, single-family homes in the county.

Aided by the federal government, Levitt & Sons, Inc. transformed approximately 4,000 acres of potato fields in the Town of Hempstead into 17,500 new singlefamily homes affordable to young families. These 750 square foot homes on one-eighth-acre lots provided an opportunity for many to escape crowded city living and realize the American Dream. The Levitt prototype was so successful that Levitt & Sons later built Levittowns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the model was replicated by other builders across the country.

Jones Beach, West bathhouse and water tower, ca. 1947

Former city-dwellers were also attracted to Nassau’s parks, open spaces and waterfronts. Nassau County Park at Salisbury dedicated in 1949 and later renamed Eisenhower Park became a significant open space resource for the County. Under the leadership of Robert Moses the Long Island State Park Commission built thousands of acres of public parks and beaches in Nassau County, including Bethpage State Park, a nearly 1,500-acre park, and Jones Beach State Park. Located on a barrier island in southern Nassau and linked to the mainland via two parkways, Jones Beach comprises ten miles of public beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.

While Nassau’s early suburban growth was largely shaped by its role as a bedroom community for Manhattan, through the mid-twentieth century the County developed a robust manufacturing economy led by a strong aviation industry.

Charles Lindbergh began the world’s first nonstop solo transatlantic flight from Nassau’s Roosevelt Field in 1927 and from the 1930s through the 1980s Nassau was a leader in the production of aircraft. The Grumman Aerospace Corporation, which began operation in 1930 and manufactured the module that landed the first man on the moon in 1969, employed 20,000 Nassau workers at its peak in the mid 1980s and occupied nearly six million square feet of property at Bethpage.

Charles Lindbergh at Roosevelt Field with ‘Spirit of St. Louis’ before transatlantic flight, 1927

6

Grumman S2F-1 tracker, anti submarine plane, 1963

NC Photo Archives Center

NC Photo Archives Center

With significant growth in residents and employment in the post war years, Nassau began to develop an expansive retail sector. While Levitt & Sons had

Master Plan for New Suburbia

built several neighborhood-scale retail centers within walking distance of Levittown, these areas were not successful and were later sold. In this era of automobile-centered growth a new type of shopping was emerging- planned retail shopping centers. Auto-oriented commercial centers or “malls” and “strip malls” began to develop along the County’s arterial roadways. Designed to serve motorists, strip malls emphasized abundant parking over pedestrians and had a significant impact on the development of the suburban landscape.

Nassau’s arterials grew into retail hubs accessible primarily by automobile and distinctly separate from its residential neighborhoods and business centers.

This was a significant departure from the neighborhood retail areas that had traditionally served as shopping centers in metropolitan areas.

NC Photo Archive Center

NC Photo Archive Center

In 1956 Roosevelt Field Shopping Center, the first retail mall in Nassau opened on the site of the former Roosevelt airfield. This open-air mall which had space for 11,000 cars was one of the country’s first suburban shopping centers. The mall was enclosed in 1968 and today is the eighth largest shopping mall in the country. 1

Roosevelt Field Shopping Center, ca. 1957

Master Plan for New Suburbia

High Tech Colleges & Universities Hospital & Medical Offices

20,000

65,089 15,650

40,000

41,085

60,000

9,823

80,000

74,572

89,341

100,000

3,728

Ironically, just as the LIE was completed, Nassau County’s population growth was slowing. By 1980, Nassau’s population had declined by 8 percent from the previous decade. While the County’s manufacturing sector, largely reliant on aviation defense contracts, remained strong through the mid 1980s, by the late 1980s Nassau was in a recession. With the end of the Cold War, the defense industry contracted sharply and Nassau lost a substantial share of its aviationrelated manufacturing employment. While the County’s commercial and retail sectors recovered from the recession, its manufacturing sector did not and Nassau was faced with the challenge of refocusing its economy. Today the service providing industries are the County’s largest employment sector, followed by education and health services. In fact, the number of education and health care jobs in Nassau exceeds those in both Suffolk and Westchester Counties (see Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-2. Employment in High Tech, Healthcare and Education

18,418

As a result of continued auto-dependent residential and commercial growth, Nassau County’s roadways became increasingly congested. By 1950 the existing parkway system was strained with traffic; between 1949 and 1952 traffic on the Southern State Parkway doubled.2 In response Robert Moses, as head of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, announced the construction of the Long Island Expressway (LIE) in 1953. This super-expressway running east to west from Manhattan through Nassau and Suffolk Counties reached the Nassau-Suffolk border in 1962 and was completed in 1972.

10,858

Hempstead Turnpike, east of Wantagh Parkway, 1959

Nassau

Suffolk

Westchester

Source County Business Patterns, 2008

1 Measured by gross leasable area.

2 Adcock, Sylvia, “A Link to All of Long Island,”www.Newsday.com 7

D. Nassau And Suffolk: Economic Comparisons While Nassau is a leader in both education and health care relative to Suffolk County, it lags behind in terms of high tech employment, sales tax revenues, housing starts and commercial square footage. These economic indicators all have implications for Nassau’s tax revenues and therefore play a role in the County’s high property tax rates. As shown on Figure 1-3, in 2008 Suffolk County collected $165 million more in sales tax revenues than Nassau County. Over the six year period from 2002 to 2008, Suffolk collected a total of $958 million more sales tax revenues than Nassau. This is significant for Nassau because up until 2001 Nassau County had collected more sales tax revenues than Suffolk. Sales tax is the largest source of revenue for both Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Figure 1-3. Sales Tax Collections

Suffolk Nassau

($ in Millions) 1,132

1,143

1,179

1,167

1,088

1,200 1,003

900

600

716

807

758 735

764

1999

2000

832 797

905 865

896

940

991

1,012

1,002

954 Suffolk County collected $958 million more in sales tax from 2002-2008

669

1998

2001

2002

Suffolk collected $165 million more in 2008

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Source: Nassau County, 2008

2008 est.

Nassau also saw a decline in employment relative to Suffolk between 2000 and 2008. While the total number of jobs in Nassau increased by 0.6 percent during this period, the number of jobs in Suffolk increased by 6.8 percent. This lagging job growth negatively impacts Nassau County’s tax base. As shown in Figure 1-4, over the nearly forty year period between 1970 and 2008 the number of jobs in Suffolk increased by over 150 percent while the number of jobs in Nassau grew by only 30 percent. Due in part to the fact that Nassau experienced suburbanization before Suffolk did, these employment trends indicate that Nassau must refocus its employment base in order to effectively compete with a younger and expanding Suffolk County.

Figure 1-4. Employment Growth

Suffolk Nassau

(Jobs in Thousands)

700 579 600

605

520 559

554 500

615

487

441

521

1985

1990

624

633

638

597

610

628

2000

2005

2008

400 362 300 200

300 239

1970

1975

1980

Source: NY State Department of Labor

8

Master Plan for New Suburbia

1995

Related to job growth is the growth in commercial square footage in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Based on data provided by CB Richard Ellis, during this period Suffolk grew by 11.8 million commercial square feet while Nassau grew by only 2.8 million commercial square feet (see Figure 1-5).

Figure 1-5. Built Office, Industrial & Retail Space

Office Industrial Retail

200,000,000

174.4 million sf 15,426,051

162.6 million sf 11,422,112 150,000,000

123.8 million sf

121.0 million sf 24,359,463

24,894,724

103,295,842

100,000,000

107,185,944

57,827,875

56,429,303 50,000,000 40,232,587

47,885,881

41,112,138

51,828,141

Nassau

Suffolk

Nassau

Suffolk

1998

While Suffolk continues to sprawl, Nassau has “suburban sprawled.”

It is no longer growing and must refocus its economy and re-imagine suburbia to remain competitive in the 21st Century.

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

2008

Source: CB Richard Ellis

Finally, with regard to new home construction, between 2002 and 2007 Suffolk County had twice as many new housing starts as Nassau County. As shown in Figure 1-6, Suffolk had more new housing starts than Nassau every year except for 2007.

Figure 1-6. New Housing Starts

Nassau

Suffolk

24,000

21,314

18,000

12,000

4,384

6,000 985

2002

7,479

5,183 3,397

3,204 978 2003

1,177 2004

1,435 2005

1,452

2,573

2006

1,452

Between 2002 and 2007 Suffolk County had twice as many new starts as Nassau County

2,573

2007

Total

Source U.S. Census Annual Building Permit Data

What does all this mean for Nassau County? It indicates that Nassau is showing its age relative to neighboring Suffolk. While Suffolk continues to sprawl, Nassau has “suburban sprawled.” It is no longer growing and must refocus its economy and re-imagine suburbia to remain competitive in the 21st Century.

Master Plan for New Suburbia

9

E. Nassau Today: Four Challenges

According to the U.S. Census, today Nassau residents pay the fourth highest property taxes in the country as a percentage of income and the third highest in terms of total property taxes paid.

Figure 1-7a. Property Taxes: 2002

Town, Town, Village, Village, City & Special District Taxes

At sixty years of age Nassau County – and first suburbs like it across the countryfaces some significant challenges that threaten its economic well being and the quality of life that its residents cherish. As outlined by Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, Nassau County is confronted with four major problems that must be addressed:

1) High property taxes 2) Young people leaving 3) Traffic congestion 4) Pockets of poverty Challenge 1: High Property Taxes Between 1995 and 2005 property taxes in Nassau County increased by 75.8%.

According to the U.S. Census, today Nassau residents pay the fourth highest property taxes in the country as a percentage of income (see Table 1-1) and the third highest in terms of total property taxes paid3. (see Table 1-2) Property taxes levied

by Nassau’s school districts represent approximately 60 percent of homeowners’ property taxes. The balance of the property tax burden is from County, local and special district taxes (see Figures 1-7a & b)

19.2% 19.2% School Taxes

County Taxes County

58.1%

22.7%

Nassau’s high property taxes stem from numerous sources including: • Waste, fraud and abuse, • Costly state mandates from Albany, • Insufficient state and federal aid, • The fragmented provision of local government services, and • Insufficient commercial tax revenues.

Source: Nassau County, 2009

Table 1-1. Property Taxes as a Percentage of Income Figure 1-7b. Property Taxes: 2010

Town, Town, Village, Village, City & Special Special City & District Taxes

18.8% 18.8% School Taxes

64.8% 64.8%

County CountyTaxes Taxes

16.4% 16.4%

Source: Nassau County, 2009

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

County Passaic Union Essex Nassau Westchester Bergen Rockland Putnam Hunterdon Hudson Suffolk Camden

State New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey New York New York New York New York New York New Jersey New Jersey New York New Jersey

% of Income 8.50% 8.10% 8.10% 8.00% 7.80% 7.80% 7.70% 7.70% 7.50% 7.50% 7.20% 7.10%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey, 2007

As a percentage of income, property taxes in Nassau County are the fourth highest in the nation.

3 US Census, American Community Survey, 2007 4 Us Census, American Community Survey, 2007

10

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Table 1-2. Total Property Taxes Paid Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

County Westchester Hunterdon Nassau Bergen Somerset Essex Rockland Morris Union Passaic Putnam Suffolk

State New York New Jersey New York New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey New York New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey New York New York

Amount $8,422 $8,224 $8,153 $7,797 $7,597 $7,535 $7,535 $7,281 $7,007 $6,928 $6,860 $6,763

Source: US Census, American Community Survey, 2007

The large number of properties owned by the county, villages, towns, institutions and non-profit organizations that are not on the tax rolls also contribute to the County’s high taxes. High property taxes are a significant burden to both homeowners and industry. They substantially add to housing costs and are a disincentive to commercial investment. Currently over 25 percent of Nassau’s mortgaged households spend more than 35 percent of their income on housing. This is a notable drain on families’ resources that reduces discretionary spending and impacts the local economy. Nassau has stopped growing; to relieve residents’ tax burden we need to expand our tax base with new commercial and multifamily residential development in targeted growth areas.

Challenge 2: Young People Leaving Nassau’s population is aging and its young people are leaving. Educated in the County’s distinguished public school system, a substantial portion of Nassau’s young people do not return home after college. This trend often referred to as “brain drain” or “human capital flight” has an economic cost. The creativity and energy of young people fuels innovation and economic development; and a strong proportion of working age adults is crucial to support a growing elderly population as baby boomers enter retirement. As shown in Figure 1-8, in Nassau County only 8.7 percent of the population is between the ages of 25 and 34, compared with 10.7 percent in Suffolk County, 10.5 percent in Westchester County, and 15.1 percent in New York City.5

Figure 1-8. Percent Population by Age

14.9%

14.1% 12.8% 10.7%

8%

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

25-34 65+

16%

12%

“Young people are moving to Manhattan. They are moving to Brooklyn. It’s not affordable there either. Why aren’t they moving here?”

15.1% 12.2%

10.5%

8.7%

4%

Nassau

Suffolk

Westchester

NYC

5 US Census, American Community Survey, 2007

Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2007

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“These [young] people insist they need to live in places that offer stimulating, creative environments.

Many will not even consider taking jobs in certain cities or regions. They will pick a place to live, then focus their job search there.”

- Richard Florida

While Nassau’s identity as a suburban county catering to the needs of young families was attractive to 25 to 34 year olds during the early years of its development, this is no longer the case. The needs of this demographic have dramatically shifted; today people are marrying and settling down later in life. Single family homes are both too large and too expensive for single young people and alternative housing options such as rental apartments and townhouses in Nassau are few (see Figure 1-9). In addition, Nassau’s suburban lifestyle provides limited opportunities for the types of entertainment and social interaction that are important to many young people. As Richard Florida notes in The Rise of the Creative Class, “These [young] people insist they need to live in places that offer stimulating, creative environments. Many will not even consider taking jobs in certain cities or regions. They will pick a place to live, then focus their job search there.” 6

Figure 1-10. Young Adult Population in Nassau and Suffolk vs. Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas

25-34 35-44

63%

70%

17.2%

15.8%

17.3%

15.9%

14.3%

15.5%

15.5%

15.4%

14.4%

10.5%

80%

12.6%

10%

83%

12.7%

83%

8.7%

90%

13.9%

15%

Owners Renters

10.9%

Figure 1-9. Owners vs. Renters

15.7%

20%

5%

60% 50%

37%

40% 30%

17%

17%

20% 10% Nassau

Suffolk

Westchester

Source: U.S. American Community Survey, 2007

“In the last ten years Long Island has gained more new cars than new people” - Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

Cape Coral- Las VegasFort Myers, ParadiseFL Pahrump, NV Source: Census Populations Estimates, 2007 Nassau

Suffolk

PhoenixMesaScottsdale, AZ

Boise City- St. George, AustinNampa, ID UT Round Rock, TX

Challenge #3: Traffic Congestion Traffic congestion is crippling Nassau County (see Figure 1-11). Most of Nassau’s major arterials are extremely congested during peak periods. The traffic problem has a negative impact on residents’ quality of life as well as Nassau’s economy. The time people spend in their cars is time that could be better spent at home, at work, and at play. This wasted time represents an opportunity cost in terms of productivity and purchasing power. It also takes a toll on the County’s ability to harness the potential of its sports, entertainment and tourism industry as traffic congestion discourages people from both outside and within the County from travelling to popular destinations.

6 Florida, Richard, The Rise of the Creative Class, Basic Books, 2002, pg. 95.

Traffic congestion on the Long Island Expressway

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Challenge #4: Pockets of Poverty While Nassau County is known for its affluence, there are several communities within the County where over ten percent of the population lives below the poverty line (see Figure 1-12). These communities, which include the Village of Hempstead, the Village of Freeport, Roosevelt, Inwood, and New Cassel, suffer from both a lack of economic investment and struggling school systems. Currently many residents in these communities do not enjoy the quality of life for which Nassau County is known. Many of these areas do not have basic services such as supermarkets and banks and local purchasing power remains untapped. Attracting businesses that meet the needs of community residents, improving transportation access, and enhancing school and access to social services in these areas is essential to improving the health of these communities, generating jobs and increasing tax revenues.

Figure 1-11. Nassau County Rush Hour Traffic Volume to Capacity Ratio – PM Peak (4 Hour Peak Period) Congested Highway Links (0.8 — 1.0) Extremely Congested High way links (> 1.0)

Pockets of poverty and segregation in Nassau have been ignored for generations. We must work to encourage investment in all of Nassau’s communities.

- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi

Figure 1-12. Population below Poverty Level 0% - 3.0% 3.1% - 5.0% 5.1% - 10.0% 10.1% - 17.7% Fewer than 2500 Residents

New Cassel

Hempstead

Roosevelt

Freeport

Inwood

Source: NYMTC, 2005

Source: US Census, 2000

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F. Nassau Tomorrow: Four Solutions for New Suburbia

New Suburbia

Solution 1 Target Development in Growth Areas – The 90/10 Solution

Solution 2

Solution 3

Support and Promote Industries

Invest in Infrastructure Improvements

Solution 4 Protect and Enhance the 90%: Single Family Neighborhoods, Waterfronts, Open Spaces, and Historic and Scenic Resources

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New Suburbia: The 90/10 Solution Solution 1: Target Development in Growth Areas – The 90/10 Solution Policy 1: Policy 2: Policy 3: Policy 4:

Create Cool Downtowns Build megaprojects- Nassau Hub, 105 acres at Bethpage, Belmont & Glen Cove Waterfront Re-imagine commercial corridors and strip malls Encourage investment in emerging minority communities

Solution 2: Support and Promote Industries Policy 5: Policy 6: Policy 7:

Encourage growth and partnerships in high tech/high skilled industry, education and healthcare Diversify the housing stock by encouraging next generation and senior housing Capitalize on sports, entertainment and tourism

Solution 3: Invest in Infrastructure Improvements Policy 8: Policy 9: Policy 10:

Improve transportation infrastructure and encourage alternatives to auto dependency Reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources Address inequities across school systems

Solution 4: Protect and Enhance the 90%: Single Family Neighborhoods, Waterfronts, Open Spaces, and Historic and Scenic Resources Policy 11: Policy 12:

Preserve the single family character of residential neighborhoods Preserve and connect open space while protecting sensitive environmental, scenic and historic resources

Solution #1: Target Development in Growth Areas- The 90/10 Solution Targeting development in growth areas, which account for approximately 10% of the county’s land area, and discouraging growth in the balance of the county is the overarching strategy of New Suburbia. The types of development that should be encouraged in growth areas include downtown development/Cool Downtowns; development of megaprojects including the Nassau “Hub,” 105 acres at Bethpage, Belmont, and the Glen Cove waterfront; revitalization of underutilized strip malls; and economic investment in emerging minority communities.

Cool Downtowns

Cool Downtowns have the potential to generate $154 million in tax revenue over the next twenty years.

“Cool Downtowns” is central to the ideal of New Suburbia. Cool Downtowns calls for the strategic expansion of the tax base by fostering ideas, culture and education to attract young people and empty nesters in designated centers. They

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provide opportunities for people to live and work in multistory buildings, encourage housing near commuter rail stations, and provide walkable destinations with great restaurants and local shops.

Identified Cool Downtowns include: • • • • • • • • •

Baldwin Elmont Farmingdale Freeport Garden City Glen Cove Great Neck Plaza Village of Hempstead Hicksville

• • • • • • • • •

Long Beach Lynbrook Mineola Port Washington Rockville Centre Syosset Valley Stream West Hempstead Westbury

These Cool Downtowns have the potential to generate $154 million in tax revenue over the next twenty years.

Providing opportunities within the suburban context for people to live, work and play in close proximity to public transportation can help foster the types of dynamic communities that are necessary for suburbia to thrive in the 21st century.

Cool Downtowns will be the places that Nassau’s residents young, old and in between can go to dine, shop and be entertained. They will be places that attract young people and encourage seniors to remain in Nassau when they retire. They will become the “somewhere to go” and “something to do” for both residents and visitors.

At the same time, they will reinforce the single-family suburban landscape that exists throughout the County by directing growth to defined centers. Concentrating commercial growth and medium density housing within Cool Downtowns will protect against out-of-scale development in other parts of Nassau and increases in traffic from additional scattered development. It will also provide developers with a clear understanding of where growth is desired and appropriate.

Downtown Freeport

Downtown Westbury

Downtown Glen Cove

Downtown Long Beach

Rockville Centre

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

RXR Plaza

Rendering of the Lighthouse at Long Island in the Nassau Hub

Museum Row

Nassau County Community College

Nassau Veterans Coliseum

Megaprojects Another key location for growth under the vision for New Suburbia is within County identified mega projects. These large-scale projects include the Hub, 105 acres at Bethpage, Belmont, and the Glen Cove waterfront. Megaprojects present opportunities for Nassau to generate significant jobs and tax revenues in concentrated locations.

Nassau Hub The megaproject with the greatest potential to generate jobs and tax revenues is the Nassau Hub. The Hub is envisioned as a large-scale mixed-use district that ties together a variety of assets within the center of Nassau that are currently disconnected.

The idea of the Hub is not new. In its Second Regional Plan (1969) Regional Plan Association endorsed the idea of a center for Nassau around which the county could organize growth, attract jobs and reduce auto-dependency.

Today, the area defined as the Hub includes a number of disparate uses with few connections to one another, including Nassau Veterans Coliseum, Nassau Community College, Museum Row, Roosevelt Field Mall and RXR Plaza. This concentration of

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uses within relatively close proximity to one another in a central location within the County, combined with a significant piece of underutilized land adjacent to the Nassau Coliseum, presents an opportunity to create a central destination for Nassau and grow the County’s economy.

A private developer is currently proposing redevelopment of the Coliseum areathe Lighthouse at Long Island- for a mix of uses including high density residential towers, hotels, a sports complex and sports technology center, convention center and office buildings, as well as a pedestrian amenities. This project has the potential to be the catalyst needed to create a central destination for Nassau County. The key to unlocking the Hub’s potential will be to create transit connections and more inviting pedestrian connections both to the Hub and between destinations within the Hub area (see Figure 1-13).

Other Megaprojects The former 105-acre Northrop Grumman manufacturing facility at Bethpage presents a significant opportunity for the development of a high technology, high skilled lifestyle campus. In both Belmont and the Glen Cove waterfront there are opportunities for significant mixed use development that will create new jobs, generate additional tax revenue and bolster economic development in the surrounding communities.

105 Acres at Bethpage

Rendering of Glen Cove Waterfront

Belmont Park

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

Figure 1-13. Emerald Ribbon/Golden Thread “Emerald Ribbon” Connecting the Cultural/Education/Recreational Nodes “Golden Thread” Connection the Commercial/Retail Nodes Proposed Transit Alignment 1/4 Mile Radius

Underperforming Strip Malls While New Suburbia is based on the concept of centers, revitalization of underperforming strip malls, which are one of the hallmarks of suburban sprawl, is also an important piece of the vision for a sustainable suburban future. The impact of the recession on Nassau’s retail centers is clearly visible with large retailers from Fortunoff to Circuit City closing their doors and leaving large, empty big-boxes.

Even those retailers whose doors remain open are consolidating their stores, creating vacancies along Nassau’s commercial strips. These closures as well as an overall decrease in consumer spending have had a significant negative impact on Nassau’s sales tax revenues, which now lag behind those of Suffolk County.

While vacant big box stores and their expansive parking lots are the consequence of unbridled auto-oriented retail growth, they present a significant opportunity for development within Nassau’s largely built-out landscape. They also provide an opportunity to enhance the visual landscape of the County’s commercial corridors such as Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway. With thoughtful design these roadways can be transformed into attractive mixed-use districts with next generation and senior housing, pedestrian-oriented commercial uses, and connections to public transportation and downtown areas.

– John Cameron, Chairman, Long Island Regional Planning Council

Village of Hempstead Source: New York Times

Source: Nassau Hub Major Investment Study (MIS), 2006

“We’re going to have to think outside the box – outside the big box. It behooves local zoning authorities…to look at alternative developments rather than let these properties lie fallow” 7

Economic Investment in Underserved Communities In addition to outlining specific areas for growth, New Suburbia also recognizes underserved communities throughout the County that are in need of economic investment. These areas lack basic services such as banks and supermarkets and suffer from disinvestment relative to the balance of Nassau. They also have struggling school systems with poor academic performance which perpetuate the cycle Roosevelt of poverty in these areas. The vision for New Suburbia calls for investment in these areas consistent with locally defined community-based planning and economic development goals. This includes enhancing access to community and social services and improving schools in order to meet the needs of local residents, generate 7 Lambert, Bruce, Once Robust, Retail Scene on the Island is Smarting, New York Times, economic opportunity, and increase property values.

May 10, 2009.

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Solution #2: Support and Promote Industries

Nassau must capitalize on opportunities to expand employment in: • • • • • • •

Education Healthcare Leisure and hospitality Technology Information services Finance Sports, entertainment and tourism

Hofstra University

Industry is the engine of Nassau’s economy. High paying, high skilled jobs are essential to the sustainability of the County’s tax base, its housing market and its competitive advantage as a place to live in region. While New York City continues to play a significant role as an employment center for county residents, a strong local employment base is crucial to Nassau’s viability into the future. Key to this is growing jobs in Nassau’s already expanding education, healthcare, leisure and hospitality industries and seeking new opportunities in the technology, information services and finance sectors.

In addition, the County should seek to capitalize on the variety of sports, entertainment and tourism opportunities in Nassau. This will have multiple benefits including furthering job growth in the leisure and hospitality industries; stimulating local economies and increasing tax revenues via dollars spent at entertainment venues as well as restaurants and retail stores in their proximity; and enhancing the county’s appeal to young people.

Encouraging next generation and senior housing is essential if Nassau County wants to retain young people and its growing senior population. Diversification of housing choice is necessary in order to address the housing needs of these populations who may not need or want to live in single family homes. Providing opportunities for lifelong Nassau residents to remain in Nassau when they retire as well as housing types attractive to young people will increase property tax revenues as well as retail spending which will strengthen the County’s tax base, thereby helping to lower taxes.

North Shore – Long Island Jewish Hospital

Cold Spring Harbor Labs

20

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Hempstead Intermodal Center

Long Beach Intermodal Center

Mineola Intermodal Center

Solution #3: Invest in Infrastructure Improvements A strong infrastructure is fundamental to the County’s stability and growth. The quality and efficiency of the County’s roadways, alternative transportation systems, power facilities and school systems will have a major impact on Nassau’s ability to achieve a sustainable future. The vision for New Suburbia seeks to reduce traffic congestion, as well as carbon emissions, with a set of integrated solutions that improve the capacity of existing roadways and increase the accessibility and attractiveness of public transportation.

One of the key benefits of New Suburbia’s emphasis on growth in Cool Downtowns, the Hub and in megaprojects is a reduction in local vehicular trips as people “park once” and walk to multiple destinations or walk to work and shopping from new residences in downtowns. Improvements to the public transportation network including rail and bus service are necessary to support this center-oriented growth and enhance transit access to these destinations. At the same time New Suburbia calls for additional travel efficiencies, for example, looking at the potential for converting the existing HOV lane on the Long Island Expressway into a “smart/green lane” over the course of the next decade. These lanes can be dedicated for fuel efficient, non polluting vehicles and in the future may be utilized by vehicles with intelligent cruise control or other new green technology that will allow vehicles to travel closer together resulting in more efficient utilization of the existing road system and increased roadway capacity.

The quality and efficiency of the County’s roadways, alternative transportation systems, power facilities and school systems will have a major impact on Nassau’s ability to achieve a sustainable future.

New Suburbia’s vision for greener roadways also includes enhancing the visual environment of Nassau’s arterials. Adding trees and plantings to the County’s commercial corridors will beautify largely concrete landscapes and reduce CO2 from auto emissions.

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Targeting growth to Cool Downtowns, megaprojects and underperforming strip malls directs development away from single family neighborhoods and alleviates development pressure on greenfields, protecting open space.

The idea of a greener Nassau applies to all aspects of New Suburbia. In order for Nassau to become a sustainable 21st Century suburban community, growth in Cool Downtowns, the Hub and megaprojects and strip commercial centers must be “green.” Trees must be planted along sidewalks and within parking areas and new construction and retrofits of existing buildings must be energy efficient.

A final component of Nassau’s infrastructure that New Suburbia seeks to address is struggling school districts. While Nassau County is known for the quality of its public schools, there are several communities where schools significantly underperform. In Hempstead and Roosevelt – communities where over ten percent of the population lives below the poverty line – the public schools are not in “good standing” per federal and state requirements. Poor performance and low graduation rates at these schools have a significant negative impact on the academic potential of students in these areas. A quality education is the foundation of economic opportunity; its absence perpetuates the cycle of poverty in Nassau’s poorer communities. A key element to addressing pockets of poverty in Nassau is improving schools in poor districts. Improving existing public schools is essential to attracting new residential and commercial investment, enhancing property values and improving the tax base.

Solution #4: Protect and Enhance the 90%: Single Family Neighborhoods, Waterfronts, Open Spaces, and Historic and Scenic Resources The counterpoint to focusing growth in 10% of the County is that the remaining 90% of Nassau, which includes its single family neighborhoods, waterfronts, open spaces and historic and scenic resources, should be protected and enhanced.

Directing growth to Cool Downtowns, megaprojects and underperforming strip malls directs development away from single family neighborhoods and alleviates development pressure on greenfields, protecting open space.

Levittown

It allows Nassau County to meet the critical goal of increasing tax revenues by generating additional property taxes from new commercial and residential development in identified growth areas that do not infringe on single family neighborhoods. Reducing the property tax burden on all Nassau homeowners is critical to protecting the quality of life that residents cherish. At the same time, protecting and enhancing Nassau’s scenic, historic, and open space assets will strengthen the tax base by increasing property values on adjacent uses and attracting tourism dollars.

Sands Point Preserve

Bike path along Wantagh Parkway

Village of Roslyn

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

Nickerson Beach

Downtown Long Beach

Eisenhower Park

Garden City

Nautical Mile, Freeport

G. New Suburbia: The 90/10 Solution The vision for New Suburbia is a “90/10 Solution.” Fix those things that need fixing and retain those things that make Nassau County a great place to live. Protect and enhance existing assets, while decreasing taxes and increasing employment and housing opportunities.

The vision for New Suburbia is a “90/10 Solution.” Fix those things that need fixing and retain those things that make Nassau County a great place to live.

While this solution may seem simple, implementing it will require Nassau residents and their local governments to overcome fear of change and embrace the opportunities now before them. Adhering to the old rhetoric that change can only be bad for Nassau and that downtown development will result in “Queensification”, will prevent the county from addressing the real issues it now faces and attaining a healthier, more sustainable future. In the face of an uncertain future where property taxes continue to rise and threaten residents’ quality of life now is the time for action.

In the face of an uncertain future where property taxes continue to rise and threaten residents’ quality of life now is the time for action.

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24

Chapter 2 People and Housing: Who We Are and Where We Live Following World War II, Nassau County provided the opportunity for former city dwellers to realize the American Dream. Returning veterans and their families and many others were able to purchase single-family homes with their own backyards. They enjoyed abundant parks and great schools as well as access to excellent health care services.

Today, many things remain much the same. The schools, hospitals and parks remain excellent resources and the majority of housing stock is single-family with a yard and garage. Much of the original suburban population remains, parents aging in place in their family homes with their children nearby.

Source: NY Times

There are small differences, however, that have changed the overall character of the County over the past 30 years. Families just starting out can no longer afford a single family home due to high cost of real estate, which is compounded by skyrocketing taxes. Most households now have more than one car, contributing to traffic congestion. In addition, lifestyles have changed; people no longer marry and start having children in their early 20s and when they do, they have fewer children at a later age. Young adults instead choose to live in proximity to entertainment and culture venues, choosing lifestyle over security.

As long-time residents age, difficulties arise. The family home may simply be too large for them when their children are gone, or maintaining the property too difficult or expensive. Driving may no longer be possible. If seniors are unable to move in with nearby children or grandchildren or find more size-appropriate housing, they will leave Nassau County to be nearer their families or move to communities with other mature adults such as those in Florida, Arizona and other Sunbelt states. They may even move back to New York City to be near doctors and other services when they can no longer drive. At the same time, young people in Nassau also face housing issues. Opportunities to rent an apartment or purchase an affordable condominium or townhouse are few. Those who wish to purchase a single family home in the community where they grew up may not be able to do afford to so due to the high cost of housing in Nassau.

A. People In 2005, Nassau County’s total population was 1,334,794, representing 47.4 percent of Long Island’s total population. After experiencing a population decline of approximately 90,000 from 1970-2005, Nassau is expected to gain residents between the years 2010 and 2030.

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25

1. Population Change In Nassau County Population change in Nassau County has become an increasingly debated issue.

According to the Census Bureau, population has experienced a slight decline from 2000 to 2005; however, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) estimates indicate it has continued to rise, albeit slowly over the last 10 years. In 2007, the County successfully challenged the Census Bureau’s population estimates. The results, which are in line with the NYMTC estimates, fall between the original Census and LIPA numbers. NYMTC forecasts a continued increase in the long term due primarily to changes in demographic makeup (see Figure 2-1).

Figure 2-1. Nassau County Population Trends: 1950 - 2030

1,500,000

Population

1,300,000

1,100,000

900,000

700,000

500,000

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

Young Adults and the Elderly As is the case throughout the country, Nassau’s elderly population is increasing in both actual numbers and share of population straining the resources of federal, state and local governments. In addition, the trend of starting families later in life and having fewer children means the working population is not being replaced as quickly as it was in the past by a younger, working population. These trends are compounded in Nassau County because young adults are not returning home after college.

The challenges posed by the age shift include potential labor shortages, as well as shortages in revenues to support pension funds and funds for other government services.

Recent history and cohort-survival model forecasts support this premise. Because Nassau was one of the ďŹ rst fully established suburbs, even in 1970, a sizeable share of the population was older working age, with the largest working-age cohort being 45-49 (see Figure 2-2). However, this older working population was offset by the largest age cohorts being children ages 5 to 19. The elderly were a very small portion of the population. Supporting both of these dependent population segments was a robust working age segment: almost 550,000 Nassau residents were between the ages of 25 and 54.

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

Figure 2-2. Nassau County Population by Age and Sex: 1970

Male Female

85 & Over 80 - 84 75 - 79 70 - 74 65 - 69 60 - 64 55 - 59 50 - 54 45 - 49 40 - 44 35 - 39 30 - 34 25 - 29 20 - 24 15 - 19 10 - 14 5-9 Under 5 100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

In 2005, the largest age cohort for both sexes in Nassau County was 45 to 49 years of age (54,545 males and 52,800 females). As shown on Figure 2-3, the population pyramid for 2005 is attening, although skewed toward a substantial middle aged population, along with a sizable under-19 population. Young adults ages 20 to 34 make up the smallest segments of the population. The 35-39 and 40-44 segments have contracted. This loss in share of the younger portion of the working age population is a danger sign for Nassau County as the older working population ages and enters retirement because in the future there will be a smaller working age population to support a larger retired population.

Figure 2-3. Nassau County Population by Age and Sex 2005

Male Female

85 & Over 80 - 84 75 - 79 70 - 74 65 - 69 60 - 64 55 - 59 50 - 54 45 - 49 40 - 44 35 - 39 30 - 34 25 - 29 20 - 24 15 - 19 10 - 14 5-9 Under 5 100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

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As shown in Figure 2-4, the population forecast for Nassau County in 2020 shows the population divided into roughly equal age cohorts, albeit with relatively fewer residents above the age of 60.

Figure 2-4. Nassau County Population by Age and Sex 2020

Male Female

85 & Over 80 - 84 75 - 79 70 - 74 65 - 69 60 - 64 55 - 59 50 - 54 45 - 49 40 - 44 35 - 39 30 - 34 25 - 29 20 - 24 15 - 19 10 - 14 5-9 Under 5 100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

As shown in Figure 2-5, by 2030 the population pyramid shows population growth in almost every cohort, but remains stationary. The 2030 forecasts show that the workforce will increase, however, as will the dependent cohorts, the very young and, of more concern, the very old (see Figure 2-6).

Figure 2-5. Nassau County Population by Age and Sex 2030

Male Female

85 & Over 80 - 84 75 - 79 70 - 74 65 - 69 60 - 64 55 - 59 50 - 54 45 - 49 40 - 44 35 - 39 30 - 34 25 - 29 20 - 24 15 - 19 10 - 14 5-9 Under 5 100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

20,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Figure 2-6. Nassau County Working vs.

Dependent Populations: 2000-2030

Working Age Dependant Populations (Elderly and Children

800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0

2000

2005

2010

2020

2030

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

What does this mean for Nassau County?

The stationary population pyramid signifies several things that have economic and fiscal impacts on Nassau County residents.

• Fewer working people also signify less disposable income, lower retail sales and fewer sales tax revenues for centralized service provision.

• Nationwide, a smaller share of working-age people will be contributing payroll taxes to support social security and private pensions, thus pensions must shrink further limiting disposable income.

• Fewer families looking for single family homes, and a subsequent decrease in value of existing homes.

• More persons over 70 signify higher elder-care costs. Either working children of elderly parents will be providing services to supplement elders’ income, or the County and municipalities will be paying for additional services.

• A potential labor force shortage, especially in the health care and service industries.

Middle Class Out-Migration Net migration describes the number of people who are expected to move into an area minus the number of people expected to move away from that same area.

In Nassau County from 2000 through 2020 net migration trends show people moving away from Nassau (see Table 2-1). From 2020 through 2030 this trend is expected to shift with greater numbers of people moving into the County. This is due to an expected increase in young families as the echo boom generation (the children of baby boomers) establish their families, albeit at an older age than their parents’ generation.

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Table 2-1. Nassau County Net Migration by Age, All Races: 2000-2030 Age Under 5 5-9 10 - 14 15 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 - 69 70 - 74 75 - 79 80 - 84 85 & Over Total

20002005 (5,707) (876) (942) (2,024) (6,203) (6,314) (113) 889 1,086 1,549 435 789 (145) (3,581) (3,483) (584) (846) (5,219) (31,288)

20052010 (1,421) 6,901 4,743 (2,895) (10,253) (4,017) 5,668 10,056 4,321 (2,282) 1,536 (3,487) (5,320) (4,481) (663) 1,122 (415) (4,697) (5,584)

20102015 (1,533) 7,272 5,971 (2,110) (9,462) (4,762) 5,528 10,052 4,107 (2,595) 885 (4,580) (6,430) (5,373) (747) 1,197 (347) (5,244) (8,172)

20152020 (1,665) 7,936 6,576 (461) (9,460) (4,738) 4,680 9,958 3,232 (2,817) (395) (5,549) (8,386) (5,386) (841) 1,483 (336) (5,201) (11,370)

20202025 (1,765) 8,462 7,276 1,359 (5,855) (1,623) 7,565 12,472 5,187 (222) 2,117 (2,213) (4,955) (5,740) (818) 1,931 (392) (5,282) 17,504

20252030 (1,964) 9,166 7,803 2,101 (3,699) (536) 7,313 12,600 5,012 (1,166) 1,759 (1,882) (4,409) (5,321) (794) 2,040 (451) (5,900) 21,672

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

The net migration measured between 2000 and 2005 was negative 31,288 persons. Forecasts for the next fifteen years show lower rates of net out-migration.

These rates are low enough to be balanced by natural increase as is reflected in the overall population increase in the county. It is interesting to note that in the next fifteen years more adults ages 30-44 and children ages 5-14 will enter the County than will leave it. This is due to an expected increase in young families as the echo boom generation begins to raise its families in Nassau.

The younger working age groups are of particular interest to the future of Nassau County. As shown in Figure 2-7, there was an overall out-migration of all three young adult cohorts 20-24, 25-29 and 30-34 between 2000 and 2005. In the first three forecast periods, the 20-24 and 25-29 cohorts continue to decrease by roughly 14,000 persons every five years in the near term and continue to decline in the long term.

Figure 2-7. Net In / Out Migration by Age Group, All Races / Sexes: 2000-2030 20-24

25-29

30-34

8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 (2,000) (4,000) (6,000) (8,000) (10,000) (12,000)

2000-05

2005-10

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

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2010-15

2015-20

2020-25

2025-30

An almost constant share of Nassau children have stayed within the County through adulthood since the 1970s. As families today generally have fewer children than they did in the past, however, the number of young adults in the County will continue to decrease, lessening demand for existing housing stock. Some of those who move away for their young adult years may return when they start families, but others may choose to remain closer to their employment centers.

What does this mean for Nassau County? If no way is found to attract younger people to Nassau County, the demand for existing housing stock will decline, while at the same time more and more long-time residents will be selling.

Long Term Forecasts by Race & Ethnicity White Non-Hispanics remain the majority of Nassau’s population according to the county population forecasts, however larger and larger shares will be minority populations: Black, Asian/Other and Hispanic (see Figure 2-8).

Figure 2-8. Nassau County Population

by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000-2030

White Black Asian/Other Hispanic

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

Population

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

White

986,378

937,423

884,977

828,099

770,252

729,189

687,079

Black

129,003

144,672

158,217

172,444

185,360

200,905

216,535

86,122

94,120

113,790

136,294

160,406

189,990

222,475

133,041

155,405

182,930

212,248

242,000

279,037

320,601

Asian/Other Hispanic Total

1,336,575 1,331,620 1,339,914 1,349,085 1,358,018 1,399,121 1,446,689

Chart 3-7: Nassau County Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000-2030

As the most deeply-rooted minority group in Nassau County, the Black population is expected to slowly increase through 2030. Nassau’s Hispanic population exceeded the Black population in 2005 and is expected to almost double by 2020. The Asian/Other population, although it remains the smallest throughout the forecast period, will increase the fastest, growing from 86,000 in 2000 to 160,000 in 2020 and is expected to be larger than the Black population by 2030.

