COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOP...AICP COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOP 7 Planners from around the country and abroad attended the 2017 APA National Planning Conference (NPC) in New York City,

COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOPHoward BeachQueens, New York CitySummary Report

The American Planning Association provides leadership in the development of vital communities by advocating excellence in planning, promoting education and citizen empowerment, and providing the tools and support necessary to meet the challenges of growth and change.

Community Planning Assistance StaffFelicia Braunstein | Director of Professional PracticeRyan Scherzinger, aicp | Programs ManagerEric Roach | Program AssociateJennifer Graeff, aicp | APA Contractor

Community Assistance Planning Services CommitteeDeborah Lawlor, faicp | ChairIrayda Ruiz Bode, aicp

Marijoan “MJ” Bull, phd, aicp

Robyn Eason, aicp, leed ap nd bd+c

Emil Malizia, phd, faicp

Justin G. Moore, aicp

Robert Paternoster, faicp

Thomas Rounds, aicp, leed ap

Sue Schwartz, faicp

Thomas Schulze, faicp

More information on the Community Assistance Program:Community Planning Workshops | planning.org/communityassistanceCommunity Planning Assistance Teams | planning.org/cpat

Cover photo: The view south down Hawtree Basin in Howard Beach, with Jamaica Bay in the distance. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger, aicp

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 4

The Purpose of the Community Assistance Program 5Guiding Values 5Program Background 5

Introduction 6Workshop Schedule 7Study Area 7

The Workshop 10Breakout Group Discussions 13Topic #1: Waterfront Mitigation: Public and Private Property 14Topic #2: Community and Stakeholder Engagement 14Topic #3: Green Infrastructure on Private Property 14Priority Voting Exercise 15

Conclusions 19Takeaways and Recommendations 21

AcknowledgmentsThe American Planning Association’s (APA) professional institute the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), in coordination with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) organized the 2017 Community Planning Workshop, which took place during the 2017 APA National Planning Conference in New York City.

The following people contributed to conversations and coordinating efforts in the development and planning of the 2017 Community Planning Workshop in Howard Beach, New York.

Chris Fennell | Director – Marketing and Development, IBTSBlake Ratcliff | Director of Economic Development and Disaster Recovery, IBTSThomas Womeldurf, aicp | Director of Federal Programs, IBTSAlisa Valderrama | Senior Project Finance Attorney, Natural Resources Defense CouncilMelissa Herlitz | City Planner, NYC Department of City PlanningMichael Marrella, aicp | Director of Waterfront and Open Space Planning, NYC Department of City PlanningAlan Cohn | Climate Program Director, NYC Department of Environmental ProtectionMelissa Enoch | Senior Policy Analyst, NYC Department of Environmental ProtectionDolores Bevilacqua | Green Jobs Training Center (Howard Beach resident)Michael Dunseith | Green Jobs Training Center (Howard Beach resident)Roger Gendron | President, Hamilton Beach Civic AssociationJoseph P. Addabbo Jr. | New York State Senator, 15th Senate District

Many thanks to the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) for partnering with APA on the 2017 Community Planning Workshop. Thanks to Alisa Valderrama from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for joining calls and offering their thoughts on the development of the workshop. Thanks to the NYC Departments of City Planning and En-vironmental Protection for their participation and guidance on the workshop. Thanks to Roger Gendron, president of the Hamilton Beach Civic Association, and longtime resident. Thanks to Michael Dunseith and Dolores Bevilacqua of the Green Jobs Training Center in Howard Beach for all of their assistance and contributions. Thanks to New York State Senator and area resident Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. for his support and participation. Thanks to volunteer graduate planning students Sarah Kelty and Lisanne Pueschel for assisting with the workshop. Thanks to St. Barnabas Church for hosting the workshop. And thanks to all the volunteer planners who registered for the workshop and offered their time, shared their experiences, and contributed their skills and knowledge to the effort.

