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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-2024-04-23DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 1 Planning and Development Board Minutes April 23, 2024 Board Members Attending: Mitch Glass, Chair; Emily Petrina, Bassel Khoury, Andy Rollman, Elisabete Godden Board Members Absent: Daniel Correa 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. Agenda Review – None 2. Approval of Minutes – March 2024 On a motion by Godden, seconded by Khoury the Planning and Development Board approved the March 2024 meeting minutes. 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 Board members expressed their gratitude toward those who spoke regarding Lake Street Townhomes and stated that the Board takes their concerns seriously. DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 2 The Board had no further response to public comments. 5. Site Plan Review A. The Ruby - 228 Dryden Road by Julia Bucher, Visum Development. Extension of Site Plan Approval. In accordance with §276-10, Site Plan Review Ordinance, if the construction of a development has not commenced within two years of the date of Site Plan Approval, such approval shall expire, unless an extension has been granted by the Board following a written request by the applicant. The project received Site Plan Approval on May 24, 2022 and the applicant is requesting an extension of the approval. Applicants Attending: None Board members and staff discussed the public process related to the extension of site plan approvals. Adopted Declaration of Site Plan Approval Extension On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Correa. B. Lake Street Townhomes – 261 Lake Street by Whitham Planning and Design. Recreational River Permit Public Hearing and Preliminary 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 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 series of renderings and site plans to depict the proposed townhouses and their relationship with the viewshed of the next-door natural area. Details such as bike rack and dumpster locations were highlighted for the Board. As requested in the last meeting, the applicant provided details for the proposed street lighting. DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 3 Public Hearing Chair Glass opened the public hearing on a motion by Khoury, seconded by Petrina, and the Planning Board voted unanimously. There being no members of the public appearing in order to speak, nor additional written comments submitted to be read into the record, Chair Glass closed the Public Hearing on a motion by Khoury, seconded by Petrina, and the Planning Board voted unanimously. Petrina confirmed with the applicant that follow-up with the City’s Engineering department had been done concerning the yield sign at the Lake Street and Lincoln Street intersection. The applicant stated that both their traffic engineers and the City’s engineering department agree that the current signage is appropriate. Chair Glass expressed his discomfort with the yield sign with the added density of the proposed development. Rollman confirmed with the applicant the path pedestrians will take to access the Ithaca Falls. Rollman also expressed his appreciation for the proposed wood siding. Rollman asked the applicant to describe the location of the HVAC units. The applicant stated that the HVAC units would most likely be placed at the back of the building and could potentially be wall mounted. Godden expressed her approval of the proposed exterior materials. Godden also confirmed with staff the process of developing City property in conjunction with proposed developments. Khoury asked the applicant to discuss the proposed lighting as it relates to traffic and pedestrian safety. The applicant’s traffic engineer discussed the physical conditions of the area that mitigate the dangers to pedestrians from vehicles. Adopted Declaration of Preliminary Site Plan Approval On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Godden. C. 601 East State Street – by Michael Barnoski, Trade Design Build. Public Hearing and CEQR Determination. The applicant proposes a 5,720 SF 3-story, 6-unit multifamily residential building in the rear yard facing Ferris Place, behind the existing building. The existing site is steep along the north and eastern portions near the street frontages and contains several mature trees. The proposed structure will preserve the historic character of the area through DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 4 form, scale and detailing such as a front porch and hip roof. Site improvements include plantings and construction of a parklet at the corner of Ferris Place and East State. The project is in the R- 3a Zoning District and will require at least one variance. The project is located in the East Hill Historic District and received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission in October 2023. This is a Type 1 Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B.