What does this mean for Nassau County?

A diversifying Nassau presents opportunities for both commercial and residential development to accommodate these growing population groups.

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2. Labor Force Transformation Nassau County’s labor force totaled just over 694,000 in 2005. It is projected to moderately increase by 4.0 percent and reach 750,000 by 2030. The following subsections describe the characteristics of the County’s labor force and future trends.

Changes in Participation, Composition & Unemployment The New York State Department of Labor estimates that the 2008 average annual unemployment rate for Nassau County was 4.7 percent1. Data for the first quarter of 2009 indicate higher rates, including a 6.8 percent unemployment rate for May. After recovery from the current recession, the County unemployment rate is expected to level off to 3.8 percent by 2015 and hold steady at that rate through 2030.

Labor force participation rate forecasts by race to the year 2030 indicate relatively slight increases for each race, with the exception of whites (see Table 2-2). Whites historically have lower participation rates in Nassau County due to the prevalence of stay-at-home mothers. As participation decreases further, it is likely due to increased shares of the white population reaching retirement age.

Table 2-2. Nassau County Labor Force Participation Rates by Race: 2000 – 2020 Race White Black Asian Hispanic

2000 61.3% 64.3% 64.0% 70.6%

2005 63.0% 66.5% 75.6% 75.0%

2010 64.0% 67.4% 75.9% 75.6%

2015 64.2% 67.9% 76.1% 76.8%

2020 62.8% 67.0% 75.4% 76.3%

2025 61.2% 67.2% 73.2% 75.2%

2030 59.5% 66.7% 71.3% 74.5%

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

Trends in Education, Occupations & Earnings Nassau County’s economic quality of life has been historically tied to its good education system and supply of well-paying jobs. Nearly 90 percent of residents age 25 and over in 2007 held at least a high school diploma, while a full 40 percent of this cohort hold a 4-year college degree or higher.

Nassau County is home to 13 colleges and universities, enrolling nearly 78,000 students, according to 2005 estimates. By 2030, these institutions are projected to enroll over 86,000 students.

Nassau County’s residents work in a diverse number of occupations, with the majority employed in management, professional, service and sales positions (see Table 2-3). The County’s employment trends mirror national level shifts toward a service and information sector economy. Management and service jobs saw moderate growth between 2000 and 2007, while residents employed in production and manufacturing jobs saw a decline of approximately 10 percent (see Figure 2-9). Construction jobs saw a slight increase of 2.6 percent; this data likely does not reflect the recent downturn in the housing and building markets.

1 http://www.labor.state.ny.us/ workforceindustrydata/laus.asp

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Table 2-3. Nassau County Resident Occupations: 2000 – 2007

Occupation Civilian employed population 16 years and over (TOTAL) Management, professional, and related occupations Service occupations Sales and office occupations Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations Construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

2000-2007 Change

2000-2007 percent change

2000

Share

2007

Share

631,188

100.0%

633,359

100.0%

2,171

0.3%

258,582 86,282 192,016 487

41.0% 13.7% 30.4% 0.1%

267,203 92,283 183,637 379

42.2% 14.6% 29.0% 0.1%

8,621 6,001 (8,379) (108)

3.3% 7.0% (4.4%) (22.2%)

44,353

7.0%

45,516

7.2%

1,163

2.6%

49,468

7.8%

44,341

7.0%

(5,127)

(10.4%)

Source: US Census: 2000 SF3 and 2007 ACS

Figure 2-9. Nassau County Resident Occupations: Change 2000 – 2007 10,000

Change In Resident Employment

8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 (2,000) (4,000) (6,000) (8,000) (10,000)

Management, Total Professional, Employed Population Age and Related Occupations 16 and Up

Service Occupations

Sales and Office Occupations

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

Construction, Production, Extraction, Transportation, Maintenance and Material and Repair Moving Occupations Occupations

Source: US Census: 2000 SF3 and 2007 ACS

The County’s mean household income for 2005 was estimated to be $106,595, while the median was estimated at $80,293 (see Table 2-4). Adjusted for inflation at a compounded annual average of 2.6 percent, the NYMTC forecasts show a rise in average household income to $171,000 by 2030. There are no available forecasts of median income.

Table 2-4. Nassau County Average Household Income in Real Dollars: 2005-2030

Average Household Income ($)

2005

2010

2015

2020

106,595

110,519

125,921

139,338

2025

2030

154,729 171,281

Source: NYMTC 2035 Forecasts/Urbanomics

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Attributes of the Future Labor Force Supply As the County’s population continues to age, the future labor force will continue to shift to a greater share of older workers. Table 2-5 shows the forecasted shares of the County’s labor force by age.

Table 2-5. Nassau County Labor Force Shares by Age: 2000 – 2030 Age 16-19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 & Over Total Labor Force

2000 3.5% 7.7% 20.2% 27.7% 24.9% 12.2% 3.8% 677,900

2005 4.1% 8.3% 16.2% 24.9% 26.4% 15.3% 2.4% 694,600

2010 3.7% 8.5% 17.0% 21.0% 26.6% 17.1% 3.1% 715,340

2015 3.3% 8.4% 18.6% 19.1% 24.0% 18.6% 4.1% 724,844

2020 3.3% 8.1% 19.3% 20.0% 20.8% 19.3% 4.5% 722,122

2025 3.2% 8.8% 19.4% 21.8% 19.4% 17.4% 4.9% 737,303

2030 3.3% 8.5% 19.9% 22.6% 20.3% 15.2% 4.5% 750,460

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

By the year 2030, the percentage of workers age 55-64 will increase to 15.2 percent, while the age cohort 65 and over will increase to 4.5 percent. The labor force will also become more diverse, with a greater share of Black, Hispanic and Asian workers, and a corresponding decrease in the share of white workers, as shown in Figure 2-10.

Figure 2-10.

Nassau County Total Labor Force by Race: 2000 – 2030

White Black Asian/Other Hispanic

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000 0

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

What does this mean for Nassau County?

Nassau’s labor force is projected to become increasingly diverse, with a greater share of over-55 workers. Structural changes in the U.S. economy, in addition to longer life expectancies, will keep residents in the workforce into what was once considered retirement age. The county’s employment base will have to keep pace with the demand for jobs for this maturing and diversifying workforce, and must continue to add jobs in the well-paying service sector, medical and technology fields.

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3.Trends In Household Formation Household formation trends over the past eight years verify the population forecasts. Recent Census data suggests that the ideal of a married couple family is no longer a given attribute of suburbia: a greater diversity of households and household types now call Nassau home. As shown in Table 2-6, throughout the county there is a greater share of non-family households.

Table 2-6. Household Formation by Type and Tenure: 2000 and 2007 Nassau County, New York 2000

Family households:

Hempstead town

Long Beach city

N. Hempstead town

2007

2000

2007

2000

2007

2000

2007

2000

2007

80.2% 76.6%

70.8%

65.6%

80.9%

77.8%

57.6%

54.2%

78.3%

75.0%

Married-couple family: 65.8%

Oyster Bay town 2000

2007

84.0% 79.6%

62.0%

54.3%

47.9%

64.7%

60.6%

42.4%

41.8%

66.8%

63.4%

72.2%

68.6%

91.4%

79.7%

74.5%

94.9%

91.6%

71.0%

74.6%

90.8%

90.0%

98.0%

94.7%

12.0%

8.6%

33.7%

25.5%

11.9%

8.4%

30.5%

25.4%

14.5%

10.0%

7.3%

5.3%

14.4%

14.7%

16.5%

17.7%

16.2%

17.2%

15.3%

12.5%

11.6%

11.6%

11.8%

11.0%

3.7%

3.9%

4.2%

5.6%

4.1%

4.7%

3.5%

2.8%

2.9%

3.1%

3.2%

2.7%

Owner-occupied

94.1%

Renter-occupied Other family:

Glen Cove city

Male householder, no wife present: Owner-occupied

66.1%

74.7%

31.2%

44.9%

62.4%

73.2%

56.6%

77.5%

68.7%

72.8%

88.1%

88.2%

Renter-occupied

26.7%

25.3%

43.6%

55.1%

24.5%

26.8%

68.7%

22.5%

26.6%

27.2%

26.6%

11.8%

Female householder, no husband present: 10.8%

10.7%

12.3%

12.1%

12.1%

12.5%

11.8%

9.7%

8.7%

8.5%

8.6%

8.2%

Owner-occupied

69.7%

70.9%

41.0%

45.5%

67.4%

70.1%

52.9%

46.6%

71.3%

64.1%

83.9%

87.3%

Renter-occupied

30.3%

29.1%

60.4%

54.5%

29.9%

29.9%

68.7%

53.4%

30.3%

35.9%

21.1%

12.7%

22.6%

23.4%

29.0%

34.4%

21.6%

22.2%

47.5%

45.8%

24.2%

25.0%

19.5%

20.4%

Owner-occupied

60.3%

66.0%

39.2%

53.5%

62.4%

67.7%

43.1%

46.3%

58.7%

63.7%

65.5%

72.2%

Renter-occupied

36.3%

34.0%

45.3%

46.5%

34.6%

32.3%

60.6%

53.7%

37.9%

36.3%

29.8%

27.8%

Share Owners

80.3%

82.6%

58.5%

62.1%

80.7%

82.8%

53.4%

59.0%

78.5%

80.7%

86.9%

89.3%

Share Renters

19.7% 17.4%

41.5%

37.9%

19.3%

17.2%

46.6%

41.0%

21.5%

19.3%

13.1% 10.7%

Nonfamily households:

Source: US Census 2000 SF3; American Community Survey

In addition, family households are less likely to be married couple families and more likely to be single parent families. The 2007 share of married couple families declined to 62 percent of all households, down from 65.8 percent in 2000. Overall, 2007 County-wide data shows that 14.7 percent of households are headed by a single parent.

According to the Census, nonfamily households and single parent families are more likely to rent than married couple households. While just 8.6 percent of married couple families reside in rental units, 34 percent of nonfamily households do so. For the County as a whole, in 2007, 25.3 percent of households headed by single males were renters and 29.1 percent of households headed by single females were renters.

Empty Nesters & Seniors: The Aging of Existing Households As householders age and children leave the home, the County’s household structure takes on a different character, one that is often far removed from the 1950s suburban archetype of a nuclear family with two or more children. The 2007 ACS reported over 87,000 single-person households in Nassau County, for a full 20 percent of total households. Nearly 43,000, or 9.8 percent, of the County’s households were headed by a resident over the age of 65. Regarding aging households, nearly one third, or 32.3 percent of all households receive Social Security income in Nassau.

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Smaller Households & Minority Household Formation As shown in Table 2-7, Nassau County’s average household size in 2000 was 2.93, and slightly increased to 2.97 by 2007. This is a significant decline from 1970, when the County’s average household size peaked at 3.52. With an increasing elderly and decreasing younger population, households tend to have fewer children, thus reducing the average size.

Table 2-7. Nassau Average Household Size: Historic and Forecast: 1970 - 2030

Average

1970 1980 3.52 3.08

1990 2.94

2000 2005 2010 2.93 2.99 2.98

2015 2.99

2020 3.00

2025 3.03

2030 3.07

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

Average household size is expected to moderate and rebound to reach 3.07 by 2030 due largely to increasing shares of immigrant and minority households.

Hispanic-headed households are forecast to increase by nearly 64 percent between 2005 and 2020, while Asian-headed households will increase by over 75 percent.

Households of both groups will more than double by 2030 (see Figure 2-11).

Figure 2-11. Households by Race/Ethnicity of Head of Householder: 2000 – 2030

Total Households Hispanic White Black Asian/Other

500,000 450,000

Number of Households

400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Source: Urbanomics / NYMTC Forecast

Changes in Household Income Structure In 2007, Nassau County’s median household income was $87,658. Over half, or 58 percent of County households report an income of $75,000 or greater, indicative of a large, stable, middle-class population (see Figure 2-12). The greatest share, 21.5 percent, of households report incomes between $100,000 and $149,000; however, 3.2 percent, or 14,000 households, earn less than $10,000 per year (see Table 2-8).

Overall, 6.2 percent of households earn less than $15,000 per year, indicating that small concentrations of low income households exist in the County.

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Figure 2-12. Nassau County Household Income Structure: 2007 100,000 90,000

Number of Households

80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

Less than $10,000

$10,000 to $14,999

$15,000 to $24,999

$25,000 to $34,999

$35,000 $50,000 $75,000 to to to $49,999 $74,999 $99,999 Income Range (2007)

$100,000 $150,000 $200,000 to to or more $149,999 $199,999

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

Table 2-8. Nassau County Household Income Structure: 2007

Total households Less than $10,000 $10,000 to $14,999 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $149,999 $150,000 to $199,999 $200,000 or more

Number of Households 434,063 14,000 12,726 24,705 22,961 41,034 66,981 56,562 93,178 47,714 54,202

Percent of Households 100.0% 3.2% 2.9% 5.7% 5.3% 9.5% 15.4% 13.0% 21.5% 11.0% 12.5%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

What does this mean for Nassau County?

An increasing number of households, including both smaller household size headed by seniors and larger households comprised of minority residents, will pose challenges and opportunities for Nassau County over the next twenty years.

In addition, household formation indicates that young working age adults, a group that the County is desirous of attracting, prefer rental housing.

To respond to these challenges, the County will encourage both adequate and appropriate housing developments and the provision of necessary public and private services to preserve the County’s quality of life. As the County’s households diversify in size, age and composition, diverse housing opportunities will likewise be required. Partnering with educational institutions and large employers, especially those in technology and healthcare, to focus on the housing needs of their students and employees and focusing the responding development in Cool Downtowns is a smart way to ensure development meets these needs and does not further tax the County’s infrastructure.

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B. Housing Figure 2-13.

Nassau County Housing Stock

by Tenure: 2007

Renter-Occupied 74,852 17%

Owner-Occupied 359,211 83%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

The housing supply in Nassau County is predominantly single family units.

Although some multi-family developments have been constructed in recent years, they number only 20.4 percent of all housing, according to 2007 ACS estimates.

Concerns about multi-family and rental housing are that they will contribute to traffic and devalue existing real estate. Intelligent site selection for renter and owner multi-unit development, in downtowns and near transportation hubs, will negate both the need for multiple cars per household and add vibrancy to downtowns, increase the tax base and attract working age residents back to Long Island.

Drawing renters to Nassau County establishes a resident population who, when ready to buy a home, will likely want to stay in Nassau County.

1.Existing Housing Supply & Production Nassau County’s housing supply and production must keep pace with and adapt to changing demographics and household composition. The following subsections highlight the characteristics and trends of the County’s housing market.

Stock by Owner/Renter, Structure Type & Area Density As shown in Figure 2-13, nearly 83 percent of Nassau’s housing stock is owneroccupied, accounting for 360,000 of the County’s 434,000 occupied units. Rental units comprise 17 percent of the County total.

The distribution of the County’s housing stock by type is shown in Table 2-9.

Table 2-9. Nassau County Housing Structure Types: 2007 Units in Structure 1-unit, detached 1-unit, attached 2 units 3 or 4 units 5 to 9 units 10 to 19 units 20 or more units Mobile home Total housing units

Number 351,213 10,796 35,140 10,694 7,003 8,705 34,264 762 458,577

Percent 76.8% 2.6% 7.5% 2.0% 1.5% 1.8% 7.6% 0.2% 100.0%

Source: US Census American Community Survey 2007

By far, detached single-family dwellings dominate Nassau’s housing stock. This statistic is indicative of the postwar trend that shaped the geography of suburbia, where thousands of one-family homes, many on quarter-acre lots, provided housing to many growing families.

Patterns of housing density are useful in understanding Nassau’s housing stock distribution. Older, “first-ring” suburbs, such as Hempstead, Valley Stream and Lynbrook, contain higher units per acre. Higher density is also found in some of the County’s downtowns, such as Great Neck Plaza, Long Beach and Glen Cove. These downtowns also contain a higher percentage of rental units, as shown in Table 2-6.

The City of Long Beach contains the County’s highest density Census tract, at 27.3 units per acre, whereas many North Shore communities reflect their former use 38

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as home to the great North Shore Estates. As shown in Figure 2-14, many of the South Shore suburbs are built at moderate densities, while the least dense areas are found in the North Shore tracts, specifically in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay. Figure 2-14. Nassau County Housing Unit Density by Census Tract, 2000

Source: US Census 2000 SF1

Over seventy percent of Nassau’s housing stock predates 1960. Table 2-10 illustrates the phenomenal growth in housing production in the years following World War II. More than one-third of the County’s housing stock – 165,000 units - dates from the 1950s. Construction slowed during the 1960s, as evidenced by the comparatively fewer 54,000 units dating from this era. Production continued to decline through the second half of the century as available land became scarcer.

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Table 2-10. Nassau County Existing Housing Supply: Year Structure Built Year Unit Built 2005 or later 2000 to 2004 1990 to 1999 1980 to 1989 1970 to 1979 1960 to 1969 1950 to 1959 1940 to 1949 1939 or earlier Total housing units

Number 5,285 7,204 10,385 19,480 23,547 54,020 165,215 70,861 102,580 458,577

Percent 1.2% 1.6% 2.3% 4.2% 5.1% 11.8% 36.0% 15.5% 22.4% 100.0%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

Market Trends in Sales/Rents, Housing Prices, Occupancy Consistent with regional and national trends, between 2000 through 2005 Nassau’s housing values greatly increased. As shown in Figure 2-15, the County saw median home sales prices nearly double during the five year span. Prices leveled off after 2005, reflecting the overall cooling of the housing market and nationwide economic downturn. The Long Island Index notes that housing prices actually began to decline Island-wide during 2008, reversing the nearly decade-long escalation.2 Figure 2-15. Nassau County Median Home Sales Price $600,000

$500,000

$400,000

$300,000

$200,000

$100,000

0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Source: Long Island Association, Annual Business Fact Book 2008 - 2009

Vacancy rates for owner-occupied housing remained extremely low during 2007, at just 1.3 percent, according to Census estimates. Rental units reported a 5.9 percent vacancy rate. While rental vacancies are much higher than owner-occupied rates, 8 percent vacancy is considered the equilibrium point of supply and demand for a healthy rental housing market. An additional 1,726 units would have to be added to the market in order to reach equilibrium.

2 http://www.longislandindex.org/ housing_affordability0.0.html

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Costs for rental units in Nassau County have likewise escalated, as shown in Table 2-11. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated fair market rents have risen nearly 30 percent from 2005 to 2009 for all unit types.

Table 2-11. Nassau County Fair Market Rents: 2005 and 2009 Estimate

0-bedroom 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom 4-bedroom

2009 Estimate $1,159 $1,339 $1,581 $2,098 $2,286

2005 $898 $1,037 $1,225 $1,625 $1,771

Increase $261 $302 $356 $473 $515

Source: huduser.org

Volume & Cost of New Building: Single Family vs. Apartment According to the Census of Construction, from 2000 to 2008, building permits were granted for 10,594 units in 7,696 buildings in Nassau (see Table 2-12). Almost 70 percent of these units were single family homes, however 2,916 (27.5 percent) were in multifamily structures for 5 or more households. Of the total multi-family unit permits granted, more than one third (1,040 units in 38 buildings) were granted in 2008. As shown in Table 2-12, 2008 was the only year in which multi-family unit permits outnumbered single family unit permits.

Table 2-12. Construction Costs per Unit by Type of Structure

Structure Type Single Family Two Family Three and Four Family3 Five or More Family Average, All Structure Types

2000 243,977 92,839 107,769 118,878

2001 282,373 79,714 37,500 129,946

2002 265,894 62,857 NA 94,874

2003 264,970 87,009 74,363 78,199

Costs/Unit 2004 309,777 93,804 NA 155,676

2005 283,142 97,083 153,024 168,511

2006 266,080 131,484 67,680 181,079

2007 377,277 137,010 61,250 152,287

2008 311,467 161,667 NA 116,012

180,630

243,237

237,916

199,831

250,937

265,459

256,828

354,077

200,924

Source: U.S. Census of Construction 2000 – 2008

Figure 2-16.

Nassau County Construction Costs per Unit Comparison: 2008 350,000 300,000 Cost per Unit

Single family houses are by far the most expensive type of structure to build in terms of costs per unit. While their per-unit cost decreased from $377,000 in 2007 to $311,000 in 2008, multi-unit housing has consistently been less costly to produce (see Figure 2-16). Units in two-family structures cost roughly half what single-family units costs to build in 2008. Construction costs for units in higherdensity multifamily (five units or greater per structure) are even lower, at $116,000 per unit. A range of economic factors can affect construction costs on a year-toyear basis, including, but not limited to, costs of building materials, labor wages, permits, fees and other variable costs.

250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0

3 The low number of housing units produced in three and four family structures results in fluctuating data on a year-by-year basis. Over the nine-year period from 2000-2008, just nine buildings of this type, totaling 33 units, were built County-wide.

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Single Family

Two Family

Five or More Family

Average (All Types)

Unit Type Source: U.S. Census of Construction 2000 – 2008

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2. Demand for Housing Nassau County’s housing demand has changed with the times and will continue to evolve. Whereas in the past, the County was a magnet for families looking for single-family homes to raise children, economic and demographic shifts have altered that depiction. Demand will now focus on the availability of smaller units geared to attract toward younger, unmarried singles and couples, along with a strong need for senior housing.

Household and population forecasts, prepared for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) project an additional 21,000 households for Nassau County over the 20-year period 2010 - 2030. To meet this demand, smart growth principles must be heeded to encourage housing development along transit corridors and adjacent to existing commercial and institutional services, where appropriate.

High Housing Costs Housing costs coupled with taxes are often cited as the main reason that more people don’t move to Nassau County and why residents who grew up in the county move away. The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal defines their housing affordability index as the median value of owner occupied units divided by median household income. A high affordability index results when home values are disproportionately higher than household income. As shown on Table 2-13, in 2007 Nassau County had the third highest affordability index of the four suburban counties studied in DHCR’s 2008 New York City Suburban Region Regional Report.

Table 2-13. New York Suburban County Housing Affordability Index: 2007 County Suffolk County Nassau County Rockland County Westchester County

1990 3.4 3.8 4.1 5.8

2000 2.8 3.3 3.4 4.5

2007 5.4 5.7 6.1 7.5

Source: NYS DHCR 2008 Suburban Region Regional Report

While home values in Nassau County rose nearly 110 percent between 2000 and 2007, median household income increased by a much lower19.3 percent, as shown in Figure 2-17. As home prices begin to level off, the affordability index will correspondingly hold steady, yet remain high.

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Figure 2-17. Nassau County Median Home Value vs. Median Household Income: 2000 – 2007 Nassau County - Median Household Income

600,000

600,000

500,000

500,000

400,000

400,000

300,000

300,000

200,000

200,000

100,000

100,000

0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Median Household Income ($)

Median Home Value ($)

Nassau County - Median Home Value

0

Source: U.S. Census 1990, 2000; American Community Survey 2001 - 2007

Although the affordability index for Nassau County is high, it has been consistently lower than Westchester and Rockland (counties with tax rates comparable to Nassau) and only slightly higher than Suffolk County (see Figure 2-18). This would indicate that affordability is not the primary factor driving families from Nassau County.

Figure 2-18. Affordability Index: NYC Suburban Counties: 2000 – 2007

Nassau County Rockland County Suffolk County Westchester County

9.0 8.0

Affordability Index

7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Source: U.S. Census 1990, 2000; American Community Survey 2001 – 2007

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Single Family Housing Budgets under Pressure: Costs as Percent of Income Exacerbated by the recent foreclosure crisis, housing budgets have come under extreme pressure, particularly for owner-occupied homes. As shown in Table 2-14 and Figure 2-19, 40 percent of homeowners with mortgages pay over 35 percent of their income towards their mortgage. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with realtors and financial planners, use a “rule of thumb” that sets housing costs greater than 30 percent of household income as unaffordable.4 Table 2-14. Nassau County Monthly Owner Costs: 2007 Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a percent of Household Income Owner-occupied units 359,211 Housing unit with a mortgage 232,968 Percent of all Number owner-occupied Less than 20.0 percent 53,902 15.6% 20.0 to 24.9 percent 32,011 8.7% 25.0 to 29.9 percent 29,603 8.4% 30.0 to 34.9 percent 22,599 6.5% 35.0 percent or more 94,618 25.9% Not Computed 235 0.01%

Percent of units with mortgage 23.1% 13.7% 12.7% 9.7% 40.6% 0.01%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

Figure 2-19. Nassau County Owner-Occupied Units with Mortgage, Monthly Housing Costs 2007 100,000

Owner-Occupied Units with Mortgage

90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

Less than 20.0 percent

20.0 to 24.9 percent

25.0 to 29.9 percent

30.0 to 34.9 percent

Percent of Household Income Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007 (235 units not computed are not shown in chart)

4 For a discussion on the adequacy and history of this guideline, see Eggers, Frederick J. and Moumen, Fouad. “Trends in Housing Costs: 1985 -2005 and the 30 Percent of Income Standard.” (2008). http://www. huduser.org/Publications/pdf/Trends_hsg_ costs_85-2005.pdf

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35.0 percent or more

Foreclosures Nassau County saw 4,481 foreclosures of all property types during 2008, a 25.8 percent increase over 2007. The County’s total accounted for a full 9.0 percent of all statewide filings, ranking fourth, behind Queens, Suffolk and Kings (Brooklyn).5 Figure 2-20 shows generalized locations of 2008 foreclosures through the third quarter. High concentrations of foreclosures are found in predominantly minority communities.

Figure 2-20. Nassau County Foreclosures – 2008 Data through 3rd Quarter

Source: Urbanomics Analysis of Public and Private Real Estate Data Sources

To combat the blight of foreclosures, Nassau is using federal economic stimulus money to fund its Neighborhood Stabilization Program.6 The funds, totaling $3.1 million in State and $7.7 in Federal monies, are used for emergency assistance to repair and rehabilitate foreclosed properties in disrepair. After rehabilitation, the units are offered as affordable housing to the County’s low and moderate income residents.

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5 New York State Banking Department: http:// www.banking.state.ny.us/pr090123.htm 6 http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/ economicdevelopment/Docs/PDF/ EconomicDevelopmentSummer2009issueNewsletter2final.pdf

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Need for Rental & Affordable Housing Supply and demand economics dictates that Nassau County’s relatively small supply of rental housing results in greater demand, and thus higher rental costs. 2007 ACS estimates place the County’s median rent at $1,334. However, 37 percent of renters pay more than $1,500 per month for their units.

As with owner-occupied housing, renters also struggle with monthly costs as a percentage of their income. Nearly 44 percent of all household renters in Nassau pay 35 percent or more of their income towards monthly rent. Comparatively, in 2000, this figure was at 31.8 percent of all household renters. In terms of absolute percentages, 15 percent more renter households now pay 35 percent or more of their income towards monthly rent.

Data showing the housing cost burden on young householders is not available, however it may be assumed that persons in their 20s and early 30s are making less than their more established neighbors. Housing cost burdens disproportionally affect households at the lower end of the income scale. As noted in the Draft Nassau County Affordable Housing Study , “most cost burdened households tend to be smaller and younger than the average Nassau County household.” While the County’s median age for household heads is 40, the median age for cost burdened households heads ranges from 31 to 34.

The distribution of rental cost burdens among Nassau’s households is shown on Figure 2-21.

Figure 2-21.

Rental Households by Income and Type with Housing Cost Burden Greater than 50% of Income

Household Income <=30% MFI Household Income >30 to <=50% MFI Household Income >50 to >=80% MFI Household Income >80% MFI Total Households

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

1-2 Member Elderly Households

2-4 Member Family Households

5+ Member Family Households

All Renter Households

Source: huduser.org CHAS data, year 2000 Note: MFI = Median Family Income

For all types, households earning less than 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) report a housing cost burden that is greater than 50 percent of their income. Put simply, lower income households struggle more with housing costs than higher income households.

7 Saccardi and Schiff, 2009

As shown in Figure 2-22, a greater percentage of Nassau County’s lower income homeowners struggle with housing costs than do renters with similar income levels.

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Figure 2-22. Housing Cost Burden Greater than 50% by Income and Housing Tenure

Percent of Households with Housing Cost Burden (>50% of Income toward Housing Costs)

80.0%

Renters Owners

71.6%

70.0% 55.9%

60.0% 50.0%

40.4%

40.0% 28.2%

30.0%

24.2%

19.0%

20.0%

12.6%

6.3%

10.0% 0.0%

0.7% 3.1% Household Income <=30% MFI

Household Income >30 to <=50% MFI

Household Income >50 to <=80% MFI

Household Income >80% MFI

Total Households

Source: huduser.org CHAS data, year 2000 Note: MFI = Median Family Income

Extremely low income households (those at or below 30 percent of median income) see the highest incidence of cost burden, with 56 percent of renters and 72 percent of owners reporting spending greater than half of their income towards housing costs. However, overall, renters at all income levels report housing cost burdens at a higher percentage than do owners.

Quantifying the Mismatch by Tenure/Structure Type/Cost Because Nassau’s housing stock is predominantly single-family, the majority of the County’s units are large and contain multiple rooms and bedrooms. As shown on Table 2-15, 89.4 percent of units consist of 5 rooms or greater, while nearly 75 percent of housing units contain three or more bedrooms. Nearly one in ten housing units have five bedrooms or greater.

This data may suggest a lack of smaller units, such as studio apartments and onebedroom units that could be geared toward the County’s elderly population, for which large houses are in many cases, uneconomical. Smaller rental units are also vital for retaining and attracting a younger population cohort.

Table 2-15. Nassau County Housing Unit Characteristics: 2007 Number Number of Rooms 1 room 2 rooms 3 rooms 4 rooms 5 rooms 6 rooms 7 rooms 8 rooms 9 rooms or more Median (rooms)

4,079 9,804 27,059 33,594 52,268 92,414 105,019 68,453 65,887 6.6

Percent of Total 0.9% 2.1% 5.9% 7.3% 11.4% 20.2% 22.9% 14.9% 14.4% —

Number Number of Bedrooms No bedroom 1 bedroom 2 bedrooms 3 bedrooms 4 bedrooms 5 or more bedrooms

5,598 39,714 70,587 172,419 126,901 43,358

Percent of Total 1.2% 8.7% 15.4% 37.6% 27.7% 9.5%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

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The housing mismatch becomes even more evident when comparing the County’s housing unit distribution by size to its household size distribution. While just over 10 percent of Nassau’s housing stock includes studio apartments and one bedroom apartments or homes, nearly half of County residents reside in households of one or two persons (see Figures 2-24 and 2-25). This may suggest that residents who are in smaller households and wish to downsize to a more manageable home or apartment do not have the option of doing so.

At the other end of the housing scale, over one-third of housing units have greater than four bedrooms, while compartively, larger households – those with five or more persons, make up just 14.6 percent of the County’s total. These statistics may indicate an excess supply of larger homes from a housing needs perspective.

Figure 2-23.

Nassau County – Existing Housing Stock by Number of Bedrooms

Figure 2-24.

Nassau County – Household Size Distribution

Studio/1 Bedroom 9.9%

5+ People 14.2%

4+ Bedrooms 37.1% 3-4 People 36.3%

2-3 Bedrooms 53.0%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

1-2 People 49.6%

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

A lack of smaller units – both ownership and rental – may contribute to a proliferation of illegal accessory apartments. Without enough legal multifamily units, tentants look toward other means for available and affordable housing. Willing landlords often respond to the shortfall by offering units prohibited by zoning and code regulations in their respective districts. These units can range from seemingly innocuous basement apartments in a single-family home to dangerously subdivided rooming houses. Encourging multifamily construction in the County’s Cool Downtowns is an important supply-side step in combating this pressing quality of life issue in many of Nassau’s communities.

3. Addressing The Housing Gap The Nassau County Draft Affordable Housing Study (the “Study”) quantifies the need for affordable housing in the County based on current and projected conditions. According to the Study, over 13,000 units of affordable housing exist under a range of programs in the County’s towns, cities and villages. In addition to these physical developments, approximately 5,200 housing choice (Section 8) vouchers have been authorized in the County.

The Study notes the uneven distribution of the units throughout the County.

The Town of Hempstead has the greatest share of the County’s affordable housing units. The City of Glen Cove has the greatest amount of affordable units as a percentage of its total housing stock. The Villages of Hempstead, Freeport, and Rockville Centre also have a substantial number of affordable units. The majority 48

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of the County’s affordable units (an estimated 68 percent) are age-restricted to seniors (see Table 2-16).

Table 2-16. Nassau County’s Existing Affordable Housing Stock

City of Glen Cove City of Long Beach Town of Hempstead Town of North Hempstead Town of Oyster Bay Total

Number of Affordable Housing Units 515 531 7,597 1,716 2,758 13,117

Percent of Each Municipality’s Housing Units 5.4% 3.6% 3.1% 2.2% 2.8% —

Percent of the County’s Total Affordable Housing Units 3.9% 4.0% 57.9% 13.1% 21.0% —

Source: Nassau Draft Affordable Housing Study / ERA Associates / Saccardi & Schiff and ACS 2007

Aside from cost burdens, the need for affordable housing is also determined by the number of households living in deficient or overcrowded conditions. According to the Study, approximately 1,500 households reside in deficient units and 4,700 suffer from overcrowding. In 2006 total affordable housing demand in the County – the sum of cost-burdened, deficient and overcrowded households –was approximately 84,500 households.

With this pressing need in mind, the Study recommends a range of policy, planning and financial measures that can help spur affordable housing production. These include inclusionary zoning provisions, expansion of existing funding assistance from the County, public-private partnerships, leveraging publicly-owned sites for affordable housing development eliminating or reducing land acquisition costs, and public outreach to address the situation. The Study clearly states that 40 percent of new housing units created in the County each year should be affordable, with half set-aside for those households earning less than 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), which in Nassau County is $101,800 for 2009, and the other half set-aside for households with incomes at 80 to 120 percent AMI. The Study specifically cites the “Cool Downtowns” initiative as a model outreach campaign to support mixed-use downtown redevelopment. This development model serves the dual purpose of increasing economic activity in these areas, while adding much-needed multifamily housing.

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Chapter 3 Land Use: Target Development In Growth Areas – The 90/10 Solution Policy 1: Create Cool Downtowns Policy 2: Build Megaprojects: Nassau Hub, 105 Acres At Bethpage, Belmont & Glen Cove Waterfront Policy 3: Re-Imagine Commercial Corridors And Underperforming Community Shopping Centers Policy 4: Encourage Investment In Emerging Minority Communities

Year 2030 Goals: Cool Downtowns: • Create 11,000 Residential Units • Create 10.4 Million Sf of Commercial Development • Create 26,000 New Jobs • Generate $100 Million In Annual Property Tax Revenue Megaprojects: • Create 3,000 REsidential Units • Create 6.5 Million Sf of Commercial Development • Create 16,275 New Jobs • • • •

Commercial Corridors/Underperforming Community Shopping Centers Enhance Aesthetic Character of Commercial Corridors Revitalize Appropriate Sites with Mixed-Use Development Explore Opportunities for Next Generation and Senior Housing

Emerging Minority Communities • Create Opportunities for Economic Investment • Enhance Access to Transportation • Improve Performance of Public Schools

A. Historic Growth Patterns

Nassau County’s history is similar to that of first suburbs outside of metropolitan core areas across the country. Its early development was marked by agriculture, which then gave rise to modest suburban expansion. Through the early 20th century the County’s population grew along with its commuter rail and parkway systems. Direct service from Nassau to New York City’s Pennsylvania Station was established in 1911 and between 1900 and 1930 the number of people using Master Plan for New Suburbia

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the Long Island Rail Road to commute from Nassau to Manhattan grew by nearly 250,0001. During this period, communities along Nassau’s rail lines such as Port Washington, Rockville Center and Freeport grew rapidly. Passenger rail service also increased tourism to Nassau, providing access to the County’s waterfront communities where many country estates were built on the North Shore.

In the post World War II period Nassau experienced a second population boom as Levitt & Sons, Inc. transformed approximately 4,000 acres of potato fields into 17,500 single-family homes for returning soldiers and their families benefiting from low interest mortgages through the GI Bill, and other builders followed suit. At the same time automobiles became increasingly affordable to average Americans and the County’s roadway network expanded to accommodate them.

During this period of residential growth and roadway expansion the character of modern Nassau was established. The central and southern portions of the County were developed with residential and commercial uses at a variety of densities; while the North Shore was developed with low density residential uses and smallscale commercial and office uses mainly located in villages.

Unlike urbanization which evolved around the needs of pedestrians, suburbanization in Nassau and throughout the country was almost entirely auto-reliant. The suburban pattern of development, characterized by single use areas connected to one another by roadways, necessitated use of the automobile for nearly all aspects of everyday life. This pattern of development was the result of a standard zoning model that called for the separation of land uses as a means to protect public health and safety. Municipalities across the country began instituting this standard zoning in the 1920s and 1930s just as America’s first suburbs like Nassau were being developed.

As shown on the Table 3-1 and Figure 3-1, residential development is the predominant use in the County and accounts for nearly 60 percent of Nassau’s total land area. Retail development, which accounts for approximately 4 percent of land area, is concentrated primarily in established downtown centers and along the County’s arterial roadways in community shopping centers. Office uses account for approximately 2 percent of development in the County. Industrial uses, which represent approximately 2 percent of total land area, are generally concentrated in the center and southern portions of the County near rail lines. Institutional uses, which are generally tax exempt, constitute 11 percent of the County’s total land area and are scattered throughout the County. Open spaces, including parks and recreation, conservation land and agriculture, represent approximately 17 percent of the County’s land area. Vacant land accounts for approximately 4 percent of the County’s land area.

Table 3-1. Nassau County: Existing Land Uses

1 Smits, Edward J. Nassau Suburbia, USA. Friends of Nassau County Museum, 1974, pgs. 155-56.

Land Use Residential Retail Office Industrial Institutional Open Space/Recreation Vacant Total Source: Urbanomics, 2009

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Percent of Total Land Area 60% 4% 2% 2% 11% 17% 4% 100%

Figure 3-1. Existing Land Use Map

Res Low

Industrial

Res Med

Institutional

Res High

Utilities

Mixed Use

Open Space

Office

Open Space/Wild

Retail

Agriculture

Source: Nassau County GIS, 2009

While separation of uses was considered a desirable pattern of development during the American automobile age, it has lead to a variety of unintended consequences for today’s mature suburbs (see Figure 3-2). Nassau’s downtown retailers struggle to compete with big box chain stores that line the County’s arterial roadways.

Source: www.flickr.com

Monotonous strip commercial centers with extensive asphalted parking areas are unable to create a sense of place for the local communities that surround them.

Mass transit use is limited. While these issues are daunting, tackling them provides an opportunity for Nassau County to take the lead in meeting the challenges that suburbs face in the 21st Century and preserve the quality of life that their residents love.

Vintage Advertisement: A Community Shopping Center

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The global urgency of reducing greenhouse gases provides the most time-sensitive imperative for reshaping sprawl development patterns, for converting areas that now foster the largest per-capita carbon footprints to more sustainable, less automobiledependent places.2

If the current trend of auto-dependent, dispersed development based on uncoordinated land use decision-making throughout the county continues, Nassau’s identified problems will continue to worsen, eroding the quality of life that its residents treasure. The Plan for New Suburbia calls for a reversal of this trend by re-imagining land use and transportation in certain parts of the county where they make sense: Cool Downtowns, megaprojects, and underperforming commercial areas with vacancies or sub-prime tenancies.

While Nassau’s four central challenges — traffic congestion, young people leaving, high property taxes and pockets of poverty — affect communities throughout the County, addressing these issues across the jurisdictions of three towns, two cities and 64 incorporated villages will be difficult. Land use decision-making occurs at the local level through zoning and is often highly politicized. Individual communities often make land use decisions based upon the parochial, yet legitimate interests of their constituencies; this presents a significant obstacle to addressing the challenges that transcend all of Nassau County.

In order to achieve the vision for New Suburbia and put Nassau on track towards a sustainable future, land use and transportation decisions must be coordinated countywide. This will require local communities to buy into the vision and make land use decisions that support it. While this may be a daunting and politically difficult task, local recognition of a common set of challenges that must be met to protect the County’s future will ultimately benefit Nassau’s many individual communities. A clear roadmap for future growth and preservation throughout the county is an important first step to overcoming parochial/“Not in My Backyard (NIMBY)” decision-making.

B. Current County Initiatives Over the course of his administration Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi has developed a vision for New Suburbia. Beginning in 2003, the County Executive divided the County into 35 Economic Development Zones. Over the following two years, he conducted bus tours, town hall meetings and education campaigns in each area to determine what needed to be done to spur economic development and improve the quality of life. He met with community leaders, professional planners, designers, business owners, environmentalists, local leaders and the public.

He used the information that he garnered from these meetings to develop and implement initiatives that address a range of issues from job creation, economic development, housing, downtown development, and tourism, to transportation, struggling schools and the environment. This Master Plan expands upon these initiatives and brings them together as part of a vision for New Suburbia.

