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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport by US/UK Countryside Stewardship Exchange Team Nov 1991REPORT BY THE 1991 US/UK COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD, NORTH FORK, LONG ISLAND November, 1991 Team Members= Richard Brown, Countryside Officer Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire, England Richard W. Carbin, President The Countryside Institute Barnard, Vermont Vincent Goodstadt, Head of Strategy Strathclyde Physical Planning Department Glasgow, Scotland John Humbach, Professor of Law Pace University Law School White Plains, New York Shelly Mastran, Rural Heritage Specialist National Trust For Historic Preservation McLean, Virginia Terry Robinson, Corporate Planning Officer Countryside Commission Cheltenham, England Joel Russell, Land Use Attorney and Planning Consultant Woodlea Associates Salt Point, New York Nigel Stone, Executive Director West Cumbria Groundwork Trust Cumbria, England The common good is the pursuit of good in common. -Dennis McCann A REPORT BY THE 1991 US/UK COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD, NORTH FORK, LONG ISLAND Table of Contents Page 1 .......... Page 4 .......... Page 5 .......... Page 5 .......... Page 15 ......... Page 16 ......... ................. Executive Summary ................. Report Introduction ................. Overall Impressions ................. Findings and Recommendations ................ Conclusion ................. Appendix-Some Thoughts on Coalition Building Page 17 .......................... Principles of Tourism in the Countryside Page 18 ........................... Transcript of US/UK Oral Report to the Town of Southold, July 18, 1991 A REPORT BY THE 1991 US/UK COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD, NORTH FORK, LONG ISLAND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION From July 14-18 a professional team of eight consultants, four from the United Kingdom and four from the United States, conducted a study of the North Fork area of Long Island. The Team members were participants in the 1991 US/UK Countryside Stewardship Exchange, .a program which provides pro bono consultant services to selected case study sites to address the issues of sustainable economic development and countryside stewardship. The North Fork was one of seven case study sites participating in the 1991 Exchange. At the invitation of the North Fork Planning Conference, the US/UK Team was asked to address four issues important to the future of the area: 1. Farmland Retention; 2. Water Quality; 3. Tourism Development; and 4. Affordable Housing; After an intense four days of discovery and discussion the Team presented its conclusions and recommendations to a public meeting at the Southold Town Hall. The following summarizes these findings. CONCLUSIONS The North Fork area is one of scenic beauty and rich resources, both natural and human, with a deep and meaningful history, truly one of America's great places. Yet the North Fork is under threat of drastic change spreading east from the New York metropolitan area. Unfortunately, local controls are inadequate to cope with these changes. New directions and programs are needed now to change this situation for the benefit of the entire community. The most important conclusion of the Team in this regard is that the people of Southold share a vision in some detail of what they would like the future of their community to be, but they currently lack the programs to get there. This overall conclusion led the Team to make the following recommendations: Page 2 - Summary RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation # 1: In order to be clearer and more efficient in dealing with land use and development issues the Southold Town Board should streamline governmental organization and establish a new planning process based on consensus around the Town's shared vision. Recommendation # 2: Community-oriented non-profit organizations in the Town of $outhold and the North Fork area should form an Action Coalition to promote their shared vision and to develop interrelated projects to achieve that vision. The Coalition would take a positive, non-confrontational approach to community issues and needs, working cooperatively with each other and with government. Recommendation # 3: The Town of Southold should work in cooperation with the Action Coalition to restate in clear, specific terms Southold Town's shared vision, concentrating on six basic areas: farmland protection, concentrating development within villages and hamlets, provision of quality affordable housing, preservation of the community's historic and rural character, economic development based on the existing resources of the area, and maintenance and improvement of the area's environmental quality. The concept of Community Stewardship which integrates these concerns should be emphasized. Recommendation # 4: The Town of Southold together with the Action Coalition and others, should create a visual map - a blueprint -of the Town based on the six basic areas of its shared vision. Recommendation # 5: The Town of Southold in cooperation with the Action Coalition should institute creative, practical, steps to implement the blueprint of its shared vision. Recommendation # 6: The Town of Southold should consider a combined Purchase of Development Rights and a Transfer of Development Rights Program. Recommendation # 7: The Town of Southold should consider expanding the current tax abatement program for farmland into a working farm tax abatement program which would eliminate property taxes on farmland and farm buildings in return for a right of first purchase on the land if it is ever to go out of farming use. Recommendation # 8: The Town of Southold should develop a capital improvement program for water and sewers limited to those areas designated for growth in and around villages and hamlets and to protect surface and ground water quality. Priority should be given to eliminating pollution in creeks and bays, identifying