Strategic Plan
Introduction
The Heritage Experience for the North Shore of Long Island is the “product” of
the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. The Management Approach defines
this product, establishes the geographic boundaries of the product, the goals and
objectives for the Heritage Experience as well as the policies and actions that
guide the preservation, sustainable heritage development and economic
revitalization in the Heritage Area.
The strategic portion of the Plan is a means of defining the future of the product.
That is, it is a system for first understanding and then preserving, revitalizing and
interpreting the cultural, historic and natural resources of Long Island North Shore
Heritage Area. It is a way of looking at the Heritage Area as a whole, a spatial total
rather than a linear series of events. It is a program for understanding the dynamic
history of Long Island North Shore Heritage Area from its geology and formation to
its present and on into the future.
A strategic approach defines the future of the Heritage Experience and the
concepts for the Heritage Experience. The strategy is a coordinated program to
identify “centerpiece” elements of the Heritage Experience, to build the concepts
around them and to provide linkages and way-finding among them. Centerpiece
elements are focused on areas of higher heritage “density” — that is, areas with
greater numbers of heritage resources. The neighborhoods areas define Long Island
North Shore Heritage Area and form the basis for the strategic concept.
LINSHA Concept Plan
The LINSHA Concept Plan is a pattern overlying the
Heritage Area. It provides a framework for four
related concepts:
Preservation
Revitalization
Interpretation
Recreation
The LINSHA Concept defines the framework for building the heritage
infrastructure for Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. The fundamental
elements of the strategy are:
Corridors
Gateways
Anchors
Destination
The elements were defined through an analysis of the density of intrinsic resources
in the Heritage Area combined with a spatial approach incorporating issues such as
accessibility. The elements of the strategy overlay the geography of the Heritage
Area organizing it into a system.
Preservation Concept
The Preservation Concept for Long Island North Shore
Heritage Area includes the conservation of the region’s
cultural, historic and natural resources. It includes the
structures, sites, traditions, waterways and natural
areas in the Heritage Area.
The preservation concept focuses on the physical areas of:

Long Island Sound estuary and its bays,
harbors and tributaries

Coastline, Beach Views & Water Access

Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Landmarks,
Estates & Historic Sites
Protection
Sites for
& Acquisition
Sites for preservation include sites for protection and public acquisition as
specified by the comprehensive, open space and waterfront revitalization plans of
the communities on the North Shore. General and specific sites recommended for
acquisition and preservation by regional planning efforts are also included:
Long Island Sound Historic Centers of Maritime Activity
Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program
Pine Barrens Society Endangered Sites
New York State Open Space Plan (recommendations incorporated into the
New York State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
— SCORP)
Sites for acquisition and preservation also include sites that have been specified
by members of the public during the public input process for this Management
Plan as well as members of the Management Plan Committee and Planning
Commission. Progress has been made in acquisition and preservation in several
cases. These sites are listed in the appendices.
Coastline, Beach Views & Water Access
BEACH PORTAL CONCEPT — Photo simulation shows how physical and visual access can
be incorporated with interpretation for a beach portal.
The Long Island Sound is the unifying characteristic of the North Shore of
Long Island and the rationale for the establishment of the Heritage Area.
Restoration of existing and creation of physical and visual access to the
water and the protection of significant landscapes are priorities specifically
addressed by the Long Island Sound Historic Centers of Maritime Activity and
Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program. Scenic views and beach
access points from the inventory of intrinsic and scenic resources are
included. As a matter of policy, the entire coastline of the Heritage Area is
included.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Environmentally sensitive areas for preservation and restoration include:
The Pine Barrens, specifically the Core Preservation Area
Nature Preserves
Wildlife habitat including piping plover habitat
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
designated wetlands
WETLAND BOARDWALK CONCEPT — Photo simulation suggests one way to increase understanding of
environmentally sensitive areas through access and interpretation.
Improvement of access of these areas can increase understanding of the
importance of their preservation.
Landmarks, Estates & Historic Sites
Sagamore Hill, the home of Theodore Roosevelt, is the only National Historic
Site within Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. The National Park Service
manages it. The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site is the only
state-designated place. However, there are numerous sites on the National
Register of Historic Places as well as those listed on local registers.
Gold Coast mansions are also identified as opportunities for preservation
and public access. Some of these mansions are already preserved and open
to the public as museums, such as the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
and the Nassau County Holocaust Museum at Welwyn Preserve. Other
mansions are a central element in a park, such as Coe Hall at Planting
Fields Arboretum State Historic Park and Caumsett State Historic Park. Still
others are accessible visually, but have limited or no public access, such as
a magnificent Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and the Merchant
Marine Academy.
