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Community Corner

Southampton 400+ Environmental Plan NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME

SOUTHAMPTON 400+ SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENT

THE SOUTHAMPTON CITIZENS FORUM

September 10, 2013

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ELAINE KAHL & TOM MULROONEY

SUMMARY:

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·        A FUNDING ANALYSIS OF SOUTHAMPTON 400+ HAS YET TO BE DEVELOPED. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITIZENS TO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTED COST OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL OR SOME OF THE TACTICS BEING CONSIDERED WILL BE. 

·        THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SOUTHAMPTON 400+ BOTH DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.  WE BELIEVE THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TACTICS BE REMOVED FROM SOUTHAMPTON 400+ AND A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF BOTH INITIATIVES AND LARGE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT BE UNDERTAKEN TO ARRIVE AT A LONG TERM STRATEGY COMMENSURATE WITH FUNDING  AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS SITE SPECIFIC

·        IN ITS PRESENT FORM THE LANGUAGE OF SOUTHAMPTON 400+ IS NOT RESOLVED.  WE REQUEST A DOCUMENT WHICH IS CLEAN, CONCISE IN ITS LANGUAGE OF ALL GOALS AND TACTICS FOR REVIEW BY ALL CONCERNED PARTIES

·        THERE IS PRECEDENT WITHIN SOUTHAMPTON TOWN OF ELEMENTS TO THE MASTER PLAN THAT HAVE REQUIRED AN ENVIORNMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS).  WE BELIEVE THAT SOUTHAMPTON 400+ HAS REACHED THE THRESHOLD REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) AND SATISFY STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUAILTY REVIEW ACT (SEQRA) 617 AND TO AMEND THE FEIS (FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT) OF THE 1999 MASTER PLAN.

·        WE BELIEVE IT IS ALSO REASONABLE TO SEPARATE SOUTHAMPTON 400+ FROM THE MASTER PLAN.  DO THE SEQRA REVIEV, ESTABLISH FUNDING LIABILITIES, AND PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC AS A SEPARATE ELEMENT.

 

 

FUNDING:

·        SOUTHAMPTON 400+ SHOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD UNLESS THE BOARD INCORPORATES LANGUAGE FOR BUGETARY, FUNDING SOURCE MECHANISMS FOR EACH TACTIC IN THE PLAN.  THE BUGET/FUNDING ELEMENT IS RECOGNIZED BY MANY MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES:

ELMHURST IL. “THE FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES AVAILALE TO THE CITY ARE LIMITED.  THE EVALUATION OF A PROGRAM’S COST-EFFECTIVENESS WILL BE BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE ASSOCIATED COSTS AND BENEFITS, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COSTS AND BENEFITS.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CENTER FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS WRITES;  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS: ONE OF THE THEMES WAS CENTERED ON BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES….MANY TIMES THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES ARE OVERWHELMING AND STAFFS HAVE NUMEROUS RESPONSIBILITES …AND SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITES.

CITY OF RALEIGH BUDGET: THE BUDGET PROCESS IS AN INTERGRATED PART OF SUSTAINABILITY.  CAPITAL AND OPERATING EXPENSES ARE TO BE MANAGED AND MEASURED, USING PRINCIPLES TIED TO THE CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES.

·        WE KNOW THAT SOUTHAMPTON HAS THE ABILITY TO ASSESS COSTS IE. SMART WATER METERS WERE DEEMED COST PROHIBITIVE AND AS A RESULT WERE NOT CONSIDERED A VIABLE TACTIC.

·        BEFORE ANY TACTIC IS UNDERTAKEN IT SHOULD BE FULLY VETTED USING TOWN FACILATIES OR VOLUNTARY PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH APPROPRIATE TRANSPARENCY.

·        OMITTING COSTS WE BELIEVE IS IN ITSELF A TACTIC WHICH ROBS CITIZENS OF THEIR RIGHT TO ASSESS COSTS VERSES BENEFITS.  IT IS THE OBLIGATION OF THE BOARD TO INSURE THAT RIGHT, TO PRESENT TO THE CITIZENS ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION REGARDING POSSIBLE FUTURE LIABILITIES.

·        WE ARE ASKING FOR A STATEMENT ON THE BOARDS POSITION CONCERNING OUR REQUEST FOR THE INCLUSION OF FUNDING.

 

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING/DENSITY

·        THERE IS AN APPEARANT RACE TO URBANIZE SOUTHAMPTON THROUGH PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AUTHORITY PROJECTS, INFILL CONSTRUCTION, AND MIXED USE ZONING MEANT TO CREATE COMPACT URBAN VILLAGE CENTERS AS ARTICULATED IN SOUTHAMPTON 400+.  WHEN TAKEN IN A PIECEMEAL FASHION AS IS TODAYS REALITY THE IMPACT IS HIDDEN BECAUSE WE VIEW EACH PROJECT SEPERATLY.  HOWEVER WHEN COMBINED, WE THEN SEE THE TOTALITY OF THE IMPACT.  SOUTHAMPTON 400+ SEEKS TO MIDIGATE HUMAN IMPACT ON THE LAND WITHIN SOUTHAMPTON YET CALLS FOR MORE POPULATION, INCREASED DENSITY, AND MORE SERVICES CREATING MORE STRESS ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

FACED WITH SUCH DISPARATE ISSUES ARRIVING AT A COMMON IMPACT WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE DENSITY/ZONING/INFILL TACTICS IN SOUTHAMPTON 400+ BE COMBINED WITH HOUSING AUTHORITY PROJECTS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.  WE BELIEVE THE CREATION OF A SINGLE AUTHORITY TO ANAYLIZE ALL PROJECTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL COMBINED IMPACT TO SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY IS BE CONSIDERED.

