Smithtown has its share of problems. Officials hope to balance plans to make Main Street a downtown destination while addressing its dangers as a major roadway, vacancies dot the landscape from St. James to the edge of Kings Park, taxes are high and schools with good academics face the scary problem of heroin in their halls.
It's times like these that people get to thinking about the home they love so much, coming up with their own ideas, be them wild stretches of the imagination or practical fixes that are altogether doable, to keep the Smithtown, St. James and Nesconset areas great into the forseeable future.
So let's hear them.
In the spirit of putting the local dreamer and the civic leaders on the same plane, we'd like to give all locals the opportunity to share their big ideas for Smithtown. In this forum, no idea should be shot down. Instead, let's gather as many suggestions as we can so we can later narrow the list down to the 10 most popular ideas for the Smithtown community.
We can't wait to hear what you come up with.
problem. How do you "preserve any remaining open space " without paying for it? They still have to pay for the taking. You sound like your from the Obama school of thought. Take from the rich and give to the poor. You say you pay high taxes and your ok with it because it helps keep the area nice but then say" main st is rundown and unappealing". You dont want anyone to develop their property. Well thats not progress or a solution.
While I value a balanced budget and conservative bond rating community members start to truly get frustrated when the roadways, parks and storefronts do not represent the high taxes they pay. Decide what type of business zoning you want and then provide tax abated incentives and free infrastructure upgrades to entice them into the community. Flowerfields - incent building and residential supply business, Smithtown - they are obviously trying to entice more restaurants so cafes, restaurants, etc should get tax delays, short term forgiveness. They should also try to further develop up to the middle country 347/25 intersection more medical businesses to build off of the E. Main street area and to balance the empty car lots that dot that corridor. The main thing is to HAVE A PLAN. Not simply have a reaction to every fast food restaurant and convenience store that offers to pop up yet again in town.
On a quick side note, the two lanes of traffic should stop on the notheast side of main street by the library. The right lane should be for right turn only. It was a big mistake to continue it across 111 in front of the church. This area should be striped for the bus stop. This would force the merge earlier in front of dr offices so cars would not race from the traffic light to merge in front of the church and horizon center.
And sorry, taxes went up too fast because EVERYONE got greedy. The real estate agencies caused it all too and the school districts and police departments all got in on it. Now everyone's in panic mode cause the bubble is about to burst. And please, people here think main st. is unapealling? LMAO! I grew up in Brentwood back in the 70's and 80's. Take a drive through that town and you'll see what unappealing really is.
For example, Checkers restaurant wants to build a facility on Rte. 347. Plan approved on the condition that it be a two-storied building with office space on the second floor. Another, related idea: A new T.of S. code taxes vacant space at a higher rate than occupied thus better ensuring landlords are better motivated to maintain rental/leased property in good condition and at competitive rental rates. Another example, developer wants to build housing development. If the development occupies a certain acreage it must include a certain percentage of office and retail space to serve the needs of the development and local neighborhood. Note: the one I lived in had a 24/7 drug/convenience store, two spaces rented by inhabitants of development (one was an art gallery and the other a toy/hobby store), a doctor's office, and a travel agency. Established a Town minimum of green space; both for the Town as a whole and each property developed. Increase green space set-backs/landscaping requirements on main roads (ie. Watermill at 347 & Terry Rd. is good example of what the SmithHaven Mall should have)
But they could change this. I suggest a major Reno plan for the Mandees shopping center. Including the shops In the front of that parking lot, where I believe only one shop remains intact (the gold store with the person standing in the street holding up a "we buy gold sign". Do we really need THAT???). I suggest leveling the whole thing and building a fresh set of restaurants with a common quadrangle area in the center. If we can encourage people to visit that section through dining we can increase the foot traffic to the local shops and have new shops open in the vacancys. This plan would also require funding to be made available for all those surrounding store fronts to get face lifts and build toward a common motif with the restaurant row. As long as adequate parking is made available this would inject a lot people into an otherwise desolate stretch of main street.
Obviously I am not the only one doing this. The tenants that 'Sunny day' describes are bad news, but that is not always the case. There is no way I could pay Smithtown taxes, Lipa and everything else without this income.
The state controls Main Street - go to your legislators as the town has no jurisdiction. Changes have been made to Main Street causing worse traffic conditions. Why? Because people were killed by failure to navigate the street, being drunk or being hit by a drug addict. People need to learn to cross at corners and take responsibility for their own actions. The economy is bad - lowering rents is not going to add more stores. Blame Obama.