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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIthaca New York: A General Plan ITHACA, N .Y. :
A
GENERAL
y.f.,
PLAN
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ITHACA, NEW YORK: A GENERAL PLAN
CITY PLANNING BOARD, 108 E. GREEN STREET
1971
Sketches by H. Peter Kahn
Copyright© 1971 City Planning Board,Ithaca,New York Ow
Cover: Illustration from an etching of Ithaca done in 1882 A,
by L. R. Burleigh,reproduced by Wilcox Press.
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a
PLANNING BOARD
RICHARD M. PUTNEY, Chairman
ROBERT M. BURNS
EDWARD J. CONLEY
HENRY E. DONEY
RICHARD P. KORF
JOHN W. REPS
WILLIAM F. SCHMIDT
PAST PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS
MARGARET M. HAMILTON
ANNE T. JONES
JAMES D. PARKES
PLANNING STAFF
GREGORY KASPRZAK, Planning Director
JONATHAN C. MEICS, Assistant Planner
MARGARET W. MONROE, Junior Planner
GEORGE E. LAWRENCE, Planning Technician
HILDA P. HUTSON, Secretary
�r
ar
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Page
INTRODUCTION 1 Library Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
*■- Development Objectives . . . . . . . . . . .
1 Educational Facilities . . . . • • • • • • . . 49
I. ITHACA'S HUMAN, FISCAL AND Social Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES . . . . 3 IV. COMMUNITY FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . 59
... Ithaca's Beginning 5 Water Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Physical Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sewage Collection, Treatment,
Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 and Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
soft 13 Solid Waste Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
i1w Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natural Gas 66
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
lI. LAND USE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Cornell Heights 25 Street Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
University 26 Parks and Open Space . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Belle Sherman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 V. SPECIAL COMMUNITY
*" East Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 77
Fall Creek 29 National Arts and Recreation Center . 79
North Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Urban Renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
South Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
33 VI. CIRCULATION AND
South Central TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . .
e•s Inlet Valley-Elmira Road . . . . . . • • 34 Internal Circulation 89
IN West Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 External Traffic
Cayuga Inlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Parking • • • • 95
m The Future Other Transportation Facilities . . . . 95
to III. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . 41 Community Transit System . . . . . . 95
City Government 43 Long Distance Bus Service 98
as Police Protection 46 Railroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fire Protection 47 Air Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . .
Civil Defense Protection . . . . . . . . . . 48 CONCLUSION AND EPILOGUE . . . . . . 101
to
v
TABLES AND MAPS
ITHACA'S HUMAN, FISCAL, AND LAND USE
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
Page Table II.1: Page �
Map I.1:
Developed Land and Village Boundaries of Tabulation of Kind, Condition, and Construc-
tion Material of all Structures in the City of
Ithaca in 1806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ithaca by Neighborhood, 1969 . . . . . . . . . . 21
Map I.2: Map II.1:
Developed Land and Village Boundaries of Neighborhood Boundaries, 1970 . . . . . . . . . 22
Ithaca in 1835 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table II.2:
Table I.1: Existing Land Use by Acreage and Percent
Annual Census Enumerations and Percentage for the City of Ithaca by Neighborhoods . 23
Change Over Time for Tompkins County and
the City of Ithaca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Map II.2
Map I.3:
Existing Land Use, 1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Developed Land and City Boundaries of Table I1.3:
Ithaca in 1889 10 Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
Table I.2:
Percent in Neighborhood 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Age and Sex Characteristics of the Popula- Table IIA:
tions of the United States, New York, Tomp- Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
kins County, and Ithaca for 1960 . . . . . . . . 11 Percent in Neighborhood 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Table 1.3: Table 11.5:
Age and Sex Composition by Wards for the Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
City of Ithaca, 1960 11 Percent in Neighborhood 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Map 1.4: Table II.6:
Area Inundated by the Flood of Record, July Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
1935, and Ithaca Flood Control System, 1970 12 Percent in Neighborhood 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Table I.4: Table 11.7: .
Population Projections for the City of Ithaca, Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
1970-1990 13 Percent in Neighborhood 5 29
Map 1.5: Table 11.8: .
Seven City Wards, Used for Population Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
Distribution Analysis, 1960 14 Percent in Neighborhood 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Table I.5: Table 11.9:
Comparative Distribution by Age Group of Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
the Total Labor Force of New York State, Percent in Neighborhood 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Upstate New York, Tompkins County, and Table II.10:
Ithaca, 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
Table 1.6: Percent in Neighborhood 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 .
Labor Force Distribution by Selected Occu- Table 11.11:
pation, 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and .
Table 1.7: Percent in Neighborhood 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Comparison of the Average Work Force and Table 11.12:
Average Rate of Unemployment in Tompkins Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
County from 1962 through 1966 . . . . . . . . . 16 Percent in Neighborhood 10 34
Table 1.8: Table 11.13:
Distribution of Income by Individual Em- Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
ployees and Employers and by Family in the Percent in Neighborhood 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
City of Ithaca, 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Table II.14
Table 1.9: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage and
Weeks Worked by Employed Persons, 1960 17 Percent in Neighborhood 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
vi
Page
Page
Map II.3 Map II1.2:
Projected Land Use, 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Institutions of Higher and Continuing Edu-
w"' Table 11.15:
cation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Projected Land Use by Acreage and Percent Table 1II.12:
for the City of Ithaca by Neighborhoods, Social Services with Headquarters in the
1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 City, by Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Table II.16: Map II1.3:
Changes in Land Uses by Acreage and Per- Social Service Organization Headquarters
cent from Existing to Projected Land Uses . 39 located in the City, 1969 . . . . . . . . 56
_ Table II1.13:
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Breakdown of County, City, and United
Table III.1: Fund Expenditures on Social Services . . . . 57
Organization Chart for Ithaca City Govern-
ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
_ Table I1I.2: COMMUNITY FACILITIES
a* Cumulative Graph of Percent Change in Em- Table IV.I:
ployment by Tompkins County and City of Drawing Capacity of the Ithaca City Water
44
Ithaca 1962 to 1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reservoir in 1970 and Projected for Daily
'ter Table III.3: Increases of .08, .16, and .25 Million Gallons 61
Actual Revenues for the City of Ithaca, 1966 Table IV.2:
- through 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Water Treatment Plant Use and Capacity . . 61
Table III.4:
Map IV.1:
General Fund Budget Allocations by Dollar Water Treatment Plant Service Areas, 1970 62
and Percent for the City of Ithaca, 1964 to 47 Table IV.3:
err 1968
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' . . ' . . . . . . . . . . . . Description of the Cost of Treating Water
_ Table III.5: and Water Quantities by Absolute Numbers
Quantity and Description of Machinery and Percent Change, 1964 to 1968 . . . . . . . . 63
Owned by the Ithaca Fire Department in
1969 48 Map IV.2:
^� Sewer Treatment Plant Service Areas, 1970 64
to Table II1.6:
Number of Registered Borrowers from Tomp- Table IV.4:
kins County Library 1965-1969 . . . . . . . . . 49 Cost of Sewage Treatment Plant Operations
for the City of Ithaca, 1964 to 1968 . . . . . . . 65
Table III.7:
Public School Standards as Determined by Map IV.3:
the Ithaca Board of Education . . . . . . . . . . 50 Proposed County-Wide Refuse Disposal Sites 67
■r Table III.8: Table IV.S:
Description of Public Schools within the City Recommended Lighting for Major,Collector,
of Ithaca by Age, Number of Rooms, Site and Local Streets within Downtown, Inter
Size, and Student Enrollment, 1970 . . . . . . 51 mediate, and Outlying Areas 68
Table III.9: Map IVA:
Enrollments and School Population Projec- Street Lighting Classifications . . . . . . . . . . 69
tions by Percent Increase from 1960 to 1980. 51 Table IV.6:
Table III.10: Recreation Area Standards as Set by the 1968
Absolute Enrollment Projected for 1970 Recreation Plan, City of Ithaca . . . . . . . . . . 71
through 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Map IV.5:
,..,
Map III.1: Park and Open Space in the City as Desig-
Ithaca Public School District . . . . . . . . . . . 52 nated by the Recreation Plan . . . . . . . . . . 72
Table III.11: Table IV.7:
Distribution of Staff by Responsibility, Sex, Recommended and Existing City Parks and
and Level of Education in 1966 . . . . . . . . . . 53 Open Spaces by Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
vii
Table IV.8: Page Table V.S: Page
Description of Actual and Proposed Park Vacancy Rates for Areas of Tompkins County, ■
Land and Open Space by Neighborhood, 1967 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Function of Park, and Population in Ithaca,
1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Table IV.9:
Description of the Regional State Parks Ad- CIRCULATION
jacent to Ithaca by Distance, Size, Facilities, Table VI.1:
and Population Served in 1968 . . . . . . . . . . 75 Traffic Generators in the City of Ithaca, 1969 89
SPECIAL COMMUNITY Map VIA:
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Existing Major Streets and Traffic Genera-
tors, 1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Map V.1: Map VI.2:
Proposed Inlet Park Development . . . . . . . . 80 Projected Major Streets and Traffic Genera-
Table V.1: tors, 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Employment Concentration Ratios (County/ Table VI.2:
New York State) for the Entertainment and Frequency of Use of the Transit System by
Services Sector in the Western Upstate Coun- Percentage, 1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
ties with Major Urban Centers . . . . . . . . . . 81 Table VI.3:
Map V.2: Number and Type of Bus Users, Annual Rev-
Urban Renewal Area, 1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 enue and Annual Loss of the Transit System ■
Table V.2: from 1964-1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Proportion of Students to Total Population Map VI.3:
of Ithaca, 1950 through 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Area Transportation Systems, 1970 . . . . . . 97
Table V.3: Table VIA:
Comparison of Housing Units per Structure Freight Shipments In and Out of the Ithaca
in Tompkins County, 1950, 1960, 1968 . . . . 85 Station bv_ Carload in 1968 98 .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Table V.4: Table VI.S:
Housing Vacancy Rates for Selected Upstate Tompkins County Airport Air and Passenger .
Communities, 1967 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Traffic, 1965 to 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
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DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
Irr
INTRODUCTION
Urban land use planning refers to the continuous Ithaca's General Plan, as presented here, has been
advisory process of guiding land development accord- prepared with the function of the city in mind. A
ft ing to established policy and toward predetermined balance has been struck between such things as resi-
goals. The ultimate objective of such conscious shap- dential, commercial, and industrial development, be-
,,,., ing of the physical environment is the welfare of those tween time required for long range projects and
60 who live and will live in the community. The Ithaca capital funds available. In fact, the unique contri-
General Plan also provides a basis on which public bution of this General Plan to the city's development
OPM and private agencies can relate and coordinate their policy is that each component of the city's structure
im development to design principles and objectives as is analyzed and planned in the context of all the com-
expressed in the plan. In short then, the city's General ponents.
PM Plan becomes an official public document which is The major parts of the Ithaca General Plan—Land
ow used by local governmental boards and officials as a Use, Community Facilities, Community Activities,
guide to decisions about the physical development of Special Community Projects, and Circulation—are
the community. The plan, as adopted by the Common based on careful study and statistical analysis. Some
to Council, becomes an official document of the city. parts of the plan, however, are the product of judg-
Alone, however, the document has no force-in-law. ments. The field of human values cannot be measured
,.., The "teeth" of the plan develop if, and when, parallel statistically, but many of these judgments are signifi-
to zoning and other city ordinances are adopted. cant components of the essential decisions to be made.
There are three essential elements of a general These value judgments are stated as explicitly as
plan. The plan must be comprehensive, general, and possible in the plan; however, explicitness is not
wr long range. To be comprehensive the plan must in- always possible.
clude all geographic parts of the city and all functional A clear understanding of the community's potential
,�.. elements of the city which have a bearing on the calls for a careful analysis of the conditions under
w physical development of the community. To be general which the plan must operate. This history of a com-
the plan must summarize policies and proposals and munity provides much insight into its present condi-
.. not offer the detailed solutions to problems. To be tion. In order, therefore, to provide a better under-
+iw long range implies that the plan look beyond the standing of the base on which we will build for the
pressing current issues to the future perspective of future, the chapters that follow deal first with the
#Am 20 years hence. Long range planning must not only historical developments which brought the city to its
1W correct present faults but create the benefits of the present condition, the nature of the city's present
future. Each of these aspects of the General Plan is a human, physical, and economic resources, and projec-
M part of the whole, a basis for a better community. tions as to the future changes in the city which can
im While the ideal of this plan is complete fulfillment be anticipated.
and while some of the proposals made here are inter-
om dependent with others, any part of the General Plan DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
carried to completion will mean an advance for Ithaca. The development objectives of the Ithaca General
The General Plan is a working proposal, not a fan- Plan provide the guidelines for building a community
.. tasy. To be effective the implementation of its goals which will be a place of, and for, men. A community
must be flexible. Periodic review of the plan's pro- in which each resident has an opportunity to exercise
posals is fundamental to achieving a General Plan his full potential in seeking worthwhile economic,
IM which is flexible and responsive to the growing and educational, cultural, and physical goals.
to changing nature of the city.
Ithaca serves a unique function as a major center Development Objectives
kb of higher education. In accordance with this function 1. A city which builds for the different interests of
Ithaca is a small city with a well developed service its citizens.
sector; a small, but diversified, industrial base; and a Achieving a better understanding of our citi-
great, but undeveloped, potential as a regional recrea- zenry and their various urban area needs is prob-
tional-cultural center. All of the objectives of the ably our most difficult challenge. Some of these
General Plan work toward maintaining and improving needs are common to all citizens, others vary
+w these functions of the city. No data is available which according to the citizens' differences in education,
indicates that Ithaca is going to change its size or sex, age, etc. A good city is one which considers
function radically in the next three or four decades. and builds for these differences.
