HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-2024-04-30DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING &
DEVELOPMENT BOARD
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Planning and Development Board Minutes April 30, 2024
Board Members
Attending:
Mitch Glass, Chair; Emily Petrina, Bassel Khoury, Andy Rollman,
Elisabete Godden
Board Members Absent:
Daniel Correa, 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 6:00 p.m.
1. Site Plan Review
A. Waters Edge - 683 Third Street by Waters Edge Ithaca, LLC. 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 building 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)
DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING &
DEVELOPMENT BOARD
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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, Erik Reynolds, Frank Armento, Tim Falkner, Tim Schmidt
The applicants presented information related to stormwater, emergency access, consistency
with community plans, traffic impacts, open space and landscaping for the Board’s review
during the CEQR process.
Board members, staff and the applicants discussed the CEQR process, the next steps and what
more information Board members need to continue the CEQR review.
Staff gave feedback to the applicants related the information presented, especially as it related
to impervious surface and traffic impacts.
Kim Nason clarified the requirements of the CEQR process and the differences in process
between negative and positive declarations of environmental impact.
Board members stated that more information is required and that a conversation with more
members of the Board is needed to determine whether the proposed project will require a
positive declaration or not.
Adjournment:
On a motion by Petrina and seconded by Khoury, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous
consent at 7:45 pm.