AICP COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOP 5

The Purpose of the Community Assistance ProgramThe purpose of the Community Assistance Program is to serve communities facing limited resources by helping them ad-dress planning issues such as social equity and affordability, economic development, sustainability, consensus building, and urban design, among others. By pairing expert urban planning professionals from around the country with residents and other stakeholders from local communities, the program seeks to foster education, engagement, and empowerment.

Guiding ValuesAPA’s professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), is responsible for the Community Assistance Program. Addressing issues of social equity in planning and development is a priority of APA and AICP. The Community Assistance Program was created to express the value of social equity through service to communities in need across the United States.

Community assistance is built into the professional role of a planner. One principle of the AICP Code of Ethics and Pro-fessional Conduct states that certified planners shall aspire to “seek social justice by working to expand choice and oppor-tunity for all persons, recognizing a special responsibility to plan for the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration.” Another principle is that certified planners should aspire to “contribute time and effort to groups lacking in adequate planning resources and to voluntary professional activities.”

Program BackgroundIn recognition of the key role urban and regional planners play in shaping vibrant, sustainable, and equitable communities, the APA Board of Directors established the Community Planning Team initiative in 1995. This initiative resulted in a pro bono effort to assist an economically struggling African American community in Greensboro, North Carolina. APA has continued to develop a pro bono planning program that provides assistance to communities in need, including the annual Commu-nity Planning Workshop in the host city of the APA National Planning Conference.

In 2005, program efforts were increased after Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region to include a number of initia-tives, including planning assistance team projects in the affected cities of Henderson Point, Mississippi, and Mandeville, Slidell, and New Orleans in Louisiana. Another Gulf Coast recovery project included the Dutch Dialogues, which brought American planners together with Dutch experts to transform the way that Louisiana relates to and manages its water resources.

AICP broadened the scope of what is now called the Community Planning Assistance Teams (CPAT) program with its 2009 project in Buzzard Point, a neighborhood in Southwest Washington, D.C. Completed projects since the CPAT program’s official relaunch in 2011, including Matthews, North Carolina; Story County, Iowa; Unalaska, Alaska; La Feria, Texas; Pine Hills, Florida; Lyons, Colorado; and others, including the first international project in the Yarborough neighborhood of Belize City, Belize (June 2016), are all important landmarks in the development of the CPAT program as an ongoing effort. The CPAT program and the annual Community Planning Workshop are now an integrated part of APA’s service, outreach, and profes-sional development activities.

6 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION planning.org

INTRODUCTION


Planners from around the country and abroad attended the 2017 APA National Planning Conference (NPC) in New York City, May 6–9. APA offered a wide range of education sessions, mobile workshops, orientation tours, and many other professional networking and development opportunities throughout the conference. Since 2001, APA’s professional institute, AICP, has organized the Community Planning Workshop in the host city of the NPC. The annual workshop allows planners attending the conference an opportunity to assist and work with a community on a focused planning issue.

APA partnered with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) for the 2017 workshop. IBTS managed many recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. IBTS identified Howard Beach as a coastal community struggling with persistent flooding and where the workshop could help advance their efforts. APA and IBTS worked with area stakehold-ers, the NYC Department of City Planning and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), national experts, civic groups, and others to organize the workshop to focus on specific issues and goals. The workshop pulled planners and other experts from around the country and abroad together with residents and stakeholders to identify problems and collaborate on finding potential solutions to the community’s flooding problems.

Workshop Schedule1:30 p.m.Arrive at St. Barnabas Church

1:35 p.m.Welcome and Introductions with lunch

Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. | New York State Senator, (D) 15th Senate DistrictMarijoan “MJ” Bull, phd, aicp | APA Community Assistance Planning Services CommitteeChris Fennell | Director, Marketing and Development, IBTS

1:55 p.m.Background Presentations

Alan Cohn | Climate Program Director, NYC Department of Environmental ProtectionMelissa Herlitz | City Planner, NYC Department of City PlanningDolores Bevilacqua | CEO, Green Jobs Training Center; local resident

2:30 p.m.Walking Tour (break into small groups with local guides)

3:30 p.m.Breakout Group DiscussionsGreen infrastructure on private property; approaches and prioritiesCommunity and stakeholder engagement Public and private property waterfront mitigation