(1)(h)[4], and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants Attending: Gideon Stone, Cameron Neuhoff, Adam Fishel The applicants presented site plans of the proposed project including a landscaping plan. The applicants also stated that the zoning variances they applied for from the Board of Zoning Appeals was approved. Board members had no questions for the applicant. Adopted Declaration of Preliminary and Final Approval On a motion by Khoury, seconded by Petrina. D. Waters Edge - 683 Third Street by Waters Edge Ithaca, LLC. CEQR Review: Fire Access & Traffic. 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 The applicants began their presentation by reading a statement regarding the CEQR process. The presentation continued regarding the potential access along Cascadilla Street including the processes and approvals from other government agencies required for the crossing to work. DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 5 The applicant presented a series of circulation and traffic plans in an attempt to alleviate the traffic concerns brought by the Planning Board in the previous meeting. Petrina asked the applicants to provide more information related to the proposed mitigations that require approval from the DOT. Petrina asked the applicant if ride-share drop off and pick up locations have been discussed for the site. Petrina asked the applicant if the Cascadilla crossing would be available for public vehicles. Staff confirmed that the crossing along Cascadilla Street will be for private crossings only. The applicant clarified details regarding the ownership and exact location of the crossing. Khoury confirmed with the applicant the details of how the number of parking spaces proposed was derived. Khoury also confirmed with the applicant that bikes will be sharing the proposed internal roads with vehicular traffic. Rollman asked the applicant if the proposed terrace is a public amenity. The applicant stated that the terrace is designed for the building’s inhabitants, but no physical barriers will be in place to prevent use by the public. Rollman confirmed with the applicant that, as proposed, the terrace space is not ADA accessible for the public. Rollman also confirmed details related to the proposed parking. Chair Glass confirmed with the applicant that the 5th Street crossing is hypothetical and that a second means of access is required to build the project. Chair Glass expressed that the amount of proposed parking is too much for the site and its location. The Board and staff reviewed the memo written by City staff regarding the CEQR process and staff’s recommendation to adopt a Positive Declaration of Environmental Significance. The memo detailed the timeline and series of events since the project began the public process. Kim Nason explained to the Board the differences between the SEQR processes of Positive and Negative Declarations of Environmental Significance. Nason went on to explain the potential next steps available to the Board related to this project. Chair Glass proposed to the Board that they take some more time to review the materials and make a decision regarding SEQR at a future meeting. DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 6 Godden expressed her concerns related to the fact that the property currently only has one public access and that the proposal includes too much parking. Godden stated that she would like to see two public vehicular egresses to the site. Petrina confirmed with staff the details of the process in obtaining a crossing along Cascadilla Street. E. Cornell Hillel Center - 722 University Avenue by Ari Weiss and Whitham Planning Design. Presentation. The applicant proposes to construct a 3-story, approx. 24,000 SF building with a 6,400 SF footprint on an existing vacant .48-acre (~20,909 SF) parcel. The 3-story center has four floors with one floor below grade comprised of spaces for educational, cultural, Jewish, and inter-faith religious programs, worship or instruction, student lounge areas, pastoral/wellness spaces, a space for religious use, classrooms, staff offices, a café, and a community kitchen for food programs. Site improvements include an entrance plaza, outdoor space for the café and lounge, and seasonal plantings. The project is in the R-U Zoning District and will require multiple variances. This is a Type 1 Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance (“CEQRO”) §176-4 B.(1)(b) and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) §617.4 b. (11) and is subject to environmental review. Applicants Attending: Ari Weiss, Lisa Ferreira, Michelle Palmer, Yifei Yan Godden disclosed her relationship with Cornell University and stated she does not have a conflict of interest related to this project. The applicants had no presentation and were ready for questions from the Board. Board members had no questions for the applicants. Adopted Declaration of Lead Agency On a motion by Petrina, seconded by Rollman. 6. BZA Appeals • BZA 3274 – 521 North Albany Street, Area Variance • BZA 3275 – 115 Northcross Road – Mary Donlon Hall, Telecommunications Variance 7. Reports • Director’s Report 8. Old/New Business • Recommendation on proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance • Recommendation on proposed zoning amendment to establish a Zoning Permit process DRAFT COPY — NOT YET APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD 7 Adjournment: On a motion by Godden and seconded by Petrina, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:23 pm.