and eliminating non-point sources of pollution and solving the "brown Page 3 tide" problem in Peconic Bay. Recommendation #9: The Town of Southold should create an economic plan which promotes sustainable development, using existing agricultural, water-related recreational, fishing, historical and cultural assets, and the area's unique sense of place as its theme. Tourism would play a central part in this plan. Recommendation # 10: The Town of Southold should develop an affordable housing plan which would encourage a diversity of quality housing, including rental units, equity-sharing concepts and ownership, designed to be in keeping with the historic character of the area and mostly located within existing villages and hamlets. This plan should be developed in partnership with the Action Coalition and with the neighborhoods in which the housing would be located. Recommendation # ll: In order to implement these recommendations, leadership must be provided. In some areas town government will have to take action, in others private resources can be more effective. Southold Town government in cooperation with the Action Coalition should develop a mutually agreed-upon strategic action plan for implementation of specific tasks, assigning responsibility for leadership in fulfilling them to the appropriate agency or organization. Page 4 A REPORT BY THE 1991 US/UK COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLDt NORTH FORKt LONG ISLAND To see and know a place is a contemplative act. It means emptying our minds and letting what is there, in all its multiplicity and endless variety, come in. - Gretel Ehrlich, Introduction to Legacy of Light (1987) INTRODUCTION From July 14 to 18, 1991, a group of eight consultants conducted a study of the development and conservation needs of the North Fork, Long Island area. This team represented a wide variety of professional backgrounds in the areas of land use planning, environmental resources, law, historic preservation, housing, farmland protection and other aspects of community development. The eight, four from the United States and four from the United Kingdom, were participants in the 1991 US/UK Countryside Stewardship Exchange, a program which provides pro bono consultant teams to selected case study sites to address issues of sustainable economic development and countryside stewardship. The North Fork of Long Island was one of seven case study sites participating in the 1991 Exchange. At the invitation of the North Fork Planning Conference, the US/UK Exchange Team was asked to address four issues important to the future of the area: 1. Farmland Retention; 2. Water Quality; 3. Tourism Development; and 4. Affordable Housing. To accomplish this the team members were immersed for four days in the life of the community from dawn until late evening. Days were spent meeting groups and individuals representing virtually all segments of the community: farmers, businessmen, water specialists, planners, social service administrators, historic preservationists, and elected officials. Evenings were spent in homes of community members, meeting more people, asking questions, and discussing issues. The team flew over the North Fork and other parts of Long Island in a small plane and toured parts of the coastal waters by boat. Previous studies, plans and other documents, were made available for the team's review. The result was a comprehensive view of the North Fork "in all its multiplicity and endless variety." Page 5 OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Most of the Team members had little prior knowledge of the North Fork area. What we found was an area of extraordinary beauty and resources, both natural and human, with a deep and meaningful history, truly one of America's great places. The Team agrees that the North Fork deserves special care and that the concern and talent exist to achieve a sound future for Southold and the surrounding area. At the same time, the North Fork is seriously threatened by residential and commercial development spreading east from New York City. One of the last places within the New York metropolitan area where a semblance of rural life still exists, the North Fork is now on the fringe of suburban sprawl. The effects have already been felt. Land values have soared as speculators and developers have acquired land. North Fork housing prices are so high that few young families can afford to settle there and the population is aging with each year. In the current economic climate there is a lull in this pressure which can represent an opportunity. Now is the time to take action before the pressure returns, as it surely will. Another drastic sign of the times is the "brown tide," which plagues Peconic Bay and threatens the shell-fishing industry. A combination of hot summers, shallow water, effluent and non-point pollution runoff, along with yachts and boat parks crowding the creeks, may all be contributing to the problem. Unfortunately, the team found that local controls are inadequate to cope with the economic and environmental changes. The Southold Town government is inefficiently organized and discussions of current and future needs are too often polarized. Southold Township developed a Master Plan in 1984 which reflected a community vision of sustained agriculture, pastoral villages, and environmental integrity. Yet, Southold has not put into effect programs that can assure implementation of this Plan. The 1989 zoning ordinance does not reflect the Plan and has actually contributed to land fragmentation and sprawl. The US/UK Exchange Team recognizes that many people in Southold are aware of the dangers facing the community. Where we hope to be of help is in reflecting these concerns back to the community in a way that can generate confidence in overcoming them. FINDINGS AlqD RECOMMENDATIONS Much work has already been done in the North Fork in laying out a map for the future. The Goals and Objectives in the 1984 Master Plan are still valid. The weakness is in the execution. Yet, as we found, the