Huntington Station, NY Development Strategy submitted April 2013

Huntington Station Development StrategyA Comprehensive Approach to Engage the Community in Shaping the Future of its Neighborhood Areas and Community Places

April 26, 2013

Town Supervisor Frank P. Petrone

Councilwoman Susan A. Berland Councilman Eugene Cook Councilman Mark Cuthbertson Councilman Mark Mayoka

In partnership with:

Town of Huntington

Town of Huntington Economic Development Corporation

Town of Huntington Community Development Agency

Huntington Station Community

Huntington Station once had a thriving downtown, and like all communities deserves a re-energized vibrant downtown with a mix of uses that can be enjoyed by both residents and visitors alike. To achieve this goal, Renaissance Downtowns has partnered with the Town of Huntington, the Huntington Economic Development Corporation, property and business owners and most importantly, the Huntington Station Community in an eff ort to revitalize Downtown Huntington Station. This Development Strategy document outlines a year of Renaissance funded (private equity) community collaboration that has culminated in implementable revitalization strategies which can result in the comprehensive redevelopment of under-utilized municipal land into tax generating mixed-use developments. Huntington has a distinctive advantage on Long Island of having a thriving and successful Village. It is of great importance that the Huntington Station Revitalization works with the Village’s entrepreneurs to ensure the success of the Town as a whole.

Executive Summary

View of potential Train Station facing southeast on New York Avenue at Broadway Mixed-uses and walkable sidewalks

2 Huntington Station Development Strategy

Promote the Town as a preeminent regional destination, by enhancing the vibrancy of Down-town Huntington Station through the creation of a diversity of uses (a live, work, shop, learn, and play setting).

Ensure that economic redevelopment eff orts at Huntington Station both complement and sup-port businesses in Huntington Village.

Create economic value, jobs and career opportunities for residents by focusing on the Hunting-ton Station downtown core and the adaptive reuse of vacant parcels and buildings, where ap-propriate.

Provide an avenue for private property owners to partner with both the public sector and Re-naissance to foster the redevelopment of under-utilized assets for the benefi t of the community.

Create a blueprint for the redevelopment of public and private parcels that will result in quality development and commercial revitalization of Downtown Huntington Station.

Engage all parts of the community in the process of creating concepts and guidelines for the De-velopment Strategy.

Incorporate Town EDC and CDA owned property located within the Study Area.

Utilize the proximity and accessibility of the Long Island Rail Road connection to NYC to benefi t the commercial development within Huntington Station.

Provide a downtown development, which includes commercial, retail, residential, offi ce, hospi-tality, parks, open space, cultural and civic uses.

Improve streetscapes to promote pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environments, create and en-hance Town gateways, and create civic spaces.

Increase neighborhood safety and reduce crime by providing “eyes on the street” resulting from new development.

Provide a broad range of housing types and price points.

Goals of the Public-Private Partnership

Objectives of the Development Strategy

Before embarking upon this revitalization journey, a distinct set of goals and objectives were established as a guide for the redevelopment eff orts.

Huntington Station Study Area

Village

Station

Focus Areas along Commercial Corridors near New York Ave

Jericho Turnpike / Rt 25


Park Ave

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ood Road

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York Ave/ Rt 110

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Executive Summary

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It’s Huntington Station’s TimeOver time, market preferences in Huntington have shifted signifi cantly. In the 1960s, Urban Renewal destroyed Huntington Station’s downtown and paved the way for motorists to speed through and away. As the retail market preferences changed in the 1970s to malls and strip centers, the desire to enjoy an authentic downtown with a mix of uses was overshadowed. Today, the market demand for walkable downtowns with vibrant mixed-use buildings has grown again. Through collaborative partnerships and this Development Strategy, Renaissance is confi dent that Huntington Station can transform from a place you drive through, to a destination fi lled with live-work-play experiences that makes you want to stay.

Past: From a Vibrant Rail Town... Present: To Urban Renewal Parking Lots... Future: To Re-energized Mixed-Use Centers

The areas along New York Ave represent Huntington Sta-tion’s once dynamic downtown.

The current condition of vacant areas and parking lots with no eyes on the street.

Through working together, a vibrant future downtown (similar to the above photo) can emerge by developing many of the under-utilized parcels.


How Do We Create A Development Strategy: Renaissance Downtowns process of Unifi ed Development ApproachTM (UDA) and CrowdSourced PlaceMaking (CSPM) assures socially, environ-mentally, and economically responsible development.

Executive Summary

Unifi ed Development

Approach

Source the Station

Ideas

Market Opportunities

Revitalization Toolkit

Revitalization

Strategies

Planning and

Implementation

Engage the municipality, community stakeholders, private property & business owners, and transit agen-cies. Community members, local leaders, neighbors & business owners share their ideas (cafe, park, commu-nity center, etc.) through our CSPM process, a social media website Source the Station and in person meetups. Participants give “Likes” or “Thumbs Up” to their favorite ideas. Conduct Market & Feasibility Studies for ideas that get the most support. Revitalization Toolkit– Utilize the best planning prac-tices for quality downtown revitalization as described in this Toolkit. Create Strategies and Renderings - Community driven ideas get integrated into a strategy. These are detailed in Chapter 3 of the “Huntington Station Development Strategy” document.

Following an approval of the Development Strategy, Renaissance will develop conceptual plans for feasible crowd-supported uses. Implement zoning and environmental improve-ments, if applicable, and begin building.

WE ARE HERE IN THE PROCESS

5

Triple Bottom LineRenaissance requires ideas posted through the Cowdsourcing process to adhere to the Triple Bottom Line philosophy of Social, Environmental and Economic responsibility.

SocialResponsibilitySocially responsible ideas have an obligation to benefi t society at large.

Economic ResponsibilityEconomically responsible ideas must ensure eco-nomic benefi t to com-munity stakeholders—its investors, business owners, employees, cus-tomers, School Districts, and Municipality.

EnvironmentalResponsibility Environmentally respon-sible ideas have an obliga-tion to protect the environ-ment.

List of some of the Stakeholder Group meetings (in alphabetical order) : Bethel AME Church Family Service League Family Service League Greater Huntington Civic Group HS Enrichment Center Huntington Chamber of Commerce Huntington Historical Society Huntington Housing Coalition Huntington Public Library Huntington Sanctuary Huntington Station Business Im-provement District Huntington Station Latin Quarter Leadership Huntington Foundation Mahanaim School Melville Chamber of Commerce NAACP, Huntington Chapter Porter-Trejo Action Network Project HOPE School District South Huntington Against Drugs South Huntington Community Ac-tivists Suff olk County Police Department Town of Huntington Youth Bureau Tri-CYA

Since April 2012, Renaissance has been working tirelessly to establish relationships within the Huntington Station Community. These relationships are the cornerstone for any revitalization eff orts and development strategies presented in this document. In collaboration with the community, our accomplishments to date include:

Renaissance Downtowns’ Unifi ed Development Approach TM CSPM: Source the Station

Market Feasibility Studies

Opened the local Community Informational offi ce at 1266 New York Avenue Hired 3 local residents as Community Liaisons Engaged over 60 diff erent stakeholder groups Hosted over a dozen local events, including a Community Fest attended by approximately 750 people Attended dozens of local groups’ events (twice participating in the Unity Parade ) Organized events specifi cally for local Property and Business Owners Bi-weekly meetings with department heads from Town Hall Periodic updates to Town Board members, the Economic De-velopment Corporation, the Planning Board & Zoning Board

Source the Station is a Crowdsourced Placemaking (CSPM) initiative intended to ensure that the future of the Huntington Station Downtown is vibrant, inspiring, and representative of the overall community’s shared values, based on uses that adhere to the Triple Bottom Line.

Once ideas have enough “Likes/Upvotes” to warrant feasibility studies, Renaissance Downtowns enlists the talents of Kennedy Smith, one of the top retail consultants in the country. The following feasibility studies have been earned:

Over 720 Members 79 Ideas Posted 46 Public Destination Ideas 27 Retail Ideas 3 Downtown Living Ideas

Book Shop, Cafe+ Performance Space Restaurant Row Railroad Station Retail Cluster Fruit & Veggies Stand Coff eehouse


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Second Street Commuter Parking Structure

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Revitalization Strategy at Huntington Station DowntownA community driven, comprehensive revitalization strategy for 7 diff erent focus areas has been developed, based on top voted ideas gathered through Source the Station, results of the Market Feasibility Studies, and guided by Renaissance’s Revitalization Toolkit.

Executive Summary

For a full description of all of Huntington Station’s Revi-talization Strategies, go to Chapter 3 of the “Huntington Station Development Strategy” document.

4 Potential veterans residences

5 Potential streetscape improvements with on-street parking

1 Public Plazas and Pocket Parks

2

3

Boutique Hotel

Connected network of streets and sidewalks with mixed-use buildings, active frontages, and outdoor dining

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Rendering of potential new station plaza, cafe, clock tower, and hotel with ground fl oor restaurants and shops

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Table of ContentsExecutive Summary 42

Our Commitment to Huntington Station 9

CHAPTER 1: Comprehensive Revitalization 10

A. Huntington Station Development Strategy 10

B. Renaissance Downtowns Team & Approach 12

C. Huntington Station History 14

D. Study Areas 18

CHAPTER 2: Building Consensus 20

A. Unifi ed Development ApproachTM 20

B. Crowdsourced Placemaking 22

C. Source the Station 24

CHAPTER 3: Revitalization Strategies 32 A. Market Opportunities 32

B. Revitalization Toolkit 38

C. Revitalization Strategies (presented from North to South) 40 Neighborhood Transition Area at Huntington Village 42 Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Woodland St. & New York Ave. 44 Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Holdsworth Dr. & New York Ave. 46 Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Gateway Plaza 48 Huntington Station Downtown - North 50 Huntington Station Downtown - South 52 Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Pulaski Rd & New York Ave. 54 Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at 11th St & New York Ave. 56 Community Recreation Area at Manor Field 58

CHAPTER 4: Next Steps 60

A. Next Steps & Milestones 61

B. Zoning & Land Use Next Steps 62

C. Enhancing Transportation Choices 64

D. Infrastructure & Public Safety Opportunities 66

E. Local Community Benefi ts & Community Festivals 68

9

Our Commitment to Huntington Station

Introduction

Our Commitment to Huntington Station

ship between Renaissance Downtowns and the Town. This allows a transparent ongoing dialogue to occur among local residents, businesses and stakeholders ensuring that the resulting Development Strategy responds to public wishes while simultaneously tending to specifi c needs of the community.

Listen to the CommunityUtilizing its proprietary “Crowdsourced Placemaking” program (SourcetheStation.com), Renaissance has already achieved signifi cant success through a grass roots, social media approach to community outreach and engagement. By listening to, and working with the community, Renais-sance can assure the Town that the resulting development will not only be attuned to the local market, but also have a built in base of support that will help ensure its success moving forward.

Renaissance & its relationship with the TownIt is essential to note that Renaissance and the Town of Huntington are partners and that Renaissance has NOT been hired by the Town as a consultant. Renaissance is a private development fi rm which is privately funded. Renais-sance believes that Huntington Station represents enor-mous opportunity for successful development in a manner where the community is a partner to all that is developed.

Our team is extremely impressed with the forward thinking and active role that the community has taken, and we strive to continue these eff orts well into the future.

View of potential Station Plaza, clock tower, retail kiosks and restaurants with outdoor dining.

This Development Strategy document provides a detailed report and analysis of the revitalization eff orts of Renaissance Downtowns, the Town of Huntington and the Economic Development Corporation since forming a Public-Private Partnership in April 2012. Building upon the past eff orts of the Town of Huntington, EDC and CDA, and their recent successes, Renaissance Downtowns began its process intent on implementing a comprehensive revitalization and rede-velopment solution that is bound by a Triple Bottom Line philosophy of Social, Economic and Environmental respon-sibility.

Honoring Huntington Station’s History One of Renaissance’s core beliefs is that to best move into the future, it is essential to fi rst understand and build a bridge to the past - a sentiment that has resonated throughout the Huntington Station community, which understands its proud heritage. As is thoroughly documented through historic photos and documents, Huntington Station was once a vibrant downtown, with all of its components physi-cally and functionally integrated in the compact form of a true mixed-use center. This provides a tremendous foun-dation to employ a comprehensive development strategy to re-energize the commercial base while uplifting the surrounding community in a manner that will result in signif-icant economic development, expansion of the tax base and local job creation.

Process Before PlanTo successfully implement a comprehensive develop-ment strategy, it is essential to take a “process before plan” approach, whereby signifi cant community input is gath-ered and taken into account by the Public-Private Partner-


Huntington Station Development StrategyWhat is the purpose of the Development Strategy?

The purpose of the Huntington Station Development Strategy is to outline the key initiatives developed through collaboration among the Town of Huntington, Huntington Economic Development Corporation, Huntington Stakeholders, the Huntington Station Community and Renaissance Downtowns, which will lead to the redevelopment and revitalization of the Huntington Station Downtown.

Chapter 1: Comprehensive Revitalization

Typical Downtown Setting

Downtown off ers vibrancy for residents and visitors

Proposed illustration of train station , community green, clock tower and outdoor cafe

Typical mixed-use buildings with storefronts on the ground fl oor

Existing station lacks a sense of identity and community spaces

Historic train station and community green in 1918

11

Huntington Station Development Strategy

Engage all parts of the community

Promote redevelopment of under-utilized sites with a diversity of uses

Promote adaptive reuse of existing buildings & enhance existing businesses


1A

Promote the Town as a preeminent regional destination, by enhancing the vibrancy of Down-town Huntington Station through the creation of a diversity of uses (a live, work, shop, learn, and play setting).

Ensure that economic redevelopment eff orts at Huntington Station both complement and sup-port businesses in Huntington Village.

Create economic value, jobs and career opportunities for residents by focusing on the Hunting-ton Station downtown core and the adaptive reuse of vacant parcels and buildings where appro-priate.

Provide an avenue for private property owners to partner with both the public sector and Re-naissance Downtowns to foster the redevelopment of under-utilized assets for the benefi t of the community

Engage all parts of the community in the process of creating the vision, concepts and guidelines for implementation of the Development Strategy.

