Long Island's brownfields often lay empty
Long Island's brownfields often lay empty
BY SARAH LANSDALE
Sarah Lansdale is executive director of Sustainable Long Island, a not-for-profit organization that helps plan and implement sustainable development initiatives.
First published in Newsday, April 10, 2008
Ever wonder why some vacant lots - old dry cleaners or vacant gas stations - are quickly transformed into Starbucks, while others remain dormant for decades? In fact there are 6,800 such empty sites - called brownfields - across Long Island. Some are in good locations and relatively clean, and those are the first to be cleaned up and redeveloped. But most are difficult to redevelop, and frequently the cleanup costs exceed the value of the land.
What happens to the sites that aren't prized by private developers? They remain vacant for decades, eyesores contributing to a climate of decay and deterioration in Long Island's poorest neighborhoods.
This is not a problem that we Long Islanders can pretend doesn't exist. These brownfields have the potential to leach toxic chemicals into the surrounding neighborhood through the air, soil and drinking water, harming our children and neighbors. They drain the tax base and contribute to sprawl.
It's taken decades of industrial use, illegal dumping, racism and neglect to allow our communities to slip into this state of decay. And it's going to take bold leadership, new partnerships between communities and developers, and money to reverse this trend.
A brownfield law in 2003 created two tools to address the problem: the Brownfield Cleanup Program, which included a tax credit component for developers, and the Brownfield Opportunity Area program. This past Friday, New York State issued a three-month moratorium on new Brownfield Cleanup projects. The state budget office estimates that a whopping $1 billion will go to the 53 projects that had already been approved. Unfortunately, none of those are on Long Island.
In contrast, Long Islanders have fared much better under the Brownfield Opportunity Area program. Seven communities - Wyandanch, Huntington Station, Long Beach, New Cassel, Hicksville, Glen Cove and Hempstead - have been awarded a total of $841,470. The communities are using these funds to advance smart-growth principles and create a road map for the future reuse of 385 brownfield sites.
Unfortunately, as part of this year's budget negotiations, Albany leaders have allowed $10 million - 80 percent of the total funding - to be cut from the BOA program. This is a shortsighted move. BOA communities generate a pipeline of redevelopment projects that have the potential to turn decaying communities around. And funding is needed to allow our municipal and community development leaders to continue to advance their programs and to allow other communities the chance to participate in the program.
The $10-million cut in the BOA program means there will be fewer communities, less economic development, a decreased number of market studies and economic analyses, and fewer site assessments - all important steps to advance long neglected sites to redevelopment.
With Long Islanders chairing the environmental committees in both the Assembly (Robert Sweeney, D-Lindenhurst) and the Senate (Carl Marcellino, R-Syosset) Long Island expects more from Albany to address the brownfield problem.
The moratorium on the cleanup program is to give lawmakers time to negotiate a fix to the tax-credit component. The best way to ensure that Long Island communities get their fair share of brownfield dollars in the future is to create a link between the tax credits and the BOA program, which should provide a 10 percent bonus for all projects that are built consistent with a BOA plan.
The state needs to recognize how brownfield redevelopment fits into an overall push for sustainable, greener communities for all, not just the ones who can afford it. With hope, this will be the last time economically and environmentally distressed communities are redlined in the budget. We, our children and our children's children deserve better.