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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020_1030_317 E Upland Rd Site Evaluation Final 605 West State Street, Suite A | Ithaca, NY 14850 | phone 607-272-6477 | fax 607-273-6322 | www.tgmillerpc.com David A. Herrick, P.E. Frank L Santelli, P.E. Andrew J. Sciarabba, P.E. Donald M. Harner, P.E. LEED A.P., C.P.E.S.C. Lee Dresser, L.S. Darrin A. Brock, L.S. October 30, 2020 Mr. Robert Buote 187 Hillcrest Road Ithaca, New York 14850 Re: 317 E Upland Road, Village of Cayuga Heights Tax Map Parcel 10.-4-9.22 Feasibility Study for New Residence Dear Mr. Buote, We’ve completed our public records research, zoning analysis and site visit and offer the following findings and opinions as they relate to constructing a residence on the vacant parcel. We understood the proposed residence could be a single-story structure of roughly 3,000 square feet. Study Criteria Our evaluation of the parcel included a review of the following: • Applicable zoning setbacks, lot coverages and allowable uses • Wastewater Disposal Requirements • Water connection requirements • NYSEG electric and gas connection requirements/restrictions • Highway curb cut requirements • Soil conditions Site Characteristics The parcel is a net 0.78 acres to the street line and is currently vacant, unimproved land. At the time of our site visit on October 15, 2020 there were no visible indications of remnant above-grade structures. No intermittent streams were found coursing through or adjacent to the parcel. There are no exposed or eroded soils and the ground is well stabilized with vegetation. Based on the Village’s Natural Resources Map there are no unique natural areas, however, approximately half of the site is designated on the Village’s Zoning Maps as containing 15%-25% steep slopes. No area with such slopes may be developed without obtaining site plan approval from the Village’s Planning Board. T.G. Miller, P.C. 2 There is cluster of mature pine and deciduous hardwood trees that appear healthy which stands somewhat in the centroid of the parcel. The eastern edge of the tree canopy is also the lower boundary of the steep slope area. The relatively open area east of the trees is seemingly suitable for a residence but will encroach into the steep slopes zone. Per a conversation with Mr. Brent Cross, Village Zoning Officer saving substantially sized trees has been an acceptable reason to build in the steep slope area but such a determination will be subject to the review and findings of the Village Planning Board during the Site Plan Review process. Other noted observations from the site visit include: 1. A debris pile consisting of rock and concrete rubble is present adjacent to the north property line. None of the debris was moved to ascertain what may exist below the debris surface. 2. The adjoining landowner to the north appears to be maintaining ‘lawn’ beyond the common property line as well as a mown ‘path’ across the northwest corner of the parcel. 3. The current landowner, or others, have planted a number of small pine tree seedlings within the steep slope area that are marked with small orange flags. With respect to public utilities, water, sanitary sewer, electric, and natural gas are all accessible for residential connections along East Upland Road. There is no evidence of a storm sewer system or formal open ditch along the parcel road frontage. This was confirmed by Mr. Cross who noted that during ambient wet conditions runoff from the land does flow across the sidewalk. Relative to stormwater management, there are no Village requirements for permanent stormwater practices for construction of a single-family residence, however, Mr. Cross noted the Village Planning Board could encourage a site plan to incorporate such practices. T.G. Miller, P.C. 3 Zoning Compliance The parcel is located in the in the Village’s “Residence Zone” district. The Zoning criteria are summarized on Sheet 1, Zoning Evaluation and Vicinity Map. Compliance with the zoning regulations should not be an issue. It is noted that Site Plan Review conducted by the Village Planning Board for construction of the residence will be applicable per Article XVII, Section 305-116 of the Zoning law. To avoid a variance proceeding, the design of the residence will need to conform with the building height, parking and lot coverage restrictions which are summarized below. 1. No building shall be erected to exceed 25 feet in height. The height of a building shall be measured from the lowest point of the existing grade at the building foundation to the average height between eaves and ridge for pitched roofs and to the highest part of the parapet for flat roofs. 2. Two garage or off-street parking spaces are required for each dwelling unit. Off-street parking spaces outside of garages may be located within the area of any front yard provided that no more than 15% of any required front yard is so occupied. Parking is not permitted on lawns, sidewalks, or other areas not developed for the parking of motor vehicles. 