1
2. A city which understands and does not abuse its 6. A city which is responsive to its growing regional
nonreplaceable physical resources. role as a cultural-recreational center and its local
Another challenge is our land-3,900 acres. This role as a commercial-service center.
is the basic physical resource we have to work Although our community's population is not
with. It comes in a fixed amount. If we waste or anticipated to increase by more than 9 percent by
pollute our land and environment, it cannot be re- 1980, the surrounding county is anticipated to .
placed. We must, therefore, try to understand and have a 36 percent population increase. Despite
make wise use of the soil, gorges, water, air, and the lower growth rate in the city, the rapid expan-
plants which are a part of the community's non- sion in the county and increasing emphasis on the .
replaceable physical resources. city's role as a cultural-recreational center for
3. A city which has a workable pattern for relating upstate New York will increase the city's role in
the industrial, commercial, and residential activ- the future as a commercial-service center. .
ities of men. Such growth will inevitably mean physical
Buildings serve the purpose of housing nearly changes in the city. It should be an objective of
all of man's productive activities. We must search the city and of each neighborhood to begin work-
for ways of securing buildings which are estheti- ing together now to understand the common
cally pleasing, efficient, and functional. We must problems which will result from an increasing
find workable patterns for relating buildings to commercial-service specialization in the city's func- .
one another, whether they house similar or dis- tion.
similar activities of man. In some situations a sen- 7. A city which employs the renewal of resources,
sitive physical and social design plan can group buildings, land, and circulation as a means to
dissimilar activities; more often, however, the re- correct and bring new vigor to the community.
sult is offensive and unsightly and the stronger It should be a community objective to recog-
commercial and industrial activities move bit by nize the value of the aspects of the city—buildings,
bit, destroying the residential and other econom- circulation, activities, facilities, and land uses-
ically weaker activities. A good city must be able which are in good condition and do whatever is
to properly accommodate all the building activ- possible to enhance, continue, and maintain their
ities of men. use. Renewal of human resources, buildings, land,
4. A city which moves its goods and people efficiently and circulation, however, must also become a
and safely. development objective if we are to correct and
Circulation into and through the city is essen- bring new vigor to our community.
tial to its life. Movement between buildings and
8• A city which recognizes that its future develop-
areas is necessary because man cannot perform
all of these necessary activities in a single build- ment will be based on the city's recreation poten-
ing. Therefore, we must improve the quality of tial, the city's role as a retail-service center, and
the city's attractive powers for service type indus-
and safety of our circulation system. tries; and a city which plans for these future
5. A city which encourages the diversity of its indus-
trial base and makes every effort to employ its developments.
labor force according to its skill and capacity. Recognizing the city's regional role and its
Our economy is based on the combination of natural assets as an educational, cultural, and
our land use, buildings, circulation system, and recreational center, we should encourage and pro-
our personal abilities and talents. We must work
vide leadership in the development of facilities
toward using these talents and resources in the which will appeal to visitors and residents alike.
most efficient manner, giving our citizens the For the new people who will settle in Ithaca,
maximum opportunity to become productive mem- for the new land which will be developed in the
bers of our society. city, for the new buildings which will be built,
We should work toward maintaining all sectors and for the new circulation patterns required, it
of our economy and strive to increase diversity in should be a development objective to provide
our economic base by encouraging new light ser- well-studied plans and programs to properly guide
vice and recreational industries to supplement our their growth.
existing service and educational industries. We The active pursuit of the development objectives t
must provide for those members of our labor force listed in this section will improve Ithaca's chances of
who will need special job training or retraining continuing to build a pleasing rather than an ugly
to develop the skills needed by our expanding community. Following these objectives will assist the
economy. community in achieving a good place of, and for, man.
2
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oil 1i
kw ITHACA'S BEGINNING Simeon DeWitt's 1831 map for the village extended
In 1781, 1,800,000 acres in upstate New York were the north-south gridiron pattern to the area bounded
set aside by law to be used as payment to Revolu- by Brindley, Cascadilla, Factory, and Clinton Streets.
no tionary War soldiers. Ithaca was a part of this acreage. This area is the basis of the present city street system.
Simeon DeWitt, then Surveyor General of New York In addition, some of the land uses set aside in De-
State, purchased several of these soldier's lands at the Witt's 1831 plan have become intrinsic parts of
to head of Cayuga Lake in 1797. With the additional Ithaca—Washington Square, the Public Ground (De-
purchase of a portion of the Bloodgood Tract, DeWitt Witt Park), several churches, and the Clinton House.
no" owned most of the delta area at the lake head. Generally this 1831 map, the last of DeWitt's maps,
10 In 1806, Simeon DeWitt prepared to develop his maintained and extended the basic pattern of the
holdings by laying a series of streets in a north-south 1806 map.
-- gridiron pattern on the dry, flat land between Casca- After DeWitt's death, a final street map was drawn
1W dilla and Six-Mile Creeks. Surrounded by marsh and to settle his estate. On this map the gridiron was
swamps, this area was the most easily developable of extended up East Hill and the area west of Auburn
.., DeWitt's holdings. Moreover, the land laid out had Street was laid out at a diagonal to the village's orig-
good access to the potential water power of the adja- inal plat. This 1835 map became,by vote of the village
cent creeks so essential for industrial development. trustees, the basis of the 1836 Village Map.
*�- The Bath-Jericho Turnpike, completed through Ithaca The Panic of 1837 slowed the rapid growth of
in 1804, provided a major overland access to the de- Ithaca. There was little change in the street plan from
veloped plat. 1837 to 1888. This period was more one of filling in
�-- At the time of Ithaca's founding the turnpikes were the earlier street plans for the village.
the most influential factor in determining the orienta- The era from 1837 to 1888, however, included
tion of the community. Not until the opening of the several events which were to have significant impact
—� Erie Canal in 1837 did Cayuga Lake begin to play a on Ithaca's future growth. First, the construction of
really important role in the commercial life of the four railroads linking Ithaca to other rail terminals
community. Therefore, despite the presence of the were completed by 1874. However, the cost of con-
lake to the north, the early growth of the community struction on the steep terrain and the poor quality of
moved west along the turnpikes. By 1824 seven major the early equipment made extensive rail access to
turnpikes served Ithaca. All of these turnpikes came Ithaca prohibitively expensive. Therefore, the main
down East Hill and left Ithaca up the Inlet Valley. lines of the developing rail carriers by-passed the
+ In 1817, Ithaca was declared the county seat of
village.
Tompkins County. By 1818 the village had acquired a In the 1860's the New York State Legislature
�^ court house, 17 stores, seven groceries, eight offices, established the new State University in Ithaca. Even
i� 28 mechanic's shops and a population of 611. as a fledgling operation the University made a signifi-
In April 1821, the New York State Legislature cant contribution to the village; and today the Uni-
recognized Ithaca as an incorporated village. Thus
began a new era in Ithaca's development. The first 15 versity is a mainstay of the Ithaca economy.
years after village incorporation were particularly im- In 1888 Ithaca became an incorporated city. As
® portant because it was during this period that the indicated on the 1889 map, by the time Ithaca became
street plan was laid out for the next 50 years. In this a city most of the "Flats"was developed and the plans
decade and a half the village population more than of 1806, 1831, and 1835 were fixed permanently in
. quadrupled from 859 to 3,923, sidewalks were built mortar and brick.
and the village boundaries were extended (1826). Ithaca's second century has been far from colorless.
Much of the growth of the village was simply periph- In the 1890's development began apace on the hills
eral expansion around the established core of the surrounding the Flats, first on East Hill adjacent to
settlement. For example, the village trustees erected Cornell University, then on South Hill, and later on
a Public Post for all official notices on the corner of West Hill. In 1914 Renwick Park (Stewart Park) was
Owego (State) and Tioga Streets in 1821. The place- leased to a movie director. For six years Ithaca was
ment of this post indicated that the focal point of the the movie capital of the world. In the 1920's the
village in 1821 was in essentially the same location that automobile increased Ithaca's accessibility and estab-
. it was in 1806. However, as Owego (State) Street lished the city as the central place for employment
became a main thoroughfare to the rapidly developing and retail services in the county. By 1923 the citizens
area at the inlet, linear development began along of Ithaca had realized the need for planning and ap-
State Street. This westward expansion is clearly visible pointed a citizen's committee "to consider and formu-
on the 1829 map of the village. late plans for a comprehensive program of permanent
5
C I T Y 0 F
ITHACA , ..-
N E W Y 0 R K ■
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUNE, 1970
C A Y U G A L A K E
Z
)p
Ll
L
®off _ a'�L-J L-/,/,
;ID e o ETI
EDC
TT
3, JT CLi �Li
ILD
LEGEND ■
EXTENT of AREA PLANNED,
by SIMEON DeWITT
fr` PHYSICA DEVEL PMENT
I Dpi
MAP
REV E LO P E DAN D and BOUNDARIES, 1806
rrr
improvements"' for the city. A consultant was hired PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
to formulate a city zoning ordinance which was The City of Ithaca is located at the north end of
adopted in 1925; and in February 1926 an official City
ri the north-south valley which marks the drainage area
Planning Commission was appointed under state law. of Cayuga Lake. This drainage basin is bounded by
hills rising to an elevation of 1,910 feet above mean
The Future sea level. The valley was eroded by ice during the
As we look at Ithaca's development from its glacial period to a depth of approximately 45 feet
founding to the most recent extension of its city limits, below mean sea level. Glacial drift mantled the
we see that there were several important influences on bedrock at the north end of the valley forming a dam
the city's physical development. First, there was the south of which Cayuga Lake was formed. The drain-
Glacial Age which not only created the beautiful, age basin encompasses 780 square miles.
r steep terrain enclosing the city, but also was respon- As the glacier melted, retreating northward, the
sible for the poorly drained soil and swampy areas on high level lakes in the Cayuga Inlet and Six-Mile
... the "Flats." Second, there was Simeon DeWitt whose Creek valleys dropped lower and lower until they
im plans of 1806 and 1831, amended in 1835, determined drained into the present lake basin. As these high
the street pattern and even some of the existing land level lakes drained, they left great quantities of sand
uses in the city. There was the city's early accessibility and gravel in the form of hanging deltas. These hang-
by overland turnpikes which encouraged linear ing deltas, later supplemented by alluvial stream
development from east to west, away from the lake deposits, created the plain at the head of Cayuga Lake
front, an influence still visible in the city today. The on which Ithaca was built. The result of this glacial
fourth factor which influenced the city's physical fill is that much of the city has poor soil drainage.
development was the location of Cornell University Only Neighborhood 5, Fall Creek; Neighborhood 7,
on East Hill. The University drew development up Central; Neighborhood 1, Cornell Heights; and part
aw East Hill. of Neighborhood 6, North Central; have good drain-
age."
It is important to note that the present land use Soil drainage is one of the major determinants
pattern in the city still has many features of much affecting land use and the character of the outermost
earlier uses; for example, the Public Ground (DeWitt
Park) flanked by the Presbyterian Church and Court portions of the City of Ithaca. Most of the hillsides 4M House. By and large, the commercial center of Ithaca and surrounding uplands have soils with generally poor internal drainage and this has caused improper
today is at the same intersection of State and Tioga functioning of many septic tank installations. Where
Streets that it was on the 1806 map. Ithaca has re-
mained ostensibly the same because the changes in septic tanks are used, residential lots must be much the city have been primarily peripheral additions to larger than would be necessary if public sewers were available. Even with large lots, sewage problems are
the old development rather than replacements of land likely to occur on South Hill, East Hill and, to a lesser
pow uses. The uses which have disappeared, generally, are extent, o West Hill.
those which were related to an old way of life such Lake Cayuga is the second largest of the Finger
as the Public Post, public markets, or small water- Lakes. The lake is drained by the Seneca River which
powered industries. These older uses have been re- flows northeastward to the Oneida River and Lake
placed by new technology or other services.
Ontario. Cayuga Lake has a surface area of 66.9
Pon The future growth and development of the City of square miles and is 431 feet deep at its deepest point
Ithaca will be strongly influenced by the framework northwest of Heddens Point. The lake is 37 miles long
defined by the Glacial Age, the plat designed by and varies in width from one to three miles. The New
Simeon DeWitt, the turnpikes, and the attraction York State Department of Public Works, Division of
P owers of the Universit y. These immoveable
para- Canals and Waterways, regulates the lake from a low
meters, fixed in soils, mortar, and brick, are factors elevation of 378.5 to a high elevation 382.5 feet when
which will influence planning. The land area of the climatological conditions permit. Flood stage of
im e�• city is presently almost fully developed. Further Cayuga Lake is at 388.5 feet. At flood stage not only
development,then, will result in shifting land uses and are lakes and cottages endangered, but cellars in the
increases in the density of existing land uses. Now city flood and the city sewage treatment plant is
more than at any time in the past 100 years, Ithaca threatened. In the time of flood, the main problem
needs to plan for the future. areas on the shore line are Levanna, Willets, Myers,
l�
'Kermit C. Parsons, A Study of the Ithaca Urban Area, Cornell ° Good drainage means deep soils underlain by slowly perme-
University Thesis, Ithaca, New York, 1953, p. 6. able subsoil and substratum with a deep water table.