4:30 p.m.Report out from breakout groups and group discussion

5:00 p.m.Adjourn

Study AreaThe workshop focused primarily on Old Howard Beach. Old Howard Beach, along with Hamilton Beach, was significantly af-fected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Old Howard Beach is surrounded by water—Jamaica Bay to the south and two chan-nelized tributaries, Shellbank Basin and Hawtree Basin, to the east and west. The two basins are where the storm surge from Sandy penetrated the neighborhoods and inflicted widespread damage. The water rose and entered the neighborhood via east-west street ends that possess varying degrees of shoreline protection. Sandy is an extreme example. Tidal movements contribute to regular flooding in the area. The need to find and employ a range of solutions to combat flooding is critical for residents and business owners.

Green infrastructure (GI) is, by no means the complete solution to the area’s complex flooding challenges, but it is an important piece to developing more resilient strategy overall. Furthermore, GI is not only an effective technique in capturing water, it is also a vital tool in protecting the health of the water and the important natural habitat of Jamaica Bay. Jamaica Bay is designated by the state as a Critical Environmental Area and a Significant Fish and Wildlife Habitat.


It is a Natural Wildlife Refuge under the U.S. Department of the Interior, and designated by the city as a Special Natural Waterfront Area.

Many cities, including New York, have begun investing in green infrastructure to reduce the impacts of urban stormwa-ter runoff and meet regulatory compliance under the Clean Water Act. GI provides benefits beyond improved stormwater management and water quality, especially when compared to traditional gray infrastructure/pipe and cement approaches. GI adds natural beauty and often adds value to an area.

As cities try to increase the amount of GI, it’s becoming clear that private property owners are key to reaching their goals. The New York DEP has a GI grant program for private property owners. However, Howard Beach isn’t eligible because it doesn’t have combined sewers. How might Howard Beach use GI in ways that will help address its flooding issues? What and where do opportunities exist in the neighborhood? What are the challenges? How might the city be able to help pri-vate property owners?

The study area for the workshop focused primarily on Old Howard Beach, with some secondary focus on Hamilton Beach. Source: Google Earth, modified by Ryan Scherzinger

https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act


(Left) Old Howard Beach is located in the lowest lying area of New York City, which is the result of the glacial outwash plains that were formed at the end of the last Ice Age. Source: A Stronger, More Resilient New York (2013), p. 47

(Bottom) Floodwater created by storms like Superstorm Sandy, but much more regularly by tidal movements of Jamaica Bay and heavy rain events, enters Old Howard Beach largely through the street ends that abut the two channels that extend up through and surround the neighbor-hood on the east and west sides. Source: Howard Beach NYRCR Plan (2014), pp. I–6


THE WORKSHOP


Chris Fennell of IBTS served as the facilitator for the workshop and welcomed all attendees. The afternoon began with opening remarks from New York State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., who is also a resident in the area and familiar with the continued problems of flooding for residents and business owners. He spoke about the challenges associated with dealing with the devastation that Superstorm Sandy wreaked on the neighborhood. He recognized and applauded the efforts of so many citizens in the recovery efforts that continue. He men-tioned the New York Rising program, and said that $18 million will come to the area over time as a result. He spoke of a new project to build a berm in Spring Creek Park that will help alleviate future flooding.

Marijoan Bull, phd, aicp, then provided welcome remarks on behalf of APA and its profes-sional institute, AICP. Bull is a committee member on the AICP Commission’s Community Assistance Planning Services committee. She explained the history and significance of the workshop, which is held in a local community every year during APA’s National Planning Conference. The workshop strives to accomplish a collaborative environment created by the mix of local residents and stakeholders with outsider planners and design professionals from other parts of the country.