talent and resources exist to do the job well. Page 6 The most important finding the Team made, after talking to a cross- section of community representatives and citizens, is that ~he people of Southold share a vision in some detail of what they would like their community to be. Yet, for a variety of reasons, ranging from misinformation, old arguments, special interests to a lack of confidence in dealing with fundamental issues such as the line between private property rights and community need, the vision remains just that. In order to move forward, the Team recommends first that two structural steps be taken, one in the public sPhere and one in the private sector: Recommendation # 1: In order to be clearer and more efficient in dealing with land use and development issues the Southold Town Board should streamline governmental organization and establish a new planning process based on consensus around the Town's shared vision. The Town of southold is not efficiently organized with regard to land use issues. The Table of Organization of Town government shows at least 12 separate boards, councils and committees handling in one form or another matters related to land use and development. The US/UK Team sensed little communication and/or coordination among them. In accordance with the Table of Organization all of them report directly to the Deputy Supervisor. Where possible under New York State Law, these functions should be consolidated and reporting lines should go to appropriate department heads such as. the community development department and the planning department who also should establish clear communication links between them. The Team also recommends that the Town Board develop a written statement defining and separating political responsibilities and executive responsibilities. Decision-making on the latter should be assigned to the lowest administrative level in order to better serve Southold's citizens as directly and efficiently as possible. To assist in this regard job descriptions should be written for all town employees. With consolidation of planning, land use and development functions the stage would be set to create a new, non-partisan, non- confrontational planning and implementation process under the theme of community stewardship (see Recommendation # 3). The Team understands that this streamlining process may take time to work out. This should not slow down work on the other recommendations. These should be pursued immediately and indeed may help in suggesting effective means of reorganization. Also, government alone cannot achieve a successful community stewardship program, although it obviously has a major role. Human Page 7 and financial resources can be greatly expanded through activities of a coalition of community non-profit organizations and government should welcome, encourage and support such activities in meeting its ~oals. Thus: Recommendation # 2: Community-oriented non-profit organizations in the Town of Southold and the North Fork area should form an Action Coal~tion to promote their shared vision and to develop interrelated projects to achieve that vision. The Coalition would take a positive, non-confrontational approach to community issues and needs, working cooperatively with each other and with government. The Town of Southold and the North Fork area is fortunate to have an active range of community non-profit organizations such as the North Fork Housing Alliance, the Peconic Land Trust, the Southold/ Greenport Chamber of Commerce, the Long Island Farm Bureau, the North Fork Environmental Council, Southold 2000, five historical societies, the North Fork Planning Conference and others. These organizations should all come together to form an Action Coalition to develop non-regulatory programs for implementing the Town Plan and to recommend actions government should take as well. While the Coalition would be independent of government it would work as a complement to government by harnessing private resources - both human and financial - that would be instrumental in resolving challenges to the Town's future. Wherever possible it would strive to work in partnership with others, including government at all levels, to strengthen the governmental process. The Coalition should be staffed at least part-time by a professional facilitator and should tie into a broader network of advice that could be useful in responding creatively to local issues and problems. This approach would help bring a wider perspective to Southold. Many other communities in this country and elsewhere (the United Kingdom, for example) have gone through similar conflicts and problems and resolved them. It is important to know one is not alone and that there are examples of problem-solving which work and could be of help to Southold. Before taking up the implementation of specific steps, however, it is necessary to return to the vision of Southold's future. With the commitment of town government and the formation of an Action Coalition of community groups, the two should work together on the next recommendation: Recommendation Town's vision Stewardship as # 3: Restate in clear, specific terms Southold for the Future. Utilize the concept of Community an overall theme. The Team is not recommending here the development of a new town Page 8 plan or going through a long, drawn-out planning process. The Goals and Objectives of the 1984 Plan form the outline of a vision and need to be reaffirmed. Beyond that, however, is the need to be more specific in terms of what these goals and objectives actually mean. When calling for the protection of farmland, for example, the Town needs to know which pieces of farmland in what locations and how much land would be involved. It is difficult to separate such a discussion from questions of feasibility in actually accomplishing the ideal. At the same time, the ideal should not be immediately compromised because it seems hard to achieve. The problems of implementation should be noted, but they should not thwart the overall effort to define the vision. In