HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CAC-2013-07-08City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council Minutes
July 8, 2013 ADOPTED
7:30 – 9pm, Third Floor Conference Room, City Hall, 108 East Green Street
Present: Rima Shamieh, chair; Jesse Hill, vice chair; C.J. Randall, Tom Shelley
Visiting: Noah Demarest, Matt Yarrow, Maureen Bolton
Absent: Michael Culotta
No official meeting held due to lack of quorum (5 voting members), no call to order
June meeting minutes not approved because of lack of quorum.
R. Shamieh report (Chair):
-3 applicants attending for new membership; No update from Mayor on council appointments.
-Noted Brian Eden’s (EMC) emails about watershed and plastic bags ban law; T. Shelley says it is
modeled after other cities and outlined: it has some resistance from businesses; full ban on plastic bags
and has fee for paper bags; will be county regulation; unsure of who resists legislation.
T. Shelley report (Comprehensive Plan):
Focus groups meeting now and the draft should be ready in September
C.J. Randall report (PB liaison):
INHS subdivision approved; CBDB rezoning approved; Harold’s Sq submitting Part 3; Looks like 130
Clinton will receive a positive declaration of environmental impact, which means that the applicant will
need an EIS, including an assessment of alternatives in order to proceed; there is a controversy over the
Purity parking lot, which would require a land use variance; the Thurston Ave apartment building project
approved (on a relatively steep slope).
Old Business:
Steep slope ordinance: Discussion over the City need for steep slope regulations. It is difficult to
enforce without completed comp plan. Shamieh is looking at other cities for models. Looking at how to
set slope parameters without total restriction on development. 3 “tier” of slope zone regulations. M.
Yarrow noted there are few parcels in city with buildings on 35% slope. M. Bolton suggests it needs to
match and reflect protection for the riparian zones. T. Shelley noted that drainage and hydrology are
important part of the issue. Do we have seismic considerations? C.J. Randall: as it relates to 130 Clinton
St, what are the monitoring sites for? Is this for seismic? J. Hill: What happens to the slope in a major
flood and significant erosion takes place on this site? Does it compromise the proposed structures at 130
Clinton St above the water mark?
LEED: discussion over implementing “green” building codes in the city. C.J. Randall has been reading
through NYS building codes and looked at green codes that have passed. N. Demarest asked, how can we
get people to do it? What are incentives to implement standards? Current city zoning had LEED audit,
report is pending.
Parking Design controls: Common Council's P&EDC is looking at a site review amendment. Is this a
good time to talk to them about lot designs? The amendment includes some lot requirements. CAC wants
to proceed with developing lot designs standards. Might want to write a resolution to formally identify
and introduce the issues.