'"" 7
ITHACA
CITY PLANNING BOARO JUNE, 1970
It
VILLAGE BOUNDARIES
'P
MAP 1.2 c
DEVELOPED LAND and BOUNDAMES9 1835
`
ire Ithaca, and Sheldrake. The new Army Corps of human resources. The recorded population of Ithaca
Engineers' Flood Control Channel in Cayuga Inlet was 858 in 1820. It was fifty years before an official
completed late in 1969 has helped to alleviate the United States Census enumeration was taken of the
1110 flooding problems within the City of Ithaca. The village. In 1870 Ithaca's population bad increased to
flood control channel is designed to alleviate flood 8,462. By 1960, less than a hundred years after the
P�++ conditions equal to the flood of record, July 8, 1935. first United States Census, the city's population had
�Ilr Map I.4 shows the portion of the city inundated by increased to 28,799 or by 240 percent.
the 1935 flood. Until the 1940's the census figures for the City of
�... Despite the steep slopes and access problems in Ithaca show a steady increase in population. During
No the area, South and East Hills have become densely this period the rate of increase in the city's popula-
developed. Only West Hill, with slopes of 10 to 15 tion was never less than seven percent, and in two
P_ percent, has appreciable vacant land remaining to be decades (1880 and 1920) the rate of increase in the
IN developed. About 20 percent of the City of Ithaca city was greater than 20 percent.
(and its environs) slopes by at least 15 percent. From 1870 to 1930 the population in Tompkins
�* The variations in topography, compounded by the County increased by no more than 18 percent and
lake, affect the climatic conditions in and around the actually decreased in two decades, 1880 and 1908
city. Since the dominant topographic direction in the Since 1930, however, the county's population has
^— area is north-south it appears that the sheltered slopes increased steadily and the city's population has de-
No of West Hill and the slopes on the east side of South creased except for 1950 when students were enumer-
Hill have the advantage of somewhat milder weather. ated for the first time at their place of school. The
�- Ithaca has a humid continental type climate: the corrected figure for 1950,° however, indicates that the
summers are warm and the winters long and cold. city population actually declined by one and a half
There are frequent storms in the winter and the percent in 1950.
+-• maximum precipitation occurs in the late spring and This shift in population gain from the city to the
summer. Not far from the path of major weather county began with a four and seven-tenths percent
systems moving across the nation, the area's weather loss to the city and a four and four-tenths percent
r-- is subject to variety. Temperatures of 90°F, or higher gain in the county in 1940. The symmetry of the per-
occur from two days in cool summers to 20 days in centage loss and the percentage gain indicated that
exceptionally warm summers. The humidity averages the city was losing population to the county. This
*- between 45 and 55 percent in the summer. In the past trend of city loss and county gain has continued.
60 30 years, only four days have registered temperatures
Per-
of 100°F. or more. In the winter temperatures of 0°F. TABLE I.1: Annual Census Enumerations and Per
centage Change Over Time for Tompkins
PM or colder are recorded on only six to 10 days from County and the City of Ithaca
early December through March. In a very cold winter
there may be as many as 15 sub-zero days. The coldest Tompkins %Change City of %Change
temperatures during most winters is near—10°F. Year County Over Time Ithaca Over Time
Annual precipitation in the Ithaca area in the past 1960** 66,164 12 28,799 -2
30 years has ranged from 26 to 46 inches. The highest 1950** 59,122 36 29,257 48
. annual rainfall in the past 30 years was 46.6 inches in 1940 43,340 4 19,730 -5
1958; the lowest annual rainfall was 26.7 inches in 1930 41,490 18 20,708 24
1941. The average rainfall over the past 30 years has 1920 35,285 5 17,004 15
. been 35.4 inches a year. Normally the growing season 1910 33,647 -1 14,802 13
precipitation is adequate for crops, lawns and shrubs. 1900 33,830 3 13,136 19
However, one or more periods of deficient rainfall are 1890 32,923 -4 11,079 22
icommon in most summers. 1880 34,445 4 9,105 7
In the past 30 years the snowfalls have ranged 1870 33,178 6 8,462
from a low of 35.7 inches to a high of 115.1 inches. 1860 31,409 -2
. The average annual snowfall over the same time 1850 38,746 2
period has been 61.9 inches. The snowfalls in the 1840 37,948 4
Ithaca area, however, are drawn out from mid-Novem- 1830 36,545 77
. her to mid-April. A monthly total in excess of 20 1820 1 20,681 1 —
inches occurs only five years out of ten. SOURCE: U.S. Population Census
°The corrected figure is the total population minus the student
OUR POPULATION
. population in the same year.
An important aspect of Ithaca's growth is its "Figures include student population.
fry 9
C I T Y 0 F
ITHACA
N E W Y 0 R K
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUNE, 1970
C A Y U G A L A K E
U LLJ
L E G E N D
CITY BOUNDARIES
�PHYSICA DEVE PMENT
MAP
EVELOPED AND and BOUNDARIES, 1889
A/
+irr
Age and Sex Composition of the Population the city with additional, smaller concentrations in
The age and sex composition of the City of Ithaca areas 6 and 2. Cornell University is largely contained
is strongly influenced by the annual influx of college in area 5. This area also covers the East Hill area
age students. A comparison of the
g p population pyra- encompassing Collegetown and many of the Ithaca
own mids for the United States, New York State, Tompkins College living facilities. During the 1960's, Ithaca
County, and the City of Ithaca indicate the extent of College moved to South Hill beyond the city limits.
the effect the college age population has on the com- This move will have a significant impact on the stu-
position of the community's population. Both the dent composition of areas 5, 6, and 7 in the future.
United States and New York State pyramids show, by Area 5, which contains many apartments, is partic-
their deviation from the triangular shape, the effects ularly attractive to the older undergraduate and grad-
of the decline in birth rate during the depression and uate students and will continue, no doubt, as. a locus
�.. World War II (age cohorts from 15 to 30 years). The For non-permanent residents in spite of Ithaca Col-
Ithaca and Tompkins County pyramids, on the other lege's move. Area 6 on South Hill had already become
hand, show an exaggerated increase in population in a residential location for a number of students, most
these same age cohorts. Since (other than the bulge at of them attending Ithaca College. With the move of
the 15-30 age cohorts) both Ithaca's and Tompkins Ithaca College to South Hill there may be an increase
County's population distribution are fairly normal, in the number of non-permanent residents in this area.
one can assume the disproportionate increase shown Area 2 contains the west end of the downtown section.
is the result of the influx of college age students. There are a number of student living quarters there,
The extent of this student influx is considerable. particularly apartments and a few Ithaca College
In 1960, in the age ranges of 15-19 and 20-24 years, facilities. A number of graduate students from Cornell
both the county (18 percent) and the city (9 percent) can be found in this area.
exceeded the growth of the entire upstate region (6 Areas 2, 3, 4, and 6 indicated the highest propor-
�ir percent). The transience of these in-migrants is con- tion of elderly residents. Area 5, the area encom-
firmed, however, by the fact that both the city (-27 passing the University,has the fewest elderly residents.
_ percent) and the county (-14 percent) lost more
individuals from 1950 to 1960 in the completed college TABLE 1.3: Age and Sex Composition by Wards for Ithaca,
age categories, 25-29 and 30-34, than did the upstate 1960
New York area (-8 percent). The loss of this young, Ward 1 85+ Ward 2
well-educated population has a significant negative 80=74 75-79
impact on the city's labor force. 60-64 65-69
50-54 55-59
Distribution of Population' 40-44 45-49 20-24 25-29
30-34 35-39
—
The population pyramids indicate that most of the _10_14 15-19
student residents are concentrated in areas 5 and 7 of 0-5 5-9 —
M F
°The city has been divided into seven wards for this popula-
M F
tion distribution analysis. Ward 3 Ward 4
ro TABLE 1.2: Age and Sex Characteristics of the Populations of
the United States, New York, Tompkins County,
and Ithaca for 1960
United States 80-84 85+75-79 AMF ew York
70-74 65-69 State
—50-54 55-59 Ward 5 Wa rd 6
40-44 45-49 30-34 35-39
20-24 25-29 10-14 15-19
0-5 5-9
Tompkins City of Ithaca
County
Ward 7
SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1960. SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1960.
11
jix-rAl
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUNE, 70
ary
FA
WWWA .05
Generally speaking, the student population in increased pressure for housing created by the antici-
Ithaca is rather tightly bunched around the educa- pated increase of non-permanent residents may also
aw tional facilities with a certain amount of infiltration mean that the age segregation now existing in various
into other areas. Meanwhile, the elderly population parts of the city may break down.
seems to be concentrated in those areas least used for
student dwelling. In thus demonstrating resident areas
OUR ECONOMY
by age, the pyramids disclose a degree of segregation In 1960, 39 percent of Ithaca's total population
of the non-permanent and permanent populations in p p P
Ithaca. was employed in the labor force. Of these employed,
60 percent were men and 40 percent were women.
Future Population Forty-three percent of the women employed in Ithaca
two Population projections for the city anticipated a Were married with their husbands present. While
moderate upward trend in population in the next 30 this is a large proportion of the women in the labor
_ years. The population estimates for the city have been force, it is less than the percentage of married women
r presented as a range. The low figure of the range With husbands present in the labor forces of New
represents a projection from the natural increase and York State, the upstate area, or Tompkins County.
migration rates of the decade from 1950 to 1960. The The most striking characteristic of Ithaca's labor
high figure uses the base rates, established from 1950 force is its youth. A comparison of the median ages of
to 1960,and makes adjustments for changes anticipated New York State, the upstate area, and Tompkins
_ in the city in the next 30 years. The data on Table I.4 County's labor force to the median age of Ithaca's
iy indicates that the city can anticipate a constant rate labor force exemplifies this youth. The median age
of population increase for the first time in three figures for Ithaca's labor force is four years younger
decades. However, a closer examination of the data than that of Tompkins County and nine years younger
im reveals that in addition to an overall increase in the than the median age of the upstate area and the state
city's population, there will be a shift in composition as a whole.
of the population. While 60 percent of the residents of In Ithaca's case median years of school completed
1111110 the city were permanent in 1950, by 1990 only 41 figures show that the population of Ithaca is better
percent of the city's population will be permanent. educated than the population of New York State, the
Since the majority of the non-permanent residents upstate area, or Tompkins County. Thus, if education
bw are university and college students, the increase of this and youth are functions of trainability, then certainly
segment of the population will have a significant im- Ithaca's labor force is more adept and well suited to
pact on the composition of the city's population. The highly specialized industries.
TABLE 1.4: Population Projections for the City of Ithaca, 1970.1990
CITY OF ITHACA ITHACA ITHACA
Low Estimate High Estimate
■rr 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1970 1980 1990
Cornell U. Students
and Their Dependents
in the City 10,120 11,200 12,700 15,600 20,200 13,200 16,700 23,000
r Ithaca C. Students
and Their Dependents
in the City 1,407 1,425 500 600 700 500 650 1,000
Cascadilla School
Students
.., in the City 75 125 100 100 100 100 150 200
1W Total Non-
permanent Population 11,602 12,750 13,300 16,300 21,000 13,800 17,500 24,200
Total
Permanent Population 17,655 16,049 15,600 14,000 12,500 16,300 16,500 16,800
Total
Population 29,257 28,799 1 28,900 30,300 33,500 30,100 34,000 41,000
March 1970, Ithaca City Planning Office, City of Ithaca.
NOTE: Population forecasts are rounded off to the nearest 100.
. 13
C
C I T Y • F
Ail
N E W Y 0 R K
IkkF�
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUN
fah `\ - � .-,
MIN,
di NO i a
rrr TABLE 1.5: Comparative Distribution by Age Group of the Total Labor Force of New
York State, Upstate New York, Tompkins County, and Ithaca, 1960
50
New York State
45 — . Upstate New York
Tompkins County
40 Ithaca
U
�° 35
^- o l
30 % \\
m
•°. 0 25
r o i �\
� 20
a`) 15
EL
10
5
err
14-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65 OVER
low
Age Groups
MM"
`ir A close look at the percentage distribution of age high level of education and trainability. The fact is
groups within the labor force, however, indicates that that, while transient, the number of such persons will
Ithaca's labor force is not normally distributed. Rather, increase with time as the number of students at the
Ithaca's labor force has a bi-modal distribution: the University and College increase. Not only is there
percentage of the labor force employed in the age constant replacement of students in the labor force,
range from 14 to 24 is virtually the same as the per- but as the University and College grow, there will be
centage employed in the 45 to 64 age range. The an increasing number of students and their wives
nature of this distribution is clearly seen in Table I.5. seeking jobs in the city.
The contrast between Ithaca and the New York State
and upstate area is clearly seen b the fact that the
p y y Occupation
solid line representing Ithaca moves far above the Of the people employed in Ithaca, the largest
so others in the 18-24 category and is just slightly below number (33 percent) are employed in the field of
the others in the 45-64 category.
education. The next largest group is employed in
The high rate of loss of population in the 25-34 other professional and related services (eight per-
to age categories indicates that comparatively few of cent).
the university and college students trained in Ithaca
stay on. Moreover, student wives who are working A comparison of the distribution of Ithaca's labor
tend to move out of the labor force and start families force by occupation to that of New York State and
as soon as the student completes his education. As a the upstate area reveals that a disproportionate number
result, many of the large number of workers in the of Ithaca's labor force is employed in education. This
1W 18-24 age category tend to be transient workers who concentration shows clearly the dependence oft the
move to Ithaca and are employed for a short period, city on the education industry. In all other areas of
several years at most, and move on or out of the labor occupational distribution except entertainment and
force. This transient nature of the young people in the recreation, and communications and utilities, Ithaca
labor force should be balanced against their generally is below the New York State and upstate percentages.