Next, NYC DEP climate program director Alan Cohn and NYC Planner Melissa Herlitz provided background presenta-tions. Cohn offered a look at the various ways GI can be adapted to increase not only water quality, but climate resiliency. Water quality has been one of the primary drivers for GI in New York City. Due to many improvements to wastewater treatment plants, industry regulations, and public education, more than 75 percent of New York Harbor now meets the pathogen standards for swimming. However, challenges still remain to reduce combined sewer overflows when it rains. Many of the areas around Jamaica Bay do not meet water quality standards. Therefore, finding ways to increase GI in Old Howard Beach is an important strategic element of reaching those standards. Implementation of the Green Infrastructure Plan launched by the city in 2010 is working to maximize the use of GI to improve water quality and absorb stormwater throughout the city. While GI isn’t built to handle extreme scenarios like Superstorm Sandy on its own, reducing impervious surfaces and increasing natural drainage and filtration can help alleviate flooding issues.

NYC contends with compound flooding issues. Therefore, a mix of solutions is important, and must include GI. For example, a tide gate may help Old Howard Beach, but it won’t resolve all their flooding problems. There’s also a limited amount of publicly owned land, so an effective GI strategy must include private property owners. Water has to go some-where, and finding areas to accept some of the flooding water is also important.

New York State Sen. Joseph Add-abbo Jr. welcomed the workshop participants and praised area residents for their extraordinary resilience after Sandy. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger

NYC Planner Melissa Herlitz provided information on a recent planning study in the area through the Resilient Neighborhoods Initiative. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger


NYC Planner Melissa Herlitz, who spoke after Cohn, was involved in a recent study of Howard Beach funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program as part of the NYC Department of City Planning’s Resilient Neighborhoods Initiative. The results of the study were released in December 2016. The report considers the projected effects of sea-level rise on the neighborhood. With 30 inches of sea-level rise (a high-end projection for 2050), as many as 1,000 residents may be affected by flooding twice daily due to tidal movements. Since water enters the neighborhood primarily through low-lying street ends, there’s a need to address that existing vulnerability. Bulkheads exist in various forms and conditions throughout the neighborhood. Funding has been secured for a few bulkheads on street ends, but not all of them.

Another major concern the report identified and which the department is now working to remedy is to update zon-ing to match existing conditions and make it easier for owners to make resiliency improvements to their buildings. Flood resilient zoning adjustments were recommended to allow for buildings to elevate above the floodplain. Contextual rezon-ing would also align portions of Old Howard Beach with established neighborhood character. Other zoning considerations

(Clockwise, from top left) Example of a street end without a bulkhead in Old Howard Beach on the residential side of Shellbank Basin. Source: Resilient Neighborhoods (2016); an example of a deteriorating bulkhead in Old Howard Beach. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger; the complicated and difficult process of rebuilding after Sandy is still ongoing for many residents. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger


for commercial properties include reductions to parking requirements to allow for more resiliency upgrades. There’s also a desire to create incentives for private property owners since city-owned beachfront property is limited.

Following the background presentations by Cohn and Herlitz, Dolores Bevilacqua, a local resident and CEO of the Green Jobs Training Center in Howard Beach, shared some local history with the attendees. After her presentation, the volunteer planners joined residents for a walking tour of the neighborhood.

Planners and residents walked and talked as they explored the different areas of Old Howard Beach and parts of adjacent Hamilton Beach. Residents pointed out problem areas. IBTS staff and residents pointed out houses that have been elevated and retrofitted since Sandy.

Breakout Group DiscussionsReturning to St. Barnabas Church, participants split into breakout groups to discuss three topics. Each group was asked to discuss ideas and examples for public and private property waterfront mitigation, ideas for community and stakeholder

Each breakout group consisted of volunteer planners and local residents and stakeholders. Photos by Ryan Scherzinger


engagement, and approaches and priorities for GI on private property. Following the small group conversations, the smaller groups reported summaries of their discussions to the entire group.

Topic #1: Waterfront Mitigation: Public and Private PropertyGroups reported issues with the permitting process through the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for private property owners trying to build their own bulkheads. There’s a desire to streamline that process. Bulkheads should be continuous and the same height on both sides of the canals. There are sunken boats that need to be removed, but that also needs DEC approval.

Residents agree with the project to create earthen berms on federal land, which would establish a stronger protective perimeter.

