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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-2024-05-28DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 1 Planning and Development Board Minutes May 28, 2024 Board Members Attending: Mitch Glass, Chair; Emily Petrina, Bassel Khoury, Andy Rollman, Daniel Correa Board Members Absent: Elisabete Godden Board Vacancies: One Staff Attending: Lisa Nicholas, AICP, Director, Department of Planning and Development Nikki Cerra, Environmental and Landscape Planner-Department of Planning and Development Samuel Quinn-Jacobs, Planner-Department of Planning and Development This meeting was held in Common Council Chambers, Third Floor, City Hall, and also conducted remotely using videoconferencing technology, as authorized by Part WW of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022 of New York State and Local Law 2022-05. All resolutions are attached at the end of this document. Chair Glass called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. 1. Agenda Review – None 2. Approval of Minutes – None 3. Public Comment Chair Glass opened Privilege of the Floor. There being no members of the public appearing in order to speak, nor any additional written comments submitted to be read into the record, Chair Glass closed the Public Comment period. 4. Board Responses to Public Comment The Board had no further response to public comments. 5. Subdivision Review A. 312-314 Spencer Road Subdivision by Nathan Cook. Presentation, Lead Agency, Public Hearing, SEQR Determination and Preliminary and Final Approval. The applicants are DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 2 requesting a subdivision of the 0.28-acre site with two houses, resulting in two parcels. Parcel A approximately 0.172 acres (7,492 SF) to the north will retain the existing house at 312 Spencer Road and Parcel B approximately .109 acres (4,748 SF) to the south will retain the existing house at 314 Spencer Road. The property is relatively flat with lawn and a few existing trees in front of the houses on the east side. The parcel is in the R-2a zoning district, and no variances will be required. This is an Unlisted Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants Attending: Nathan Cook The applicant briefly explained to the Board the reasoning behind the subdivision and the history of the property. Adopted Declaration of Lead Agency On a motion by Rollman, seconded by Khoury. Public Hearing Chair Glass opened the public hearing on a motion by Petrina, seconded by Correa, and the Board voted unanimously. Chair Glass closed the public hearing on a motion by Khoury, seconded by Correa, and the Board voted unanimously. Board members had no questions for the applicant other than a couple of clarifications on process. Adopted Negative Declaration of Environmental Significance On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Khoury. Adopted Declaration of Prelim and Final Subdivision Approval On a motion by Petrina, seconded Correa. On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Correa, the Board voted unanimously to amend the resolution. 6. Site Plan Review A. Lake Street Townhomes – 261 Lake Street by Whitham Planning and Design. Final Decision on Recreational River Permit and Final Site Plan Approval. The applicant proposes to build sixteen three-story townhouses (approximately 23,377 SF total) broken into two groupings on Lake Street. The market-rate townhouses will each have a back entrance and a front entrance onto Lake Street and will be a mix of three- and four-bedroom units. Site improvements include removal of invasive plant species, native DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 3 plantings, a new sidewalk on Lake Street, street trees, and stormwater planters to manage runoff from roofs. The applicant proposes to improve the city-owned Lincoln Street Extension to provide access to the site, a fire turn-around, and 16 public parking spots, while the project site itself will include 16 surface parking spaces. The site is heavily vegetated and has steep topography. The proposed project will require retaining walls. The project is in the R-3a Zoning District and will require several variances for parking. This is a Type 1 Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B.(1)(h) [2 & 4], (k), (l) & B(2), the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (10) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants Attending: Yifei Yan, Cian Hamill, Yijun Zhou, James Ritzenthaler, Michele Palmer, Jim Duba, Steve Hugo The applicants presented a site plan and details showing the location of lighting and HVAC equipment. The applicants went on to review the design of the proposed townhomes, highlighting changes made to the exteriors since the last Planning Board meeting. Correa thanked the applicants for their presentation and stated his support for the project but expressed his dissatisfaction with recent exterior building design changes. Petrina expressed that she wished to have a physical sample of the blue stone base of the building. Board members, staff and the applicant discussed the comments made by the City’s Engineering Department. Rollman stated that he firmly believes that the applicants have proven no impact on the Correa discussed with staff the idea of placing signage on Lincoln Street Extension related to parking. Adopted Declaration of Final Decision of Recreational River Permit On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Correa. Board members gave the applicant feedback regarding screening the HVAC equipment and the design of the proposed bollard lighting. Rollman discussed with staff how the environmental monitoring will be conducted if the resolution as written is passed. Adopted Declaration of Final Site Plan Approval DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 4 