3. A proposed residential building inclusive of a garage can occupy up to 3,693 square feet of the lot area before exceeding the 12% allowance. Wastewater Disposal Requirements - Any building that has sanitary facilities, or includes a dwelling unit, must be connected to the Village’s sanitary sewer system. All sanitary sewer construction shall be in accordance with Village specifications or as approved by the Village Engineer. A Sewer Permit Application must be filled out for all new connections. No person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into the sewer system, or construct, alter, repair, or use any drain, building sewer or other lateral sewer to connect with the public sewer, without first obtaining a permit from the Village. The permit is required to be kept at the site and be available upon inspection. Proposed Condition - An 8-inch diameter transite sewer main runs along the west side of East Upland Road and slopes from north to south. Wastewater is treated at the Village’s facility on East Shore Drive and there is capacity in collection system and treatment plant to accommodate the residential connection. According to Village sewer maps, the invert of the main is approximately 5 feet below the surface of the road. Based on the natural slope of the parcel, a connection to this main with a gravity sanitary lateral through the southwest corner of the parcel should be readily achievable. If a basement is considered for the residence, then a closer examination of the sewer main inverts relative to the basement floor elevation would be necessary. The road will need to be ‘open cut’ and restored in order to connect a service lateral to the main. A Street Opening Permit will need to be obtained by the excavation contractor with a required $1,000 security deposit. T.G. Miller, P.C. 4 Water Connection Existing Water System - The source of water supply is the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (aka Bolton Point). The Village of Cayuga Heights is a member of the Commission and there is sufficient capacity in the storage and distribution system to allow a residential connection. The Village’s water main is located on the eastern side of East Upland Road, and is a 6-inch diameter pipe. Water service materials and installation methods are to be in accordance with Village specifications or as approved by the Village Engineer. Bolton Point is responsible for making the service tap at the main, with the property owner covering the cost of this connection. Bolton Point requires separate trenches for water and sanitary sewer laterals. The service pipe shall be laid at not less than 4 feet below the surface of the street. House services shall be a minimum of ¾-inch (preferably 1-inch) and be Type K soft copper water tubing. Proposed Water Connection - Assuming four persons per single-family home, and based on a maximum daily per capita water use of 100 gallons, the average day water demand for the residence is estimated to be 400 gallons. Given the relatively short distance to the centroid of the parcel, a 1-inch service connection is sufficient. The water meter is purchased from Bolton Point and installed at the residence in accordance with Village and Bolton Point Requirements. Bolton Point now utilizes Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology to collect water consumption data for quarterly billing purposes. The homeowner will not have to record or report water use. NYSEG Electric and Gas Connection Requirements and Restrictions Electric - NYSEG has overhead electrical service available with 2 poles in close proximity to the parcel. The pole opposite the southwest corner is located on the opposite side of East Upland Road. In all likelihood, overhead service from this pole will require placing a new pole on the east side of the road. The extension of secondary power to the residence would presumably be installed in conduit underground to the exterior, building mounted meter. The second NYSEG pole opposite the northwest corner of the parcel is located on the east side of the road. This pole may afford an opportunity to extend secondary power down the pole and underground to the residence. The final determination of the route and new infrastructure will be determined by the NYSEG electrical distribution engineer once a new service request application is filed. T.G. Miller, P.C. 5 Natural Gas - A gas main is accessible along East Upland Road. Currently, there is no known moratorium on new gas services in this vicinity of the Village. However, the NYSEG gas engineer would not confirm that a new connection would be approved until proposed gas loads are submitted to NYSEG through a new service request. Highway Curb Cut Requirements - The surface of the parking area shall be crushed stone, brick, concrete, asphalt, permeable pavement, or similar material. All newly constructed driveways shall have adequate provisions to prevent