Continued identification of important sites, including structures and
natural areas such as Hallockville Museum Farm and the new Jamesport
State Park, and their preservation, restoration and access is important to
the preservation of the character of the North Shore.
Revitalization Concept
The revitalization concept for Long Island North Shore
Heritage Area focuses on two distinct district types:
Built environment, including downtowns, commercial centers and
streetscapes and

Natural environment, including trails, overlooks and parks
A third focus of the Revitalization Concept is a redevelopment opportunity in the
Calverton/Riverhead area. This destination has the potential to be a focus for all of
Long Island.
The Built Environment The revitalization approach for the built environment
throughout the North Shore includes policy approaches outlined in the Policies
and Actions that support implementation of land use, zoning and design
standards to protect structures and districts and to guide new construction.
REVITALIZATION CONCEPT — This concept shows traffic and streetscape improvements with
interpretive elements can make downtowns safe and appealing.
Downtowns
Re-use strategies for historic downtown buildings, including new and
expanded mixed-use districts combining commercial and residential uses,
creative leasing strategies and downtown business funding strategies
reinforce the revitalization of the North Shore’s historic downtowns.
Downtown strategies also include exploiting opportunities to interpret and
celebrate the cultural and historic traditions of the North Shore through
festivals and in historical society museums and public libraries located in
downtowns throughout the region.
Additional revitalization opportunities can be realized for entrepreneurs as
they anticipate the needs of the public visiting these interpretive centers.
These include shops, restaurants and comfort.
Commercial Centers and Streetscapes
Throughout the North Shore, linear commercial centers and inappropriate
traffic corridors are unattractive and congested. These can be addressed
through streetscape treatments and designs that calm the traffic and
restore the appearance of the historic streetscapes.
To decrease inter-center traffic, commercial centers can be connected
through their parking lots and interior access corridors can be provided.
Appropriate screening with vegetation can increase the attractiveness of
the streetscapes.
As these centers age and are redeveloped, strategies to make their
appearance more consistent and appropriate with the Long Island North
Shore Heritage Area Experience should be employed. In some areas, these
linear commercial centers function as the central business district for their
local populations. As they are redeveloped, these centers’ functions can
better reflect their standing in the community and adopt uses more
consistent with the needs of their communities.
PROTECTION & CONNECTION CONCEPT —This photo simulation shows a way jurisdictions and
private sector can work together to link open space, economic and recreation opportunities.
Natural Environment Throughout the North Shore Heritage Area there are
opportunities to restore and revitalize public access points for physical and visual
access to the Long Island Sound, inland waterways, trail systems and the region’s
parks. These can include some public amenities to minimize human impact on the
areas, habitat restoration, wetland preservation
and restoration, dark sky programs, native vegetation and tree plantings
along roadways, burial of overhead utility lines, etc.
Linking open space systems across jurisdiction boundaries creates
opportunities for safe, attractive trail systems, guides appropriate uses
and can provide economic opportunities, creating open space magnets for
residents and visitors.
Destination Long Island North Shore “Destination Long Island North Shore” would
be strategically located between the north and south forks of the eastern end of
Long IslandThe destination should be located in the Riverhead/Calverton area. It
provides access and interpretation for visitors and serves as a way of managing
visitor flow and volume.
Long Island’s North Shore is the birthplace of the fight against the pesticide
DDT, the Environmental Defense Fund and of the Pine Barrens. The Pine
Barrens, a giant aquifer protection and open space reclamation project is
adjacent to the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant at Calverton,
now an Empire Zone and site of proposed developments including a theme
park.
This is a strategic location that can one day serve as a focus for the future
of Long Island North Shore Heritage Area as well as of the heritage of the
entirety of Long Island. There is potential to preserve, revitalize and
provide economic revitalization opportunities in this area. Destination Long
Island North Shore should reflect the continuity of the history of Long Island
as a human settlement, as well as of its efforts to reclaim and restore itself
despite burgeoning population.
One element of Destination Long Island North Shore could be a “green”
New Town. International competitions could be held to design the most
cutting-edge state-of-the-art environmentally friendly all-inclusive
community meeting all the needs of its residents.
