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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.24.2025 Planning-board-Minutes 1 Village of Cayuga Heights Planning Board Meeting #127 Monday, March 24, 2025 Marcham Hall – 7:00 pm Draft Minutes Present: Planning Board Members Chair F. Cowett, J. Leijonhufvud, M. McMurry, E. Quaroni, R. Segelken Attorney S.O. Shah, Clerk J. Walker, Alternate Member M. Johnston, Mayor L. Woodard I. Lambiase, 406 E. Upland Rd Members of the Public Item 1 – Meeting called to order • Chair F. Cowett opened the meeting at 7:04 pm. • Chair F. Cowett stated that all Board members are in attendance; Alternate Member M. Johnston is welcome to participate in the meeting, but cannot take part in any Board votes. • Chair F. Cowett welcomed Attorney S.O. Shah who introduced himself to the Board. Item 2 – January 27, 2025 Minutes • The Board reviewed the minutes of the January 27, 2025 meeting. J. Leijonhufvud R. Segelken RESOLUTION No. 426 APPROVING MINUTES OF JANUARY 27, 2025 RESOLVED,that the written, reviewed and revised minutes of the January 27, 2025 meeting are hereby approved. Chair F. Cowett, J. Leijonhufvud, M. McMurry, E. Quaroni, R. Segelken – None Item 3 – Public Comment • I. Lambiase, 406 E. Upland Rd, asked if there is any control over who responds to the Comprehensive Plan survey on the Village website and how often one individual can respond. 2 • Chair F. Cowett replied that the survey is not restricted to Village residents, but the survey does ask respondents how many years they have lived in the Village, and the summary of responses created by Trustee K. Rennekamp identifies respondents by IP address and indicated that only one IP address was associated by multiple IP addresses which could reflect more than one respondent in a household. Item 4 – Comprehensive Plan Update • The Board resumed its discussion on updating the Village’s Comprehensive Plan and reviewed the results of a resident questionnaire. • Chair F. Cowett asked Board members for their takes on the survey results. • J. Leijonhufvud stated that the summary created by Trustee K. Rennekamp was very helpful. • E. Quaroni stated that survey results are a good start. • M. McMurry stated that survey results are consistent with what has been heard previously in the Village, such as the importance of walkability, the need for more sidewalks and crosswalks, and traffic issues in the Community Corners area. • J. Leijonhufvud stated that survey results also reflected concern with traffic speed on Triphammer Road and interest in more public greenspace and public amenities. • M. McMurry stated that survey results also reflect both sides of the debate over increasing development density. • Chair F. Cowett stated that survey results also reflected concern over high taxes and appreciation of services afforded by the Village, which is interesting since these are correlated. • M. McMurry stated that there were also different viewpoints on property maintenance with some respondents stating that this is over-regulated while others want increased enforcement. • E. Quaroni asked about the many water main breaks that occurred in the Village this winter and whether these were mostly Village mains or Bolton Point mains. • Mayor L. Woodard replied that most main breaks were Village mains, and that these were caused by significant temperature fluctuations between day and night and the effect these fluctuations had on causing soil to shift. • Chair F. Cowett asked Board members if they wished to keep the current survey open or if they wished to create a new survey focused on specific topics, such as resident views of Community Corners. • Board members asked how many responses there have been to the current survey. • Clerk J. Walker stated that there have been 65 responses to the current survey so far; Village tax notices will go out the first week in June; the Board could keep the current survey open till then and then publicize the new survey with an insert accompanying the tax notice. 3 • J. Leijonhufvud stated that 65 responses seem a small number compared to the number of Village residents and is in favor of keeping open the current survey, and asked how many responses would be a statistically significant sample. • Mayor L. Woodard replied that she doesn’t know what number of responses would be statistically significant, but would like to see at least 200 responses as happened with the property maintenance survey; unfortunately, residents tend to not get involved in Village matters unless they are upset about something, which is likely to be the case with the recently proposed Mecenas project on East Upland Road. • M. McMurry asked if there is a timeline for the Mecenas project. • Mayor L. Woodard replied there is no timeline currently; there was a preliminary presentation of the project and there will be a walk-through of the site to which she will ask Planning Board members to be invited; the plans that have been submitted need to be fleshed out more; she has concerns with the number of dwelling units and the project’s impact on the site’s wetlands; the Board of Trustees will need to consider coming up with new zoning regulations for a PDZ; this will likely be a lengthy back and forth iterative process, and three of the seven current BOT members were not Trustees for the last iteration of this project several years ago. • M. McMurry stated that the new design seems somewhat more responsive to the site than the previous iteration. • J. Leijonhufvud stated that, with the attention likely to be given to the Mecenas project by Village residents, survey questions focused on the Community Corners area would make sense. • Chair F. Cowett stated that the 2014 version of the Comp Plan focused on the declining economic condition of the Community Corners area and looked for ways to encourage its re-invigoration; a lot has changed since 2014, including the opening of Island Fitness, the medical office building, Gimme Coffee, the Allechant restaurant, and Adam’s Corners Café. • M. Johnston agreed that much has changed in the Community Corners area since 2014, but its community character should be considered in addition to economic conditions, especially in the context of the proposed Mecenas project; in the Community Corners area what should be the character of residential development, what building height is appropriate, and what should be the price of housing. • R. Segelken suggested that the current resident survey should continue to run for the next two months and then be replaced at the beginning of June with a new survey focused on the Community Corners area. • The Board agreed with R. Segelken and came up with questions focused on the Community Corners area to be included in the June survey. 4 Item 5 – New Business • Chair F. Cowett stated that the next meeting of the Planning Board will be held on Monday April 28, 2025 at 7:00 pm at Marcham Hall. Item 6 – Adjourn • Meeting adjourned at 8:42 pm.