restating the Town's vision the Team perceived six basic areas of agreement and/or need: 1. Protection of all farmland currently in productive use; Concentration of new residential and commercial development in and around existing hamlets and villages, with perhaps one new area designated as a village or hamlet center; 3. Provision of quality housing to lower income families and individuals at prices they can afford; Preservation of the historic character of the villages and hamlets, carefully controlling design of new development to maintain compatibility; Economic development based on the existing resources of the area: farms, scenic areas, recreation, fishing and tourism, in a way that enhances rather than detracts from the community; and Maintenance and improvement of the environment through provision of an appropriate infrastructure to protect water quality and to manage natural resources properly, and to guide development to appropriate locations. The people of the Town of Southold need to establish a public/private process to reaffirm in specific terms their vision, focusing on the above 6 areas consistent with the concept of community stewardship, i.e., looking at all community resources as important, interrelated assets that must be nurtured for current and future generations. Community stewardship, as defined by The Countryside Institute, integrates concerns in the following areas: 1. Stewardship of natural resources and environmental quality; 2. Stewardship and quality management of land for Page 9 agricultural, forestry, scenic and recreational needs; 3. Stewardship of historic and cultural resources, buildings and landscape, archeological sites, new design consistent with historic patterns and appearance, care and improvement of existing buildings, maintaining a sense of place; 4. Stewardship of economic resources, building on resources and skills that already exist in a community, working actively to maintain and create high quality jobs and economic enterprise carefully integrated into the fabric of the community, not in conflict with it; Stewardship of the community's housing, care and improvement of the existing housing stock, providing low- cost, quality housing for those who need it, careful design and location of new housing of various types, working with neighborhoods to provide social diversity; e Stewardship of human resources and services, education, the arts, health, social services and activities, with programs designed from the bottom up; and Stewardship of the political process, assuring that it is responsive to needs defined by the community itself through broad-based coalition building. A basic precept of a community stewardship program is that any activity in one of the above areas affects all the rest. No activity in one area should be undertaken without measuring its relationship to the other areas of concern, always striving for multiple positive benefits. Recommendation # 4: The Town of Southold together with the Action Coalition and others should create a visual map - a blueprint - of the Town based on the six basic areas of its shared vision. There are many ways to go about mapping a community's special assets. In the United Kingdom approaches have been developed to involve people of all ages in the community in appraising what is special about a place, mapping these out and extending local visions into the future. The Town of Southold needs to do this. The starting point is to codify and nail down what is special about Southold and the North Fork, then develop that into the future. Put on a map all natural resource lands and say these should not be developed but protected for all time. Show the productive farmland you would like to see stay in farming. Designate boundaries around your villages and hamlets beyond which growth should not occur. Map out your historic resources and show how they should be preserved. Identify areas where growth could reasonably occur and visualize what kind of growth (commercial, housing, other) and what that Page 10 development would look like. Let your shared ideals draw the picture for you. ( Note: There are many resources available to help the people of Southold to do this. Saving Place~ A Guide and Report Card for Protecting Community Character, recently published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, would be an excellent place to start). Once this is accomplished the Town of Southold will have a blueprint to follow into the future to serve as a guide for specific actions: Recommendation # $~ The Town of Southold in cooperation with the Action Coalition should institute creative, practical, steps to implement the blueprint of its shared vision. Often, when one thinks about implementing town plans, the fear of regulation leads to ineffective or counterproductive compromises of a community's vision. The Town of Southold is in this situation. There are a number of fundamental reasons for this. In order to overcome them it is important to recognize these obstacles and to design programs that deal with them. Some of the more important issues that act as roadblocks to plan implementation are: 1. A fear that town planning and regulation will unfairly take away private property rights; 2. A concern that if land is conserved economic development opportunities will be limited; 3. A loss of local property tax revenues will result from limiting land use from development; and A limitation on development will result in an increase in property values beyond the reach of local people to afford their own homes. These and other similar "roadblock" issues must be discussed more clearly than they usually are, if they are to be overcome. To be effectively implemented town plans must build on community consensus through an imaginative mix of both regulatory and non- regulatory methods. There is no question that the United States Constitution leaves local government with broad powers to regulate land use which can be exercised without compensating landowners. As long as some economic use remains of property