THOMAS R. SUOZZI NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE PATRICK G. DUGGAN DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE PATRICIA BOURNE, AICP EXECUTIVE COMMISSIONER, NASSAU COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATURE Diane Yatauro, Presiding Officer Kevan Abrahams, Deputy Presiding Officer Jeffrey Toback, Alternate Deputy Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt, Minority Leader Francis X. Becker, Jr. Judi Bosworth John J. Ciotti Roger Corbin David Denenberg Dennis Dunne, Sr. Denise Ford Norma L. Gonsalves Judy Jacobs Edward P. Mangano David Mejias Vincent T. Muscarella Richard J. Nicolello Joseph Scannell Wayne H. Wink, Jr. NASSAU COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Chair Michael Bellissimo, First Vice-Chair Neal Lewis, Second Vice-Chair Philip Como Clara Gillens-Eromosele Omar Jorge Mary A. McCaffrey Leonard Shapiro 2008 Master Plan Updated adopted on April 3, 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 1 II. SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE...................................................................... 2 Overview...................................................................................................................................................................2 Population.................................................................................................................................................................2 Race/Ethnicity...........................................................................................................................................................5 Age Distribution .......................................................................................................................................................6 Income ......................................................................................................................................................................8 Consumer Price Index ............................................................................................................................................10 Employment............................................................................................................................................................11 Retail Sales and Business Activity..........................................................................................................................14 Transportation: Journey to Work ............................................................................................................................15 III. HOUSING ................................................................................................................................ 17 Residential Sales and Building Construction..........................................................................................................18 Housing Initiatives..................................................................................................................................................23 IV. LAND USE, SUBDIVISION AND ZONING .................................................................................. 25 Land Use.................................................................................................................................................................25 Subdivision .............................................................................................................................................................28 Zoning Review ........................................................................................................................................................30 V. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES ................................................................................ 33 Visioning Programs ................................................................................................................................................33 Cool Downtowns Initiative.....................................................................................................................................33 Nassau Hub Redevelopment Initiative....................................................................................................................34 Tourism...................................................................................................................................................................34 Grumman-105 acres at Bethpage............................................................................................................................35 Sales of Surplus Property........................................................................................................................................35 Nassau County Government Real Estate Consolidation Accomplishments 2002 to Present..................................35 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, INITIATIVES AND LOCAL LAWS ......................................... 37 Open Space .............................................................................................................................................................37 Brownfields.............................................................................................................................................................39 Environmental Initiatives and Local Laws .............................................................................................................40 Parks and Recreation........................................................................................................................ 42 Water Resources, Sewers and Sanitation .............................................................................................. 42 VII. TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................................ 45 Transportation Planning Process.............................................................................................................................45 Public Transportation..............................................................................................................................................48 Highways ................................................................................................................................................................49 Other Transportation Activities ..............................................................................................................................50 VIII. INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION ........................................................................................ 53 i LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLES Table 1: Population Change 2000 and 2007 New York Metropolitan Region, State and Nation Table 2: Population by City or Town, 1950-2007 Table 3: Mutually Exclusive Race and Ethnicity, 2007 Table 4: Nassau County Population 5 Years and Over, by Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English, 2000 and 2007 Table 5: Age Distribution, 2000 and 2007 Table 6: Median Household Income, 2006 Table 6A: Populations in Poverty, 2000 and 2007 Table 7: Median Household Income by Municipality, 1979-2006 Table 8: Consumer Price Index, 2000-2007 Table 9: Annual Employment and Unemployment, 2000-2008 Table 10: Nassau County Annual Employment by Industry, 2001-2007 Table 11: Nassau County Major Employers, 2007 Table 12: Journey to Work (Workers 16 Years and Over), 2007 Table 13: Nassau County Home Sales, 2000-2007 Table 13A: Comparative Median Home Values, 2000-2007 Table 14: New Residential Construction Activity Table 14A: New Residential Construction Activity: Comparison with Other Counties Table 15: New Residential Construction Permits by Unit Type Table 15A: New Residential Construction Permits by Unit Type: Comparison with Other Counties Table 16: Foreclosure Filings by Selected New York State Counties Table 17: Nassau County Building Permits Issued by Land Use, 2003-2007 Table 18: Nassau County Number of Permits Issued for Commercial and Industrial Property and Estimated Value on Permits, 2002-2007 Table 19: Nassau County Available Industrial Space, 2004-2008 Table 20: STP and CMAQ Funding, 2008-2012 FIGURES Figure 1: Nassau County Population, 1900-2007 Figure 2: Age Distribution of the 60+ Population: 2007 Figure 3: Nassau County Employment Sectors Figure 4: Percent Change in Retail Sales for Nassau and Suffolk Counties, 2000-2006 Figure 5: Nassau County Journey to Work by Mode, 1960-2006 Figure 6: Nassau County Total Housing Units by Year Built Figure 7: Nassau County Housing Units, Units in Structure, 2007 Figure 8: Nassau County Median Home Sales Price Figure 9: Vacant Land by Use Figure 10: Nassau County Total Number of Permits Issued, 2003-2007 Figure 11: New Residential Lots/Units Approved, 2004-2008 Figure 12: New Multi-Family Units Approved, 2004-2008 ii The Nassau County Charter calls for a Master Plan Update every five years. When the 2008 update was begun, we could not have anticipated the serious and unprecedented economic times we now face. Our report is based upon available data for the period 2003 to 2008, which lags behind current conditions. I. INTRODUCTION Five years have passed since the 2003 Update to the 1998 Comprehensive Master Plan. During that time much has changed. Our nation faces numerous challenges that were not anticipated five years ago, from a troubled economy, to declining home values, increasing foreclosures, rising health care costs,