Project

Supporting the community's ideas

Sustainable Long Island continues to work with the Greater Bellport Coalition to advance implementation of the community plan through various projects and initiatives, including the redevelopment of Robert Rowley Park and discussing the creation of a transit-oriented development near the Long Island Rail Road station.

Greater Bellport has been identified as one of the most distressed communities on Long Island – plagued by crime, low rates of high-school graduation, and high rates of poverty and unemployment rates. However, the will and desire to revitalize the Greater Bellport area is abundant and the enthusiasm from the public has lead to the rebirth of this most deserving community.

In August 2006 Sustainable Long Island was hired by a group of community members now known as The Greater Bellport Coalition to coordinate and direct a process to facilitate the revitalization of the Greater Bellport community by developing a safe, fun, and environmentally healthy place to live, work, and play for all of its residents. Current membership of the coalition represents a broad cross-section of the community including representatives from the clergy, school board, civic associations, library, County, Town, fire district, ambulance, not-for-profit groups, retirees, and other local groups.

Back then, Sustainable Long Island and The Greater Bellport Coalition garnered the support of Assemblywoman Pat Eddington, Legislator Kate Browning, Legislator Jack Eddington, Supervisor Brian Foley, Councilwoman Connie Kepert, Commissioner David Woods, as well as other Town of Brookhaven officials to make this process possible.

During the summer of 2007, Sustainable Long Island facilitated a community planning process in the community now known as Greater Bellport:

• Greater Bellport is the expression of a collective identity for a conglomeration of hamlets that share a geographic location, but have been referred to by a variety of names, including North Bellport, East Patchogue, Hagerman and Pace Par.

Having identified issues central to the area, the diverse community came together to devise solutions to numerous problems, including the creation of a hamlet center, improving code compliance, and developing a range of housing options. Our goal was to build consensus in a community of diverse ideas through the creation and implementation of a sustainable community plan that serves as a roadmap for the future development of Greater Bellport. Sustainable Long Island worked with the Coalition to lay the groundwork to ensure that it would follow through on the community’s vision.

The project supported the community’s vision in the following areas:

• Improvements to Station Road and Montauk Highway
• Enhance transportation options
• Improve street safety
• Foster economic development
• Create one or more “downtown” areas
• Develop a range of housing options to attract and retain the young worker
• Enhance the environment
• Other issues as identified by the community throughout the process

In 2008, Sustainable Long Island facilitated protecting the community from county auction, twice.  Sustainable Long Island worked with members of the Greater Bellport Coalition, and officials from the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County to have County Executive Levy remove key parcels the community identified in their planning process, from county auction. Removing the parcels off of the auction list was important because it allowed for the development and acceptance of the ideas expressed in the Greater Bellport plan – specifically park expansion and multifamily housing.  This was a huge victory for the Greater Bellport community and underscores the importance of Sustainable Long Island’s work in local coalition capacity building and bridge building among the community, Town and County.

Since the Community Planning Process the Greater Bellport Coalition has engaged the wider community to join committees and ensure that projects, ranging from implementing safety improvements to park renovations, are completed. In April 2009, the Town of Brookhaven officially accepted the Greater Bellport Sustainable Community Plan as a community vision plan, recognizing the importance of the community’s vision and hard work and paving the way for continued implementation. Greater Bellport Calition continues to be active in the community, meeting regularly and fulfilling its mission to improve and revitalize the Greater Bellport area.

Some highlights since the planning process began:

• Formed Safety committee to work on safety issues - i.e. reducing crime, improving street lighting
• Formed Economic Development committee, which worked on 72H property transferring guidelines
• Formed Youth/Recreation committee to address activities for after-school involvement
• Identified funding options for the implementation of community development projects
• Continued to work collaboratively with Sustainable Long Island, Town of Brookhaven, and other local partners and elected officials to carry out the Sustainable Community Plan
• In 2009, the Sustainable Community Plan for the Greater Bellport Community was completed, and formally accepted by the Town of Brookhaven 
• Security cameras have been installed in key locations throughout the hamlet to increase community safety
• Invited the Greater Bellport Coalition to participate in the Food Equity Advisory Committee and initiated discussions with the Coalition about implementation of one of the recommendations of the Sustainable Community Plan – a community farmers’ market
• North Bellport was selected as one of two locations for the first year of the Community Youth-run Farmer's Market (the other is Roosevelt)

BELLPORT FINAL PLAN