THE RECYCLING OF ABANDONED/FORCLOSED HOMES IN ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD CREATE WORK FOR LEGAL RESISDENTS, REMOVE THE BLIGHT OF ABANDONED HOMES WHICH WILL STABILIZE NEIGHBORHOODS AND PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASED TAX BASE.  THIS IS A WORTHWHILE AND AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE TO NEW MULTI UNIT HOUSING.

ENVIORNMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT:

·        THE TOWN BOARD OF SOUTHAMPTON IS CONSIDERING A LONG TERM PLAN CALLED SOUTHAMTON 400+ SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENT.  IT IS MEANT TO GUIDE BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.  IT ADRESSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH INFILL CONSTRUCTION, DENSITY, MULTI USE ZONING AND SOCIAL/ECONOMIC EQUALITY.  THE PLAN CALLS FOR MANAGEMENT OF WATERSHED AREAS, FISHERIES, AND TOWN WASTE/RECYCLING. IT SEEKS TO CREATE COMPACT VILLAGE CENTERS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THOSE CENTERS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION.  THE PLAN WILL ADDRESS THE NEED TO USE LEGAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION TACTICS LIKE TDR’S AND ZONING TO AUGMENT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN WHERE NECESSARY.

 

THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD INITIATE AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT ON NATURAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, FISCAL, AND REGULATORY ISSUES TO INCLUDE GEOLOGY AND GROUNDWATER, WETLANDS AND NATURAL FEATURES, POPULATION AND HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON TOWN SERVICES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

      AS WE BELIEVE THAT JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH A STUDY HAS BEEN MET                  CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT            (SEQRA) 617. PART 617.10 SECTION (A) …DISCUSS THE LOGIC AND RATIONALE FOR THE CHOICES ADVANCED WHICH MAY INCLUDE ASSESSMENTS OF SPECIFIC IMPACTS WHICH MAY ALSO BE CONCEPTUAL…(1) A NUMBER OF SEPARATE ACTIONS IN A GIVEN GEOGRAPHIC AREA WHICH, IF CONSIDERED SINGLY, MAY HAVE MINOR IMPACTS, BUT IF CONSIDERED TOGETHER MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS; OR(2) A SEQUENCE OF ACTIONS, CONTEMPLATED BY A SINGLE AGENCY OR INDIVIDUAL;OR (3) SEPARATE ACTION HAVING GENERIC OR COMMON IMPACTS;OR (4) AN ENTIRE PROGRAM OR PLAN HAVING WIDE APPLICATION OR RESTRICTING THE RANGE OF FUTURE ALTERNATIVE POLICIES OR PROJECTS, INCLUDING NEW OR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO EXISTING LAND USE PLANS, DEVELOPMENT PLANS, ZONING REGULATIONS OR AGENCY COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE 

LET US ASSUME THAT THE TOWN BOARD INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT THE GOALS OF SOUTHAMPTON 400+ WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY. HOW THEN DO YOU  INTEND TO ADOPT THIS PLAN AS A COMPONENT OF  THE 1999 MASTER PLAN WITHOUT FIRST HOLDING HEARINGS FOR A LOCAL LAW TO AMEND THE FEIS ( FINAL ENVIORNMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT) ASSOCIATED WITH A MASTER PLAN THAT IS NOW 13 YEARS OLD?

·        SOUTHAMPTON 400+ IS IN REALITY AN ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN.  IT GOES FAR BEYOND ELEMENTS ALREADY ADOPTED, AS IT IS NOT ADDRESSING A SINGLE GEOGRAPHIC AREA WITHIN THE TOWN OR A SITE SPECIFIC ISSUE.  IT WILL IMPACT THE ENTIRE TOWN AND ALL ITS RESIDENTS AND RESOURCES.  IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON ITS OWN AND NOT AS AN ELEMENT OF THE MASTER PLAN.

·        WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE NEED TO MAKE SOUTHAMPTON 400+ A MORE ACCEPTABLE INITIATIVE TO THE PUBLIC WHICH IT SERVES.  THE DISCUSSION MUST CONTINUE UNTIL ALL THE IDENTIFIED ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED. 

·        WE ARE REQUESTING OF THE BOARD TO INCORPORATE THESE AREAS INTO THEIR DELIBERATIONS AND TO RESOLVE TO APPROVE THEM, AND FUTHER TO POST THEIR DECISIONS ON THE TOWN SUSTAINABILITY PLAN LINK.

 

 

    

     

 

 

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