Floodgates would also provide additional protections, and potentially create a bridge to and from Hamilton Beach and lead to greater connectivity. A bridge would create a much-needed additional evacuation route since there is only one evacuation route currently. There was also mention that a floodgate may help lower property owners’ flood insurance rates.

There were reports of dirt piled up in East Hamilton Beach on land purchased for airport expansion in the 1940s that never happened. The built-up land needs to be considered for any adverse effects on area flooding.

Groups promoted the ideas of water retention basins, restoring natural marshlands, and erosion-control techniques. Groups discussed the idea of exploring public-private partnerships for mitigation projects.

Topic #2: Community and Stakeholder EngagementMany residents expressed frustration with the various processes of recovery they’ve experi-enced since Superstorm Sandy. Many wish to see a time line attached to proposed projects and other initiatives. People find it difficult to get responses from the different government agencies involved. The lack of coordination between the agencies and elected officials is also apparent, and adds to the confusion and frustration. As a result, some community members have formed a lack of trust and have concerns about corruption. A community input session with all agency representatives present may help build trust and avoid some communication and implementa-tion obstacles.

There were calls for a better overall communications outreach strategy to educate the com-munity about different options, funding sources, and information about the various organiza-tions involved and their missions. It would be helpful to have one organization or interface to synthesize that information for residents and all others involved.

One group spoke about getting schools, churches, and local organizations more involved. Organizing cleanups and engaging in civic science to test water quality were some specific ideas mentioned.

Topic #3: Green Infrastructure on Private PropertyReducing the amount of impervious surface in the area is an important concern. Regulations to limit the amount of impervious surface exist, but many people reported that some property owners defy the regulations and use concrete surfaces. Code enforcement is needed to combat that issue. There’s a need for more outreach and public education on the problems of impervious surfaces and GI alternatives. Some mentioned that a highly visible pilot site would be helpful in educating the neighborhood on GI. Many worry about the maintenance of GI installations.

Some GI ideas that emerged from conversations included: tree plantings, green roofs, rainwater collection (rain barrels), cisterns under elevated homes for temporary water storage, permeable street pavers/permeable concrete, native plants to limit maintenance, using rights-of-way, and catch basins/creating floodable areas.

There’s a need to understand the complete hydrological system. Developing a GI master plan would help guide the area’s overall strategy and increase effectiveness.

Also, tax-based or other financial incentives would encourage private property owners to adopt more GI on their properties.

Each breakout group des-ignated a person to record key points of their con-versations. Planner Emily Seiple from Iowa recorded notes for her group. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger

Area resident and Hamil-ton Beach Civic Association President Roger Gendren provided input during a group discussion. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger

Resident Richard Lynch shared his perspective with workshop participants. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger


Priority Voting ExerciseFollowing the reports from each breakout group and some discussion among the whole group, everyone was asked to se-lect their top three priorities among all ideas presented and mark them using colored stickers. Below is a list of all the ideas recorded on flip charts and the result of the voting within each category.

Waterfront Mitigation—Public and Private Property

CHALLENGES VOTES

Remove dirt piled on city land in East Hamilton Beach 10

Rules and regulations, zoning/permitting • Streamlining permitting/better coordination

10

DEC issues with private bulkheadsPermitting bulkheads on private property • Different regulatory requirements • Difficult for property owners—streamline/harmonize

1

Bulkheads discontinuousBulkhead lines—need uniform height on both sides of roads

1

Chemical runoff and discharge mitigation 1

Water retention basins 1

DEC objections/authority: (Example—can’t remove sunken boats) 0

Need a connected network of protection—not just certain streets 0

Maintaining bulkheads and building quickly (funding and political will) 0

Only a complete wall will be effective, but not enough 0

Trust 0

Sewer vulnerability 0

Restoring marshlands 0

Erosion control 0

Alternative wastewater treatment 0

Community cleanup/restoration 0

IDEAS

Utilize public-private partnerships to develop sustainable and quicker projects 10