15
wr
TABLE 1.6: Labor Force Distribution by Selected There were approximately 1,150 new jobs in the
Occupation, 1960 manufacturing sector and 3,200 in the non-manu-
AREA STATE UPSTATE TOMPKINS ITHACA facturing sector, primarily in education and related .
NUMBER EMPLOYED 6,599,462 2,226,822 25,458 11,368 services. This growth in available jobs is expected to
o W Total 13 13 34 41 continue at the present rate of about 500 annually to
C a Hospitals 3 3 2 1 a 1971 total of 30,500 persons employed in the county.
ti ��WW
y Educational 5 6 27 33 Unemployment figures for the City of Ithaca are
ENTERTAINMENT& RECREATION 1 1 1 1 not available. However, these figures are available
W for Tompkins County of which Ithaca is a major em-
CD INSURANCE, ployment component. An examination of Tompkins
d REAL ESTATE 6 3 2 3
County unemployment figures indicate that the rate
C) c c Total 8 6 4 4 of unemployment has decreased significantly in the
it L-2 R.R., R.R.Express 1 2 0 0
past five years while the size of the labor force has •
Z Other increased slightly.
iC3 Transportation 4 2 1 1 .
Communication, TABLE 1.7: Comparison of the Average Work Force
Utility 3 3 3 3 and Average Rate of Unemployment in
°z PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 5 5 3 3 Tompkins County from 1962 through .
1966
INDUSTRY NOT REPORTED 5 1 4 1 6 1 7
Average Work Average Rate of
SOURCE: N.Y. State Dept. of Commerce, Fact Book, Year Force(1,000) Unemployment
Elmira, 1965.
Since Ithaca serves as an entertainment center for a 1962 28.9 4.1 1963 28.7 3.6
large number of college students during the school .
year, and as a tourist resort during the summer season, 1964 29.3 3.4
it is not surprising that a slightly higher percentage of 1965 29.4 3.1
its population should be employed in entertainment 1966 29.3 2.7 .
and recreation occupations. The high percentage of SOURCE: New York State Department of
the labor force employed in the communications- Employ-
ment, Tompkins County State Employment
utility sector is explained, in part, by the fact that Office. .
the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation has
its district headquarters in the Ithaca area. An important factor about the unemployment data
A look at the change in Ithaca's labor force from for Tompkins County is the steady decline in the aver- .
1950 to 1960 indicates that there were some significant age rate of unemployment. The figures indicate that
shifts in the occupations of Ithaca's labor force over the increase in the average size of the work force
the decade. There were considerable losses in three has not been as stable as the decrease in the unemploy- .
categories: craftsmen, foremen, and kindred workers; ment rate. It is important to note here that the in-
operatives and kindred workers; and laborers, except crease in the total labor force in the county was not
farm and mine. The major gains in employment in sufficient to account for the decrease in the average .
the 1950 to 1960 decade were in the professional- rate of unemployment.* Therefore, the decrease in
technical, clerical, and service workers categories. This unemployment can only be accounted for by an in-
shift underscores the extent of the loss of semi-skilled crease in job opportunities for those seasonally unem-
and skilled members of the Ithaca labor force and ployed or by a reduction in the number of seasonally
emphasizes the fact that Ithaca's economy is tending employed individuals.
to become more specialized in the service-education
sectors to the detriment of the manufacturing labor Income Distribution
sector. If Ithaca is to retain a mixed industrial-service Income figures for the City of Ithaca in 1960 show
economy, steps must be taken to attract and hold the Al
that more than half of the individuals working made
industrial labor force. less than $3,000. However, only 16 percent of the
Employment and Unemployment families in the city made less than$3,000.
From 1960 to 1969 the county* experienced a O The average number unemployed in Tompkins County in 1962
yearly increase of 500 jobs to a job total of 29,500. was 1,100. By 1966 this figure had decreased to 800. In the same
1962 to 1966 time period the labor force increased by 400. The
° Employment and unemployment rates for the city alone are reduction of unemployed by 600 despite the increase in the labor .
not available. However, the city and the immediately adjacent force of 400 indicates that more jobs (some 900) were made avail-
industries represent the major employers for the county. able in the area during the period.
16
i
TABLE 1.8: Distribution of Income by Individual Em- many commuters as leave. Cornell University in the
ployees and Employers and by Family in City of Ithaca is the dominant employer in the county.
.•� the City of Ithaca, 1960 The University and Ithaca's service sector provide 47
percent of the employment of the county. Other major
Individual Employee, Family employers are Morse Chain, Therm, Inc.,and National
#"a Income Employer by Percent by Percent Cash Register at Ithaca, and Smith-Corona at Groton.
�► Under $3,000 66.0 15.5 Therefore, of the five major employers in Tompkins
$3,000-$4,999 17.0 20.7 County, four of them are in, or immediately adjacent
$5,000-$6,999 9.3 24.3 to, the City of Ithaca. The only large group of out-
aw $7,000-$9,999 4.3 21.3 commuters (400) go to Cortland County. The out-
Over $10,000 1 3.4 1 18.2 commuters to Cortland, however, are 57 percent of the
SOURCE: 1960 U.S. Population Census, New York commuters from Cortland County into Tompkins
State. County.
Another way to evaluate this data is to compare
^' The median income figure for unrelated indi- the out-commuters to the in-commuters. Such a com-
ow viduals in Tompkins County in 1960 was $903 while parison reveals that in each case Tompkins County
the median income for families was $6,233. The drew more commuters than it sent. Thus, Tompkins
median income for families and unrelated individuals County (with Ithaca, its major employment area) is
was $3,380. The fact that the two groups (family and an independent center for commuters. This indepen-
unrelated individuals) combined have considerably dence is particularly significant considering Tompkins
lower median income than families alone indicates County's proximity to Elmira and the Triple Cities,
r the effect of the single individuals earning small Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott. Had Tomp-
amounts of money on income figures. A key com- kins County been a secondary employment center, it
0rponent of income, however, is the number of weeks would have drawn workers from the north but sent
worked. Tompkins County has considerably more as many or more to the south.
TABLE 1.9: Weeks Worked by Employed Persons, Economic Base
1959
Cornell University is the key economic influence
,..� in Tompkins County. Not only is the University the
Tompkins County New York Urban Area
Weeks Worked Percent Percent major employer, employing 7,485 full-time employees,
but it also has the largest annual payroll, $59.5 mil-
50-52 34.7 62.1 lion.° Because of the number employed by the Uni-
r 48-49 4.5 5.8 versity, many of the smaller businesses must compete
40-47 8.7 9.3 with the wages paid by the University. The largest
14-39 9.4 7.8 income group at the University is in the $4,000 range.
14 26 13.7 7.1 The median income at the University is $5,510 while
13 or less 29.0 7.8 the average income is $7,948 a year. These income
SOURCE: U.S. Population Census, 1960. and employment figures for the University do not
60 include part-time employees of the school.
people who work 13 weeks or less, partly because In an effort to determine the suitability of the
of the number of students who take part-time jobs. Ithaca economic area for industry, the City Planning
All of these part-time workers are counted in the Staff interviewed the top management of selected local
individuals receiving income, increasing the number companies. All those interviewed tended to be opti-
of employed people receiving $3,000 a year or less, mistic about the future in Ithaca in relation to their
and causing a distortion in the median income figures business. The bankers felt that the national economic
for unrelated individuals and families. climate affected the level of local prosperity more
than the efforts of local businessmen. Of all the local
Commutation industries, Ithaca Gun is expanding the most rapidly.
All the management people interviewed indicated that
ra Commutation is important in terms of the labor their industries have recently expanded or intend to
force. The in- and out-movement of workers defines expand. The businessmen considered the most serious
the drawing area or market area for labor available obstacles to future growth to be: (1) the labor short-
oft to industries in the city and county. age in Ithaca; (2) high tax rates; and (3) the problem
Data on commutation for Tompkins County reveals
that the county attracts three and a half times as These figures include both the state and endowed Schools.
*^ 17
ism
11111W
of accessibility. All those interviewed did not feel that Summary •
accessibility was a major problem, but all indicated Ithaca's history reflects the shift from industry to
that Ithaca's inaccessibility did present some difficulty education as the major employer in the city. Certainly .
to their businesses. this shift in emphasis is reflected in the increase in
The businessmen interviewed felt that the housing employment in the professional and related services
shortage in Ithaca was responsible for the tight labor sector of the economy. .
market. Up to 50 percent of all employees are now Concomitant with the increase in the professional
commuting into the city. Additional low and middle and services sector is the notable concentration of
income housing within the city limits would probably Ithaca's labor force into the 18-24 and 45-64 age e
alleviate the labor problem,improve the housing situa- categories. The tremendous in-migration of students
tion, and increase the tax rolls. and their wives not only distorts the median age
figures for the Ithaca labor force but also indicates the .
All the companies interviewed had located in peculiar transient nature of Ithaca's labor force. Indi-
Ithaca for historical reasons. Most new industries in vidually these young members of the labor force tend
the area are small and often founded by, or affiliated to be short-term residents. The on-going nature of the .
with, Cornell professors. These "spin-off' industries University and College is such, however, that the loss
are often strongly related to specific persons and pro- is continually replaced by new individuals. Therefore,
grams and are often likely to disappear when the pro- as long as students and their wives are considered part ,
fessor leaves Cornell or the research program is of the labor force, there will continue to be this con-
completed. stant and perhaps increasing younger group in the
There is little likelihood that new manufacturing labor force. ,
industries will locate in Ithaca,if the industries already Another aspect of Ithaca's employment situation
here are unable to expand because of the labor short- is the balance between employment and unemploy-
age. ment. Enough flexibility must be maintained in this .
ratio that industries will be willing to locate in Ithaca
Ithaca cannot compete with the economic advan- :without feeling that they will have to pay abnormally
tages of the metropolitan location. However, Ithaca high wages to attract labor. Moreover, if Ithaca is ,
can attract those industries and institutions which are going to continue to grow, new jobs will have to be
closely related to the city's natural advantages—prom- provided to attract more labor.
inent educational institutions and rugged beautiful The high rate of commutation into Tompkins .
terrain on a fresh-water lake. Ithaca can attract busi- County, and its major employment center, Ithaca,
nesses related to education and tourism. The National indicates that the county and city already have great
Arts and Recreation Center, a regional center for attraction powers. If the trend is to continue, improve- .
cultural activities and recreation, is a prime example ment of access to Ithaca may not only become neces-
of the direction of Ithaca's future growth. The city's sary in the near future but may determine whether
location and general economic condition, as reflected j Ithaca will continue to grow. .
in the average income figures, indicates that Ithaca is An examination of the economic base and
highly eligible for state aid and support.
.occupational distribution of Ithaca reveals its present .
Many of the contemporary theories of regional dependence on education. The secondary occupational
economic development stress the potential of small concentration in the professional and service sector,
cities within a market area. It appears that there is a coupled with the natural terrain and lake, indicates
limit to metropolitan city size. Once the urban area the potential of the area for a more fully developed
reaches a certain density, the undesirable elements of recreation industry.
urban life such as water and air pollution and ineffi- Given the shortage of semi-skilled and skilled .
ciencies of transportation outweigh the advantages of labor in the city, it is unlikely that Ithaca will become
proximity to other producers, accessibility, and other the site for major industry in the future. However, as
locational advantages. These disadvantages resulting large cities become less desirable as places to live in,
from metropolitan density are improving the growth the larger service industries, such as insurance com-
potentials of medium-sized and small cities. It is im- panies, may begin relocating. Ithaca, with its many
portant that Ithaca be aware of its advantage as a environmental-cultural advantages and excellent
potential location for the decentralizing economic school system, will become an increasingly good
activities of the larger urban areas. location for such service industries.
18 ,
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Y
II . LAND USE
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LAND USE ic, changing system. The process of annually collect-
The Ithaca land use maps of both existing and ing data for the land use map will indicate the changes
projected future land use are designed to provide in the city over time; therefore, the land use map
aw basic data on the various activities which occupy and also provides valuable comparative information on
will occupy land within the city and to provide insight the city.
into the present and future spatial distribution of Residential land uses are divided into three levels
functions within the city. Land use map data may be of density on the land use map: low, one to four units
used for such purposes as analyzing the current pat- per gross acre; medium, five to 11 units per gross
tern of urban land uses for zoning revisions or for for- acre; and high, 12 to 25 units per gross acre. These
rr mulating a long-range land use plan for the city.Such a densities are represented on the existing and pro-
map can help determine potential commercial markets posed land use maps by a color code; yellow, low-
` and can be used for the location of institutions. The density; gold, medium-density; and orange, high-den-
data on which the land use map is based, however, is sity. The Belle Sherman and West Hill neighborhoods
collected at a single point in time. The city is a dynam- contain the most low-density housing, while the East
r
TABLE ILL Tabulation of Kind, Condition, and Construction Material of
All Structures in the City of Ithaca by Neighborhoods, 1969
Tota I
Structure Condition Construction Establishments
_ d m Z co
W m 3 v` Q�p co
m
ID N�ao S. o _� v a N ° N-< o vo
E. 0 3 ° a T o T !=(D N . o.
S UQ r:C 030 a d N_ 7 N OO `<O
_ rt N Q F
^ ° ° 3.0 H3 0> >. rn cg m m N3 N
g oa ° ° H� a
� � N
I Cornell Hgts. 76 52 5 133 129 4 - 102 31 - 5 36
Percent 57 39 4 100 97 3 0 77 23 0
r�.
