Stopping Sprawl in its Tracts
by Deborah Meyer DeWan
It may be hard to imagine adverse groups such as environmentalists and builders coming together to explore solutions to sprawl in the Hudson Valley. Improbable, maybe, but not impossible.
In the fall of 2000 local builder Tim Vilinskis recognized the economic and environmental consequences of sprawl and approached Scenic Hudson, Inc.'s Riverfront Communities program for help. Frustrated with local zoning ordinances that prohibit creative development, he came to us seeking ways to work together to affect meaningful change in communities.
Smart Growth Alliance Forms
"In practice I have found it very difficult to reconcile both legitimate housing and environmental needs," said Mr. Vilinskis. "These needs are not mutually exclusive, but developers rarely have the option to produce anything but sprawl."
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Riverfront Communities program Director Deborah Meyer DeWan (middle) and Associate Heather MacNish greeted Rochester Mayor William Johnson, a nationally recognized expert on economic development and neighborhood revitalization. |
Scenic Hudson's conversations with Mr. Vilinskis led to a gathering of environmental and development professionals and brainstorming on minimizing the impact of growth on our natural resources and sense of place. These meetings eventually produced the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance, a regional partnership of diverse interests including environmental, land conservation and economic development organizations, builders, realtors, tourism officials and planning agencies.
Principles Adopted
Although alliance members have different professional objectives and may not always agree on the details, the group shares common concerns regarding long-term growth patterns. To guide its efforts the alliance has published its official "Smart Growth Principles." In addition, the alliance seeks to educate local communities about viable, real-world solutions.
To that end, Scenic Hudson and the alliance cosponsored a November conference, Making Smart Growth Work in Your Community: Tools & Techniques for Implementation. The event was held at Marist College and attended by approximately 150 people, including planning and zoning board members, government officials, planners, architects, environmentalists, economic development representatives, builders, realtors and interested citizens. The keynote speaker was City of Rochester Mayor William Johnson, who described his approach to smart growth through grass-roots efforts and coalition building.
Tips and Techniques
According to alliance member Dr. Ann Davis, director of the Bureau of Economic Research at Marist College, "The idea of citizen participation organized by individual neighborhoods seems like the ideal technique for engaging communities in their own development process. Residents are often the key resource for making redevelopment efforts successful."
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| DID YOU KNOW? Excluding New York City, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster and Greene counties were among the top 10 fastest growing counties in the state from 1990-2000, according to the 2000 census. |
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Conservation planner and author Randall Arendt talked about the impacts of typical zoning on the built environment. He spoke about the need for a comprehensive approach to residential subdivisions that clusters housing and maintains quality open space through more creative land-use regulations.
Local Examples Cited
In addition the conference featured two workshops, Green Building & Better Site Design and Mixed Use & Infill Development. Presented by Hudson Valley practitioners, these sessions highlighted smart growth concepts through local examples. The New York State Department of State also was on hand to discuss both the Hudson River Valley Greenway Compact and the latest New York State building codes.
In New York, a home rule state, land-use decisions are often made town by town, with little emphasis on crossing municipal boundaries to address regional implications. It is our hope that Scenic Hudson's involvement with the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance will promote the long-term economic and environmental viability of our region. |
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| Conservation planner Randall Arendt talks about zoning at the Smart Growth Alliance Conference in November. |
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