Natural berms 6

Floodgates with new bridge (evacuation route)—Hamilton Beach 4

Oyster beds 0

Stub ends would be major improvement, supported by community 0

Water overtopping current bulkheads 0

Negotiating easements could be OK, but no public (community) access on private property 0

Bulkhead may not be long-term solution; needs to be combined with other measures 0

If there is a gate at the mouth of the bay, who decides when it closes? 0

Going to have to elevate as well 0

Community accessibility • High-visibility installation • Point of entry: education resources

0

Coordination/stewardship meeting 0


Green Infrastructure—Public and Private Property

CHALLENGES VOTES

Maintenance concerns about catch basins and new green infrastructure • Cleaning up flooded areas • Regular maintenance

5

Antiquated, shallow sewer system (gravity feed) • Water comes up through sewers • Lack of storm sewers

4

Lots of pavement 2

Illegal paving in excess of new zoning—lower density deed restrictions (Hamilton Beach) 0

Wetlands and high water table 0

Lack of public right-of-way 0

Permit issues 0

Lack of education 0

Is there a mitigation program? 0

Where is right-of-way most efficient for GI? 0

Understanding system (hydrology, flow, etc.) 0

Private property 0

Need outreach centralization 0

Enforcement of illegally paved-over utility 0

Traditional green infrastructure alone not workable here; use techniques that are mandatory and realistic 0

IDEAS

Create flooded/floodable areas 17

Incentive to be green (grants, reimbursement/tax incentives) • Incentivize better building methods: Catch basins, solar, rain barrels, cisterns, etc.

16

Create green infrastructure master plan • Integration—hydrology, public, private, people, community benefit • Is it viable?

16

High-visibility pilot site (e.g. Stop-N-Shop) 9

Doing a combination of street work • Directing water into areas that can filter water • Raising some streets • Block-level adaptation

6

Target all publicly owned vacant land to be vacant/green space Need tax incentives (or other)

5

Realistic local government property buy-out program (value) 4

Change impervious surface to pervious (green pavers) 3

Can you limit (and enforce) imperviousness? 2

Streamline permits 2

Bring state agencies together to resolve issues 2

Tree planting 2

Bulkheads on Howard Beach side 1

Education on how to be green 0

Relocate homes from Ramblersville to west—create mitigation plan (Hamilton Beach) 0

Make sure everything is in hazard mitigation plan—funding? 0


Green Infrastructure—Public and Private Property

IDEAS

Green roofs 0

Follow up and implement previous community recommendations 0

Native plants 0

Opportunities are there, but still maintenance concerns (federal park grounds) 0

102nd street—parking area with green infrastructure • Finding creative ways to avoid losing cars to flooding

0

Cistern/temporary water storage under elevated homes can alleviate combined sewer overflows 0

Program to get furnaces, etc., out of basements 0

Alleys 0

“In-between” land for water infrastructure, or other? 0

Many small changes create big positives 0

Community Engagement

CHALLENGES VOTES

Differences in issues (Hamilton and Howard Beach) 3

Frustration with not seeing results five years post-Sandy 2

Some projects have been stopped because not everyone was involved and informed• Avoid implementation obstacle

2

Trust• Concerns about corruption with programs

2

Home for outreach (public campaign info center) 0

Concerns not being addressed 0

Issues with ponding have gotten worse 0

Catch basins need to be inspected/maintained (debris cleaned up prior to hurricane season) 0

Question: What does it mean?• It means empowerment of the people affected by the situation

0

Collecting ideas and developing consensus • Gathering resources

0

Engaging elected officials• Voice of community and advocacy• Must listen and be flexible to enhance grassroots planners vision and voice• Elected officials’ accountability to the community

0

Property ownership issues 0

Insurance 0

Communication channels: difficulty getting responses from agencies to stakeholders in community 0

IDEAS

Civic science—water testing• Get samples of best practices• Get schools involved• Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts

4

Local hazard mitigation plan• Make sure priorities are included in plan

2


Community Engagement

IDEAS

Cleanups• Get religious institutions involved• Get colleges/high schools involved