II University 94 97 52 243 217 24 2 191 51 1 40 4,836
_ Percent 39 40 21 100 89 10 1 79 21 0
III Belle Sherman 511 82 36 629 604 19 6 560 64 5 22 340
Percent 81 13 6 100 96 3 1 89 10 1
IV East Hill 141 241 67 449 391 58 - 343 104 2 76 456
ern Percent 31 54 15 100 87 13 0 77 23 0
V Fall Creek 731 55 79 865 816 48 1 809 54 2 62 308
Percent 85 6 9 100 94 6 0 94 6 0
VI North Central 549 61 96 706 544 131 31 635 62 9 87 558
Percent 78 9 13 100 77 19 4 90 9 1
go Percent Central 191 51 317 559 378 155 26 306 236 17 494 4,021
Percent 34 9 57 100 68 28 4 55 42 3
VIII South Hill 431 115 41 587 544 43 - 504 83 - 17 1,562
so Percent 73 20 7 100 93 7 0 86 14 0
IX South Central 485 60 78 623 483 119 21 566 52 5 65 527
Percent 78 10 12 100 78 19 3 91 8 1
Iirr Inlet Valley-
X Elmira Rd. 79 - 80 159 135 15 9 86 46 27 64 628
om
Percent 50 0 50 100 85 9 6 54 29 17
r XI West Hill 378 10 34 422 363 43 16 394 25 3 10 65
Percent 90 2 8 100 86 10 4 93 6 1
a* XII Cayuga Inlet 19 - 91 110 60 35 15 43 43 24 76 643
Percent 17 0 83 100 54 32 14 39 39 22
TOTAL 3,685 824 976 5,485 4,664 694 127 4,539 851 95 1,018 13,980
^^ Percent 67 15 18 100 85 13 2 83 15 2
ar
SOURCE: Land Use Study, City Planning Office, City of Ithaca, N. Y., Spring 1969.
21
war
r"
rr
rr —
r,
a rr
I
ME
r" Hill neighborhood contains the most high-density percent of the city's land is used by industry and
housing. Despite the high percentage of structures in wholesale land uses. The majority of the city's Indus-
^°° the city which are residential, 82 percent, only 28 trial use is located in Neighborhoods on the West
° percent of the acreage within the city limits is con- End (10 and 12).
sumed in residential land uses. The green indicates the distribution of open space
Business and institutions occupy 18 percent of and park area in the city. Table II.2 shows that 13
the structures in the city on the existing land use map. percent of the acreage in the city is presently devoted
Five percent of the total acreage in the city is used to recreation and open space. The two largest blocks
by business; eight percent is consumed by institutions. of park lands are concentrated in Neighborhood 12,
The red and grey colors on the map indicate the the future site of the National Arts and Recreation
distribution of business and institutional land uses. Center, and Neighborhood 10, the Inlet Valley-Elmira
Inspection of the existing land use map reveals that Road.
faw the major business and institutional land uses are con- Once evaluation of existing land uses in the city
centrated in Neighborhoods 2 (the University),7 (the was completed, several criteria were used as a basis
Central Business District), and 10 (the bulk of the for the direction of future growth within the city.
ow West End Business District). First, importance of education as both the basic
The distribution of industry and wholesale activi- industry and a major contributor to the character of
ties are indicated in black on the land use map. Three the city was recognized. However, the value of diversi-
TABLE 11.2: Existing Land Use by Acreage and Percent for the City of Ithaca by Neighborhoods
Z 9 ?
Mo ;0& M_ M d Cam-
Mf �E
C. y � a-.OV. 3 3 d M d d
e� o m� m° o m� 3 Q m - d
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p d Cl 7 p� N N _M j C 0_ rt
a - N c O n Q °-' w n
7
I Cornell Hgts. 20.2 74.2 29.2 123.6 - - - 10.0 - - - 17.2 57.6 16.9 225.3
Percent 9 33 13 55 - - - 4 - - - 8 25 8 100
,�. II University 12.8 68.4 18.1 99.3 4.6 - - 205.2 - - - 4.3 26.1 50.3 389.8
Percent 3 17 5 25 1 - - 53 - - - 1 7 13 100
III Belle Sherman 53.2 43.2 17.6 114.0 3.8 1.2 3.3 - - 1.0 19.9 8.3 81.9 23.6 257.0
Percent 21 17 7 45 2 - 1 - - - 8 3 32 9 100
IV East Hill 0.3 7.6 74.5 82.4 3.9 8.2 3.8 - - - 8.4 - 38.1 10.3 155.1
Percent - 5 48 53 3 5 2 - - - 5 - 25 7 100
V Fall Creek - 106.3 - 106.3 - 4.4 13.7 - - - 3.4 5.0 1 66.8 3.8 203.4
4W Percent - 52 - 52 - 2 7 - - - 2 2 33 2 100
VI North Central - 93.6 - 93.6 5.5 15.0 10.3 - - - 3.4 - 54.7 1.2 183.7
.•M Percent - 51 - 51 3 8 6 - - - 2 - 30 - 100
err VII Central - 28.3 2.7 31.0 2.7 53.7 9.7 - - - 2.1 - 51.2 - 150.4
Percent - 19 2 21 2 36 6 - - - 1 - 34 - 100
MPM VIII South Hill 21.9 64.7 17.7 104.3 19.0 3.2 3.3 - - 0.7 7.5 9.1 59.8 43.9 250.8
Percent 9 26 7 42 8 1 1 - - - 3 4 24 17 100
IX South Central 16.1 54.9 19.3 90.3 0.6 25.3 1.8 - - - 6.5 6.1 42.3 18.2 191.1
Percent 8 29 10 47 - 13 1 - - - 4 3 22 10 100
X11 Inlet Valley-
X Elmira Road 32.3 1.9 - 34.2 68.0 60.6 - - - 11.8 65.0 18.4 39.6 209.4 507.0
. Percent 7 - - 7 13 12 - - - 2 13 4 8 41 100
XI West Hill 145.1 53.4 - 198.5 - - 3.0 - - - 5.1 1.3 80.2 224.7 512.8
Percent 28 11 - 39 - - - - - - 1 - 16 44 100
XII Cayuga Inlet 2.6 - - 2.6 12.0 35.4 21.1 5.0 8.7 19.3 415.0 373.4 25.2 5.3 923.0
Percent - - - - 1 4 2 1 1 2 45 40 3 1 100
TOTAL 304.5 596.5 179.1 1,080.1 120.1 207.0 70.0 220.2 8.7 32.8 536.3 443.1 623.5 607.6 3,949.4
Percent 8 15 5 28 3 5 2 6 - 1 13 11 1 16 15 100
SOURCE: Land Use Study, City Planning Office, City of Ithaca, Spring 1969
. 23
Map II.2
EXISTING LAND USE, 1969
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fying the industrial base by working to attract light TABLE 11.3: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage
service industry and by developing a viable recreation and Percent in Neighborhood 1.
�— industry were considered essential to a healthy, grow-
ing, future Ithaca. ACREAGE PERCENT
Second, the housing shortage and deteriorating Low Density Residential 20.2 9
housing stock within the city made it imperative that Medium Density Residential 74.2 33
the number of residential units within Ithaca be in- High Density Residential 29.2 13
creased. This increase of units should be, however, Total Residential 123.6 55
compatible with the densities considered appropriate Industry, Public Utilities
to maintaining the residential character of the city. and Transportation — —
It was felt that existing vacant land in the city should Commercial —be opened up for residential use by increasing access Public — —
r to these areas and by extending utilities to the areas. Higher Education 10.0 4
Third, the city streets should be suited to the land Marina — —
r uses they serve. New streets should be provided where Railroad — —
necessary to accelerate the guided development of Parks — —
open land within the city. Water Areas 17.2 8
Finally, parks and open space play an important Streets 57.6 25
role in maintaining the small city character of Ithaca Vacant Land 16.9 8
and in reinforcing the recreational-educational char- Total Land 1 225.3 100
acter of the city. These recreation areas and green
open spaces tie the developed parts of the city into Despite the age of many of the structures in the
�^- its unique natural environment. For these reasons area, they have been well maintained. Ninety-seven
and to meet the recreational needs of the residents, percent of the structures in the neighborhood are
the provision and maintenance of neighborhood parks sound, three percent are deteriorated, and none are
and open space was encouraged throughout the city. dilapidated. This is the highest percentage of sound
ftrr
In this section each neighborhood in the city is structures in any neighborhood in the city.
described and proposals for future improvements are Neighborhood 1 is a fairly densely developed,
`. listed. It is anticipated that the execution of any or quiet, residential area with winding local streets which
all of these proposals will bring the city closer to its have come to serve as collector streets. The main
MR goal—a small residential city, of and for man. north-south roads are Stewart Avenue on the west side
111 of the neighborhood and Thurston, Wait, and Trip-
CORNELL HEIGHTS, NEIGHBORHOOD 1 hammer Avenues on the east side of the neighborhood.
am The Cornell Heights Neighborhood was one of Thurston Avenue forms the main east-west collector
X11 the first residential areas adjacent to the University in the neighborhood.
to develop. At the turn of the century many well-to-do East of Thurston, Wait, and Triphammer Avenues
MM visitors and local residents built fine homes in this is an open area, owned by the University, which has
61 area. Today some of the larger of these homes have been designated for high-density student housing. It is
been purchased by the University, sororities or frater- anticipated that, including the presently existing dor-
am nities and converted into student dwellings. Also mitories in the North Campus area, the area will
40 located in this neighborhood is the area called "North house 3,000 men and women in the next decade. Addi-
Campus." Within this North Campus area dormitory tional University housing in this North Campus area
units house some 1700 students. The majority of the will most likely be beyond the city limits.
high-density land use in the neighborhood is contained Over the years the University has purchased a
in the North Campus area. number of the old homes on the property adjacent to
Residential land use is by far the largest single the University proper. Presently these houses are run
land use in the area. Thirty-three percent of the acre- as small living units for students. The future use of
age is devoted to medium-density residential land these lots has not been determined by the University.
uses. Twelve percent of the land in the neighborhood Although there are no actual parks in Neighbor-
is employed in higher education and water uses. hood 1, the bank of Beebe Lake has been left in its
These include the Girls' Athletic Department, the natural state, with a simple footpath along the shore
Observatory and Beebe Lake. Eight percent of the of the lake. Beebe Lake is used for swimming, boating,
land in the area is vacant and potentially developable. and skating.
,,,, 25
iwr
the area bounded by Linden Avenue, Mitchell Street, Of all the collectors and arterials in the neighborhood
Delaware Avenue,Dryden Road and Cascadilla Gorge. Cornell Street presents, perhaps, the greatest hazard
The remainder of the neighborhood is composed of since children must cross this collector to gain access
aw medium- and low-density residential units. Of the total to Belle Sherman Park and part of the elementary
acreage in the neighborhood, 45 percent is devoted to school.
residential use. Residential land uses are fairly evenly There are four parks in the Belle Sherman Neigh-
divided between low- and medium-densities. The least borhood. Each of these parks now serves as an unde-
amount of residential land in the neighborhood is veloped neighborhood play area. South of the new
employed in high-density residential land uses. Nine addition to Belle Sherman School on the east side of
percent of the acreage in the neighborhood is vacant. Cornell Street is a four acre park owned by the city.
Particularly accessible to children on the east side of
TABLE 11.5: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage Cornell Street, this park will be maintained as an un-
and Percent in Neighborhood 3. developed neighborhood play area.
Although, in the future, the residential densities
ACREAGE PERCENT may increase in the Belle Sherman area, it seems
ars
Low Density Residential 53.2 21 fairly clear that the character of the neighborhood
_ Medium Density Residential 43.2 17 will continue to be residential. The greatest increase
00 High Density Residential 17.6 7 in density can be anticipated in the area bounded by
Total Residential 114.0 45 Linden Avenue, Mitchell Street, Delaware Avenue,
Industry, Public Utilities Dryden Road, and the gorge. Increased pressure for
w
and Transportation 3.8 2 student housing may result in the continued conver-
Commercial 1.2 — sion of large homes in this area into multiple dwell-
_ Public 3.3 1 ing units. The large high rise apartment unit on
�.„ Higher Education — — Cornell Street at Maple Avenue acts as a harbinger of
Marina — — the extension of the high residential densities beyond
-. Railroad 1.0 — Delaware Avenue and Dryden Road. However, with
Parks 19.9 8 the developable land and present graduate student
housing beyond the city limits, it is anticipated that
Water Areas 8.3 3 future high-density development will be outside of the
Streets 81.9 32 city limits. The remainder of the neighborhood is fully
r Vacant Land 23.6 9
developed as single family residential units and is
Total Land 257.0 100 zoned to remain in this use. The expansion of Belle
Vw Sherman School anticipates the increase of school age
Of all the structures in the neighborhood, 96 population and residential densities within the north-
percent are sound, three percent are deteriorated, and ern portion of the neighborhood and in the area ad-
W one percent are dilapidated. This neighborhood ranks jacent to the neighborhood but beyond the city limits.
second highest in structural condition in the city. The Proposals
majority of the deteriorated and dilapidated build-
go ings in the neighborhood are located in the northwest 1. To provide a choice of kinds of residential en-
section where old homes have been converted to vironments available in the city, single family
multiple family units for students. The few remain- residential land uses, already prevalent in the
ow ing units in poor condition are scattered through the neighborhood, should be encouraged and main-
area bounded by State, Water, and Giles Streets. tained, particularly in the southeast portion of
Eighty-nine percent of the structures in the neighbor- the area adjacent to Belle Sherman School.
hood are wood and ten percent are masonry. 2. High-density housing units should be permitted
The Belle Sherman Neighborhood is crossed by in the northwest corner of the neighborhood
two state arterials, Route 79, State Street, and Route where student housing demand is greatest.