Below is a brief summary of current County programs that promote the concepts of New Suburbia:

1. Economic Development

2 Dunham-Jones, Ellen and June Williamson, Retrofitting Suburbia, Urban Land, June 2009, pg. 40.

Community Visioning The community visioning program provides grants to local communities to develop plans to support downtown revitalization and expansion. The funds are used to reach out to the public to develop a consensus on where and how the community should grow – both in the long- and short-term. Since its inception in 2007, the Village of Hempstead, Elmont and Glen Cove (Cedar Swamp Road corridor) have

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completed visioning studies. The plans that came out of these visioning processes call for reasonable yet increased density in the downtown area and streetscape improvements – all aimed at increasing safety and the quality of life for local residents. Most importantly, these visioning plans include the priorities of all the stakeholders involved in their respective communities. As of fall 2009, four other communities have visioning programs underway. They are the Village of Freeport (North Main Street corridor), Village of Farmingdale, Inwood and Great Neck Peninsula (traffic).

Below is a summary of the land use recommendations from the visioning studies that have been completed to date:

Village of Hempstead Downtown Visioning Report, February 2008 • Mixed use downtown: - Entertainment- restaurants/ movie theaters - Cultural attractions- museums, performing arts - Residential- townhouses and apartments - Commercial- retail stores, offices and hotels - Open space- parks and active recreation • Buildings should be low to mid rise • Integrate parking with a mix of uses • Enhance walkability and pedestrian safety • Redevelop underutilized surface parking- infill development • Intermodal center should have active transit plaza

Figure 3-2. Village of Hempstead, Downtown Vision

Source: Ferrandino & Associates, Inc./FXFowle Architects, PC

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Elmont Community Vision Plan, June 2008 • Redevelop vacant parcels along Hempstead Turnpike in Jamaica Square west of Holland Avenue and at Lucille Avenue (the old Lefferts Auto parcel) • Redevelop underutilized parcels along Hempstead Turnpike, such as the former Argo Theater site and possibly the Home Depot parking area • Attract new commercial uses • Attract a supermarket to the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike and Elmont Road (“Community Corners”) • Attract businesses related to horse racing to the Belmont Park area • Redevelop Hempstead Turnpike frontage opposite Belmont Park with a mix of uses including hotel, restaurants and quality retail.

Figure 3-3. Elmont Community Vision Plan

Source: Saccardi and Schiff

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Glen Cove - Cedar Swamp Road Corridor Study, October 2008 • • • • • • •

Create public plaza or pocket park at the Glen Street Train Station Enhance the streetscape Improve walkability/pedestrian safety Attract more retail to corridor Should have first floor retail with workforce housing above Coles School site could be put to better use as a library or community center Reconfigure roadway to include a planted median, a narrower roadway, diagonal on-street parking and bike lanes • Multi-modal transportation network should be centered around the Glen Street Station, making connections to downtown and the waterfront Figure 3-4. Glen Cove - Cedar Swamp Road Corridor Study: October 2008

Source: Urbitran

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Cool Downtowns In his 2007 State of the County Address, County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi described the need for “Cool Downtowns” in Nassau County -- centers of commerce and excitement, areas where young adults and senior citizens live, work and play.

Cool Downtowns are located near LIRR stations. They are walkable communities with fantastic shops and restaurants that foster ideas, culture and education.

Nassau County currently has a number of Cool Downtowns including Garden City, Rockville Center, Great Neck Plaza and Long Beach. There are a number of other communities that are working toward becoming Cool Downtowns. For more information see: http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Planning/index.html.

Grumman - 105 Acres at Bethpage The community’s vision for the former Northrop Grumman manufacturing facility at Bethpage is for campus-style development of commercial, industrial and recreational uses. The County will seek proposals for the redevelopment of the area in accordance with the results of this community vision for the area. A four acre parcel on the site will be set aside for a recreational facility for the Town of Oyster Bay and a two acre parcel has been set aside for a Bethpage Fire District facility. .

For more information see: http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Planning/megaprojects.html Empire Zones Businesses located within a designated Empire Zone area are eligible to receive incentives that encourage economic growth, job creation and business investment.

The following areas of Nassau County have been designated as Empire Zones: Bethpage, Elmont, Freeport, Glen Cove, Village of Hempstead, Inwood, New Cassel, Roosevelt, Uniondale, and West Hempstead. For more information see: http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/EconomicDevelopment/Empirezone/ incentives.html Tourism/Island Next Door The Island Next Door is a multimedia campaign designed to promote tourism in Nassau County. It promotes tourism from outside the County and encourages local residents to utilize Nassau’s recreational and cultural resources. For more information see: www.theislandnextdoor.com

2. Community Development 5-Year Consolidated Plan The 5-Year Consolidated Plan describes the needs of local communities and serves as the basis for allocating Nassau’s Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. These funds are used for a wide range of activities related to housing, economic development, commercial revitalization, public services, infrastructure and public facilities. Approximately 90 percent of CDBG funds benefit low and moderate income residents. For more information see: www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/EconomicDevelopment/CDBG. No Wrong Door In 2005 Health and Human Services consolidated eight departments, previously in five separate locations, into one modern facility at 60 Charles Lindbergh Boulevard.

County employees and residents now have access to a modern, technologically advanced building that helps provide better services to people most in need while creating cost efficiencies for tax payers. This program was initiated to improve the public’s access to health and human services and provides a single point of entry to 58

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the County’s Health and Human Services system. Clients are able to walk through a single door to gain access to all of the social service programs offered by the County.

The Roosevelt Initiative The County is working with the Roosevelt School District to enhance access to social services for at-risk students. The program seeks to link students to a network of social service agencies that support and monitor their progress. This program is based on the County’s No Wrong Door initiative model.

3. Housing Nassau County Draft Affordable Housing Study/Housing Plan for New Suburbia The Nassau County Office of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs has prepared a Draft Affordable Housing Study that assesses affordable housing needs in Nassau County from 2007 to 2023. The study will assist the County in assessing housing needs for both low and moderate income households as defined by HUD. In addition, it looks at current and future housing needs for commuters and the County’s workforce. The study recommends programs and policies to meet identified housing shortfalls.

Fair Housing Plan The Fair Housing Plan identifies and analyzes impediments to fair housing choices in Nassau County. It provides an action plan for overcoming these impediments.

The plan is based on the new Fair Housing Law, effective January 1, 2007, which greatly improves fair housing protections for Nassau residents who fall within any of the twelve protected classes. It also creates an enforcement system, which allows victims of housing discrimination to file complaints and have their complaint investigated and prosecuted at the local level.

10-Year Plan to End Homelessness In March 2007 County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi established the Nassau Committee to End Homelessness. This 30 member committee made up of not-forprofit and faith-based service providers, government officials and three formerly homeless people was charged with developing a 10-year plan to address chronic homelessness in Nassau County. In September 2008 the committee presented its plan to HUD and the offices of OHIA and Housing and Homeless Services of Nassau County. The mission of the plan is to provide a coordinated approach that public and not-for-profit agencies can utilize to end homelessness by providing access to safe, decent, affordable and appropriate housing and the resources and supports need for individuals and families to achieve and maintain housing stability. The Committee is currently working to implement the plan.

4. Transportation Hub Transportation Planning Initiative Nassau County recently selected a contractor to prepare the AA/EIS for the Hub Transportation Planning Initiative. The contractor is expected to begin work on the Alternative Analysis (AA) in early 2010, and this 12-month effort will identify the locally preferred transit alternative to be studied during the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) phase. This work is being done to improve transit access to the Hub, thus supporting the development of this area into a major origin and destination center in Nassau County.

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5. Environment Healthy Nassau Healthy Nassau aims to improve the health and well being of residents.

Administered by the County Department of Health, it addresses a wide range of issues from health and fitness to air quality, energy efficiency and redevelopment of brownfields.

Open Space Preservation Initiative This initiative administers distribution of the County’s open space acquisition funds and the 2004 and 2006 Environmental Bond Acts. Since 2007 over 240 acres have been acquired through this initiative. Open space acquisition and preservation have been funded with over $100 million in Bond Funds. In addition, 5 percent of the proceeds from the sale of County-owned land is earmarked for the Open Space Preservation Initiative. This funding may be used for acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance of open space.

Green Levittown Green Levittown is a public/private initiative to improve energy efficiency in Levittown. The program encourages residents to save money on energy costs by providing special discounts on energy efficient products and services. Local residents, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and concerned corporate partners are working together to make Levittown America’s most energy efficient suburb.

Town Energy Efficiency Codes The Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay have all incorporated Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Energy Star rating compliance into their building codes. The purpose of these regulations is to increase energy efficiency throughout the county by reducing the amount of energy that is consumed by both single and multifamily residences. These codes require building permit applications to conform to the New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Program administered by LIPA. This program requires that newly constructed dwelling units meet stated energy efficiency standards.

C. New Suburbia Solution #1: Target Development In Growth Areas As outlined in Chapter 1, the Master Plan for New Suburbia calls for a 90/10 Solution to address the four central challenges facing Nassau today. It targets future development in approximately 10 percent of Nassau’s land area; the remaining 90 percent would be preserved and enhanced to protect all that residents’ love about their County. Changes are recommended only in those areas where they make sense: where a shift in course from the status quo will help Nassau become a stronger suburban community.

New Suburbia’s central strategy calls for targeting future development in cool downtown areas, four megaproject and underperforming community shopping centers. It would also encourage private investment in emerging minority communities. According to NYMTC forecasts, Nassau County has the potential to gain 19.2 million square feet of non residential development and 21.4 million square

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feet of residential development over the next twenty years. New Suburbia offers a sustainable solution for achieving this growth target by directing it to appropriate locations. These growth areas present opportunities for Nassau to generate significant jobs and tax revenues in strategic locations, which will help protect the character of single family neighborhoods and preserve open space in other parts of the County.

Policy 1: Create Cool Downtowns Concentrating growth in Cool Downtowns is central to the vision for New Suburbia.

As discussed in Chapter 1, Cool Downtowns will strategically expand the tax base in appropriate locations by fostering ideas, culture, and education, attracting young people and empty nesters to designated centers. Providing opportunities for people to live and work in multistory buildings and walk to restaurants and shops in close proximity to public transportation will help Nassau increase tax revenues, expand housing choices, and ease traffic congestion. Cool Downtowns will also create a sense of place in Nassau; they will be identifiable places, each with a unique character that enhances the quality of life in the County. This is particularly important for young people and empty nesters who are looking for alternatives to single-family neighborhood living.

Single-family homes are too large and too expensive for many single young people; and alternative housing options such as rental apartments and townhouses are few. The lack of identifiable “places” in Nassau limits opportunities for young adults to socialize and be entertained, which are important factors in attracting young populations to live and work in the County. For older residents, alternative housing options are essential to ensuring that people stay in Nassau as they age.

As was recently noted in the Wall Street Journal, suburban communities designed for families “…are proving tough places to grow old. Maintaining yards and homes requires more effort [as people age]; driving everywhere, and for everything, becomes expensive and, eventually, impossible.”3 Creating “lifelong communities” that allow Nassau residents to stay in the communities they love as they age will become increasingly important over the next twenty years as baby-boomers enter retirement and beyond.

Further, Cool Downtowns will reinforce the single-family suburban landscape that exists throughout the County by directing growth to defined centers. Concentrating commercial growth and medium density housing within Cool Downtowns will protect against out-of-scale development in other parts of Nassau and increases in traffic from additional scattered development.

Nassau has four established Cool Downtowns: Great Neck Plaza, Garden City, Rockville Center and Long Beach. These places are all active centers where people live and work in close proximity to public transportation. Fourteen other places throughout the County have the potential to become Cool Downtowns for a total of eighteen identified Cool Downtown areas as shown in Figure 3-6.

Several Cool Downtown communities have prepared County-funded visioning studies that identify specific plans for future development that are consistent with New Suburbia’s vision for Cool Downtowns/centers. Cool Downtown Visioning communities include Great Neck Peninsula, Glen Cove, Village of Hempstead, Freeport and Farmingdale.

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Cool Downtowns: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Baldwin Elmont Farmingdale Freeport Garden City Glen Cove Great Neck Plaza Village of Hempstead Hicksville Long Beach Lynbrook Mineola Port Washington Rockville Centre Syosset Valley Stream West Hempstead Westbury

3 Ruffenach, Glenn, “Making Suburbia More Livable,” The Wall Street Journal, September 19-20, 2009

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Figure 3-5. Cool Downtowns Map

Glen Cove

Port Washington Syosset

Great Neck Plaza

Westbury

Hicksville

Mineola Garden City

Farmingdale

Elmont Hempstead West Hempstead

Valley Stream

Lynbrook Baldwin Freeport Rockville Centre

Long Beach

Cool Downtowns have the potential to add approximately 10.4 million square feet of commercial development and approximately 11,000 residential units to the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18 identiďŹ ed downtown areas over the next twenty years. This new development is expected to attract nearly 23,000 new residents and 26,000 new jobs. It is estimated that this development will generate approximately $100 million in annual property tax.4 4 This analysis is based on the maximum buildout scenario developed for the 2006 Nassau Hub Major Investment Study, adjusted based on input from Nassau County and a revised estimate of 2.1 million square feet of commercial development for the Lighthouse at Long Island project.

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BEST PRACTICES: SUBURBAN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION Blue Back Square, West Hartford, Connecticut

Blue Back Square is a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood in West Hartford. Developed on the former sites of a parking lot and two vacant car dealerships on the edge of downtown West Hartford, this 26-acre area has been transformed into a new neighborhood with street-level retail, entertainment venues, and restaurants with condominiums, loft apartments and offices above. The area also includes professional office space and a wellness center. The project, which was completed in 2007, was built in 28 months at a cost of $28 million. The design of this new development is consistent with the architectural style and character of adjacent downtown West Hartford.

Blue Back Square includes public space, sidewalks and public parking, which help make it a pedestrian friendly place. It is a lively area with a substantial number of stores that attracts people during both the daytime and evening.

Securing national retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Barnes and Noble as well as White House Black Market and Ann Taylor has been key to the success of this redevelopment project.

This project is an example of infill development that revitalized a downtown and provided a high quality addition to an existing center. It is an approach that could be applied in Nassau County in places like Mineola and Glen Cove.

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BEST PRACTICES: SUBURBAN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION — CONTINUED

Bethesda Row, Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda Row is a neighborhood in Bethesda, MD located northwest of downtown Washington, D.C. This area has been revitalized as a mixed-use, walkable neighborhood with approximately 600,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office and residential space. The project site is approximately 80 acres. Prior to implementation of this project, the area was a suburban commercial district at the edge of downtown Bethesda.

It was not pedestrian friendly and had inadequate parking.

Bethesda Row was a multi-phase redevelopment project for a new center/district based on a set of design guidelines for architecture, place-making and streetscape design. The project included a mix of retail uses, including a supermarket, and emphasized walkability and public gathering places. Creating a walkable neighborhood was key to the redevelopment process and was achieved by both good sidewalk design and workable parking solutions. Sidewalk café seating

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was placed next to the street and was bordered on the other side by sidewalks in front of restaurants/ retail. This design arrangement created a feeling of walking through the restaurants and makes the area a place “to see and be seen.”

Most of the parking is located in a 1,000 space, County-owned public parking garage located in the middle of the block. This hides cars behind the stores and restaurants, while providing parking that is easily accessible. Developers who build within the designated district are required to pay a parking assessment to the County in lieu of providing parking on the site.

These assessment revenues are used by the County to build public parking throughout the district.

Bethesda Row is an example of a new suburban downtown area in close proximity to public transportation. It has a pedestrian-friendly streetscape with brick sidewalks, trees, fountains, plazas, and outdoor seating. Public parking structures built throughout the district help create a walkable streetscape uninterrupted by parking lots. This approach could be applied in Nassau to redevelopment of the Hub area, or at a smaller scale to Cool Downtowns such as Mineola or Hicksville.

Master Plan for New Suburbia

BEST PRACTICES: SUBURBAN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION — CONTINUED

Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia

Old Town is a four block mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood in suburban downtown Alexandria, VA. It is in the quaint, historic part of Alexandria, which dates back to 1749. It has shops, restaurants, housing, and public parks in close proximity to a metro rail station. It was revitalized with the addition of new two-story infill buildings consistent with the character of the historic commercial district. Old Town is a good example of infill development in a historic suburban downtown area.

The opening of a new train station nearby has led to new office and hotel development as well as the revitalization of existing

Master Plan for New Suburbia

townhouses in the vicinity of the downtown. An infill development approach sensitive to the architectural character of an existing downtown area in Nassau could be applied in a place like Garden City.

Mixed-use, infill buildings with street-level retail and office, and residential units on upper floors create a strong street wall from the river to the metro station. Old Town has become a meeting place for people from all around with many social activities including a weekly farmers market.

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TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: VILLAGE OF FARMINGDALE An important dimension of Cool Downtowns is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). TOD generally refers to higher density mixed use development within a ¼ to ½ mile radius of a train station. TOD can reduce automobile dependency by creating an environment where people can easily walk or bike from home to work, shopping and entertainment, thus reducing automobile dependency. In Nassau County, TOD can be achieved in downtown areas near Long Island Rail Road stations where there are opportunities for infill development.

The Village of Farmingdale, which completed an “Existing and Emerging Conditions Report” in July 2009, is a community that is working to strengthen its downtown and enhance walkability with transit-oriented development.

The Farmingdale train station is 1-½ blocks east of Main Street. It is within walking distance of the downtown shopping area, but connecting streets between the two areas are currently not very inviting. There are several soft sites in the area including surface parking lots and one-story commercial buildings.

Farmingdale: Existing Conditions

Source: BFJ Planning, 2009

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With TOD, Farmingdale has the potential to enhance linkages between the train station and the downtown area, thereby encouraging pedestrian-oriented residential and commercial growth. There are four key development sites along South Front Street between Depot Avenue and Main Street that could strengthen connections between Main Street and the train station.

These include a municipal parking lot serving commercial uses on Main Street; one-story commercial buildings in private ownership; and train station parking co-owned by the Village and the Long Island Rail Road (see “Existing Conditions”).

As shown on the site plan illustrating potential transit-oriented development, new TOD along South Front Street would create continuous street frontage that clearly links Main Street and the train station. Potential uses could include two to three-story mixed use buildings, a parking garage and public green space. A key consideration for development will be to provide adequate parking for both new development and commuters. Implementation of TOD in Farmingdale and other Cool Downtowns throughout

the County will amendments to local zoning codes to encourage pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development.

Farmingdale: Potential Transit-Oriented Development

Source: BFJ Planning, 2009

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BEST PRACTICE: TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK Hudson Harbor, Tarrytown, New York

Hudson Harbor is a new transitoriented development (TOD) on the Hudson River. It is located within a five minute walk from the Tarrytown train station on a 27-acre former industrial/ brownfield site. Hudson Harbor includes townhouses, apartments, retail uses, a public park, and community recreation center.

It is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified project. This project is an example of how TOD can transform a brownfield into a mixed-use community with direct access to transit. It is a model that can be applied to soft sites and/or brownfields near transit stations in Nassau County.

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Master Plan for New Suburbia

Policy 2: Build Megaprojects- Nassau Hub, 105 Acres At Bethpage, Belmont & Glen Cove Waterfront Another key location for growth under the vision for New Suburbia is within County identified megaprojects. These large-scale projects include the Hub, 105 acres at Bethpage, Belmont, and the Glen Cove waterfront. These megaprojects will create new jobs, generate tax revenue and bolster economic development in surrounding communities.

Nassau Hub The Hub, which encompasses approximately 10 square miles in central Nassau, will be a large-scale mixed-use district that serves as a destination for Nassau. While other suburban counties in the region have distinct centers, such as White Plains in Westchester County, New York and Stamford in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Nassau lacks a central activity hub. This hampered its ability to capture economic growth opportunities.

Today, the area defined as the Hub includes a number of large-scale disparate uses with few connections to one another including Nassau Veterans Coliseum, Nassau Community College, Museum Row, Roosevelt Field Mall and RXR Plaza, Hofstra University and the Omni Building (see Figure 3-7). This concentration of uses within relatively close proximity to one another in a central location within the County, combined with a significant piece of underutilized land adjacent to the Nassau Coliseum, presents an opportunity to create a central destination for Nassau and stimulate the County’s economy. The success of the Hub is dependent upon several important factors: • Creation of a multimodal transit hub with regional access • The adoption of a new mixed-use zoning district to allow for the development of transit-supporting densities for commercial and residential uses • Creation of a sense of place through good design • The ability to increase the County’s tax base by expanding commercial uses As referenced in the 2006 Nassau County HUB MIS, the Nassau Hub has the potential to generate approximately 4,328,000 square feet of new commercial development and 10,820 jobs over the next twenty years. New transit and pedestrians, both to and within the Hub, which are discussed in Chapter 5, will be critical to the Hub’s ability to capture this growth potential.

A centerpiece of the Nassau Hub development is the Lighthouse at Long Island, currently proposed as a joint venture by New York Islanders owner, Charles Wang, and RXR. The Lighthouse project will create a mix of uses in the Hub including high density residential, hotels, a sports complex and sports technology center, convention center, and office buildings, as well as pedestrian amenities (see Figure 3-8). This project has the potential to serve as the catalyst needed to create a central destination for Nassau County. This development is expected to create approximately 2,300 new residential units and 2.1 million square feet of new nonresidential development. It will create 7,700 new jobs, which are anticipated to generate additional off-site secondary jobs in the surrounding communities. In addition, the project will result in $3.74 billion in construction spending over a 10-year build out period, which is expected to generate 15,400 man-years of construction employment and $2.4 billion in increased local earnings. According to the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the project, the Lighthouse

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project will increase property tax revenues by $42.7 million annually and will generate $11 million in new sales tax revenues from sporting and non-sporting event ticket and concession sales at a revamped Coliseum.

Figure 3-6. Nassau Hub

Source: Google Maps, BFJ Planning

Figure 3-7. Rendering of Proposed Lighthouse at Long Island Project

Source: Lighthouse at Long Island, 2009

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In addition to the Lighthouse project, the 2006 Hub Major Investment Study (MIS) identifies other opportunities for development in the Hub, including Nassau Community College, Roosevelt Field South, Mitchel Field, and Museum Row, as well as additional development on soft sites: Nassau County Community College Nassau County Community College (NCCC), a division of the State University of New York (SUNY), has an enrollment of 22,000 full and part-time students, and 15,000 continuing and professional students and is located on a 225-acre campus in the Hub. As shown on Table 3-3, according to the Nassau Hub MIS, NCC proposes to build 800 new residential units and 915,000 square feet of non-residential space over the course of the next 50 years.

Table 3-2. Proposed Development on Nassau County Community College Campus in the Hub (in square feet)

Nassau Community College Residential Retail Institutional (R&D) Parking Parks/Open Space MIS Summary Residential Non-Residential

50 year MIS build-out Minimum Maximum 164,000 SF (164 units) 803,000 SF (803 units) 7,000 SF 316,000 SF 600,000 SF 3,040 spaces 5,354 spaces 8.2 acres 8.2 acres Minimum Maximum 164,000 SF (164 units) 803,000 SF (803 units) 7,000 SF 915,000 SF

Source: Nassau Hub, Major Investment Study

Roosevelt Field South Roosevelt Field South proposed to expand upon the success of the Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall by introducing mixed-used development on existing surface parking lots and light industrial uses south of the Mall. As Table 3-4 shows, according to the Nassau Hub MIS, under a maximum development scenario, approximately 715 new housing units and 1.9 million square feet of non-residential space will be built over a 50-year period. This would expand the nation’s fifth largest mall to a three million square foot shopping, dining and entertainment destination, supported by 1.1 million square feet of office/flex space and 6,600 parking spaces.

Table 3-3. Proposed Development of Roosevelt Field South in the Hub (in square feet)

Roosevelt Field South Residential Retail Office Office Flex Space Parking Parks/Open Space MIS Summary Residential Non-Residential

50 year MIS build-out Minimum Maximum — 715,000 SF (715 units) 380,000 SF 740,000 SF 350,000 SF 350,000 SF 237,000 SF 780,000 SF 4,250 spaces 6,615 spaces 6.8 acres 6.8 acres Minimum Maximum — 715,000 SF (715 units) 967,000 SF 1,870,000 SF

Source: Nassau Hub, Major Investment Study

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Mitchel Field Mitchel Field is the existing light industrial subarea of the Hub. Proposed improvements include streetscape enhancements, connectivity with transit, and the introduction of office flex space. As Table 3-5 shows, according to the Nassau Hub MIS, under a maximum development scenario, 305 new housing units and 2.1 million square feet of non-residential space will be built over a 50-year period. Office/ flex space will comprise 1.8 million square feet of the proposed non-residential development. Over 6,700 parking spaces will serve office, retail and residential needs.

Table 3-4. Proposed Development of Mitchel Field in the Hub (in square feet)

Mitchel Field Residential Retail Office / Flex Space Parking Parks/Open Space MIS Summary Residential

50 year MIS build-out Minimum Maximum 105,000 SF (105 units) 305,000 SF (305 units) 35,000 SF 304,000 SF 730,000 SF 1,818,000 SF 3,350 spaces 6,769 spaces 1.6 acres 1.6 acres Minimum Maximum 105,000 SF (105 units) 305,000 SF (305 units)

Source: Nassau Hub, Major Investment Study

Museum Row Museum Row development capitalizes on the existing cultural uses in the vicinity of Stuart Avenue. The introduction of the Emerald Ribbon, a greenway, will make the area more accessible and connected to other Hub subareas as well as Eisenhower Park. A. According to the Nassau Hub MIS, a relatively modest amount of new retail and entertainment space will be introduced under the 50-year maximum buildout scenario complemented by 420,000 square feet of office/flex space and 3,100 new parking spaces.

Table 3-5. Proposed Development of Museum Row in the Hub (in square feet)

Museum Row Residential Retail Office / Flex Space Entertainment Parking Parks/Open Space MIS Summary Residential Non-Residential Source: Nassau Hub, Major Investment Study

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50 year MIS build-out Minimum Maximum 73,000 SF (73 units) 375,000 SF (375 units) 65,000 SF 20,000 SF 180,000 SF 420,000 SF 174,000 SF 2,200 spaces 3,100 spaces 2.1 acres 2.1 acres Minimum Maximum 73,000 SF (73 units) 375,000 SF (375 units) 245,000 SF 614,000 SF

Soft Sites The Hub’s MIS also presents a short soft site analysis for selected subareas of the Hub. These are sites that are not fully built out to their zoning potential, and, according to MIS calculations, could yield an additional 7 million square feet of development as-of-right, as shown on Table 3-7.

Table 3-6. Proposed Development of Dispersed Soft Sites in the Hub (in square feet)

County-owned Coliseum Area 187 acres County Center 38 acres Hempstead Total 225 acres

Private-owned 130 acres 50 acres 180 acres

Total 317 acres 38 acres 50 acres 405 acres

Potential Development 5,540,000 SF 656,000 SF 870,000 SF 7,066,000 SF

Source: Nassau Hub, Major Investment Study

Other Megaprojects In addition to development potential within the Nassau Hub, there are several other significant development opportunities in the County, or “megaprojects,” which have the potential to create new jobs and generate additional tax revenues: 105 acres at Bethpage, Belmont, and the Glen Cove Waterfront (see Figure 3-9).

Figure 3-8. Megaprojects Map

Glen Cove Waterfront

105 Acres at Bethpage

Nassau Hub Belmont Racetrack

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105 acres at Bethpage The former 105-acre Northrop Grumman manufacturing facility at Bethpage presents a signiďŹ cant opportunity for the development of a high technology, high skilled lifestyle campus (see Figure 3-10). It is expected that redevelopment of 105 acres at Bethpage will generate 1.2 million square feet of new high tech/high skilled development. This growth translates into approximately 3,000 new jobs.

Figure 3-9. 105 acres at Bethpage

Source: Nassau County Planning Department

Belmont The Empire State Development Corporation and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board worked with the local community to develop a plan for the redevelopment of 36 acres near Belmont Park (see Figure 3-11). Potential development scenarios include a racino, hotel, retail and senior housing. This development is expected to generate approximately 715,000 square feet of commercial development, 330 residential units and 1,800 new jobs.

Figure 3-10. Belmont Park Redevelopment Study Area

Source: FX Fowle

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Glen Cove Waterfront RXR Glen Isle Partners, LLC proposes to develop approximately 56 acres on the north side of Glen Cove Creek for a mix of uses to transform a currently underutilized area and spur economic development (see Figure 3-12). The project includes a hotel and conference center, residences, and retail and restaurants uses, as well as boat slips and publicly accessible open space. This project is expected to create approximately 260,000 square feet of commercial development, 860 housing units and approximately 655 permanent new jobs.

Figure 3-11. Glen Cove Waterfront

Source: RXR Glen Isle Partners, LLC

Table 3-7. Megaprojects: Expected Job Growth and Housing Development to 2030

Nassau Hub 105 acres at Bethpage Belmont Glen Cove Waterfront Total

New Commercial SF 4,300,000 1,200,000 715,000 260,000 6,475,000

New Jobs 10,820 3,000 1,800 655 16,275

New Residential Units 3,900 0 330 860 5,090

Source: Urbanomics

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BEST PRACTICE: A MEGAPROJECT City Place, West Palm Beach, Florida

City Place is an upscale lifestyle center on a 72-acre site located in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. It has 650,000 square feet of retail space and 935 residential units. The project site has been redeveloped from a blighted area into a pedestrian-friendly town center with a public plaza, specialty retail shops, a cinema, a cultural arts center, restaurants and residences. This regeneration was achieved by creating a pedestrianoriented town center with a lively streetscape. This was a mayor’s vision and was realized through a public/private partnership.

A series of connecting civic plazas tie the existing offices and government center of West Palm Beach to this new development. City Place is considered a successful redevelopment effort with a variety of building scales oriented towards the street. The shopping center has anchors like Macy’s, an IMAX theater and a grocery store. In addition to shopping, dining and movies, it has become a destination for nightlife. A

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trolley bus connects it to the rest of the downtown. A Performing Arts Center and School of Arts are located within walking distance.

City Place is an example of a megaproject that could be applied to the Nassau Hub.

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Policy 3: Re-Imagine Commercial Corridors and Underperforming Commercial Shopping Centers While New Suburbia is based on the concept of centers, revitalization of underperforming community shopping centers is also an important piece of the vision for a sustainable suburban future. Commercial corridors provide an opportunity to transform the visual landscape and functionality of Nassauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arterial roadways such as Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway. With thoughtful design these roadways can be transformed into attractive mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented districts with a variety of uses including retail, restaurants, next generation and senior housing and connections to public transportation and downtown areas.

As the New York Times reported in May 2009, the recession has had a signiďŹ cant impact on Nassauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail industry. Large retailers such as Fortunoff and Circuit City have closed their doors, leaving empty big boxes behind. While these empty stores and their vast parking lots are a blight on the landscape, they provide an opportunity for Nassau to re-imagine its strip commercial corridors. A range of improvements from simple changes to more complex redevelopment have the power to transform the image and function of community shopping centers.

Simple landscaping solutions such as landscaped medians along arterial roadways, landscaped buffers along the edge of parking lots, and landscaping within parking areas can greatly improve the physical appearance of these roadways and make them more environmentally friendly.

Existing medians on arterials are mostly paved; some areas have low plantings.

Adding planting beds with medium height plants and trees to paved medians along with a double curb, as shown in Figure 3-13, will greatly improve the aesthetics of commercial corridors. In some locations a landscaped buffer can also be added between the roadway and parking areas by removing a row of parking from the lot. This would allow space for a widened sidewalk along the roadway with plantings on either side, as shown in Figure 3-14. This sidewalk could potentially be used by bicyclists as well as pedestrians. Within parking lots, landscaping can be introduced between rows of parking (see Figure 3-15). Trees in parking areas can provide shade and reduce heat generated by large swaths of asphalt. Planting areas would allow rain to percolate into the ground, reducing stormwater runoff.

Figure 3-12. Landscaped Median Existing Median

Example of Landscaped Median

Source: RGR Landscape

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Figure 3-13. Landscaped Buffer Existing Community Shopping Center Buffer

Example of Landscaped Buffer Separating Community Shopping Center from Roadway

Source: RGR Landscape

Figure 3-14. Parking Lot Landscaping Existing Parking Lot

Example of Parking Lot Landscaping

Source: RGR Landscape

In addition to landscaping, more dramatic changes to the layout and mix of uses in community shopping centers have the potential to significantly improve the aesthetics and functionality of Nassau’s commercial corridors. The following case study provides an example of one approach that could be taken to re-imagine a parcel along one of the County’s arterial roadways.

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Case Study: Reimagining an Underperforming Community Shopping Center One of the County’s east-west commercial corridors contains a community shopping center with multiple buildings of a variety of uses and ownerships, including municipal ownership of parking areas. One of the buildings on the site is vacant and the others contain marginal retail and service uses. There is parking both in front of and behind the buildings and there is very little landscaping on the site.

The site is adjacent to a school and associated playing fields (see Figure 3-16).

Figure 3-15. Community Shopping Center: Aerial Photograph

Source: www.googlemaps.com

As shown on the aerial photograph, the site appears to have an excessive amount of parking. This presents an opportunity to convert the northern parking area adjacent to the school playing fields into an appropriately-scaled, new use, such as next generation and/or senior housing. Housing would be a good addition to the site because new residents would provide clientele for the retail/commercial space that already exists on the site. Further, housing and retail are compatible uses in terms of shared parking. Stores need parking during the day when residents are at work and residents need parking at night when stores are closed. Shared parking would reduce the total number of spaces that would be required to accommodate this mix of uses on the site. While developments for retired seniors may not have the advantage of freeing up daytime parking for commercial uses, senior housing generally requires fewer parking spaces per unit than single-family housing and therefore presents an opportunity for shared parking as well.

As shown in Figures 3-17 and 3-18, new streets could be built around the northern parking area and townhouse units and/or apartments could be built along these new streets. Parking for residential units could be contained within a parking court behind the buildings, hidden from the street. At the same time, the landscaping techniques previously discussed in this section could also be applied to the site. A sidewalk for pedestrians and bicycles flanked on both sides by landscaping could be added in front of the site, as was shown in Figure 3-14. The parking area could be substantially enhanced with plantings between aisles and bioswales that would reduce stormwater runoff (see Figure 3-15).

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Figure 3-16. Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 1- Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eye View

Source: BFJ Planning

Figure 3-17. Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 1- Street Level View

Source: BFJ Planning

A second phase of development on this site could include additional housing units along the edge of the parking lot behind the existing buildings. These additional units would necessitate construction of a parking garage, which could include ground ďŹ&#x201A;oor retail (see Figure 3-19). This additional development would make the new through street on the site both more active and more attractive (See Figure 3-20).

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Figure 3-18. Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 2- Plan View

Source: BFJ Planning

Figure 3-19. Community Shopping Center Redevelopment: Phase 2- Street Level View

Source: BFJ Planning

This is just one alternative for re-imagining the site. Another alternative for redevelopment on the rear portion of the site could be to extend the school’s playing fields or to create a neighborhood park and/or playground. Still another alternative that could potentially be explored would be total redevelopment of the site with apartments and townhouses ground floor retail uses along the side street that separates the site from the adjacent single family neighborhood.

No matter what uses are imagined for redeveloped community shopping centers, these sites provide a real opportunity for Nassau to become more sustainable and implement green building and green site design standards. Both public and private developers should be encouraged to consider planted roofs, on-site retention of stormwater, and the use of photovoltaics which produce energy by converting the sun’s rays into electricity. Site design should be pedestrian-friendly and should emphasize thoughtful design.

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BEST PRACTICE: RE-IMAGINING A COMMUNITY SHOPPING CENTER Mashpee Commons, Mashpee, Massachusetts

Mashpee Commons is a retrofit of a strip shopping center into a mixed-use, mixed-income, pedestrian-friendly town center. It has grown to become a lively center for the surrounding community of Mashpee in Cape Cod, MA. It has a range of national retail and local “mom and pop” stores including a drug store and supermarket.

Some shops are housed in liner buildings that conceal parking lots.

The area includes diverse housing options including apartments over shops, lofts, live-work units and affordable units. There are also many civic buildings in the community including a church, hotel, children’s museum, library, medical office building and a proposed performing arts theater. This project is an example of a community shopping center retrofit, which could be applied to vacant or underperforming community shopping centers along Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway.

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Policy 4: Encourage Investment in Emerging Minority Communities While Nassau County is known for its affluence, there are several communities in the County where over ten percent of residents lives below the poverty line. These communities, which include the Village of Hempstead, Freeport, Roosevelt, Inwood and New Cassel, suffer from a lack of economic investment as well as struggling school systems and are largely home to minority populations. Many of these areas do not have basic services such as supermarkets and banks and local purchasing power remains untapped. They also have struggling school systems with poor academic performance and a range of social service concerns, which perpetuate the cycle of poverty in these areas. New Suburbia calls for economic investment in these areas, consistent with community-based planning and economic development goals. This includes enhancing access to community and social services, enhancing access to transportation, improving the performance of public schools, and addressing high foreclosure rates in order to generate economic opportunities and increase property values.

Several emerging minority communities including the Village of Hempstead, Freeport, Roosevelt, Inwood, and New Cassel have participated in the County’s visioning program, which provides grants to support planning for revitalization.

Plans developed under this program recommend strategies for encouraging investment including identification of vacant parcels that present redevelopment opportunities; identification of desired uses and locations where such uses should be encouraged; and urban design strategies for enhancing aesthetic character and attracting investment.

Implementation of these recommendations will require public investment in infrastructure such as facades, streetscapes, and transportation as well as private capital investments. A recent study released by the National Association of Investment Companies concludes that growth of emerging domestic markets will play an important role in driving the economy in the years ahead. The study “demonstrates that private capital investment…can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the businesses, minority-owned and otherwise, that operate in emerging minority communities”.5 The study specifically called on the Obama Administration to create programs that encourage more private sector investment in emerging domestic markets and ensure that businesses that serve minority communities are targeted in future government stimulus programs. Increased commercial activity in minority communities will expand the tax base, reducing the property tax burden on local residents, further stimulating local spending and economic investment.

In addition to public and private capital investments in business districts, neighborhood stabilization programs will also be an important component of investment in emerging minority communities. High concentrations of foreclosures are found in predominantly minority communities. To address this issue, Nassau is currently using federal economic stimulus funds for emergency assistance to repair and rehabilitate foreclosed properties that are in disrepair. After rehabilitation, the units are offered as affordable housing to the County’s low and moderate income residents.

5 Reuters, Private Equity Investment Can Play Critical Role in Job Growth, Economic Development in Minority Businesses and Communities, July 28, 2009.

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A final issue that must be addressed in Nassau’s minority communities is public schools. As will be discussed in detail in Chapter 5, the public schools in Nassau’s minority communities are struggling. Schools in the Village of Hempstead, Roosevelt, and Elmont districts have been cited by the state as “needing improvement.” Poor performance and low graduation rates at these schools have a significant negative impact on the academic performance of students in these areas. A quality education is the foundation of economic opportunity; its absence perpetuates the cycle of poverty in Nassau’s poorer communities. A key element of addressing pockets of poverty in the County is improving schools in poor districts. Improving public schools is essential to attracting residential and commercial investment, enhancing property values and improving the tax base.

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Chapter 4 The Economy: Support and Promote Industries Policy 5: Encourage Growth and Partnerships in High Tech/High Skilled Industry, Education and Healthcare Policy 6: Diversify the Housing Stock by Encouraging Next Generation and Senior Housing Policy 7: Capitalize on Sports, Entertainment and Tourism

Year 2030 Goals: New Jobs Countywide in Growth Sectors • High Tech: 22,000 • Healthcare & Higher Education: 20,000 • Sports, Entertainment and Tourism: 20,000 10% of New Residential Units should Be Affordable/Rental Units

A. Existing Economic Conditions 1. Job Growth Over the past half century the Long Island economy represented a significant and growing share of the New York region’s economy, contributing as much as $130 billion to national output annually. Even though Nassau County has a lower unemployment rate than the nation as a whole, it faces economic challenges. Since 2000 growth on Long Island has slowed and Nassau County has failed to keep pace with Suffolk County and the region as a whole. This lack of dynamism is reflected in the decline of venture capital investment which has fallen from several hundred million dollars attracted in 2000 to virtually none by 2008.

With Long Island’s output growing less than 1 percent in 2008, compared to 3 percent in earlier years, Nassau’s economy accounted for the entire decline in real gross product, erasing virtually all the growth that occurred in Suffolk County. As of year-end 2008, Nassau’s share of Long Island employment fell to 592,000 wage and salary jobs or 49 percent of the combined Nassau-Suffolk total. Between 2000 and 2008 on a net basis only 5,200 new jobs were created in Nassau County, with only 1,800 new jobs in the private sector. During this period Suffolk County generated nearly 40,000 new jobs.

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Between 2000 and 2008 Nassau’s manufacturing sector lost three in every eight industrial jobs, declining from 37,680 in 2000 to 23,400 by 2008. Other sectors also had significant losses in employment. Finance and Insurance lost roughly 9,500 jobs (more than one in every five), and Wholesale and Retail Trade had combined losses of 9,200 jobs. Tempering these losses were significant gains in employment in Health Care and Social Assistance, Educational Services, State and Local Government. Health Care grew by 26 percent between 2000 and 2008 with 17,500 new jobs created.