0

Elected officials are champions (state and local) 0

Federal park officials? Very open to issues 0

Community concerns about maintenance of infrastructure need to be addressed in creative ways• Volunteers• Jobs program to do maintenance

0

Put plan in place for better practices after storms (take advantage of period after storm) 0

Community wants tidal barriers 0

Interface opportunities for information and dissemination options• Public campaign information center

0

High visibility demo of natural installation• Library, train, Stop-N-Shop• Green supermarkets program

0

Educating community on shared infrastructure and effects on environment• Bulkheads• Drainage• Streets• Utilities• Building materials

0


CONCLUSIONS


The process of recovery from Sandy in Howard Beach continues. Moreover, future storms and rising sea levels are inevitable. Three-quarters of New York City is covered with asphalt and concrete. It’s already difficult for the city’s aging sewer system to handle average rainfall throughout the year, let alone major rain events that come with nor’easters and hurricanes. Flooding is not the only problem.

The goal of increased resiliency amid the rebuild-ing efforts will need to include a range of strategies and techniques. Residents and local business owners, elected officials, city and federal agencies, and other organizations are involved, which is necessary and promising, but also makes coordination and communication difficult.

The workshop organized a group of volunteer planners from around the country to learn from the Howard Beach experience and to offer an outside perspective of the com-munity’s ongoing efforts. The joint group raised important questions, generated many ideas, and highlighted chal-lenges that should help clarify where more work is needed and cultivate new ideas to explore and work toward.

The voting exercise forced participants to express which ideas and challenges they felt were most important and/or most pressing. On the topic of waterfront mitigation on private and public property, many agreed on the need to find a way to remove the piled-up dirt on city land in East Hamilton Beach. Further investigation is needed to deter-mine how the dirt affects the area and what possibilities may exist to resolve the issue.

Equally clear is that many are frustrated by the con-fusing web of rules and regulations and the permitting process. This suggests the need for more outreach and education efforts by the agencies involved. Workshop par-

ticipants suggested having a joint information session with all agencies at the table.

Regarding ideas for waterfront mitigation, many liked the idea of exploring public private partnerships to develop quicker projects. Natural berms, some of which are already planned in the area, received positive affirmations. Flood-gates should serve a dual purpose as both a water barrier and a bridge to increase access during flooding events. Sandy highlighted the need for more connectivity, since evacuation routes were extremely limited for many residents.

On the topic of green infrastructure on public and pri-vate property, people expressed challenges associated with the maintenance of GI installations. A highly visible pilot site to educate community members interested in GI could allay some of the concerns about maintenance and offer best practices for property owners. There’s concern about the inadequacy of the local sewer system. Water is reported to come up through the sewers and there’s a lack of storm sewers. People also recognize the vast amounts of pave-ment in the neighborhood and how that contributes to flooding. Many participants voted to create floodable areas.

There were also many votes for creating tax incentives for private property owners to install GI on their property, along with other sustainable elements such as solar. Partici-pants also mentioned streamlining permits to help property owners attempting to add GI. Many see a GI master plan for the area as vital. A GI plan would include hydrological studies and other analyses to determine how GI can best be implemented for maximum community benefit. The streets may be an important part of that strategy and will require a detailed look at each block of the neighborhood. Other ideas included targeting publicly owned vacant land

The voting exercise offered insights into what the community sees as important next steps. Photo by Ryan Scherzinger


for green space, using green pavers to create more pervious surfaces, better enforcement of impervious surfaces, and tree planting.

Top challenges within the community engagement topic included the differences in issues between Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach, frustrations with the Sandy recovery process (five years and counting), difficulties with implementation due to a lack of coordination, and a weak-ening of trust in government agencies and other entities.

Participants voted positively for civic science programs, where local youth could get involved with conducting wa-ter samples and doing projects exemplifying best practices for GI or other flood mitigation ideas. People voted for a local hazard mitigation plan that includes local priorities. Other ideas included organized cleanups that involve area churches and schools, and a one-stop shop (website, orga-nization) that collects information from a variety of sources for residents and area stakeholders.

