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Informing the Future of the Pines

Dear Karen,

Last fall, I wrote to you announcing the launch of the Fire Island Pines long-term planning effort. As we discussed at the fall 2021 FIPPOA meeting, we have done a good job as a community responding to the opportunities and challenges that face us in the moment. But we have rarely, if ever, stepped back to take a more proactive approach to informing our future.

Over the past six months we have done just that. We engaged hundreds of Pines homeowners, co-op shareholders, renters, board members, business owners, and community organization leaders in shaping the future of our community.

The goal of the planning effort was to identify and prioritize the most critical long-term challenges and opportunities facing the community as a starting point for developing action plans to address these issues.

The project launched with a series of focus groups to help us identify key issues. Approximately 50 community members plus business leaders and Pines organization leaders participated in the 10 focus group sessions conducted by CHP Mintz, a consulting firm that specializes in facilitating strategy processes for nonprofit organizations.

As detailed in the FIPPOA Focus Group Summary Report, four key areas for focus emerged from the focus group discussions:

Improving infrastructure and services
Strengthening environmental stewardship and mitigating the impact of climate change
Operating as a three-season or year-round community
Fostering a stronger sense of community

The focus group process was followed by a community-wide survey that was designed to engage the entire Pines community in refining and prioritizing these issues and to inform potential next steps for The Pines Foundation and FIPPOA in addressing these opportunities and challenges.

Over 600 people responded to the All-Community Survey (a response rate of approximately 40%)! Survey respondents represented a broad cross-section of our community. Across all demographic groups the results were clear: infrastructure and services, environmental stewardship, and mitigating the impact of climate change on the Pines were the most important issues for most of our community. You can read the summary of the All-Community Survey findings here.

The FIPPOA/Pines Foundation Board met in February and again in March to review the results and determine next steps. Based on the input of the community, we have identified three issues to focus on over the next few years and we are launching task forces to develop action plans to address each of the issues. A summary of each Task Force is listed below, and you can click on the link to review the specific charge to the group.

Task Force on Infrastructure and Services will develop recommendation and propose an action plan to guide long-term investments in strengthening infrastructure and increasing access to services. The group will narrow its charge, but potential topics include upgrading the Boulevard, increasing access to the Pines, increasing access to contractors, upgrading the electrical grid and exploring opportunities for solar energy, upgrading the sewage/septic system, ensuring availability of emergency services and evaluating services provided by the Town of Brookhaven.

Task Force on Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change on the Pines will develop recommendations and a proposed action plan to mitigate the long-term impact of climate change on the Fire Island Pines community. The group will narrow its charge, but potential topics include countering beach erosion and enhancing beach replenishment, reducing bayside flooding, improving drainage off the Boulevard, and addressing impact of rising ground water.

Environmental Stewardship Task Force will develop recommendations and a proposed action plan to strengthen environment stewardship within the Fire Island Pines community. The group will narrow its charge, but potential topics include developing Standards of Environmental Stewardship, exploring the potential for solar energy in the community, strengthening our recycling program, and promoting composting.

I will be sharing more information about the next steps in the long-range planning effort at the Spring All-Community meeting, Saturday, May 21st (please plan to attend).

My thanks to all of you who shared your time and insights to help inform the process so far. I’m looking forward to seeing you all this Spring as we launch the next phase in this important effort for the future of the Pines.

Planning for our shared future together,

Henry