The consequences of this structural transformation rippled through Nassau County’s economy. Over the past decade average earnings per employee grew more slowly than in Suffolk County and the region. Furthermore, as jobs contracted in high wage industries, they were replaced by growth in low wage industries.

Across all industries average annual nominal wages rose by $7,520, but real wages adjusted for inflation declined by $4,170 in the eight year period. As shown on Figure 4-1, both growing and declining sectors in Nassau reported real losses in annual earnings. In Suffolk nominal wages advanced by $12,520 and real losses were encountered only in declining industries

$8,000

80,000

$6,000

60,000

$4,000 Real Wages Declining Industries

$2,000 $0 ($2,000) ($4,000)

Real Wages Growth Industries

($6,000)

Change in Employment (2000-2008)

Change in Real Wages (2000-2008)

Figure 4-1. Growth vs. Declining Industries in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, 2000-2008: Changes in Employment and Real Earnings

Nassau Suffolk

40,000 20,000 0

Employment Declining Industries Employment Growth Industries

-20,000 -40,000 -60,000

($8,000) Source: NY State Department of Labor, QCEW Employment and Earnings

Note: Growth Industries include: Health Care, Social Assistance, Educational Services, State and Local Government, and Construction.

Declining industries include: Manufacturing, Finance and Insurance, and Wholesale and Retail Trade.

The shortage of upwardly mobile employment with opportunities for improving real wages contributed to declining economic development. Fewer young adults, raised or educated in Nassau County, sought employment in the local job market.

The number of unemployed residents increased by half again and the unemployment rate rose from 3.3 in 2000 to 4.7 percent in 2008 (see Figure 4-2).

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Figure 4-2. Unemployed Labor Force in Nassau County, Annually 2000-2008, by First Quarter, 2000-2009

Annual Qrtl

50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Source: NY State Department of Labor, Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program

Middle income households with multiple earners found it difficult to meet escalating housing costs. By 2007 the onset of a national recession resulted in the contraction of high-wage financial sector and corporate industry jobs. These jobs, drawn primarily from New York City, represented a substantial share of Nassau County’s commuter-based earnings. As Figure 4-3 shows, between 2000 and 2008 commuter earnings declined from 53 percent of Nassau County’s work-based earnings to 50 percent.

Figure 4-3. The Influx of Commuter Earnings to Nassau County as Share of Total Work-Based Earnings: 2000-2008 54.0%

53.0% % of Work-Based Earnings 52.0%

51.0%

50.0%

49.0%

48.0%

47.0%

46.0%

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Accounts

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Current Economic Climate By the first quarter of 2009 unemployment in Nassau County rose to 47,400 jobless, nearly 7 percent of the resident labor force. Unemployment indicators suggest that the labor force itself is declining, either in response to resident worker relocations or to the decline in labor force participation given the recent drop in employment. As of the third quarter of 2008, payroll employers in Nassau County reported 11,800 fewer job opportunities over the annual average level of employment in 2007.

Health Care now comprises the largest single industry and the fastest growing sector in Nassau County. The second largest industry is Retail Trade which has recently begun contracting. As shown on Table 4-1 Health Care and Social Assistance now comprise 102,201 jobs or 17 percent of the economy. With annual earnings of $48,040, wages in this sector are on par with countywide earnings of $47,540; however, among the four other growth sectors in the top ten, three are low wage – Accommodation and Food Services, Administrative and Waste Services, and Other Services – while Construction remains a high wage but highly cyclical employer.

With the exception of Retail Trade, the second largest industry in Nassau County, the four other declining sectors among the top ten all represent relatively high wage industries – Government, Professional and Technical Services, Finance and Insurance, and Wholesale Trade. Across all industries in Nassau County low to moderate wage growth sectors have added 51,500 jobs, at $41,600 per annum, while moderate to higher wage declining sectors have subtracted 46,400 jobs, at $59,600 per annum.

Table 4-1. Top Ten Sectors in Nassau County’s Economy — Employment and Earnings, 2008: Qtr III

Top 10 Sectors Health Care and Social Assistance Retail Trade Government Accommodation and Food Services Professional and Technical Services Finance and Insurance Administrative and Waste Services Construction Wholesale Trade Other Services

Employment 102,201 80,548 72,006 39,661 36,727 33,432 32,231 31,892 29,177 27,198

Annual Earnings $48,040 $29,468 $55,376 $20,060 $60,540 $68,436 $38,016 $61,164 $67,072 $28,732

Percent Change 2000-08 28.2% -5.5% -11.9% 12.6% -1.6% -22.3% 2.4% 20.7% -15.4% 5.6%

Percent of Total 2008 17.3% 13.6% 12.2% 6.7% 6.2% 5.6% 5.4% 5.4% 4.9% 4.6%

Source: NYS Department of Labor, QCEW Employment and Earnings

In 2008, with areas of extreme wealth that offset pockets of poverty and middle income neighborhoods, Nassau County remained the second richest county per capita in New York State and the 10th richest in the nation, with a median household income of $85,994. Yet with the decline in commuter earnings and the transformation of local employment from higher to lower wage jobs, it is inevitable that Nassau’s households will be adversely affected. Though slippage in standing or the value of household income is not yet evident, other signs of distress appear in housing foreclosures, commercial vacancies, and the decline in income of workforce ages.

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FORECLOSURES Residential Foreclosures In 44 months between 2005 and 2008, Nassau County had 12,000 homes, or 3.1 percent of its residential properties, in some stage of foreclosure. Worsening of the housing problem is evident in more than 4,000 foreclosures reported for January through August of 2008. Foreclosure rates are highest in largely minority communities of Roosevelt, Freeport, Uniondale and Hempstead, but mortgage delinquencies and bank repossessions are occurring throughout the County as home owners face unexpected hikes in subprime adjustable rates, job losses and declining housing values(see Figure 4-1). If undertaken, the rehabilitation and re-sale of foreclosed properties as affordable housing could effectively support current and future job growth in Nassau County.

Distribution of Nassau County Housing Foreclosures (2008)

Source: Urbanomics, 2009 (review of public and private real estate sources)

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FORECLOSURES — CONTINUED

Commercial Vacancies There are more than 70 million square feet of office space and 68 million square feet of retail space, excluding food service and hospitality in Nassau County. Only a few million square feet have been developed over the past few years in response to relatively flat demand and a decline in leasing and vacancies have risen dramatically.

Available office space in the 25 million square feet monitored by real estate brokers topped 3.5 million square feet in 2008 (a vacancy rate of 14 percent). Rents have dropped to rates below $30 per square foot1 and growing sublease office availability is putting further pressure on pricing. Applied to all office space, vacancies could approach 10 million square feet of idle inventory. This represents capacity for approximately 35,000 office jobs.

Similarly, Nassau County is overstored for retail space, with more than three million square feet vacant in ailing strip malls, big-box developments, and up-scale malls. In part attributable to the bankruptcy of national chains in a slumping economy, retail space has been over-built relative to the level of consumer spending in Nassau County. Vacancy rates in Nassau’s downtown storefronts now range upwards of 11 percent, or twice the county average.

Built Space and Vacancies in Major Commercial Developments in Nassau County: 2004-2008

Inventory Vacant Vacancy Rate

2004 Office Retail (msf) (msf) 22.79 40.65 1.86 1.87 8.2% 4.6%

2006 Office Retail (msf) (msf) 23.16 41.01 2.82 2.20 12.2% 5.4%

2008 Office Retail (msf) (msf) 24.89 41.11 3.50 2.08 14.0% 5.1%

Source: CBRE, 2008 Note: Major developments monitored by source; not equivalent to total floor space.

Poor Families and Households with Workers or Working Age Populations: 2005-2007 25,000

No Workers or Dependent Age 1 or More Workers or Working Age

20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

Families

Households 2007

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005-2007 American Community Survey

Rising Poverty Over the 2005-2007 period 64,600 Nassau residents in 23,000 households, or five percent of the County’s population, lived below the poverty line.2 Families comprised half of these households and two in every three poor families had one or more members

working. Among all poor households, a clear majority (73percent) were headed by persons of working age, 25 through 64 years. Since 2000, the number of working age poor residents in Nassau County has increased by 13 percent.

1 CB Richard Ellis, Market View Long Island, First Quarter 2009 2 The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine the poverty line. If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps).

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2. Commuter Destinations Manhattan Market Manhattan has been the primary destination for Nassau County commuters, accounting for 94,500 residents’ journeys to work in 2000 of 631,200 resident workers. At that time, Nassau commuters comprised four percent of Manhattan’s wage and salary workers and brought back nearly $10 billion in annual earnings from their employment. Since then, Manhattan’s payroll employment has declined by more than three percent, following the events of 9/11, a national recession, and turmoil in financial markets.

By 2007 Nassau commuters to New York destinations fell by nearly 2,500 workers.

In 2008, the Long Island Expressway carried 3,500 fewer cars each day than in 2007 and, by the fourth quarter of 2008, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) reported 52,000 fewer trips to New York’s Penn Station. By January 2009, LIRR ridership was down four percent from January 2008.3 Collectively, these trends suggest a decided impact on Nassau County’s commuter earnings.

Other Destinations While Manhattan comprises the major destination for commuters from Nassau County, the outer boroughs of New York City attract as many, if not more, workers.

In 2000, Queens and Brooklyn led with 66,100 and 29,700 commuters respectively; the Bronx and Staten Island followed with a combined 7,600 workers. The Hudson Valley, Connecticut and New Jersey attracted roughly 3,400, 1,000, and 4,600 commuters respectively, while Suffolk County drew 49,800 workers from Nassau (see Figure 4-4). Currently, not one of these areas represents a growing or high wage employment destination that could offset the Manhattan commuter declines since 2000.

Figure 4-4. Nassau County Total Out-Commutation: 2000

3 The New York Times, “An Easier, Yet Uneasy, Commute to Work,” April 15, 2009 Source: U.S. Census, 2000

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3. Employment and Earnings Outlook Nassau County’s outlook for employment and earnings growth over the next 10 years is dependent upon the nation’s recovery from a severe recession and the collapse of both housing and financial markets, as well as on the region’s ability to rebound in global and national markets. By virtue of its loss of manufacturing and other export-oriented activities, Nassau County has evolved into a consumerbased service economy that is less skilled, more dependent upon local population demand, and less likely to draw new spending into the County.

Employment Forecast The long term forecast of payroll employment at Nassau County work places, prepared by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) prior to the current economic downturn projected 72,100 new jobs between 2005 and 2030 (see Table 4-2). This job forecast was driven by the County’s relationship to past national and regional economic trends, as well as to the pre-recession long term national outlook. Revised national forecasts suggest one percent fewer jobs by 2035, or roughly a 100,000 decline in regional payroll employment growth.

However economists expect that the intervening years will show more slippage as the economy recovers from the current recession and a revised market-driven outlook would place Nassau County’s payroll growth in a feasible range of 65,200 jobs over the next two decades (see Table 4-3).

Table 4-2. Adopted NYMTC Forecasts for Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk County Employment to 2035 Adopted Forecasts

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

2035

1,727.8 823.5 904.3

1,834.3 849.9 984.3

1,896.7 869.9 1,026.7

1,379.2 660.4 718.9

1,468.0 680.8 787.1

1,521.6 697.5 824.0

348.6 163.1 185.4

366.3 169.1 197.2

375.1 172.4 202.7

Total Employment (in 000s)

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

862.6 575.2 287.4

1,093.2 661.0 432.2

1,329.8 716.8 613.0

1,457.5 743.2 714.1

1,636.9 800.8 836.0

Payroll Employment (in 000s)

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

725.6 486.5 239.1

915.5 554.0 361.5

1,123.6 603.8 519.8

1,218.0 622.0 595.9

1,319.1 649.3 669.8

Proprietors (in 000s)

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

137.0 88.7 48.3

177.7 107.0 70.7

206.2 113.0 93.2

239.5 121.2 118.2

Source: New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, 2005

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317.8 151.6 166.2

Table 4-3. Revised Forecasts for Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk County Employment to 2035 Revised Forecasts

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

2035

1,635.4 775.5 859.8

1,793.9 830.9 963.0

1,882.5 865.4 1,017.0

1,305.5 621.9 683.6

1,435.7 665.6 770.1

1,510.2 693.9 816.2

329.9 153.6 176.3

358.2 165.3 192.9

372.3 171.5 200.8

Total Employment (in 000s)

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

862.6 575.2 287.4

1,093.2 661.0 432.2

1,329.8 716.8 613.0

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

725.6 486.5 239.1

915.5 554.0 361.5

1,123.6 603.8 519.8

Long Island Nassau Suffolk

137.0 88.7 48.3

177.7 107.0 70.7

206.2 113.0 93.2

1,457.5 743.2 714.1

1,516.3 740.5 775.8

Payroll Employment (in 000s)

1,218.0 622.0 595.9

1,221.9 600.4 621.6

Proprietors (in 000s)

239.5 121.2 118.2

294.4 140.2 154.2

Source: Urbanomics, 2009

In addition to payroll employment growth, an increase in the self employed is expected. Though significant in annual numbers, the self employed do not have a significant impact on the County’s employment base, floor space requirements or trip generation. Providing largely seasonal or part-time work, often in addition to full-time payroll employment, proprietorships expand worker earnings but are not generally a source of employment opportunities for the unemployed or those entering the labor force.

Near Term Job Openings With few exceptions, the occupations with most recent job openings in Long Island are largely those without professional or technical training that offer entry level opportunities for persons with low to moderate skills in service work. With annual wages that typically ranged from $20,000 to $25,000 in 2006, they compare poorly to the average wage of Nassau’s payroll employment, now at $47,500. Moreover, with few exceptions, they fail to provide a job ladder from entry level to more experienced work, thereby offering job applicants few opportunities to advance their skill sets and earnings capabilities. As Table 4-4 shows, these jobs are expected to remain dominant among the most available, though declining in average annual number of job openings over the ten year period to 2016.

Table 4-4. Occupations with the Most Job Openings in Long Island: 2006-2016 Avg Annual Openings Occupations 2006-2008 Retail Salespersons 2,650 Cashiers 2,230 Waiter & Waitresses 1,410 Stock Clerks & Order Fillers 1,015 Janitors & Cleaners 975 Sales Reps, Wholesale Trade, Mfg. 850 Registered Nurses 815 Food Preparation Workers 770 Teacher Assistants 700

2009-2016 2,140 1,610 1,360 480 780 540 780 670 500

Employment 2008 52,610 33,600 21,360 19,950 27,820

Average Wage 2006 $22,900 $18,630 $21,980 $20,840 $25,850

22,960 24,180 13,460 22,500

$63,520 $77,040 $21,750 $25,080

Source: New York State Department of Labor.

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4.Developing Workforce Destinations With few exceptions Nassau’s land area is fully developed. New opportunities to locate workforce destinations will require occupancy of vacant or idle space, redevelopment of strategic sites, and/or increased densities on existing developed sites. Nassau County’s 90/10 Solution designates 18 Cool Downtowns and 4 Megaprojects as appropriate workforce destinations.

Commercial Concentrations: Offices & Retail About one third of Nassau County’s employment is housed in office buildings which comprise approximately 73 million square feet (msf) of built space (see Table 4-5). Most of this space was constructed in the 1980s and consists of multistory buildings of more than 100,000 gross square feet; however, seven buildings exceed one million square feet each; 51 buildings offer more than 200,000 square feet and average less than 375,000 square feet each.

Only a small percentage of the County’s office stock is Class A office space suitable for prestigious office operations including large headquarters. The bulk of mid-sized buildings, which accommodate several thousand office workers each, serve primarily a locally-based market of finance, insurance, professional and business services. Approximately 8.2 msf of space exists in office condominiums and another 4.4 msf in professional office buildings that cater primarily to the medical arts. Numerous small offices and low scale office buildings serving neighborhood needs are found in commercial strip developments. With a countywide average floor area ratio of less than one, Nassau’s office market is extremely low density and of low visibility.

Table 4-5. Commercial Office and Retail Space in Nassau County: 2009

Commercial Structure

GSF Building

% GSF Bldg

Office Building Office Building > 25,000 GSF Condominium Office Building Professional Office Building All Other Office

73,169,078 49,995,646 8,253,205 4,392,482 10,527,745

100.0% 68.3% 11.3% 6.0% 14.4%

Retail Building Auto Dealers: Sales, Service, Used Car Lot Gas, Convenience and Service Retail Service Regional Shopping Center Area/Neighborhood Shopping Center Condo Strip Stores - Retail Department Store Discount House Large Retail Food Store - Supermarket Dealerships Sales/Service (non-Auto) Row Type Store

67,950,761 3,113,859 567,045 1,241,044 17,388,985 16,408,821 161,393 6,256,604 3,909,998 1,715,332 12,876 17,174,804

100.0% 4.6% 0.8% 1.8% 25.6% 24.1% 0.2% 9.2% 5.8% 2.5% 0.0% 25.3%

Source: Nassau County Real Property Tax Parcel Records

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GSF Land Area

Number

Average Bldg

Average Lot

98,456,072

2,103 361 130 356 1,256

34,793 138,492 63,486 12,338 8,382

46,817

113,133,785

3,826 269 317 124 32 283 9 33 57 44 2 2,656

17,760 11,576 1,789 10,008 543,406 57,982 17,933 189,594 68,596 38,985 6,438 6,466

64,162

Figure 4-5, below, compares commercial space, consisting of office, industrial and retail, in Nassau and Suffolk Counties between 1998 and 2008. These figures represent major commercial space as tracked by real estate brokers and does not sum to the county totals for office and retail use as shown in Table 4-5.

Office space totals shown in Figure 4-5 are comprised largely of Class A space.4 Between 1998 and 2008, Nassau’s total increased by just 2.2%, while Suffolk’s rose by a comparatively higher 35.1%., rising from 11.4 million square feet to 15.4 million square feet.

Figure 4-5. Nassau – Suffolk Built Commercial Space: 1998 – 2008

Office Industrial Retail

200,000,000 180,000,000 Commercial Square Feet

15,426,051

11,422,112

160,000,000 140,000,000 120,000,000

24,359,463

103,295,842

100,000,000 80,000,000

24,894,724

107,185,944

57,827,875

56,429,303

60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000 0 Source: CBRE, 2009

40,232,587

47,885,881

41,112,138

Nassau

Suffolk

Nassau

1998

51,828,141

Suffolk

4 CBRE notes that its market coverage includes competitive office buildings 10,000 square feet and greater in size.

2008

NASSAU’S OFFICE MARKET The decline of employment in Nassau County has had a significant impact on the office market. Available space rose to over 3.9 msf, or 15.8 percent, by the first quarter of 2009. No sales of office buildings over one million dollars occurred during that period. Negative absorption has persisted since 2007, indicating that supply continues to outstrip demand.

While Nassau’s market commands slightly higher rents than Suffolk’s, Nassau has more available inventory. The following chart compares the availability rates of office space in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. Availability rates represent the available square feet divided by the net rentable area.

Availability is defined as the inventory of vacant or occupied space that is being activity marketed for tenant occupancy within a 12 month timeframe.

Nassau Suffolk Westchester

Office Availability Rates in Nassau, Suffolk & Westchester Counties, 2004-2009: Qtr I 2009: Qtrl

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

Source: CBRE, 2009

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Figure 4-6. Location of Major Malls

On a countywide basis Nassau has nearly as much retail space (68 msf) as office space, although the density of retail commercial is roughly one-third that of office commercial. 32 regional shopping centers account for one-quarter of the retail inventory and average more than 540,000 square feet each. However, the five shopping malls that anchor Nassau’s center and four corners – Roosevelt Field in the Hub, Americana Mall in Manhasset, Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, and Broadway Mall in Hicksville – dominate the retail market with 6.5 msf of high-grossing space in nearly 800 stores (see Figure 4-6). The trade area of the five major malls encompasses nearly all of Nassau County, though increasingly retail competition from malls in western Suffolk County has drawn away Nassau shoppers.

Neighborhood shopping centers concentrated largely in community shopping centers along major highway corridors comprise 16.4 msf or 24 percent of Nassau County’s retail space inventory. Large retail purveyors such as supermarkets, department stores, discount houses, and auto dealers comprise 15 msf or 22 percent of Nassau’s retail inventory. Even more commercial inventory, 17.2 msf, is located in older row-type stores in neighborhood strips in villages and unincorporated commercial centers.

Neighborhood strips and village centers do not command the traffic, rents, and retail sales of the major malls

Source: Nassau County GIS, 2009

Table 4-6 compares the Floor Area Ratio ( FAR) of retail uses in the 18 Cool Downtowns, Selected Commercial Corridors5 and for the County as a whole.

Overall, Nassau’s Cool Downtowns contain retail uses that are built at a slightly higher density than both the County average and retail parcels along key commercial corridors.

Table 4-6. Existing Retail Floor Space and Land Area Characteristics 5 Selected commercial corridors include Sunrise Highway, from the Queens County Line to the Meadowbrook Parkway (including Green Acres Mall) and from Route 107 to the Suffolk County Line (including the Sunrise Mall), Hempstead Turnpike from the Meadowbrook Parkway to the SeafordOyster Bay Expressway, Old Country Road from Roosevelt Field to the Wantagh Parkway, and Northern Boulevard from the Queens County Line to Port Washington.

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Retail Uses In: GSF Building GSF Land County Total 67,950,761 113,133,785 18 Cool Downtowns 11,804,509 15,826,969 Selected Commercial Corridors 27,689,509 41,730,529 Source: Nassau County Department of Assessment, 2009

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Parcels 3,826 954 464

FAR 0.60 0.75 0.66

NASSAU’S RETAIL MARKET

Although the rate of availability in retail floor space was not as significant as commercial office space in the first quarter of 2009, a significant number of store vacancies have since emerged in Nassau’s malls, villages, strips and shopping centers. This decline is evident in plummeting sales tax revenues that have slipped 10 percent from initial projections and may amount to more than a $100 million shortfall by year end. In part created by the liquidation of major national chains from a recession-induced contraction in consumer spending, the store closures and mounting vacancies nonetheless present a specter of economic decline for Nassau County.

Long considered “over-stored” in relation to discretionary spending, as population virtually stabilized and real incomes contracted, the huge scale of retail inventory is no longer supportable and some available space will need to be adapted for reuse or demolished.

Underperforming strip malls and strip center corridors should be considered candidates for redevelopment as multifamily housing and community facilities.

This would represent a higher and better use of land, and conceivably increase municipal tax revenues.

Retail Availability Rates in Nassau, Suffolk & Westchester Counties, 2004-2009:Qtr I

Nassau Suffolk Westchester

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

Source: CBRE

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Brownfields & Empire Zone Areas 26.2 msf of strictly manufacturing floor space exists in Nassau County, representing 1160 properties on 58.2 msf of land area (see Table 4-7). An equal if not greater amount of other industrial space is occupied by utilities, warehouses, and transporters. The industrial real estate market is characterized largely by older developments, many ill-suited to clean hi-tech activities that are emerging, resulting in increased rates of vacancy as traditional manufacturing declines. Leasing activity has been down for several quarters with negative absorption evident since 2007.

Asking rents range widely by type of space, between R&D/flex space at $16.05, warehousing/distribution space at $10.75, and general industrial or manufacturing space at $8.59 on average.

Of the manufacturing stock, light manufacturing or small factory buildings comprise the largest inventory at 16.9 msf, while heavy manufacturing complexes account for only 4msf. Small factories, which average 22,000 square feet in floor area, are suitable for start-up businesses that do not require special fittings, bays or rail sidings. Only 2.3 msf are in hi-tech manufacturing structures which typically are more costly to develop and are larger in size.

One in every five square feet of manufacturing space (5.7 msf) is located in Nassau County’s environmental zones, thus eligible for brownfield tax credits.6 Slightly more stock, (5.9 msf), is located in the County’s Empire Zones,7 thus eligible for various tax incentives. There are 277 manufacturing properties located in both environmental and Empire Zones, comprising 4.1 msf of floor space. Though eligible by location, not all properties are enrolled in environmental programs. 3.8 msf of manufacturing space is now covered under Superfund, brownfield and voluntary clean-up programs in Nassau County.

6 Environmental zones are designated by the Empire State Development (ESD) agency of New York State as census tracts with brownfield sites eligible for enhanced remediation and redevelopment tax credits that qualify as impoverished, according to various socioeconomic criteria. The criteria include a poverty rate of at least 20%, based upon the 2000 Census, and an unemployment rate of at least 125% of the New York State average rate, or a poverty rate of at least double the rate of the county in which the tract is located. Brownfield tax credits are comprised of three tax credits for tax payers who remediate a site under the Brownfield Cleanup Program. They consist of the Brownfield Redevelopment Credit for site preparation, tangible property and groundwater costs, the Remediated Brownfield Credit for Real Property Taxes, and the Environmental Remediation Insurance Credit.

7 Empire Zones are geographically defined areas within New York State in which the qualifying businesses that are located there are eligible for Empire Zone program tax benefits. The benefits accrue to business and personal income tax, sales and use taxes.

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Table 4-7. Industrial Space in Nassau County: 2009 Industrial Structure

GSF Building

GSF Land Area

Number

Average Bldg

Average Lot

Manufacturing Buildings Manufacturing & Processing Heavy Manufacturing, Factory Complex Light Manufacturing, Small Factory Bldg Job Shops & Multiple Use Buildings Small Improvements with Factories Hi Tech Manufacturing

26,231,905 93,641 4,021,568 16,936,840 2,870,500 4,000 2,305,356

58,190,578 225,529 12,369,092 33,861,299 5,601,276 972,555 5,160,827

1,160 7 31 768 298 14 42

22,614 13,377 129,728 22,053 9,633 286 54,889

50,164 32,218 399,003 44,090 18,796 69,468 122,877

In Environmental Zones Manufacturing & Processing Heavy Manufacturing, Factory Complex Light Manufacturing, Small Factor Bldg Job Shops & Multiple Use Buildings Small Improvements with Factories Hi Tech Manufacturing

5,710,612 59,671 277,639 3,940,287 779,705 0 653,310

9,080,007 168,084 399,934 6,001,425 1,425,121 41,387 1,044,056

313 3 7 209 82 2 10

18,245 19,890 39,663 18,853 9,509 0 65,331

29,010 56,028 57,133 28,715 17,380 20,694 104,406

In Empire Zones Manufacturing & Processing Heavy Manufacturing, Factory Complex Light Manufacturing, Small Factor Bldg Job Shops & Multiple Use Buildings Hi Tech Manufacturing

5,906,909 9,137 1,489,457 3,404,727 649,309 354,279

11,877,090 55,700 5,082,057 4,946,264 1,145,285 647,784

244 2 4 167 60 11

24,209 4,569 372,364 20,388 10,822 32,207

48,677 27,850 1,270,514 29,618 19,088 58,889

In Both Environmental & Empire Zones Manufacturing & Processing Heavy Manufacturing, Factory Complex Light Manufacturing, Small Factor Bldg Job Shops & Multiple Use Buildings Hi Tech Manufacturing

4,086,888 9,137 159,477 2,937,877 639,901 340,496

6,170,300 55,700 212,994 4,159,993 1,124,445 617,168

227 2 2 155 59 9

18,004 4.569 79,739 18.954 10,846 37,833

27,182 27,850 106,497 26,839 19,058 68,574

Source: Real Property Tax Files of Assessors of Nassau County, 2009

B. New Suburbia Solution #2: Support and Promote Industries To reinvigorate its employment outlook and workforce earnings and to restore its reputation as an economy with high skills and high wages, Nassau County needs to create an environment for capturing emerging job growth. As will be discussed in detail in the ďŹ nal chapter of this Master Plan- the Action Plan- this can be achieved by marketing the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets and creating an environment that supports and attracts businesses. This will enable the County to move towards more economic independence. Knowledge-based and energy-conserving jobs are at the forefront of change in the global and national economy. Their development in Nassau would inject new spending into the County and produce ripple effects on existing businesses. At the regional and county level, a rise in consumers aging in place and a young labor force attracted to rental housing will generate a greater market for health and educational services in Nassau County, as well as sports, entertainment and tourism venues. Collectively, these macro and micro trends provide a framework for real economic development.

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National Trends Traditionally, economic growth was based upon physical resources and the products they yielded. Today, knowledge powers the global economy while a lack of available energy and investment resources constrains national economic growth.

Consumers play an extraordinarily large role in maintaining growth and shaping the industrial structure, accounting for 70 percent of spending on gross domestic product (GDP).

The current economic recession that began in December 2007 and has since surpassed the 1981-82 and 1973-75 recessions in depth and length, has been exacerbated by a run-up in energy prices and the near collapse of housing and financial markets on a global as well as national scale. Most major economic forecasts predict its end and the start of a slow U.S. recovery by 2010, some 30 months after the recession’s onset. Of all the sectors and markets hard hit by this decline, few are expected to record significant gains before the middle of the next decade. According to Moody’s Economy.com, those few will be knowledge-based, consumer-oriented, and energy-saving.

Moody’s Economy.com predicts U.S. employment will decline by 3.5 percent over 2009, decelerating to no growth in the first half of 2010, and then marginally expanding to less than one percent employment growth in 2011. By 2012, the economy will have recovered the level of total employment that prevailed four years earlier in 2008. Major job losses have and will continue to occur in the following sectors: • Manufacturing: Down 7.9 percent in 2009, as continuation of a long term decline, with only modest anticipation of an increase under 1 percent by 2012, never to recover previous highs • Financial Activities: Down 4.4 percent in 2009, the third year of overall declines, without expected recovery of 2006 peak by 2012 Other sectors will recover peak period losses by 2012, after weak near term expansion: • Professional and Business Services: – Down 5.5 percent in 2009, following yearlong losses in 2008 and no growth in the first half of 2010 • Transportation and Warehousing: Down 4.4 percent in 2009 amidst losses from 2008 to first half of 2010, with recovery of prior peak expected by 2012 year-end • Wholesale and Retail Trade: Down 3.6 percent in 2009, following losses in 2008, with modest growth that starts mid-year 2010 to recover by mid-to-end 2012 • Information: – Down 3.5 percent in 2009 with job losses from mid 2007 to mid-2010, thereafter modest growth to recover 2005 peak A few major sectors will experience near term growth that propels job levels above prior peak years: • Education and Health: Down only 0.1 percent in 2009 from six-month losses that end in Quarter III, followed by significant and accelerating expansion by 2011 • Government: Down only 0.3 percent in 2009 from six-month losses that end in Quarter III, followed by modest steady increases in 2010 through 2012 • Utilities: Down 1.4 percent from nine month losses in 2009, followed by losses 102

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through mid 2010, but gains thereafter to recover 2009 Quarter I peak by 2012 • Other (Personal and Nonprofit) Services: Down 2.7 percent in 2009, following delayed losses in latter half of 2007, but anticipated expansion of nearly 1 percent in 2011 and 2012 • Leisure and Hospitality: Down 2.9 percent in 2009, the second full year of loss, but positioned to grow more than 1 percent annually from 2011 onward

THREE MEASURES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Using Cluster Analysis, the NYS Department of Labor identified the following growth sectors for Long Island in 2006. In addition to office activities, the selected clusters are knowledge-based and consumeroriented activities:

Selected Growth Clusters on Long Island: 2006 Avg An’l % Change, 2003-2006 Wages Employment Total Wages

Employment Back Office & Outsourcing Biomedical Communications, Software & Media Services Front Office & Producer Services Information Technology Services Travel & Tourism

20,700 14,400

$39,630 $50,590

18.7% 2.9%

35.5% 11.5%

33,700

$58,730

1.6%

6.3%

73,500

$63,070

3.6%

12.4%

11,000 9,863

$75,280 $31,420

3.8% 3.6%

18.1% 13.4%

Source: New York State Department of Labor, 2006

Using Shift-Share analysis, the Northeast Regional Project and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identified the national, structural, and competitive share components of Nassau County’s employment growth between 2000 and 2007.

Overall, jobs in the County grew primarily due to the national economy, with national job growth registering 4.2 percent. The Nassau employment mix accounted for much less growth potential than the national average. Most of Nassau’s identified growth potential was in the Education and Health Services, Construction, and Leisure and Hospitality industries.

Shift-Share Analysis for Nassau County: 2000-2007

Sector Education and Health Services Information Construction Leisure and Hospitality All Other Major Sectors Total

National Competitive Total Job Growth Industrial Mix Share Change, Component Component Component 2000-2007 5,848 726 1,117

16,947 -3,378 2,375

3,335 2,232 259

26,130 -420 3,751

1,952

4,375

-1,052

5,275

15,542 25,185

-7,977 12,342

-38,333 -33,559

-30,768 3,968

Source: Northeast Regional Project and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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THREE MEASURES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — CONTINUED though Westchester has a slightly higher density of Educational Services. Compared to Suffolk County, Nassau’s other competitive sectors are Information, Finance and Insurance, Real Estate, and Other Services. Relative to Westchester County, Nassau’s jobs are somewhat stronger in Retail Trade, Finance and Insurance, Accommodation and Food Services, as well as the leading sectors of Hospitals and the Arts. In the Management of Companies, a potential for expansion is suggested

by Nassau’s shortfall relative to both Suffolk and Westchester.

Using Location Quotient Analysis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics compared the relative intensity of employment by sector in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties to comparable jobs in the nation in 2008, using the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

As Chart 4-5 shows, Nassau’s employment in Performing Arts and Spectator Sports is more than twice as concentrated as the nation’s, while Suffolk’s employment is only half as concentrated.

Similarly, Nassau’s concentration in Educational Services and Hospitals far outranks Suffolk in both sectors,

A Comparison of Location Quotients: Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester to the Nation in 2008

Nassau Suffolk Westchester

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

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sp ita ls Ac Sp co ec m t a m to od rS at po io rt n s Ot & he Fo rS od er Se vi rv ce ice s, s ex cP ub lic Ad m in

Ho

Ar ts &

an M

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Pe rf or m in g

ag em

en to

fC om

vi er lS ica hn

Te c

pa Ed ni uc es at io na lS er vi ce s

s ce

g sin Le a l& l& na sio

Pr of es

lE st at e,

Re nt a

In su ra nc e

n

Re a

Fi na nc e

&

fo rm at io

e

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

In

lT ra d

M

an uf ac

ai

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0

Policy 5: Encourage Growth and Partnerships In High Tech/High Skilled Industry, Education and Healthcare Knowledge-based and consumer-oriented activities that are anchored in the nation’s leading growth sectors offer the most promise for generating employment opportunities in Nassau County, especially when they are consistent with demonstrated strengths and competitive advantages of the local economy.

Knowledge-based activities rely upon education, experience, and ingenuity to produce innovations that increase productivity, create new or customized products and services, and drive economic growth. Different from information-based activities that can be more easily reproduced through patents and established processes, knowledge-based activities are not easily codified or replicated, and produce spillovers or benefits to those beyond their immediate markets. Health care, higher education, software engineering, bio-medical research, information services and green energy development are pre-eminent among knowledge-based activities and represent identifiable clusters of economic activity for expansion in Nassau County.

High Tech/High Skilled Industry High-technology employment is credited with increasing overall productivity and global competitiveness, stimulating economic growth, and creating well-paying jobs. Defined as activities that are engaged in design, development and introduction of new products and/or innovative processes through applied scientific and technical knowledge, high-tech industries are drawn primarily from the following fields: • • • • • •

Biotechnology & scientific research and development (R&D) Computer hardware, software & internet services Electronics and instruments manufacturing Communications equipment and telecommunications Aircraft manufacturing Architecture, engineering and land surveying

As of 2006, Nassau County had approximately 18,400 high tech jobs in 1,700 establishments. The Grumman property in Bethpage has a cluster of high-tech industries. As Figure 4-7 shows, computer hardware and software, electronics and instruments, and architectural and engineering services dominate the high tech sector with roughly 3,500 to 6,500 jobs each. Biotechnology and scientific R&D provide approximately 2,500 jobs in Nassau. By comparison, Suffolk and Westchester counties have 41,000 and 15,650 high-tech jobs in 1,908 and 1,311 establishments, respectively. Though not as competitive as Suffolk, Nassau’s strengths rest with the quality of its more notable high tech facilities. Nationally, high-tech employment has grown by 16 percent over the past decade. Nassau County should aim to replicate this growth in the coming two decades, attracting at least 7,000 new high-tech jobs by 2030. To achieve this goal, Nassau should seek to establish a partnership with the Long Island Forum for Technology to market Nassau as a hub for high tech jobs. The County should also seek to establish a Long Island venture capital fund devoted to high tech industries. Of these new jobs 75 percent should be located within Cool Downtowns or megaprojects.

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Figure 4-7. High-Tech Employment in Nassau and Suffolk Counties by Subsector: 2006

Nassau Suffolk Westchester

16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

Biotechnology & Scientific R&D

Computer Hardware, Software, & Internet Services

Electronics & Instruments Manufacturing

Communications Equipment & Telecommunications

Aircraft Manufacturing

Architecture, Engineering & Land Surveying

Source: County Business Patterns, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Laurel Hollow is a world-class research institution where more than 300 scientists and over 100 post-doctoral and graduate students conduct groundbreaking research at the forefront of efforts in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory supports major programs in cancer research, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics and bioinformatics, and maintains a broad educational mission. Since its founding in 1891, Laboratory scientists – including seven Nobel Laureates – have significantly advanced the treatment and diagnosis of cancer and the understanding of the human genome.

The Laboratory recently constructed four new buildings and adopted a master plan to develop two additional research buildings, a great hall meeting facility, a degree-granting school of biological science, a new library, a building for special collections, six new residence halls, a sports facility, and several existing building extensions and renovations. Employment growth and course attendance are tied to changes in research funding. Over the past decade total staffing has grown from roughly 750 full-time employees to nearly 1,000 full- and part-time employees, including graduate students and fellows.

The former Northrop Grumman site at Bethpage provides a significant opportunity for development of a science-based lifestyle campus for high technology industries.

This facility contains more than one million square feet of industrial space in 20 buildings. Adjacent to the Long Island Rail Road, within one mile of its nearest rail station, fully equipped with all utilities and adequate parking, the site is eligible for New York State Empire Zone tax benefits and incentives. Moreover, reflecting the site’s history of aircraft development, Grumman-Bethpage is still surrounded by notable homeland security/defense companies like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, American Defense Systems, and Aeroflex.

Building upon Nassau County’s existing concentrations of defense, software, and alternative energy firms, the potential exists for significant job growth in highly skilled, high paying activities at Bethpage by tapping into the growth potential foreseen for the advanced composite materials industry8. At the national level, the aerospace industry demand for composite materials is anticipated to quadruple over the next 20 years, to $30 billion annually.

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Future applications of high strength, intelligence-embedded materials are not only restricted to aerospace and military defense, but also find direct uses in improving autos, boats, wind turbines and other alternative energy and transport equipment.

By partnering with homeland security/defense firms and academic research interests of nearby universities, like Hofstra, and coupled with support from private venture capital and public funding sources, like the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYStar), an advanced materials science park could generate considerable research activity on-site and stimulate off-site development of hi-tech manufacturing processes. Elsewhere, university-based science parks have led to the birth of huge local industries, like Hsinchu Science Park and the growth of semiconductor manufacturing in Taiwan.

Somewhat less promising but equally important as a source of high technology jobs for Nassau County, the field of biotechnology and advanced medical research should also be supported by research sites, training and housing accommodations.

Major healthcare institutions, medical colleges, private research laboratories, and a few pharmaceutical firms exist in the County, in dispersed locations and campus sites. A tighter network of collaboration may be necessary, focused on a biotechnology innovation center with a program of publicly funded laboratory research and shared clinical trials.

Green Energy Tens of thousands of new jobs will likely be created throughout the country as a result of an emerging global “green economy.” Changing patterns of employment and investment that result from efforts to reduce the effects of climate change are already generating employment in many sectors. Green jobs are intended to reduce carbon emissions to environmentally sustainable levels. According to the United Nations, the global market for environmental products and services is expected to double from $1,370 billion per year today to $2,740 billion by 2020.

As of 2006, Nassau County had 24,800 green jobs in 3,336 establishments engaged in the following activities (See Figure 4-8): • Renewable energy – generation, transmission, support functions and construction • Biofuels • Energy efficiency – development and manufacturing • Green building – Construction, architecture, project development and realty • Recycled materials • Consulting and support Nationally, half of the green economy activity is concentrated in energy efficiency; the balance is in sustainable transport, water supply, sanitation and waste management. Nassau’s green jobs are primarily concentrated in support functions for renewable energy (11,020), though approximately 9,590 are associated with green building and 470 with energy efficiency.

In recent years 2.3 million workers nationally have found jobs in the renewable energy sector. The potential for future growth is enormous with jobs in alternative energies projected to rise to 20 million by 2030 with 2.1 million jobs in wind and 6.3 million jobs in solar power. In addition, a transition to energy-efficient buildings and the “greening” of existing workplaces will generate millions of construction jobs. Investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings are likely to

Master Plan for New Suburbia

8 A precise blending or two or more materials to create a new material that is stronger, lighter and easier to work with than alternative materials such as metals and plastics. Some advanced composite materials have embedded electronics.