Incorporate Town, EDC and CDA owned property located within the Study Area (see map on page 18) to achieve a holistic and comprehensive redevelopment strategy.

Utilize the proximity and accessibility of the Long Island Rail Road connection to NYC, to benefi t the commercial development within Huntington Station.

Provide a mixed-use downtown setting that will include commercial, retail, residential, offi ce, hospitality, parks, open space, cultural and civic uses.

Improve streetscapes to promote pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environments, create and en-hance Town gateways, and create civic spaces to increase quality of life for Huntington Station residents and visitors.

Increase neighborhood safety and reduce crime by providing “eyes on the street” resulting from true mixed-use development.

Provide a broad range of housing types and price points.

Promote development that would preserve Long Island’s resources through the use of modern technology and green building design and construction.

Goals of the Public-Private Partnership

Objectives of the Development Strategy


Renaissance Downtowns LLC Renaissance, based in Plain-view, Long Island, is a privately held real estate development and investment fi rm focused on achieving the comprehensive and holistic redevelopment of suburban downtowns utilizing downtown mixed-use planning and development principles. Renaissance advocates a “Triple Bottom Line” approach of social, economic and environmental responsibil-ity. With over 60 years of combined experience in all disciplines of real estate development and fi nance, Renaissance is uniquely positioned to overcome the signifi cant challenges facing transfor-mative large-scale downtown redevelopment initiatives. Renais-sance’s Unifi ed Development Approach™ was designed to meet and overcome the complexities of downtown revitalization through the creation of a shared vision between the municipality, Renais-sance, private property owners and key community stakeholders. The company’s Crowdsourced Placemaking program (“Source the Station”) provides a venue for meaningful dialogue and engage-ment on behalf of the entire community, ensuring a redevelop-ment vision that organically represents the wishes and desires of local residents and stakeholders.

Crowdsourced Placemakers LLC (CSPM)CSPM’s Crowdsourced Placemaking community involvement methodologies are at the cutting edge of revitalization techniques. As a national leader in development innovation, CSPM is an integral part of the Renaissance Downtowns Unifi ed Development Approach,™ which encourages public participation in the creation of a downtown that all stakeholders can be proud of.

Town Planning Partnership LLC (TPP)Town Planning Partnership LLC provides community visioning, placemaking, land planning and implementation services to public and private sector clients throughout the Northeast. TPP’s planning solutions use an inclusive visioning process to establish shared visions and create vibrant and economically successful places. Their principals, Mark Evans AICP PP RA and Phil Ehlinger AICP CZO, each off er more than twenty years of professional experience in village planning, downtown redevelopment, master planning, traditional neighborhood design, community visioning, zoning, form based codes and design guidelines.

The CLUE GroupThe Community Land Use and Economics Group (CLUE) is a consult-ing fi rm that helps communities create vibrant, dynamic down-towns and neighborhoods. As an economic analysis fi rm which specializes in downtowns, CLUE Group is headed by Kennedy Smith who directed the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center for 13 years and is considered one of the world’s leading experts on downtowns, downtown economics, independent business development, and the economic impact of sprawl, with a career in downtown revitalization spanning 23 years. CLUE Group has performed analyses of retail or offi ce based ideas that the Huntington Station Community has developed through CSPM.

Zimmerman/Volk Associates (ZVA)

ZVA has a national reputation for innovative residential market analysis based on its proprietary target market methodology. Their fi rm specializes in the analyses of mixed-income, mixed-tenure redevelopment; mixed-use revitalization; traditional neighbor-hood developments; and integrated-use master-planned commu-nities. ZVA is widely recognized by the leading practitioners of New Urbanist communities for their market feasibility studies and relat-ed expertise. ZVA is working with the Renaissance Team and will play an integral role in residential market analysis eff orts, such as analyzing the crowd’s idea of residential above storefronts. Laurie Volk and Todd Zimmerman are co-managing directors of Zimmer-man/Volk Associates.

Nelson Pope & Voorhis (NPV)NPV is a multi-disciplinary planning and engineering fi rm with deep expertise in the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act and its application to the public-private partnership development activities anticipated in Huntington Station.

Our Team

Renaissance Downtowns Placemaking Studio

13

To ensure that meaningful dialogue with the commu-nity becomes a reality, and to provide a venue for residents and stakeholders to learn about the revitalization eff orts, Renais-sance opened a community informational offi ce that is open to the public, located in the heart of the redevelopment area. This offi ce not only provides information for community members, but also serves as home to the Source the Station Crowdsourced Placemaking campaign. In addition to provid-ing a “bricks and mortar” home for Source the Station, the offi ce is available for use by residents and stakeholders for meetings and get-togethers, helping to further build a bond between the eff orts of Renaissance Downtowns and the commu-

nity at large. Renaissance’s Community Informational Offi ce at 1266 New York Avenue provides the opportunity for residents, stakeholders and local business owners to stop by, ask questions of the development team and become involved in the process.

Offi ce hours:Monday 9:00am- 5:00pmTuesday 9:00am- 6:00pmWednesday 9:00am- 5:00pmThursday 10:00am-5:00pmFriday 9:00am- 3:00pm

Community Liaisons:Erika Forland: [email protected] Bonilla: [email protected] Wilson: [email protected]: facebook.com/sourcethestationTwitter: @sourcestationYouTube: youtube.com/sources-tationInstagram: source_the_station


Renaissance Downtowns & Source the Station Community Offi ce


Renaissance Downtowns Team & Approach 1BThe Renaissance Process Overview

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT APPROACH (UDA)

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION

CROWDSOURCED PLACEMAKING (CSPM)

Town of Huntington, EDC , & Renaissance Down-towns form a Public- Private Partnership.

See page 11 for Goals & Objectives

RD reaches out to Private Property Owners, Key Community Stakeholders and Transit Agencies.

See page 20 for UDA detail

This document describes the initial development strategies that can achieve the Goals and Objec-tives of the Community and the Public-Private Part-nership for a revitalized Huntington Station.

Outline of next steps to eff ectuate the above mentioned development strategies.See Chapter 4

Once the Development Strategy is adopted, the Public-Private Partnership in collaboration with the Community, will initiate implementation eff orts.

RD initiates CSPM process of Community input and Source the Station is formed.

See page 22 for CSPM details

The Public-Private

Partnership focuses on developing under-utilized

municipally owned land.

Renaissance collaborates

with all stakeholders to create a shared

vision.

Renaissance takes a partnering approach avoiding

eminent domain.


Huntington Station History

1900’s

Huntington Station, New York was named in 1912, and businesses were built along New York Avenue to connect with the Village.Trolley service was extended from Huntington to Amityville in 1909.

1850’s 1910’s

Although the Town of Hunting-ton was founded in 1653 due to its excellent waterfront port in the Village, additional promi-nence was brought to it in 1867 when the North Shore Rail Line was extended to what is now known as Huntington Station. At the time the railroad station was built, this area was open coun-tryside.

From Countryside to Rail Town Streetcar Era Brings Prosperity

Market Preferences:

• Focus on transit: rail, trolley• Convenience of mixed-use • Introduction of automobile

In 1890, a post offi ce called Fair-ground, New York was opened at the station. In 1898 horse drawn trolleys were replaced by electric trolleys.

Market Preferences:

• Relocation out of larger cities into rural areas

• Establishment of small mixed-use centers

Above: Hotel south of tracks

Early 1900’s: New York Ave looking south Image from 1910’s: trolleys in front of the station 1918: Landscaped square in front of the Station Early 1900’s: Original Station building

1904: A train leaving Huntington Station

Above: Hotel north of tracks Below: New York Av. & Church St

15

A bustling downtown has been created, with a school, post offi ce, bank, fi re station, grocery store, hotels, shops and businesses with residen-tial quarters above. Butcher Shop, Barber Shop, Shoe Maker, Bakery, Clothing Store, Bicycle Shop, Luncheonette, Ice Cream Parlor and more...

Remembering the Downtown that Disappeared

1920’s 1940’s1930’s

Growth of a Bustling Downtown

Market Preferences:

• Vibrancy with live, work, shop and play in close proximity

• Convenience of the auto begins its domination of transportation

1917 1989


Huntington Station History 1C

We would like to thank Alfred Sforza for his extraordinary eff orts to share the stories,

photographs and events that feature the founding, prosperity and urban renewal of

Huntington Station. We share his vision for the importance of rediscovering Hunting-

ton Station and its rich heritage, while simultaneously planning for this new genera-

tion of children, families, entrepreneurs and existing business owners. Most of the

historic photographs in this document are provided courtesy of Mr. Sforza.

Highlighted areas best represent the areas of Urban Renewal aka “Removal”

Late 1930’s: Vibrant Downtown, on New York Avenue and Broadway Columbia Hall on New York Avenue

Late 1940’s: Vibrant Downtown, on New York Avenue and BroadwayEarly 1940’s: Auto Services Company

Downtown fabric Urban “removal”, vacant land


1980’s1970’s

Decline of the Center: Urban Renewal

1960’s

Huntington Station History

Searching for Solutions

1990’s1950’s

Market Preferences:

• Single family homes

• Commerce moves to

auto-oriented shopping

• Cars are the only way to

go!!

Market Preferences:

• Building high speed

roads & more parking

• Aff ordable housing and

expansion of suburbia

In search for solutions, eff orts were put forth that focused on alleviating parking concerns and revisiting planning eff orts:1985- South parking garage built to alleviate parking issues at train station, adding 1134 spaces.1989- Huntington Station Revitalization Plan prepared by the consulting fi rm Conklin Rossant is published. Most of the report was devoted to the land now occupied by Highview.1993- An updated Comprehensive Plan published and adopt-ed by the Planning Board. 1995-1997- Broadway is realigned and straightened, and the north LIRR parking garage built.

In 1958 plans for the Urban Renewal of the downtown Huntington Station area were prepared for New York Avenue, from Nassau Road to the rail-road tracks. The plan was to tear down all the businesses in this commercial area and build new stores. Halfway through the process, after the old build-ings and stores had been torn

Before (above) and after (below) photos

down, the program ran out of money. The result was the strip of New York Avenue we know today: empty lots and parking fi elds.

Post Urban Renewal: high speed roadway and vacant parking lots:

17

After 50 years of Urban Renewal and demolition of the businesses, homes and walkable streets that defi ned historic downtown Huntington Station, NOW is the time to rebuild this downtown and its adjoining neighborhoods with:

2000’s 2010’s

The Search for Solutions Continues Renaissance Downtowns: Huntington Station

Market Preferences:

• Aff ordable mortgages

and rents

• Increase in transit use

• Improving walkability

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0 1,400 2,800 4,200 5,600700Feet

Town ofHuntington

1 inch equals 1,250 feetDraft for Intra-Inter Agency Review

TOH Planning & Envuironment DCDDec. 02, 2010

Area ofDetail

North

East 17th St

Huntington Station BID

East 19th St

Holdsworth Dr.

Jericho Tpke. Rte 25

West Hills Rd.

LegendHuntington Station BID

Coastal Water

Harbor

Town Boundary

Primary Roads

# LIRR Stations

LIRR Tracks

Roads

Census Designated Places

Inc. Villages


Huntington Station History 1C

A business improvement district (BID) is a public-private partnership by which businesses in a defi ned area pay an additional tax to fund programs and improvements with-in the district’s boundaries. The Huntington Station BID provides vari-ous services, such as cleaning streets, landscaping improvements, install-ing security cameras, and facade improvements, etc.

Economic Development Corporation , established by the Town Board in 2003 to foster economic develop-ment and business opportu-nities throughout the Town,

Meaningful community input from residents and businesses The support of the Town of Huntington The innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses The experience and private sector capital of Renaissance Downtowns and other investors willing to adopt this emerging vision for Huntington Station

A number of previous planning eff orts have been undertaken throughout the years to foster a successful revitalization of the once vibrant Huntington Station area. While lessons have been learned, few of these plans have reached the implementation stage, and fewer yet have provided signifi cant economic development and/or improvement to local quality of life for the community. While the intent of these eff orts should be applauded, there have been some common ties that help explain why these visions were unable to reach fruition. It is the opinion of Renaissance that the three biggest missing factors that prevented previous plans and visions from becoming reality were (1) a lack of a truly comprehensive and holistic approach to the redevelopment, (2) the exclusion of the private sector from the table, namely an organization that is charged not only with creating a vision/plan but that also serves as an investor dedicated to implementing that vision, and, perhaps most importantly, (3) the lack of a true engagement with the community at large.

New grocery store, corner of Depot Rd. and Pulaski Rd.

March 2013: New Gateway Plaza in construction

Rendering of proposed Gateway Plaza

began the following initia-tives: Gateway Plaza Plan; streetscape improvements; new grocery store; pedestrian bridge improvements; Gate-way Park Plan and land acquisi-tions; Northridge site develop-ment proposals and approvals; collaboration on development of new 7-11, Station Sports, and the Huntington Station Food Plaza.


Huntington Station Study Area Municipal & Private Development Sites near the Station off er excellent early phase Development

Opportunities

Mixed-Use Neighborhood AreasAlong New York Avenue

The Huntington Station Study Area is generally bounded by Jeri-cho Turnpike to the south, Park Ave to the east, Huntington Village to the north and Oakwood Road to the west. With a clear focus on economic development initiatives, the existing commercial districts and industrial lands will be evaluated to determine the most appropriate area for a coordinated and planned development strategy guided by neighborhood and community aspirations. While Renaissance is generally not developing in this broader area, it is essential that our team analyze a larger scope and then hone in on the Focus Areas from there.

The focus of this Development Strategy (“DS”) will be to examine and explore a series of neighborhood mixed-use centers along New York Avenue and located at important transportation and pedestri-an crossroads, especially at the Huntington Station commuter rail station. Although most areas will serve neighborhood commercial, civic and service needs, the Station off ers opportunities for a Down-town Mixed-Use Areas that will provide signifi cant economic and quality of life benefi ts to the surrounding community. Additionally, the Manor Field area off ers the potential to enhance existing recre-ation facilities in combination with a new community center. The DS recommends seven neighborhood mixed-use areas that can off er a variety of commercial & mixed-use buildings within a fi ve minute walk for residents & shoppers.