Interpretation Concept
The interpretation concept is based upon the comprehension of the entire North
Shore Heritage area as a giant living museum, encompassing the vast diversity of
the stories of the people of the region. The museum incorporates five rooms or
neighborhoods that characterize and celebrate the Long Island North Shore
Heritage Area: Gold Coast, American Dream, Maritime Coast, Pine Barrens and
Harvest Coast.
But the stories of the people also cut across the neighborhood areas of Long Island
North Shore Heritage Area. These are the themes that tell the tale of how the
people defined and were defined by the landscape. These stories are points and
clusters within the neighborhoods. They are depicted by their names, “The
Seafarers,” “The Builders,” “The Visionaries,” and “The Naturalists.” These are
conceptual representations that highlight certain museums and interpretive
facilities. The inventory completed for this Management Plan is a large catalog of
museums and historic houses open to the public.
The themes provide the point-to-point experience of interpretation. A themed
tour of, for example, the Visionaries, would provide a guided route map showing
destinations for the Poets and Patriots theme of the Visionaries. It could include,
for instance, a visit to the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site, where an
interpretive center and guided tours are available; and it could also include a
stop at an overlook on Long Island Sound where pirates plied the waters hundreds
of years ago.
Anchors
Each of the Neighborhoods has a corresponding anchor that serves as a
centerpiece to the Interpretation concept. The anchors are museums,
interpretive centers and educational centers. They are located within or
are associated with existing facilities. Their character is defined by the
neighborhood in which each is located; they also serve as heritage program
points for the entire Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. Concept
locations for the five anchors are:
Gold Coast — Glen Cove-Oyster Bay area
American Dream — Huntington Center in or near Walt Whitman Mall
and Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site
Maritime Coast — Port Jefferson waterfront
Pine Barrens — Within the Pine Barrens area in Brookhaven
Harvest Coast — Mattituck area
Heritage Identification Systems The interpretation concept for Long Island North
Shore Heritage Area includes a system of identifiers or symbols for the themes and
the neighborhoods. The purpose of these elements is to provide a consistent and
cohesive “message” incorporating interpretation and way-inding in a variety of
flexible settings and environments.
The Heritage Identification Systems become inherent to the landscape.
They should be placed in such a way that they are integrated attractively
into the landscape and are accessible visually and physically. Any signage
or wayfinding program should be consistent with the guidelines established
by the New York State Coastal Resources Interpretive Program (NYSCRIP).
A Neighborhood Identifier and Trail Marker can be applied throughout the
Heritage Area in appropriate areas and at appropriate scales. They
provide a clean, easily recognizable and suitable way to unify the
Heritage Area and present its neighborhoods and themes.
Heritage Neighborhood Identifier Concept
Shape and graphic can be combined to make a legible wayfinding and
informational opportunity for travelers. Unifying elements illustrated in
this concept include typeface, color and materials provide a consistent and
recognizable message to viewers. A familiar shape, for example a sail,
could identify the Maritime Coast neighborhood.
Heritage Interpretive Kiosk Concept
A computerized kiosk is appropriate in a variety of settings and for a
variety of purposes. It can be an interactive trip-planning device; at the
same time, it can provide interpretive information through animation. A
simple, clean design and “simply click to begin” operation shown in this
concept make this element accessible and enjoyable. Kiosks could also be
places to download GPS points and directions into handheld devices.
Heritage Interpretive Stations The heritage identification systems provide a
recognizable and enjoyable way to provide directions and information. They should
excite interest in the neighborhoods and themes and delight visitors with the joy of
discovery. These way-finding mechanisms link together the many interpretive
stations throughout the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. These stations
provide the focus for interpretation, they draw the visitor in and enrich and inform
the Heritage Experience.
The interpretive station offers a bold and compelling image. Without
being gaudy, it demands attention and is enjoyed on several levels: It
provides interesting information and at the same time, its design is
appropriate to the environment and a pleasing visual experience.
INTERPRETIVE AREA CONCEPT — A concept for a trailhead redevelopment shows how a bold and
attractive interpretive area can draw visitors in.
Celebrating Neighborhood Character The five distinct neighborhoods that define
and celebrate the character of the Heritage Area run with its geography. They
were defined through a visual and land use analysis to determine areas of similar
character.
They are: Gold Coast, Maritime Coast, Harvest Coast, Pine Barrens and
American Dream.
Descriptions of the architectural trends of each neighborhood are in the
appendices of this document.