)( 366, Ithaca and Dryden Roads. Route 366 is the most 3. Heavy through truck traffic should be eliminated
incompatible to the residential character of the neigh- from Routes 366 and 79 by the construction of
borhood because it cuts diagonally across the area. a peripheral highway around the city.
Heavily traveled by truck traffic, this arterial is a
serious safety hazard to pedestrians who must cross
0M it. The major north-south collector street in Neighbor-
an hood 3 is Cornell Street. Cornell Street is also a con- Over the years the East Hill Neighborhood has
nector between the two arterials, Routes 79 and 366. become increasingly occupied by students. Adjacent
OM 27
r
Further extension of the commercial area will re- natural state. Trees and shrubs growing next to the
quire city action in providing additional parking. running water make the creek an asset to the adjacent
�. 3. Collegetown is predominantly a pedestrian-ori- property and to the neighborhood. The only other
rW
ented convenience shopping center. As such, im-
sizable land use in the area is commercial use (two
provements in pedestrian and vehicular circula- percent) which is scattered throughout the neighbor-
tion are needed. hood in convenience type shopping areas.
Neighborhood 5 is one of the oldest of Ithaca's
4. East Hill School provides both a neighborhood residential areas. The data indicates, however, that
,,.. focal point and makes a unique contribution to the area is also in good condition, ranking third in the
err the quality of education in the Ithaca School city in terms of condition of buildings. Of the 865
System; efforts should be made to continue the
school in its present use. structures in the area, 94 percent are sound. Ninety-
four percent of the structures are wood frame.
r.r
FALL CREEK, NEIGHBORHOOD 5 Two percent of the acreage in the highly resi-
The Fall Creek Neighborhood is a quiet, shady
dential Fall Creek Neighborhood is devoted to parks.
"^ Increasing the size of existing park areas in this
residential area. Scattered throughout the area are
neighborhood is an important aspect of the city's
small neighborhood shopping clusters. In the southern Recreation Plan. Additional park land will reinforce
part of the neighborhood, bordering on the Central the residential character of the neighborhood.
ow Business District, some of the fine old houses have
been converted to multiple dwelling units. At the Three collector streets, two north-south and one
northern extremity of the neighborhood stands the east-west, take traffic through the Fall Creek Neigh-
new Ithaca High School. borhood. Of the two north-south collectors, Cayuga
Table II.7 indicates that the predominant land Street is the widest and most heavily traveled. Cayuga
use in the area is residential. Fifty-two percent of Street is a major tie between the Central Business
br the acreage in the neighborhood is devoted to me- District and Ithaca High School and Stewart Park.
dium-density residential uses. The third largest land Tioga Street, the second of the north-south collectors,
use after residential and streets is public. The public carries through traffic to Fall Street, the east-west
ar collector, where the traffic turns to Cayuga Street or
TABLE 11.7: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage to Lake Street.
and Percent in Neighborhood 5. It is anticipated that the residential character of
+rr. the Fall Creek Neighborhood will continue in the
ACREAGE PERCENT future. The conversion of the large homes to multiple
_ Low Density Residential — — dwelling units and offices is an increasing trend in
rr� Medium Density Residential 106.3 52 the neighborhood. Because of the large size of the
High Density Residential — — buildings south of Marshall Street, it is anticipated
Total Residential 106.3 52 that the conversion of the buildings will be contained
rrr Industry, Public Utilities within this area. The increased open space suggested
and Transportation — — by the Recreation Study should enhance the resi-
�., Commercial 4.4 2 dential character of the area.
am Public 13.7 7
Higher Education — — Proposals
�-- Marina — — 1. The majority of the Fall Creek Neighborhood
aw Railroad — — should be maintained as a medium-density resi-
Parks 3.4 2 dential area. To assist in meeting the ever-increas-
"" Water Areas 5.0 2 ing need for housing in the city, higher-density
rrr Streets 66.8 33 residential uses may be permitted in the neighbor-
Vacant Land 3.8 2 hood's southern portion between Cascadilla Ave-
Total Land 203.4 100 nue and Marshall Street.
as
2. The convenience commercial centers in the north-
4M land use in the area consists of the two schools, Fall ern end of the neighborhood should not be per-
IN Creek Elementary School and Ithaca High School. mitted to expand. Constraints should be placed
Five acres are consumed by Cascadilla Creek which on the neighborhood commercial center between
om flows along the south and west boundaries of the Cascadilla Avenue and Marshall Street. New
go neighborhood. The banks of the creek have been convenience shopping centers in the area should
reinforced, but the creek bed has been left in its not be permitted.
�— 29
ow
wr
5. To improve the residential quality of the area, In 1964 Ithaca began an Urban Renewal Project
the existing commercial and light industrial land in the Central Business District. Not only was this
uses bordering Route 13 on the south should be seven block project designed to alleviate the blighted
eliminated. Medium-density residential land uses conditions which were developing in the area (28
should be developed up to a green strip border- percent of the structures in the area are deteriora-
ing Route 13. ting), but it is also anticipated that the renewal will
help to stop the trend of business migration away
6. Appropriate pedestrian access across or under P P g Y
Route 13 should be provided in the vicinity of from the Central Business District. The urban re-
Dey Street to link the residential neighborhood to newal program also recognized the increasing impor-
' tance of pedestrian movement to the retail businesses
the adjacent recreation area. P
in the business district. A shopping concourse on State
CENTRAL, NEIGHBORHOOD 7 Street flanked by convenient parking on Seneca and
The Central Neighborhood was the first area Green Streets is suggested as a means of encouraging
settled in the city. The same kinds of land uses can pedestrian movement.
be found in the neighborhood today as could be The core of the retail-commercial area of Ithaca
found there 100 years ago: mixed residential and has remained the same since 1820. However, the
commercial. Moreover, the corner of Tioga Street Central Business District has begun to move notice-
go and State Street, the core of the business district in ably to the south in the past 35 years, invading the
1820, is still the center of commercial activity in the residential area bounded by Clinton, Cayuga, Titus
city. and Albany Streets. Less exaggerated expansion of
M" The three major land uses in the neighborhood are the Central Business District has taken place to the
commercial, streets, and residential. The major land north in the residential area bounded by Court,
�.. use in the neighborhood is commercial, 36 percent. Aurora, Cascadilla, and Cayuga Streets.
tw Streets consume 34 percent of the acreage. Of the 21 Commercial development becomes less dense in
percent of the acreage devoted to residential land the neighborhood west of Cayuga Street. The area
�. uses, the majority is employed in medium-density between Geneva, Green, Albany, and Seneca Streets
■w residential uses. is particularly underdeveloped. West of this area on
State Street the businesses are increasingly traffic
TABLE 11.9: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage oriented.
.w and Percent in Neighborhood 7. The one-way pair, Green and Seneca Streets, pro-
ACREAGE PERCENT vides a circular traffic pattern accommodating both
Low Density Residential — — local and through traffic around the core of the Central
'w Business District. This pair is linked at the east by
Medium Density Residential 28.3 19 the tuning fork at State Street and at the west by the
High Density Residential 2.7 2 state arterial, Meadow Street. This traffic pattern,
. Total Residential 31.0 21 accompanied by the provision of additional parking
Industry, Public Utilities on Green and Seneca Streets at the Central Business
and Transportation 2.7 2 District, has relieved much of the downtown traffic
Commercial 53.7 36 congestion.
Public 9.7 6 One of the most historically important open
Higher Education _ _ spaces in the city, DeWitt Park, is located in the
Marina Central Neighborhood. This park was designated by
Railroad — — Simeon DeWitt when the first plat of the city was
Parks 2.1 1 laid out in 1806. Since then the area has come to be
Water Areas — — an important focal point for civic activity.
Streets 51.2 34
Vacant Land — — Proposals
Total Land 150.4 100 1. To stimulate pedestrian movement, a concourse
of wider sidewalks and controlled vehicular access
. The Central Neighborhood is also the hub of should be created in the Central Business District
governmental activities, not only for the city but for on State Street. A pedestrian concourse between
the county as well. This governmental activity is Tioga and Cayuga Streets would further stimu-
reflected in the fact that six percent of the land in late the retail activity in the Central Business
the neighborhood is devoted to public use. District.
. 31
No Aurora Street. Both of these streets are built on a further confirms the residential-commercial character
steep incline and are heavily used by commuter traffic of the area.
to the industries within and adjacent to the city.
rw South Aurora Street also serves as State Highway 96B. TABLE 11.11: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage
Route 96B leaves Aurora at Prospect Street and con- and Percent in Neighborhood 9.
tinues across the neighborhood along Prospect and ACREAGE PERCENT
Clinton Streets. Both Prospect and Clinton Streets Low Density Residential 16.1 8
would normally be local streets. With the use of 96B Medium Density Residential 54.9 29
as an access route to the city, there has been an in- High Density Residential 19.3 10
creasing incidence of "run-away" trucks on the steep Total Residential 90.3 10
Aurora Street incline. Proposals are presently being
developed to re-route 96B at a more gradual slope Industry, Public Utilities
—
beyond the city limits. Such a road would not only and Transportation 0.6 Commercial 25.3 13
reduce the danger from "run-away" trucks, but also Public 1.8 1
relieve the heavy traffic along South Aurora, Hudson
Prospect, and Clinton Streets. The reduced use of Higher Education — —
these local and collector streets will improve the resi- Marina — —
dential character of the South Hill Neighborhood. Railroad — —
Parks 6.5 4
Proposals Water Areas 6.1 3
Streets 42.3 22
bw 1. The core of Neighborhood 8 should remain in
medium-density residential use, focusing on the Vacant Land 18.2 10
elementary school. Because of the continued Total Land 191.1 100
ift demand for housing in the city, however, the
more central northern portion and the southern A survey of the condition of the structures in the
portion, near Ithaca College should be expected neighborhood indicates that while the great majority
to develop higher-density residences. are sound (78 percent), this neighborhood ranks third
highest in the city in terms of the number of deteri-
2. The east side of South Hill should be opened for orated (19 percent) and fourth highest in dilapidated
residential development. This development can (three percent) buildings. In addition to the high rate
be accomplished by extending an east-west con- of dilapidation and deterioration, 91 percent of the
nection from Hillview Place into Giles Street structures in the area are wood frame.
which crosses Six Mile Creek. Such an extension Despite its residential character, Neighborhood
would help relieve the traffic congestion in the 9 is crisscrossed by major arterials and collector
Central Business District by providing an alter- streets. Meadow Street (Route 13) which marks the
Lnate route between East Hill and South Hill. west boundary of the neighborhood and West Clin-
3. The Columbia Street School should be removed ton Street (Route 96B) which cuts across the middle
and the site made into a playground for children of the neighborhood are both designated state high-
Flo on the west side of South Hill, eliminating the ways. Green Street at the northern boundary of the
need for these children to cross the heavily used area is a major one-way collector for the city; South
South Aurora Street to the South Hill School play- Albany Street serves as a collector for Neighborhoods
ground. 8, 9, and 10. Elmira Road, which cuts across the
4. Route 96B should be relocated beyond the city neighborhood just above the southern boundary,
limits. Such a relocation will not only provide a brings traffic to Albany Street and into the center of
safer access to the city but will also be a great the city.
asset in maintaining the South Hill Neighborhood The acreage data on Table II.11 indicates only
as a quiet, well-kept residential area. four percent of the acreage in the neighborhood is
devoted to parks and open space. The major existing
SOUTH CENTRAL, NEIGHBORHOOD 9 neighborhood recreational facility is the Southside
House. This old building serves as a neighborhood
. The South Central Neighborhood is best described center for a variety of adult and youth programs. The
as a medium-density residential-commercial area. Southside House facilities are old and heavily used.
Eighty-eight percent of the structures are residential They need replacement.
units and 12 percent commercial buildings. A look The commercial uses, 13 percent of the acreage in
at the distribution of land use by acres on Table II.11 the neighborhood, center along Elmira Road, Mead-
. 33
L
r
r It is expected that Route 13, presently Meadow TABLE 11.13: Distribution of Land Use by Acreage
Street, will be relocated between the Lehigh Valley and Percent in Neighborhood 11.
Railroad tracks and the flood control channel. This
relocation will take through traffic off Meadow Street ACREAGE PERCENT
and increase the usefulness of this arterial to local Low Density Residential 145.1 28
traffic. Medium Density Residential 53.4 11
Much of the future character of the Inlet Valley- High Density Residential — —
Elmira Road Neighborhood will be determined by the Total Residential 198.5 39
future use of the developable area between Meadow Industry, Public Utilities
Street and the Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks. and Transportation — —
Commercial — —
. Proposals Public 3.0 —
1. Residential land uses should be continued along Higher Education
Spencer Road. A sidewalk should link the neigh- Marina — —
. borhood with Buttermilk Falls State Park. Railroad — —
2. The portion of the neighborhood southwest of the Parks 5.1 1
levee must be held vacant as a flood plain. Water Areas 1.3 —
Streets 80.2 16
3. Auto-oriented commercial development should be Vacant Land 224.7 44
allowed along Elmira Road and Meadow Street,
�* but should continue no further than the proposed Total Land 512.8 100
�r Southwest Parkway.
