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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CAC-2012-07-09Conservation  Advisory  Council   Meeting  Minutes   July  9,  2012   Meeting  brought  to  order,  7:39  p.m.     Present:     Michael  Culotta   Tom  Shelley   C.J.  Randall   Emily  Hamilton   Rima  Shamieh   Joanna  Nadeau   Jesse  Hill         Absent:   Donna  Fleming   Eva  Birk   Yash  Gharat     Discussion  of  peripheral  hard  copy  planning  materials.  Plans  to  ask  Charles  Pylott   and  Lisa  Nichols  to  not  send  hard  copy  materials  related  to  cell  tower  issues  and   instead  to  email  them.  T.  Shelley  offered  to  archive  a  copy  of  CAC  materials.   Agenda:   1. 2011  Activity  Report   2. Cherry  Street  subdivision   3. Bike  Boulevards   4. Site  Plans   5. Taber  Street  project   6. Follow-­‐up  from  last  month     2011  Activity  Report  –  CAC  looking  to  complete  this.  May  include  review  of  charter   (included  recommended  actions  not  yet  presented  to  committee;  voting  TBD),  with   tally  of  site  plans  reviewed,  membership,  training,  strategic  plan  for  2012.  CAC   charter  is  on  city’s  website:  http://www.ecode360.com/8386255.  Charter  review   was  not  completed  because  the  CAC  handbook  took  priority.     Cherry  Street  subdivision  –  project  stalled  at  IURA.     Common  Council  -­‐>  described  as  ‘opaque  process’  -­‐>  IURA  -­‐>  preparing  RFP   IURA  will  assess  value  of  each  proposal  by  criteria  developed  by  NAC  and  CAC.   Criteria  ranking  subject  to  vote  on  Econ  Dev  Committee.  Initial  meeting  for  public   comment  at  July  10,  2012  at  3:30  p.m.  at  City  Hall.  City  has  a  host  of  surplus   properties;  some  may  be  more  important  than  others  in  terms  of  economics  and   conservation.  Planning  Department  says  adding  environmental  criteria  to  IURAs   criteria  is  favored.  Five  feet  was  added  to  the  federal  buffer  on  the  wetland.  This   used  to  be  Coy  Glen  before  the  floor  control  channel.     What  exactly  are  the  environmental  concerns.  Is  it  the  wetland?  Is  it  the  forested   area?  Is  that  forested  area  hydrologically  relevant?  Should  we  be  advocating  for  no   development?  Or  a  specific  type  of  development  now?  Dynamic  location:  idle  coal   loading  lock,  bankrupt  railroad,  etc.  Ithaca  is  spending  a  lot  on  developing  its  water   amenities;  why  not  this?    Where  are  the  other  properties  the  city  wants  to  sell?   Would  those  be  a  better  choice?   CAC  advises  public  invitation  to  the  site.  Ask  state  park  to  a  public  presentation  on   the  Black  Diamond  Trail.  They’re  geared  up,  PR-­‐wise,  for  that.  Letter  to  the  editor.   Can  we  raise  money?  $120,000  buys  this  spot.  Future  money  towards  public   amenity.  Talk  to  Finger  Lakes  Land  Trust.  Nature  Conservancy?     Tentative  follow-­‐up  meeting  with  EMC  (?)  and/or  NAC  on  Monday,  July  16,  2012.   See  also:   “Transfer  of  wetlands-­‐adjacent  Cherry  Street  parcel  to  IURA  approved”  by  Dialynn   Dwyer,  The  Ithaca  Times,  June  27-­‐July  3,  2012.   T.  Shelley’s  photos  of  site:   https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/82239711/1/CAC%20Photos?h=d1d698     Bike  Boulevards   Officially  endorse  Bike  Boulevard.  Proceed  with  recommending  a  Neg  Dec.  R.   Shamieh  motions;  T.  Shelley  seconds.  Unanimously  passed.       Site  Plans   Cell  Phone  Towers   No  objections  to  the  cell  phone  towers.  Proceed  with  Neg  Dec.  Motion  by  M.  Culotta;   T.  Shelley  seconds.    Unanimously  passed.     Cayuga  Place   Why  the  tree  difference?  Will  the  difference  between  11  and  40  trees  make  a  visual   impact?  If  the  footprint  of  the  building  is  smaller,  why  are  the  trees  being  reduced   by  73%?  What  will  the  streets  be  planted  in?  Pervious  surfaces?  Recommend  the   proposed  green  measures  in  place  for  Cayuga  Green  II  similar  to  those  in  Cayuga   Place  I.  Minutes  will  refer  to  the  Dropbox  photo  by  J.  Hill.  Is  Sunset  Maple  the  right   caliber  mature  tree  for  this  site?  What  would  be  most  consistent  with  this  wooded   area?  More  urban  heat  island  mitigation  comes  from  the  extra  trees.       Minute  approval   M.  Culotta  motion  to  approve  April  2012  minutes;  T.  Shelley  seconded;  April  2012   minutes  unanimously  approved.   May  2012  and  June  2012  minutes  submitted;  to  be  approved  upon  further  review  by   CAC  members.       Meeting  adjourned,    9:07  p.m.   Minutes  prepared  by  C.  Randall