The Gold Coast — Robber barons and philanthropists, enchantresses and
outcasts alike escaped summer in the city and sought refuge from the heat
in their palatial Long Island country homes. The Gold Coast is the westernmost character area in Long Island North Shore Heritage Area.
The American Dream — Post-War affluence, highways, parkways and the
Long Island Rail Road all played a part in making city working and country
living available to more than the wealthiest Americans. The American
Dream is located in the western interior of Long Island’s North Shore
Heritage Area, near rail and road corridors.
The Maritime Coast — The history of the North Shore was established here
in the safe harbors and deep-water ports of the North Shore. The Maritime
Coast is located in the center of the Long Island North Shore.
The Pine Barrens — A vast and fragile ecosystem of its own, the largest
fresh water aquifer on Long Island was formed here by the retreat of the
final glacial ice tide. The Pine Barrens are located in the eastern interior
of Long Island’s North Shore.
The Harvest Coast — Some of the most agriculturally productive land in
New York State contributes to a diverse agricultural output. The Harvest
Coast is located on the North Fork of Long Island.
The Themes The people who have left their imprint on it define Long Island North
Shore Heritage Area. The stories of the people of the North Shore of Long Island
sing the song of the past, the present and the future. Collectively, from Native
Americans through the European settlers they identify the themes that are present
throughout the conceptual museum and its virtual galleries. We may never know
their names — though many are known to us — but we know them by their life’s
work.
The themes defined by the stories of the people cut across the places of
Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. These themes tell the tale of how
the people defined and were defined by the landscape. These stories are
points and clusters within the exhibit halls of the conceptual museum.
The Seafarers
The earliest seafarers were Native Americans. The Eurpoean Whalers and
Sailors who landed here built an economy with what they found. The
Whalers and Sailors resource clusters and points are located along the North
Shore as well as the Great Peconic Bay.
These citizens arrived by land and sea. They lived by the water and learned
to harvest its goods and later to transport those goods to feed the fledgling
United States and later, the world. On the east, they were Yankees crossing
the Sound from Connecticut and Massachusetts. On the west, Dutch and
French expatriates arrived by land and settled in communities like Glen
Cove and Port Washington. Lifestyles and outlooks still differ between east
and west.
The Builders
The Builders were the Preachers and Patriarchs who settled this place.
Their points and clusters are prominent in denser populated areas of the
western North Shore, with a significant resource area in the center.
The first builders were the Indians whose long houses were the hubs of their
communities. They were displaced, and their settlement across the North
Shore was all but forgotten until recent efforts to reconstruct their
heritage. As the Europeans moved in they dotted the landscape with a new
kind of community hub: white clapboard churches.
The Naturalists
The Naturalists are the Birders and Beachcombers who blazed the trail to
access, conservation and sustainable heritage development. They include
the Native Americans who believed the earth belongs not to just one, but
to all. Resource points and clusters for the Naturalists are located
throughout Long Island North Shore Heritage Area with a large
concentration at Brookhaven in the Pine Barrens.
Throughout the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area are peaceful walking
and biking trails, undisturbed coastline and preserves for nesting birds and
turtles. As the impacts of human settlement have been felt and understood,
the quest to restore health to the ecosystem, to protect open space and
fragile areas and to provide for greater enjoyment of these areas has gained
momentum.
The Visionaries
The Visionaries are Poets and Patriots including courageous members of the
Spy Ring and other men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for
their nation and the poets who urged them on and sang their praises.
Resource points and clusters for the Visionaries are prominent in the
western end of Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. Small clusters are
located in the extreme east at Southold and Greenport.
The patriots used Long Island Sound to the full benefit, surreptitiously
slipping over to Connecticut to transmit their secrets. The protected
bays and inlets provided cover on their dangerous mission. The poets
sang their patriot counterparts on. They sang of freedom and beauty.
Recreation Concept
The Recreation Concept incorporates access and
circulation highlighted by existing and enhanced
parks and recreation areas.
A system of corridors is complemented by gateways
correlating to the neighborhoods and serving as
primary access points.
Corridors
SCENIC ROUTE CONCEPT — In this concept, traffic calming and improvement for the scenic route
include attractive and eye-catching elements, including the interpretive marker.
Access for recreation includes two east-west corridors. They are:

Scenic Route — The Scenic Route is the heritage spine. It connects
the points of highest heritage density following the path of

highest scenic value.
