Councilman Wehrheim is keeping his Campaign promise to revitalize downtown areas throughout the hamlets of Smithtown. The 4-term leader sent a formal request to Smithtown Planning Director, David Flynn, requesting he “investigate ALL avenues regarding Smithtown filing an application” for Governor Cuomo’s new Downtown Revitalization Initiative. If chosen, Smithtown could receive $10 million in funding to aid in rebuilding our business districts, geared toward bringing our young generations back to live, work and raise a family. While, only one town may be selected for the initiative, the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council members have approved “runner up” funding for towns near Transit Hubs. The runner up funding would go towards energy efficiency projects, sewer expansion and transit oriented developments. Recommendations for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative will go to Albany at the end of June.
“It’s just like the lotto… You have to be in to win it! I urged my colleagues to support rendering this application, because we meet all the criteria and we could do so much for Smithtown with that funding. We owe it to our neighbors, friends and family to at the very least, apply for the grant funding.” – Councilman Ed Wehrheim
Why Smithtown Residents Must Get Involved:
Did you know that the Smithtown average resident age is 45, seven years older than the New York State average? In fact, a study by city-data, taken in March 2016 indexed the Smithtown cost of living at 151.6 (extremely high) versus the Countrywide average of 100. You don’t have to be an expert to notice all the For Sale signs on the lawns in your own neighborhood… nor how long they’ve been on the market. When your neighbors can’t sell their homes at market value, your net worth is in just as much trouble.
- The Solution: Smithtown needs affordable homes for our younger generations.
Currently our town is in desperate need for a sewer system overhaul, with our drinking water in jeopardy, if we continue down the path of single family home developments. Over the last decade, Smithtown has seen an exodus of young families and business professionals living or working here. However, with Main street, just walking distance to the LIRR train station, open land that’s prime for transit oriented development and two tentative private development projects in the works that would create new jobs, Smithtown meets all of the criteria, required to win the grant funding.
- Solution: Call Town Hall and demand an application be filed for the Governor’s revitalization grant.
The Downtown Revitalization Criteria:
- The targeted neighborhood should be compact and well-defined.
- The downtown, or its center, should be of a size sufficient to support an active, year-round downtown and should have a sizeable existing or increasing population within easy reach for whom this would be the primary downtown.
- The downtown should capitalize on prior, and catalyze future, private and public investment in the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
- There should be recent or impending job growth within, or in close proximity to the downtown that can attract workers to the downtown, support redevelopment and make growth sustainable.
- The downtown must contain properties or characteristics that contribute or that could contribute, if enhanced, to the attractiveness and livability of the downtown, including the presence of developable mixed-use spaces, housing at different levels of affordability and type, commercial and retail main street businesses, including healthy and affordable food markets, walkability and bikeability, and public parks and gathering spaces.
- The downtown should contain or articulate how it can create policies that enhance quality of life, including the use of local land banks, modern zoning codes, complete streets plans, or transit-oriented development.
- Local and community support must exist for revitalization of the downtown. There must be a commitment among local leaders and stakeholders to build and implement a strategic investment plan for the downtown.
*Source: Governor Cuomo’s New York State Website