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For Your Information Fishers Yale Initiative

Yale Urban Design Workshop

27 August 2012

(FYI)2

Assets

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‣Fishers Island is a unique physical environment

‣Natural beauty and views

‣Relative isolation from the mainland limiting impact of tourism

‣Dispersed, but not rural settlement pattern

‣Compact walkable and bike-able community

‣Recreation opportunities: golfing, fishing, cycling, boating, etc.

Assets

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‣Strong local institutions that make a difference in the community :

Churches, Fishers Island Community Board, Community Center, Henry L. Ferguson Museum, the clubs, FIDCO, Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation, etc.

Assets

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‣Strong sense of local community

‣People know each other and work together

‣High level of volunteerism on committees, commissions, service organizations

‣Special taxation authority allows for local services

‣The Island community has the ability to raise significant capital for community projects, such as the new bike trail

‣Highly capable and well-connected population

Challenges

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‣Significant loss of year-round population over the last 50 years

Contributing Factors:

‣Lack of affordable and appropriate housing

‣Lack of jobs (especially for educated women)

‣Cost and availability of access (the ferry)

‣Limited opportunities for social life and activities

‣High cost of living (groceries and utilities)

Effects:

‣Decline in school enrollment, especially in lower school

‣Decline in demographic needed to fill volunteer and service positions (EMS, fire department, various commissions)

‣Decline in year-round on-island access to professional services (plumbing, electrical, restaurants, retail, doctor)

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1940-2011. Island Year-Round Headcount

(Missing Counts for 2010-11)

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The 70’s were especially erosive. The 2000’s? Exit Rate Changes

Interval Percent Lost

1940-1960 11%

1960-1970 9%

1970-1980 31%

1980-2000 9%

2000-2010 18%

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1978-2005. Island Student Headcount

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1978-2005. Island Student Headcount

15 Years of Stasis

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2006-2012. Island & Magnet Student Headcounts

Island in Gray, Magnet in Orange (Missing Counts for 2010-11)

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The FI School Budget is $100,900 Per Island Student.

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Age Distribution of Persons Under 21

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Fishers Island, 2010 Census Sex by Age (Table QT-P2)

Source: Name of Data Provider

1

2

4

3

1 10 20

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Age Distribution of Persons Under 21

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Fishers Island, 2010 Census Sex by Age (Table QT-P2)

Source: Name of Data Provider

1

2

4

3

1 10 20

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Overall Age by Sex Distribution

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Fishers Island, 2010 Census, Table QT-P2

Source: Name of Data Provider

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16

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0-4 10-14 20-24 30-34 40-44 50-54 60-64 70-74 80-84 90-94 100+

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Fishers Island, 2010 Census, Table QT-H2 Household Size by Housing Tenure

Owner Occupied

Renter Occupied Total

1 Person 18 29 47

2 Persons 30 20 50

3 Persons 5 5 10

4 Persons 2 5 7

5 or More 3 3 6

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Fishers Island, 2010 Census, Table B8007 Place of Work for FI Adults

Place of Work Men Women Total

Works in State & County of Residence

94 66 160

Works Outside State & County of Residence

3 2* 3

Column Totals 97 66 163

* Reported by FI residents directly, not in census data

Challenges

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‣Fishers Island is part of a geographically remote political entity and has little or no governmental autonomy

‣Fishers Island sends more tax dollars out than it receives back in benefits

‣Training and licensure are complicated, both by difficult access to New York State physical locations, and by interstate licensure conflicts between New York and Connecticut.

‣Limited direct political representation – Southold Town Board Council members are elected at-large

‣Lack of coherent and capable Island government

‣Who is “in charge?”

‣No one to coordinate municipal services and planning

‣Planning is reactive instead of proactive

‣Things are often accomplished by “putting out fires”

‣Planning is piecemeal and fragmented

Threats

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‣Adverse development on the island that could significantly and irreversibly change the character and scale of the place

‣Tourism of an inappropriate character or scale

‣Continued decline of school population and programs

‣Environmental threats to fragile environment, including hurricanes and sea level rise

‣Unpredictable future, due to the lack of local power and governance

Opportunities

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‣Limited and targeted recruitment of new residents based on package of incentives

‣Attract young families to Fishers Island, as residents and/or as a work force

‣Economic and housing development vs. commuter or transient workforce

‣Improve transportation options and affordability for resident population

‣Undertake limited and coordinated mixed-use development projects that would address multiple needs, for example:

Housing, transportation, leisure activities, jobs, public open space, etc.

‣Limited accommodation of increased visitors/event attendees on Island

‣Rethink the Fishers Island School’s mission and model to meet long term Island goals

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One segment should get all the effort. Island Adoption Curve

Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards

The

Cha

sm

Segment A: The Eager. These are people who are eager to be on Fishers year round: They love the island, drunk or sober, wet or cold. No effort on our part is required to recruit and keep the Eager.

Segment B: The Available. People with a favorable disposition, and a workable life situation for Fishers, But they need to be recruited, and may need concessionary incentives.

Segment D: The Nevers. These people hate salt water, sailing, golf, tennis, New England, Long Island Sounds, and sea food. Texas or Nevada can keep them.

Segment C: The Painful. These people could imagine island life, but just barely. Hard to please, costly to woo, not worth the candle.

Opportunities

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‣Strengthen and streamline government – options:

‣Establish a development authority to undertake development projects and manage existing properties, and/or

‣Incorporation as a Village within the Town of Southold and establishment of on-island Village government, or

‣Initiate a friendly buy-out of future property taxes from Southold and secede from New York State

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Opportunities

These opportunities are all more-or-less strongly interrelated insofar as they address the Island’s needs and challenges, and therefore any initiatives should be undertaken as part of a carefully coordinated and phased program, not as individual projects. For this program to be effective and sustainable it requires centralized and professionalized management, broad citizen buy-in and representation, and mechanisms for evaluation, re-calibration and measuring success.