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An Energy-Efficient Fourth Precinct
for SCPD County Officials Break Ground for State-of-the-Art Building By
Jay Beatty |
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July 14, 2008 HAUPPAUGE, NY — Flanked by environmental advocates, Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr. (R-Nesconset, 13th LD) joined Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) and County Executive Steve Levy on Monday to break ground in Hauppauge for a new building for the Suffolk County Police Department's (SCPD) Fourth Precinct. The three-story,
36,800-square-foot headquarters will be sited in Hauppauge near the
easternmost entrance of the North County Complex along the Smithtown
Bypass. When completed in 2010, the facility will be more than double
the size of the existing building, the smallest of the SCPD's seven
precinct buildings. A wide range of energy-efficient features will help
hold down ongoing energy costs, said officials. “The construction of this building to LEED standards will not only protect the environment, it will save taxpayers a heck of a lot of money over the life of the building,” declared Kennedy. “Green construction makes sense in every way and I am glad that the county’s greenest building will be right here in my legislative district.” Incorporating the most advanced energy-efficient systems to date, the $27.9 million Fourth Precinct building will be the first municipal facility on Long Island to have attained a Silver Standard from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). New HQ Overdue A new Fourth Precinct facility was long overdue, according to some officials.
(l) Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer William Lindsay (SJ.com file photo) “And I congratulate Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher for her determined efforts to insure that this building will be constructed in the most energy-efficient manner possible,” Lindsay concluded. It was Viloria-Fisher who sponsored legislation requiring new county facilities to be constructed to meet LEED standards.
above - Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr. (SJ.com file photo) Official Agreement "In eighteen months, green will be the new blue for our police force," said the County Executive. "This building will not simply provide the dedicated officers of our Fourth Precinct with a larger base; it will serve as an example of what Suffolk County can become. We have similar plans being put into place around Suffolk, including a 40-kilowatt solar system at our police headquarters and another at the county's Environmental and Interpretive Center,” Levy added. He further noted that the Dennison Building in Hauppauge, as are as county facilities in Riverhead, is undergoing a series of green initiatives with more energy-efficient technology. For the SCPD, Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said: "We are very pleased to be breaking ground on this state-of-the-art facility. We feel it reflects the professionalism of this top-notch police service." "County Executive Levy's actions should serve as a model for other counties across the state," said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. "With oil now more than $140 a barrel and continuing to reach unprecedented heights on an almost daily basis, the only way we can be sure to achieve energy efficiency and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is through the help and participation of committed business, government and civic leaders." Legislator Lynne Nowick (R-Smithtown, 12th LD) agreed, noting that, “after many years of planning,” she was “very pleased that the construction of the new 4th Precinct has begun.” “This building has incorporated many of the latest green technologies that will help to control energy usage and be a plus for our environment. Most o f all, I look forward to when this new building will become the new base for the dedicated men and women of the 4th Precinct. These hard working officers deserve to have an office that provides additional space, resources and is a center that we can be proud to showcase our police department,” she added. Green Features The highlight of the new building -- designed by the team of Baldassano Architecture, Emtec Consulting Engineers, and Viridian Energy & Environmental, LLC -- will be the 50-kilowatt photovoltaic solar system, sufficient to generate eight percent of the building's electricity on its own. The solar panel array, to be constructed with incentives from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), will sit atop a flat roof in a tilted array mounting system, providing maximum exposure to sunlight. It will be the largest municipal solar system in the region. Other conservation features included in the design are: a boiler with a 95 percent efficiency rating; a water heater with over 90 percent efficiency; the most energy-efficient cooling plant available; the most energy-efficient lighting system available; automatic faucets and waterless urinals for water conservation; and weather-proofing of the building's exterior to help conserve energy and drive down the cost of heating in the winter. Environmental Reaction A number of environmental advocates -- representing Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI), the Neighborhood Network, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the Sierra Club – were on hand to support the green initiatives. "Energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings have always been a smart idea but now, with oil prices in the triple digits, it would be outright foolish and a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars if we didn't build with best available practices," said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of RELI, advocating for efficiency and renewable energy technologies for more than a decade. "We commend and congratulate Steve Levy and Suffolk County for once again leading by example and saving taxpayers' dollars and the environment." "Suffolk County is putting yet another step of its Clean Energy Action Plan into place, and continues to demonstrate to the public that green is doable and practical, and should be a priority for protecting our health and the environment into the future," said Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Network, a regional environmental organization that works on clean energy issues.
right - Adrienne Esposito at recent Broadwater announcement "Suffolk County's creating this police precinct building to meet the silver standard for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program sets a new direction for municipal responsibility," said Jane Fasullo of the Sierra Club. "The Long Island group of the Sierra Club is pleased to recognize Steve Levy and his administration for taking this exemplary action." Levy gave assurances that the operations of the officers of the Fourth Precinct would not be hindered during the construction of their new facilities, currently anticipated for early 2010. The police will continue to function out of the existing building until the new one is completed, he said. -30- Click
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“We
have been battling for four years to get the police of the Fourth
Precinct the new headquarters they need and deserve,” said Lindsay. “I
am pleased that through the efforts of Legislator Kennedy, this new
headquarters will be built in Smithtown, after original plans called for
it to be built across the border in Islip Town,” he added.
“The
police of the Fourth Precinct protect and serve the residents of my
legislative district and they are in desperate need of a new
headquarters building,” stated Kennedy. “I was happy to be able to
derail the misguided effort to construct this new headquarters Islip
Town in the Dennison building complex. The headquarters of the precinct
that serves Smithtown belongs in Smithtown. And that is where it will
be,” Kennedy added.
"Buildings
are a main culprit in our excessive energy use," said Adrienne Esposito,
Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "They
are the energy gluttons of our society. The county executive's
leadership on reducing consumption through county buildings is terrific
and shows true commitment to solving our energy crisis."