There are a number of municipally owned and privately owned sites near the Rail Station. These sites off er an excellent opportunity to restore the walkable downtown-like qualities that once existed within Huntington Station until the 1960’s, when much of this area was torn down to make way for auto-oriented and fractured rede-velopment. Many of the municipally owned parcels are vacant land or surface parking lots which bring little to no vibrancy, services, or tax revenues to the Town and its residents. Renaissance believes that these parcels, within the context of a comprehensive inclusive planning eff ort, can be integrated and redeveloped into the heart of the future downtown Huntington Station. In redeveloping these parcels, Renaissance is obligated to determine solutions that both replace the parking and free land for development.

Study Area & Focus Areas

Village

Station

Focus Areas along Commercial Corridors near New York Ave



Park Ave

Oakw

ood Road

New

York Ave/ Rt 110

New York Ave

Study Area New

Yor

k Av

e

New

York Ave

Broadway Ave

Railroad Ave

Pulaski AvePulaski Ave

StationLIRR

LIRRStation

New

York Ave

Railroad Ave

Broadway

Depot Rd

2nd St

CommunityRecreation Area

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Areas

Downtown Huntington

Station

Municipal Sites

Potential Private

PartnershipSites

Focus AreasDevelopmentOpportunities

Village

Broadway

11th St

19

Study Areas

For much of the last 60 years, America has built new shopping centers and neighborhoods with little regard for the importance of pedestrian-scaled places. Simultaneously, American communities have destroyed once vibrant places such as Huntington Station in the name of “progress”, to construct overly wide roadways that encourage speeding, making pedes-trian safety very diffi cult to achieve. To store our vehicles, we have dedicated vast landscapes for single purpose paved parking lots that further contrib-ute to rapid runoff , destruction of our natural environment and increased fl ooding within our communities, not to mention a lack of overall aesthetic appeal.

In many ways, Huntington Station is a microcosm of those issues that most communities are facing all across America.

Walkable Mixed-Use Areas Connect to Huntington Station Neighborhoods


1D

A Greater Context – The Need to Support and Complement Huntington VillageRenaissance Downtowns’ holistic approach to redevelopment is keenly sensitive of the need to support exist-ing businesses and neighborhoods, while providing for economic develop-ment in the Huntington Station area. As such, the Renaissance Team recog-nizes the necessity for any develop-ment activity at the Station to comple-ment existing assets, neighborhoods, and Huntington Village. Renaissance believes that responsible develop-ment should link existing and future economic and cultural hubs.

The revitalization of Huntington Station has, from day one, been conducted considering a greater context to ensure that the economic development in and around the Station complements Huntington Village – one of Long Island’s best downtowns. In fact, there is an opportunity to create tremendous synergies between the Village and the Station, expanding the local and regional economies.

The revitalization of Huntington Station will provide economic develop-ment and other benefi ts not just for the Station community, but for the entire Town of Huntington as well.

This Development Strategy provides commitment to re-store walkable centers in Huntington Station, while creating economic prosperity for the whole community.

Community Recreation Area Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area

Huntington Station DowntownHuntington Village

Legend


Chapter 2: Building Consensus

A Platform for Positive ChangeUnifi ed Development ApproachTM

The Process and Benefi tsThe Unifi ed Development Approach™ (UDA) provides a framework that facilitates the creation and implementation of a comprehensive downtown redevelopment strategy by bringing together disparate aspects of a community to collectively create and implement a shared redevelopment vision in a holistic manner, and helps to ensure project sustainability, thus maximizing social, economic and environmental benefi ts.

Individual PPOs benefi t from the mul-tiple economic development drivers and investment that occurs through-out the area.

Individual PPOs could never realize full development potential without work-ing in collaboration.

Private Property Owners

Transit AgenciesKey

Community Stakeholders

Master

Developer

Municipality

Partner with Municipality Through a Public-Private Partnership between the Master Developer and the Municipality, under-utilized municipal properties are primed for economic development that will provide numerous benefi ts to the community at large, including bringing these sites back on the tax rolls.

Partner with Private Property Owners (PPO)– In conventional ap-proaches to redevelopment, munici-palities engage in the use of eminent domain, as was the case during the Urban Renewal period in Huntington Station. Renaissance Downtowns does not believe in such practice and has implemented a UDA, the col-laborative redevelopment eff ort, to maximize property values for PPOs by either partnering with them or showing them the path to redevelop on their own.

Engage Key Community Stake-holders – The UDA emphasizes meaningful public outreach and engagement which Renaissance Downtowns accomplishes by utiliz-ing its proprietary and patent pend-ing Crowdsourced Placemaking Program (see page 22). In addition, Renaissance works with existing and future business owners to forge business plans in collaboration with property owners and the community at large.

A comprehensive approach results in signifi cantly higher levels of economic development, including local entre-preneurship and job creation.

An inclusive approach helps the developer identify and address social, environmental, and economic concerns of the community on a very personal level.

Engage Transit Agencies Some of the prime properties that will contribute to economic development and improvements in the quality of life for local residents are under the control of transit agencies, which are included within the visioning process to ensure a positive outcome for all parties.

By taking a comprehensive approach, private investment is assured a greater likelihood of lasting success, and eco-nomic sustainability. The municipality is assured quality development resulting in tax generation and job creation.

Utilizing redevelopment that examines the full context of an area, the Munici-pality has the ability to implement a comprehensive vision that could never be feasible through one-off , traditional infi ll redevelopment methodologies.

The diagram below represents Renaissance Downtowns “Unifi ed Development Approach™” (UDA)

Participants in the UDA include the municipality, private prop-erty owners, transit agencies and, most importantly, the community at large, all working together and facilitated by a Master Developer charged with guiding and adding value to the development process. The result is an implementable, market driven redevelopment plan.

21

Unified Development Approach TM 2A

One of the hallmarks of Renaissance’s development approach is a “Process before Plan” philosophy that enables the organic co-creation of a shared development vision resulting from a partnership among Renaissance Downtowns (as the Master Developer), its municipal partners and, most importantly, the community. Rather than begin a redevelopment eff ort with preconceived notions, Renaissance employs its Unifi ed Development Approach™ and its Crowdsourced Placemak-ing program to push aside preconceived notions and garner ideas and insight from local residents, businesses and stake-holders, following the principles of Triple Bottom Line devel-opment- social, economic and environmental responsibility.

A Comprehensive, Not A Piecemeal, ApproachTo successfully implement mixed-use downtown revitaliza-tion, it is essential to take into account the context of the

Process Before Planentire area, rather than seeking to improve separate small areas, possibly to the detriment of the whole.

A downtown must be a woven, neighborhood fabric rather than a patchwork of disconnected projects . A successful downtown is comprised of distinct neigh-borhoods and districts, each with a unique character that, together, work in harmony with each other to cre-ate a true sense of place while fostering economic de-velopment. A holistic and comprehensive approach provides the right mix and balance of uses to support an active re-tail and commercial environment, while also including a residential component that provides “eyes on the street” and a true neighborhood feeling.

Donald Monti of Renaissance Downtowns and Town of Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone, surrounded by community members, cut the ribbon to celebrate the Grand Opening of Source the Station's Community Informational Offi ce

Renaissance’s Planning Process

Engage the municipality, community stakeholders, pri-vate property & business owners, and transit agencies. Community members, local leaders, neighbors & busi-ness owners share their ideas (cafe, park, community center etc.) through our CSPM process, a social media website Source the Station and in person meetups. Par-ticipants give “Likes” or “Thumbs Up” to their favorite ideas. Conduct Market & Feasibility Studies for ideas that get the most support. Revitalization Toolkit– Utilize the best planning prac-tices for quality downtown revitalization as described in our Revitalization Toolkit. Create Strategies and Renderings - community driven ideas get integrated into a strategy. These are detailed in Chapter 3 of the “Huntington Station Development Strategy” document. Following an approval of the Development Strategy, Renaissance will develop conceptual plans for feasible crowd-supported uses. Implement zoning and environmental improvements if applicable and begin building.


Crowdsourced Placemaking Renaissance Downtowns utilizes a unique community-driven ‘Crowdsourced Placemaking’ program that produces an enthusiastic group of supporters and investors for economically, socially and environmentally responsible (triple bottom line) revitalization.

Empowering Small Business Entrepreneurs & Community MembersCSPM represents a fundamental shift in the decision-making process by empowering small business entrepreneurs and community members to better defi ne the future of their commu-nity. CSPM used in real estate development creates opportuni-ties for individuals and small businesses that collectively have more investment capital and infl uence than the few that typically make the majority of real estate decisions. When the collective will of those who apply socially, economically and environmen-tally responsible ideas in their community is implemented, the outcome becomes consistent with community values.

Source the Station, the Huntington Station Crowdsourced Placemaking community, debuted at its grand opening on July 18, 2012. Sixty people braved through severe weather to initiate the fi rst phase of the Crowdsourced Placemaking (CSPM) process by describing the kinds of places and destinations they’d like to see in their downtown.

Source the Station is an initiative intended to ensure that the future of the Huntington Station Downtown is vibrant, inspiring and representative of the overall community’s shared values, based on uses that adhere to the triple bottom line of being economically, socially and environmentally responsible, while complementing the Huntington Village Downtown District.

Our approach is a transparent, inclusionary and fun process, that allows community members to participate in an innovative means to realize the vibrant downtown they wish to experience.

Through this Crowdsourced Placemaking community, residents and stakeholders are able to:

Collaborate with others in their community, to revitalize Hun-tington Station’s Downtown, both face-to-face and online.

Become a member of the site to propose, vote & ”Like”, and dis-cuss and campaign for the ideas that individuals support.

Support the local businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs engaged in the collaborative eff ort to revitalize downtown.

The goal of the Source the Station community is to build a forward-thinking group that will function as a valued partner in making major decisions regarding downtown investments. Until the last building is built, Renaissance Downtowns will continue to collaborate with the community to develop a downtown that is inspired by, and refl ects community values.

Membership grows to over 720 participantsAs illustrated by the chart, membership has grown steadily over the fi rst nine months as people have registered both through the website or physical form. By registering on the site, participants agree to adhere to the triple-bottom-line principles of being economically, socially and environmentally responsible, while acting civil in their communications.

What is ‘Crowdsourced Placemaking’ (CSPM)?CSPM is defi ned as the act of taking those real estate development tasks traditionally performed by real estate institutions and outsourcing them via open call to a large community, to transform existing spaces into inspiring destinations that people can be passionate about and feel invested in, and which represent shared positive values. CSPM is a technology-driven process of garnering ideas integral for redevelopment from the community members (“the crowd”) through a disciplined approach. There are rules for the submittal process, and the participants must garner broad support for their ideas in order to justify commitment to the idea. Commitment can mean everything from including the idea in plans, to doing feasibility analyses, to fi nding an entrepreneur willing to open “that business”.

Graph of Source the Station membership growth

A Platform for Positive Change

720 Members

Jul 2012

800

600

400

200

0Aug 2012

Sep 2012

Oct 2012

Nov 2012

Dec 2012

Jan 2013

Feb 2013

Mar 2013

Community Fest

Retail, Public Destination & Living Campaigns begin

23

Crowdsourced Placemaking

How does Crowdsourced Placemaking (CSPM) relate to the Development Strategy?One of the hallmarks of Renaissance’s develop-ment approach is a “Process before Plan” philos-ophy that allows for the organic creation of a shared development vision that results from the partnership among Renaissance Downtowns as the Master Developer, its municipal partner and most importantly, the public at large. Source the Station ideas guide this shared vision and the Development Strategy concepts.


Find Best IdeasIdentifi cation of small business and entrepre-neur ideas are fundamental to the Crowdsourced Placemaking process. Small business decision makers often do not participate in large business forums, but rather in more intimate social circles. Many of them are entrepreneurs and social orga-nizers who won’t typically participate in the formal public process, but who still contribute signifi cantly to the overall economic well being of Huntington Station. Thus, Source the Station hosts happy hours and meetups to provide a forum in which these leaders can identify them-selves and participate within their comfort zone.

Launch websiteThe SourcetheStation.com website was launched in June 2012, as an information resource. Infra-structure was in place to accept member reg-istrations and ideas in July 2012. Renovemos-laEstacion.com, the Spanish version of the site, launched in January 2013. Source the Station features include:

A home page slideshow Meetup and event recaps A gallery of user-submitted ideas Discussion forums Information pages A membership directory Groups Inspirational ideas pages Campaign info Offi ce hours/contact info

Defi ne PrinciplesAgreement to the Triple-Bottom-Line Statement and Crowdsourced Placemaking Agreement rules of conduct is required at registration and ensures that members post ideas that will advance re-sponsible revitalization eff orts.

Meet with StakeholdersRenaissance and the Source the Station team has met with dozens of groups and organizations, leaders and stakeholders that represent Huntington Station, and who have provided insight to better understand the community values and needs in order to more eff ectively incorporate those values and needs into future development plans. These groups include: Business Owners Town, County, State representatives Minority Community members

Hispanic Community members African-American Community members

Property Owners Other interested parties

The Spanish website version of Source the Station: RenovemoslaEstacion.com

The SourcetheStation.com home page, featuring upcoming events and over 75 ideas.

Source the Station Building the Market for Ideas

2B


Photo below: The January 2013 meetup at La Hacienda

Monthly MeetupsEvery month Source the Station hosts a ‘meetup’, providing the best opportunity for members and interested residents to meet other triple-bottom-line supporters face to face. The high-light of each meetup is a breakout group session, where attendees form small groups to brainstorm and develop ideas with the purpose of building a market and support for them. These breakout groups are formed based on the most popular shared interests expressed that evening. Partici-

pants also work on the planning for upcoming programs and events, like ‘Source Mobs’ and the Community Fest.

In addition, meetups also help inform the community via Source the Station and Renais-sance Downtowns updates. These include updates about the redevelopment eff orts, as well as addressing community concerns that relate to the redevelopment of downtown.

