HomeMy WebLinkAbout9.9.2009 Planning Board Minutes1
Planning Board
Village of Cayuga Heights
September 9, 2009
7:00 PM
Present: Chairman Martin Harms, Henry Richardson, Mark Morris, Graham Gillespie,
Janet Shure, Sean Cunningham, Attorney Kristin Guttenberger, Clerk Norma Manning
Others: Mayor Gilmore, Trustees Riesman and Szekely, Rolf Pendall, Joshua Yost, Anne
Turcotte, Celia Benson
Martin Harms, Chairman of the first Independent Planning Board of the Village of Cayuga
Heights, called the first meeting to order at 7:10 PM. Each member of the Board introduced
themselves and shared their background with everyone. Mayor Gilmore said a few words,
congratulating the members and thanking Trustees Riesman and Szekely for all their work in
realizing that this idea of an independent Planning Board to full fruition. He also said that
Trustees Riesman and Szekely will share the responsibility of trustee liaison to the rest of the
Board of Trustees, and the whole Board will lend their full support to the Planning Board.
Attorney Kristin Guttenberger of Barney, Grossman, Dubow and Marcus, was then introduced as
the Planning Board’s attorney, and will attend meetings as the Board wishes.
Chairman Harms stated the charge of the Planning Board….”Vision of the Village for the 21st
Century.” He then gave a brief overview of handouts that were distributed to the Board, and
discussed key items, such as: Local Laws that were passed to set up the Independent Planning
Board; Training requirement of 4 hours/year for each PB member, PB as an Advisory Board,
Quorum of the PB, Public Comment, Open Meetings, Special Meetings, Executive Sessions,
Voting, and Agendas, all of which are included in the Meeting Procedures. After the Meeting
Procedures were discussed, adoption of the procedures was required by the Board.
The following motion was presented by Chairman Harms and seconded by Henry Richardson.
Motion to pass Resolution xxxx adopting the Meeting Procedures amended and attached to these
minutes.
Planning Members Harms, Richardson, Morris, Gillespie and Shure voted YES.
At this time, Chrmn. Harms explained that Professor Rolf Pendall’s Land Use Planning Class at
Cornell will be working with the Board on the Independent Comprehensive Plan. Three of the
30 students were in attendance at this meeting. Chrmn. Harms introduced Professor Pendall,
who gave a brief overview of how his class will proceed. The Cayuga Heights Planning Board is
the audience, not the client. The Planning Board is an information gathering tool. Prof. Pendall
hopes to report back to the Board in early November with a State of the Community Report and a
“Plan” by the middle of December. There might be a progress report in November. Professor
Pendall invited the Board to ask questions and attend his classes whenever they wished. Chrmn.
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Harms then thanked Professor Pendall for his time and looks forward to working with him and
his class.
Chrmn. Harms then asked the Board to talk about brainstorming issues…what kind of
information do they want to gather, what kind of surveys do they want to see. He distributed a
list of questions entitled “Priming the Pump” Brainstorming Questions, which were discussed.
Before the next meeting, everyone should work on a timeline. Look at comprehensive plans of
surrounding communities. Take an issue to research and bring back information to the next
meeting. Everyone needs to do their homework so everyone is prepared for the next meeting.
Play to your strengths.
It was decided that for the next meeting, everyone would identify an issue, study it, and come
back with some ways that the issue has been dealt with by other communities. That would be the
basis for the October agenda.
Also discussed was having a point person on the Board to be the liaison with the point person in
Professor Pendall’s class. Both Janet Shure and Sean Cunningham volunteered to assume that
role.
Chrmn. Harms urged the Board to get familiar with the Village’s Zoning Ordinance.
The next meeting was set for October 14, 2009 at 7:00 PM and will be held monthly on the 2nd
Wednesday of each month.
A motion was presented by Henry Richardson to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 pm. Seconded by
Mark Morris.
Planning Members Harms, Richardson, Morris, Gillespie and Shure voted YES.
Respectfully submitted,
Norma R. Manning
Village Clerk
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PLANNING PAD
What resources are/might be available to assist with/work on the Planning Process?
Human - Pendall’s CRP Class & Frantz’s Class (Cornell)
Patrick Jensen, CHES Principal
Ed Marks
Service Learning
Fred Cowett (Landscape Architect)
Friends of the Corners.Org
Ned Hickey/Lansing Planning Board
Jonathan Kanter
Documentary Village Archives
Cornell U. Master Plan
County Transportation Master Plan
Town of Ithaca GIS
Transportation Impact Statements
Open Space Plan
Cornell Hgts.
What subject matter should the Plan address?
Community Corners
Design Review
Zoning….Definitions, etc.
Aging Population
Signage
Transportation – Bikes – Accessibility
Open Space in Village of Cayuga Heights
Collecting Aspirations
Suggested Possibile Tasks for Board Members for October meeting and beyond.
1. Identify the Issues All
2. Preliminary time line and event schedule spreadsheet
(Structure & Schedule the Process)
3. Research & Draft Preliminary Plan for a “Community Visioning Event”
4. Act as Liaison with Cornell CRP Classes (Pendall/Frantz) Sean & Janet
a. Ongoing task
5. Work with Brent Cross (& ZBA) in summarizing Zoning
Ordinance for Board Discussion All
6. Bring models of good Comprehensive Plans Mark