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add over one million green jobs to the U.S economy. Nassau County should encourage construction of green buildings and seek investments in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. With appropriate investments and new regulations, such actions could result in the generation of at least 15,000 new jobs by 2030. Of these new jobs 75 percent should be located within Cool Downtowns or megaprojects.

Figure 4-8. Nassau County’s Green Energy Employment by Activity: 2006 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

Renewable Energy Support Functions

Other Renewal Energy & Biofuels

Green Buildings

Recycled Materials

Energy Efficiency

Consulting & Support

Source: County Business Patterns, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau

Healthcare and Higher Education Healthcare and higher educational institutions are Nassau County’s most competitive and specialized knowledge-based employers. They are growing sectors and are relatively recession-proof. Nassau is home to15 general medical and surgical hospitals, 16 colleges, universities and professional schools, and one junior college.

These institutions are supported by 47 firms that provide educational services, 4,631 ambulatory health care centers and doctor’s offices, and 196 nursing and residential care facilities.

Nassau’s more than 4,900 healthcare and higher educational facilities are located throughout the county and are easily accessible by automobile, but typically are not concentrated within village centers or near rail stations. In the first quarter of 2006, approximately 100,200 people were employed in this sector, representing roughly one-sixth of Nassau’s job base and earning $4.8 billion in annual wages.

As Table 4-8 shows, health care and higher educational institutions are far more significant to Nassau County’s economy than to Suffolk or Westchester.

Medical and educational properties are one segment of the job and real estate markets in which continued growth can be expected. Demographic trends support further development and specialization and quality of service has elevated this sector’s role to an export function, or the provision of care for nonresidents. New investment in health care and educational facilities, as well as supportive development of related offices and workforce housing, can attract jobs and reinvigorate older centers of the County. Nassau County has the potential to capture nearly 60 percent of the Health Services and Education employment forecasted for Long Island by NYMTC over the period 2010-2030, or 20,000 jobs. Of these new jobs 75 percent should be located within Cool Downtowns or megaprojects.

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Table 4-8. Health Care and Education in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties: 2006

Nassau Establishments 1 16 47 15 4,631 196 4,906

2006:QI Employment 375 10,247 236 32,491 44,283 12,567 100,199

Annual Payroll $000 $9,305 $318,820 $10,241 $1,991,329 $2,039,918 $444,819 $4,814,432

Average An’l Wage $24,813 $31,113 $43,394 $61,289 $46,065 $35,396 $48,049

Establishments 4 8 45 17 3,202 3 473 3,752

2006:QI Employment 480 2,985 263 24,536 30,071 3,007 16,958 78,300

Annual Payroll $000 $11,910 $83,420 $8,958 $1,259,264 $1,388,388 $156,699 $528,255 $3,436,894

Average An’l Wage $24,813 $27,946 $34,061 $51,323 $46,170 $52,111 $31,151 $43,894

Subsector Establishments Junior Colleges 3 Colleges, Universities & Professional Schools 22 Educational Support Services 51 General medical & surgical hospitals 21 Ambulatory Health Care/Doctor’s Offices 2,712 Psychiatric, Substance Abuse & Specialty Hospitals 8 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 221 Total 3,038

2006:QI Employment 212 9,323 288 19,736 25,864 4,548 14,941 74,912

Annual Payroll $000 $5,260 $237,309 $10,272 $1,031,019 $1,300,048 $216,181 $486,531 $3,286,620

Average An’l Wage $24,813 $25,454 $35,667 $52,241 $50,265 $47,533 $32,563 $43,873

Subsector Junior Colleges Colleges, Universities & Professional Schools Educational Support Services General medical & surgical hospitals Ambulatory Health Care/Doctor’s Offices Nursing and Residential Care Facilities Total Suffolk Subsector Junior Colleges Colleges, Universities & Professional Schools Educational Support Services General medical & surgical hospitals Ambulatory Health Care/Doctor’s Offices Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals Nursing and Residential Care Facilities Total Westchester

Source: County Business Patterns, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau

Attesting to the strength of the hospital sector in Nassau County, its largest institution – North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital (North Shore-LIJ)- is developing a new Center for Advanced Medicine in Lake Success. According to Jeff Kraut of North Shore-LIJ, it is also expanding its women’s services and ICU capacity, refurbishing its Schneider Children’s Hospital and the Zucker Hillside Hospital, and reconfiguring its Plainview campus for state-of-the-art use in the next decade. Its major investments in research facilities, which are expanding faster than those at Stony Brook, Cold Spring Harbor and Brookhaven National Laboratory, are attracting many scientists.

North Shore-LIJ currently has approximately 40,000 employees, with roughly 10,000 living within a one-mile radius of the Nassau/Queens border. Transportation access and housing are significant issues that hospital administrators must address.

The hospital currently has 400 to 500 apartments on two campuses, but needs another 1,400 units for its nurses, residents and scientists. Most nurses and scientists currently live in Queens due to the high cost of housing in Nassau.

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“Each year, 400 new residents and 80 to 90 new scientists are hired by North Shore-LIJ, at salaries that range from $40,000 to $100,000 per year.”

North Shore-LIJ seeks to develop workforce housing nearby its hospital and research facilities or in downtowns accessible to train stations. It is also interested in constructing a sports medicine facility in the Hub, and in bringing community health services to the underserved low-income communities. Currently hospital personnel are working with Nassau Community College to train local residents for career ladder jobs at various hospital campuses in the County.

Nassau’s major health care institutions cooperate closely with its higher educational facilities. North Shore-LIJ is building a medical school, dormitories, and high tech incubator on the Hofstra University campus, which is expected to be completed by 2013. It provides a major source of employment for nurse graduates of Adelphi, the fourth largest nursing school in the nation, and offers clinical service support for Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC). Under consideration is a “village for healthy living” in East Meadow, a potential collaboration between Nassau Health Care Corporation, Hofstra University and a developer to create campus housing with a wellness center and medical research capability.

Policy 6: Diversify the Housing Stock by Encouraging Next Generation and Senior Housing Encouraging next generation and senior housing is essential if Nassau County wants to retain young people and its growing senior population. Diversification of housing choice is necessary in order to address the housing needs of these populations who may not want or need to live in single family homes. Providing opportunities for lifelong Nassau residents to remain in Nassau when they retire as well as housing types attractive to young people will increase property tax revenues as well as retail spending, which will strengthen the County’s tax base, thereby helping to slow the rate of increase in taxes.

As shown in Figure 4-9, compared to other counties in the region, Nassau has the lowest percentage of residents aged 25-34 (8.7 percent). At the opposite end of the age bracket, of the four areas, Nassau has the highest percentage of residents over age 65, at nearly 15 percent. Creating new housing choices may help to correct this imbalance. Affordable rental units can serve the dual purpose of attracting a greater share of younger, working-age people, while also providing an economically feasible housing alternative for the County’s older residents.

Figure 4-9. Selected Age Group Breakdown Comparison: 2007 16.0%

14.9%

25 - 34 65 + 15.1%

14.1% 14.0%

12.8%

Share of Population

12.0% 10.0%

10.7%

12.2% 10.5%

8.7%

8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0%

Nassau

Suffolk

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

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Westchester

NYC

Nassau’s young adult population share also lags behind shares found in some of the fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) nationwide (see Figure 4-10). Places such as Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas have been able to attract and retain a greater proportion of younger residents.

Figure 4-10. Nassau and Suffolk Counties vs. Fastest-Growing MSAs (2007)

25 - 34 65 +

20.0% 17.3% 15.7%

15.5% 15.4%

13.9%

15.0%

15.5% 14.4%

15.8%

12.7% 12.6% 10.9%

10.0%

17.2%

15.9% 14.3%

10.5%

8.7%

5.0%

0.0%

Nassau County

Suffolk County

Cape Coral Fort Myers, FL

Las Vegas ParadisePahrump, NV

Phoenix - Mesa - Scottsdale, AZ

Boise City Nampa, ID

St. George, UT

Austin - Round Rock, TX

Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2007

As was highlighted at the public workshop for Nassau residents ages 20 to 35, which was held on July 22, 2009, there are few opportunities to rent an apartment in the County even though the demand for such units exists. One resident, an employed teacher who lives with her parents aptly stated, “the only thing you see on Craigslist is apartments in people’s basements. Who wants that?” For older adults there are few housing options between single family living and assisted care. Nassau County’s Department of Senior Citizen Affairs identifies approximately 50 senior housing developments within the County. These are operated by a range of public and private organizations and offer a variety of living arrangements, from full nursing care to independent living. However, these units do not address an important gap in the County’s current housing market- housing for “active adults”- people who no longer need or want to live in single family homes, but are too young for assisted care. As was recently noted by Former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes in discussing suburban Atlanta’s planning efforts to adapt to an aging population, “Seniors don’t want to be segregated into retirement communities.

We have learned that those are outdated. What seniors really want is a lifetime community with services – restaurants, arts facilities, libraries and post offices.”9 As has been noted in previous chapters, this Master Plan promotes the creation of affordable, next generation and senior housing in order to address a serious unmet housing need in Nassau County. Providing such housing is essential in order to retain baby boomers who want to age in place and young people who want to live in the communities where they grew up, but are not yet able or interested in purchasing a single-family home. Diversifying housing choices in Nassau requires the creation of alternatives to single-family neighborhoods with options such as apartments and townhouses in downtown areas, within megaprojects such as the Nassau Hub, and in appropriate locations along strip commercial corridors.

While the majority of the County’s housing stock is comprised of single-family homes, many municipalities that have existing or potential Cool Downtowns also provide some multifamily housing. As shown in Table 4-9, in places such as Great

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9 Saporta, Maria. “Atlanta Faces the Future.”

Planning Magazine, June 2009: 21-23.

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Neck Plaza, Hempstead and Long Beach over 35% of the housing stock is multifamily. In contrast, in places like West Hempstead, Elmont, Syosset and Hicksville, less than 5% of the housing stock is multifamily.

Table 4-9. Existing Multifamily Housing in Nassau County’s Cool Downtown Communities

Downtown Great Neck Plaza Hempstead Long Beach Freeport Farmingdale Rockville Centre Mineola Lynbrook Garden City Glen Cove Port Washington Baldwin Westbury Valley Stream West Hempstead Elmont Syosset Hicksville Nassau

Geography Village Village City Village Village Village Village Village Village City CDP CDP Village Village CDP CDP CDP CDP County Total

Total Housing Units 3,892 15,563 16,128 13,819 3,290 9,421 7,656 7,561 7,549 9,734 5,639 7,999 4,714 12,697 6,114 10,151 6,354 13,912 458,151

Units in Multifamily (5+)s Structures 3,593 6,255 6,315 3,927 930 2,644 2,003 1,324 1,069 1,130 591 792 432 767 192 174 105 222 48,950

Percent of Total Housing Units 92.3% 40.2% 39.2% 28.4% 28.3% 28.1% 26.2% 17.5% 14.2% 11.6% 10.5% 9.9% 9.2% 6.0% 3.1% 1.7% 1.7% 1.6% 10.7%

Source: U.S. Census 2000 SF3

As was discussed in Chapter 3, Cool Downtowns have the potential to support 11,000 new residential units. An additional 4,000 units can be built in the Nassau Hub and 6,000 new units can be accommodated in other megaprojects and within strip commercial areas. This would provide a total of 21,000 new apartment and townhouse units that will significantly expand housing choice in Nassau County.

As part of this housing expansion, opportunities to provide student housing for graduate and medical students in Cool Downtowns should be explored. This could greatly enhance the vitality of potential Cool Downtowns, while providing needed student housing. North Shore-LIJ and Hofstra University are currently partnering to build a new medical school and dormitories on the Hofstra campus. As the medical school expands, municipalities should work with Hofstra and North Shore-LIJ to identify appropriate locations for additional student housing.

In addition, new apartment and townhouse units will help municipalities in Nassau provide workforce housing affordable to residents who work in the service sector such as teachers, nurses, firefighters and police officers. Workforce housing is typically targeted to residents who earn up to 80% of area median income or approximately $70,000 per year in Nassau. If 10% of the new units created are designated for Nassau’s workforce, targeting residents earning up to 120% of area median income, over 2,000 workforce housing units can be created in the county over the next twenty years.

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In order to provide an adequate range of housing choices to meet the varied demands of the County’s households, Nassau must encourage the construction of a range of housing types in areas suited for growth. As the Long Island Index notes, high home values are beneficial in that they indicate that Nassau remains a desirable place to live; however, when costs become prohibitively high, residents feel that Nassau’s benefits no longer outweigh its costs. Over the past decade, Nassau County’s median household income has not kept pace with a tremendous increase in home values. This has placed a great strain on the ability for residents to remain in the County. Affordable housing – for seniors, young adults and workforce participants – will ensure that Nassau provides housing opportunities that meet the needs and budgets of these vital members of the County’s economy.

Policy 7: Capitalize on Sports, Entertainment and Tourism Consumer-oriented activities comprise the major employers of the national and local economy, engaging workers with more moderate skills in serving the shopping, personal care, recreation, leisure, social needs and other activities of residents.

When excelled in or uniquely positioned in the market, consumer-oriented activities can become export activities, drawing spending into the local economy. Sports, entertainment, recreation, arts, leisure, dining and hospitality activities represent the most promising consumer-oriented sectors for tourism development and enhancement of Nassau County’s quality of life.

Nassau County is known for its beautiful beaches, and has numerous parks, championship golf courses, indoor sports and entertainment venues that serve not only the recreational needs of its residents, but also those of the entire New York region.

As of 2006, Nassau had approximately 11,500 private sector and several hundred public sector jobs in arts, entertainment and recreation activities. The private sector jobs represent roughly one half billion dollars in wages from 857 establishments.

The largest numbers of jobs in this industry are in fitness centers, golf courses, and spectator sports, with 52 golf courses and country clubs alone employing 2,400 workers. Compared to job levels in 2000, while the number of jobs in most other industries declined, this sector grew by 28 percent. As shown on Figure 4-11, employment in Nassau’s sports, entertainment and tourism industry is 45 to 48 percent greater than that in Westchester and Suffolk Counties. Over the next twenty years, Nassau County should focus on attracting approximately 20,000 new leisure and hospitality jobs in the sports, entertainment & tourism industries. Of these new jobs 75 percent should be located within Cool Downtowns or megaprojects.

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Figure 4-11. Employment in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Industry of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties: 2006

Nassau Suffolk Westchester

Performing Arts Companies Sports Teams & Clubs Racetracks Other Spectator Sports Promoters of Events Agents & Managers Artists, Writers & Performers Museums & Like Institutions Amusement Parks & Arcades Gambling Industries Golf Courses & Country Clubs Marinas Fitness & Sports Centers Bowling Centers All Other Amusements 0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau

One such sector, the gambling and racetrack industry plays a relatively small role in Nassau Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism draw, reporting only three establishments with fewer than 300 employees in 2006. By contrast, Suffolk County has four gambling operations with six times as many workers. A recent initiative of the Empire State Development Corporation would redevelop 36 acres that are largely surface parking lots adjoining Belmont Park, the host racetrack of the Belmont Stakes, into gambling/recreation-related uses that would create jobs, generate additional tax revenue, and bolster economic development in Elmont, Bellerose, and Floral Park.

The site options include a Racino, which is a facility with video lottery terminals and a horse racing venue; a hotel, retail center, and sports facility; mixed use retail with senior housing; and some recreational opportunities. The proposed redevelopment options are expected to transform Belmont Park into a vibrant destination center.

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C. Countywide Economic Development Goals In addition to the speciďŹ c goals for Cool Downtowns and megaprojects that were discussed in Chapter 3, this chapter outlines a broader economic development vision for the County that focuses on growing three key sectors: high tech/high skilled industry (including green jobs), healthcare and higher education, and sports entertainment and tourism. Job growth in these areas will impact Cool Downtowns and megaprojects, but will also occur in other locations throughout the County.

Goals for development in these three sectors over the next twenty years are shown in Table 4-10.

Table 4-10. Countywide Economic Development Goals for Growth Sectors New Jobs in Cool Downtowns and Downtown Megaprojects* High Tech 16,500 Healthcare & Higher Education 15,000 Sports, Entertainment & Tourism 15,000 Total Jobs 46,500

New Jobs In Other Locations Total New Within Nassau Jobs 5,500 22,000 5000 20,000 5000 20,000 15,500 62,000

Source: Urbanomics * Note: Jobs in Cool Downtowns and megaprojects represent approximately 75% of expected job growth. Projections for the High Tech sector include Green Energy jobs.

BETHPAGE BLACK Twice in the current decade, the U.S. Open National Tournament has been played at Bethpage Black, a public golf course in Farmingdale that is ranked 3rd among the top 10 golf courses in the nation.

The championship represents a major economic stimulus, drawing thousands of fans to the event over several days and resulting in millions of consumer and sponsor expenditures.

Nassau County Recreation Areas

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Chapter 5 Infrastructure: Invest In Infrastructure Improvements Policy 8: Improve Transportation Infrastructure and Encourage Alternatives to Auto Dependency Policy 9: Reduce Dependence on Non-Renewable Energy Sources Policy 10: Address Inequities across School Systems

Year 2030 Goals: • • • •

Increase Mass Transit Use by 5% Reduce Carbon Emissions by 40% below 2005 Recorded Levels Decrease Dependence on Non-Renewable Energy Sources Consolidate Back Office School District Functions Including Information Technology and Telecommunications, Cooperative Purchasing, Audit Services, Debt Issuance and Legal Services

Nassau’s infrastructure is the foundation that underpins its economy. Sound transportation, energy and school systems are essential to achieving this Master Plan’s overarching goal of reducing property taxes. While these systems have long served the County in their current form, in order for Nassau to remain competitive in the 21st century they must evolve to address pressing economic, environmental and educational needs. Addressing traffic congestion and providing alternatives to auto dependency, reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and improving struggling schools is essential to reducing costs to county residents and making Nassau a sustainable suburban County for this and future generations.

A. Transportation Today Nassau County’s roadway system consists of over 4,000 miles of paved roads including parkways, highways, major arteries, and collector and local streets which are operated and maintained by different levels of government (see Figure 5-1).

The eight (8) major east-west roadways that provide direct through service to New York City and Suffolk County include: Northern Boulevard (NY 25A), the Long Island Expressway (I-495), Northern State Parkway, Jericho Turnpike (NY 25), Hempstead Turnpike (NY 24), Southern State Parkway, and Sunrise Highway (NY 27). Northsouth roadways in the County are more limited. The Cross Island Parkway (immediately east of the County line and mostly in Queens), Meadowbrook State and Wantagh State Parkways and the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway represent the major north-south limited access highways. State Routes 106 and 107, in the eastern part of the County, are major arterials which also provide this service.

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Figure 5-1. Nassau Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Transportation Network

According to the US Census 76 percent of Nassau County residents rely on vehicular transportation to get to work.

Source: BFJ Planning

According to the US Census Bureauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Community Survey (2005-2007), 76 percent of Nassau County residents rely on vehicular transportation for their journey to work, and 16 percent rely on mass transit (see Table 5-1). Of those taking mass transit to work, only 3.6 percent of commuters take the bus and approximately 11 percent commute by train. Approximately 3 percent walk or bike to work. As shown on Table 5-2, approximately 59 percent of Nassau residents commute to jobs within the County and 40 percent commute to jobs outside the county. Approximately 1 percent of residents commute to jobs outside of the state.

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Table 5-1. Nassau County: Means of Transportation to Work

Car, Truck, or Van Bus Railroad Subway Work at Home Walk Bicycle *Other

1990 77.54% 2.55% 11.97% 1.13% 2.52% 3.38% 0.22% 0.69%

2000 77.94% 2.57% 11.79% 1.07% 2.97% 2.71% 0.22% 0.73%

2005-2007 76.29% 3.56% 10.72% 2.05% 3.20% 2.81% 0.29% 1.06%

Source: US Census, 2000; American Community Survey, 2005-2007 *Other includes streetcar, ferry, taxi and motorcycle

Table 5-2. Nassau County: Place of Work Workers Worked in county of residence Worked in NY, outside county of residence Worked outside state of residence

1990 59.51% 39.21% 1.28%

2000 58.05% 40.72% 1.22%

2008 58.74 39.84 1.42%

Source: US Census, 2000; American Community Survey, 2008

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the New York City metropolitan area. It addresses transportation-related issues from a regional perspective and makes decisions on the use of federal transportation funds. NYMTC is responsible for assembling the region’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is a five-year program that identifies all proposed federally funded transportation improvement projects in the NYMTC region, including roadways and bridges, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, transit equipment and services, safety improvements and demand management programs.

NYMTC also maintains a regional transportation model that is used to document existing areas of congestion, project the effects of proposed improvements contained in the TIP, and design and implement a Congestion Management System.

The last Congestion Management System report was prepared in 2005.

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1. Traffic Congestion As shown in Table 5-3, Nassau County is one of the worst performers in the region in terms of virtually all congestion statistics. While vehicle miles of travel (VMT) for the region is expected to grow from approximately 130 million miles per typical weekday to approximately 142 million in the 2005 – 2030 period, VMT for Nassau County is expected to grow only slightly during this period.

Nassau County is one of the worst performers in the region in terms of virtually any congestion statistic.

Table 5-3. Summary of Congestion Performance Measures for 2005

TTI County

% of Total

% of Total

Lane Miles of

Lane Miles

Lane Miles

Congestion

Congested

Congested

Total

Daily

AM

PM

RCI

AM

PM

AM

PM

VHD

New York

1.54

1.48

1.17

200.4

282.0

18.6

26.2

Queens

1.47

1.75

1.28

346.3

655.9

17.7

33.4

Bronx

1.21

1.41

1.05

81.9

170.3

7.4

15.3

46,491

Kings

1.38

1.68

1.20

219.0

504.3

15.3

35.2

151,918

Richmond

1.43

1.52

1.11

78.4

88.8

13.1

14.8

35,553

Nassau

1.48

1.73

1.26

418.7

987.8

15.4

36.4

Suffolk

1.23

1.50

1.08

324.6

874.0

8.0

21.5

Westchester

1.21

1.23

0.93

235.9

323.2

8.6

Rockland

1.19

1.23

1.01

55.0

92.9

6.2

Putnam

1.08

1.08

0.72

9.5

6.7

Region

1.36

1.55

1.09 1969.4 3985.8

PHD/ VMT

PHD

Capita

143,855

8,687,000

212,949.80

0.13

227,575

18,697,000

336,811.00

0.15

7,317,000

68,806.68

0.05

10,984,000

224,838.64

0.09

4,494,000

52,618.44

0.11

288,801

23,870,000

505,401.75

0.37

192,524

29,085,000

336,917.00

0.23

11.8

63,322

18,328,000

91,183.68

0.09

10.4

186,968

6,156,000

27,313.92

0.09

1.4

1.0

2,994

2,443,000

4,311.36

0.04

11.4

23.1

1,172,031

130,061,000

1,861,152.27

0.15

NYC Counties

Non-NYC Counties

Source: NYMTC CMS 2005 Status Report, Table 5-4 (edited)

Abbreviations: TTI: Travel Time Index RCI: Roadway Congestions Index VHD: Vehicle Hours of Delay VMT: Vehicle Miles of Travel PHD: Person Hours of Delay

The 2005 Travel Time Index (TTI), also shown in Table 5-3, describes the flow of traffic during peak periods. This index reveals that Nassau County’s peak period traffic is the worst of all the state’s metropolitan area counties outside of New York City. Projections to 2030 continue to rank Nassau County as the most traffic constrained of all the counties outside NYC. The TTI is important because it is an indicator of how much time it will take a driver to travel a certain distance during the peak period.

Another important NYMTC congestion performance indicator is the Roadway Congestion Index (RCI). The RCI is an indicator of both intensity and duration of congestion on major roadways (both freeways and arterials). It measures traffic conditions according to the amount of travel on each type of roadway. An RCI equal to or greater than 1.0 indicates that congested conditions exist area-wide; an RCI less than 1.0 indicates that congestion is not a major problem. In 2005, the RCI for Nassau County was 1.26, worse than any other county in the region other than Queens.

Together all of these statistics demonstrate that Nassau’s traffic congestion is the worst in the NYMTC region. In terms of (freeway and arterial) lane miles experiencing recurring congestion, the NYMTC study estimates that congestion will increase from 36.4 percent of lane miles in 2005 to 42.5 percent by 2030.

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The NYMTC modeling process models “recurring” delays, or those caused by “bottlenecks” in the existing roadway network. However, additional congestion is caused by “non-recurring delays such as accidents, construction, weather conditions, special events, or other periodic or less predictable occurrences. In the NY Metropolitan area, non-recurring delays account for roughly two-thirds of total congestion according to the 2005 Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute.

Hence, while it is important to address recurring causes of congestion, it is equally important to institute measures aimed at addressing the non-recurring causes.

New York State does not have driver stop laws (mandates drivers must stop their vehicle near scene of accident but outside of traveled lanes if possible), driver removal laws (driver must move vehicle out of travel lanes if accident occurred there, if vehicle can be moved), or an authority removal law (authorizes a predetermined authority or authority designee to clear vehicles from travel lanes with no liability, which may also include spilled cargo). Such laws would help minimize the delays caused by accidents.

In the NY Metropolitan area, non-recurring delays such as accidents, construction, weather conditions and special events account for roughly twothirds of total congestionTexas Transportation Institute Urban Mobility Report, 2005.

Another measure of congestion is the V/C, or traffic volume to traffic capacity ratio.

In general, a ratio of 0.8 or greater indicates congested roadway conditions. Any V/C ratio over 1.0 indicates severe congestion with stop and go traffic conditions.

As part of their transportation modeling process, NYMTC has generated V/C ratios for Nassau County. Figures 5-2 through 5-5 show the locations of existing congestion on Nassau’s roadways during peak periods based on these V/C ratios, as well as projected future congestion in 2030.

Figure 5-2. Existing Traffic Congestion: AM Peak, 2005

Figure 5-3. Projected Traffic Congestion: AM Peak, 2030

Source: NYMTC, 2005

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Figure 5-4. Existing Traffic Congestion: PM Peak, 2005

Figure 5-5. Projected Traffic Congestion: PM Peak, 2030

Source: NYMTC, 2005

Traffic congestion in Nassau is substantially worse in the pm peak period relative to the am peak period. As shown on Figure 5-4, during the pm peak period Nassau’s most congested roadway is the Long Island Expressway (LIE). Portions of the Meadowbrook/Northern Parkway north and west of the Southern State Parkway also experience significant congestion during the pm peak period. Other areas of congestion include the Southern State Parkway east of the Meadowbrook Parkway, Jericho Turnpike and Hillside Avenue west of the Meadowbrook Parkway, and Port Washington Boulevard south of Main Street.

Projected congestion in 2030 parallels the figures of the 2005 AM and PM peak periods. The similarities between the 2005 and the 2030 analysis years are mostly attributable to a near-stabilized population growth for the County assumed in the modeling process and low- or no-growth of through County travel. Additional traffic generated from new residential development in Cool Downtowns that may not have been anticipated in the model is expected to be minimal, as the projections for new development that are discussed in this Master Plan utilize NYMTC data. New Suburbia’s development approach will concentrate anticipated growth in centers and provide new opportunities for people to walk to shops, restaurants and entertainment and utilize public transportation to commute to work, reducing auto dependency in these areas.

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2. Freight Only three percent of all the freight in the downstate or “East of Hudson” New York region is shipped by rail; the balance is shipped by truck. Rail freight service on Long Island is operated by the New York & Atlantic Railway on Long Island Rail Road tracks, with an annual volume of 20,000 carloads. Currently, only about one percent of freight tonnage on Long Island is handled by rail, while the comparable national figure is about 15 percent. The LIE is the only limited access freight route on Long Island. Sunrise Highway is also an important arterial for freight movement. According to NYMTC’s most recent freight data, 28.8 million tons of freight entered, moved within, and left Nassau County in 1998. Of that total, about 97 percent was transported by truck, and the remainder by water and rail.

As shown in Figure 5-6, north-south freight movement by rail and water east of the Hudson River is limited. Trucking is the dominant freight mode across the region. Because very little freight moves by rail on Long Island, freight trucks must use the LIE and Sunrise Highway for east-west freight movements, contributing to traffic congestion on these roadways. Currently there is a proposal to construct the Long Island Truck Rail Intermodal Facility (LITRIM) on approximately 117 acres at the site of the former Pilgrim State Hospital in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County.

Construction of LITRIM would permit the shipment of goods by train to the site where containers would be off-loaded and transferred to trucks for local delivery.

This would reduce the number of the trucks on Nassau’s major roadways. Potential environmental and local impacts warrant further study.

Only three percent of all the freight in the downstate or “East of Hudson” New York region is shipped by rail.

Freight movement on Long Island is handled almost exclusively by truck.

Construction of the proposed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel might also help reduce the volume of truck traffic on Long Island. The proposed tunnel, designed to accommodate rail freight cars with “double stack” containers, would be constructed between Greenville Yard in Jersey City and the Bay Ridge Branch of the LIRR in Brooklyn. Currently, the only trans-Hudson rail freight crossing is the Selkirk Bridge near Albany. A major reason for the tunnel’s construction is to diminish the volume of truck traffic entering the New York metropolitan area east of the Hudson.

Figure 5-6. Regional Freight Movement

Source: NYMTC Regional Freight Plan Project 2004

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A Draft Environmental Impact Statement, conducted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, was released in 2005, when work on the project was suspended. The Draft EIS recommended a cross-harbor rail freight tunnel between Brooklyn and Jersey City, linking the region east of the Hudson River to the national rail network, as the preferred alternative (see Figure 5-7).

Sponsorship of the EIS was transferred to the Port Authority in 2008. The Port Authority is now responsible for conducting the necessary supplemental EIS and moving the process forward. The current plan is to complete the EIS by late 2010, in time for the reauthorization of the next major federal transportation bill.

Figure 5-7. Proposed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel

Source: Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project, www.crossharborstudy.com

3. Mass Transit Long Island Rail Road Mass transit on Long Island includes train, bus and ferry service. The Long Island Rail Road provides train service east to west across Nassau County (see Figure 5-8).

With an annual system-wide ridership of around 85 million passengers, the LIRR is the busiest railroad in North America. Between 2001 and 2008 LIRR ridership increased by 3.39 percent (see Table 5-4). Over 60 percent of the LIRR’s passenger trips originate in Nassau County. On weekdays about 70 percent of the system’s passenger trips occur during morning and evening peak travel periods. The Long Island Rail Road is primarily oriented to provide service for Manhattan commuters; intra-island service is limited. Many commuters living on Long Island are unable to use the LIRR to reach jobs on Long Island. Today, the stopping patterns that have been established to serve the heavy flows into Manhattan have many trains bypassing possible destination stations on Long Island. It is not feasible for commuters to use the railroad to reach jobs in Mineola, Hicksville, Syosset, Farmingdale, Ronkonkoma or Brentwood, as trains heading east in the morning do not stop at these stations. The same problem occurs westbound in the evening when service is focused on bringing commuters back to Long Island from Manhattan.

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Table 5-4. Long Island Rail Road Ridership (in millions)

LIRR Annual Ridership Percent Change

2001 85.6

2002 83.9 -1.99%

2003 80.9 -3.58%

2004 79.3 -1.98%

2005 80.1 +1.01%

2006 82.0 +2.37%

2007 86.1 +5.00%

2008 88.5 +2.79%

2001-2008 +2.9 +3.39%

Source: LIRR, 2008

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) provides train service for the entire County. With an annual system-wide ridership of around 85 million passengers, the LIRR is the busiest railroad in North America.

Figure 5-8. Long Island Rail Road System Map

Source: Long Island Rail Road, 2009

Train Station Parking The provision of parking at and around LIRR train stations can be a contentious issue. Commuters living outside walking distance from their local train station must either drive and park at the station, take a bus or taxi, or be dropped off (kiss and ride). Adding parking at train stations can support and encourage commutation by train, but it can also lead to increased traffic congestion around stations. At the same time, providing more parking at local stations reduces the number of vehicles that must travel farther distances to find train station parking, reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Adding parking at stations is also expensive. A recent proposal to increase parking at the Port Washington station with a new parking garage to be built over the existing parking lot at the station was estimated to cost approximately $60,000 per space. One important way to mitigate parking shortages at LIRR stations is to encourage Cool Downtowns and transitoriented development around train stations. Providing opportunities for people to live in Cool Downtowns where they can walk from home to nearby LIRR stations will reduce the number of people that will drive to and park at train stations.

MTA Long Island Bus MTA Long Island Bus (MTALIB), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is Nassau County’s principle public surface transit provider and the third largest suburban bus system in the United States. Operating a network of 54 routes, the MTALIB provides transit service for most of the County as well as parts of eastern Queens and western Suffolk County (see Figure 5-9). MTALIB also operates 81 para-transit routes, including service across the Queens-Nassau line to subway and bus stations in Flushing, Far Rockaway and Jamaica.

MTALIB also operates the Hempstead Transit Center (HTC). The HTC is the bus system’s indoor customer facility between Jackson and Columbia Streets in

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Hempstead, Long Island. It serves 21 of MTALIB’s 54 routes, and serves as a major transfer point for customers using a second Long Island Bus route or the LIRR. Included within the facility are a waiting area, transit information, MetroCard vending machines, a newsstand and restrooms.

The Mineola Intermodal Center, operated by the LIRR and MTALIB, is located on the south side of the LIRR Mineola train station, and has more than 700 LIRR commuter parking spaces. The center is also a stop for seven MTA LIB routes, and long term parking is available for longer term commuters.

MTALIB has an average ridership of 108,100 passengers each weekday (2007) (up from 102,400 in 2003) and serves 96 communities, 48 Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations, most area colleges and universities, as well as employment centers and shopping malls (see Table 5-5). According to the MTA, annual ridership on MTALIB has shown greater percentage growth than that of the LIRR. For the period between 2001 and 2008, ridership in MTALIB increased by 6.77 percent.

Table 5-5. Long Island Bus Ridership (in millions))

LI BUS Annual Ridership Percent Change

2001 2002 31 31.3 — +0.97%

2003 30.4 -2.88%

2004 30.6 +0.66%

2005 31.09 +1.60%

Source: MTALIB, 2008

Figure 5-9. MTA Long Island Bus Map

MTA Long Island Bus (MTALIB) is Nassau County’s principle public surface transit provider and the third largest suburban bus system in the United States.

Source: MTA Long Island Bus

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2006 32.6 +4.6%

2007 32.5 -0.31%

2008 33.1 +1.85%

2001-2008 +2.1 +6.77%

Regional Bus Service Nassau County supports the regionalization of the transportation system and the incorporation of Long Island Bus into a regional MTA-run bus system with expanded service. Long Island Bus is currently experiencing record ridership volumes with much of the increased activity occurring between Queens and Nassau. A regional, dedicated transportation revenue source should make it possible for the MTA to fully take over LI Bus and expand transit service in Nassau County.

Ferry Service There is one public ferry facility in Nassau County, which is located in Glen Cove.

Currently no service is provided from this facility, as it is undergoing a $16 million reconstruction. In 2001, before ceasing operation, the ferry had a daily demand of about 250 round trips. The projected date of completion of the new facility is 2012.

Preliminary projections for the ferry indicate demand as high as approximately 600 round trips in 2012. Major destination points for the service are expected to be Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.

New public ferry service at Glen Cove, scheduled to resume 2012, will provide service to Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.

Bikeways The development of exclusive bikeways in Nassau County have primarily been oriented toward providing recreation and have been built under the sponsorship of NYSDOT. Existing major facilities include: • Bethpage Bikeway (7 miles) between Bethpage State Park and Merrit Road in Massapequa • Jones Beach Bikeway (4.5 miles) along Wantagh Parkway between Jones Beach and Seaford The 2006 Hub Major Investment Study identified an “Emerald Ribbon,” which would be a pedestrian/bicycle greenway connecting the cultural, educational and recreational nodes within the Hub, including Eisenhower Park, Nassau Coliseum, and Hofstra University (see Figure 5-10). This “ribbon” would also connect to the downtown Hempstead Long Island Rail Road station and could be extended to points beyond, including Adelphi University.

Figure 5-10. Emerald Ribbon

Source: Nassau Hub Major Investment Study, 2006

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Aviation Long Island’s MacArthur Airport has a land area of 1,310 acres and is owned by the Town of Islip. Though located in Suffolk County, the airport is a transportation asset for Nassau County. The Airport’s first terminal was constructed in 1949, and commercial passenger service began in the early 1960s. Southwest Airlines flies from MacArthur Airport to Baltimore/Washington International, Chicago (Midway), Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa Bay, and West Palm Beach. USAirways Express flies to Philadelphia.

MacArthur Airport is approximately 50 miles from Manhattan, 43 miles from John F. Kennedy Airport, 42 miles from LaGuardia Airport, and 65 miles from Newark Airport. The Airport is accessible via the Long Island Expressway (I-495), Southern State Parkway, and Sunrise Highway (Rt. 27). The closest Long Island Rail Road station is the Ronkonkoma Station, and Colonial Transportation of Long Island offers a shuttle bus to and from the station. Four car rental companies are located in the terminal.

According to the New York State Department of Transportation between 2006 and 2007 the number of commercial passenger trips from MacArthur increased by 2.6 percent. As shown on Table 5-6, MacArthur provides service to more commercial passengers than both Westchester and Stewart Airports.

Table 5-6. New York Metro Area Airports

JFK Newark LaGuardia MacArthur Westchester Stewart Total

Enplanements 23,401,351 18,163,652 12,529,890 1,167,515 23,478 455,045 56,540,931

% of Total 41.4% 32.1% 22.2% 2.1% 1.5% 0.8% 100%

Source: Historical Travel Trends in New York State, NYSDOT, May 2009

According to a 2007 Regional Air Service Demand Study, prepared by the New York State Department of Transportation, MacArthur Airport operates below its service capacity. The existing airfield has sufficient capacity to serve projected demand through the year 2025. Base, optimistic, and pessimistic forecasts were prepared for 2007 through 2025, with the “optimistic” and “pessimistic” forecasts representing the range of realistic possibilities that could cause future activities to deviate from the baseline forecast. Between 2005 and 2025, it was projected that total aircraft operations would increase at an average annual rate of 1.6 percent in the base case. The optimistic forecast had an average annual growth rate of 1.9 percent, and the pessimistic forecast had an average annual growth rate of 1.5 percent. The number of commercial passengers was projected to increase at an average annual rate of 2.0 percent in the base case, 3.8 percent in the optimistic forecast and 1.2 percent in the pessimistic forecast.

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B. Energy Communities are seeking ways to implement regulations that will reduce and mitigate energy costs. Energy improvement districts are being considered by municipalities throughout the tri-state region in an effort to save money, reduce costs for residents and business owners and encourage economic development and urban reinvestment. These districts are similar to public utility districts, but rely on a renewable energy-based power generation system.

Plans have considered solar panels atop municipal buildings, small wind turbines and fuel cells powered by natural gas. Municipalities maintain the capacity to send power to the regional grid ultimately resulting in cost savings.

The greatest benefit to County residents may be achieved by reducing energy consumption. Reducing consumption will result in reduced utility costs and emission of greenhouse gases. Costs are relatively easy to calculate on a site-by-site basis; however, benefits to our environment as a result of large scale public awareness and action are immeasurable. Existing buildings should be the prime target since they are major contributors to greenhouse gases that impact our climate. Heating, cooling and electrifying our buildings accounts for more than 30% of our emission of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. Energy audits most often demonstrate that cost to renovate and modernize building systems may be recouped in less than a decade through reduction in energy costs. Considering that the County owns over 800 buildings, significant progress and precedents may be set for municipalities and the private sector to follow.

The greatest energy related gains in Nassau County may be achieved by encouraging renovation and replacement of household and business appliances to achieve greater energy efficiency and continuation of the County’s initiative to increase the percentage of energy purchased from renewable resources. Great gains have been made and, in 2007, Nassau County was recognized as the seventh largest local government in the United States utilizing renewable energy sources. Of particular note, energy rebates by use of solar panels on County buildings have and will be used to purchase additional renewable energy. Also of note, nearly 10 County buildings are currently powered entirely by renewable wind energy.

Energy improvement districts are being considered by municipalities throughout the tri-state region in an effort to save money, reduce costs for residents and business owners and encourage economic development and urban reinvestment.

Energy audits most often demonstrate that the cost to renovate and modernize building systems may be recouped in less than a decade through reduction in energy costs.

1. Electric Supply and Distribution Electrical service to Nassau County is provided by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). As of June 30, 2007, LIPA owned 1,292 miles of transmission and subtransmission lines that deliver power to 177 substations in its electric network.

From these substations 13,132 circuit miles distribute the power to 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens County. In general, LIPA’s transmission substations receive power from the power grid and step it down to lower voltages for further transmission to distribution substations through the sub-transmission system. The 345 kV and 138 kV circuits feed step-down transformers at these substations that in turn will feed 69 kV and 33 kV sub-transmission lines emanating from those substations.

Rockville Centre and Freeport maintain local power generating facilities i.e. natural gas conversion to electricity. The number of these types of facilities is not expected to increase in Nassau County; however, more localized initiatives would be more effective in reducing energy demand. The County supports low interest loans for homeowners to implement energy efficiency improvements including heating and

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cooling systems and appliance upgrades assuming energy reduction standards are achieved. In addition to the loan incentives, participants will yield energy cost savings over time that exceed their share of the cost for the initial upgrades.