after government regulation, no compensation is required. It would be legally possible, for example, to prohibit any non-agriculturally related development on farmland. Although, regulating land to such an extent is politically challenging, it has been done in a number of states, including under Oregon's statewide Land Use Program. Page ll There are ways to conserve land that do have less impact on property owners' concerns. The Peconic Land Trust, for example, works with landowners to find voluntary ways of conserving lands. The Town of Southold itself has a program to purchase development rights on farmland. These approaches may represent a compromise between full realization of the conservation objective and the landowners' private concerns. Strengthened and combined with other programs, however, they may become even more effective than they have been (see Recommendation # 6). The idea that protecting land and natural resources results in the loss of economic opportunity has no basis in fact. Certainly, taking some land out of use for development might eliminate certain economic activities such as strip development, but it conserves that resource for other potential economic activities, such as agriculture. It also directs economic activity into desirable locations, maximizing the return on public investment in roads, sewage treatment, water supply, and other public utilities. In Southold's case, if development were unrestricted, greater public investment would eventually be required because of its sensitive natural environment, and would detract from its greatest economic asset, the beauty and heritage of the area. Concentrating development within villages and hamlets using the growth zone concept would allow for sufficient growth while making the most of public investments and conserving the quality of the community's environment. It might even be possible to create a new village or hamlet area in town (around Peconic Lane perhaps?). Many studies have been done to show that conservation of land and environmental resources have a positive economic impact on communities and actually enhance the property tax base. First of all, it is people, not the land, that demand public services. Communities which take care of their assets generally have healthier economies and lower tax rates. Southold, with its mix of farming, fishing, recreation and natural beauty, is in a wonderful position, if it implements its vision, to be one of those communities. If it develops as it neighbors to the west have, then it will suffer both environmentally and financially. Property values will be enhanced through sound planning and implementation. This does have an effect on housing prices, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways of countering the effect to assure quality, low-cost housing. One goal of building a high quality of life in a community is to recognize the responsibility of maintaining a diversity of opportunities for everyone. With regard to housing this means a public/private investment to assure the availability of quality housing in a variety of forms at all income levels. Organizations such as the North Fork Housing Alliance should be supported in their efforts to accomplish this. The Vermont Housing and Conservation Fund, which could be adapted to Southold's situation, should be explored as a way to meet both Page 12 affordable housing and land conservation goals. The %IS~UK Team identified a number of possible ways to implement Southold's vision and to overcome the common obstacles in doing so. This leads to the following series of recommendations on implementation: Recommendation # 6: The Town of southold should consider a comhlned Purchase of Development Rights Program and a Transfer of Development Rights Program. The Town of Southold already has a Purchase of Development Rights Program for farmland, as does Suffolk County. These programs could be expanded and combined with the concept of Transfer of Development Rights. The two programs, working together, should be seen as a long-term investment program to both protect important ~ lands and to direct and encourage community development needs, including low-cost housing. There are a number of ways to approach this. Here are some possibilities to consider: The Purchase of Development Rights Program could be expanded to include all lands that should be conserved, including farmland, natural areas, scenic lands and recreation lands. A Purchase of Development Rights Bank could be established to hold development rights for resale to specific transfer (growth) areas. Perhaps even private funds could be used to purchase development rights to be deposited into this bank. Growth areas (see Oregon's Urban Growth Zones as a model) could be identified within and around existing villages and hamlets which could be developed at increased densities over current zoning, if development rights are purchased from the PDR bank. The Town could consider donating PDRs to non-profit housing groups such as the North Fork Housing Alliance to meet low-cost housing needs. Profits, if any, from the sale of development rights, should go back into the PDR bank for purchase of additional development rights or for use in meeting other related community needs such as provision of necessary infrastructure for development, historic preservation, civic improvements, low-cost housing, etc. Southold landowners, particularly the farming community, should be involved from the start in designing such a program. Recommendation # 7: The Town of Southold should consider expanding the current tax abatement program for farmland into a working farm tax abatement program which would eliminate property taxes on farmland and farm buildings in return for a right of first purchase Page 14 to the problem. The Peconic Bay should be treated as an inland body of water, not a self-flushing oceanic system. Boat discharges should be prohibited. A monitoring program of septic systems should be established, and sewage treatment systems should be analyzed. A substantial