Eric Alexander: Honor smart growth achievement on Long Island

Sometimes we need to not simply focus on what is wrong with our region but what is working and recognize the achievements of folks who are leading the way. For ten years, Vision Long Island has been honoring the people, projects, and policies that best represent Smart Growth leadership on Long Island. The Smart Growth Awards recognize visionaries on the cutting edge of land-use, infrastructure and community planning. This year's event will highlight efforts that address mixed use development, transportation, housing choices, energy, preservation, sustainable development, green design and more. The honorees were chosen from 45 nominations this year. This year's honorees include: NYS senator Carl Marcellino and NYS assemblyman Sam Hoyt for the passage of the NYS Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, town of Babylon supervisor Steve Bellone for Wyandanch Rising, a project that has assembled funding for new sewers, a revitalized post office and land for redevelopment, village of Patchogue mayor Paul Pontieri for planning and approving a range of housing types, Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment for her leadership in sewer and energy infrastructure, John Durso and Roger Clayman of LI Federation of Labor for their transportation advocacy particularly around LI Bus service in Nassau, Kelly Douglas of West Islip High School and Jim Rhodes of Dowling College for engaging fellow high school and college students in planning the future of Long Island Projects that we are honoring this year include: Caithness Long Island Energy Center for a clean energy facility as well as a public benefit package that engaged the surrounding community, Bishop Harrison Hale for his redevelopment of a community center and a café that services young people, teens, families and seniors, Atlantis Marine World's Hyatt Place hotel in Riverhead that is an anchor for the downtown revitalization, Jobco Realty & Construction for the Glen Cove Piazza which includes housing, retail and public space is the centerpiece of a redeveloped main street, Lowe Properties for the Westbury Theater Project, which will draw visitors to their downtown and the town of Brookhaven for the Portion Road Land Use Plan for Lake Ronkonkoma & Farmingville where the town has rezoned properties to create a sense of place on the suburban commercial corridor. The 10th Annual Smart Growth Awards will take place on Friday, June 17th from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crest Hollow Country Club. For more information on the event you can visit www.visionlongisland.org. Eric Alexander is the executive director at Vision LI, Northport, N.Y.