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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-1997-08-20PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES August 20, 1997 In attendance were: Susan Blumenthal, Chair; John Efroymson; Rick Gray; Tom Hanna; Pam Mackesey; Jane Marcham; Diann Sams; Pat Vaughan; and Alan J. Cohen, Mayor Staff: Matthys Van Cort, Director of Planning and Development; Ruth Aslanis, Doug Foster, and Jeannie Lee Members of the Public: Herb Engman; LeMoyne Farrell; Bryna Fireside; Guy Gerard; Fay Gougakis and Doria Higgins. Public Comment on Any Planning Issues: Guy Gerard spoke against the City’s adopting the Tompkins County Waterfront Plan. He said the City should have a “line item veto” over the items in the Plan. He also said that he was opposed to adoption of the Plan because it recommended that the City transfer the Festival lands to the State Park System. Doria Higgins urged the Committee not to adopt but to accept the Plan. Herb Engman said that the Plan does not balance economic development with environmental protection and, therefore, the Plan should be received only. LeMoyne Farrell said that she was opposed to the proposed walking trails in various parts of the R.H. Treman State Park natural areas. She thought the Council should only accept the Plan. Fay Gougakis said she was in favor of saving the environment. She also made a number of other points including that the Public Hearing for the Cornell Lake Source Cooling Project was too short; she said she does not trust Cornell, and they should have another hearing. Gougakis is concerned that the proposed skateboard park will make too much noise in Stewart Park. She said that she believes that the high rents in the new building owned by Jason Fane in Collegetown is driving students to seek housing in Fall Creek, and that there should be a sidewalk along the Elmira Road to Buttermilk Park. Bryna Fireside said that she finds the Tompkins County Waterfront Plan very exciting, and, although she has not read it, she recommends the City receive the Plan rather than adopt it. She further suggested that the City use the County wording in any resolution concerning this Plan. Committee Members’ Reports Tom Hanna spoke about the new stores on the Commons and a business which began in Collegetown and has just now gone public with a $20,000,000 private investment. The business had moved to New York City from Ithaca. c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 Director’s Report Van Cort reported that two vacancies in the Community Development Office had been filled. Katharine Clute has been hired as the Community Development Administrator and Nels Bohn has been hired as the Community Development Planner. The Department has also filled the vacant Environmental/Landscape Planner position with the hiring of JoAnn Cornish. A search is underway for an Economic Development Planner. Mayor’s Report Mayor Cohen said that he had attended a meeting in Rochester concerning the upcoming Year 2000 Census of Population. Cohen also stated that on Tuesday, August 26th, he would be meeting with Charles Moynihan, Director of NYS Department of Transportation Region 3 to discuss a variety of items of interest to the City and DoT. 1. Presentation by Ruth Aslanis on the Geographic Information System Van Cort introduced Ruth Aslanis who has been working as a consultant on the GIS and other data management assignments in the Department of Planning and Development as well as other City departments. Doug Foster said that her presentation would be on a geographically based data base she created with Leslie Chatterton. This data base stores a variety of information regarding historic properties throughout the city. Aslanis demonstrated the processes of inputting data, data searches and the generating of reports. She also demonstrated the program’s ability to map locations of properties and digitally display photographs of historic properties. This program would be available to all City employees on the GIS server and eventually much of this data will be made available to the public. 2. The Tompkins County Waterfront Plan Chair Susan Blumenthal reported that she had received referrals from the Planning and Development Board, the Conservation Advisory Council, and the Parks Commission. The Board of Public Works had not yet reported back on the proposed Plan. Blumenthal moved a motion adopting the Plan. Jane Marcham stated that she was concerned about the use of the word “adoption” and offered an amendment to the resolution. Marcham said that she was very favorably inclined toward inter-municipal planning, but she felt that the City should not adopt the County’s Plan in total. Pat Vaughan asked whether the Plan could be accepted as a part of the Comprehensive Plan. Blumenthal said that the County had not used the word “adopt” because they do not have a comprehensive plan as such. Pam Mackesey asked why there was such a rush to adopt what is clearly a preliminary plan. c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 Efroymson offered a motion to amend using the word “accept” in place of “adopt”. The resolution to amend passed. The main motion as amended passed with Blumenthal and Vaughan opposed.: Acceptance of Tompkins County Waterfront Plan WHEREAS the City of Ithaca, the Town of Ithaca and the County of Tompkins recently conducted a study partially funded by the New York State Council on the Arts, entitled “Tompkins County Waterfront Plan,” and WHEREAS the City, Town and County are endowed with extraordinary natural resources including Cayuga Lake, Cayuga Inlet and the waterways which traverse the City, Town and County, and WHEREAS the aforementioned document sets forth goals concerning the protection, enhancement and enjoyment of these water-related resources, and WHEREAS the plan includes numerous other proposals including: development of such facilities as pedestrian walkways and in-town harbors; recommendations for strengthening planning for, and protecting, the lake and its tributaries; proposals for institutional changes aided at monitoring lake water quality; etc. WHEREAS these recommendations were reviewed and commented on at a series of public meetings, and WHEREAS these recommendations will lead to further study of the waterfront and the waterways, beginning with