portion of the Town of Southold is within the fragile coastal zone and this must be taken into account with regard to all activities. The people of Southold have to be prepared to invest in an improved infrastructure to assure water quality improvement and to allow for appropriate growth. They should work with others beyond town boundaries (this is a regional problem) to do this. Recommendation # 9: The Town of Southold should create an economic plan which promotes sustainable development, using existing agricultural, water-related recreational, fishing, historical and cultural assets, and the area's unique sense of place as its theme. Tourism would play a central part in this plan. This recommendation has a number of important aspects to it. If the previous recommendations are implemented the basis of future, quality economic development will be established. More can be done. For example, elimination of all present zoning designations that allow strip commercial development - with the exceptions of roadside agricultural markets and home occupations - would go a long way in this regard. Another example would be allowing bed and breakfasts in villages and hamlets and in farmhouses and wineries. Equally important is the protection of historic buildings and making sure that any new development respects the traditional character of the area. One area of new regulation that is badly needed is control of design for both proposed changes to existing buildings and for new construction. Tourism could be a bane or a bounty, depending on how its promoted. The North Fork area already promotes tourism. But, without a plan, this potentially important source of economic development could be, in the end, destructive. No effective plan dealing with tourism exists. There is no doubt, given the natural attractions of the area and its proximity to the New York City metropolitan area (not to mention the potential ease of access on the Long Island Railroad) that a major untapped market is on Southold's doorstep. Before promoting Southold, protection of its resources must be accomplished. Once that occurs, something which should also be a vital goal of any economic development plan, tourism could become a positive, vital source of income and jobs to the area, as well as contributing to the long-term protection of the area. The major theme and goal of economic development in the North Fork should be the promotion and enhancement of the area's unique environment and sense of place (see Appendix for Principles of Tourism in the Countryside, a set of principles written by the Countryside Commission and the English Tourist Board). Page 13 on the property if it goes out of farming use. Currently, the Town does have a tax abatement program for farmland. Yet, after the eight year contract runs out, the Town does not receive anything in return for its investment. The Town of Southold should consider changing this program to eliminate all property taxes on working farmland and buildings, except for farm family residences. In return for this community investment, farmers should be willing to give the town the right to purchase the farm at appraised development value, if the farm is ever to be sold for non-farm use. If the town does not exercise this right of purchase within a reasonable period of time, then the farm owner could take the land out of farm use or sell to a non-farmer. Farms could be transferred or sold to family members or to other farmers without setting off the Town's right of purchase as long as the land continues to be farmed. The Vermont Working Farm Tax Abatement Program could serve as a model for such a program. Participation in the Program would be voluntary on the part of the farmer. To implement this recommendation might require amending state legislation. If this proves too difficult, the program could be set up in a different way, through leasing development rights for the amount of property taxes, which would include a purchase option, only to be exercised if the land were to be withdrawn from farming. This might also provide a cost-effective use of funds from the Purchase of Development Rights Program. Recommendation # 8: The Town of Southold should develop a capital improvement program for water and sewers to allow for growth areas in and around villages and hamlets and to protect surface and groundwater quality. Priority should be given to eliminating pollution in creeks and bays, identifying and eliminating non-point sources of pollution and solving the "brown tide" problem in Peconio Bay. In order to implement a program of both purchase and transfer of development rights, additional growth beyond present densities would have to be allowed. This growth should be carefully targeted into and around existing villages and hamlets. To assure environmental quality for this new growth improved water and sewer facilities will likely be needed. A capital improvement program should be developed for this purpose as well as for correcting existing problems. While many people have different opinions as to the cause of the brown tide, the US/UK Team was concerned that inadequate sewage treatment, too much development along the coastline, discharges from boats, and non-point pollution run-off may all be contributing Page 15 Recommendation #10: The Town of Southold should develop an affordable housing plan which would encourage a diversity of quality housing, includlng rental units, equity-sharing concepts and ownership, designed to be in keeping with the historic character of the area and mostly located within existing villages and hamlets. The need for quality housing at prices people can afford.is high. Multi-unit rental housing is lacking and current regulations work against its provision. Property values have increased to the point that many people, particularly young people, must look to leave the area. Current programs to assist in the provision of affordable housing are inadequate to meet the need. A plan is needed to correct this situation. Again, there are a number of approaches that could