Controversy dogs Long Island smart-growth summit

Vision Long Island, a nonprofit smart-growth organization, is holding its annual summit at Melville Marriott today. The event will feature more than 100 speakers, discussion groups and a keynote address by former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato.

More than 900 people are expected at the summit, the group's ninth, so it should be a banner day for Eric Alexander, the Northport-based group's executive director. However, he has become a lightning rod for criticism from some political and business figures who object to what they say has been his opposition to development projects. They also say Alexander portrays himself as a planning expert, even though he has no planning degree. Alexander denies all allegations against him.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said earlier this week he and his staff will boycott the summit, as they have in the past. "He's [Alexander] a master promoter without any credentials," Levy said. "He tries to give the impression that he's a planning expert when he has no planning degrees whatsoever."

Levy said Alexander has opposed an assortment of Suffolk projects, including one to build affordable housing units in Patchogue and a mixed-use development in Yaphank. Levy also said Alexander's intervention delayed for a year reform of the Long Island Planning Commission.

Alexander denied Vision Long Island opposed the Patchogue project, saying, "We gave it a Smart Growth Award." He said his organization "took no position" in regard to a mixed-use development in Yaphank. And, he said, Vision Long Island insisted on broader municipal participation in reforming the planning commission. Alexander also said he never claimed to have a planning degree but has more than 20 years' experience working on planning projects in Long Island communities.

Mark Herbst, executive director of the Hauppauge-based Long Island Contractors Association, in the past has echoed the criticism leveled against Alexander, citing his obstructionism for municipal projects and his promoting himself as a planner when he's not. And the criticism extends beyond Suffolk.

Pat Foye, Nassau's deputy county executive for economic development, said, "We were appalled when in the course of a week Vision Long Island flipped from supporting Nassau and Suffolk's application for Sustainable Communities federal funding to opposing it. Good news is that LI received millions in funding last month. Bad news is that VLI's irresponsible nihilism continues to destroy jobs on Long Island."