Takeaways and RecommendationsImprove Communication. Many ideas worthy of further exploration emerged from the workshop. However, to work toward any of them effectively, there’s a need to organize a working group and develop some leadership continuity to carry ideas through.

To help improve communication between all stake-holders, we recommend the creation of a neighborhood working group dedicated to resiliency issues. This entity would include a mix of residents, business owners, neigh-borhood institutions, and representatives from relevant city agencies; it would have support from a local elected official(s) and would represent the community. This group could provide the social structure needed to bring stake-holders together and serve as the central point of contact for residents seeking guidance and for city officials sharing information on resiliency effort taking place in the com-munity. Once established, the group should seek further community input to determine its goals and priorities.

We see this as an essential first step in effectively ad-dressing the communications issues between residents and the several city agencies and organizations working in Howard Beach. The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance is a community-based organization that works on developing waterfront stewardship and community education and many other programs. This could be a good resource for Howard Beach in terms of how to create their own group, and what it should look like.

Another benefit of creating such a group is that it can help figure out how to achieve some of the issues priori-tized by the voting process during the workshop, as well as others that may be identified. For example, workshop participants listed removing the dirt piled on city land in East Hamilton Beach as a main priority for water mitiga-tion as it relates to public and private property. This group could help facilitate these types of cleanup efforts, by either identifying groups in the region that do similar work, or by

creating subgroups specifically dedicated to beautification and cleanup efforts.

Public Education on GI and Demonstration Project. Accord-ing to local workshop participants, the neighborhood has limited knowledge about GI. Questions and concerns about cost, maintenance, and value are common. We recommend developing educational opportunities for residents, from hands-on training to collaborative demonstration projects, including inviting city agencies to organized discussions. Officials can explain GI and mitigation techniques, as well as city rules and regulations, directly to residents. This can also be an opportunity for agencies to explain how resi-dents can apply any grants or assistance for which they may be eligible. Additionally, the community could bring in GI experts to lead trainings on how residents can apply to green infrastructure techniques to their homes. Examples of agencies to engage include the DEP, the Department of City Planning, NYC Parks, and the Department of Buildings.A GI-focused demonstration project in a strategic location in Howard Beach (like those mentioned above) could also help increase local understanding about the benefits of GI and how to incorporate different elements on private prop-erty. The community should explore this possibility further with NYC DEP (and/or others) to determine potential sites and funding options, and develop ideas for outreach and programming to maximize its usefulness. A demonstration site(s) could also offer an opportunity to include local youth for maintenance and education.

GI Program that Reaches More Property Owners. Since 2011, NYC DEP has a GI grant program for private prop-erty owners, but its success has been limited so far. Most projects have come in the form of bioswales (or enhanced tree boxes). While those GI additions are welcome, there’s a long way to go to get to DEP’s stated goal of greening 8,000 acres by 2030. There’s a need to reach more property own-ers with the right kinds of resources and support.

One interesting example is the Urban Conservancy’s Front Yard Initiative in New Orleans. The program is a re-sponse to excessive yard paving, a problem recognized by many Howard Beach residents during the workshop, and one that contributes to flooding problems in the neigh-borhood. Stronger code enforcement of illegal paving is one part of that solution. Another is an incentive program like the Front Yard Initiative that reimburses home owners for removing pavement and introducing vegetation and permeable materials.

Develop a Neighborhood GI Plan. With significant inter-est in incorporating GI practices throughout the Howard Beach community on a private and public scale, devel-oping a neighborhood GI plan could coordinate efforts. The recommended neighborhood working group could potentially anchor this effort. A neighborhood plan could help guide Howard Beach to realize some of the goals that

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_grant_program.shtml


were prioritized by the voting process during the workshop, as well as others that may be identified. Additionally, many graduate-level architecture and planning departments in the region have semester-long studios dedicated to helping communities address planning issues. Howard Beach would be a perfect partner for a studio project focused on creating a GI plan for the neighborhood. ■

Documents

COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOP...AICP COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOP 7 Planners from around the country and abroad attended the 2017 APA National Planning Conference (NPC) in New York City,