Vision Long Island

OK - here is the full summary from the LI Smart Growth Summit last month featuring worksession summaries, video's, photos, press links and upcoming events. We were honored to have over 1,000 community, business and government leaders, a youth summit and over 90 elected officials join us to help advance infrastructure, redevelopment and community planning priorities for 2025. Check it out.... https://lnkd.in/ejty83tu

Here is a replay of the State of the Town's and Villages session from the LI Smart Growth Summit last month. Hear from 12 Supervisor's and Mayor's laying out their plans for 2025 with Newsday's Joye Brown moderating. Check it out from LI Main Street News.... https://lnkd.in/eFkS-MDa

Attorney General James Urges Uber and Lyft Drivers to File Claims to Receive Funds from $328 Million Settlement Eligible Drivers Must File Claims by 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2025 January 7, 2025 NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today urged rideshare drivers who believe they were underpaid by Uber and Lyft to file claims on or before January 31, 2025 to receive the funds they are due under settlements reached by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). In November 2023, Attorney General James secured $328 million in back payments for drivers after an OAG investigation found that Uber and Lyft withheld funds from drivers and failed to provide valuable benefits. Now, Attorney General James has extended the deadline to file claims for those settlement funds to January 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. and is urging all rideshare drivers to check their eligibility and submit a claim online before the deadline. Attorney General James secured $290 million from Uber and $38 million from Lyft in a landmark settlement, which also instituted a minimum driver “earnings floor,” paid sick leave, proper hiring and earnings notices, and other improvements in drivers’ working conditions. New Yorkers who drove for Uber between 2014 and 2017 or Lyft between 2015 and 2017 may be eligible to receive money from the settlement funds, which are being entirely distributed to current and former drivers. Drivers who think they may be eligible and have yet to file a claim, or previously filed a claim but did not hear back, are encouraged to file a claim online as soon as possible. More than 100,000 drivers throughout New York are eligible to receive settlement funds and the benefits afforded to them under these historic settlements. As of December 18, over 88,000 claims have already been filed. To file a claim for backpay, drivers can visit the Uber or Lyft settlement portals. Anyone experiencing an issue filing a claim should contact Rust Consulting directly. Drivers with questions about the Uber settlement can contact 1-800-625-2332 or [email protected] and drivers with questions about the Lyft settlement can contact 1-800-433-5314 or [email protected]. For information on the settlements, drivers can also contact the New York Taxi Workers Alliance at (718) 706-9892 or [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/e4kWwzTh

Here is a very thoughtful editorial by Roger Weaving from the Huntington Township Housing Coalition speaking to the need for the development community to continue working closely with local neighbors and municipalities in planning proposed housing projects. Vision joined with the Housing Coalition in working with local residents on the Melville Town Center overlay zone where some of the opposition wasn't simply from Melville residents but from other areas of Town not impacted by the proposed plan. Opposition to housing is "Not in My Region" now. Truly the only way to rebuild trust on housing proposals is to "Plan Locally" to get the best possible project for all neighbors involved and impacted. Check out the editorial in LI Business News..... https://lnkd.in/e4hAkSvd

Here is the latest edition of the LI Main Street News e-newsletter. Check it out.... https://lnkd.in/ekFK_4Bk

Great to see robust input for the Neighborhood Road Revitalization in Mastic Beach. There is an upcoming Public Scoping Meeting at Brookhaven Town Hall January 16th from 6:30-8:30pm. Hopefully our friends in the Mastic Shirley Penninsula weigh in with their thoughts. Vision was a part of two prior plans for the Mastic Beach community and while some progress was made with each of them we are hopeful that this revitalization effort with a major focus from the Town of Brookhaven and a well respected master developer will move forward in some form. https://lnkd.in/eBjCD-7B

Argentinian Civic Committee Hosts Annual Gala for Charity; Honors Local Leaders The Argentinian Civic Committee hosted their 9th Annual Gala in Bayville last month with nearly 200 guests bringing toys to kids in need in Northern Argentina.? Kudos to Westbury business leader Lia Dangelo who organized the event that honored a dozen local leaders and featured music, dance and inspirational speeches.? Vision’s Director Eric Alexander was honored with a Community Development Award and Vision Board member – Nassau Chambers of Commerce’s Frank Camerano was the featured speaker as well.??