2. Non-Renewable Energy Consumption Non-renewable energy resources are understood to include fossil-fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. In 2005, fossil fuels accounted for approximately 86 percent of all energy consumed in the United States. Renewable sources supplied about 6.5 percent of total energy consumed with nuclear accounting for the remainder.

Most of Nassau County’s total energy consumption is based on non-renewable energy sources including conventional fuel sources such as petroleum-based products, coal, and other fossil fuels. Major components of the County’s energy usage include: • Electricity: Means to run lighting, equipment, and air conditioning units.

• Heating fuels: Most County buildings use natural gas-fired heating equipment.

Some have oil-fired equipment. All natural gas and heating oil purchased by the County is derived from non-renewable sources.

In 2005, fossil fuels accounted for 86 percent of all energy consumed in the United States.

• Vehicle fuels: Most vehicles run on either conventional diesel or gasoline.

Regular unleaded gasoline in this region of the U.S. contains as much as 10 percent ethanol, a type of biofuel. Otherwise, the remainder of gasoline blends and all diesel purchased are manufactured from non-renewable sources.

Quantifying the County’s overall energy consumption is a complex task. Usage data appears to be only available through utility or vendor invoices issued for individual meters or uses. Some County facilities have multiple meters for various functions.

Given these complexities, determination of the total energy consumption is not accounted for here.

3. Sustainable And Renewable Energy Nassau County supports sustainable development through integrated energy, environment, housing, economic development and transportation programs.

Comprehensive planning will manage patterns of development to benefit residents of the County. Sustainable growth should balance development while protecting the environment, encouraging social and economic equity, and conserving energy and water resources.

With sustainable growth comes new jobs, opportunities for economic advancement, homes for people of various incomes, and many other quality of life benefits.

By contrast, predominant suburban growth patterns that have occurred over the past 60 years have wasted precious resources, degraded the natural environ¬ment, and fueled inequality throughout the region. Over time, this practice has compromised Nassau County’s (and Long Island’s) competitive¬ness and many of the characteristics that make the County a special place to live, work and play. The Sustainable Action Plan sets out to advance the principles of “New Suburbia” and reverse unsustainable practices.

Numerous initiatives will help to achieve sustainable energy practices. LIPA is considering wind and solar power initiatives. Flat roofs and parking areas provide excellent locations for solar collection. Off-shore locations provide possible options 130

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for wind turbine placement. Incentives may also be promoted to encourage industrial, commercial and residential property owners to install smaller localized units that collectively could have regional benefits.

Nassau County is also in the process of evaluating a long term energy plan for the Hub. The geographic area in question may go beyond the actual Hub site but the idea is that electrical distribution in Nassau County’s economic center could be controlled by the County on behalf of residents and commercial enterprises.

The goal is to create a more cost effective energy alternative for prospective development, hence, alternative energy sources should be linked directly to future development of the Hub. Alternative energy can be defined as energy generated from renewable resources.

Renewable energy resources are ones which derive from the natural movements and mechanisms of the earth and are naturally replenishable at a rate proportionate with their rate of use. Renewable energy resources include sunlight, wind, biomass, moving water, and the heat of the earth”.1

Alternative energy sources should be linked directly to future development of the Hub.

There are a variety of renewable energy technologies that the County has and should explore further. The stage of development varies widely and some may not be currently suitable to consider for full-scale implementation. Some are more readily available and have been viable in regional applications. These include: • • • • • • • • •

Wind power – Wind turbines Photovoltaic – Solar panels that produce electricity, usually roof-mounted.

Solar heating – Solar panels that produce hot water, usually roof-mounted.

Hydroelectric – Typically located in or adjacent to a stream or river.

Geothermal – In this region, limited to heat capacity of the earth used for smaller-scale heating and cooling only.

Biodiesel – Plant or animal-based fuel usable in diesel engines.

Methane capture/wastewater by-product and energy generation Digested sludge and collection of fats, oils and grease at treatment plants as energy source Purchasing alternatives

Other alternative energy technologies are potentially promising for future use but less developed at the present time. Tidal energy, for example, is the extraction of energy from ocean and river level fluctuations and currents.

As Nassau County explores and manages the development of renewable energy resources, careful analysis and planning should be undertaken first to identify the most beneficial projects with the greatest chance of success. In order to make best use of County resources, it will be important to establish a process to screen the most feasible projects. These should then be prioritized to identify the most beneficial and feasible alternatives to pursue. Consideration should be given to the issues noted below.

• Site Selection: As with any development project, issues such as site access, zoning restrictions, impacts on natural resources, topographic limitations, deed restrictions, and ownership issues must be accounted for. Also environmental impacts such as interference with and fatalities realized by migratory and predator bird species requires careful study.

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1 Definition obtained from the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources Renewable Energy & Distributed Generation Guidebook: http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/doer/ pub_info/guidebook.pdf

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• Technology: Aspects of certain technologies require special consideration.

For example, wind turbines, because of the size of some modern structures, may require special geotechnical investigations to ensure underlying soils will provide bearing capacity and are economically and environmentally feasible to utilize. Also, the height of some structures may require permitting by civilian and military aviation authorities.

• Energy Availability: The amount of available renewable energy may vary significantly from one location to another. For example, wind energy is dependent on local geography and can be highly variable within relatively short distances.

• Surrounding Uses: Compatibility and support from abutting property owners is essential for project success. For example, large, visible infrastructure such as wind turbines can draw substantial criticism from neighboring property owners.

• Visual Impact: The size of some components may alter the visual characteristics of the surrounding area in ways that are highly subjective. Others, such as smaller-scale geothermal heating and cooling systems may have very little visual impact.

• Legal and Regulatory Restrictions: The legal framework governing energy generation and distribution is complex. There are a number of issues in this area that may influence the feasibility and economy of projects.

The County aims to invest public funds wisely in smart growth and equitable development, give priority to investments that will deliver good jobs and wages and improve transit access, housing, and open space. Furthermore, the County shall seek to advance these principles in partnership with regional and municipal governments, non-profit organizations, business owners, and other stakeholders.

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Source: Pioneer Valley Renewable Energy Association

Wind Turbine

Source: Perkins Eastman Architects

Solar Panel

C. Wastewater Treatment 1. County Facilities and Capacity

Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant Source: Nassau County Department of Public Works

Nassau County collects and treats 90% of the sewage generated in the County at its two sewage treatment plants located at Bay Park and Cedar Creek. These two plants each treat approximately 60 millions gallons per day (mgd), operating below their respective permitted capacities of 70 and 72 mgd. Recently, Nassau County as part of its consolidation initiative assumed responsibility for the operation of the City of Glen Cove’s Water Pollution Control Plant. This plant is permitted for 5.5 mgd and was recently upgraded to meet standards applicable to Long Island Sound Improvement requirements (to address hypoxia condition). This plant currently treats approximately 3.0 mgd leaving a surplus capacity of over 2.5 mgd which could be used to sewer other communities along the North Shore that are currently served by cesspools and septic systems. Additionally the County is proceeding with consolidating both the Village of Cedarhurst and Lawrence sewage treatment facilities. This consolidation of services will have an environmental benefit since both Village plants currently utilize less efficient treatment technology and greater efficiency should yield cost savings to the rate payer. Once complete the County will process approximately 92% of the sewage generated within its jurisdiction.

The County also owns and operates an additional sewage collection area at Lido Beach that is not within the service area of either of the County treatment plants.

The sewage collected within this district is processed at the City of Long Beach’s sewage treatment plant. Additionally, six villages in the County (Freeport, Garden City, Hempstead, Mineola, Rockville Centre and Roslyn) own and operate their own collection systems which discharge to the County’s treatment facilities.

2. Municipal Facilities and Capacity Currently, ten other independent treatment facilities operate by other governmental agencies or special districts within the County. These include the City of Long Beach, Jones Beach, Village of Cedarhurst, Village of Lawrence, Village of Great Neck, Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, Belgrave Water Pollution Control District, Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, Greater Atlantic Beach Water Reclamation District, and the Oyster Bay Sewer District. As discussed, two of these facilities will be consolidated with the County and there is a current initiative to consolidate the Village of Great Neck facility into the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District.

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3. Regional Challenges The County’s Department of Public Works completed in 2007 a Feasibility Study to determine the benefits, both environmental and financial, associated with consolidating the various smaller treatment facilities to the County’s two treatment plants that have excess capacity. The findings of the report indicate that there is a significant benefit to consolidate facilities that have not already undertaken recent permit requirements associated with nutrient discharge and disinfection.

The LISS determined that excessive nitrogen discharged from wastewater treatment plants and nonpoint sources contributes to hypoxic conditions which threaten aquatic life.

Cedar Creek and Bay Park wastewater treatment facilities produce their own energy via sludge digestion and methane usage significantly reducing reliance on natural gas and diesel back-up.

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Effluent from the Great Neck, Belgrave, Port Washington, Glen Cove and Oyster Bay facilities ultimately discharges into the Long Island Sound. The Long Island Sound supports a large shellfish industry and provides breeding and nursery areas for many other aquatic and plant species. It is also a very popular location for swimming, boating and recreational fishing. For decades, the dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom waters of the western part of the Sound have been extremely low, resulting in the contravention of water quality standards. Accordingly, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), with the cooperation of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP), initiated a study in the late 1980s to identify water quality issues related to the Sound. This study became known as the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). Among other findings, the LISS determined that excessive nitrogen discharged from wastewater treatment plants and non-point sources contributes to hypoxic conditions, i.e., dissolved oxygen less than 3 mg/l, in sections of the Sound, which is a threat to aquatic life. To improve the hypoxic conditions, the LISS recommended that the total nitrogen loading to the Sound should be reduced by 58.5% of the 1990 baseline loading rate by the year 2014. Recognizing that it was not feasible to achieve a 58.5% reduction in the nitrogen loading on the Sound from non-point sources, the NYSDEC accordingly increased the required reduction in nitrogen loading from wastewater treatment plants to achieve the targeted overall 58.5% reduction.

Discharges to the Atlantic Ocean along the southern coast of Nassau County are governed by the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). The CMP was developed in 2001 to establish a consensusbased blueprint for the protection and restoration of the estuary’s natural, cultural and economic-related resources. The South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) stretches from the Nassau - Queens County line to the middle of the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County. Treatment plants discharging effluent into the SSER include Cedar Creek, Long Beach City, Long Island American Water (water supply iron removal treatment), Bay Park, Village of Lawrence, West Jones Beach and Jones Beach. The monitoring and discharge of toxins is regulated by NYSDEC regulations through the State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permitting process. An ocean outfall at Bay Park necessitates further study to alleviate current discharge conditions at Reynold’s Channel.

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D. Schools Nassau County is comprised of three towns, two cities, 64 incorporated villages and over 100 unincorporated areas. 56 school districts oversee the education of 205,000 County public school students. The efficient operation of these districts is needed to ensure the quality of life for which Nassau County is widely known; however, as the following sections describe, there are opportunities for improvement and much can be done to improve and economize their operations and reduce the burden on the County’s taxpayers.

1. Struggling Schools Nassau County’s public schools have an excellent reputation One of the many reasons that Nassau is so attractive to families is the very high quality of its public school system. For the 2007-2008 school year, New York State identified a majority of Nassau’s school districts as “high performing.” In addition, nearly two thirds of its elementary and secondary schools received this designation.2 While Nassau’s schools are generally exemplary, there are some schools and districts that are struggling to meet statewide educational standards. 11 of the county’s 300 schools and districts have been identified by the state as needing improvement, requiring academic progress, or undergoing restructuring (see Figure 5-11).3 Figure 5-11. Nassau County Struggling Schools and Districts: 2007-2008 School Year

2 http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/ accountability/highPerform/2006-07/ HighPerformingList.htm 3 The State Education Department defines the categories as follows: “Schools in Need of Improvement” have not made annual yearly progress (AYP) on the same accountability measure for two consecutive years while receiving Title I funds. Among other requirements, these schools are required to offer public school choice. “Schools Requiring Academic Progress” are designations given schools that do not receive Title I funds but still fall under State Board of Regents regulations. They are required to develop improvement plans, but do not have to offer public school choice. “Schools Undergoing Restructuring” have failed to make annual yearly progress (AYP) must implement a restructuring plan to receive Title I funds. These schools must offer school choice and supplemental services to eligible students.

Source: New York State Education Department

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2. Revenues And Expenditures In Struggling Districts Struggling schools do not indicate that district residents are unwilling to invest in improvements. Although the Roosevelt, Hempstead and Elmont Districts are among the poorest in the County in terms of median income, Roosevelt and Hempstead rank in the top ten in school tax rates, largely because of relatively low property values and a weak commercial base.

Table 5-7 shows the school tax rates and per pupil spending for three of the County’s school districts that have either been identified as needing improvement by the State or contain schools that are in need of improvement. Hempstead and Roosevelt rank in the top ten in terms of school tax rates but fall toward the middle in terms of per pupil spending. Elmont ranks third lowest in per pupil spending, but has a relatively moderate tax rate.

Table 5-7. Nassau County’s Struggling School Districts: Tax Rates and Per-Pupil Spending

School District Hempstead SD Roosevelt UFSD Elmont UFSD

Rank* Per Pupil Spending 18 26 53

Rank*Tax Rate 9 6 29

Per Pupil Spending (08-09 Projected) 25,061 23,704 16,436

Tax Rate 597.51 615.21 494.31

Source: Nassau County Planning Commission *Rank out of the 55 School Districts in Nassau County

The traditional method for dealing with a struggling school is to close the school in question and redistribute the children to other schools. Nassau County will seek to move beyond this stopgap measure of addressing pockets of educational inequality by exploring more comprehensive avenues of reform.

3. The Roosevelt Initiative As discussed in Chapter 3, the Roosevelt Initiative is one approach toward improving struggling schools and boosting student performance in the underperforming Roosevelt School district. In 2006, County Executive Suozzi announced a comprehensive plan to synthesize social services with educational instruction in the Roosevelt school system. Recognizing that academic performance and achievement is affected by a range of socioeconomic factors, the Initiative brings together a range of community-based partners to provide students with adequate educational and family support services. A multistep referral and monitoring process ensures that the students stay on track and do not drop out and fall into a dead end of joblessness, crime and poverty.

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E. New Suburbia Solution #3: Invest In Infrastructure Improvements A strong infrastructure is fundamental to the County’s stability and growth. The quality and efficiency of Nassau’s roadways, transit systems, pedestrian and bike networks, power facilities and school systems will have a major impact on its ability to achieve a sustainable future.

Policy 8: Improve Transportation Infrastructure and Encourage Alternatives to Auto Dependency New Suburbia seeks to reduce traffic congestion with a set of integrated solutions that improve the capacity of existing roadways, increase the accessibility and attractiveness of public transportation, and encourage pedestrian activity. An important benefit of targeting development in Cool Downtowns and megaprojects such as the Hub is that it will reduce local vehicular trips as people “park once” and walk to multiple destinations or walk to work and shopping from new residences in downtowns and megaproject areas.

Transit Improvements Improvements to the public transportation network including rail and bus service, as well as improved pedestrian conections, are necessary to support this centeroriented growth, enhance transit access to these destinations, and reduce overall traffic congestion. The 2006 Major Investment Study for the Hub found that if no action is taken to develop the Hub, traffic in that area will still increase by almost 30% by 2020. As expected development projects are built within the Hub area, traffic could potentially increase by up to 55% over current levels. Specific transit recommendations include regionalization of bus service; increased north-south transit connections via bus rapid transit; and improvements to Long Island Rail Road service such as a rapid bus or “scoot” train service on the Oyster Bay/Glen Cove peninsula, increased reverse commute service, and East Side Access into Manhattan’s Grand Central Station.

Integration of Long Island Bus into a regional MTA-run bus system will allow for expansion of service to meet growing demand for bus transit within the County, as well as between Nassau and Queens. A regional, dedicated transportation revenue source will be necessary in order for MTA to take over Long Island Bus and expand transit service in Nassau. This system should include express bus or bus rapid transit service to better link existing or planned nodes of mixed use development and provide better north-south transit connections. In addition to regionalization of service, improvements to the County’s bus system should include enhanced service for shorter trips and bus rapid transit connections between key transit nodes and facilities. As was recommended in a recent transit study by Sam Schwartz Engineering that was prepared for Nassau County, opportunities to redesign local service to create simple, direct and frequent service should be considered as well as ways to consolidate existing scattered services to and between key attractions in the Hub. New bus rapid transit connections such as Glen Cove to Long Beach, Great Neck to Freeport, and Hicksville/Syosset to Far Rockaway should also be explored.

The Long Island Rail Road’s main line between Floral Park and Hicksville is a two track right-of-way. Service is focused primarily on the peak direction commute, with more limited service in the off-peak direction. The lack of adequate off-peak

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East Side Access will provide direct service from Long Island to Grand Central Station.

direction service limits the LIRR’s ability to serve intra-county commuters. Service on the Oyster Bay branch is also constrained by capacity. Because this branch serves the City of Glen Cove, it has the potential for increased ridership. Currently, this line’s capacity from Mineola westward is filled with peak flow direction trains from the Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches. Constraints on the Oyster Bay branch are compounded because the Oyster Bay line is not electrified east of Mineola and Manhattan-bound passengers must change trains at Jamaica. In addition the capacity constraints on the mainline create long headways for the Oyster Bay branch in the peak periods, further lessening its attractiveness to users.

Finally, the East River tunnels to Penn Station operate near capacity during the peak periods. This is problematic in terms of train congestion into Penn Station as well as convenience to commuters with destinations on the east side of Manhattan.

The MTA’s East Side Access project will provide new Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Station. The project will divert a number of trains from the East River Tunnels serving Penn Station via an unused level of the existing 63rd Street tunnel. This added capacity for the East River tunnels will accommodate additional trains both into and out of Manhattan from both Penn and Grand Central Stations.

It is expected that East Side Access will increase the demand for housing near Long Island Rail Road stations as commuting to jobs in Manhattan becomes even more convenient.

In addition to improvements to Nassau’s bus and rail systems, bicycles should be integrated into the transportation system as a real alternative to vehicular travel, rather than merely a form of recreation, particularly in areas with denser development such as Cool Downtowns and megaprojects as a means to lessen traffic congestion in these areas. Bicycles could potentially utilize sidewalks along arterial roadways, as was shown in Figure 5-12. In addition, the County has submitted a conceptual proposal to NYSDOT for a new bikeway along Sunrise Highway between the Villages of Valley Stream and Freeport that would connect existing commercial and employment nodes and passive and active parklands and open space. It would also connect along the Meadowbrook Parkway corridor to the Emerald Ribbon at the Nassau County Hub. This is a significant step toward establishing a real alternative to vehicular transportation in Nassau linking Cool Downtowns (see Figure 5-13).

Figure 5-12. Arterial Pedestrian/Bicycle Lane

Source: RGR Landscape

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Figure 5-13. Southwest Nassau County Cool Downtowns-HUBMeadowbrook Parkway Bicycle Route

Nassau HUB Rockville Baldwin

Valley Lyndbrook

Freeport

Sunrise

The 2006 Major Investment Study for the Nassau Hub recommends a new bicycle/ greenway system connecting Nassauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural, educational and recreation nodes.

This â&#x20AC;&#x153;Emerald Ribbonâ&#x20AC;? shown in Section A(3) of this chapter would link Eisenhower Park, the Nassau Coliseum, Hofstra University, Downtown Hempstead and Adelphi University.

Figure 5-14. Smart/Green Lanes

Addressing Roadway Congestion In addition to transit improvements, enhancing the capacity of Nassauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing roadways is essential to reducing the rate of growth of trafďŹ c congestion in the County. One measure that has the potential to expand capacity without expanding the actual roadway is to convert existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes into â&#x20AC;&#x153;smart/green lanesâ&#x20AC;? over the course of the next decade. As illustrated in Figure 5-14, these lanes can be dedicated to fuel efďŹ cient, non polluting vehicles and in the future, as technology evolves, may be utilized by vehicles with intelligent cruise control or other green technology that allows vehicles to travel closer together.

This would result in more efďŹ cient utilization of the existing roadway system, increasing capacity.

Other measures that can be undertaken to reduce recurring trafďŹ c congestion include signalization enhancements, intelligent transportation systems and public transit incentives. The Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Energy Policy and Action Plan identiďŹ es current work to enhance trafďŹ c signal progression on county roadways. Nassau should also encourage both its towns and New York State to enhance trafďŹ c signal progression on arterial roadways over which they have jurisdiction. The County should recommend that the State consider the installation of reversible lanes on congested arterials such as Old Country Road, Sunrise Highway, Hillside Avenue, Jericho Turnpike, and Northern Boulevard to reduce peak period congestion. It should also

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Source: BFJ Planning

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expand the use of TRANSCOM, which can tell drivers how long it will take to get to a certain destination via two or more routes.

In addition to these traffic management measures, Nassau should work to reduce the number of vehicles on roadways by targeting development in growth areas as discussed above and reducing freight and commuter traffic. The County should encourage and support state planning efforts to establish a central Long Island freight distribution center to reduce truck traffic on east-west arterials and the Long Island Expressway. It should also consider employee incentives such as “flex” work hours and “internet commuting.”

Landscaped Median on Northern State Parkway

Measures to address non-recurring traffic congestion due to accidents, construction, weather, etc. include traffic incident management and road repair management.

Implementation of a traffic incident management program that provides for quick clearance of traffic accidents with computer-aided dispatch for towing and recovery, as well as service patrols, will reduce traffic caused by accidents as well as secondary crashes. This strategy is currently included in Nassau’s Energy Policy and Action Plan. Nassau should also support adoption of state legislation that would require quick clearance of traffic incidents. Such legislation could mandate that drivers move their vehicles out of travel lanes in the case of an accident, or authorize a predetermined authority to clear vehicles from travel lanes with no liability.

In order to minimize disruptions from roadway construction, Nassau could adopt “time is of the essence” clauses in County roadway construction contracts in congested areas, which could provide incentives for early project completion. The County could also require longer service life materials to minimize frequency of roadway repairs. Other measures that could be employed include limiting lane closures on arterials and expressways/parkways to off peak hours in congested locations and requiring traffic plans to minimize loss of capacity during construction.

Source: Nassau County

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Greener Roadways In addition to addressing traffic congestion, Nassau should also seek to green roadways wherever practicable in order to enhance their visual character and the environment. Expanding trees and plantings along the County’s commercial corridors and highways, such as those that already exist along the Northern State Parkway, will beautify a largely concrete landscape and reduce carbon emissions from automobiles.

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Policy 9: Reduce Dependence on Non-Renewable Energy Sources While enhancement of Nassau’s transportation systems, as described above, is an important component to addressing the pressing issue of carbon emissions and climate change, it is only one piece of the puzzle. A key element of the mission to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce the County’s dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Reducing emissions will help Nassau improve its air and water quality, while reducing costs to heat, cool and power homes and businesses.

Climate change may be one of the greatest economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century both with significant consequences for Nassau County. It is no longer a question of whether climate change is real or not, it is now a question of magnitude and when and where such impacts will be felt most. Nassau County officials recognize the threat of sea level rise and the population that is vulnerable especially to hurricane impact. Nassau County officials are actively measuring threats and potential impacts. Climate change exacerbated by the emission of greenhouse gases has a direct impact on sea level rise. Energy conservation, efficiency and reduction of harmful emissions from automobiles and buildings are the single greatest challenge and opportunity to avert risks of climate change to public health, property and our natural environment. Nassau County has been a leader in implementing positive change through climate change adaptation and must continue to do so.

Global warming as a result of increased emissions and greenhouse gases has contributed greatly to the heating of our atmosphere and melting of polar ice. Heating and cooling our buildings, fueling our automobiles, powering transportation systems, and manufacturing have taken a toll and many scientists believe that climate change has accelerated as a result of human activity. Energy efficiency and use of alternative and renewable sources of power can help to stem the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.

Energy efficiency and use of alternative and renewable sources of power can help to stem the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.

Rising sea levels could greatly impact operations of wastewater treatment facilities and alter ecologically diverse and sensitive tidal marshes and dunes. Rising sea levels and the impact of future storm events could also have significant consequences on public health and safety.

Energy Conservation and Alternative Source Development Over the years Nassau County has followed through on a number of energy conservation initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and utilizing alternative fuels. A sustainable energy action plan calls for the exploration and development of renewable energy sources, education and recognition that energy efficient practices and design accompanied by reduced energy costs to the consumer are key components to advancing the cause of energy efficiency.

Nassau County, like many other regional governments across the State, is facing pressures to reduce energy consumption. These pressures come from many factors including: the financial realities of municipal structural budget deficits resulting from various expenses, including utilities, increasing at greater than 2.5% per year; environmental concerns about our nation’s over-reliance on fossil fuels; and larger political concerns about the jeopardy to our nation’s national security resulting from our dependence on foreign oil.

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The County’s initiative to examine alternative energy opportunities is focused on development of new generation facilities as well as energy conservation practices.

It is generally accepted that wasteful energy consumption practices need to be minimized before starting a potentially long and costly process of building new generation facilities. Along these lines, the County has taken steps to reduce energy consumption and continues to looks for ways to further this policy.

Current County-Wide Energy Conservation Initiatives include: • • • •

Energy audits as a means to identify opportunities and set precedents Interior lighting upgraded to high-efficiency units Exterior photo-sensor lighting Thermostat upgrading to programmable models to avoid excessive heating or cooling and regulating buildings during unoccupied times • Heating equipment upgraded to high-efficiency gas-fired boilers • Energy-star rated equipment to replace less efficient units • Supplemental insulation

Nassau County owns nearly 800 buildings and structures in varied sizes which present an opportunity to have a significant impact on energy conservation and carbon reduction.

Nassau County owns nearly 800 buildings and structures in varied sizes which present an opportunity to have a significant impact on energy conservation and carbon reduction. Aside from the County wastewater treatment plants, few buildings are currently powered by non-renewable energy sources. Solar photovoltaic for electricity may be a viable option to meet electrical needs for appliances and lighting. Systems may sometimes take electricity from the grid and sometimes feed the grid with net zero consumption. Solar viability for heat and hot water systems require further development to appeal to most residential and commercial property owners, however, technology enhancements warrant ongoing evaluation and consideration. Passive solar should be considered for space heat and cooling with new construction or renovation projects effectively utilizing micro-climate studies to minimize energy demand and optimizing user comfort.

Carbon Reduction Initiatives Nassau County is committed to supporting emission reduction goals and policies at federal, state, and local levels that will result in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, with appropriate near-term goals to reach that target and minimize cumulative emissions, such as reductions of 40 percent below 2005 recorded levels by 2030. Emission reductions at this level, in conjunction with similar actions worldwide, have a 50 percent chance of stabilizing global average temperatures at 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels. Failure to reduce emissions to this level increases the likelihood of catastrophic impacts of climate change such as: melting ice sheets and rising sea levels, widespread land and marine species extinction, intensified natural disasters, and threatened water drinking supplies.

Long Island Carbon Footprint, initiated in 2009, is a County led initiative to determine energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by each local government. The County will inform each municipality as to what steps may be taken to reduce their own carbon footprint. Initiatives at this scale are critical to achieve reduction goals.

Of particular note, over 55 percent of total carbon input from government operations and facilities in Nassau County is produced at two (2) wastewater treatment plants, Cedar Creek and Bay Park. The plants currently utilize only 30 percent of existing methane discharge. Improvements at the treatment plants will achieve

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significant reduction in carbon emissions. Since the plants are currently powered by methane, digested sludge and diesel, recapture of additional methane could reduce demand for non-renewable sources of energy or be returned to the regional power grid.

In addition, local governments are actively working to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions by reducing the amount of energy that is consumed by both single and multifamily residences. The Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay have all incorporated Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Energy Star rating compliance into their building codes. These codes require building permit applications to conform to the New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Program administered by LIPA. This program requires that newly constructed dwelling units meet stated energy efficiency standards.

Another important step that should be taken is for government agencies from the County to local municipalities and school districts to “green their fleets” by replacing all municipal vehicles with clean natural gas (CNG)/hybrid vehicles. Some municipalities are already working towards this goal and others should be encouraged to do so. In addition, public and private bus companies and taxis should be encouraged to replace diesel vehicles with CNG/hybrid vehicles. Laws to eliminate idling of vehicles should also be considered.

Achieving meaningful reduction in carbon emissions will only be possible with concerted efforts by each Town, Village, City, industrial and commercial property owners and, very importantly, residential homeowners.

Clean Energy Use of clean energy will result in improved air quality. Clean air will benefit public health including reduction in respiratory illness and asthma. Each and every public and private entity must take measures to improve energy efficiency, reduce the burning of fossil fuels and mainstream the generation and distribution of renewable energy sources to achieve meaningful reduction in emissions.

Building Green Nassau County promotes healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices and aims to achieve the most advanced standard for energy conservation and use of non-fossil energy in buildings. To achieve better performing buildings, improve public health and reduce our impact on the environment, residents, municipalities, manufacturing and commercial property and building owners must make educated choices. These choices must be based on knowledge of short- and longterm cost benefits, the health of our communities and employees, and availability of technology, materials and practices that are economically and environmentally sound.

Green Building options may include: • Obtaining utility rebates • Use of high efficiency HVAC systems • Use of geothermal building systems • Effective interior air exchange to reduce mold and bacteria • Use of low E glass windows • Use of Energy Star appliances • Use of high-performance engineered wood products • Minimizing site disruption during construction • Use of water conserving household appliances, fixtures and faucets • Storm water collection for on-site use • Formaldehyde free finishes and building materials • Reduced construction waste • Engineered flooring Master Plan for New Suburbia

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Telecommunications Enhanced telecommunications infrastructure allows telecommuting and greater opportunity for residents to work or conduct their own businesses from home more efficiently. The resulting reduction in vehicle trips will help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

Tree Lined Street, Garden City

Landscaping Landscape interventions may greatly reduce water usage and harmful emissions as well as provide shade and buffering for more comfortable and less energy demanding environments. Well-planned landscape improvements can result in significant energy savings and more comfortable living and working environments for people. Simple measures and their benefits are as follows: • Pervious surfaces that allow stormwater infiltration are beneficial to landscaping, help to mitigate local and large scale flooding and reduce peak run-off to streams, wetlands and larger water bodies.

• Reduction in pavement areas reduces heat build up and stormwater runoff.

• Reduction in lawn area and preservation of woodlands reduces the need for mowing and chemical use.

• Reduction in fertilizer use, namely nitrogen, reduces lawn growth rates and the need for excessive mowing.

• Maintaining longer grass blades to out-compete lawn weeds and conserve soil moisture reduces maintenance cost and use of fuel fired power equipment.

Source: BFJ Planning

• Shading of walkways and southern exposure of buildings with deciduous trees set an appropriate distance from building facades, foundations and pavement surfaces significantly reduces heating and cooling costs.

• Planting native and drought resistant plant species that are non-invasive allow greater success of material and reduction in maintenance.

• Collecting roof runoff for landscape irrigation purposes reduces run-off and conserves water.

• Mandating Ecological Pest Management (EPM) that prohibit the use of chemical lawn treatments that have adverse impacts on wildlife and water quality in favor of organic practices.

One of the simplest ways to reduce heat island effect and energy use as well as enhance aesthetics and quality of life is to invest in a new suburban reforestation program. Effective site selection is essential since the primary goal is to increase the rate of plant survival and the likelihood that planted species will attain their optimal size and provide the benefits intended. Programs headed by individual towns and villages, the County and other organizations should be coordinated.

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Policy 10: Address Inequities across School Systems Maintaining the high quality of public education in Nassau is a vital and necessary investment in the County’s future. By affording all students the opportunity to succeed in school and providing them with the social support services to do so, the County can reduce the pockets of poverty, crime and unemployment that plague its poorer neighborhoods.

Expanding the Tax Base Two of Nassau’s three struggling school districts, Hempstead and Roosevelt, have high tax rates. With limited large-scale commercial activity in these communities, the tax burden disproportionally falls on homeowners. Encouraging commercial investment in these areas is one method for expanding the tax base to provide increased revenues for public schools for programs such as the Roosevelt Initiative, while at the same time, reducing the tax burden on homeowners.

Consolidation Nassau County residents pay some of the highest property taxes in the country.

As Table 5-8 shows, Nassau ranks third in the nation in terms of average property tax bills. County Executive Suozzi has stressed five approaches for reducing the tax burden on the County’s residents. These include running government more efficiently, eliminating costly state mandates, increasing state and federal aid, consolidating government services and expanding the tax base.

Table 5-8. Highest Property Tax Bills by County, 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

County Westchester Hunterdon Nassau Bergen Somerset Essex Rockland Morris Union Passaic Putnam Suffolk

State NY NJ NY NJ NJ NJ NY NJ NJ NJ NY NY

Amount $8,422 $8,224 $8,153 $7,797 $7,597 $7,535 $7,535 $7,281 $7,007 $6,928 $6,860 $6,763

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2007

The majority of tax revenue collected in Nassau County goes to school districts.

Shares allocated to school districts rose from 58.1 percent of all collections in 2002 to 64.8 percent in 2010, as shown in Figure 5-15. The New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief specifically cites school taxes as a prime reason why, statewide, residents are faced with increasing property tax bills. The Commission recommends a property tax cap, STAR property tax exemption reform that emphasizes ability to pay, along with 32 other recommendations toward reigning in a range of expenses.

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Figure 5-15. Nassau County Property Tax Collection Breakdown: 2002 and 2010

Property Taxes: 2010

Property Taxes: 2002

Town, Town, Village, Village, City & Special Special City & District Taxes

Town, Village, City & Special District Taxes Taxes District

18.8% 18.8%

19.2% 19.2% School Taxes

58.1%

Source: Nassau County, 2009

School Taxes County Taxes Taxes County

64.8% 64.8%

CountyTaxes Taxes County

16.4% 16.4%

22.7%

Source: Nassau County, 2009

Streamlining Services Nassau County has been streamlining internal services for several years. This effort has recently become more critical due to the fiscal crisis the County now faces in the current economic downturn. Examples of internal operations consolidation include building and fleet maintenance services for the Police, Parks and Public Works Departments, which have been consolidated into single departments; and laboratory services for Police, Health and Public Works, which will soon become a single department. Additional consolidations are currently under consideration.

There are several opportunities for school districts to save money by sharing some back office school functions (30 percent of total school district costs) either through a new central system or through an expanded Nassau BOCES. Sharing back office services is not a new idea; the Nassau Library System, a consortium of independent local libraries, has cooperative purchasing of online databases and other materials and participates in the Long Island Banking Consortium, allowing for better rates of interest and services.

The School and Municipal Savings Initiative Report recommends that districts share Information Technology and Telecommunications, Cooperative Purchasing, Audit Services, Debt Issuance and Legal Services. Opportunities for saving in each category include: • Information Technology and Telecommunications: By creating a coordinated countywide telecommunications and information technology network using existing infrastructure and allowing the use of third party technical experts for services instead of each district maintaining a tech staff, the County, BOCES and the Districts could expect to save upwards of $1.7 million per year.

• Cooperative Purchasing: Out-of-district bussing was estimated to be more than 30 percent of Nassau school district transportation costs in 2006. Non-public and special education students from multiple districts attend common private or parochial schools. Cooperative bussing could allow for collective routes, requiring fewer vehicles. Along with transportation, a “Just in Time” purchasing

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program like the system already in use by the County could enable additional savings of 12 percent of total spending.

• Audit Services: Utilize the County Comptroller’s office for the internal audit function, with an expected cost savings of 50 percent.

• Debt: Grant Nassau BOCES the authority to approve capital projects costing less than $1.5 million and consolidate cash flow borrowing among districts in order to meet minimum requirements for state aid.

• Legal Services: Utilize the County Attorney for free legal services instead of each district contracting with private counsel for each.

“We have to look beyond boundaries and focus on the overall tax burden,” New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Effectiveness

None of these recommendations would impact school administration or labor contracts.

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Chapter 6 The Environment: Protect and Enhance the 90%- Single Family Neighborhoods, Open Spaces, Waterfronts, and Historic and Scenic Resources Policy 11: Preserve the Single-Family Character of Residential Neighborhoods Policy 12: Preserve and Connect Open Space while Protecting Sensitive Environmental, Scenic and Historic Resources

Year 2030 Goals: • Increase the Total Land Area Protected As Open Space, Parks, Natural Area or Preserve by 2,000 Acres • Plant 40,000 Trees • Ensure that Every Resident Has Access to a Vest Pocket, Neighborhood or Community Park, or a School Yard Playground within ¼-Mile from their Home • Improve and Connect Public Access to the Shoreline through Programs Such as the “Blue Trail” along the North Shore While the central focus of this Master Plan is on targeting development to growth areas which comprise 10% of the County, preserving and protecting the 90%, which encompasses the things that people love most about Nassau including its single family neighborhoods, waterfronts, open spaces, and scenic and historic resources, is equally important. Directing growth to Cool Downtowns, megaprojects and underperforming community shopping centers directs development away from single family neighborhoods and alleviates development pressure on greenfields, protecting open space. While this alone will play a significant role in protecting the 90%, the County is also undertaking a variety of initiatives that will not only protect, but also enhance those things that residents love about Nassau.

Nassau is actively working to ensure a sustainable future for this and future generations from its open space acquisition program through which the County has spent over 55 million dollars protecting over 120 acres of land since 2007,1 to its Healthy Nassau initiative which seeks to preserve air, land and water quality; improve energy efficiency; reduce dependence on nonrenewable energy resources that contribute to elevated carbon emissions; and promote active and healthy lifestyles.. Key to these efforts is protecting and enhancing Nassau’s environmental resources from open space and recreation to waterfronts and historic, scenic and cultural resources. This includes addressing Nassau’s network of open space as well as improving air and water quality.

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1 Nature Conservancy Long Island Last Stand Report, 2008

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A. Existing Resources 1. Single Family Neighborhoods Single family homes make up over 50% of Nassau’s total land area and are what many residents most treasure about the county. The suburb’s promise of a home and a yard for the thousands of people who left crowded city apartments for Levittown in the post World War II period remains an iconic image in many residents’ minds today.

Preserving the quality of Nassau’s neighborhoods is directly related to the county’s ability to address the major challenges that it now faces as identified in this Master Plan. High property taxes are eroding quality-of-life as they strain families’ financial resources. As discussed in Chapter 2, 40% of homeowners who have mortgages now spend over 35% of their monthly income on housing costs. This has a negative impact on their ability to keep up their homes and maintain the quality of Nassau’s residential neighborhoods. Further, the current economic crisis has increased the number of foreclosures in the County, which can threaten neighborhood character and stability.

As discussed in the previous chapters of this plan, the 90/10 Solution seeks to spur economic growth and reduce property taxes by targeting new development to 10% of the County’s land area. For the remaining 90%, the focus is on reinforcing single family neighborhoods by protecting and enhancing the environmental resources around them, including the open space, recreation, waterfronts and scenic and historic resources that make Nassau a great place to live.

2. Open Space and Recreation There are a variety of recreational and natural resources that serve residents of Nassau County, all of Long Island and the entire New York City metropolitan region.

They range from full service tourist destinations to daytime passive recreation sites and open space preserves. They include dozens of public beaches, which are located along the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound shoreline, an extensive public park system, recreational bikeways, and hiking trails. Nassau County’s public parkland is maintained by various villages, cities, towns, the County, the state and federal government. County parks provide golf, tennis, ice rinks, swimming pools, and athletic fields. The County also has 56 public school districts which control a large variety of recreational fields available for organized as well as passive recreation. Nassau County is home to the 930-acre Eisenhower Park in the Hamlet of East Meadow, Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale and numerous small local parks and campgrounds which offer a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities.

Nassau’s park system is complimented by two major bikeway and hiking trails: Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt trail (19.2 miles) between Harbor Road in Cold Spring Harbor and Merritt Road in Massapequa and the Jones Beach multi-use trail (4.5 miles) along the Wantagh Parkway between Jones Beach and Cedar Creek County Park in Seaford.

Open Space A land use study of Nassau and Suffolk Counties undertaken by the Regional Plan Association (RPA) in 2004 documents the current development pressures on open space and the need for its preservation as a growth (sprawl) management tool.

The study noted that over 80% of Nassau County’s land area is suburbanized and

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that residential properties represent approximately 75% of this land. Institutional uses—schools, hospitals, etc.—are the second largest use. For both Nassau and Suffolk Counties “another 168,000 acres (22% of all land on Long Island) have been protected from development by federal, state, county and municipal governments.” About half of this area represents public parks. The remainder consists of protected agricultural districts, cemeteries and other uses that preclude them from being changed to residential, commercial or institutional uses and subsequently developed. More than 80% of this protected open space is in Suffolk County with 20% or 33,600 protected acres in Nassau County. For both Counties, “this leaves approximately 113,000 acres of unprotected farms, wetlands, forests, meadows and beaches” according to the RPA study. However, more than 1/3 of this land is unlikely to ever be developed since its topography or other physical characteristics present significant challenges. That leaves approximately 67,000 acres in Nassau and Suffolk that could still be developed, less than 9% of the Island’s total land area. Over 90% of this is in Suffolk County”; hence, 6,700 vulnerable acres in Nassau County.