be taken. The Town in partnership with the Action Coalition, with the North Fork Housing Alliance playing a major role, should look into establishing a diverse set of programs. In many places around the country, historic preservation programs have joined hands with housing groups to rehabilitate historic buildings for multi-unit dwellings. Community land trusts have pioneered housing efforts through the concept of shared equity, and public funds have been leveraged many times over through creative financing methods in partnership with non-profit organizations. These and other ideas should be incorporated into a Southold - North Fork housing plan and program. Recommendation # 11: In order to carry out these recommendations, leadership must be provided. In some activities, town government will have to take action. In others, the private sector could be more effective. In still others, a public/private partnership would be required. Southold Town Government in cooperation with the Action Coalition should develop a mutually agreed-upon strategic action plan for implementation of specific tasks, assigning responsibility for leadership to the appropriate agency or organization and time schedules for completing them. CONCLUSION While the US/UK Team's recommendations may seem daunting, the basis for accomplishing them exists. The people of the Town of Southold share a vision for the community's future. They possess the human and financial resources to fulfill that vision. Through a combination of a streamlined Town government and a private non-profit Action Coalition, working cooperatively, Southold's natural beauty, cultural heritage, social diversity, environmental quality and economic vitality can be assured. Page 16 APPENDIX SOME THOUGHTS ON COALITION BUILDING Arthur Turovh Himmelman, a former senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota and currently a private consultant in community-based collaboration has written a useful description of community coalitions which he calls "collaborative empowerment": Collaborative empowerment is initiated by community-based organizations and is then linked with large or powerful public, private, and non-profit institutions. An empowerment strategy is used to organize a collaborative whose purpose is determined by community-based organizations. Once this is done, collaborative empowerment strategically integrates larger institutions within this purpose. The empowerment approach can produce positive policy changes and improvements in program delivery and services. It also tends to produce longer-term ownership of policies, programs, and services in communities. This means that these benefits of collaboration are more sustainable and contribute to the capacities of communities to gain control of their own destinies. Chuck Clusen of the Alaska Coalition recently spoke about coalition building to the Northern Forest Lands Alliance. The following is a summary of his points: Coalitions need to have: 1. Purpose - vision 2. Members - people and organizations 3. Leadership - someone to help build trust, to act as a broker, to coordinate efforts 4. Overall trust of the partners in the coalition 5. Division of work - based on trust 6. Creative environment - do not stifle inventiveness 7. Resources - if you have the other six the resources will follow The Northern Forest Alliance has adopted the following principles of behavior: 1. Agree on vision and strategies necessary) 2. Establish working groups 3. Set deadlines 4. Be creative 5. Be bold 6. Be respectful of each other 7. Assign Responsibility 8. Trust each other (but agree to disagree when Page 17 B. PRINCIPLES FOR TOURISM IN THE COUNTRYSIDE The Countryside Commission in England in cooperation with the English Tourist Board recently published a set of principles for tourism in the countryside which are worthwhile to consider for adaptation in the U.S.: "Tourism in the countryside is a desirable activity of economic benefit to the nation and local communities, and of personal benefit to the individual. "The quality both of the environment and of the tourist experience can be threatened by excessive and insensitive tourism development and activity. "The Countryside Commission and English Tourist Board believe that tourism in the countryside should be guided by the following principles: ENJOYMENT "The promotion of tourist enjoyment of the countryside should be primarily aimed at those activities which draw on the character of the countryside itself, its beauty, culture, history and wildlife." DEVELOPMENT "Tourism development in the countryside should assist the purposes of conservation and recreation. It can, for example, bring new uses to historic buildings, supplement usage and incomes to farms, aid the reclamation of derelict land and open up new opportunities for access to the countryside" DESIGN "The planning, design, siting and management of new tourism developments should be in keeping with the landscape and wherever possible should seek to enhance it." RURAL ECONOMY "Investment in tourism should support the rural economy, but should seek a wider geographical spread and more off peak visiting to avoid congestion and damage to the resource through erosion and over use, and to spread the economic and other benefits." CONSERVATION "Those who benefit from tourism in the countryside should contribute to the conservation and enhancement of its most valuable asset - the countryside, through political and practical support for conservation and recreation policies and programmes." Page 18 MARKETING "Publicity, information and marketing initiatives of the tourism industry should endeavor to deepen people's understanding of and concern for the countryside leading to fuller appreciation and enjoyment." C. US/UK COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM ORAL REPORT TO THE SOUTHOLD TOWN~ JULY 18~ 1991 An edited transcript of the oral report follows on the next page. A video tape of the presentation was also produced. For more information contact the North Fork Planning Conference.