Running along the east boundary of the West Hill
4. A city collector street, the Southwest Parkway, Neighborhood are two state arterials, Route 13A and
. should be developed across the neighborhood Route 96. Paralleling these arterials are the two
along the old city line, opening the area to major collector streets for the neighborhood, Elm and
development and improving east-west access in Hector Streets. These two collectors run parallel east-
. the city. west. The proposed relocation of Route 96 east of
5. Medium-density residential land uses should be Cliff Street would take through traffic off the steep
developed south of South Street Extended, be- grade on Cliff Street and increase the safety of truck
. tween Meadow and the relief channel, and below and auto access to and from the city and the county
the proposed Southwest Parkway between the hospital.
relief channel and the park. There are two neighborhood play areas in the
6. The portion of the neighborhood north of the West Hill Neighborhood: MacDaniels Park, recently
proposed Southwest Parkway, between the relief donated to the city, which, presently, is being
channel and the flood control channel, should developed; and the West Hill School playground
® be developed as an area for light industry. Ser- which has play apparatus and playfields open for use.
viced by the railroad and major highways, this Despite the high percentage of vacant land (44
area is well suited for manufacturing. Also de- percent) in the West Hill Neighborhood, it is antici-
velopable for light industry is the area between pated that future development in this area will be
Elmira Road, the Southwest Park, and the levee. residential. Present rapid subdivision in the area has
7. The mixed retail-wholesale area north of Clinton created the need for the extension of local streets to
Street should be allowed to expand to the south provide efficient and well situated collector streets.
to Center Street Extended. The absence of park land in the neighborhood is not
• WEST HILL, NEIGHBORHOOD 11 a detriment at present. The quantity of vacant land
in the area conveys the feeling of open space. In the
The West Hill Neighborhood is the most recently future, however, the West Hill area promises to be
. developed of all the city's neighborhoods. As Table fully developed. As a result, the provision of city park
11.13 showing the distribution of land use by acreage land is a wise step for the future. Of all the city's
indicates, 44 percent of the land in the area is vacant. neighborhoods, the most rapid growth can be antici-
. Twenty-eight percent of the remaining land in the pated in the West Hill area. The large quantity of
neighborhood is devoted to low-density residential vacant land within the neighborhood and the need
land uses. A look at the rankings indicates that in for housing and the shortage of residential building
. terms of low-density residential land use, Neighbor- sites within the city are two of the factors which
hood 11 ranks first in the city. will help to insure future growth in this neighborhood.
. 35
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Map II.3
PROJECTED LAND USE, 1990
_....... ..._ .. »..__. .u...v.e.�z.: _L.._ IWI�....
OWN developed in such a way as to attract both vaca- THE FUTURE
tioners and local residents to the multiple-purpose
area. Map II.3 shows the land use for the City of Ithaca '
3. The portion of the neighborhood bordering Route projected for 1990. As shown on Table 11.15, by 1990
13 should be used for light industry and ware- there will be no undeveloped land left in the city.
housing. Careful control over the use of the ware- The most significant changes in land use from the
house area should be exercised in order that an present land uses are in the amounts of land devoted
appropriate separation be created between it and to residential, industrial-warehouse, and marina land
the residential and recreational neighborhoods. uses. The distribution of new land into various kinds
of residential land use is fairly even among the three
4. The Cayuga Inlet Neighborhood is the corner- densities. The amount of land in industrial-warehous-
stone of the city's recreation system. Easy pedes- ing land use has doubled between the existing and
trian access to the area from all the city's neigh- proposed maps. The development of a marina in the
borhoods must be provided by developing a net- Inlet Park and the use of land adjacent to the park
work of pathways enabling all residents to gain for marina and marina-oriented uses will place one
the full benefit of the all-season park facility. percent of the land in the city into marina uses by
5. A footbridge should link the Inlet Park and New- 1990. 111
man Municipal Golf Course, providing a major As the map indicates, development in residential 1
connection in the chain of pedestrian ways link- Neighborhoods 1, 3, and 4 will merely reinforce the
ing the city neighborhoods to the inlet. The existing character of these areas. On the "Flats," high
-
pedestrian ways along the flood control channel density housing will expand to encircle the Central
create a spine of recreation areas from Stewart Business District which will become more densely
Park to Buttermilk Falls. developed along State Street with a higher concentra- OR
TABLE 11.15: Projected Land Use by Acreage and Percent for the City of Ithaca by Neighborhoods, 1990
7)3 w <
m r y co Z1 2 m=a C7 `2 d
o f �-ca `E=r �y �=C
'.a 3 v $ m 0 m � d w
Q °O �3 a- oN� m d - m
»m �� gym- D v iv D m r d
o d�. -� d IJ/. J n f1 n N a y N 7 d
N - °- j v ? 7. m a
Cornell Hgts 14.4 79.7 32.9 127.0 - n - - 10.0 - - 13.5 17.2 57.6 - 225.3
Percent 6 35 15 56 - - - 4 - - 6 8 26 - 100
II University 8.4 109.6 24.3 142.3 6.6 _ _ 205.2 _ _ 5.3 4.3 26.1 _ 389.8 MW
Percent 2 28 7 37 2 52 1 1 7 100
Belle Sherman 70.1 47.6 21.2 138.9 1.5 0.2 5.6 - - 1.0 19.6 8.3 81.9 - 257.0
III Percent 27 19 8 54 1 - 2 - - - 8 3 32 - 100
IV East Hill 6.0 2.0 67.8 75.8 0.4 7.0 7.1 _ _ _ 26.7 _ 38.1 _ 155.1
Percent 4 1 44 49 5 5 17 24 100
Fall Creek - 92.7 16.1 108.8 - 3.1 15.8 - - - 3.9 5.0 66.8 - 203.4
V Percent - 1 45 8 53 - 1 8 - - - 2 3 33 - 100
VI North Central - 47.5 47.1 94.6 4.5 16.6 10.8 _ _ _ 2.5 _ 54.7 _ 183.7
Percent - 26 26 52 2 9 6 1 30 100
VII Central - 10.6 20.8 31.4 1.9 52.2 11.6 _ _ _ 2.1 _ 51.2 _ 150.4
Percent - 7 14 21 1 35 8 1 34 100
VIII South Hill - 112.4 38.2 150.6 20.4 3.2 3.4 _ _ 0.7 3.0 9.1 60.4 _ 250.8
Percent - 45 15 60
IX 8 1 2 1 4 24 100
South Central _ 65.8 42.8 108.6 1.4 24.4 1.5 _ _ _ 6.8 6.1 42.3 _ 191.1
Percent 34 22 56 1 13 1 4 3 22 100
Inlet Valley-
X Elmira Road - 109.6 - 109.6 165.4 89.2 - - - 11.8 67.0 18.7 45.3 - 507.0
Percent - 21 - 21 33 18 - - - 2 13 4 9 - 100 to
XI west Hill 278.8 104.9 23.3 407.0 _ _ 4.1 _ _ _ 12.1 2.1 87.5 _ 512.8
Percent 54 20 5 79 1 2 1 17 100
XII Cayuga Inlet 3.2 - - 3.2 34.1 9.3 22.9 5.0 27.0 19.3 397.2 372.3 32.7 _ 923.0
Percent - - - - 4 1 2 1 3 2 1 43 40 4 100
TOTAL 380.9 782.4 334.5 1,497.8 236.2 205.2 82.8 220.2 27.0 32.8 559.7 443.1 644.6 - 3,949.4
Percent 10 20 8 38 6 5 2 6 1 1 14 11 16 - 100
SOURCE: Land Use Study, City Planning Office, City of Ithaca, Spring 1969.
38
tion of traffic-oriented businesses at the west end of however, will maintain its low-density residential
the street. character.
- The shortage of housing in the city should en- Development of the land in the National Arts and
awr courage medium-density residential development Recreation Center for local and visitors use will rein-
along Meadow Street and adjacent to the city park force the city's regional recreational role. The develop-
,. in Neighborhood 10. A small portion of West Hill, ment of activities along the lake front should help
AN Neighborhood 11, will develop in medium- and high- to orient the city more toward its unique natural
density residential units; the majority of the area, environment.
.,
TABLE 11.16: Change in Land Uses by Acreage and Percent from Existing to Projected Uses
FE 0
� F tnC toS tn � N 3
CD CD E3 �p Co o � z 3 v m d °-'
co
-CD M.5 .. d d n n fC1 N N y D fD r cri
.t] Q N N a N N N
i O d_ - V, a
G 7 n ?' a
... Total
�r Present
Use 304.5 596.5 179.1 1,080.1 120.1 207.0 70.0 220.2 8.7 32.8 536.3 443.1 623.5 607.6 3,949.4
Percent 8 15 5 28 3 5 2 6 - 1 13 11 16 15 100
Total
Proposed
Use 380.9 782.4 334.5 1,497.8 236.2 205.2 82.8 220.2 27.0 32.8 559.7 443.1 644.6 - 3,949.4
Percent 10 20 8 38 6 5 2 6 1 1 14 11 16 - 100
rrw Increases 76.4 185.9 155.4 417.7 116.1 (-1.8) 12.8 - 18.3 - 23.4 - 21.1 (-601.6) -
Percent 2 5 3 10 3 - - - 1 - 1 - - (-15) -
+rr SOURCE: Land Use Study, City Planning Office, City of Ithaca, Spring 1969.
+rrr
. 39
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AM�►n4'V���%,'�'�'ct
III . COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
w..
NO CITY GOVERNMENT
and authorize expenditures; and (3) to act on ap-
Since the formation of Tompkins County in 1817, pointments.
the City of Ithaca has served as the seat of county A city judge is elected for a four-year term and
government. In 1821 Ithaca was incorporated as a presides over the City Court. The city judge also
village and remained as such until 1888 when it supervises the Traffic Violations Bureau and is re-
became an incorporated city. The present City Char- sponsible for its functioning and personnel.
ter, which is the basis for city government, dates from The mayor is elected for a two-year term. He
1908. Even though amendments and home rule laws presides at meetings of the Common Council and
have made changes in the charter, the organization votes only in the event of a tie. The mayor serves as
and administration of services remains basically the head of the Police Department and as such is re-
_ same as in 1908. In 1960 an amendment to the charter sponsible for the enforcement of laws and preserva-
�r authorized the formation of a Department of Finance. tion of peace. The mayor also appoints some of the
The creation of this department has resulted in some city officials and members of various boards.
_ major changes in the financial procedures and prac- The city government is divided into a number of
tices of city government. functional departments and offices. Among these are
the Finance Department, Office of the Chamberlain,
Office of the City Clerk, Public Works Department,
*� Administrative Organization Fire Department, Police Department, Planning De-
The City Charter provides for a government head- partment and Youth Bureau.
ed by an elected mayor and common council. The Some of these departments act as administrators
rw functions of city government are performed by these for several city functions. The Department of Public
elected officials and the various officials and boards Works, for example, houses the building commis-
which are appointed by them. sioner's office and staff. Each of the departments is
The Common Council is composed of 14 alder- under the guidance of a board of citizens. In the
men, two from each of the seven wards in the city. case of Public Works, Planning, and Finance, the
The Council has three major functions: (1) to con- board selects, with the approval of the Common
' sider and pass laws and ordinances; (2) to levy taxes Council, the department's top administrator.
TABLE IIIA: Organization Chart for Ithaca City Government.
VOTERS OF THE CITY OF ITHACA
CITY MAYOR COMMON COUNCIL CITY REPRESENTATIVES
JUDGE TO THE COUNTY
'^ Mayor Appoints Mayor Appoints with the GOVERNMENT
Approval of Common Council
City City Police City City Acting
Attorney Prosecutor Commissioner Controller Chamberlain City Judge
r
Planning Housing City Clerk Building Board of
Board Authority I Commissioner Public Works
Deputy City Supt. of
I I Clerk Public Works
Civil Service Advisory Bd. City
Commissioner of Historian
Youth Bureau City Asst. to City
tow I I Engineer Superintendent Forester
Examining Board Examining Board
of Electricians of Plumbers
I I
Fire Director of Sealer of Weights
1i Board of Board of Appeals Commissioner Youth Bureau and Measures
Zoning Appeals on Building Code
43
MW
In addition to the administrative boards of citi- Personnel
zens, there are boards of specially skilled citizens such
as the Examining Board of Electricians and the The City of Ithaca employs 335 regular full-time .
Examining Board of Plumbers. Finally, there are and part-time employees. Employment by the city
boards of citizens which assist in the administration has increased by 27 percent from 1960 to 1969. Since
of city ordinances, such as the Board of Zoning the regular full-time and part-time employees have .
Appeals and the Board of Appeals on the Building remained rather constant, the bulk of the increase in
Code. The mayor makes all appointments to boards, city employment has come in the seasonal labor
some with the approval of the Common Council. The employed. This increase is particularly evident in the
term of appointments to various boards are from two employment after 1965. Much of this additional sea-
to six years depending upon the board. sonal employment is the result of special projects
funded by other governmental bodies such as the .
The mayor also makes appointments which coin- beautification projects of the Youth Bureau and Urban
cide with his term of office. Among these are the city Renewal Authority. The increase in city employment
attorney, the city prosecutor, and the city historian. from 1960 to 1969 was less than the increase in county
The great majority of city employees are civil government (50 percent). The expansion in county
servants. A Civil Service Commission, whose members government since 1967 has been chiefly the result of
are appointed by the mayor for six-year terms, ex- new activities assumed by the county, such as the .
amines and certifies persons for appointment. In 1967 library and assessment, rather than an expansion of
a Civil Service Employees' Association was formed to seasonal employment. Table 111.2, a graph comparing
represent the employees of city government. the increase in city and county employment from 1962 .
TABLE 111.2: Cumulative Graph of Percent Change in Employment by Tompkins .
