HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CAC-2013-09-09City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council Minutes
September 9, 2013 ADOPTED
7:30 – 9pm, Third Floor Conference Room, City Hall, 108 East Green Street
Members Present: Rima Shamieh, chair; Jesse Hill, vice-chair; Tom Shelley; Noah Demarest, Matt
Yarrow, Maureen Bolton, Augusta Christensen, CJ Randall, Michael Culotta
Absent: none
Called to order: 7:38pm
First order of business: Approve June, July and August Minutes. Motion to approve all minutes by R.
Shamieh, seconded by T Shelley. Approved unanimously.
Chair Report (R. Shamieh):
1. Meeting dates changes: October meeting changed to Monday, October 7, 2013; 7:30 p.m. - Third
Floor conference room. November meeting changed to Wednesday, November 13, 2013 7:30 p.m. -
Second Floor conference room
2. GPA committee. R. Shamieh wrote an email to Deb Mohlenhoff, to clarify GPA memo, seeking
reassurance that this is the beginning of process. Three alternatives will be presented in GPA meeting
on 9/18/13. There is a concern that CAC will be revamped without being consulted adequately before
decisions are made. CAC could create an alternative proposal for restructuring CAC and related
committees. In any case, there should be a process where chairs of committees have a meeting and
discuss the process. Maybe other committees could become sub-committees of CAC, e.g. STAC,
BPAC. The other committees would still exist; this would just improve access and communication with
Common Council. CAC’s memo to GPA should be completed 9/16 in the evening. R. Shamieh will
follow up with D. Mohlenhoff about the upcoming GPA meeting.
3. Conference on the Environment (Buffalo): J. Hill is planning to go, R. Shamieh will seek City
funding.
Planning Board report (CJ Randall)
1.Emerson got their subdivision approval. N. Demarest: Did they discuss the trail? CJ Randall: No,
this will come during site plan review. The case made before planning board: grant subdivision to
get ball rolling. The Town of Ithaca should be involved in this review, since the project straddles the
border between the town and city. Planning board had chance to force issue with trail via an
easement on the subdivision. Building department can trigger a site plan review now with any
indication of controversy.
2.130 Clinton St was approved – final approval. We need to create ordinances in order to really deal
with buildings on steep slopes. No variances were needed for any part of project.
3.Harold Square: Attempting to apply for LEED certification and looking into green roof. Final site
plan was approved.
4.Cayuga Green apartments got approved. Considering stormwater remediation and improved
landscaping.
5.Sidewalk ordinance: CAC should advocate for a Complete Streets policy city-wide.
6.There's a push to get offsite parking lots removed as acceptable zoning, so that no more parking lots
as primary use are created. JoAnn Cornish working on this. The idea is that no more parcels should
be converted to parking lots (as their primary use) for another project at another site. We should
create a letter of support.
Comp Plan Report (T. Shelly):
Comp plan is moving forward. Currently refining sustainability section. Working on a map that is
generic map for the future development of City. The is an effort to get the Comp Plan done by the end
of the year. Information about steep slopes is in the audit.
Energy Action Plan (T. Shelly): Carolyn Peterson is working on version 4, which is working on
aligning EAP and Comprehensive plan which is good. C. Peterson is trying to get it before Common
Council by end of year.
Steep Slopes Ordinance (R. Shamieh): We need a subcommittee to work on it. Plan made to meet
week of 9/16/13, with CJ Randall, R. Shamieh, N. Demarest, A. Christensen, and M. Yarrow.
Planning Board Projects
Hobby Lobby: M. Culotta: SPDES permit for SW area to update stormwater. Bring old box stores up to
current state law. Problem is some old buildings may be grandfathered in. More information
determined about non-point source pollution and run-off and flood zone. M. Culotta volunteered to
contact Meghan Wilson about this and copy R. Shamieh with findings.
Meeting adjourned @ 9:14pm