There are 6,700 vulnerable acres in Nassau County.

Figure 6-1. Open Space Map

Source: Nassau County GIS

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As shown in Table 6-1, over the course of the next forty years Nassau’s undeveloped land will come under increasing development pressure. The number of undeveloped acres in Nassau County is expected to dramatically decline from approximately 1,200 acres in 2010 to 250 acres by 2050. Given the scarcity of open space and resulting development pressures, the policies and recommendations presented herein encourage adaptive re-use of previously developed property; the return of formerly developed and underutilized property to the tax roles; achieving critical density to support transit oriented development and public transit; and protection of open space. These recommendations aim to counter residential sprawl and contribute to the reduction in cost of public services via preservation of open space and increased focus on appropriately scaled and higher-density development in welcoming communities with existing and emerging downtowns.

Table 6-1. Projections of Land Available for Development, 2000-2050 (in acres)

Glen Cove Hempstead Long Beach North Hempstead Oyster Bay Nassau County

Total Land 4,379 78,213 1,449 34,643 66,778 185,461

Land Developed by 2000 86% 78% 91% 89% 78% 80%

Protected or Unsuitable for Development 12% 22% 9% 9% 18% 18%

2000 75 11 0 929 2,240 3,254

2010 23 3 0 496 707 1,229

2020 0 1 0 348 279 628

2030 0 1 0 272 113 386

2040 0 0 0 231 55 284

2050 0 0 0 210 42 251

Source: Nassau County Department of Parks and Recreation

As the number of acres suitable for development becomes more limited, there is great risk that environmentally sensitive areas such as deep aquifer recharge zones, agricultural lands, barrier beaches, wetlands and marshes will become more endangered. The RPA study cites that the character of rural communities and coastal areas could also change as these areas become more developed. The success and popularity of ongoing open space acquisition and farm protection initiatives demonstrate that Long Islanders understand this risk and support measures to avert it.

Open Space Acquisition Strategy The County’s 1998 Comprehensive Plan highlighted the need for an open space preservation strategy which resulted in the County’s first Open Space Plan completed in 2001. This Plan set up the Nassau County Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee for reviewing, evaluating and recommending to the County land purchases which will protect the natural, scenic and historic resources of the County.

Nassau County has acquired significant tracts of open space under its current program. Utilizing a portion of $150m in Environmental Bond Act funding, the County acquired and preserved key parcels that contribute to green corridors, protect zones of deep aquifer recharge, enhance park connectivity and foster healthy communities. As of 2009, $120m of the funding has been designated. An additional goal of the program is to protect select properties including unique groundwater protection areas from development. Challenges facing the County include additional costs of maintaining newly acquired open space, identifying new parcels for acquisition and achieving open space area goals and, most importantly, sustaining funding for future acquisitions.

The 2009 Long Island Index notes recent successes in purchasing nearly 2,000 acres of open space in 2007 for $285 million. The purchases are significant but

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do represent a Year 2 shortfall in reaching the 10-year goal set in 2006 by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to protect 37,000 acres on Long Island. This reflects the high cost of land with most of the purchases occurring in Suffolk’s East End. Since 2005, Nassau County has acquired 240 acres of open space, 200 acres of which are located in groundwater protection area. Since 2007, the County has acquired over 120 acres including 12 sites. Present economic conditions in 2009 are likely to provide reduced valuation opportunities for open space acquisitions within the County.

Two of Nassau County’s three Townships have also passed environmental bond acts: the $30m Save Environmental Assets Bond Act (SEA) in Oyster Bay and the $15m Environmental Legacy Fund in North Hempstead. In addition, two significant land trusts, North Shore Land Alliance and the Nassau Land Trust, have assisted with conservation easements, enabled public access to open space and received charitable donations of land.

Pulling Estate, Oyster Bay Cove

The County is also in the midst of a program to allow private entities to purchase liened brownfield properties. At present, this program, which is managed by the County Office of Economic Development’s Brownfields Redevelopment Unit, includes 17 sites. The County may consider capture of these sites for public use including, where appropriate, vest pocket and neighborhood parks where local municipalities ultimately take ownership and responsibility for maintenance. Of great concern to the County is maintenance and ownership of such parcels since small parcels generally under 2 acres in area that are dispersed throughout the County are costly to maintain.

The 2009 Long Island Index notes the recent successes in purchasing nearly 2,000 acres of open space in 2007 for $285 million.

The County also supports acquisition of open space for agricultural purposes.

Local food production on County land, job creation, farmer’s markets and related education and recreation programs are desirable as long as such land uses do not conflict with adjacent land uses.

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Youngs Farm in Old Brookville- One of the few remaining farms in Nassau County.

Use of brownfields draws development pressure off green-field sites, generates much needed property tax revenue from underutilized and blighted parcels and encourages infill development in local commercial centers.

Brownfields Remediation costs, environmental regulations and legal liability greatly impact adaptive re-use of brownfield sites. However, with developable land dwindling and increased awareness of the benefits of open space, brownfields become more attractive to development especially those located in downtowns or near transit centers. Use of brownfields draws development pressure off greenfield sites, generates much needed property tax revenue from underutilized and blighted parcels and encourages infill development in local commercial centers. Incentives to encourage brownfield development may include reduced assessments, grants for environmental clean-up or variances on development density, parking requirements or structure height. Nassau County is an integral component of Sustainable Long Island’s Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Sustainable Long Island is Long Island’s nonprofit partner for the New York Metro Brownfields Redevelopment Fund Program. The Fund Program assists distressed communities in the greater metropolitan area by providing financing resources for the clean-up and adaptive reuse of brownfield sites. Partners in the Fund Program include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Nassau County, the City of New York, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation among others. The County’s primary involvement is through the Office of Economic Development. The County seeks to facilitate redevelopment of underutilized property, to reduce development pressure on Greenfield sites, create jobs and increase the municipal tax base. Of significant size and scale, planning is ongoing for the redevelopment of the Grumman property in Bethpage encompassing brownfield remediation.

Former Grumman Facility- 105 acres at Bethpage

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Recreation There are a variety of recreational, natural and cultural facilities that serve residents of Nassau County, all of Long Island and the entire New York City metropolitan region. They range from full service tourist destinations to daytime/evening passive and active recreation sites and open space preserves. There are dozens of public beaches located along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound shoreline. Nassau County’s public park land is maintained by various villages, cities, towns, the County, and the State and Federal Governments each contributing to healthy and active lifestyles and more cohesive communities.

Public Facilities Nassau County parks provide golf, tennis, ice rinks, swimming pools, and athletic fields. The County also has 56 public school districts which contain a large variety of recreational fields and activities available for organized as well as passive recreational activities. Nassau County is home to Eisenhower Park, inclusive of its 930-acres, in the Hamlet of East Meadow; Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale; the Nassau Greenbelt Trail in the eastern part of the County, and numerous small local parks and campgrounds which offer a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities. Historic sites such as Old Bethpage Village and Sagamore Hill; historical, art and natural history museums; theaters; symphony orchestras; and nature trails and preserves all add to the recreational, cultural and educational value of the County.

Summer Concert at Eisenhower Park

One of the most popular destinations among the County’s parks and beaches is the 2,413-acre Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. With approximately six to seven million visitors annually, Jones Beach State Park features a six-mile ocean beachfront, a two-mile boardwalk and an 11,200-seat performing arts center (Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater) which attracts world-class musical acts. Jones Beach currently lacks hospitality facilities and overnight accommodations often deemed a lost tourism and economic development opportunity.

Enhanced public connections to and between waterfront communities and destinations are also possibilities that public officials have begun to consider. Means may include land and water borne trails and multi-modal corridors. Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Freeport’s Nautical Mile, Long Beach and Sands Point are potential destinations just to name a few.

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The County and each municipality should seek opportunities to include bikeways in local roadway and infrastructure improvements. Efforts should be coordinated with neighboring towns and villages to provide safer and more convenient networks of on-road and dedicated facilities.

Private Facilities Private facilities contribute greatly to Nassau Count’s recreation inventory. The North Shore contains a series of unique private recreation facilities with large tracts of protected open space and waterfront parcels providing opportunities for potential land swaps, trail connections and passage, and conservation easements. The County’s Hempstead, Long Beach and Oyster Bay/South Shore is characterized by broad barrier beaches and protected salt water bays, channels and marshes suitable for boating with multiple outlets to the Atlantic Ocean. The South Shore also contains a series of bay and channel front private boating and golf club facilities.

Smaller land holdings in comparison to the North Shore, however, they do provide open space and potential public waterfront access land swap opportunities.

The Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums maintains approximately 6,000 acres of parkland, open space, historic sites and building sites.

Park Management Policy Nassau County maintains approximately 6,000 acres of parkland, open space, historic sites and building sites. It is the obligation of the Department to enable the public to enjoy quality visits to these areas, while protecting park resources. Park uses may be subject to certain legal restrictions or covenants but they are also protected in perpetuity including provisions set by the Nassau County Perpetual Preservation Law (Local LAW 5-1988), which insures that “the valuable acres of Nassau County land, either currently owned or hereafter acquired will be protected and preserved forever.”

3. Waterfronts Nassau County is bordered to the north by Long Island Sound and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the northern and southern boundaries of the County comprise nearly 188 miles of scenic coastline. The majority of this coastline, however, is privately owned and not accessible to the public. Coastal parks tend to be smaller facilities with beaches, docks, wetlands and marshes. In North Hempstead, there are plans to connect waterfront pathways and link facilities. Where private parcels intervene, kayak and small boat “blue ways” are being proposed, for example, there is an Environmental Bond Act project ongoing in the Village of Freeport for a blueway trail along the County’s south shore. The coastline is one of Nassau County’s greatest assets, and increasing opportunities for public enjoyment is encouraged.

Coastal zones and salt marshes are the most ecologically diverse and essential natural systems. They sustain the coastal food chain, cleanse our natural water bodies and dissipate the impact of storm events. Impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and inundation as well as over development must be closely monitored.

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Lido Beach

Climate Change Climate change may be one of the greatest economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century both with significant consequences for Nassau County.

It is no longer a question of whether climate change is real or not, it’s a question of magnitude and when and where such impacts will be felt most. Nassau County officials recognize the threat of sea level rise and the population that is vulnerable especially to hurricane impact. Nassau County officials are actively measuring threats and potential impacts. Climate change exacerbated by the emission of greenhouse gases has a direct impact on sea level rise. Energy conservation, efficiency and reduction of harmful emissions from automobiles and buildings are the single greatest challenge and opportunity to avert risks of climate change to public health, property and our natural environment. Nassau County has been a leader in implementing positive change through climate change adaptation and must continue to do so.

Scientists have reported that by the year 2100, annual mean temperatures within the tri-state region could increase by as much as 7.5 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, sea levels are expected to increase by at least 48” depending on how rapidly polar ice melts. Coastal flooding and damage to shoreline infrastructure could be substantial. The costs to identify, plan and implement pre-emptive measures to counter the impacts of rising sea levels will be substantial. However, the cost of physical damage to property, infrastructure and public safety as a result of storm activity could far exceed the cost of preemptive measures.

Figure 6-2. Hurricane Storm Surge Zones

Source: NYS Emergency Management Office, 2005

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4. Water Resources Public Water Supply Forty-six (46) major public water suppliers in Nassau County provide water service to nearly 100% of the County’s 1.3 million residents. Each supplier serves a specific geographical area and independently operates their respective water supply system. The majority of systems are interconnected with neighboring systems which provides a mechanism for transferring water and to better manage emergency conditions. The smallest supplier serves 25 residents, whereas the largest supplier serves approximately 250,000 residents.

Groundwater Nassau County’s complex groundwater system consists of three major aquifers – the Upper Glacial, the Magothy, and the Lloyd – and one major, relatively impermeable clay layer – the Raritan Clay. In addition, several smaller aquifers (Jameco and North Shore) and confining clay layers (North Shore confining unit and Gardiners Clay) contribute to the complexity of the system and affect aquifer behavior in localized parts of the County. The thickness of each of these subsurface formations is variable. Beneath the south shore, for instance, the Magothy and Lloyd aquifers are thickest. Overall, the average saturated thickness of the entire groundwater system in Nassau County is approximately 800 feet deep.

As groundwater is withdrawn for public water supply, new water from precipitation continuously recharges the aquifers as it infiltrates through the soil. Water also flows back and forth between aquifers, and is continuously discharged underground to the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound through a process called “underflow.”

Nassau County’s 46 water districts are all independently run by either private or municipal entities. According to a Long Island population study conducted by the Long Island Regional Planning Board, the population of Nassau County by 2010 is expected to remain relatively consistent at the present level of 1.3 million residents. Based on additional studies regarding projected residential, commercial and industrial water use, by 2010 Nassau County’s water demand from Long Island’s groundwater supply is expected to remain consistent at approximately 190 million gallons per day.

Section 5 below addresses recharge (see Recharge Basins) and withdrawal from existing aquifers. Although overall recharge exceeds groundwater withdrawal, County representatives have indicated that some suppliers experience capacity and quality issues during unusually hot and dry summer months primarily due to excessive irrigation demands.

Groundwater Quality It is important to emphasize the difference between groundwater quality and the potable water delivered to Nassau County consumers. Groundwater extracted by Nassau County public water suppliers is monitored for the presence of potential contaminants. If contamination is detected at levels above drinking water standards, the water source is either removed from service or treated to remove the contamination. Current issues regarding water quality in Nassau County include the potential of contamination by nitrates, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), industrial solvents, chemical spills, and chlorides resulting from saltwater intrusion.

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The majority of public water supply wells across Nassau County are considered highly susceptible to nitrate and VOC contamination. Nitrate contamination is frequently associated with septic systems, non-sewered residential areas and over application of lawn fertilizers in residential areas while VOCs are associated with the presence of industrial facilities and commercial land uses. Several public water suppliers have experienced elevated nitrate levels that have necessitated corrective measures such as blending water and the installation of nitrate removal systems. Numerous water suppliers have experienced low levels of VOCs in some wells which have necessitated treatment methods that include aeration and carbon adsorption to remove these compounds. The main VOCs that have been detected in Nassau’s groundwater include tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, and 1,1,1 trichloroethane.

Other contaminants, such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and perchlorates have been detected in some groundwater sources, but are not present at levels above drinking water standards in any public water system. As recently as 2006, a suspected gasoline spill caused elevated MTBE levels in a water system located in western Nassau resulting in the issuance of a health advisory. The condition was addressed quickly and was successfully resolved.

The majority of public water supply wells across Nassau County are considered highly susceptible to nitrate and VOC contamination.

Saltwater intrusion has occurred in southwestern Nassau and along portions of the north shore of the County. As a result of this intrusion, the Magothy aquifer beneath the Long Beach barrier island is no longer usable for public water supply.

Saltwater intrusion in both the Magothy and Lloyd aquifers along the south shore is proceeding at a very slow rate and is a result of the rise in sea level over the past 18,000 years, coupled with the effects of water supply withdrawal for public use.

Even if all pumping along the south shore were to cease, landward saltwater intrusion would nevertheless still occur due to the need to reach equilibrium with the rise in sea level. On the north shore, saltwater intrusion has occurred at localized areas on the Great Neck and Manhasset Neck peninsulas, in Bayville, and in Centre Island. As a result of the saltwater intrusion, portions of the Lloyd, North Shore, and Upper Glacial aquifers in these localized areas have become unusable for public water supply purposes. Saltwater intrusion along the north shore is driven by groundwater withdrawal from public supply wells located near the shorelines.

Water suppliers in the north shore areas where localized saltwater intrusion has impacted some public supply wells have taken action to address saltwater intrusion. Such actions include the development of public supply well management plans to reduce pumping from specific existing wells, seeking new public supply well locations to replace lost capacity at impacted wells, and implementation of water conservation measures.

Other quality issues facing the water supply include the presence of iron. While iron is naturally occurring in the soil and groundwater and is generally not a health concern, its removal by filtration. High levels of iron in the water result in discoloration and staining, particularly for laundry or where water stands in basins and fixtures. Iron levels are especially high in Nassau County along the south shore.

Although Nassau County itself is not a public water supplier and does not pump groundwater for delivery to the consumer, the Nassau County Department of Public Works monitors raw groundwater quality and fluctuations in groundwater levels through a vast network of over 500 monitoring wells spread throughout the County. The Nassau County Department of Health oversees the water suppliers by enforcing federal and state drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) or standards.

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Groundwater Protection Programs and Activities Various groundwater protection programs and activities are in place to prevent or reduce contaminant loading to the aquifers. The 1992 Long Island Comprehensive Special Groundwater Protection Area Plan establishes Special Groundwater Protection Areas (“SGPA”). SGPAs are significant, largely undeveloped or sparsely developed geographic areas of Long Island that provide recharge to portions of the deep flow aquifer system. They represent a unique final opportunity for comprehensive, preventative management to preclude or minimize land use activities that could be detrimental to groundwater. Current programs and activities include the following: • Article X of the Nassau County Public Health Ordinance (“NCPHO”) entitled “Groundwater Protection - Regulation of Sewage and Industrial Wastewater,” exists to “preserve the quality of the aquifers receiving recharge from areas which have been designated as Special Groundwater Protection Areas (SGPAs).”. This is achieved by limiting the amount of residential and commercial wastewater being discharged to these aquifers. The discharge of industrial wastewater, whether or not it has received treatment, is prohibited in the SGPAs. Article XI of the Nassau County Public Health Ordinance regulates the storage of toxic and hazardous materials. This ordinance requires secondary containment for liquid and bulk storage to prevent an accidental spill into the ground thereby safeguarding groundwater.

• Over 90% of Nassau County’s population is served by municipal sewer systems.

This municipal sewer system has been very effective in reducing groundwater contamination from sanitary, industrial and commercial wastewaters. Public sewers prevent nitrates, detergents and other contaminants from reaching the groundwater.

• The Nassau County Department of Health has participated in the USEPA’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program which locates, abates and remediates sources of groundwater contamination resulting from the use of interior floor drains and dry wells in automotive repair facilities, dry cleaning establishments and other commercial establishments.

• The Nassau County Departments of Health and Public Works have conducted or participated in studies of areas of known groundwater contamination to identify the level, extent and movement of contaminants as a basis for corrective action.

• The Nassau County Department of Health (NCDH) collects and analyzes potentially contaminated soil and groundwater to evaluate the impact on the environment. NCDH works with Federal and State agencies in preparing reports of investigations. Sites identified as containing hazardous wastes are referred to the New York State Department of Health for environmental and health assessment and to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for Superfund listing and remediation.

• Currently, there are no active landfills in Nassau County. An amendment to the 1978 Article 27 of New York State Environmental Conservation Law banned the siting of new landfills in deep recharge zones and mandated the closure of existing landfills.

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• The Town of Hempstead, Town of North Hempstead and the Town of Oyster Bay have established STOP (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) Programs to collect and dispose of household hazardous wastes.

• Localized groundwater remediation facilities focus on treating groundwater at contaminated sites and improving overall groundwater quality.

5. Stormwater Nassau County occupies a 285.4 square mile area (182,680 acres) that is located between New York City on the west, Suffolk County on the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the south and Long Island Sound to the north. There are 2 cities, 3 towns and 62 villages that are located within the boundaries of Nassau County. Nassau County regulations require that storm water generated from developed sites be retained onsite. The onsite storage of storm water is typically achieved by the installation of drywells, recharge basins or drainage reserve areas. Nearly half of the land area in the County drains to surrounding surface waters while the remaining half enters local recharge basins.

Based on present County-wide ground water withdrawal and recharge conditions, the water demand for a large-scale development is not expected to significantly impact water supply.

The current inventory of stormwater facilities within the County include: • 3,720 stormwater outfalls to federal waters, • 800 stormwater recharge basins, 555 of which are owned by Nassau County, and • Approximately 57 miles of open stream corridors maintained by Nassau County.

Management Initiatives Stormwater runoff that may be polluted is often transported to Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) and ultimately discharged into local surface waters without treatment. Storm water runoff from impervious surfaces carries varying but potentially large amounts of pollutants to the surface waters of the United States. These pollutants include nutrients, silt/sediment, pathogens, oil/grease, metals, debris and litter. Of particular concern to the water bodies surrounding Long Island are pathogens, phosphorus, PCBs, silt and sediment, and nitrogen.

Such pollutant discharges impair waterways thereby discouraging recreational use of the resource, contaminate groundwater and disrupt habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms, and neighboring wildlife.

When a stormwater discharge enters a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 303(d) listed water body, the municipality’s stormwater program must ensure no increase of the listed pollutant of concern to the designated water body. There are 32 water bodies on the 303(d) list that have the potential to receive stormwater runoff from a municipality within Nassau County.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Nassau County and a coalition of local municipalities are working together to reduce pollutants contained in stormwater runoff. This coalition includes the Cities of Glen Cove and Long Beach, the Townships of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay and 55 villages. Existing County and local municipal governments’ storm water programs and activities designed to protect the County’s water quality have been supplemented with new Best Management Practices (BMP’s).

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In accordance with NYSDEC regulations, all regulated municipalities require a permit for the release of stormwater runoff into their surface waters. As a condition of this permit, regulated municipalities must establish and execute a comprehensive stormwater management program that includes mandated programs and practices in the following six categories: • • • • •

Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts Public participation and involvement Illicit discharge detection and elimination Construction site stormwater runoff control Post-construction stormwater management in new development/ redevelopment • Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations One of the requirements of the SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewers (MS4s), is the preparation of a report that depicts pollutants of concern and their sources, steps being taken to diminish waste in stormwater runoff, and the effectiveness of pollution prevention practices. Municipalities are obligated to organize a yearly statement that describes how its programs deal with the impacts of stormwater discharges upon water bodies, the pollutants of concern and their sources, steps being taken to condense pollutants in stormwater runoff, and the efficiency of BMP’s. Municipalities are required to make the report accessible to the public and to present the public with an opportunity to comment on the program prior to it being filed with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A public hearing is no longer a requirement as long as the Draft Annual Report is made available for comment via the County website.

In addition, Nassau County has developed a Stormwater Management Program and a Stormwater Runoff Impact Analysis Procedures Manual. The Manual provides a procedure to assess and rank all of the sub-watersheds in Nassau County in an organized and consistent manner. The Manual also provides guidance and standardization of stormwater impact analysis procedures to all regulators, planners and designers involved in stormwater management to achieve the required regulatory standard of reducing pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable.

Developments in excess of one-acre require preparation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) under regulations set forth by the NYSDEC and the local municipality where appropriate. SWPPP plans specifically address storm water management, post development water quality, and soil erosion and sediment control measures during construction.During site plan development, detailed analyses should be performed to determine the appropriate storm water storage volume to be provided onsite; the storage volume to be provided off-site in recharge basins, the post development water quality to be included with the development and details of the SWPPP proposed during project construction.

Recharge Basins Precipitation recharges the County’s groundwater system. Slightly less than half of the precipitation falling within the County is returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, and the remainder replenishes the aquifers or flows to surface waters. There are currently 800 recharge basins in Nassau County, most of which are located in the central portion of the County generally between Northern Boulevard and Hempstead Turnpike.

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An average of 44 inches of precipitation falls within the County each year. This amounts to approximately 660 million gallons of precipitation within the County each day. Approximately 341 million gallons of precipitation, slightly more than half, recharges the groundwater system either by infiltrating through the soil in unpaved areas or through recharge basins. Based on an estimated average of 190 million-gallon per day demand in 2010, recharge to the aquifers is significantly greater than the amount of groundwater withdrawn. Since recharge to the groundwater system exceeds the amount of groundwater withdraw from the system, available groundwater resources are more than sufficient to meet present and future demands. The figure below compares average daily groundwater recharge to the County’s aquifers with the average daily withdrawal rate.

There are currently 800 recharge basins in Nassau County.

Table 6-2. Comparison of Nassau County Groundwater Recharge and Public Water Demand, 1997

Million Gallons Per Day

400

341

300 180 200

100

0

Average Withdrawal from Aquifers Each Day

Natural Recharge to Aquifers Each Day

Source: Nassau County Comprehensive Master Plan, 1997

6. Historic, Cultural and Scenic Resources In addition to its environmental resources, Nassau County is home to a variety of historic, cultural and scenic resources. In 2008 the County began a marketing initiative, The Island Next Door, to promote these resources and encourage tourism both to and within Nassau. Nassau boasts exceptional south shore ocean beaches, north shore waterfronts, parks, playing fields, golf courses and open spaces. It also hosts the New York Islanders, a professional hockey team, an array of historic sites, and cultural resources ranging from museums to theaters.

Historic Districts and Sites Nassau County has a total of twelve historic districts, comprising both local districts and those listed on the National Register of Historic Places. National Register historic districts and local historic districts differ in structure and the reviews required. A National Register historic district is established through the State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service as formal recognition of an area with historical, architectural or cultural significance. Alterations to a property listed in a National Register historic district require review only if there is a state or federal involvement. Local historic districts are controlled by local communities and offer greater protection to historic properties with regard to alterations to the exterior of designated structures.

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Local Historic Districts Nassau County has four locally designated historic districts: • • • •

Highland Road Historic District, City of Glen Cove Red Brick Streets Historic District, City of Long Beach Port Washington Heights Historic District, Town of North Hempstead Roslyn Heights Historic District, Town of North Hempstead

National Register Historic Districts Nassau County has eight National Register historic districts: • Bellerose Village Municipal Complex, Bellerose: Contains 9 acres and 3 buildings. Listed on National Register in 2006.

• Cedarmere – Clayton Estates, Roslyn Harbor: Contains 1,720 acres, 6 buildings and 14 structures. Listed on National Register in 1986.

• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Historic District, Laurel Hollow: Contains 1,000 acres, 31 buildings and 2 structures. Listed on National Register in 1994.

• East Williston Village Historic District, East Willison: Contains 70 acres and 26 buildings. Listed on the National Register in 1985.

• Gould – Guggenheim Estate, Port Washington: Listed on the National Register in 2006.

• Jones Beach State Park, Causeway and Parkway System, Wantagh: Contains 100,340 acres, 22 buildings and 33 structures. Listed on the National Register in 2005.

• Main Street Historic District, Roslyn: Contains 400 acres and 50 buildings.

Listed on the National Register in 1974.

• Roslyn Village Historic District, Roslyn: Contains 650 acres, 43 buildings, and 5 structures. Listed on the National Register in 1987.

• Stewart, A.T., Era Buildings, Garden City: Contains 530 acres and 50 buildings.

Listed on the National Register in 1978.

Roslyn Grist Mill

Historic Sites Nassau County has an exceptionally strong record of historic preservation. In addition to the local and national historic districts discussed above, it has a significant number of designated historic sites, including, but not limited to: Cedarmere, the historic property of prominent 19th-century poet, newspaper editor and civic leader William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), includes the Bryant home and several other structures on a beautiful 7-acre property overlooking Roslyn Harbor.

The Roslyn Grist Mill was built sometime before the mid-18th century and is one of the few surviving Dutch colonial commercial frame buildings in the United States. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, it is currently being restored for use as a museum.

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Saddle Rock Grist Mill is one of the few remaining tidal mills left in the country.

Constructed around 1700 and restored to its mid-19th century appearance, the mill, which was used to grind grain and corn, overlooks Little Neck Bay and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sagamore Hill was the home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, from 1885 until his death in 1919. Guided tours are offered.

Sands Point Preserve

Sands Point Preserve is a 216 acre preservation area with nature trails and landscaped areas. It has six marked trails, forests, meadows, cliffs, gardens, a freshwater pond and a beach on the Long Island Sound. Hempstead House, a historic home built by Howard Gould and later home to Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, is located on the preserve.

Sands-Willets House in Port Washington is a farmhouse that was built in 1735 by John Sands and was later enlarged by Edmund Willets in 1845. Colonel John Sands IV and his six brothers served in the Revolutionary War. Museums African-American Museum of Nassau County celebrates the history of African Americans on Long Island and the African-American contribution to the social and cultural development of American society. This 6,000-square-foot facility, centrally located in Hempstead, offers a rotating series of exhibits showcasing local and national African American artists.

The American Merchant Marine Museum, located on the former Walter P. Chrysler estate in Kings Point, serves as a repository for the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s extensive and valuable collection of marine art, ship models and nautical artifacts.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium operated for nearly a century as a New York State Trout Hatchery before opening as a non-profit educational center dedicated to educating its visitors about the freshwater ecosystems of New York.

Public programs are presented throughout the year and education programs are provided for students of all levels. The Hatchery holds the largest living collection of New York State freshwater reptiles, fish and amphibians.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum

The Cradle of Aviation Museum, located in Garden City, is an aerospace museum commemorating Long Island’s participation in the development and growth of aviation and aerospace – from the early days of kites and ballooning to the race to the moon.

The Francis X. Pendl Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center is a nearly 10,000-square-foot interactive facility where visitors can experience the firefighting tradition in Long Island via hands-on exhibits that feature antique and contemporary fire apparatus and gear. Located on “Museum Row” in Garden City, the Museum and Education Center also educates and informs the public about fire safety and prevention.

Earle Wightman House, located at 20 Summit Street in Oyster Bay, is operated by the Oyster Bay Historical Society as its headquarters, research library and museum. Exhibits include the 18th-century one-room house and garden, furnished 1830s parlor, and exhibition rooms interpreted to the periods 1740 and 1830. The Master Plan for New Suburbia

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research library contains comprehensive materials about the history of the Town of Oyster Bay. East Rockaway Grist Mill Museum is housed in a 300-year old building located on the Mill River. Originally built by Joseph Haviland in 1688, it is currently a museum in Memorial Park showcasing artifacts from Native Americans to the 19th century.

Garvies Point Museum and Preserve is a center for research on Long Island geology and the study of the Island’s Native American archaeology. Located in Glen Cove, the museum maintains reference collections of original archaeological artifacts and geological phenomena.

Hicksville Gregory Museum, housed in the historic Heitz Place Courthouse, showcases massive collections of butterflies, rocks, minerals and local historical artifacts.

Long Island Children’s Museum

Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, located within the Welwyn Preserve in Glen Cove, is dedicated solely to the teaching of the Holocaust. The Louis Posner Memorial Library offers the largest collection of Holocaust and tolerance related materials on Long Island, and provides resources for students, educators, and scholars including memoirs, diaries, professional journals, maps, artwork, and audio/video collections.

Long Island Children’s Museum, part of the “Museum Row” complex in Garden City and housed inside a historic Mitchel Field airplane hangar, is a learning laboratory where hands-on exhibits invite visitors to experiment, examine and play. The museum is designed for infants through 12.

Long Island Studies Institute is a major center for the study of Long Island local and regional history. A cooperative endeavor of Hofstra University and Nassau County, the Institute sponsors meetings, exhibits, conferences, and publications pertaining to Long Island and its heritage.

The Nassau County Museum of Art, located on the former estate of Childs Frick, son of U.S. Steel co-founder Henry Clay Frick, has become the largest suburban fine arts museum in the United States in terms of attendance, volunteer participation and budget. Its permanent collection holds over 600 works primarily featuring 19th and 20th-century American and European artists. The 145-acre property is part of the Cedarmere – Clayton Estates, a National Historic District.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Nassau County Police George F. Maher Museum is dedicated to the Nassau County police force. Located inside Police Headquarters in Mineola, it showcases police uniforms and equipment dating to the 1920s.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with an opportunity to experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village. The 209-acre village includes an assortment of homes, farms and businesses. Each fall, the village hosts the Long Island Fair, a traditional county agricultural fair that draws tens of thousands of visitors, and through most of the year the village supports a steady series of family-friendly events and exhibits, including old-time “base ball” tournaments.

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Pagan-Fletcher Restoration is operated by the Valley Stream Historical Society.

Built around 1840, the re-modeled Colonial Revival farmhouse has three floors of furnished rooms including a sewing room with treadle machine, costumes and trunks, Victorian bedroom, living room and kitchen.

Polish American Museum, located in Port Washington, is designed to communicate to visitors the culture and folk heritage of the Polish people. It contains documents, artifacts, paintings, displays and exhibits illustrating the important achievements by people of Polish heritage, and examples of their contributions to humanity.

Raynham Hall Museum is housed inside the former home of the Townsend family, one of the founding families of Oyster Bay. Here, a collection of archives and artifacts provide an in-depth look at the lives and times of the Townsend family and their neighbors from 1740 to 1880. Constructed in the mid-eighteenth century, Raynham Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rock Hall Museum is housed inside a pre-Revolutionary War, Georgian-style building that once belonged to the Martin and Hewlett families. The museum is affiliated with the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities and offers a guided tour, programs of historic interest, special lectures and educational programs for students.

Science Museum of Long Island is a not-for-profit science activity center located on the Leeds Pond Preserve in the Village of Plandome. The Science Museum offers enrichment workshops for children.

Tackapausha Museum and Preserve is operated by the Nassau County Department of Recreation and Parks, and showcases wildlife and their habitats. Accompanying the museum is a large preserve for nature walks.

Veterans Memorial Plaza & 9/11 Memorial is located in Eisenhower Memorial Park serves as a tribute to the Nassau County Veterans of all wars and county firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. An area set aside in the park includes a Wall of Honor listing Nassau County veterans, living and deceased. The new 9/11 Memorial honors the victims of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.

Wantagh Railroad Museum resides in three structures: the Station, the “Jamaica” Railroad Car and the original Wantagh Post Office. Together, these structures offer visitors an opportunity to see important parts of everyday life from an era 100 years ago, including a collection of turn-of-the-century photographs that depict life in early Wantagh. Several display cases feature memorabilia from Wantagh’s past and exhibits of historical themes.

Theaters The Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury, formerly the Westbury Music Fair, is a 3,200-seat performance space located minutes from the Village’s downtown district. The theater is one of the nation’s few “theatres in the round” – a venue in which the audience surrounds the stage on all sides, an architectural style reminiscent of the ancient theaters of Greece and Rome.

Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is an outdoor theatre located in vast Eisenhower Park. Formerly the Lakeside Theatre, it was renamed in recognition of the popular folk singer, humanitarian and Long Island resident Harry Chapin.

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Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Jeanne Rimsky Theater is located inside the Landmark on Main, a converted school building that now serves as a community center. The building, constructed in 1908, is a national, state and local landmark that provides 425 seats, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a magnificent Steinway Concert Grand D piano.

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, commonly known as Nassau Coliseum, is an 18,000-plus-capacity indoor arena in Uniondale. Home to the New York Islanders NHL hockey team and New York Dragons arena football team, the venue also hosts performances by major recording artists, as well as large exhibitions and shows of various kinds. The coliseum’s 60,000 square-foot exhibition hall hosts business and trade shows throughout the year.

Nikon at Jones Beach Theater is one of only two open-air theaters in the New York Metropolitan Region. Located on Zach’s Bay in Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, the 15,200-seat amphitheater hosts world-famous musicians during its popular Summer Concert Series. The seaside venue was constructed in 1952 under the supervision of Robert Moses.

Old Westbury Gardens is the former estate of John Shaffer Phipps (1874-1958), heir to a U.S. Steel fortune. Classical music concerts are offered inside the Red Ballroom of the Westbury House, a Charles II-style mansion surrounded by 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is situated between Oyster Bay and Locust Valley on Long Island’s North Shore. During the summer, the public arboretum hosts a wide variety of outdoor performances including concert series and music festivals. During the fall, winter and spring, chamber concerts are held inside the Planting Fields’ Tudor-style manor house.

Tilles Center for the Performing Arts is Long Island’s premier concert hall, hosting more than 100 performances by world-renowned artists each season. The concert hall seats 2,242 and features orchestral performances, fully-staged operas, ballets and modern dance, along with Broadway shows, and all forms of music, dance and theater from around the world. Chamber music, cabaret, solo recitals, and theater productions for children and adults are presented in the more intimate 490-seat Hillwood Recital Hall.

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B. New Suburbia Solution #4: Protect And Enhance the 90%: Single Family Neighborhoods, Waterfronts, Open Spaces and Historic and Scenic Resources Policy 11: Preserve The Single-Family Character Of Residential Neighborhoods As has been discussed throughout this Master Plan, the most important thing that Nassau can do to preserve the character of its single-family residential neighborhoods is to encourage the development of next generation and senior housing in Cool Downtowns, megaprojects, and appropriate locations along appropriate commercial corridors. There is a pent up demand for this type of housing within the County and directing it to appropriate locations is essential to the preservation of single-family neighborhoods. Further, new development, both residential and commercial, in identified growth areas within 10% of the County’s land area will reduce the property tax burden on all of the county’s homeowners. This is crucial to protecting the quality of life that residents have come to expect from Nassau.

Wantagh Bike Path

Policy 12: Preserve and Connect Open Space While Protecting Sensitive Environmental, Scenic and Historic Resources The County’s commitment to a “Healthy Nassau” connects the interrelated dynamics of the built and natural environment: land, air and water. The preservation and expansion of Nassau’s open space network will shape development patterns of all land uses and their resultant densities by limiting land availability and promoting mixed use, transit and pedestrian-oriented development. Walkable communities provide for a host of entertainment, transportation and retail options, facilitating healthier, less auto-dependent lifestyles.

Open Space and Recreation Opportunities may exist to better connect County assets including destinations such as Adelphi University, Hofstra University, Jones Beach, Long Beach and Eisenhower Park just to name a few. The goal is to establish alternative means of travel as a more desirable and efficient option, encouraging healthier lifestyles, enhancing recreation opportunities, building community spirit and reducing, though marginally, the volume of vehicles on local roads. As the County also explores transportation alternatives for connectivity to the HUB, transit to public spaces within the HUB should be explored. Connectivity between entertainment venues and residential and recreation assets should be a component of each development alternative.

The County’s network of public parks, whether Federal, State, County, or locally owned and operated are one of the region’s greatest assets. Parks are an essential part of our communities and are the single most important physical amenity that curb sprawl, keep residents active, recharge groundwater and purify air. As stated by the National Recreation and Parks Association, the benefits of parks are endless and include, at a minimum, the following: • Parks provide for many the opportunity to be physically active and to improve personal health.

• Parks enhance property values and can be economic engines.

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Parks are an essential part of our communities and are the single most important physical amenity that curb sprawl, keep residents active, recharge groundwater and purify air.

• Parks keep our living environment healthy and, in turn, keep people healthy.

• Parks provide habitat for wildlife, enjoyment for people and educational opportunities.

• Parks encourage social interaction and build strong communities.

• Leisure activities enjoyed within parks reduce stress and enhance our sense of wellness.

• Recreational programs held within parks provide an organized structure and facilitate good sportsmanship and teamwork.

• Parks are venues for programs that serve at-risk youth providing alternative activities that foster a sense of accomplishment and yield opportunities for success.

Eisenhower Park Aquatic Center

In addition to its public parks, Nassau’s many private golf courses are also important open space assets for communities across the County. While these resources are valued as open space, unlike public parks they generally not zoned as open space and are therefore vulnerable to development. As clubs face declining membership in light of the recent economic downturn, some may consider selling this land, which could have a significant impact on open space on both the North and South Shores. Local municipalities should review the zoning for these resources and determine whether or not steps should be taken to protect them from future development.

Neighborhood and Community Parks Parks are an essential amenity in achieving healthier lifestyles and sustaining social well-being among residents of all ages, ethnic background and income levels.

From the public’s perspective ownership of public park venues is almost irrelevant.

Access to parks and fulfilling public need, meeting demand and offering convenient choices for passive and active recreation is most critical. Recreation facilities are offered by the County, individual municipalities and the private sector and they are all critical in meeting demand and enhancing the quality of life for County residents. Neighborhood and community parks are essential ingredients to providing 170

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public recreation particularly in the most densely populated communities. School sites are often the most conveniently located facilities within walking distance for many residents and, in some instances, are the only recreation resource within close proximity to our most densely populated residential communities. For recreation purposes however, schools sites are available for public use on a very limited basis. School sites should be viewed as neighborhood and community recreation assets and opportunities to share maintenance of these facilities and allow for increased access by the public during non-school hours should be explored.

Underserved communities such as Roosevelt and Freeport, may benefit by enhancing connections to school sites, the waterfront, other open space parcels and linear trails and greenways.

Athletic Fields County inventory of recreation ball fields and the ability to provide quality field conditions is often compromised by great demand and over-use. Conversion of existing natural turf fields to synthetic fields will gain available field time without having to acquire additional property or developing currently forested areas.

Lighting these same facilities optimizes use of these durable field surfaces greatly expanding available field time. Environmental concerns should be addressed on a site by site basis and recent concerns regarding the benefits and disadvantages of synthetic turf systems should be studied prior to moving forward with any specific projects. Many studies have proven the significant benefits of infill synthetic turf systems.

Waterfronts Enhancing access to Nassau’s coastline is an important priority. Efforts to increase access such as North Hempstead’s plans to connect waterfront pathways and link facilities and the “blueways” program in Freeport should be encouraged in coastal communities throughout the County.

Protecting Nassau’s coastline from the effects of sea level rise is an equally important priority. The County’s Office of Emergency Management, established by the Suozzi administration in 2002, is working to protect these resources from potential negative impacts associated with climate change. The County should continue to expand its response to sea level rise as the science around this issue evolves in order to protect its coastlines.

Historic and Cultural Resources Nassau County is rich in entertainment, cultural and historic resources. One key to harnessing the economic development potential of these resources is to market and promote them both within the region and within the County as is currently being done through Nassau’s “Island Next Door” initiative. Another approach that should also be explored is the potential to link these resources to Cool Downtowns.