Waterfront Trail — The waterfront trail is a system for visual and
physical access to the water of Long Island Sound and the Peconic
Bay. It is a universal waterfront trail for walkers, hikers, boaters
and bicyclists. The waterfront trail follows the water perimeter of
the Heritage Area as much as possible.
BYWAY PULLOVER CONCEPT — In this concept, a sandy curve is transformed into a passive scenic spot
with signs and plaques, a boardwalk, distinctive interpretive sign and erosion control techniques.
Neighborhood Gateways Gateways are the “jumping off” points for access,
understanding and enjoying the cultural, historic and natural resources of the
North Shore Heritage Area. These are opportunities for public/private partnerships
or even private provision of a series of public services. Gateway facilities are
defined by their locations, and can include any or all of the following:
 Interactive computer kiosk
 Playground
 Food
 Fuel




Arts & Crafts/Gallery
Local good & produce
Outdoor market
Local information, including sites of interest, economic
revitalization opportunities and municipal incentives.
The Gateways are associated with the neighborhoods in which they are
located. However, they are representative of all of the neighborhoods and
of the Heritage Area as a whole. As elements of a strategy that includes
preservation as its main activity, it is not envisioned that the Gateways
would be new developments but instead expanded uses and attraction for
existing facilities and programs, lending to the revitalization and reuse of
buildings. The five Gateway Locations are:
 Gold Coast — On the Nassau-Queens border on Route 25A
at University Gardens in North Hempstead
 American Dream — LIE Exit 49 on State Route 110 in
Melville, Town of Huntington
 Maritime Coast — LIE Exit 56 on State Route 111, Wheelers Road
in Happaugue, Town of Smithtown
 Pine Barrens — LIE Exit 68, County Route 46, William
Floyd Parkway, Yaphank, Town of Brookhaven
 Harvest Coast — LIE Exit 73, Old County Road, Calverton,
Town of Riverhead
In addition, the three coast neighborhoods have water gateways. They
are:
 Gold Coast — Glen Cove
 Maritime Coast — Port Jefferson
 Harvest Coast — Orient Point
These water gateways facilitate movement into and out of the Heritage
Area as well as within it via ferry and multi modal systems. In addition, the
water gateways anticipate the potential for establishment of blueways.
The Recreation Concept incorporates areas including:
 State parks
 County parks
 Arboreta
 Beach access
 Boat launches
 Trailheads and greenbelts
 Golf courses
Strategic Summary
The strategic element of the Management Plan for the Long Island North Shore
Heritage Area is a dynamic tactic for advancing the region into the future. It
shows how preservation, revitalization and interpretation can be implemented on
the landscape of the Heritage Area.
In addition to the strategy, the Plan offers a management approach for
preservation, sustainable heritage development and economic revitalization.
These, combined with the Implementation and Marketing Plan, complete the
Management Plan for the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area.
The purpose of the strategy is to identify the thematic and character aspects of the
Heritage Area and show how they can be developed to celebrate the diversity of
the North Shore while at the same time providing a series of unifying elements.
These opportunities were identified through an inventory of the intrinsic resources
of the region and the affirmation and solidification of the boundary.
The strategy is built on the foundations of the past and analysis of the present. It
incorporates the goals and objectives and policies and actions into the physical
landscape, defining and celebrating the region. It is a method of packaging the
region as a whole and includes a four-pronged approach of preservation,
revitalization, interpretation and circulation.
The preservation concept for the region focuses on the development of
preservation as the overall theme of the Heritage Area and a program for the
preservation of its cultural, historic and natural resources. It incorporates sites for
protection and acquisition.
The revitalization concept for the Heritage Area focuses on the built and the
natural environments. In addition, the revitalization concept proposes a focal
point for Long Island North Shore Heritage Area as well as potentially for all of
Long Island.
The interpretation concept for the Heritage Area directly incorporates the stories
of the people of the North Shore. It encompasses a spatial approach through the
five neighborhood areas and a point-to-point approach through the four themes of
Seafarers, Builders, Visionaries and Naturalists. Heritage neighborhood identifiers,
trail markers and interpretive stations provide information and interpretation and
assist in way-finding.
The circulation concept incorporates a system of complementary gateways and
corridors. It provides a means of access and interpretation. The circulation
concept is a system for facilitating movement throughout as well as within the
region.
The strategic element of the Plan defines a holistic approach to attaining the
future of the region. The aspiration and groundwork for the future were set in
the Management element. The Implementation and Marketing Plan provides
specific focus on recommendations, costs, partnerships and funding.