Expanded Child Care Access has been a priority for the LI Lobby Coalition each year we visit Albany. Here is a press release from the Governor outlining a proposal in the upcoming State of the State address..... For Immediate Release: 1/6/2025 GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS: GOVERNOR HOCHUL PROPOSES SWEEPING EXPANSION OF THE CHILD TAX CREDIT TO DELIVER UP TO $1,000 PER CHILD Proposal Would Support More Than 2.75 Million Kids Across New York State; Benefit Will Reach Families Earning Up To $200,000 or More Triples the Child Tax Credit for Children Under Four Years Old; Average Tax Credit for All Families Would Double Governor Proposing the Largest Expansion of The Child Tax Credit in New York's History As her second proposal for the 2025 State of the State, Governor Kathy Hochul today proposed a historic expansion of New York’s child tax credit for more than 2.75 million children. Governor Hochul’s plan would give 1.6 million New York families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under age four and up to $500 per child from four through sixteen. This proposal represents the single largest boost to New York’s child tax credit in its history, and a significant increase above the value of the existing credit, which currently provides only up to $330 per child. Governor Hochul’s proposed expansion of New York’s child tax credit will drive significant assistance to families with the youngest children and help families across the income spectrum. The average credit given out to families will double from $472 to $943. It will be instrumental in helping to address child poverty in New York State — and will also deliver relief to many middle-class families whose incomes are currently too high to qualify for the credit. Additionally, while the full credit is available to jointly filing households up to $110,000, the expanded credit combined with its gradual rate of phaseout means even a family of four with household income of $170,000 would receive over $500 per year. That family would not have qualified for any credit under the current program. The credit will be phased in over two years, with households with children under four eligible for their $1,000 credit for the 2025 tax year and those with children over four eligible for the $500 credit for the 2026 tax year. The Empire State Child Credit is a refundable credit, which can either help offset taxes or be paid out directly to taxpayers as a refund.

NYS Department of State provides Smart Growth funding to Glen Cove The Smart Growth Community Planning Program provides grants to communities to develop municipal and county-wide comprehensive plans, municipal zoning ordinances and targeted area plans and zoning ordinances. Awarded communities must commit to incorporating the principles of Smart Growth into their planning and zoning. Smart Growth principles include walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly streetscapes; compact, mixed-use community design; vibrant downtowns and other municipal centers; a diversity of housing options for all incomes, ages and abilities; safe, accessible public spaces; ample parks and outdoor recreational opportunities; and clean energy, among others. This year, a total of $2.5 million was awarded to 20 communities; nine of those awards (45%) will serve communities identified by the State as disadvantaged; five communities have achieved the Governor’s Pro-Housing Communities certification; and 12 communities are in the process of pursuing Pro-Housing Communities certification.? For Long Island the City of Glen Cove was the recipient and received a $150,000 grant. The City of Glen Cove Smart Growth Code updates will achieve key goals of the recently adopted 2024?Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan with Sustainability Elements. Amendments to zoning, land use, building, and environmental regulations will implement the plan. They will incentivize affordable, first time homebuyer and senior mixed-use redevelopment near train stations and the waterfront; facilitate new business openings, especially downtown; and make Glen Cove more sustainable and resilient. “The Department of State offers a robust suite of community planning and development programs that are transforming neighborhoods in every region of the state,” New York State Secretary of State Walter Mosley said in a news release about the funding. “New York State is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance in community revitalization and economic development, in part fueled by these essential programs,” he added. “I congratulate these communities for joining in the wave of revitalization sweeping across the Empire State.” Here is the story in Long Island Business News https://lnkd.in/eE2-zCuY

Hampton Bays Developer Brings Back Downtown Plan A Hampton Bay Developer, Alfred Caiola,?has renewed his quest to help bring mixed use development into the hamlet of Hampton Bays.??The goal is to have a pedestrian friendly downtown, new restaurants and develop as many as 150 units of housing. A previous version of the plan was contained in the Hampton Bays Downtown Overlay District plan and zoning code that was adopted in 2020.??The plan was shaped by a planning process that involved over 1.200 community members.??Lawsuits ensued that blocked implementation of the zoning code. The head of the Hampton Bays Alliance John Leonard who has been leading meetings over several months to get input on a revised plan for the area had this to say to Long Island Business News: “As far as the Hampton Bays Alliance is concerned, we recognize the absolute necessity to the residents and the business community in the hamlet of Hampton Bays for the revitalization and redevelopment of our downtown area.?We are excited by Mr. Caiola’s vision and we look forward to working with him and the members of the residential and business communities to fashion and design a plan that ultimately will benefit all members of our community.” More information on the Hampton Bays plan can be found at hbdtr.com https://lnkd.in/g_3mcMuR