The County’s numerous theaters and museums, in particular, should be part of a strategy to attract all segments of Nassau’s population to downtown areas for arts and entertainment. The link between downtowns and “Island Next Door” attractions should also be strengthened to encourage tourists to take advantage of restaurants and retail shops in Nassau’s Cool Downtowns. Examples of potential linkages include: expanding public bus routes and service between downtown nodes and County tourism attractions, and forming County and Cool Downtown joint marketing campaign.

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Chapter 7 Action Plan

A. Four Problems This Master Plan seeks to address four central problems that Nassau County faces today:

1) High property taxes 2) Young people leaving 3) Traffic congestion 4) Pockets of poverty These problems threaten to undermine the quality of life for which Nassau is known and must be addressed in order for the county to achieve a sustainable future. First and foremost, high property taxes are eroding homeowners’ finances, increasing housing costs, decreasing disposable income and impacting the local economy. Between 1995 and 2005 property taxes in Nassau increased by 75.8%.

Today residents pay the fourth highest property taxes in the country and a percentage of income and the second highest in terms of overall property taxes paid.

Secondly, Nassau’s population is aging and many of its young people are not returning home after college. Unable to afford the high cost of housing or uninterested in living in a single-family neighborhood, young people are looking to places that offer a more dynamic lifestyle with more housing options. This is problematic because the creativity and energy of young people is needed to fuel innovation and economic development in the county. Further, a strong proportion of working age adults is crucial to support a growing older population as more and more baby boomers enter retirement.

Thirdly, traffic congestion is crippling the county. Nassau is one of the worst performers in the region in terms of virtually all congestion statistics. A trip that takes a half hour during off peak periods, could take as long as an hour and a half during rush hour. This has a negative impact on both residents’ quality of life and Nassau’s economy. The time people spend in their cars is time that could be better spent at work, at home, or at play. It also adds a measure of uncertainty to peoples’ daily schedules and requires them to factor in extra travel time to accommodate delays.

This represents an opportunity cost for Nassau in terms of residents’ quality of life, workers’ productivity and consumers’ purchasing power.

A final challenge that Nassau now faces is addressing pockets of poverty and segregation that have been ignored for generations. The history of housing discrimination on Long Island has resulted in largely racially segregated communities

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with significant disparities in income, levels of economic investment, and school performance. While Nassau is known for its affluence, in communities such as the Village of Hempstead, Freeport, Roosevelt, Inwood, and New Cassel over ten percent of the population lives below the poverty line. In these communities high taxes, high housing foreclosure rates, and poorly performing public schools undermine economic development potential. Supporting and encouraging both commercial activity and housing stability in these communities is essential in order to expand the tax base, reduce the property tax burden on local residents, and further stimulate local spending and investment.

B. The 90/10 Solution This Master Plan calls for a 90/10 Solution to address Nassau’s four central problems. The overarching strategy of the 90/10 Solution is to target development in growth areas, which account for approximately 10% of Nassau’s land area, and discourage growth in the balance of the county. Specifically identified growth areas include 18 existing and potential Cool Downtowns and four megaprojects as shown in Figure 7-1.

Figure 7-1. Growth Areas Map

Glen Cove

Glen Cove Waterfront

Port Washington Syosset

Great Neck Plaza

Hicksville

Westbury

105 Acres at Bethpage Nassau Hub Elmont Hempstead tead tte e Belmont Racetrack

West Hempstead d

Valley y Stream Baldwin Freeport

Long Beach L

Source: Russell Design

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In addition to these specific locations, the 10% also includes revitalization of select underperforming strip malls and business districts in emerging minority communities. The main objective of this targeted development approach is to encourage job growth in close proximity to public transit and increase tax revenues. At the same time, by targeting growth in 10% of the county, Nassau will be able to protect and enhance the suburban quality of life for which it is known in the balance of the county.

While the Master Plan for New Suburbia provides policies to guide future land use and economic development decision-making in the county, it is only the first step in achieving Nassau’s goals for its future. Following adoption of the Master Plan by the Nassau County Planning Commission, the County must implement the recommendations of the plan and put them into action.

Each chapter of the Master Plan concludes with a series of policy recommendations for implementation of the 90/10 Solution. Implementation of these policies will require the cooperation of multiple stakeholders from County leaders to local municipalities, community-based organizations, and private investors. A key implementation tool will be to change zoning in Cool Downtowns, megaprojects, and strip commercial areas to allow for new and infill development consistent with the policies of this Plan. While the Master Plan for New Suburbia is a countywide plan put forth by county government, Nassau County does not control zoning and therefore, cannot effectuate the plan on its own. It is therefore working to build a coalition of community leaders who will take up the call for action described in this plan and work to implement it.

The 90/10 Coalition To this end, the County is working with community leaders to assemble a “90/10 Coalition” of concerned municipalities, non-profit organizations, civic groups, residents, business owners and developers who are interested in working together to advance the policies of New Suburbia. Through this Coalition, the County will provide the technical assistance necessary to support implementation of the action items described in the action plan matrix at the end of this chapter. Services that the County will provide to coalition members include: For Local Governments: • Expertise from Nassau County Planning staff • Special attention for development projects For Business Groups: • Advice on Business Improvement District (BID) formation/expansion • Support projects consistent with the Master Plan • Organize with fellow merchants/professionals to facilitate better business choices and options • Become an economic development catalyst for your community • Introduce and share best practices at various meetings For Non-Profit Groups: • Provide guidance to County and/or other Coalition members on policies of New Suburbia • Information and advice on federal, state and local programs and grant opportunities

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• Serve as a clearinghouse for information on federal, state and local programs and grant opportunities • Provide advice and technical support on forming or expanding Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) • Expedited project review For Civic Groups: • Connections to experts in the field • Advice on civic and beautification projects • Policy development assistance • Learn about what other communities/groups are doing For Individuals: • Be part of a cohesive group that is working to shape Nassau’s future • Help expand Nassau’s tax base • Assure that Nassau County is a vibrant place to live, work and play

C. Impementing The Plan Regulatory Controls Regulatory controls are one of the primary tools for implementing many of the recommendations of this Master Plan. While Nassau County does not have the power to regulate land use through zoning, it does have jurisdiction over a variety of countywide infrastructure from county roadways to parks, and portions of the Nassau’s waterfront, drainage systems, and water and sewer lines. Nassau also has the power to review and approve subdivision applications in unincorporated areas throughout the county and within 300 feet of all municipal boundaries.

Funding/Incentive Programs Public economic development incentives are needed to defray the costs of capital investments and reduce the general cost of doing business in Nassau in order to attract and retain companies and jobs. Targeted programs focused on specific capital investments can provide funds for land acquisition, construction, or the purchase of business equipment. Broader reaching programs that can stimulate economic investment include: • • • • • •

Offering tax abatements, which can reduce or waive property taxes Expediting or simplifying regulatory requirements Offering accelerated depreciation and employee tax credits Providing workforce training Offering low interest or tax exempt loans Providing necessary infrastructure to support development

In Nassau County the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is the primary source of assistance to companies seeking to relocate or expand and offers low-cost financing and tax incentives, using non-taxpayer dollars. It is empowered to: • Acquire property • Issue revenue bonds for the purchase or construction of industrial or commercial properties, which are then leased or sold to private users 176

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• Grant real property tax abatements and sales tax and mortgage recording tax exemptions • Offer new tax-exempt bond financing to nonprofit institutions, including higher education • Refinance existing bonds for industrial and commercial uses that re no longer eligible for tax exempt financing In addition to the economic development incentives of the IDA, there are additional benefits that are offered to firms located in New York State Empire Zones.

The Nassau County Empire Zone was designated in March 2006 to encourage economic growth, job creation and business investment in the communities of Bethpage, Elmont, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Inwood, New Cassel, Roosevelt, Uniondale, and West Hempstead. Businesses in these areas can become a certified Empire Zone enterprise and are then eligible for tax incentives through the Empire State Development Corporation’s Empire Zones program. Benefits offered to companies located in the Empire Zone include: • • • •

5-year wage tax credit of $1,500-$3,000 per eligible employee 10% investment tax credit 25% zone capital credit on personal or corporate income tax A refund of 4.375% of the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials

Enhanced zone benefits are also available to certified businesses that meet eligibility requirements based on employment history and operations. They include: • Extension of the sales tax refund to purchase of most goods and services used directly and predominantly in the zone, including utility service • A real property tax credit for 10 years • An income tax reduction credit that can reduce a company’s tax to zero for 10 years The County also administers a variety of funding streams/incentive programs including its Visioning program, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), the Grown Nassau Fund, and the Brownfield Redevelopment Fund. These funding streams provide an important opportunity for the County to support implementation of projects that achieve the goals of its Master Plan.

• Visioning Program Visioning is a Nassau County Planning Department grant program that provides funds for local communities to engage in a participatory planning process to develop a vision plan for the future. Funding for the Visioning program comes from a $1 million grant set up by the County Executive in 2007. The program requires a 40% contribution from the local municipality.

• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) The CDBG program provides funds for a range of activities related to housing, economic development, commercial revitalization, public services, infrastructure and public facilities. Approximately 90% of CDBG funds go to programs that benefit extremely low, low, and moderate income communities. Nassau County’s CDBG funded initiatives include creation of high tech/high skilled jobs as well as jobs in sports, entertainment and tourism. They also provide funds for redevelopment areas including downtowns, brownfields, emerging minority Master Plan for New Suburbia

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communities and the Nassau Hub. Finally funds are used for infrastructure improvements including public transportation, development of workforce and senior housing, and preservation and creation of open space.

• Grow Nassau Fund The Grow Nassau Fund is an economic development partnership between Nassau County, Nassau County IDA and the National Development Council’s Grow America Fund. The County does not fund this program, but it administers the program in Nassau. Through this fund eligible small businesses in Nassau County can apply for loans at competitive rates for a term of up to 25 years. The goal of the program is to finance healthy, successful small businesses that need expansion capital to reach their full growth potential.

• NY Metro Brownfield Redevelopment Fund The Brownfield Redevelopment Fund is a public-private partnership created to advance the cleanup and productive reuse of contaminated properties.

Through this program, which is a revolving fund, Nassau County uses funds received from USEPA along with matching County dollars to guarantee loans issued by the private sector to cleanup brownfields.

Technical Assistance In addition to these direct roles, County government also serves an important function as an arbiter between the many agencies that have the power to make decisions that impact Nassau’s land, transportation systems, economy and its residents. For example, the Village of Westbury is currently considering a plan for a second level of parking for its downtown municipal parking lot. At the same time a developer is proposing to redevelop and restore a vacant theater in the downtown.

The County’s Office of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs is currently working with both the village and the developer to jointly prepare a solution to address parking needs in downtown Westbury.

Bringing multiple constituencies to the table is essential to developing the creative solutions necessary to implement the policies of this Master Plan. Nassau County has close working relationships with a variety of entities from local towns and villages to regional agencies such as the Long Island Rail Road and LIPA, as well as hospitals and colleges/universities. The County will need to bring these and other stakeholders to the table to implement the changes necessary to implement the policies of New Suburbia.

In addition, Nassau County can also be a resource for local communities who want to utilize County and State programs to achieve the goals of New Suburbia.

Programs provided through Nassau’s Coordinated Agency for Spanish Americans (CASA) can help emerging minority communities gain access to economic development resources and housing assistance.

At the State level, utilization of legal mechanisms that allow for the creation of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can be an important tool for furthering the County’s goal of Cool Downtowns. State law allows municipalities to create BIDs through which local property owners and business owners within a designated area can finance supplemental services and improvements beyond those provided by local government. Nassau can provide local communities with the technical 178

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assistance necessary to establish a BID through which merchants and property owners can, in effect, tax themselves and use the monies to fund façade and streetscape improvements, including awnings, lighting, landscaping and street furniture. These funds can also be used to sponsor special events such as street fairs and special promotions such as a “restaurant week.” State law also enables local municipalities to utilize urban renewal powers to acquire property in order to facilitate redevelopment of blighted areas. Such sites can then be sold to private entities for redevelopment in accordance with an approved plan. In implementing the policies of this Master Plan, this tool could potentially be applied to facilitate redevelopment within megaprojects, underperforming strip malls, and in blighted areas within emerging minority communities.

One of the most important ways that the County can work to implement the recommendations of the plan, however, is to provide assistance to municipalities who want to implement new zoning regulations consistent with the policies of this Master Plan. Section D below discusses mixed use zoning and provides model zoning standards that can be utilized by local municipalities to implement Cool Downtowns and megaprojects.

D. Zoning For Cool Downtowns And Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) In The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (1980), William Whyte advised towns wanting to revive their downtowns to “compress, concentrate, and intensify their unique strengths.”Over the years, planners have returned to this early advice with ever more specific prescriptions. The most practical solutions now come from the Smart Growth and New Urbanism planning philosophies. When focused on downtowns or town centers, the objective of these philosophies is to create a variety of compatible land uses, compact design, walkable neighborhoods, housing choice, and transportation options. The key for Nassau’s Cool Downtowns and TODs will be achieving a mix of uses at densities that are higher than surrounding singlefamily neighborhoods, but that are still within a comfortable suburban scale.

A typical Nassau County downtown already has a mix of uses with shops on first floor and offices and/or apartments on upper floors. The majority of older buildings are built to the sidewalk, are attached to adjoining buildings with aligned front facades, and have shallow (if any) setbacks. Typical building height is two to four stories. Some downtown areas also have stand-alone apartment buildings. Residential densities range from 15 to 40 dwelling units per acre. The street network is a system of boulevards or wide arterials, main commercial streets, and residential local streets with homes on small lots. The streets are generally connected with full four-way intersections and have wide sidewalks in at least part of the downtown. There is municipal surface parking in center of blocks (rather than structured parking). There may be small parks off the main street.

1. Zoning Principles The following principles should be applied as local municipalities work to revise their existing zoning codes to promote development of Cool Downtowns and TODs:

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Mix of Uses A mix of land uses in a commercial center has multiple benefits. It provides 1) greater accessibility for pedestrians, with less reliance on cars for short trips; 2) lessened traffic congestion: working, shopping, socializing can all happen in walking proximity, 3) increased opportunities to combine trips, which results in reduced vehicle miles traveled by residents; 4) flexibility in parking because parkers share spaces; and 5) less pavement and thus less stormwater runoff, lower development costs, and increased aesthetics for the area. With a mix of uses transit-oriented and transit-supportive development becomes possible, yielding a symbiotic relationship between a transit stop and nearby land uses. This allows residents to carry out daily activities within their downtown center without always needing to drive to strip malls.

Density Downtown zones need density to arrive at the critical mass of people and activities that make a downtown self-sustaining. Downtowns should have higher density than their outlying residential areas. Higher density increases land use efficiency and housing variety and decreases energy consumption and transportation costs.

When a municipality chooses to boost its central density, it can then capitalize on existing infrastructure. This reduces the cost of providing additional services to new businesses and residents. Higher density downtowns can create walkable commercial and employment centers, and can be effectively served by local and regional transit.

Sizing the Downtown Smart growth advocates generally describe “walkable communities” in terms of a ¼ mile radius or five-minute walk in each direction from the center. The basic size of an average suburban downtown is approximately ½ mile, which one can walk across in about 10 minutes. A larger mixed use area such as the Hub may be comprised of a series of such walkable neighborhoods. In an existing center/ downtown the walk should encompass the greatest density of mixed uses: stores, restaurants, civic uses, public transit stop, and other amenities. The five-minute walk concept should also be used to locate “park & walk” lots to ensure that they are centrally located and visitors can park once and walk to all downtown destinations. In some cases it may be appropriate to shift density towards a preferred park & walk lot location.

2. Coding For Cool Downtowns And Tods The following guidelines are provided as a model for establishing zoning for Nassau’s Cool Downtowns/TODs. Establish a downtown or downtown overlay district 1) Downtown District • Clearly identify the geographic area of the downtown district - Be sure that it is distinguished from surrounding residential or industrial areas.

• Basic elements for a new downtown district should include: - Less reliance on detailed lists of allowed uses - Greater emphasis on the overall quality of the built environment and accommodation of pedestrians - Design standards that are directly incorporated into the text, possibly including illustrations 180

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2) Overlay District If establishment of a downtown district is not feasible, a downtown overlay district may be a more practical alternative for allowing mixed use development in Cool Downtowns. The overlay district would be an incentive zone that leaves existing zoning in place, but provides a way for property owners and developers to maximize opportunities for mixed use development within the context of the existing character of Nassau’s downtowns. The overlay district with incentives such as greater density and land use mix and requirements for parking and streetscapes would be activated when a certain land area threshold is reached. The threshold would be larger than the minimum lot size required under existing zoning This approach encourages participation in land assemblage, while reducing the incentive for property owners to “sit on” underutilized parcels.

Key components of a downtown overlay district: • Incentive bonuses for density, coverage, floor area ratio, parking, setbacks, building height, etc. in exchange for the provision of community amenities • Community amenities should be determined by each downtown based on their individual needs and may include open space, parks, and other public improvements Allow a variety of uses 1) Create mixed-use districts • The mix of uses should happen at the building, street, block and neighborhood levels.

• Increase and regulate density - Regulate density through limits on lot coverage, height and other dimensional requirements. If basic parameters are met, then actual use mix and housing unit type can vary according to the market.

• Avoid lengthy lists of allowed uses in favor of broadly defined uses. Place emphasis on urban design standards, parking, and pedestrian accommodation.

• Incentives can be given to foster mixed-use projects, historic preservation, creation of public spaces, or affordable housing. Incentives typically are density or height bonuses.

2) Mix of uses: • Allow retail, office, business and professional services, housing, and in some cases light industrial, along with cultural uses and civic uses such as schools, municipal buildings, libraries, houses of worship, parks, and public transit.

- Prohibit heavily auto-dependent uses: distribution centers, rental car facilities, gas stations and auto mechanics, drive-through windows for businesses • Uses may be mixed within a structure or on a lot if multiple structures are allowed.

• Street level uses should be non-residential, most preferably retail.

• Upper level uses should be office, studio, services and/or residential.

• Most uses should be by-right/as-of-right.

• Consider requiring a set percentage of new housing units to be within 5 – 10 minute walk to neighborhood retail, schools, parks, and transit stop. For infill projects, the proximity requirement can be satisfied by creating a destination use within the project or by relying on one already within walking distance.

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Allow mixed residential density and housing types 1) Mix housing types • Allow only multi-family residential in the downtown (not single or twofamily houses) • Use inclusionary zoning to foster affordable housing construction - Inclusionary zoning requirements stipulate that developers must build a certain number of affordable units for every new market rate unit that they build Stimulate infill and rehabilitation activity 1) Adjust current zoning by making most uses as-of-right and reducing parking requirements.

2) Review minimum lot size and setback requirements and adjust to reflect the smallest practical lot size and shallowest setback in the downtown.

3) Accelerate the development review process for the following types of projects if they are in conformance with downtown zoning standards: • Infill projects below a certain size threshold • Adaptive reuse of historic properties • Redevelopment of vacant or underutilized land or buildings 4) Reduce or eliminate off-street parking requirements for small-lot infill projects.

• Parking demand should be fulfilled fully or partially by shared parking, municipal parking satellite lot parking, or on-street parking.

Create compact, walkable centers served by public transit 1) Increase density to support public transit • Locate the downtown’s greatest density near the transit stop.

• Require minimum residential densities along existing or planned transit routes.

- Prohibit auto-related uses and surface parking near transit stops; create pedestrian-friendly routes from the stop.

• Require building entrances to be near the transit stop.

2) Accelerate development review in areas near transit stops.

3) Set maximum block lengths, reflecting the best of the town’s established pattern.

• Generally 300 to 500 feet long.

• Allow mid-block passages for pedestrians to access inner-block parking lots.

4) Require street connections • Model ratios for spacing between streets and intersections are shown on Table 7-1.

• Rely on the grid. Plan for a full connection of existing and new streets: - Short blocks and dense mixed use development near transit stops to provide people with a range of transportation options and reduced need for auto trips.

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- A variety of street types will provide distinct identities to the downtown’s different areas and provide a variety of block and lot sizes for different types of new development.

- Infill development and redevelopment of existing structures should be based on the downtown’s existing street grid, or should break up superblocks to create new connections.

- Where topographical or other constraints preclude full connectivity for vehicles, provide for pedestrian access with walkways or stairways.

5) Revise street and sidewalk standards.

• Parallel on-street parking should be provided to reduce vehicle speed and enhance pedestrian’s sense of safety.

• Sidewalks should be wide enough to accommodate pedestrian amenities: - Shade trees, benches, awnings, lights - Sidewalk dining 6) If the downtown’s primary street is an arterial and thus not suitable for a main street, then new retail and pedestrian activity will have to be refocused on a quieter secondary street Table 7-1. Model Requirements for Intersection Spacing (Case Studies)

Block Length (by city) Metro, Oregon Portland, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Fort Collins, Colorado Boulder, Colorado Huntersville, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina

Max Intersection Spacing For Local Street (feet) For Arterials (feet) 530 530 530 530 600 None See Note 1 660-1,320 (see Note 2) See Note 3 None 250-500 No data 1,500 (see Note 4) No data

Source: PAS Report 515: Planning for Street Connectivity, “Summary of Requirements for Intersection Spacing,” American Planning Association, May 2003, pg. 45.

Notes: (1) Maximum block size is 7 to 12 acres, depending on zoning district (2) Limited movement intersections required every 660 feet; full movement intersections required every 1,320 feet (3) Not specified by code, but staff ties to achieve 300 to 350 foot spacing (4) Within a Mixed-Use Center, no street block face shall exceed 660 feet in length

Accommodate pedestrians 1) Sidewalks should create a good pedestrian experience • Sidewalks should be wide enough to accommodate pedestrian amenities such as landscaping, trash receptacles, benches, etc.

• Street trees should be planted for shade and visual appeal • Curb-side parking should be required to create sense of safe separation from traffic • Small parks or gathering places off sidewalks should be created for safe gathering places away from traffic 2) Create a park and walk system

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3) Allows sidewalk dining permits 4) Create safe and plentiful mid-block passages from rear parking lots to sidewalks 5) Create safe places to cross busy streets 6) Main building entrances should open onto the sidewalk, not side or rear of building 7) Prohibit construction of parking lots between buildings and streets 8) Minimize curb cuts onto major pedestrian streets • Pave driveways so that the sidewalk appears to cross the driveway, rather than the driveway cutting across the sidewalk Improve parking regulations 1) Minimize downtown land used for parking • Roughly no more than 10% of the downtown area should be used for parking.

2) Minimum off-street parking standards should incorporate flexibility; review boards should be allowed to grant waivers.

3) Use maximum off-street parking limits, keyed to square footage and use.

4) Allow shared parking 5) Consider fully eliminating parking requirements for some uses (such as storefront restaurants).

6) Encourage or require transportation demand management (TDM) 7) Encourage the use of off-site (satellite) parking lots 8) The local municipality should provide: • On-street parking on downtown streets • Public transit • Bicycle accommodation • Parking garages • Satellite parking outside town center 9) Parking should never be allowed in the front of the building.

• Some side yard parking may be allowed, but the preference is for parking to be behind, under, or above the building.

• Curb cuts should be strictly limited and placed away from major sidewalks.

Create design standards 1) Design standards should focus on block and lot arrangements • Architectural style is less important than urban design • Dimensional regulations should be aimed at shaping the spaces between buildings, rather than separating buildings from one another (which is the objective of conventional zoning) 184

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2) Encourage dense, compact development: • Eliminate minimum lot sizes • Allow multistory buildings • Regulate maximum story count, not height - Require minimum heights or minimum floor area ratios in the densest areas of the downtown • Eliminate or reduce setbacks, especially for front and side yards - Establish maximum front and side yards.

• Require appropriate bulk or mass of new buildings: - Highest density areas should have highest FAR or square footage rules - Low density structures should be located in areas where less compact development is desired 3) Require buildings to create a street wall, i.e., build to the sidewalk 4) Building street fronts should have doors and windows with lots of clear unobstructed glass; no blank walls. Multiple windows and entries should be encouraged.

5) When a development produces clusters of stores, each has to be oriented towards the sidewalk, not inward around an enclosed courtyard.

Foster contextual design 1) Adopt illustrated design standards • Rely on existing building type and basic architectural elements, rather than requiring specific historic architectural styles.

2) Review setback and height requirements • Requirements should result in new buildings having the same ratios as the best of the local context for height to distance between building facades, for building surface to windows and doors, etc.

Megaprojects These principles can also be applied to megaprojects, as appropriate. However, development of megaprojects will be consistent with the goals and objectives of each particular project as outlined in the proposal for the site. In general, megaprojects call for a mix of uses and/or higher density development and the standards provided above can be adopted to meet the specific needs of the site. This is also true for parking regulations and design standards.

A. Implementation Matrix Table 7-2 provides a summary of action items that should be undertaken in order to implement the policies of this Master Plan. Actions are categorized as either short-, medium- or long-term and entities responsible for their implementation are identified. Short-term recommendations should be carried out within 12-18 months of adoption of the Master Plan and medium-term recommendations should be carried out within five years of adoption. Long-term recommendations have an implementation horizon beyond five years and will require advanced planning.

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Figure 7-2. Action Plan Matrix

Solution 1: Target Development in Growth Areas- The 90/10 Solution

Note: Actions highlighted in yellow are “quick win”action items that the County can implement in the short term

Short Term (3-5 years)

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity

Policy 1: Create Cool Downtowns Sponsor community visioning

X

County, Municipalities

Establish a “Cool Downtown Consortium” of local municipal officials and County agency officials/staff. The Consortium should meet annually to discuss adding communities to the lis tof Cool Downtowns and revising/adopting an annual Cool Downtown Map and master list of downtown revitalization implementation efforts

X

County

Amend zoning to create downtown districts and/or downtown overlay zones

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Amend zoning to provide incentives for higher density residential and commercial development

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Provide incentives for mixed-income residential development near job centers and transit

X

County, Municipalities

Recruit developers through marketing and RFP processes

X

County, Municipalities

Provide technical assistance to developers in obtaining project financing

X

County

Policy 2: Build Megaprojects Utilize brownfield tax credits to remediate brownfield sites and move megaprojects forward

X

Public/Private Partnerships

Provide technical assistance to developers to help them access IDA and Empire Zone economic development incentives

X

County

Provide technical assistance to developers to help them move efficiently through the SEQR process

X

County

Sponsor community visioning

X

County, Municipalities

Prepare a detailed beautification plan and establish standards for enhanced landscape treatment along commercial corridors

X

County

Coordinate with NYS DOT to develop a beautification strategy for state-controlled right of ways

X

County

Policy 3: Re-imagine commercial corridors

Amend zoning to require and/or create incentives for developers to provide and maintain enhanced landscape treatments along commercial corridors, consisent with the proposed beautication plan Identify locations for next generation, senior housing and mixeduse development- establish selection criteria and create a property inventory

X

Amend zoning to encourage revitalization of appropriate sites with mixed use development Provide technical assistance to developers to help them move efficiently through the SEQR process

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

X

County, Municipalities

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

X

County, Municipalities

Sponsor community visioning

X

County, Municipalities

Provide incentives for infill development

X

X

County, IDA, Empire Zone, Municipalites

Provide incentives for facades and streetscape improvements

X

X

County, IDA, Empire Zone, Municipalites,

Policy 4: Encourage investment in emerging minority communities

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Solution 1: Target Development in Growth Areas- The 90/10 Solution (Continued)

Short Term (3-5 years)

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Enhance mass transit service to, from and within emerging minority communities

X

X

MTALIB, LIRR, County, Municipalities

Continue neighborhood stabilization programs and reduce foreclosures

X

X

County, Municipalities

Work with struggling school districts to continue to develop programs that improve school performance

X

X

School Districts, County/ Roosevelt Initiative

Identify parcels that can be designated for open space

X

Work with municipalities to encourage development of identified parcels as community open space

X

X

Short Term (3-5 years)

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Solution 2: Support and Promote Industries

Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity

County, Municipalities County

Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity

Policy 5: Encourage growth and partnerships in high-tech/high skilled industry, education and healthcare Establish a Nassau County venture capital fund devoted to seeding new high technology companies

X

County, IDA

Establish a biotechnology innovation center in Nassau Countypartner with the Long Island Forum for Technology and foster participation by major hospitals, medical colleges, research laboratories and private pharmaceutical firms

X

County, Long Island Forum for Technology, hospitals and universities

Strategically utilize Industrial Development Agency and Empire Zone benefits to attract, retain, and expand the four clusters of ecomomic development

X

Encourage partnerships among high tech/high skilled industry, education and health care sectors and local municipal governments

X

Provide technical assistance to technology, education and healthcare companies/institutions to encourage expansion of existing operations and creation of new facilities

X

X

Private investors, including health care institutions, universities, green energy companies, etc. with technical assistance from the County County, Municipalities, health care institutions, universities, private investors

X

County

Policy 6: Diversifty the housing stock by encouraging next generation and senior housing Sponsor community visioning

X

County, Municipalities

Conduct a study of Nassau’s commercial corridors to determine appropriate locations for next generation and senior housing

X

County

Enact inclusionary zoning ordinances to encourage the development of affordable housing

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Amend zoning to allow increased residential density in Cool Downtowns, megaprojects, and commercial cooridors in appropriate locations

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Amend zoning to provide incentives for the development of next generation and senior housing

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Adopt an affordable housing/next generation/workforce housing goal for Nassau County

X

County

Policy 7: Capitalize on sports, entertainment and tourism Strategically utilize Industrial Development Agency and Empire Zone benefits to retain and attract businesses in the sports, entertainment and tourism industries

X

Market sports, entertainment and tourism attractions

X

Create wayfinding and transit linkages between entertainment venues and Cool Downtowns

X

X

Private investors with technical assistance from the County County, Venue Operators, LIRR (one-day getaways)

X

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County, Municipalities, MTALIB, LIRR

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Solution 3: Invest in Infrastructure Improvements

Short Term (3-5 years)

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Long Term (10+ years)

X

X

Responsible Entity

Policy 8: Improve transportation infrastructure and encourage alternatives to auto-dependency Create a multimodal transportation center in the Hub with regional LIRR access

County, Municipalities, LIRR, NYSDOT, NYMTC

Prioritize the modernization of infrastructure linked to new downtown development and seek public/private partnerships to expedite improvements

X

X

County, Municipalities, NYSDOT

Implement express bus or bus rapid transit systems to better link existing or planned nodes of mixed use development, particularly for north-south travel in the County

X

X

County, MTALIB, NYSDOT

Increase LIRR service to enhance the use of transit for intra-county travel, especially at future planned Transit Oriented Development locations

X

X

Amend zoning to encourage Transit Oriented Development

X

X

Establish a pilot neighborhood/Cool Downtown/LIRR station feeder bus route

X

County, MTALIB

Establish Traffic Incident Management Program (Quick Clearance; computer-aided dispatch for towing and recovery, service patrols)

X

County, NYSDOT

Lobby for State legislation to allow quick clearance of traffic incidents.

X

County

Adopt time is of the essence clauses in County roadway construction contracts in congested areas.

X

County, NYSDOT, Municipalities

Require longer life materials when available, to minimize frequency of repairs to existing roadways

X

County, NYSDOT, Municipalities

Require traffic plans for congested areas to minimize loss of capacity during construction

X

County, NYSDOT, Muncipalities

Limit lane closures on arterials and expressways/parkways to off peak or night-time hours, especially in congested locations

X

County, NYSDOT

Continue with Enhanced County Traffic Signal Progression projects

X

County

Integrate Long Island Bus into a regional MTA-run bus system

X

X

County, LIRR

Municipalities with technical assistance from County

County, MTALIB

Create a rapid bus or “scoot” train servie on the Oyster Bay/Glen Cove peninsula

X

Convert HOV lanes to “smart lanes” dedicated to fuel efficient, non polluting vehicles and plan for use of “intelligent cruise control” or other green technology as it is developed

X

County, MTALIB, LIRR X

County, NYSDOT, Public/ Private Partnerships

Study reversible lanes on congested arterials (such as Old Country Road, Sunrise Highway, Hillside Avenue, Jericho Turnpike, Northern Boulevard)

X

X

County, NYSDOT

Work with NYSDOT and municipalities to integrate bikeways into the county’s transportation system as a viable alternative to the automobile

X

X

County, NYSDOT, Municipalities

Install bicycle stands and lockers outside County Buildings, municipal buildings, and railroad stations

X

X

County, LIRR, Municipalities

Create a central Long Island rail freight distribution center to reduce truck traffic on east-west arterials and the LIE

X

New York State

Continue employee incentives such as TransitChek to increase mass transit use and consider flex work hours to reduce traffic congestion

X

County

188

Master Plan for New Suburbia

Solution 3: Invest in Infrastructure Improvements (Continued)

Short Term (3-5 years)

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity

Policy 9: Reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources Use stimulus funds to subsidize residential and commercial building retrofits that significantly enhance energy conservation.

X

County

Promote LIPA programs for off peak power generation and “smart home” energy controls.

X

County

Promote LIPA programs for buy back/bill reduction of grid power from alternative generation sources: wind, solar, geothermal, cogeneration, etc.

X

County

Support initiatives that generate energy from local renewable sources. Support LIPA/Con Edison initiatives to develop off-shore wind farms mindful of environmental impacts at pre-construction and during construction and post-construction.

X

Promote State and Federal tax incentives for county, municipal and individual purchase of hybrid/electric vehicles and CNG/ hybrid buses.

X

County, Municipalities

Enact laws to prohibit idling of buses and other vehicles.

X

Municipalities

Provide incentives to encourage energy conservation, local clean power generation, enhanced distribution and generation technology, and innovative industries.

X

Provide incentives to encourage integration of innovative, energy efficient waste treatment technology into development projects.

X

County, Municipalities

Encourage expanded use and development of solar power (both photovoltaic and solar-thermal)

X

County, Municipalities

Amend subdivision and site plan regulations to encourage orientation of structures to take advantage of solar gain and maintain solar access for adjacent sites

X

Municipalities with technical assistance from County

Construct and renovate public facilities to serve as models for green building practices and include (where possible) renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic electricity or solar hot water panels

X

X

Adopt an energy conservation ordinance that provides incentives for updating buildings toward current energy code requirements

X

X

Educate residents and property owners on how they can improve energy efficiency, save money over time, and take meaningful steps to reduce carbon emissions

X

County, Municipalities

Eliminate regulatory barriers to the use of renewable energy systems. Examine existing zoning laws and development standards and revise or eliminate provisions that act as a barrier to the use of renewable energy systems.

X

Municipalities with technical assistance from County

Amend local regulations to establish uniform installation requirements for passive solar design, green roofs, active solar and other renewable energy sources.

X

Municipalities with technical assistance from County

Initiate “Greening Nassau County,” a new interdepartmental and municipal strategy to plant 40,000 new trees by 2030. (Identify desired species and sources of material and incentives for private landowners.)

X

Promote alternative modes of travel such as biking, walking, public transit and ride-sharing to reduce emissions.

X

County

Develop a comprehensive approach to disaster planning that integrates the variety of climate change scenarios and includes pre-disaster planning, post disaster redevelopment planning and adaptation to climate change.

X

County

Coordinate municipal and County evacuation strategies (identified evacuation routes, public communication, staging areas, etc.).

X

County, Municipalities

X

County

X

X

Master Plan for New Suburbia

County, IDA, Municipalities

X

County, Municipalities

Municipalities with technical assistance from County

X

County, Municipalities

189

Solution 3: Invest in Infrastructure Improvements (Continued)

Short Term (3-5 years)

Identify areas prone to greater risk from climate change and restrict development in those areas.

X

Conduct a more detailed hazard risk assessment using GIS and track hazard mitigation in vulnerable areas and emergency services planning.

X

Medium Term (5-10 years)

Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity County, Municipalities

X

County

Policy 10: Address inequities across school systems Consolidate/streamline back office functions - ordering and transportation - to provide economies of scale

X

Expand commercial activity in communities with struggling school districts to expand the tax base

X

Solution 4: Protect the 90%- Single family neighborhoods, waterfronts, open spaces and historic and scenic resources

Short Term (3-5 years)

County, State BOCES, School Districts X

Medium Term (5-10 years)

County, Municipalities, IDA, Empire Zone, Private investors Long Term (10+ years)

Responsible Entity

Policy 11: Preserve single family character of residential neighborhoods & promote a Healthy Nassau Promote rehabilitation of residential properties

X

County, Municipalities

Address foreclosures with Neighborhood Stabilization Program

X

County

Sustain in perpetuity the County’s open space acquisition program through additional funding. Establish a dedicated source of County open space acquisition funding.

X

County

Require that new development adjacent to natural resources, open spaces, cultural and historic resources and active agricultural lands maintain sufficient buffers from these resources

X

Municipalities

Review existing codes and identify regulatory barriers to the distribution, consumption and purchase of locally produced food.

Amend codes to remove identified barriers.

X

Municipalities with technical support from County

Identify natural areas that serve as ‘carbon sinks’ and preserve and protect those areas.

X

County, Municipalities

Provide better public access to Nassau County’s shoreline and support the “Blue Trail” along the North Shore.

X

County, Municipalities

Sustain funding for capital improvements as previously accomplished with Environmental Bond Act funds.

X

Policy 12: Preserve and connect open space while protecting sensitive environmental, scenic and historic resources

Convert natural turf fields to high performance and environmentally sound synthetic turf fields to expand available hours of play for County residents. Consider lighting these same facilities where feasible.

X X

X

County County

Work with schools to allow public access to playing fields and playgrounds after school hours.

X

Enhance transit, trail and greenway linkages between County and municipal parks and major bus and rail hubs.

X

Prepare a comprehensive Greenway and Blue Way map illustrating existing links and interconnectivity as well as future opportunities and key gaps.

X

County

Create recreation timeshare programs that allow public access to private facilities (fee based) to offset the need for development of new public facilities

X

Public/Private Partnerships

190

Master Plan for New Suburbia

County X

County, Municipalities, MTALIB, LIRR

Acknowledgments Thomas R. Suozzi, County Executive Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive Nassau County Planning Commission Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Chair Michael Bellissimo, First Vice-Chair Neal Lewis, Second Vice-Chair Philip Como Clara Gillens-Eromosele Marty Glennon Mary A. McCaffrey Leonard Shapiro Eric Sussman Nassau County Planning Department Patricia Bourne, AICP, Executive Commissioner Robert Brickman, Deputy Commissioner Robert Piazza, Deputy Commissioner Cynthia Rogers, Deputy Commissioner Lawrence Berger Martin Katz Aryeh Lemberger Graham Long Rona Moyer, AICP Sean Sallie, AICP Wesley Sternberg Master Plan Advisory Committee Marilyn Gottlieb, Chief Deputy County Executive Arda Nazerian, Senior Policy Advisor Ian Siegel, Deputy County Executive, Parks and Public Works Frank X. Ryan, Deputy County Executive, Public Safety Mary Curtis, Deputy County Executive, Health & Human Services Tom Stokes, Deputy County Executive, Finance Tom Maher, Director, Office of Environmental Coordination Brad Tito, Deputy Director of Environmental Coordination Jose Lopez, Commissioner, Parks Department Stacey Epifane, Project Director for the County Executive

Raymond Ribeiro, Commissioner, Department of Public Works Raymond Stefanowicz, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Works Ken Arnold, Chief Sanitary Engineer, Department of Public Works Maria Carney, Commissioner, Department of Health Susan King, Director, Division of Environmental Health Angela Pettinelli, Department of Health Dermot Kelly, Director, Real Estate Carl Schroeter, Chief Negotiator, Real Estate Ted Jankowski, County Assessor May Newburger, Director, Planning Federation Rosemary Olsen, Director, Office of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs Connie Lassandro, Director, Office of Housing and Homeless Services Nassau County Legislature Diane Yatauro, Presiding Officer Kevan Abrahams, Deputy Presiding Officer Jeffrey Toback, Alternate Deputy Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt, Minority Leader Francis X. Becker, Jr. Judi Bosworth John J. Ciotti Roger Corbin David Denenberg Dennis Dunne, Sr. Denise Ford Norma L. Gonsalves Judy Jacobs Edward P. Mangano David Mejias Vincent T. Muscarella Richard J. Nicolello Joseph Scannell Wayne H. Wink, Jr. Master Plan for New Suburbia

BFJ Planning 115 Fifth Avenue New York, Ny 10003 Frank Fish, FAICP, Principal John West, Senior Associate Melissa Kaplan-Macey, AICP, Senior Associate Todd Okolichany, Senior Planner Michael Keane, Planner Winnie Liu, Graphics Urbanomics 115 Fifth Avenue New York, Ny 10003 Regina Armstrong, Principal Tina Lund, Senior Associate Richard Amanna Stantec 50 West 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 Gary Sorge, Senior Principal, ASLA, AICP Gerry Wall, Environmental Manager Brian O’Donnell, Senior Associate, PE Russell Design 115 Fifth Avenue New York, Ny 10003 Robert Barber, Senior Associate

A special thanks to all those who attended meetings and provided input to make this Draft Master Plan possible. We hope that the information and recommendations found in this report prove useful in planning for the future of our county.

December, 2009

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