EventsSource the Station participated in many commu-nity events, which allowed many of the Hunting-ton Station residents to learn about how they can help shape the downtown and take the opportu-nity to become members by fi lling out paper reg-istration forms and even ballots, allowing them to “Like/Upvote” the ideas they support:

• Halloween Family Fun Day & Toy Drive• Small Business Real Estate Seminar in January• Community Fest in March (photo below)

Renaissance Downtowns is helping Businesses & Entrepreneurs with their business planning The Renaissance Downtowns Team has invest-ed time in:

On January 27th, Renaissance Downtowns hosted a Small Business Real Estate Seminar that was facilitated by ten business leaders and attended by over fi fty participants.

One-on-one discussions Meetings with multiple existing local businesses Meetings with entrepre-neurs interested in cre-ating new businesses Hosting a Small Busi-ness Real Estate Sem-inar attended by over 50 participants

Source the Station Growing the Crowd

List of monthly meetups: List of some of the Stakeholder Group meetings : October 18, 2012 November 29, 2012 December 13, 2012 January 24, 2013 February 28, 2013 April 1, 2013 April 29, 2013 (next meeting)

School Districts Mahanaim School Huntington Public Library Family Service League Huntington Station BID Huntington Historical Society Porter-Trejo Action Network

Huntington Station Latin Quarter Greater Huntington Civic Group NAACP, Huntington Chapter HS Enrichment Center South Huntington Against Drugs Suff olk County Police Department Leadership Huntington Foundation

Huntington Chamber of Commerce Family Service League Huntington Sanctuary Tri-CYA Huntington Housing Coalition Town of Huntington Youth Bureau Project HOPE

25

Apartments/Condos Over Retail

Feasibility StudiesLaunching CampaignsCampaigns lie at the heart of Source the Station activities, allowing people to collaborate and build a critical mass of support for their values and needs expressed as ideas. By focusing on one interest area at a time (such as retail, public destinations and downtown living), each with its own time period for campaigning, members are

motivated to work together. Each campaign lasts two to three months with the objective of the top ideas having received a minimum number of “Likes/Upvotes” becoming eligible for a feasibility study for the purpose of those ideas future implementation of ideas that prove feasible.

Left: The Downtown Living Campaign progress chart.

Initial IdeasWhat is the common language for communicating the values and needs of stakeholders, entrepreneurial businesses and the Huntington Station constituency? Ideas expressed visually and literally. These ideas are garnered in individual meetings, happy hours and meetups, as well as via the website (any registered member can post an idea). The only requirement is that the idea must be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. Once at least fi fty or so ideas are posted, it’s time to host the heart of the Source the Station initiative; the campaigns.

Above images: Ideas are posted as SourcetheStation.com, and can be sorted by most recently popular, most comment-ed, most recent, and most popular overall. They can also be sorted by category (public destinations, retail, residential, workplace) and by tags/keywords.

Restaurant Row

Book Shop, Cafe + Performance Space

Railroad Station Retail Cluster

Fruit & Veggies Stand

Coff eehouse

2CSource the Station A Platform for Positive Change

Source the Station

Above: The Public Destinations Campaign, with the Centre for Huntington Station being the top idea to reach a minimum number of “Likes/Upvotes’” within a certain time-frame.

Once ideas have enough Likes/ Upvotes to war-rant feasibility studies, Renaissance Downtowns enlists the talents of Kennedy Smith, one of the top retail consultants in the country. The follow-ing feasibility studies have been earned:


Paper registrations and ballotsIn addition to the website, participants can obtain physical forms to register as a member and “Like/Upvote” ideas, either from the website at sourcethestation.com/offl ine; at Renaissance’s offi ce; or at meetups and events. They are presented in both English and Spanish and are especially eff ective at major events.

Face to Face Connections

Spanish and are especially eff ective at major events.

What would you like to see in downtown Huntington Station?Name: Circle one:

Member Non-MemberIf you are not registered as a member on the sourcethestation.com website, please also send completed

membership registration form (see sourcethestation.com/offline) or write your email below so we can send

you one:

Email:

What would you like to see in downtown Huntington Station?Title:

Description:

Title:

Description:

The Public Destinations and Downtown Living ballots Membership registration form

Ideasubmission form

Membership registration formM

These questions need to be filled out to validate your ‘votes’ on the sourcethestation.com site if you

haven’t registered yet. This is only to validate your vote, we do not sell or distribute this info.First name:

Last name:

Display name (how your name appears on the site):Email:

Birthdate (required for age validation):Do you/have you lived/worked in the Town of Huntington, frequent Huntington Station or have

strong ties to the Huntington Station community??: Who referred you to Source the Station?: What is your interest in Source the Station?:

OptionalWould you consider living in a vibrant revitalized downtown if the price was right?I would like to submit this idea that would make downtown Huntington Station vibrant:

Use your email to login to sourcethestation.com to Like/vote for ideas or submit your own! To set a

new password, go to sourcethestation.com, click on ‘Login’ (top right of site), then ‘Lost Password?’

Tear this off as a reminder

Register to be a member!

...is an initiative to ensure that the future of the Huntington Station downtown is vibrant, inspiring and representative of its community’s shared values, and is based on the triple bottom line of being economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Our approach is a transparent and inclusionary process, in partnership with Renaissance

Downtowns, that allows community members to participate in an innovative “crowdsourced

placemaking” program (sourcing the crowd to make extraordinary places) to realize the vibrant

downtown they wish to experience.

The key to the community outreach eff ort is to bring together Residents, the Business Community, Town leaders, Property Owners and Renaissance Downtowns in face to face conversations about proposed ideas that will be supported by the market, the community and environmental best practices. This is accomplished through our Source the Station monthly meetups, community events and online “likes” of ideas for Huntington Station.

Source the Station Community Outreach

27

Top New Retail Ideas

Top Downtown Living Ideas

Apartments/ Condos Above Storefronts

Book Shop, Cafe, and Perfor-mance Space Railroad Station Retail Clus-ter Restaurant Row Fresh Fruit & Veggies Stand Coff ee House

Beer Garden BBQ, Billiards & Brewhouse International Neighborhood Bakery Fresh Take Out

As of April 2013, over 720 Residents, Commuters, Business Owners and Community Stakeholders have expressed their preferences for 46 public destinations, 27 retail ideas, and 3 downtown living ideas and have reached campaign goals for 5 Feasibility Studies.

Fresh Fruit & Veggies Stand

Beer GardenCoff ee House BBQ, Billiards & Brewhouse

Restaurant RowBook Shop, Cafe, and Performance Space

Railroad Station Retail Cluster


2CSource the Station

Source the Station Summary of What Huntington Station “Crowd” Wants

Townhouses

Attainably-Priced Homes for Young People

See Chapter 3. for summary of Feasibility Studies


The Centre at Hunting-ton Station

Multi-Function Commu-nity Center

Upgraded Train Station

Bike Lanes

Pedestrian friendly “Cul-tural, Retail & Entertain-ment” Street

Outdoor Music Perfor-mance Area

Job Training Center for Arts & Tech

Community Gardens

Sprinkler Park

Pedestrian Bridge

Rainwater Harvesting City Center, Park and Pond

Boutique Hotel

Children’s Daycare Cen-ter

Rooftop Park

Boy’s & Girls Club

Plaza/Piazza

Top Public Destination Ideas

Feasibility Studies

Renaissance Downtowns commissions economic feasibility studies for those ideas that garner signifi cant thumbs up from the Source the Station Community. The fi ve retail ideas that have earned enough “Upvotes” for Feasibility Studies thus far are:

• Book Shop, Cafe and Performance Space

• Railroad Station Retail Cluster

• Fresh Fruits and Veggies Stand

• Restaurant Row

• Coff eehouse

The results of these Feasibility Studies are provided in “Chapter 3A: Market Opportunities”

The Centre at Huntington Station

Community Center

Pedestrian friendly “Cultural, Retail & Entertainment” Street

Bike Lanes

Rainwater Harvesting City Center, Park and Pond

Children’s Daycare Center Sprinkler Park

Boutique Hotel

Community Gardens

Source the Station Summary of What Huntington “Crowd” Wants

29Chapter 2: Building Consensus

Top Voted Idea

The Centre at Huntington Station - these 2 images capture the importance of creating a well defi ned place and are shown for illustrative purposes only. One should not conclude that the specifi c architecture or building designs are entirely appropriate for Huntington Station.

From a February 2013 survey to all members: “The Centre for Huntington Station idea, submitted by a Source the Station member, is the most popular on the site. We’d like to hear how you’d like to further develop this idea. What experiences would you like to have in a downtown Huntington Station square? Check off up to 20 of the choices below:”

Here are the results from all responses:

The most popular idea (submitted by a Huntington Station resident, teamHawkinsUSA), is the ‘Centre for Huntington Station idea’. The original description is as follows:

“A vibrant outdoor shopping, residential and entertainment center with a unique

combination of specialty retail stores (including book store, accessories boutique,

clothing, shoes, bank, etc.) exciting upscale diverse restaurants (Hispanic, Caribbean,

Soul, etc.) and amenities that include fi tness (gym, dance studio and All American

Sports Restaurant), a central plaza with outdoor cafes and meeting areas, an ice-

skating rink (November through March), and cultural outdoor events including

summer concerts that provides a neighborhood gathering spot for residents. Not

your typical shopping center – it’s an experience. In one visit you can pick up a new

outfi t, buy a new pair of shoes, work out at the gym, buy your groceries, stop by the

dry cleaners, grab a bite to eat, dine in or simply enjoy your surroundings.”5

1717

193131

333636

3838

4045

485050

52555555

5760

6269

7474

86

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Outdoor ping pong tablesMoveable tables and chairs

Outdoor big screen sports gamesMobile working areas

Fire pitOutdoor chess tables

Extended business hours' eventsChildren's splash pad

Outdoor moviesEthnic events

Outdoor stage areaPlaces to have conversations

Offices overlooking squareLawn area

Apartments overlooking squareWinter ice skating rink

Bike parking/sharingPublic transit access

Recycled material benchesWater feature (e.g. fountain)

Public artWindow flower boxes

Outdoor concertsSeasonal events

Free wi fiOutdoor dining scene

Public/farmers market

‘What experiences would you like to have in a downtown public destination?’

2CSource the Station

Survey ResultsSource the Station is, at its root, about engaging the community in a meaningful dialogue, to garner ideas and input regarding what local residents and businesses wish to see built in their revitalized downtown. This page provides a glimpse into the idea which has received the most likes – and subsequently is being studied by Renaissance Downtowns, to ascertain feasibility. The “Centre at Huntington Station”, the top voted idea to-date, represents a mixed-use center that is highly consistent with revitalization success stories from around the country. The Huntington Station Community is expressing their preference to create a dynamic, vibrant destination fi lled with a mix of activities that will enhance their every day experiences, as well as a special place for community gatherings.



Supporting Local Small BusinessesSmall businesses are the driver of the U.S. economy, representing 99.7% of all employer fi rms and generating 65% of net new jobs over the past 17 years. Thus, the focus of Crowdsourced Placemaking applies eff ectively to small businesses as well. Here’s how Source the Station, Renaissance Downtowns and the Crowdsourced Placemaking eff ort is supporting them (see right).

Investing in a safe and vibrant downtownLocation, location, location. The most important metric for a small business is foot traffi c, and the most eff ective way to generate foot traffi c is by creating a true “sense of place” within a vibrant, active and safe downtown that draws and maintains a steady customer base.

Crowdsource new customer bases for existing businesses‘Source Mobs’ are a way members can help existing businesses by ‘mobbing’ them as customers on designated days. At the same time, they’re also supporting a new service or experience that the business owner is willing to test market to bring in new customers.

Business SeminarsRenaissance Downtowns and Source the Station periodically host business seminars to assist existing local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. The fi rst was held in January 2013 with a focus on real estate.

Crowdsource customer bases for new businessesMembers collaborate to build a market for new businesses they feel should exist in the downtown, but don’t... yet. Via the new retail campaign, they’ve supported fi ve ideas for small businesses that have earned feasibility studies, with the intent of identifying a business operator. Source the Station will assist with crowdsourcing a customer base for any entrepreneur with a solid business plan.

Entrepreneurs of Huntington Station

Six crowd-posted ideas have not only received support but have either been proposed by or adopted by entrepreneurs now pursuing these businesses. Renaissance and Source the Station have been working with many of these striving business owners to refi ne their business plans which will then be used to both expand crowd support and approach lending institutions for the needed capital to open these ventures. Below are sample of those ideas there are going through the Source the Station Entrepreneurs Process.

Soul Food Restaurant Fresh Fruit & Veggie Stand Public Market & Kitchen Incubator

An American Tavern Fresh Food Railroad Kiosk Drive Through Wedding Venue

31

Quotes from Source the Station members


2DSource the Station

Bring the community together in a grass roots manner: Nancy Berg (October 2, 2012 at 3:45 pm):

“I’d love to see a cafe that serves coff ee, wine & beer plus some light meals & has a small coff ee house type atmosphere, like the old Greenwich Village coff ee houses where small groups or individuals could perform.”

Finding solutions to keep our youth here at home

DFor04 (October 24, 2012 at 4:28 pm): “I think the idea of (Stores) with apartments above would be a great idea to bring

local demand for businesses and provide aff ordable housing for young profes-sionals who can then walk to the train station for commuting to the big city.”

Community input and ideas: Elissa (December 19, 2012 at 9:43 am) :

“I’d like to see a Computer resource center, wi-fi , art gallery, relaxing areas to read a book inside

and outside, meeting rooms off ering workshops, continuing education, and guest speakers.”

Supporting local arts & culture: Dan Nigro (March 5, 2013 at 2:12 pm): “The arts are always an attraction, so not only is having them in your own community benefi cial to residents, but people will travel for culture, which creates revenue for your community.”


Chapter 3: Revitalization Strategies

To best understand the commer-cial uses that are viable in Hunting-ton Station Renaissance Downtowns commissioned Community Land Use + Economics Group LLC (CLUE Group) to prepare a commercial market study. By combining the preferred uses identi-fi ed by the Source the Station commu-nity and this market study, we can determine which uses are likely to have suffi cient market demand necessary to be viable.

