Vacant Lot Conference in New Orleans June 2012

1. Samuel H. Sage
Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc. (ASLF)
June 2012

2. About ASLF
 New York based not-for-profit, headquartered in the
Near Westside area of Syracuse
 Established in 1982 to provide legal, technical, and
organizational services to individuals and
organizations dealing with environmental issues
 Has taken a lead role in the protection and restoration
of Syracuse waterways and the CSO problem

4. The Impacts
 Economically draining for city
 Lower property value
 Aesthetical degradation
 High rates of crime and arson
 Public health issues Property Value Degradation around A Vacant Property
Source: Temple University Center for Public Policy and Eastern
Pennsylvania Organizing Project. “Blight Free Philadelphia: A
Public-Private Strategy to Create and Enhance Neighborhood
Value.” Philadelphia, 2001.

5. The Opportunities
 Stormwater retention
 Public amenities
 Urban infill development
 Urban forestry
 Urban agriculture
 Habitat creation and conservation

7. The Issue
 Onondaga Lake, one of the most polluted lakes in
North America

8. The Issue (cont.)
 Municipal Source of Pollution: Combined Sewer
Overflow (CSO)
Diagram of a
Combined Sewer
Overflow System.
Adapted from
“CSOs Explained”
Official City of
Bremerton Site.

9. The Process: ACJ
 ASLF and the NYS-DEC 1988 lawsuit against
Onondaga County under the Clean Water Act
 METRO Consent Judgment
 Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ, January 1998)
 The key legal document
 Outlined two dozen projects for the County
 Extensive monitoring program

10. The Process:
The 4th Stip to ACJ 2009
 The court order requires Onondaga County to use
GRAY and GREEN infrastructure addressing CSOs
 Gray Infrastructure: Commitment to 88.7% annual
volume capture in by 2013
 Green Infrastructure: Commitment to an additional
6.3% annual volume capture in Green Infrastructure
commencing immediately in 2009, resulting in 95%
total annual volume capture by 2018

11. The Solution: Save the Rain (STR)
 A GI program created by the County
 Encompasses the storm water and GI initiatives
 Educates the public about issues and how they can use
and benefit from GI
 Initiatives
 GI on public land
 Green Improvement Fund: GI on private land
 Rain Barrel Program
 Urban Forestry Program
 STR-Vacant Lot Program (VLP)

13. VLP Program Goals
 Reduce minimum of 9 million gallons of CSO by 2018
with GI on publicly owned vacant lots
 Provide different forms of GREEN infrastructure
projects for Save The Rain
 Simultaneously reclaim greenspace in a useful way and
improve value of vacant lots to community
 Engage public in GI maintenance for Save The Rain

14. Syracuse Vacant Lot Inventory
 3,668 vacant parcels in the City of
Syracuse (2012 data)
 1,786 vacant parcels (392 ac.) in
combined sewer service area
where GI projects are required for
managing stormwater and CSO’s
 828 publicly owned vacant parcels
which could be potentially used
Vacant Lots in the City of Syracuse.

15. Syracuse Vacant Lot Inventory
 814 of 828 public vacant parcels are under City ownership
City of Syracuse
Ownership NYS County City City Seizable Total
City TD
Owned Agencies Parcels
Parcels 6 8 78 120 37 579 828
Inventory Acreage
2.26 7.39 36.72 28.33 6.09 107.27 188.06
Parcels 0 0 24 60 25 332 441
Candidates
Acreage 0 0 6.92 12 5.06 80.14 104.12

16. VLP: A Joint Venture
 Between Onondaga County and City of
Syracuse
 Initiated in 2011 by Onondaga County
 Funded by Onondaga County to built GI
projects on City owned vacant lots
 Developed collaboratively to fit under both
governments’ immediate planning goals
 Based on the agreement that defines the
County’s and the City’s responsibilities in
O&M of the VLP projects
 Developed and coordinated by ASLF The City of Syracuse Ordinance that depicts the
City-County Agreement on installing GI on the City
properties

17. VLP’s Reclamation Typologies
 Urban Orchard
 Community Garden (Ornamental or Vegetable)
 Urban Forest/Tree Planting
Combined with other GI practices such as rain garden, cistern, bioswale,
stormwater planter, etc.
VLP Pilot Project Rendering: Urban Orchard at 701
Oswego Street, Syracuse, New York

18. Community Involvement in VLP
 Outreach to general public and communities near project sites
 Coordination with community in planning & design process
(community meetings, design workshops)
 Community participation in maintenance (organized to
ensure the quality of performance)
 Green job training and job creation

19. VLP Projects: 2011
 Urban Orchard at 701 Oswego Street
Before Under Construction
Design Rendering

20. VLP Projects: 2012
Concept Field Work 50% Design
Project Status Bid Phase Total
Phase Phase Phase
Number of
7 3 3 3 16
Projects

22. Benefits of VLP
 Environmental Benefits
 Biodiversity
 Increase of tree canopy
 Carbon sequestration
 Reduction in pollution, heat island effects and CSO events
 Economic Benefits
 Increased property value and land desirability
 Lowers City’s maintenance costs
 Creation of new job and local business

23. Benefits of VLP
 Social & Public Health Benefits
 Revitalization of community
 Reduced crime rates
 Improved access to healthy foods from urban
agricultural typologies
 Increased opportunities for outdoor physical exercise
 Facilitation of healthy behaviors is a factor in chronic
disease incidence

24. Further Needs and Challenges
 Long-term ownership and O&M mechanism
 Alternatives
 Under public ownership
 Under private ownership and operation
 Land Trust model
 O&M
 Produce
 Taxes
 Utilities

25. Further Needs and Challenges
 Public acceptance and involvement in projects
 Safety issues related to urban farming on abandoned
land
 Lawn VS Native Garden
 Tree(s) VS Forest
 Long-term monitoring and compliance with legal
requirements

26. For More Information
 Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc.
658 West Onondaga Street, Syracuse, New York 13204
315-475-1170. atlantic.states@aslf.org
http://www.aslf.org/
 Onondaga County Save The Rain Program
http://savetherain.us/