When towns need to make decisions concerning land use, zoning, budgets, and the enactment or changing of laws, they are required to go through a public hearing so that citizens may have a say in the decision. A public hearing is the citizens’ opportunity to tell decision makers such as town officials and planning boards what their constituents would like done. It is of utmost importance that we have a unified voice against the change in Huntington’s Comprehensive Plan that would allow the Villadom Mall to be built. Please speak with your neighbors and come to the hearing together this Wednesday, Jan 22 @ 7:00 PM (Town Hall, 100 Main Street). Consider preparing a 2-3 minute oral statement explaining why you think changing the Comprehensive Plan to build this mega-mall is a bad idea. Here are some helpful hints in preparing an oral statement: --- Know what to expect. Here’s a video of a Planning Board hearing for you to see what its like if you’ve never been to one before: http://huntingtonny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=1031 --- Be informed. Copies of the Town of Huntington’s Comprehensive Plan and the developer’s DIES (Environmental Impact Statement) are located in links on this petition site for you to read and cite. --- Speak to the point. The Planning Board must decide what course of action to take on the specific question of changing the vision of our Comprehensive Plan. That is, the decision makers are considering whether to change the Orchard from residential to commercial zoning. Testimony that is pertinent, well-organized, and directed specifically to this matter will have more impact than long stories, anecdotes, philosophical lectures, or abstract complaints. As you prepare note for your statement, answer the following, “I object to the proposed amendment because…Reason 1… Reason 2… Reason 3…”. --- Remember the objective. You want to persuade the decision makers to vote or decide in our favor. Please express strong feelings in a courteous manner so that we do not anger or antagonize our Planning Board or our elected officials. --- Do not be afraid to share creative ideas. If you have an idea of a better use for this property that works with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan objectives, by all means, submit it. Do not be held back because you are not a lawyer, engineer, technician, or even a very good writer. --- State your recommendations concisely and clearly. Do not leave the Board or elected officials wondering just what it is you want them to do. Make clear-cut recommendations as succinctly as you can. Aim for 3 minutes which is the time limit given during Town Board meetings. When you write out your statement at home, a good guideline is 140-160 words per minute (i.e., no more than 2 pages for a 3 minute speech). That’s a normal pace for persuasive speech. --- Practice at home. It may sound silly, but reading through your statement in front of the mirror a couple of times will make you feel more comfortable when in front of an actual audience. --- Keep the nerves in check. If you’ve prepared but are nervous once you arrive at the Planning Board meeting, please remember you are NOT alone. Most people feel nervous when speaking publicly. Remember, we are 1,700+ strong and we all care about Huntington. You will be helping your fellow residents and your fellow residents will be giving you support at the hearing! --- IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK, THEN WRITE. Written testimony that is specific, to the point and persuasive will be given as much attention as oral testimony. In fact, writing is an effective way to get several points across without time constraints you may feel as a public speaker. Below is a sample letter you can copy/paste and adjust to your liking and submit through email as official testimony. When you do, email it to family, friends, and neighbors so they can submit official testimony as well. ________________________ SAMPLE TESTIMONY ________________________ [NAME AND ADDRESS] [DATE] VIA E-MAIL (planning@huntingtonny.gov) Chairman Mandelik and Members of the Planning Board Town of Huntington Town Hall 100 Main Street Huntington, New York 11743 Re: Proposed Amendment to Comprehensive Plan to Permit the Villadom Mall Dear Chairman Mandelik and Members of the Planning Board: I have been a resident of the Town of Huntington for [#] years, together with my family of [#]. We reside less than [#] [blocks/mile] from the proposed Villadom Mall site on Jericho Turnpike, where we currently experience daily traffic congestion. [Insert specific traffic experiences]. I write to object to the proposed amendment to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan to permit the development and construction of this Mall – which is a massive and unprecedented 56 acre, 486,000 square foot strip mall, larger than Nassau Coliseum – on Jericho Turnpike. It was our understanding that the Town’s Comprehensive Plan was designed to preserve the quality of life and community character, while allowing for well-considered growth and development. It was also our understanding that the Comprehensive Plan was the product of years of community involvement and study, the input of hundreds of citizens, key civic groups, businesses, environmental groups, committees, multiple community forums, public meetings, and surveys. We have been advised that the Comprehensive Plan specifically identifies the very site that has been proposed for the Villadom Mall – currently an undeveloped low density residential zone between Warner Road and Manor Road on Jericho Turnpike – as an area between commercial development “nodes” that “provides a significant break” in the commercial land use pattern in the area and that should remain “low density.” There is absolutely no good reason to re-write and amend the Comprehensive Plan to permit this massive and unprecedented Mall to be constructed. To do so would undermine, ignore, and disregard all of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the Plan, as well as the precedential value of the Plan with respect to all future development in the Town of Huntington – all for the benefit of a single developer. For all of these reasons, we respectfully object to the proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to permit the massive Villadom Mall to be constructed in an undeveloped area the Plan specifically designated to remain low density residential, particularly because, in the words of the Town’s Planning Department, this Mall would become “the largest traffic generator directly on Jericho Turnpike” in the Town of Huntington. Sincerely, [NAME] cc: Town Supervisor (fpetrone@huntingtonny.gov) Councilman Cuthbertson (mcuthbertson@huntingtonny.gov) Councilwoman Berland (sberland@huntingtonny.gov) Councilman Cook (ecook@huntingtonny.gov) Councilwoman Edwards (tedwards@huntingtonny.gov) Town of Huntington, Town Clerk (jraia@huntingtonny.gov)