Commercial Market StudyThe CLUE Group research focused primarily on these topics and ques-tions:

Market niches that might comple-

ment, rather than compete with

independently owned businesses

in Huntington Village and the na-tional retail chains at Walt Whitman Mall and the mix of national chains. The extent to which existing busi-

nesses in the project area might

absorb additional sales, either by adjustments in marketing or mer-chandising or by opening an addi-tional location or relocating to new space in the project area. Additional markets that businesses catering to Long Island Rail Road

commuters during peak commut-ing hours might tap during slower times of day, or additional product or service lines they might add to complement rush- ‐hour commuter- ‐focused sales. Opportunities for infi ll develop-

ment along the Route 110 corridor Tools and resources that might be helpful in stimulating new business

development and growth of exist-

ing businesses.

ChallengesThere are several potential challenges for retail development in Huntington Station, and our research focused on these, also:

Retail businesses and restaurants located in close proximity to com-muter rail stations usually do brisk business during morning and eve-ning rush hours, but business is

usually slow between peak com-

muting times. Lots of shopping is within easy

reach. Shopping centers and shop-ping malls abound, and Manhattan is scarcely an hour’s train ride away. Retail businesses once densely lined New York Avenue, with a series of cohesive retail clusters that encour-aged pedestrian movement along the street and created market syn-ergy between businesses. But, as

older buildings have been demol-

ished, much of this street- level

synergy has disappeared, leaving

New York Avenue without strong

retail clusters.

OpportunitiesHuntington Station also has a number of unique characteristics that make it a promising candidate community for retail and offi ce development. For example:

Proximity to the LIRR train station

gives Huntington Station a signif-

icant advantage in attracting new

customers, new workers, and new

residents. In essence, it could open Huntington Station to the New York metropolitan area. Huntington Station’s cultural diver-

sity can be a powerful tool in dif-ferentiating its retail off erings and offi ce environment from those of nearby communities that are more culturally homogeneous. Huntington Station has a relatively

high percentage of locally owned

businesses, suggesting a healthy foundation for entrepreneurship. Huntington Station has many small personal and professional services businesses – general and special-ized building contractors, food wholesalers, even a custom sailmak-er – that could become the founda-tion of stronger and more vertically

oriented industry clusters. The availability of aff ordable retail, offi ce, and small manufacturing space in Huntington Station – rela-tive to nearby communities – could give Huntington Station a competi-tive advantage over its neighbors. New York Avenue was historically a very strong commercial backbone. While its physical form and eco-nomic synergy have been eroded over the years, there are still several nodes that, bolstered by infi ll de-velopment, could help reconstitute New York Avenue’s historic market power.

Example of retail storefronts in a mixed-use downtown

33Chapter 3: Revitalization Strategies

3AMarket Opportunities

The current residents of the Town of Huntington have a calculated sales leakage of over $650,000,000 annually. $650 million is spent by the Town of Huntington residents every year outside the Town

boundaries.

$50 million is spent by Huntington Station residents on retail and restaurants annually

outside of Huntington Station boundaries.

This represents an enormous opportunity for entrepreneurs in a revitalized Huntington

Station, and for the Village of Huntington.

Sales Leakage defi ned: “A measure of retail sales lost by a community to a competitive market, indicating

the need for more retail development in an area”

Example of a mixed-use downtown

Examples of a mixed-use downtown

Apartments above Restaurant Row


Market Feasibility Studies earned by Source the Station community

Five Market Studies Commissioned by

Renaissance Downtowns to date

The Source the Station community has voted on their favorite retail ideas and fi ve of those have earned enough votes to qualify for a market feasibility study:

Book Shop, Cafe and Performance Space Railroad Station Retail Cluster Fresh Fruits and Veggies Stand Restaurant Row Coff ee House (in progress)

Storefront window from a Book Shop, Cafe & Performance Space

Railroad Station Retail Cluster Restaurant Row

What Source the Station members want:

“Stationery store, cleaners, coff ee shop, bank, etc. located at the Huntington Station Railroad. A collection of convenient shopping and service businesses to accommodate commuters. Could include take out food, a coff ee/wine bar, and snack shop.”

Railroad Station Retail Cluster is feasible:We found that, with moderate marketing eff orts, there are several business types that could likely be supported at the Huntington Station LIRR site, with LIRR passengers who embark or disembark at Huntington Station being these busi-nesses’ primary customer group. In particular, it seems that demand may likely be strong for restaurants and carry-out dinners. The viability of a retail cluster at the train station would be greatly enhanced if the retail cluster were visible from New York Avenue, and therefore readily accessible to non- ‐LIRR customers.

What Source the Station members want:

“A diverse cluster of restaurants and cafes that make up a culturally rich dining destination in Huntington Station. This could off er a diff erent variety and price point than the Village currently off ers, including ethnic, international and experience- ‐based’ places that go beyond just serving food and drink.”

Restaurant Row is feasible:A healthy amount of market demand exists for a cluster of restaurants in Hunting-ton Station. The following are suggestions to help the cluster succeed: Physical proximity to one another is essential. Each restaurant would almost certainly be more successful as part of a cluster than if it were sited alone. People commuting through Huntington Station’s LIRR station will be an impor-tant customer segment, but not as important as Town of Huntington residents. Good visibility & access from New York Ave. will be critical for success. Huntington Station’s Restaurant Row would likely be most successful by diff er-entiating itself from restaurant off erings in Huntington Village and by focusing on cuisine refl ecting the community’s cultural heritage. The restaurant cluster should off er a high quality dining experience – excellent interior and exterior design, proper signage, superior service, and great food.

363 Likes for retail-related ideas

388 Likes for restaurant-related ideas

Current residents of the Station spend over $30 million

every year on furniture & home furnishings, electronics& appliances stores and general merchandise stores

outside the Huntington Station census district.

Current residents of the Station spend almost $20 million

every year in restaurants outside the Huntington Stationcensus district. Restaurant uses are collectively the most

liked uses on Source the Station.

35

Book Shop, Cafe & Performance Space

Fresh Fruits & Veggies Stand

What we heard:

“What if we could provide a place for all people (including students) to meet and study? Imagine a beautiful place of our own that is a bookstore, café, eatery, and a performance space all in one! This shop would be the perfect place for all Huntington Station residents.”

Recommended mix of uses: Bookstores and newsstands Restaurants Live entertainment (movies, theatre & other non- sports ticketed events)

A Book Shop, Cafe & Performance Space is feasible:There is market demand to support a combination bookstore, restaurant, and en-tertainment venue in Huntington Station, relying primarily on sales to Hunting-ton Station residents. The business chances of success would therefore almost certainly be bolstered if it were located in within easy walking distance of the train station. Good visibility from New York Avenue will be crucial.

Existing fruit/vegetable store environmentThere are twelve grocery stores within a two- ‐mile radius of the Huntington Station LIRR station. In addition, there are fi fteen convenience stores, four meat markets, three fi sh and seafood markets and two fruit and vegetable markets (Sunny’s Market and Happy Farm).

Retail Sales Surplus for Food and Beverage StoresHuntington Station has a retail sales surplus of approximately $68.8 million in food and beverage stores, meaning that the community’s food stores are captur-ing more sales than the community’s residents alone are likely responsible for. Because of the likelihood that most area residents will buy most of their fruits & vegetables from the store in which they do their routine grocery shopping, we believe that LIRR commuters whose trips begin or end at Huntington Station would represent the most signifi cant customer segment for a fruit/vegetable stand.

Fruit/ Vegetable Store is feasible:It appears that there is enough market demand to support a fruit/vegetable stand near the Huntington Station train station – although its margins would be relatively thin.

Huntington Station residents

Town of Huntington residents

LIRR commuters whose trips begin or end at Huntington

Station

LIRR commuters who live east of

Huntington Station

Meals and alcohol consumed in restaurants 340,400 835,500 137,100 ---

Books, magazines, newspapers 47,700 35,200 19,400 5,100

Movie, theatre, and other entertainment 80,600 130,900 17,700 5,700

Estimated Annual Gross Sales from Purchases made by

Assuming Moderate Market Penetration with Strong New York Avenue visiblity (other scenarios were studied in the Study)

Market Analysis Summary

Market Analysis Summary


What is a Restaurant Cluster?Restaurant clusters - generally considered to be a group of six or more restaurants located within 500 feet of one another – are a very popular component of many new and historic mixed-use downtowns. When successful, the restaurants serve as a regional magnet, attracting customers throughout and beyond the community.

94 Likes for this idea

78 Likes for this idea


Hotel Opportunities

View A

A quality full service hotel with catering and restaurant service can be a catalyst for economic development, introducing new patrons to the existing and revitalized market. Source the Sta-tion members have expressed a strong desire to have a reasonably priced catering venue for wed-dings, family gatherings, and other celebrations.

If this facility is incorporated into a hotel with a full service restaurant, bar and shops, directly across from the LIRR train station, the entire Town of Huntington could take advantage of it. Huntington Station is in a unique position on Long Island, with its direct rail access to JFK Inter-national Airport and its proximity to Huntington Village. Business travelers may choose to stay there rather than the more isolated options in Melville and Plainview. The hotel could become not only a place to stay, but also a place of enter-tainment for local residents.

Rendering of a potential New Boutique Hotel and offi ce space at southwest corner of Railroad St. & New York Avenue

1

1

2

2

Broadway AveNew

York Avenue

Fairground AveLIRR

Rail Station

Railr

oad

St.

Location Map for historic hotels in Huntington Station

Former North Side Hotel/ Mullen’s Hotel on the northwest side of the station

Former Colonial House Hotel

Image of Boutique Hotel

Broadway Ave

New

York Avenue

Rail Station

Former Hotels at the Station Hotel Opportunities & Benefi ts

A mid-range boutique hotel with between 125 - 175 rooms would create a vibrant environment in the Huntington Station Downtown area. The restaurant would not only serve patrons of the hotel, but also commuters and full time residents alike. A series of small retail shops connected to the hotel and fronting New York Avenue would help to activate the street and provide needed services and shopping opportunities in the market.

Additionally, hotels and restaurants create more jobs per square foot than other commercial uses. A mixed-use hotel would be an excellent employer for local Huntington Station residents who could walk to work, eliminating costs of commuting to and from their place of employment.

37Chapter 3: Revitalization Strategies


Long Island’s lack of attainably priced down-town living choices has had serious conse-quences for its residents. A signifi cant portion of Long Island’s young people is leaving for good. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the most supported ideas on the Source the Station site were “Attainably Priced Homes for Young People” and “Apartments/Condos Above Store-fronts”. The changing composition of American households and their changing housing prefer-ences are both shaped by the two largest gener-ations in the history of America: Baby Boomers and Millennials; Baby Boomers are currently estimated at 77 million and born between 1946 and 1964, and Millennials are estimated at 78 million, born from 1977 to 1996 and, in 2010, surpassed the Boomers in population.

Residential Market Study

Top Downtown Living Ideas

Apartments/ Condos Above Storefronts Townhouses

Long Island Precedents

Mixed-Use Development in Port Jeff erson, New York

Mixed-Use Development in Bayshore, New York

Apartments

above Storefronts

% of

Units

Size

(SqFt)

Micro-Studio/1ba 15% 400

Studio/1ba 15% 450

1br/1ba 15% 500

1br/1ba 20% 550

1br/1ba 20% 600

2br/2ba 5% 700

2br/2ba 5% 800

2br/2ba 5% 950

100%

Regardless of the diff erence in their ages, many Boomers and Millenials have remarkably similar living preferences. In addition to a shared pref-erence for downtown living, they are changing housing markets in multiple ways. In contrast to the traditional family (married couples with children) that comprised the typical post-war American household, Boomers and Millennials are households of predominantly singles and couples. As a result, the 21st Century home-buying market now contains more than 63 percent one and two person households, and the remaining 37 percent of home buyers that could be categorized as “family households” are equally likely to be non-traditional as traditional families. As a result, walkable mixed-use neighborhoods are now more likely to succeed, particularly when served by transit.

This table details likely unit mix and sizes in a downtown setting.

Apartments/condos above storefronts is one of the TOP FIVE liked ideas on Source the Station.

Attainably Priced Homes for Young Professionals

The crowd earned a feasibility study... Not only are they feasible, but they’re necessary!


TRANSIT FRIENDLY: Enhance transit connectivi-ty between commuter rail, buses and compact, walk-able neighborhood centers

MIXED-USE BUILDINGS: Incentivize mixed-use buildings within neighborhood centers to promote economic sustainability

Revitalization Toolkit for Huntington Station Centers

B

PROMOTE CENTERS: Establish neighborhood mixed-use centers within a fi ve minute walk, promoting economic vitality & pedestrian walkability

F

A

GPROMOTE ANCHOR USES: Consolidate lots & incentivize development of anchor uses that will generate pedestrian activity, commerce & employment

Diagram of Renaissance Downtowns’ approach to Revitalizating Huntington Station

Renaissance Downtowns Approach to Revitalizing Huntington Station

Our unique approach to engag-ing public & private property owners - see Chapter 2A

Hundreds of local voices & their socially, economically, environ-mentally responsible ideas - see Chapter 2B

Our market experts telling us the underlying economics on which ideas are likely to succeed - see Chapter 3A

Our national toolbox of time-

tested revitalization tools that

have proven success in other

downtowns - see Chapter 3D

Strategies specifi cally crafted for Huntington Station that form the foundation of the successful revitalization - see Chapter 3E

Here is how all these great community ideas, market demand and our development experience all come together to form the Revitalization Strategies:

+

+

+

=

Unifi ed Development Approach

Source the Station Ideas

Market Opportunities


Revitalization Strategies

39

CONNECTED NETWORKS: Promote a connected street and pedestrian network to achieve healthy walkable communities & reduce traffi c congestion

CIVIC SPACES: Create civic spaces that encourage walking, gathering and community engagement

COMPLETE STREETS: Establish street design standards that embrace the needs of pedestrians, vehicles, safety, emergency services & the environment

E


C D

HACTIVE FRONTAGES: Line commercial streets with storefronts & frequently spaced doors and windows to promote pedestrian activity, commerce & safety

PARKING PLACEMENT: Locate off -street parking at the rear & side of buildings to maintain continuity of sidewalk and storefront experience

I JQUALITY & SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: Set clear design guidelines to set high standard for sites, civic spaces, green design, building and storefronts

X √

Parking Lot in Rear

3B


Stre

et

Street


Visual Guide to the Revitalization Strategies

Principles for Walkable Neighborhoods

Walkable Neighborhood Areas are proven strategies for Downtown Revitalization The following pages outline the development strategies for Huntington Station Downtown and Neighborhood Mixed-Use Areas. The keys below are utilized within Revitalization Strategies, adjacent to each area map for graphic representation of strategies, tools and garnered ideas.