a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for which the City, Town and County have received partial funding from New York State’s Department of State, and WHEREAS no projects suggested will be implemented without an environmental review as called for by the Laws of the State of New York and the City of Ithaca, and WHEREAS many recommendations are proposed which have broad support in the community, and WHEREAS it is understood that not all the recommendations in the plan will be fully supported by everyone and that further public debate and action will be necessary before efforts toward implementation are begun; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Common Council of the City of Ithaca does hereby accept the Tompkins County Waterfront Plan as a first step in the preparation of an intermunicipal Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Tompkins County. c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 3. West End Parking Study Jeannie Lee presented a study she had completed under the direction of Planning staff on parking in the City’s west end. This study was conducted using the GIS program and Access, a data base program. All existing on-street and off-street parking spaces were inventoried and divided between residential and commercial uses. An estimate of parking demand based on zoning regulations was generated and net surplus or deficiencies were identified on a block-by-block basis. Lee said that she had also conducted an inventory of parking and vehicle turn-over at the Ithaca Plaza, located at the corner of Meadow Street and Old Elmira Road. This local retail plaza includes a number of different stores and was thought to have parking demand reasonably comparable to the commercial uses in the Fulton/Meadow area. Another advantage to studying the parking of the Ithaca Plaza is that the system is fairly self- contained. That is, anyone going to the Ithaca Plaza by car will park in their lot. Lee stated that industry standards call for 5-6 car spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail. The demand in the East Hill Plaza was around 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail, and the City’s zoning ordinance calls for 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail. Efroymson asked what the Planning Department will do now that it has gathered this information. Van Cort replied that the Planning Department will wait for direction from the Common Council, since the assignment had been to do an inventory, which has now been completed with Lee’s work. 4. Subdivision Regulations Revisions Mariette Geldenhuys explained the proposed revisions to the zoning regulations which would allow for ministerial approval of lot line adjustments which do not cause zoning conformity. In addition it would create a new category of property transaction, known as a minor subdivision, which would create no more than one new buildable lot. A minor subdivision could be approved in one Planning and Development Board meeting, rather than the now required two minimum meetings. After a brief discussion, Marcham moved and Gray seconded that the Committee agreed in concept with the proposed revisions and that the staff be directed to edit the proposed amendment and bring it back to the Committee. Approved Unanimously 5. Ithaca Falls Attorney Mariette Geldenhuys presented a proposed agreement between the City and several owners of property adjoining Fall Creek at the Ithaca Falls. The agreement called for the establishment of a Committee to oversee maintenance of the Ithaca Falls area. The Planning and Economic Development Committee members expressed interest in the composition of this oversight Committee. They provided some direction for Geldenhuys in continuing negotiations with the concerned parties. At this point the meeting went into Executive Session for the final discussions of the evening. TO: Susan Blumenthal FROM: H. Matthys Van Cort Director of Planning and Development SUBJECT: Notes on Executive Session of Planning & Economic Development Committee DATE: August 27, 1997 The Executive Session was held immediately following the regular meeting of the Planning and Economic Development Committee on August 20, 1997. It commenced at approximately 10:45 pm and was adjourned at approximately 11:15 pm. In attendance were: Susan Blumenthal, Chair; John Efroymson; Rick Gray; Tom Hanna; Pam Mackesey; Jane Marcham; Diann Sams; Pat Vaughan; Alan J. Cohen, Mayor; and Matthys Van Cort 1. Personnel Matter Blumenthal stated that the Subcommittee on Planning and Development Department’s reorganization has recommended that the position of Director of Economic Development be created as part of the Department of Planning and Development. This position would involve the creation of a new title, be located in the Department of Planning and Development, be appointed by and report to the Director of Planning and Development. The question was raised whether this change in title would automatically trigger an 8% increase in salary. Van Cort stated that he would check this with Valerie Saul, Personnel Director. The Committee unanimously approved the creation of the new title, reserving for later its decision on whether the change in title would be accompanied by an 8% salary increase. 2. Ithaca Falls Negotiations c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 c:\laserfiche\planning\planning and econ dev committee\2000 and before planning and eco dev committee\minutes\1997\082097.doc Revised: 8/15/2014 Attorney Mariette Geldenhuys said that she had hired an outside environmental attorney to advise the City on the acquisition of the land at Ithaca Falls. This is necessary because there is some known contamination on the site. Geldenhuys recommended that the City hire its own Environmental Consultant to do a Phase I Environmental Assessment of the site in order to verify that a previously conducted Phase I Assessment is reliable. Geldenhuys stated that there is no absolute guarantee against future liability but the steps she outlined were those recommended by her and the Consultant Attorney. After some discussion, the Committee directed Geldenhuys to hire a consultant to do the Assessment and further directed that she make a counter-offer to Cornell University. This counter-offer would be contingent on the results of the City’s Environmental Assessment.