The document summarizes the Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF), a non-profit focused on environmental legal issues. It discusses ASLF's role in a 1988 lawsuit that led to an agreement to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) in Syracuse through green infrastructure. It then focuses on Syracuse's Save the Rain program and Vacant Lot Program, which transforms publicly owned vacant lots into green spaces to reduce CSOs. The program has created several urban orchard, garden, and forest projects since 2011 to provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the community.

1. Samuel H. Sage
Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc. (ASLF)
June 2012

2. About ASLF
 New York based not-for-profit, headquartered in the
Near Westside area of Syracuse
 Established in 1982 to provide legal, technical, and
organizational services to individuals and
organizations dealing with environmental issues
 Has taken a lead role in the protection and restoration
of Syracuse waterways and the CSO problem

4. The Impacts
 Economically draining for city
 Lower property value
 Aesthetical degradation
 High rates of crime and arson
 Public health issues Property Value Degradation around A Vacant Property
Source: Temple University Center for Public Policy and Eastern
Pennsylvania Organizing Project. “Blight Free Philadelphia: A
Public-Private Strategy to Create and Enhance Neighborhood
Value.” Philadelphia, 2001.

5. The Opportunities
 Stormwater retention
 Public amenities
 Urban infill development
 Urban forestry
 Urban agriculture
 Habitat creation and conservation

7. The Issue
 Onondaga Lake, one of the most polluted lakes in
North America

8. The Issue (cont.)
 Municipal Source of Pollution: Combined Sewer
Overflow (CSO)
Diagram of a
Combined Sewer
Overflow System.
Adapted from
“CSOs Explained”
Official City of
Bremerton Site.

9. The Process: ACJ
 ASLF and the NYS-DEC 1988 lawsuit against
Onondaga County under the Clean Water Act
 METRO Consent Judgment
 Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ, January 1998)
 The key legal document
 Outlined two dozen projects for the County
 Extensive monitoring program

10. The Process:
The 4th Stip to ACJ 2009
 The court order requires Onondaga County to use
GRAY and GREEN infrastructure addressing CSOs
 Gray Infrastructure: Commitment to 88.7% annual
volume capture in by 2013
 Green Infrastructure: Commitment to an additional
6.3% annual volume capture in Green Infrastructure
commencing immediately in 2009, resulting in 95%
total annual volume capture by 2018

11. The Solution: Save the Rain (STR)
 A GI program created by the County
 Encompasses the storm water and GI initiatives
 Educates the public about issues and how they can use
and benefit from GI
 Initiatives
 GI on public land
 Green Improvement Fund: GI on private land
 Rain Barrel Program
 Urban Forestry Program
 STR-Vacant Lot Program (VLP)

13. VLP Program Goals
 Reduce minimum of 9 million gallons of CSO by 2018
with GI on publicly owned vacant lots
 Provide different forms of GREEN infrastructure
projects for Save The Rain
 Simultaneously reclaim greenspace in a useful way and
improve value of vacant lots to community
 Engage public in GI maintenance for Save The Rain

14. Syracuse Vacant Lot Inventory
 3,668 vacant parcels in the City of
Syracuse (2012 data)
 1,786 vacant parcels (392 ac.) in
combined sewer service area
where GI projects are required for
managing stormwater and CSO’s
 828 publicly owned vacant parcels
which could be potentially used
Vacant Lots in the City of Syracuse.

15. Syracuse Vacant Lot Inventory
 814 of 828 public vacant parcels are under City ownership
City of Syracuse
Ownership NYS County City City Seizable Total
City TD
Owned Agencies Parcels
Parcels 6 8 78 120 37 579 828
Inventory Acreage
2.26 7.39 36.72 28.33 6.09 107.27 188.06
Parcels 0 0 24 60 25 332 441
Candidates
Acreage 0 0 6.92 12 5.06 80.14 104.12

16. VLP: A Joint Venture
 Between Onondaga County and City of
Syracuse
 Initiated in 2011 by Onondaga County
 Funded by Onondaga County to built GI
projects on City owned vacant lots
 Developed collaboratively to fit under both
governments’ immediate planning goals
 Based on the agreement that defines the
County’s and the City’s responsibilities in
O&M of the VLP projects
 Developed and coordinated by ASLF The City of Syracuse Ordinance that depicts the
City-County Agreement on installing GI on the City
properties

17. VLP’s Reclamation Typologies
 Urban Orchard
 Community Garden (Ornamental or Vegetable)
 Urban Forest/Tree Planting
Combined with other GI practices such as rain garden, cistern, bioswale,
stormwater planter, etc.
VLP Pilot Project Rendering: Urban Orchard at 701
Oswego Street, Syracuse, New York

18. Community Involvement in VLP
 Outreach to general public and communities near project sites
 Coordination with community in planning & design process
(community meetings, design workshops)
 Community participation in maintenance (organized to
ensure the quality of performance)
 Green job training and job creation

19. VLP Projects: 2011
 Urban Orchard at 701 Oswego Street
Before Under Construction
Design Rendering

20. VLP Projects: 2012
Concept Field Work 50% Design
Project Status Bid Phase Total
Phase Phase Phase
Number of
7 3 3 3 16
Projects

22. Benefits of VLP
 Environmental Benefits
 Biodiversity
 Increase of tree canopy
 Carbon sequestration
 Reduction in pollution, heat island effects and CSO events
 Economic Benefits
 Increased property value and land desirability
 Lowers City’s maintenance costs
 Creation of new job and local business

23. Benefits of VLP
 Social & Public Health Benefits
 Revitalization of community
 Reduced crime rates
 Improved access to healthy foods from urban
agricultural typologies
 Increased opportunities for outdoor physical exercise
 Facilitation of healthy behaviors is a factor in chronic
disease incidence

24. Further Needs and Challenges
 Long-term ownership and O&M mechanism
 Alternatives
 Under public ownership
 Under private ownership and operation
 Land Trust model
 O&M
 Produce
 Taxes
 Utilities

25. Further Needs and Challenges
 Public acceptance and involvement in projects
 Safety issues related to urban farming on abandoned
land
 Lawn VS Native Garden
 Tree(s) VS Forest
 Long-term monitoring and compliance with legal
requirements

26. For More Information
 Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc.
658 West Onondaga Street, Syracuse, New York 13204
315-475-1170. atlantic.states@aslf.org
http://www.aslf.org/
 Onondaga County Save The Rain Program
http://savetherain.us/