TOWN CENTER

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

RAIN GARDENS

BUS LINES

PLAYGROUNDS

POCKET PARK

COMMUTER RAIL &

STATION

BOULEVARD

WORKSHOPS AND OFFICES ALONG BOULEVARD

MIXED-USEBUILDINGS

MIXED-USE BUILDINGS

BUS STOP

BUS STOP

1/8 MILE RADIUS,

2.5 MIN WALK

1/8 MILE RADIUS,

2.5 MIN WALK

1/4 MILE RADIUS,

5 MIN WALK

1/4 MILE RADIUS,

5 MIN WALK

BUS STOPBB

The Neighborhood Center diagram (left) is based upon Clarence Perry’s “Neighborhood Unit” from the 1930’s and the nationally recognized planning principle that walkable communities typically occur within 1/4 mile & a 5 minute walk of a neighborhood center. The core of these neighborhood areas is 1/8 mile in radius. At major transportation hubs & downtown areas with welcoming architecture, storefronts and pedestrian amenities, this distance can increase to 1/2 mile and a 10 minute walk.

Green text and boxes identify some of the Source the Station ideas applied to each area.

Orange text and boxes identify some of the Revitalization Tools applied to each area.

Blue text and descriptive circles identify and map some of the strategies applied to each area.

Red box indicates a strong market demand for items identifi ed on pages 32-37.

The symbols on the left are the components of the Legend included with each area map.

Source the Station Ideas


Strong Market Demand


1

H

Rendering View

Establish Contextual Setbacks, Frontages, and Sidewalk Standards

Municipal Land Opportunity

Civic / Open Space Opportunity

Revitalization Strategy Area

1/8 Mile Walk Area

AA

41

Revitalization StrategiesHuntington Station Downtown & Neighborhood Mixed-Use Areas

Neighborhood Transition Area at Huntington Village

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Woodland St & New York Ave

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Holdsworth Dr. & New York Av.

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Gateway Plaza

Huntington Station Downtown Mixed-Use Area

Community Recreation Area at Manor Field

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Pulaski Road & New York Ave

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at 11th Street & New York Ave

3C


Five Minute 1/4 Mile Walk

2.5 Minute 1/8 Mile Walk


Map of Huntington Station Downtown Neighborhood & Community Recreation Area

Legend

Community Recreation Area

Neighborhood Mixed-Use AreaHuntington Station Downtown Mixed-Use Area

Huntington Village

Manor Field

New

York Ave

New York Ave

Depot Road

Broadway Ave

Pulaski Road

Fairground Av

Rail Station

Olive St

Henry StHoldsworth Dr

New York Ave

Pulaski Road

11th St

Huntington Village

Woodland St

Below depicts the 8 neighborhood focus areas. The following section will walk the reader through the revitalization strategies for each area, working from the Village border to 11th Street. Revitalization of these areas will not only spark the reinvention of Downtown Huntington Station, but will have lasting positive economic impacts on the rest of Huntington Station and the Town as a whole.

Below are a series of character images that show poten-tial scale and form, illustrating diff erences between a “Downtown Area” and a “Neighborhood Area”.

Huntington Station Downtown Mixed-Use Areas

Streets

Buildings

Civic Spaces


Civic Spaces & Streets Buildings


Neighborhood Transition Area at Huntington Village

With the heart of Huntington Village located a fi ve minute walk away, this Neighborhood Area is characterized by professional service uses located in buildings originally constructed as residences. The goal for this area is to maintain the remarkable character of the traditional architecture and promote site landscaping, signage and land uses that will further reinforce the “residential look” of this neighborhood and its adjoining single family residential community. Where feasible, parking should be placed behind the primary structures, with hedges and ornamental fences at the street.

Mixed-Use Buildings

Active Frontages

Parking Placement

Quality & Sustainable Design

Revitalization Tools most relevant for this

Area:

B

H

I

J

Program Ideas from Source the Station members

Townhouses

Bike Lanes

Maker/ Coworking Space

Dance Studio

Woodshop Studio

Bus Stop

Though typically used for commerce now, existing buildings were originally built as residences.

Pedestrian crosswalks

Bike LanesMaker/ Coworking SpacePedestrian friendly streets

43

Knollwood Ave

New York Ave

Knollwood Ave Knollwood Ave

Crescen

t Dr

Cres

cent

Dr

Oakwood Rd

Hillc

rest

St

High

St

Cres

cent

Gate

New York Ave

illcres

t St

Knollwood Ave

d Ave Knollwood Ave

Crescen

t Dr

Cres

cent

Dr

Hillc

rest

S

C

illcres

t St

Map of Neighborhood Transition Area at Huntington Village


M1

3C


Protect historic character of existing commercial neighbor-hoods

Enhance and expand profes-sional offi ce and small service/ retail uses to permit and promote continued adaptive reuse opportunities

Promote Artisan Production uses and associated retail opportunities

Establish contextual setback/build-to lines to activate side-walk and building frontages facing New York Avenue

Enhance Village Gateway and improve access and function of existing transit stop

1

2

3

4

5

Community Driven Revitalization Strategies

M5

StSt

Key Map

1

3

4

4 4

Knollwood

Oakwood Rd

High

St dd

Revitalization Strategy

Rendering View

Establish Contextual Setbacks, Frontages & Sidewalk Standards




1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1AA

ate25


This neighborhood area’s existing conditions contain a va-riety of uses which include offi ce, light industrial and auto related services. Building upon these conditions, the revi-talization of this area should include the expansion of of-fi ce and artisan/industrial uses. Service based businesses, along with civic opportunities in the form of pocket parks, can complement both existing and future uses.

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Woodland St. & New York Ave.

Promote Centers

Active Frontages

Parking Placement


H

I

J

F


Area:


Bike Lanes

Pocket Park

Job Training Center in Arts & Tech

DIY Design & Education Center

Children’s Day-care Center

Existing woodworking studio Existing offi ce building

Mixed-use buildings with quality designArtisan production space

Pocket park near offi ce

45

New York Ave

Holds

worth

Dr

New York Ave

New York Ave

Holds

worth

Dr

Map of Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Woodland St. & New York Ave.

Key Map

M2

Revitalization Strategies 3C


Promote Artisan Production uses and associated retail opportunities

Promote a mix of uses with a focus on Regional Offi ce oppor-tunities and supporting Service Uses

Establish contextual setback/build-to lines to activate side-walk and building frontages facing New York Avenue

Consider large industrial sites as possible receiving areas for the relocation of industrial uses in the Huntington Station Down-town Area.

1

2

3

4


1

4

2

31

32

4

3


Rendering View





1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1AA


At the site of the former Hess Estate, the Big H Shopping Center and adjoining commercial buildings should fo-cus on creating more pedestrian-oriented storefronts, streetscapes, landscaping, crosswalks and commercial an-chor stores. Land owners should consider a broader mix of uses to infi ll under-utilized parking lots and create a Mixed-Use Area more welcoming to pedestrians. Innovative solu-tions to remove or reduce the blank retaining walls & auto-oriented character of the district should be explored.

Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Holdsworth Dr. & New York Ave.

Mixed-Use Buildings

Complete Streets

Promote Anchor Uses

Active Frontages

Parking Placement

B

C

G

H

I


Area:


Existing “Big H” Shopping Center

Mural activates an empty wall area

Pedestrian friendly shopping centers

Existing offi ce building

Townhouses

Bike Lanes

Credit Union

Unique Bus Stops

Diner

The Cedars, the Harry Bellas Hess estate designed by Howells & Stokes c. 1914 in Huntington. Hess was president of the National Bellas Hess Company, a mail order business which made cloaks and suits. The Cedars burned down in the 1950s and part of the Huntington High School was erected on the property. Hess died in 1960 at the age of 88.

47

New York Ave

Allison CtH

Lowndes Ave

Holdsw

orth D

r

ew York Ave

Horiz

on D

r

Tower St

Parking Lot

Parkin

g Lot

Holdsworth Dr

Parking Lot

Parki

ng Lo

t

Parki

ng Lo

t

Horiz

on D

r

Map of Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Holdsworth Dr. & New York Ave.



Promote landscape, streetscape, pedestrian lighting and signage improvements especially within roadway areas striped for no vehicles

Promote selective infi ll of commercial buildings at under-utilized sites along New York Avenue

Promote shared parking to permit infi ll development near New York Avenue and reduce the extended frontages with no storefronts and areas unwel-coming to pedestrians

Enhance pedestrian experience at Big H retaining walls on west side of New York Ave

1

2

3

4


Parki

ng Lo

t

Key MapM3

1

4

2

3

3

3Lowndes Ave

Allison Ct Tower St


Rendering View





1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1AA


Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Gateway Plaza

Wildlife Sanctuary & Walking Path

Community Garden

Children’s Nature Play Area

New Nature Agricultural and Education Center

Gateway Plaza

Amphitheater

Map of Concept Plan for Gateway Park

Complete Streets

Civic Spaces

Connected Networks

Parking Placement


C

D

E

I

J

Revitalization Tools most relevant for this Area:

The Huntington Station community, LICAN and the Town/EDC have built community gardens, plazas and the foundation for hope and positive change in what was once an area perceived as unsafe. Now there are even bolder plans for a wildlife sanctuary and environmental education center to support near-by mixed-use and more.

New York Ave

Lowndes Ave i lt li lt l

Academy Pl

Outdoor Performance Area

Community Gardens

Thrift and Consignment Shop

Fresh Fruit Stand


Green Energy Park

Special thanks to :

• Laurel Group for volunteering their expertise and creation of the Gateway Park Plan.

• LICAN for organizing and managing the Community Garden.

• Town & EDC for their eff orts and imple-mentation coordination for the Gate-way Plaza

49

L

Olive

St

Townhouse Rd S

Woodh

North

ridge

St

Henry

St

Lowndes Ave

Ramp

May St

Northridge St

T

Towe

r St

Acad

emy P

l

Lowndes Ave

New York Ave

et Pl

New York Ave

W

Cheshire St

New York Ave

Hendrickson Ave

Townhouse Rd N

Churc

h St

May St

M4


Key Map

3C


Map of Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Gateway Plaza

To

W

T

Townhouse Rd N

Integrate and expand commu-nity garden plots into the Gate-way Park Concept PlanCreate Environmental Educa-tional Center at Gateway Park:• Restore farmhouse as Education

Center• Create Master Plan for Community

Gardens• Create amphitheater, park, & park-

ing• Create environmental education

landscapes, pavilions and trails at New York DOT stormwater basin

• Facilitate better pedestrian connections

Create green roof or roof-top restaurant above existing commercial building, overlook-ing Gateway Park

Leverage new plaza and streetscape enhancements at Gateway Plaza to encourage:• Redevelopment of 1000 New York

Avenue• Reinvestment in aging existing

buildingsPromote mixed-use infi ll devel-opment and/ adaptive reuse of under-utilized properties along New York Ave

Create a multipurpose green-way, trail & landscape


1

2

3

4

5

6

Gateway Plaza

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525

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Lowndes Ave

Townhouse Rd SRevitalization Strategy

Rendering View



Legend

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ow

AA



1/8 Mile Walk Area


With over 10,000 rail riders a day, the station area is strategically located to become a Mixed-Use Downtown with a broad array of offi ce, retail, restaurant, residential, and civic uses. There are numerous under-utilized municipal and private sites poised for redevelopment. This area north of the tracks provides an opportunity for commercial development adjacent to the station but will need road reconfi guration in partnership with the State to bring the stretch of New York Ave. from Broadway to Olive Street down to a more manageable safe confi guration. Increasing safety on this section of New York Ave. will allow for continued development on the east and west side of the road.

Proposed View of New York Avenue at Broadway Ave Facing South toward StationThis rendering shows the opportunity for a revitalized area at the rail station to be transformed into an even more vibrant transportation hub with additional shops and restaurants at the station and a full service hotel and offi ce building with easy access to the station. The Downtown North area off ers outdoor dining, streetscape enhancements, and buildings with storefronts and entrances facing the streets. This rendering depicts civic spaces adjacent to the station platforms creating opportunities for train layovers, sitting, gardens and civic gathering places.

Huntington Station Downtown - North

Program Ideas from Source the Station

members

Transit Friendly

Mixed-Use Buildings

Complete Streets

Active Frontages

Parking Placement

ABCHI


Area:

Railroad Retail Cluster

Walkable Bikable Downtown

Boutique Hotel

Townhouses

Apartments/ Condos above Storefronts

Photo of Huntington Station from 1918, withlandscaped greens.


Existing view at Station

A

B

Lowndes Ave

Highview Ave

S

Broadway

E 3rd St

New York AveNew York Ave

Winding St

May St

Wyman Ave

Biltmore CirTownhouse Rd N

E 2nd St

Parking Lot

Broadway

Broadway

E 2nd

Railroa

d Ave

Lowndes Ave

May St

51

Create pocket parks at entrances to each pedestrian bridge over New York Ave.

Implement Complete Streets and traffi c calming to increase development potential by reducing the width of New York Ave.

Develop New Boutique Hotel and Offi ce at SW corner of Railroad St. & New York Ave.