surface water from draining to or across adjoining properties, sidewalks or streets during, at a minimum, a ten-year storm event. The portion of access driveways between the edge of pavement of a public street and a sidewalk, where a sidewalk exists, must be hard surfaced with concrete, brick, asphalt, or other material approved in writing by the Village Engineer. Driveways must be at least 8 feet wide on premises improved only by a one-family dwelling or a two-family dwelling. Maximum driveway width shall be 24 feet. Any vegetative screening must be so designed that it shall not interfere with sight lines necessary for pedestrian and driver safety. Proposed Condition – Siting a proposed driveway will need to consider the available sight distance looking north on East Upland Road as well as disturbance to the mature tree cluster, if the trees are to remain. A high point on East Upland Road opposite the northwest corner limits the sight lines, or distance, when exiting the driveway. If the driveway curb cut cannot be placed at the northwest corner, then it should be located as far as possible to the south. Because there is a sidewalk running along the full length of the parcel, the area of the driveway between the edge of road pavement and sidewalk will be hard-surfaced with concrete, brick or asphalt. If the sidewalk is damaged during the construction of the residence, the damaged sidewalk must be replaced by the homeowner prior to the completion of construction activities. A standard concrete sidewalk cross section is generally not intended to be driven upon so replacement of the sidewalk within the footprint of the driveway is recommended. Provisions to prevent driveway surface water from draining across the sidewalk and into East Upland Road could be achieved by pitching the driveway pavement to shed runoff onto adjacent lawn areas versus straight down the driveway. Soil Conditions Publicly available and meaningful soils information for the urbanized area of Tompkins County is limited. There have been recently completed and proposed real estate development projects in close proximity to the parcel. Our affiliation with these projects afforded us access to subsurface investigation data from which we are making general T.G. Miller, P.C. 6 assumptions about conditions on the parcel. The nearest data point for soil and bedrock conditions is within 250 feet of the parcel and also along the east side of East Upland Road. In general, a soil boring found an 8-inch layer of topsoil underlain by soft silt and clay to a depth of 6 feet. Between 6 and 9 feet the material is similar but stiffer in consistency. Below 9 feet hard silt and dense sand may be encountered with weathered shale at roughly 10 feet. A core sample of the rock found the rock to be quite competent which may not be easily ripped by conventional earthwork equipment. It is a risk to assume this condition would be duplicated on the parcel and a thorough subsurface investigation by a qualified professional within the parcel boundaries should be conducted to derive any conclusions. With that said, if similar soil conditions were encountered, the concept of constructing a basement within the residence could be considered. Critical to planning for a basement will be the understanding of groundwater conditions. If groundwater is perennially high, waterproofing and foundation drainage is an absolute necessity. The ability to drain groundwater away from the foundation is dependent on having sufficient slope away from the residence and a pipe outlet location on the parcel that will not negatively impact adjacent lands or the Village sidewalk and road. Lacking a formal Village ditch or storm sewer system along East Upland Road it will be difficult to site an appropriate pipe outlet. Opinion of Suitability for Residential Construction In my professional opinion, the vacant parcel at 317 East Upland Road is well suited for the construction of a single-family residence. The only notable concern is that a large portion of the parcel falls within the Village’s steep slopes designation. As depicted on Sheet 2, Lot Sketch Plan if the steep slopes area is to be avoided for residence construction, then a greater number of the mature pine and deciduous hardwood trees may need to be removed. In either case, review and approval of the site plan by the Village Planning Board will be necessary and you will have the opportunity to present multiple site layout options for the residence. To a lesser degree, another concern is the inability at this time to obtain a definitive answer to the question of natural gas service. While it is anticipated that a residential connection should be available, only the submission of a new service request with gas load information will trigger NYSEG to provide a formal decision. It has been a pleasure to work on this Study and I look forward to addressing any questions or comments you may have. Thank you. Respectfully, David A. Herrick, P.E. Enclosures: Sheets 1-3