Whether you are upstate or downstate. This is the sort of issue every birder or anyone interested in wildlife should be aware of as we continue to see more and more wildlife habitat threatened.
Cheers, 風 Swift as the wind 林 Quiet as the forest 火 Conquer like the fire 山 Steady as the mountain Sun Tzu <http://refspace.com/quotes/Sun_Tzu> *The Art of War* <http://refspace.com/quotes/The_Art_of_War> (\__/) (= '.'=) (") _ (") Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device! Andrew Baksh www.birdingdude.blogspot.com Begin forwarded message: *From:* "[email protected] [ebirdsnyc]" <[email protected]> *Date:* September 5, 2014 at 8:02:00 AM EDT *To:* <[email protected]> *Subject:* *[ebirdsnyc] Proposed develpoment of so called Calverton Grasslands* *Reply-To:* [email protected] This posting is dated, the town meeting is past but you can still write to the town's supervisor & board members, please read below or visit the website of Group for the East End for more information. Sharing this information which may be of interest and is important to many of us. Be sure to attend the public hearing to express concern regarding the development of the East End's last largest remaining property. Right now, it appears as if the Town Board will close the public comment period on September 15, 2014, therefore, there is limited time to provide feedback. Hello past Coalition for Open Space at EPCAL Members, While many of you may already be aware of this, we want to be sure everyone is alerted to Riverhead's upcoming hearing regarding the EPCAL Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement that is scheduled for this *Wednesday*. The more people we have attending and supporting open space and community based planning at EPCAL the better. The hearing is: *September 3, 2014* * 7:00 P.M.* * Riverhead Town Hall (200 Howell Avenue) * We also want to share a few of our thoughts on the proposed DGEIS. Group for the East End is writing a comment letter now, and will be at the hearing. We will also be sending out an action alert with a "one click email" that you/your members can send to the Riverhead Town Board. We will be sure that you all receive this alert as soon as it is completed. The proposed subdivision plan for EPCAL has been drafted and the Riverhead Town Board will accept the public's feedback on its proposal to subdivide the 2,300-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL). The draft environmental study can be found here http://www.townofriverheadny.gov/pview.aspx?id=32339. The plan calls for roughly 650 acres of "mixed-use" development including industrial, institutional, research, office and business uses. Unfortunately, the plan also calls for up to 300 residential units and over 800,000 square feet of new retail space, neither of which is consistent with the longstanding goals of the EPCAL development strategy, which is to support long-term economic growth with well-paying, sustainable jobs. Although the plan calls for the preservation of roughly 59% of the parcel, there are substantial overarching problems regarding grassland management, development impacts and mitigation as well as ambiguity in the manner in which development applications will be reviewed for the proposed lots. Read below for a brief description. - *Grassland Habitat Impacts Not Minimized *- The proposal ignores specific design recommendations (made but the Coalition in the past) that would protect the parcel's most sensitive grassland habitat. In place of preserving existing habitat, the plan calls for the creation of roughly 140 acres of grassland (59.5 of which will be over the existing runway and taxiway). - *Real Grasslands Management Strategy Not Included *- Although the plan identifies a need to manage the existing and proposed grassland areas, a strategy that outlines what entity will be responsible for doing so, including how this task will be funded is not detailed. - *No Implementation Strategy for Traffic, Infrastructure Mitigation Measures: * The plan identifies "triggers" for when major traffic mitigation measures and upgrades to the proposed sewage treatment plant are needed, however how these will be implemented, paid for, and managed is missing from the study. - *Plan Refers to Limited Level of Review for Future Development Proposals: *Plan infers that recently passed legislation will essentially exempt future development proposals from being thoroughly reviewed and free them from needing appropriate permits. - *Lacking Development Design and Aesthetic:* The study leaves much to be desired in terms of ensuring that EPCAL doesn't just turn into another example of horrific suburban sprawl. Be sure to attend the public hearing to express concern regarding the development of the East End's last largest remaining property. Right now, it appears as if the Town Board will close the public comment period on September 15, 2014, therefore, there is limited time to provide feedback. Best, Jenn Hartnagel and Jen Skilbred *Please contact Jenn Hartnagel with questions:* *Jenn Hartnagel* Senior Environmental Advocate | Group for the East End Office: 631-765-6450 x211 Email: [email protected] | Web: www.GroupfortheEastEnd.org <http://www.groupfortheeastend.org/> ____________________ *Jennifer Skilbred* Communications Specialist | *Group for the East End* Office: 631-899-3651 Email: [email protected] | Web: www.GroupfortheEastEnd.org <http://www.groupfortheeastend.org/> *Protecting the nature of the place you love* Group for the East End <http://www.facebook.com/GroupEastEnd> [image: image] <http://www.facebook.com/GroupEastEnd> Group for the East End <http://www.facebook.com/GroupEastEnd> Protecting the nature of the place you love. 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