Create Railroad St. retail, civic green, and gateway tower

Promote construction of resi-dences for veterans

Promote infi ll development at underutilized sites and parking lots along north New York Avenue, while providing parking for commuters in alternative confi gurations

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2

3

456



Winding St

SMap of Huntington Station Downtown - NorthHighview Ave

St

WySt

Townhouse Rd N

6

2.5 Min Walk to Neighborhood Center

C

CB

2.522.5 .5.5NeighborhoNe orhoorhoorho

E 3rd St

Key Map

Broadway Ave Commuter Parking Structure

Second Street Commuter Parking Structure

Huntington

Rail Station

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1

4

1

1

4

2

2

2

5

M5

Image of potential Veteran’s Residences

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Cir

Wyman Ave

Biltmore Ci

May St


Rendering View



Legend

1AA



1/8 Mile Walk Area

3




members

Huntington Station Downtown - South

Huntington Station’s Downtown North and South areas were once the heart of Downtown Huntington Station and through this collaborative revitalization, will regain that status. Downtown South provides the ability to redevelop acres of under-utilized municipal land (see orange highlights on map) which currently generates little to no tax revenues, while also encouraging infi ll development opportunities along New York Ave. Downtown South presents the most transformative opportunity of all of the areas detailed in Chapter 3. A series of mixed-use buildings that serve offi ce, retail, restaurant, residential uses, which are planned to work as one unifi ed development, will help to bring safety and vibrancy to the area.

Transit Friendly

Mixed-Use Buildings

Civic Spaces

Promote Anchor Uses

Active FrontagesProposed View of New York Ave. at Depot Road facing north toward station, showing new mixed-use buildings & streetscape enhancements

A

B

D

G


Area:

H

The Centre at Huntington Station

Book Shop, Café and Performance Space

Restaurant Row

Pedestrian “Cultural, Retail, Entertainment” Street

Beer Garden

Existing view at Depot Rd.

A

DExisting buildings demon-strate excellent architectur-al character to build upon

EThe existing parking lots could become the central plaza desired by many community members

New York Ave

E 4th St

York Ave

Depot Rd

1st Ave

Railroad

St

Depot Rd

W 4th St

Columbia

St

E 2nd St

E 2nd St

New Y

Fairground

E 5th

Railroa

d Ave

E 3rd St

W 4th St

53

Create pocket parks at entrances to each pedestrian bridge over New York Ave Reconfi gure streets & parking north of 2nd Street to create : better circulation, sites for mixed-use buildings replacement parking

Move 2nd Street north to align with a new street west of New York Ave & create a connected network of streets & sidewalks

Create mixed-use develop-ment on the Rotundo site and municipal parking lots SW of the station

Promote private property partnership developments at under-utilized sites and parking lots along New York Avenue & industrial sites along railroad

Create a neighborhood gate-way feature at this prominent intersection

Potential location for pocket park & mixed-use development


1

2

3

4

5

6

Fairground

E 5th

Map of Huntington Station Downtown - South

6

6

a St

W 4th St

3

5 5


s1s1s1s1 ttt t AAAvAvAvveeeee

2.5 Min Walk to

Neighborhood

Centerw Y

2.5 min walk to

neighborhood centerneighborghbghb hood centertete


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6

C

C

B

B


Huntington

Rail Station

4 3

M6

7

11

3

Columbia

SRevitalization Strategy

Rendering View





1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1AAAAAA

3 Key Map

D

E

The existing lot could become Restaurant Row, offi ces & upper fl oor residences

build upon Station Sports investment

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

2


Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Pulaski Rd. & New York Ave.

This Neighborhood mixed-use area off ers great oppor-tunities for facade enhancement of existing buildings, adaptive reuse of existing buildings and selective infi ll of mixed-use buildings surrounding the neighborhood center at New York Avenue & Pulaski Road. This four corner section of Huntington Station has the potential to bring together Municipal property, under-utilized private property and an existing business base to create an anchor just south of the “Downtown Area.”

Mixed-Use Buildings

Promote Centers

Active Frontages

Parking Placement


B

F

H

I

J


Area:

Restaurant Row

Attainably-Priced Homes for Young People

Job Training Center in Arts & Tech

DIY Design & Education Center

Junior- Senior Daycare


members

Existing Conditions Photos

Long Island precedent image (Bay Shore) Example of new mixed-use building with design that strengthens existing traditional neighbor-hoods

Successful example of neighborhood mixed-use area

A

B C

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Map of Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at Pulaski Rd. & New York Ave.


M7


1

23

Promote the development of a mixed-use area that leverages the existing church and school to create a more vibrant and safe neighborhood

Promote façade enhancements of aging storefronts as needed

Promote partnering & coopera-tion among adjoining property owners to enable economically feasible redevelopment

Consider Pocket Parks as a neighborhood anchor

Promote private property partnership developments at under-utilized sites and parking lots along New York Avenue & industrial sites along railroad

M6

4


5

E 5th St

3rd Ave

W Pulaski Rd

W 9th St

Rd

1st Ave

Depot Rd

1st Ave

1st Ave

W 9th St

E Pulaski Rd

Depot Rd

Depot Rd

W 4th St

E 9th St

3rd Ave

E Pulaski Rd

New York Ave

E 6th St

W Pulaski Rd

Fairground Ave

New York Ave

2nd Ave

E 5th St

E Pulaski Rd

E 6th St

E 9th St

1

5

5

5

5

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55

3

3

3

Depot Rd


Rendering View





1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1

pot

AA

Key Map

2.5 min walk to neighborhood center

4

M7

A

B

C

2

2


Mixed-Use Buildings

Promote Centers

Active Frontages

Parking Placement


Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at 11th St. & New York Ave.

This neighborhood mixed-use area off ers great opportunities for facade enhance-ment of existing buildings and consolidation of smaller sites into mixed-use buildings surrounding the neighborhood center at 11th St. & New York Ave. Shared parking, rear yard parking and greater continuity of street facing storefronts on New York Ave should be encouraged throughout this area. Inappropriate uses in the area should be encour-aged to redevelop with one or more of the permitted mix of uses and/ or relocate while still remaining in Huntington Station market.

B

F

H

I

J


Area:

International Neighborhood Bakery

Walkable Bikeable Downtown

Plaza

Art Shows/ Gallery

Year-Round Public Market / Kitchen Incubator


members

Existing condition: under-utilized property

Quality design of new mixed-use buildings with active frontages addressing the street Outdoor dining areas enhance civic spaces

Farmers markets provide fresh food choices for residents

57

M8



Promote the development of a mixed-use area that leverages the existing businesses and fi re station, to create a more vibrant and safe neighborhood

Promote façade enhancements of aging storefronts as needed

Promote selective infi ll of Mixed-Use Development at under utilized sites along New York Avenue

Promote partnering & coopera-tion among adjoining property owners to enable economically feasible redevelopment


1

2

3

4


E 11th St

1st A

E 10th St

1st Ave

3rd Ave

W 10th St

New

York

Ave

k Ave

New

York

Ave

E 11th St

E 11th St

1st Ave

W 10th St

W 11th St

3rd Ave

W 11th St

Grand Pl

E 11th St 1st Ave

W 10th St

New

York

Ave

3rd Ave

E 12th St

E 11th St

E 10th St

1st Ave

E 11th St

11th St

1st Ave

Grand Pl

E 11th St 1st Ave

3rd Ave

W 10th St

W 11th St

3rd Ave

W 11th St

W 10th St

3rd Ave

2.5 min walk to

neighborhood center

Fire Station

3

3

1

4

44

3

Map of Neighborhood Mixed-Use Area at 11th St. & New York Ave.


Rendering View





1/8 Mile Walk Area

Legend

1AA

3

Key Map

2

2

2


Civic Spaces

Connected Networks

Promote Centers

Promote Anchor Uses

Community Recreation Area at Manor Field

The Manor Field Recreation Area off ers remarkable opportunities for a new Community Center at the former Armory, a splash water park, trail improvements and greater synergies between Town recreation programs and community service providers. The new Community Center can off er a banquet hall for special events, meeting rooms, after school programs, a computer resource center, a job training center and support to war veterans.


Area:

D

E

F

G

Community Center - Multi-Function

Boys and Girls Club

Splash Park

Family Holistic Health Center

Park and Pond with Rain Water Harvesting


members

Existing Manor Field & armory site proposed for adaptive reuse into the future James D. Conte Community Center

Existing Manor Field recreation fi elds & courts as well as a potential location for a splash park

Existing armory bay - proposed reuse as in-door event/ recreation

Source the Station image of the Community Center

3

11

3Image of splash park preferred by Source the Station community

59


1

2

34

Map of Community Recreation Area at Manor Field

Key MapKe

M9



Promote the adaptive reuse of the Armory as a Commu-nity Recreation Center

Enhance pedestrian experi-ence, pedestrian lighting, sidewalks & walkability in this vicinity

Create a splash park

Enhance and coordinate programs, facilities and com-munity services in the Manor Field vicinity

Manor Field Recreation

Area

Potential James D. Conte

Community Center

at Armory

Potential

Pedestrian Path

14

2 2

2

3


Rendering View



Legend

1AA



1/8 Mile Walk Area


CHAPTER 4: Next StepsApproval Process & Conclusion

This Development Strategy represents a twelve month outreach and collaboration effort with the community and the municipality in Huntington Station. However, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done after this document is adopted by the Town Board. Chapter 4 begins the discussion on several of the major items that will need to be addressed including:

Next Steps & Milestones Immediate Development Opportunities Zoning & Land Use Next Steps Parking Lot Opportunities Enhanced Transportation Choices Infrastructure Public Safety Local Community Benefi ts Community Festivals

61

There are two sites within the Huntington Station Focus Area that already have Town approvals and reserved sewer capacity in the Sewer District. They are known as the Columbia Terrace development and the Northridge development. A potential third site, not yet fully approved, is located at 1000 New York Ave.Columbia Terrace is a housing initiative, at the intersection of Columbia Street, Lowndes Avenue & Railroad Street, which has been spearheaded by the Community Development Agency. It is planned as for-sale housing reserved for Veterans currently residing in the Town of Huntington. Renaissance fully sup-ports this development and will continue to make it a priority to work with the Town to get the project built and occupied as expeditiously as possible.Northridge is a commercial mixed-use development planned and entitled by the Economic Development Corporation. This approved 15,000 sq ft develop-ment fronts New York Avenue at the corner of Northridge Street. Renaissance is currently evaluating the approved plans to determine if the project could be built as designed or if design modifi cations are needed. When the project is deemed to be fi nancially viable, Renaissance will work with the EDC and the Town to get it built as soon as possible.1000 New York Avenue is another smaller site, owned by the Town, which presents immediate development potential. The site is located at the corner of Olive Street & New York Avenue, fronting the new Gateway Plaza. The Town has secured several grants from NYS which could be used to facilitate the construc-tion of a mixed-use building. This site needs to go through full design and ap-provals to be able to be constructed.Chapter 4: Next Steps

4ANext Steps & Milestones

Next Steps & Milestones Immediate Development Opportunities1000 New York Ave Site

Columbia TerraceSite

NorthridgeSite

Apr-Jun 2013

July-Sept2013

Oct-Dec2013

Jan-Mar2014

Apr-Jun2014

July-Sept2014

Oct-Dec2014

Jan-Mar2014

Consideration of Development Strategy

Ground-breaking

on Catalyst Sites

Ground-breaking

on Phase I

Initiate In-Depth Zoning, SEQRA & Infrastructure Analysis

Develop Catalyst Sites (i.e. Columbia Terrace, etc)

Initiate Conceptual Site Plans for Downtown

Entitlements & Site Specifi c Plans for Phase I

Initial C of O, begin lease-up on Catalyst Sites

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tess (i..e. CColummbia TTerrraace, eetc)bb

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begginn leaase-uup on CCaataalyst Sitessaa e- on lyse tt

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Most of the proposed Neighborhood Areas are zoned with C-6 & C-6 Overlay zoning that is compatible with these mixed-use centers. Some sites near these mixed-use centers should be considered for rezoning to promote revitalization. To activate commerce at major commercial streets, regulations should promote active ground fl oors with storefronts, large windows, frequent entrances and restrict parking lots to rear or side yards.

Zoning & Land Use Next Steps Existing Zoning The existing zoning permits most of the recommended uses appropriate for Neighborhood Areas and Down-towns, however the list of permit-ted uses should be reevaluated for greater consistency with best prac-tices in mixed-use neighborhoods & downtowns, and the ideas identi-fi ed by the Source the Station com-munity. Current ordinances permit surface parking facing major commercial streets rather than requiring build-ings and restricting parking to side or rear yards Present ordinances do not give cred-it for on-street parking. Lack of on-street parking on many commercial streets promotes speeding, unsafe sidewalks and harms the vitality of nearby retail and service businesses. Ordinances presently permit walls & fences to face major commercial streets which disrupts commerce and creates unsafe conditions where there are no “eyes on the street”.

The municipal parking lot is zoned I-5 which prohibits mixed-used development

This site could become a walkable mixed- use center with a central civic space

1

2

3

The municipal parking lot is zoned R-7 which prohibits mixed-used development

This site could become offi ces or residences over professional offi ces

There are many examples near the train station where retaining walls and fences should be prohibited from facing major streets

High profi le streets such as New York Avenue, should promote storefronts, on-street parking & two or three story buildingsExisting Zoning Map with an overlay of the Proposed Neighborhood Areas along New York Avenue

and the proposed Civic Center at Manor Field.

king lots to rear or side yards.

1

23

Proposed Neighborhood Areas

Existing Zoning

LEGEND

Railroad Ave

Proposed Community

Center

New

York Ave

New York Ave

Depot Road

Broadway Ave

Pulaski Road

11th Street

Rail Station

Com

mer

cial

Indu

stria

lRe

side

ntia

l

Surface Parking & Under-uti-lized Land at the StationThe existing land use in the vicinity of the Rail Station are characterized by excessively large blocks, a number of under-utilized industrially zoned parcels, a dominance of surface parking lots, a lack of commercial uses and a poorly connected network of streets.

