Environmentalists decry Hochul’s proposed state housing compact

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed New York Housing Compact has drawn outcry from across Long Island, and some of the loudest voices can be heard in environmental organizations. Groups across the North Shore, including Friends of the Bay, the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and others, are working to raise awareness of the proposal’s potential environmental threats.

The housing compact, which was included in the governor’s proposed budget, is intended to address the shortage of affordable housing across the state. It calls for the construction of 800,000 new housing units over the next decade, and would be a boon for developers.

Local environmental groups argue that the volume of development the compact aims to introduce is too much, too soon, and would have a dire impact on wildlife and the environment. Lisa Ott, executive director of the nonprofit land trust North Shore Land Alliance, explained that while the organization supports addressing the housing crisis, its members do not believe that the compact would do that without drastically affecting the ecosystem.

“As it is (the compact is) unworkable,” Ott said. “I do think that we need affordable housing. I

Oyster Bay is full of hardworking, civic-minded residents who work together to support and enrich the community, and one organization that stands at the forefront is the Community Foundation of Oyster Bay. The group, founded in 1965, appointed a new president at the end of last year — Julia Vaughn, who is looking forward to continuing to help Oyster Bay and its residents.

Vaughn, 39, grew up in town, and although she now lives in Locust Valley with her husband, Eric, and their children, Louise and Henry, she has always had a close connection with Oyster Bay. A management consultant who works with entrepreneurs, mostly in interior design, she has been a member of the Community Foundation for seven years, and vice president for the last four.

Although her parents were involved in the foundation during her childhood — her father, David Deming, was its president — Vaughn said she actually knew relatively little about the organization until she joined it.

“I don’t think I truly understood the makeup of our community and how much good that gets done until I became involved,” she said. “It’s been an eye-opening and rewarding experience for me.”

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation run by local volunteers that helps financially support other nonprofits in Oyster Bay and the surrounding area. It helps fund services for children and families, as well as the Hispanic and senior communities, and programs that benefit the community. As president, Vaughn’s job will be to coordinate the group’s funds and oversee its efforts.

The foundation’s board of trustees are all volunteers. Jeffrey Prey, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Oyster Bay and a trustee for nearly two decades, explained that they appointed Vaughn president because of her commitment to their work as well as her background in business management.

“Julia is a daughter of the community,” Prey said. “But she also has a skill set that’s helpful in terms of management. She understands financial controls and is very well connected with the different organizations of the community.”

Vaughn was chosen to lead the foundation by its Executive