On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Correa. B. Waters Edge - 683 Third Street by Waters Edge Ithaca, LLC. CEQR Review. The applicant proposes to demolish three existing Department of Transportation maintenance buildings to redevelop the 8+ acre site into a mixed-use development that will include two five-story buildings along Cayuga Inlet and two 4-story buildings inland with 450- 500 residential units between the four and approximately 10,000 SF of commercial space. The project will be constructed in two phases with approximately 200 units in the first phase and between 250-300 units in the second phase with each phase including a waterfront and inland building. The waterfront buildings will be connected by a second- floor roof terrace and will have a mix of parking, commercial, residential and amenity/service space on the first floor with apartments and additional amenities above. The two inland buildings will include a mix of residential units and amenity service space. Site improvements and amenity spaces include fire pits, outdoor recreation, eating, cooking and seating areas, landscaping, lighting, and several new terraced stairways and ramps along the Waterfront trail to provide access to new boat docks with a kayak launch along the Inlet. The project is in the MD Zoning District and will require no variances. This is a Type 1 Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B.(1)(d), (h)[2], (i), (k), (l), (n) and (8)(a) and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants Attending: Ian Hunter, Frank Armento, Erik Reynolds, Marlee Beers The applicants presented information regarding fire access, transportation, parking and landscape design. The applicants stated the new data will be collected at the intersection of Route 13 and Third Street at the request of State’s Department of Transportation. The presentation continued to discuss the parking habits of visitors of the neighboring property, The Ithaca Farmers’ Market. Two parking layouts of the development were presented for the Board’s review as “option 1” and “option 2”. Khoury asked the applicant to discuss how the parking between the farmers’ market and the proposal will be developed in future meetings. Correa asked the applicant to clarify how the proposed access route across Cascadilla Street be used. Petrina asked the applicant to be prepared to conduct another drone study of the farmers’ market later in the summer when the market is busier. Petrina went on to state that she preferred “option 2” of the proposed parking layouts. Rollman expressed his wish that more parking be eliminated from the proposal than what was presented. DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 5 Chair Glass reminded the applicant of the parking requirements of the Site Plan Review Ordinance. Board members agreed that date of the drone study was not satisfactory and that a later Saturday in the summer would be preferable. Glass asked that a third party review be done of the traffic impact study. Board members, staff and the applicant reviewed the draft FEAF Part 3, highlighting areas that require more information to be provided by the applicant. An aerial image was shown and Board members stated what vantage points they would like to see visualizations of the development from. C. Meinig Fieldhouse – Indoor Sports and Recreational Center (ISRC) – 239 Tower Road. by Kimberly Michaels, Fisher/TWM Landscape Architecture. Presentation and CEQR Permissible Segmentation. The City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board has a pending application for an indoor sports and recreation center at 239 Tower Road on the Cornell University campus. The applicant proposes to construct the Meinig Fieldhouse, an indoor sports and recreation center of approximately 90,000 SF on the existing Robison Alumni Fields which is composed of natural grass and artificial turf fields, sidewalks, spectator viewing areas, and parking lots. The Meinig Fieldhouse will accommodate a field that will be programmed to support NCAA requirements for women and men lacrosse competitions; a varsity soccer pitch and/or varsity football field for practices; and the facility will host campus recreation, club, and intramural sport teams. The proposed building will also include a mechanical room, restrooms, a training room, and storage on the ground floor; two team rooms, restrooms, an area for elevated filming and mechanical spaces on the second level mezzanine accessible by both stairs and elevator; and on each level an area for a limited number of spectators. The project is located in central campus and the limit of disturbance is proposed to be approximately 7 acres in total, with 5.8 acres in the City and 1.2 acres in the Town of Ithaca. The project site is located in the U-1 Zoning District in the City of Ithaca and will require no variances and is located in the Low-Density Residential Zoning District in the Town of Ithaca and will require variances in the town. This has been determined to be a Type 1 Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B.1(b), (n), and 8(a), and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants attending: Kimberly Michaels, Jimmy Gross and Leslie Schill The applicants explained that the project has undergone changes since the proposal was last seen by the Planning Board. The applicants explained that space previously slated for a field hockey field will now be a more general sports field that will be useable for a broader range of DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 6 activities. The change of use resulted in an increase to the overall field size as well as the removal of some infrastructure that was specific for field hockey. 7. Reports • Director’s Report 8. Old/New Business – None Adjournment: On a motion by Godden and seconded by Petrina, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:20 pm.