Challenges Opportunities

63

Parking Lot Opportunities

1

2

34

4BZoning & Land Use Next Steps

Chapter 4: Next Steps

LIRR

New

Yor

k Av

eN

ew Y

ork

Ave

The Station Area has 3,469 Public Parking Spaces

Surface Parking Structured Parking

Number of Parking Spaces 1,467 Spaces 1,916 Spaces

Total Parking (%) 44% 56%

Surface Parking (% of land) 86 % 14 %

Surface Parking Structured Parking

Number of Parking Spaces 0 Spaces 3,832 Spaces

Surface Parking (% of land) 0% 28%

Conversions of surface parking into structured parking provides revitalization opportunities and more effi cient use of land

Successful revitalization depends on active street frontages and the presence of “eyes on the street”. Screening parking structures and surface lots with liner buildings can satisfy the need for parking, while providing a pleasing experience for users of all adjacent public spaces.

*All numbers are approximate, for illustrative purpose only.

Replace Surface Parking with Structured Parking Screened Parking Next Steps

Existing Parking*

Potential Transfer of Surface Parking Into Structured*

Shared parking strategies allow for more effi cient parking by hav-ing more than one user utilize each parking space Shared parking takes advantage of the fact that most parking spaces are only used part time in connec-tion with a particular land use (e.g. offi ce users would typically occupy parking lots during the business hours, with restaurant users occupy-ing the same spaces in the evening)

Share Parking

The example in the chart below demonstrates an opportunity to

create additional tax revenue: if all surface parking is transferred

into structured parking, with 500 additional parking spaces creat-

ed, 72% of land currently used for surface parking becomes avail-

able and can be used for redevelopment.

Allow Mixed-Use Devel-opment on Surface Park-ing & Under-utilized LandRe-evaluate existing zoning to allow development of a wide range of uses and greater con-sistency with best practices in mixed-use neighborhoods.Require Shared ParkingShared Parking increases land effi ciency and tax revenue.

Unlock Development Potential of Surface Parking Lots Develop additional structured parking and allow develop-ment on existing surface lots.

Active FrontagesProvide Design Guidelines that would ensure vibrancy of pub-lic spaces by: screening parking struc-

tures and surface lots requiring placement of

parking in the rear requiring connection of

adjoining parking lots to maximize the continuity of building frontages and pe-destrian fl ow

Street

Stre

et

Parking Lot or Structure


Enhance Transportation Choices

Boulevard Avenue Street w Angled Parking Neighborhood Street

The existing street network in Huntington Station is presently experiencing speeding, inadequate on-street parking, overly wide lanes, no bike lanes & poorly marked crosswalks. During the Urban Renewal period of the 1960’s to 1980’s, much of the connected network of streets & sidewalks was demolished. The resulting overly large blocks have contributed to the unsafe pedestrian conditions.

The new Street Types identifi ed on this page address the needs of pedestrians and vehicles. Although the stretch of New York Ave (shown left) is posted for 30 mph, our transportation planner clocked average speeds in the mid to upper 40’s with peak speeds of 58 miles per hour! New York Avenue is two lanes north & south of this location. Additionally, downsizing this stretch of

New York Avenue could increase development opportunities on its west side without impeding vehicular traffi c fl ows.

Next Step: Additional Traffi c StudiesAdditional traffi c studies must be conducted to better asses the overall development and coordinate traffi c calming, roadway improvements, signalization & new streets.

Challenges & New Street Types

Potential New Street Types Balance Vehicular and Pedestrian Purposes

10’ 8’ 11’ 11’ 8’ 10’58’ Right Of Way

6’ 4’ 18’ 11’ 11’ 18’ 4’ 6’78’ Right Of Way

8’ 4’ 8’ 11’ 10’ 11’ 8’ 4’ 8’72’ Right Of Way

8’ 4’ 8’ 11’ 10’ 10’ 10’ 11’ 8’ 4’ 8’92’ Right Of Way

Center Landscape

Median/ Left Turn

Lane

Center Landscape

Median/ Left Turn

Lane

Angled Parking Angled Parking

To balance pedestrian and vehicular needs, lanes should be no wider than 11’ to discourage speeding & a center land-scaped median/ turn lane off ers a safe haven for pedestrians.

On-street parking provides retail customers convenient access to stores while protecting pedestrians from moving vehicles & an incentive for motorists to drive slower.

Angled parking provides even more parking for retail customers while protecting pedestrians from moving vehicles.

Neighborhood streets provide both on-street parking and narrow lanes to make it easy and safe to cross streets.

Wider roads, with four wide lanes, encourage speeding & decreases pedestrian safety.

65

4CEnhance Transportation Choices


Enhance Pedestrian & Bike NetworkEnhance Transportation Network

Legend for Transit Map

LIRR Rail Line

H-10 Bus Line

H-20 Bus Line

S-1 Bus Line

Huntington Station has great access to 65 minute express trains to Manhattan and three bus routes connecting the station to the Village & Route 110 employers. Bus service during weekday rush hours is typically every 45 minutes.

Areas for improvement include better bus shelters, more highly concentrated employment centers, more frequent bus service and the addition of well-marked crosswalks.

Calm Traffi c

Make crosswalks more visible

Install bike shelters near transit stops

Create more bike lanes and share the road markings

Improve bus, bike and pedestrian connectivity to the rail station

Build bus shelters at frequently used bus stops

Map of existing bus and rail routes

Promote Pedestrian & Bike ConnectivityHealthy walkable and bikable communities off er a connected network of sidewalks, crosswalks & bikeways and provide short blocks of typically less than 600 feet in length. The orange arrows identify locations for desired connectivity to overcome the oversized blocks along New York Avenue. The red dots identify potential sidewalk & crosswalk improvements.

Landscaped medians and highly visible crosswalks can provide visual cues to motorists to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety.

On-street parking, pedestrian scaled lighting, street trees and landscaped medians can contribute to traffi c calming.

Roundabouts with center island landscaping can contribute to community identity, & reduce speeding.

Pedestrian & bike route connectivity should be enhanced with new walkways, crosswalks & bikeways. Red dots show areas for improvements.


Sewer, Stormwater & Sustainability

Huntington Sewer DistrictPortions of fi ve of the seven Neighborhood Areas for this Development Strategy are located within the Huntington Sewer District. In many cases those Neighborhood Areas located south of the Long Island Railroad line are outside the Sewer District and it will be challenging to develop in these areas until a comprehensive sewer study is commissioned and implemented.

A full study of the sewer district and waste water treatment facility must be completed before new development can occur. Preliminary inquiries identify plant capacity as a major hurdle to development. It may be possible to either expand the existing sewer district or create a new sewer district south of the railroad tracks.New Thinking for New InfrastructureWherever possible, Renaissance will implement green infrastructure technologies to reduce the burden on existing water, sewer & stormwater systems. In particular, the sewer requirements can

be drastically reduced (by as much as 90%) by collecting “grey

water” (the water used in your sinks and showers) separately from “black water” (from your toilet). The grey water can be easily treated and recirculated to fl ush toilets, irrigate gardens or create public water features.

Innovative Stormwater SolutionsHuntington Station’s current urban landscape, with its overly wide roadways & sprawling parking lots —known as impervious surfaces—has a signifi cant impact on water quality. As an important environmental strategy, green infrastructure (street trees, parks, green spaces and landscaped islands, green roofs and facades)

Proposed Mixed-Use Areas

Huntington Sewer District

LEGEND

Map of Huntington Sewer District with an overlay of the proposed Mixed-Use Areas

and reduction of overall quantity of paved (impervious) surfaces address the root cause of excess stormwater runoff .

Without increased Wastewater Treatment effi ciencies or capacity,

meaningful revitalization of Huntington Station will not be

possible.

Sustainability through Design Standards

Green infrastructure and Buildings standards should be estab-lished to incentivize: building energy effi ciency requirements building water effi ciency requirements water effi cient landscape green streets stormwater/wastewater management heat island reduction on-site renewable energy sources

Infrastructure Next Steps

Commission a Sewer Study to explore the current capacity of the sewer system & make recommendations to support the implementation of this Development Strategy

Establish Innovative Water Use Reduction & Recycling Standards

Source the Station idea: Pond and Park Rainwater Harvesting

1

2

67

Public Safety4DInfrastructure & Public Safety Opportunities


Public Safety in Huntington StationHuntington Station has faced numerous public safety challenges throughout the last few decades such as gang activity, drug arrests and violent crimes that have created real and perceived concerns about safety in this community. Through a series of proactive eff orts by neighborhood leaders, the Town of Huntington, the Huntington School District and Suff olk County Police Department, the real crime rates are decreasing.

a vast majority of crimes are committed by a very small

percentage of the overall populationDeputy Commissioner Lewis, Suff olk County, NY

Community members are working

with Police Community Liaison Offi cers and School Resource Offi cers to focus eff orts on reaching those few

individuals committing crimes in

the community, to prevent future

criminal activity.

Community Policing ProgressThe Suff olk County Police Department has initiated the following initiatives: Special patrols have been assigned around the Jack Abrams School Extra foot posts, vehicle patrols and Community Orientated Police En-forcement (COPE) section offi cers are assigned to Huntington Station. “Gang Teams” are conducting on-going patrols, surveillances and en-forcement to address street crimes involving guns and gang activity.

A Community Liaison Offi cer has been assigned to actively coordi-nate the creation of neighborhood watch groups, and is attending community and civic meetings.

Business Improvement District Surveillance Camera SystemThe Huntington Station Business Improvement District has installed surveillance cameras on New York Ave. and Depot Road to deter criminal activity in the district.

Signifi cant Decline in Shootings 2009 25 shootings 2010 14 shootings 2011 9 shootings 2012 3 shootings

Many community members are worried about the reality and the perception of crime in Huntington Station. Many residents have asked, “How can you build anything when the crime is so bad, that nothing you build will be occupied? You need to triple the number of police in the area fi rst.”

It can be diffi cult to attract businesses, renters or other investors to neighborhoods that have signifi cant crime or that are perceived as being unsafe. It can be equally diffi cult to engage neighbors in visioning a positive future for a community, when they are worn down by disorder and blight or disillusioned by crime control eff orts that have failed in the past. Establishing public safety in a community shouldn’t be something that happens at arm’s length from development eff orts. But the issue of crime does not have to be solved before development can begin to take place in fact, development can and must help solve the issue of crime.

Renaissance is committed to continuing its work with community groups, Huntington Police, Suff olk County Police and the District Attorney’s offi ce to continue the successful reduction in crime in Huntington Station.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Natural surveillance Natural access control Territorial reinforcement Maintenance and management

Public Safety Next Steps

During each development phase, prepare a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design strategy to address public safety design considerations

Engage all levels of public safety agencies in the Community Development process, to identify specifi c design and operational standards

Engage community groups and neighborhood associations to identify suggested public safety strategies.

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Local Community Benefi ts

Traditional Community Benefi t Agreements (CBAs) are contractual agreements between a single developer and a community group or groups. The agreement usually does not aff ect any other developer or property owner participating in the redevelopment. Renaissance believes that the benefi ts implemented in a holistic and comprehensive revitalization eff ort should cause all those that participate in the redevelopment to take part in producing these benefi ts. The way Renaissance accomplished this in the Village of Hempstead was to attach Community Benefi t Policies to the zoning code. These policies only apply to anyone that chooses to develop under the new optional zoning. This was the fi rst time a Community Benefi t has been regulated by municipal zoning law.

Each community is unique in its character and its needs and vision for itself. The particular interests for the Village of Hempstead, which were concentrated on local job and contractor opportunities, may or may not fi t the Huntington Station community. At the appropriate time, (when potential development has been regulated by SEQRA & Zoning), the Huntington Station community, the Town of Huntington and Renaissance Downtowns will work towards developing the proper benefi ts for Huntington Station.

Some of the Village of Hempstead’s adopted CBA policies: Construction jobs for local resi-dents Local contracting opportunities Permanent jobs for local resi-dents Fees for community programs and facilities Open space and civic space de-velopment Commitment from Renaissance not to seek eminent domain

Every Downtown is diff erent. The Village of Hempstead’s Community Benefi t Agreement (CBA) (where Renaissance is a designated Master Developer) was adopted on January 20, 2013

One idea that has been supported by many residents, community groups and political leaders, which may be incorporated, is a preference for employment and housing for our Veterans and those who are actively serving in our Armed Forces. Renaissance Downtowns believes that the eff orts to support these men and women are of great importance. Huntington Station can provide a great quality of life and Downtown living and employment opportunities off ered nowhere else on Long Island. Let Huntington lead the way.

In addition, several community members have expressed the desire to expand upon the proposed uses by adding opportunities for other underserved residents of Long Island, such as intellectually and or physically challenged individuals.

Next Steps:

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Continue collaboration with the community, stakeholders groups etc; community ben-efi t; Organize community festivals

69Chapter 4: Next Steps

Local Community Benefits & Community Festivals 4ESpring Community Fest

Huntington Station Festivals and Community Events

Renaissance Downtowns and Source the Station, together with local community organizations, hosted a kick-off community festival in March of 2013 attended by approximately 750 people. The event provided the opportunity for community members to not only learn about Source the Station revitalization eff orts, but also learn about many of the great participating organizations and businesses that exist in Huntington Station.

Building upon this event, Renaissance and Source the Station are planning to host a signifi cantly larger community festival in the summer of 2013. This festival will not only feature the revitalization eff orts, community organizations, and location Huntington businesses, but will also serve as an initial jobs and career opportunity event.

Coming Summer of 2013

Coming Summer of 2013

This document represents a year-long collaborative eff ort that engaged a wide variety of groups and organizations that provided their insight and recommendation regarding the Huntington Station Revitalization:

Huntington Community & Source the Station Members Stakeholder Groups and Civic Associations Town Government Town Staff Town of Huntington Economic Development Corporation Town of Huntington Community Development Agency

All images contained within this document are merely visual representations of what a revitalized Huntington Station could look and feel like. It should be noted that some images must be viewed within a greater context, rather than a literal interpretation.

Those images associated with Source the Station ideas were provided by Source the Station members.

Huntington Station, NY Development Strategy submitted April 2013

Real Estate

Transcript of Huntington Station, NY Development Strategy submitted April 2013