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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019.04.09 PAB Final Minutes1 PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Old Jail Conference Room, 125 E. Court Street, Ithaca NY 14850 FINAL MEETING MINUTES Members Attending: Guests: None Call to Order: Chair David Herrick convened the meeting at 4:05 pm. Agenda Review/Changes: Member Reports were moved to earlier in the meeting. Draft Minutes Approval: John Czamanske moved approval of the Feb. 27, 2019, minutes. Monika Roth seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously by the members present. Member Reports • John C. is now the planner for the Town of Danby. • Tompkins Center for History and Culture is hosting a “soft” opening on May 10th. • The Environmental Management Council is drafting a resolution urging the Tompkins County Legislature to support the NYS State and Senate bills to establish an adoption process for an environmental bill of rights. Proposed Annual Ag District Addition – Monika Roth Monika Roth presented a proposal to add a parcel in the Town of Lansing to NYS Certified Agricultural District #1. The 525-acre parcel, which was once part of Kingdom Farm and serves as a buffer between the more developed parts of Lansing and surrounding farmland, was removed from Ag District #1 to make it eligible for development. However, it was never developed or even sold until local farmer Dale Mattoon bought it. The Agriculture and Farmland Protection Bureau reviewed the Mattoon family’s request, spoke with the Town of Lansing Planner and Agricultural Committee, and presented the information to the Town Planning Board, before recommending that the Mattoon property be returned to Ag District #1. Monika shared a letter of support from Town of Lansing Supervisor Ed Lavigne. PAB members asked questions and shared thoughts on the implications of Agricultural Districts. There was some discussion on the use of manure lagoons for storage and possible connection to HABs, among other environmental concerns. The County Legislature will make the final determination on whether to fold the Mattoon parcel back into Ag District #1. If the proposal is approved, it will then be formally added by the State. Katie Borgella suggested to Monika that she clearly define the parameters for Agricultural District questions when presenting the proposal to the Legislature’s Planning,  Representation Name  Representation Martha Armstrong E Economic Development Marcus Riehl P Natural Environment Joe Bowes P Housing Monika Roth P Agriculture Tim Carey E Education #1 Leslie Schill P Education #2 John Czamanske P At-Large Kathy Schlather P Human Services Fernando de Aragón P Transportation Andy Zepp E Land Preservation/Public Land Mgmt. Yamila Fournier P Built Environment Deborah Dawson P Associate Member David Herrick P Facilities/Infrastructure Dooley Kiefer P Associate Member Rod Howe P Historical/Cultural Resources Others Present David Kay P Local Planning (urban) Katie Borgella P Commissioner Anna Kelles A HED/PEEQ Scott Doyle P Associate Planner G. Lincoln Morse A Business Joan Jurkowich P Planning Administrator Gay Nicholson P At-Large Kristin McCarthy P Administrative Assistant C.J. Randall P Local Planning (non-urban) Megan McDonald P Deputy Commissioner 2 Energy, and Environmental Quality Committee (PEEQ). No formal action was requested of the PAB, but members were encouraged to reach out to Monika with additional feedback. Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Review – Joan Jurkowich The Planning and Sustainability Department is undertaking a five-year review of the 2015 County Comprehensive Plan, the purpose of which is to determine whether any major changes are needed to the plan. Staff hope to complete the early review process, which will include garnering feedback from PAB and PEEQ, as well as the public, through various outreach events and social media, in the first part of the year so that funding for any necessary amendments can be included in the Department’s 2020 budget proposal. Joan highlighted a few of the action items accomplished in the plan by the County or other entities, along with others that are still works-in-progress. These covered areas such as affordable housing, energy usage, natural infrastructure, transportation, and water resources. There was an extensive discussion on wetlands delineation. Gay Nicholson encouraged the Department to put out a “call to engagement” to other stakeholders in the community for help with outreach. Citizen monitoring through initiatives like the NY iMapInvasives database, which Marcus Riehl mentioned as an example, was also underscored as an effective way to engage people. David Kay and others pondered whether, considering the recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming, the prospective time-frames for completing some of the items in the Comprehensive Plan should be shortened and advised Planning and Sustainability staff to think strategically about how to best monitor critical natural areas, which are likely to change faster than they have in the past because of climate change. TCDPS staff will work to whittle down the list of possible action items to 25-30 and will return to PAB most likely in May for more feedback. In the interim, members are welcome to email Joan with further comments or questions. Commissioner’s Report – Katie Borgella • The Department held its first quarterly local municipal planners meeting as part of a broader effort to strengthen ties and share information between the County and municipalities. • Andrea Aguirre traveled to Westchester County to present on the Business Energy Advisors program at Energize New York’s Annual Meeting of the Members on March 27th. • The Appalachian Regional Commission area-wide development grants process is getting underway. Pre- applications are due May 22. • The Department is hosting a public presentation on April 24th (at TCPL) by nonprofit firm Incremental Development Alliance on infill and small-scale development. • The next Notice of Funding Availability for the Community Housing Development Fund will go out April 12th with deadlines in May and October. More information is available at http://tompkinscountyny.gov/planning/housing-choices-housing-fund. • The City of Ithaca will present findings from its Local Flood Hazard Analysis at TCPL on April 30th. Adjournment: Chair Dave Herrick declared the meeting adjourned at 5:20 pm.