Portion Road Land Use Plan Moves Forward

The letter reprinted below was read into the record at the Town Board meeting by two of the Civic’s Executive Board Members, Dawn Hopkins and Gregg Freedner.

Dear Supervisor and Town Council Members:
The Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization’s Executive Board supports the passage of the Town’s resolution accepting the draft Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan.

Five years ago, in response to community concern about the future of Portion Road and the central business district in Lake Ronkonkoma, residents and business owners came together in October 2004 for a multi-day Visioning process. During the Visioning, attendees had the opportunity to discuss what they enjoyed about their community, what they disliked, and what they wanted to see in the future. At that moment in time residents also made a choice to actively plan for the future of their community, and not just let the future happen. Pursuant to that goal, the Civic and the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce have worked with planners and consultants from the Town of Brookhaven to create a plan for the future of Lake Ronkonkoma and the Portion Road corridor.

Planning is a rational way of preparing for the future. A process that includes gathering and analyzing data, forecasting future trends and needs, and considering alternatives, all with community input. Such was the case for this plan. What began as a vision-driven process has become a comprehensive community plan with specific goals, an understanding of trends and opportunities, and strategies for implementation. And throughout the development of the plan, participants were ever mindful that the ultimate objective was that the plan must benefit the community. The Civic is proud to support a plan that meets these goals and objectives.

The goals of the Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan include:

• The revitalization of the long-established downtown center at Hawkins Avenue, and the development of a new downtown area at Morris Avenue, near Nicolls Road. These centers will be pedestrian-friendly and will encourage traditional main street-style development.
• The creation of Transition Areas along the roadways that bring vehicles and pedestrians into the downtown centers. These areas will provide local commercial services in a residential-style setting. This type of use continues the local tradition of using residences on busy streets to provide services such as a law or a doctor's office.
• The integration of existing Regional Centers. There will always be some commercial services, such as department stores and large-scale grocery stores, which are transit-oriented and require parcels that are larger than what can be provided for in Downtown Centers. The Plan provides for the continued use of the existing Regional Centers along Portion Road and proposes that they be further integrated into the community by providing more pedestrian-friendly connections to local residential areas.
• The further development of Transportation networks that reduce congestion, enhance safety, and encourage a diversity of transportation options. The Portion Road Corridor will undoubtedly benefit from the current improvements being constructed by Suffolk County, but to fully realize the Plan, improvements must continue, such as optimizing shared parking, creating safe crosswalks, installing streetscape amenities, improvements to Town roads, creating interconnected bicycle routes, and establishing safe routes to schools.
• An economic development plan that will increase appropriate retail activity, encourage the expansion of local businesses, increase the quantity of local jobs, and provide an adequate tax base.
• The interconnectivity of commercial and residential areas with local resources. The greatest natural resource available to residents and visitors to Lake Ronkonkoma is the lake itself. The Plan calls for improved access to the lake along with other local resources such as parks and open space. A related goal is the preservation and promotion of the history and historic structures in Lake Ronkonkoma.

It’s not enough to just set forth the long-term goals of a community, a thorough land use plan must offer the appropriate methods and tools that make those objectives possible. Some of the tools included in this plan include:

• Design Guidelines: Successful business districts are those that provide a pleasant and attractive environment for customers. Design standards can help achieve that success by providing guidance and assistance to commercial property owners so that they understand the community's expectations and visions for an attractive business district.
• Transportation Studies: The Lake Ronkonkoma area was the subject of a Walkable Communities Workshop in 2007. This report, along with the Safe Routes to School Program, provides excellent tools for increasing pedestrian safety and connecting the downtown center to the lake.
• Retail Market Analysis Report: A significant component in reaching our economic goals is our Retail Market Analysis Report. This report can assist the community in identifying potential merchandising opportunities and balance the needs and scale of commercial offerings in the study area.
• Identifying Incentive and Grant Programs: The Plan clearly identifies a multitude of incentive and grant programs that can provide private and public funding to achieve the goals of the Plan.
• Implementation Schedule: Meaningful plans are those that become the basis for implementing decisions. An Implementation Schedule, such as the one in the Plan, will help guide the Town and the community toward reaching our objectives with a consistent strategy.

In summary, the Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan is the result of a process that started with a community’s vision, has established goals and objectives that foster that vision, and provides tools and strategies for achieving that vision. The completion of this Plan is the result of a long, but successful, collaboration between the community and the Town. But we recognize that with this Plan in place, together we will be starting a new journey to implement the Plan and make our vision a reality. We ask that you now help us take the first step on that journey by approving the Town’s resolution to accept the draft Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan.

Sincerely,
Executive Board, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization

The Town Board subsequently approved the resolution. If you were unable to attend the Land Use Plan Informational Meeting on October 14th, or you have questions about the Plan, or you just want to learn more, we encourage you to attend our monthly meeting on Thursday, November 12, 7:30 PM at 115 Church Street. We will be glad to answer your questions about this very important Plan for our community.

The Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan is available to view and download from the Brookhaven Town website. Go to: http://www.brookhaven.org/
On the left side, click Planning, Environment & Land Management
In the middle of the page, under Town Planning Announcements, will be the Land Use Plan and the Impact Statement.