County and City of Ithaca 1962 to 1969
48
44
40 •
i
36 .
32
28
24
20
16
TOMPKINS
12 COUNTY
8
4
0
ITHACA .
—4
0)N M tD to Ln W to 01 01 1 •
00) 0) (71 Obi 00) n p
44 .
to 1969 (estimated), shows that the county govern- station structures, ranging in age from 1909 to 1958,
ment has had a more steadily increasing employment are also part of the water system owned by the city.
rate than the city. Ithaca is served by five fire stations. Two of these
rrr It is anticipated that the regular part-time and stations were built in 1968; the remaining three range
full-time staff of the city will not increase significantly in age from 16 to 86 years. The city has maintained a
in the next decade. The continued award of special good program of preventive maintenance for all the
+rr projects, however, may mean that the city's employ- stations.
ment figures might increase, reflecting increased sea- Finally, the city owns the Municipal Airport now
sonal employment by the city. A reorganization of scheduled to become a part of the National Arts and
city administration, creating the position of city Recreation Center; the Southside Community Center,
controller, has increased operating efficiences and built as a W.P.A. project during the Depression and
made it possible to anticipate little increase in regular acquired by the city in 1936; and the City Cemetery
staff. This does not, however, bar the possibility of in which the last acquisition was made in 1911.
the city shifting additional responsibilities to the
..•. county or of changes in staffing resulting from the City Finance
passage of a new city charter.* The major industry in Ithaca is higher education.
City Facilities Because much of this industry, Cornell University, is
located within the city limits, Ithaca is in the unique
The City of Ithaca owns 20 buildings which range position of having the six percent of its land owned
in use from pumping stations to office buildings. The by the University exempt from property taxes. An
original city hall, built in 1844, which included additional 17 percent of the city's assessable land and
offices for the Police Department and the Central Fire
P property is exempt because of such uses as public
Station, was in the area of the Central Business Dis- schools, parks and municipal services. As a result of
trict designated for urban renewal in 1963. In order both the University and other land uses, 33 percent
to make room for urban renewal and to consolidate
of the total real property in the city is tax exempt.
all the municipal operations in one building, the city The support of city government; street paving, main-
"° hall was relocated to the other side of the Central tenance and lighting; and parks and open space to
Business District in 1965. enhance the city's safety and environment comes from
Despite the desire for consolidation of city offices, the taxes on 66 percent of the city's land and taxable
it was decided by the Common Council that the property. In 1968 close to 35 percent of the city's
r Central Fire Station and Police Department should
p total revenue came from property tax. It is estimated
be housed under separate roofs. As a result, a new that the percentage of city revenue to come from
ar $500,000 Central Fire Station was constructed in property taxes will drop to 24 percent in 1969.
1968 and Bibbins Hall was acquired from Agway Inc. In the past five years the cost of city operation
for $164,000 to house the Police Department, City has increased by 32 percent. However, Table III.3
Court and Traffic Violations Bureau. All three of these indicates property tax revenues make up a smaller
city office buildings are within walkin g distance of
percentage of the total revenues in 1969 than they did
each other. The Common Council allocated $35,000 in 1965. In 1968 a county sales tax was levied. The
for the renovation of the City Hall, built in 1939, and county transferred $500,000 of the sales tax revenue
its adjacent annex, built in 1914. Both the main build- to the city. This new revenue made it possible for
ing and the annex were acquired from the New York the city to begin to curtail increases in the property
State Electric and Gas Corporation for $250,000. The tax rates despite the increased cost of government.
renovation of Bibbins Hall,built in 1940, cost$270,000. Action taken by the Ithaca Common Council in 1969
It is anticipated that these new and renewed office will entitle the city to one and one-half percent of
facilities should serve the city for at least the next the sales taxes collected from retail sales within the
25 years. city. Therefore, in the future, sales tax revenue will
In addition to the main city offices, the city also continue as a significant contributor to the city's
owns the water treatment facilities: the water filtra- spendable monies, helping to hold the city property
tion plant built in 1929 with additions in 1938 and tax rates to a minimum,
1951; the water building built in 1938 with an addi- The total revenue for the City of Ithaca in 1968
tion in 1941; and a sewage treatment plant built in was $3,148,276. This revenue came to the city from
1895 with additions in 1959 and 1964. Seven pumping 25 different sources. The most important of these
sources were property taxes (62 percent), state aid
° A new City Charter was proposed to the voters is The (13 percent) and special activities (8 percent). Both
revised charter was defeated at the polls in November er o of f that
year. the Water and Sewer Divisions of the Department of
�- 45
■rr
>rrr
Public Works collect revenue, but each of these ser- time period the allocation of monies for staff by •
vices is a self-supporting operation and are not in- department indicates that only the controller's staff
cluded here in total city revenue. In 1968 Cornell Uni- and the planning staff have increased significantly. .
versity gave $25,000 to the city for fire protection and In 1969, 14 percent of the city's total revenue was
assumed one-third or up to $7,500 of the city's losses allocated for debt service. The total debt for the city
on the Community Transit System. The University has was $5,084,560. Thirty-nine percent of the city's pres- .
extended this agreement to include 1969. ent debt is self-liquidating. In the past five years the
The City of Ithaca allocates its annual General city's total revenue has increased by 105 percent while
Fund working budget into the 11 categories indicated its debt has increased by 253 percent. Despite the .
on Table IIIA. The General Fund is one of the three greater increase in debt compared to increase in
working funds of the City Finance Department. The revenue, the city is still well below the safe upper
other two funds are devoted specifically to the opera- limit of 25 percent of revenue for debt services set by .
tions of the Water Department and the Sewer Depart- analysts.
ment. The General Fund handles all other city ex-
penditures. Over the past five years (1965 to 1969) POLICE PROTECTION .
the annual General Fund expenditures of the city The Ithaca Police Department serves three major
have increased by 60 percent. The major allocations functions: traffic control, protection of property and
are still in the same categories that they were five protection of lives. In 1969 the Ithaca Police Depart- .
years ago: public safety and streets and sanitation. ment employed 49 professionally-trained policemen.
These major allocations, however, are proportionately In addition to these professionals the department hires
less of the total budget than they were in 1965. As three meter checkers, two meter maintenance men, .
Table 111.4 indicates, the allocations in all categories and 13 school guards.
have increased since 1965. While the police force covers the entire city,
While the total budget allocations for staff have special coverage is provided to commercial areas of
increased by 35 percent in the past five years, the the city-the Central Business District, the West End,
relative share of the city budget going toward staff the Elmira Road area, and Collegetown. Particular em-
has decreased from 12 to 10 percent. In the same phasis is placed on the Central Business District
TABLE 111.3: Actual revenues for the City of Ithaca, 1966 through 1968
1966 1967 1968 rs
Type of Revenue $ % $ % $ %
Non-property taxes 63,923 2.4 65,687 2.2 69,681 2.2
Payment in lieu of taxes 25,593 0.8
Franchises 2,567 0.1 2,829 0.1 3,035 0.1
Interest and penalties 9,162 0.4 8,101 0.3 9,637 0.3 ■.,,
Licenses 7,263 0.3 6,194 0.2 7,210 0.2 a
Permits 6,845 0.3 7,518 0.2 8,266 0.3
Interest & earnings on deposits 799 0.03 14,386 0.5 10,818 0.3 No
Rentals 21,540 0.8 24,109 0.8 22,716 0.7 to
Charges for services 23,903 0.9 18,170 0.6 34,896 1.1
Charges for services, other gov. 41,949 1.6 41,128 1.4 43,005 1.4
Rental fees 16,032 0.6 17,523 0.6 14,608 0.5 no
Income, special activities 225,480 8.6 263,945 8.7 250,393 8.0 %W
State aid 367,821 14.1 405,278 13.3 411,394 13.1
Reimbursement, appro. expand. 38,516 1.5 11,633 0.4 27,372 0.9 om
Reimbursement, other services 3,324 0.1 1,920 0..06 921 0.03 err
Fines, penalties, forfeitures 74,406 2.9 45,829 1.5 52,086 1.7
Sale of assets, comp. loss 3,595 0.1 224,726 7.4 6,370 0.2
Contributions 3,849 0.1 34,784 1.1 83,078 1.1
Miscellaneous 5,826 0.2 54,852 1.8 6,884 0.2
Interfund reimbursements 518 0.01 846 0.03 503 0.02
Interfund transfer, debt service 13,000 0.5 24,122 0.8 59,980 1.9
Interfund revenue 60,590 2.3 42,060 1.4 96,127 3.1
Property tax 1,619,406 62.0 1 1,722,443 56.7 11,9 53,733 62.1
Total revenue 2,609,911 99.8 1 3,038,063 100.1 13,148,276 100.2
r
SOURCE: Ithaca City Budgets, 1966 through 1968.
46
lot
TABLE 111.4: General Fund Budget Allocations by Dollar and Percent for the City of Ithaca, 1964 to 1968*
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Ali General Fund $ $ % $ % $ % $ %
Item Change Change Change Change
Legislative 7,328 7,541 + 3 7,911 + 5 66,615 +742 41,720 - 37
(Council)
Judicial 25,158 36,018 + 4 42,484 + 18 40,843 - 4 43,972 + 8
Executive 4,513 12,054 +167 12,323 + 2 13,722 + 12 15,730 + 15
Staff 298,779 284,088 + 6 304,448 + 7 361,062 + 19 403,706 + 12
Public Safety 709,372 790,328 + 11 828,251 + 5 981,951 + 19 1,087,888 + 11
Streets & Sanitation 425,837 573,638 + 35 563,847 - 2 620,198 + 10 709,218 + 14
Health 3,013 3,004 - 3,009 - 3,012 - 3,512 + 17
Recreation 129,996 139,949 + 8 170,025 +22 200,699 + 15 240,392 +20
Special Activities 80,329 116,620 + 45 78,816 -32 114,048 + 45 126,743 + 11
General (Miscellaneous) 532,038 588,272 + 11 587,363 - 537,976 - 8 723,728 +35
Debt Service 197,537 274,443 + 39 365,394 +33 350,979 - 4 477,321 +27
�^ Total 2,413,900 2,825,955 + 17 2,963,771 + 5 3,291,100 + 11 3,873,980 + 2
ICI
*The adopted budget.
which is covered by four regular footbeats. The resi- Service Area
dential areas are, in turn, covered by three mobile The Ithaca Fire Department serves the city and
^^ units. contracts with the Town of Ithaca to service a por-
The police force is already short of manpower.
tion of it. The city's contract with the town gives the
Citizen requests for additional footbeats in the West Fire Department the responsibility for all of the
*� End Business District and in the Collegetown area town except the Village of Cayuga Heights and the
are going unanswered. The Police Department antici-
northeast portion of the town east of the village line
pates that in the next five years they will have to to Forest Home. The city Fire Department also pro-
add ten men to the police force. Despite the man- vides service to the portion of the New York State
p ower shortages, it is expected that the new p olice
College of Agriculture at Cornell outside of the city.
facility which went into operation in the fall of 1969 The town's contract with the city was $20,885 in 1969.
will accommodate the Police Department's equipment
IW needs for well over a decade. Facilities and Equipment
,." Facilities Three of the city's five fire stations are located in
After the demolition of the old City Hall, the the Central Business District. One each is located in
Police Department was located in the basement of the East Hill and Fall Creek Neighborhoods. The city
-� the new City Hall. In October 1969 the department owns seven engines and two ladder trucks. It is antici-
moved to its newly renovated quarters in the Hall of pated that one aerial will be replaced by 1971 and one
Justice. The city purchased the building from Agway engine will be replaced in 1972 or 1973. Both of these
for $163,786. The renovation of the building, con- new machines will be larger than the two being re-
structed in 1940, cost the city $52,158. In addition, tired. Within the next six years it will be necessary to
$54,251 was put into equipment for the Police Depart- replace an additional two engines. The life expectancy
•�+ ment and the new facility. The Hall of Justice con- of Fire Department machinery is 20 to 25 years. In
tains eight detaining cells, two for women and six addition to the present equipment needs,the increasing
for men, as well as a new radio communications cost of fire equipment will require an increase from
*� system for the city's eight patrol cars and one radar $12,500 to $25,000 in the city's appropriations for
No wagon. capital equipment in the next five years.
Of the five stations in the city, two are new, com-
pleted in 1968. Although the other three buildings
The purpose of the Fire Department is to protect are old, a good program of preventive maintenance
the residents, their property, and the community in- has forestalled deterioration. The only construction
frastructure from damage and destruction by fire. The anticipated for the next 15 years will be in response to
W City of Ithaca has five fire stations, 50 full-time em- condemnation of an existing station for highway right-
ployees, and 550 trained volunteer firemen. of-way or consolidation of the city and town into one
�** 47
Irr
C
P"
TABLE 111.5: Quantity and Description of Machinery Begun in 1948, all the fire departments in the county to
Owned by the Ithaca Fire Department agreed, in the case of need, to pool their equipment
in 1969 and manpower. This cooperation makes specialized 1W
equipment and trained manpower readily available so
Machine Total No. Number and Capacity in the event of a fire which exceeds the capabilities
Engine 7 3 1250 gal./min. of a local fire department. The assisting department s
3 750 gal./min. will either participate in fighting the fire or covering
1 500 gal./min. the locality's stations while its equipment is employed
Aerials 2 1 75 feet in fighting a major fire. ■w
(Ladder trucks) 1 85 feet
CIVIL DEFENSE PROTECTION
fire district. It is possible that the fire station at the It is the objective of Civil Defense to coordinate
west end of the Central Business District, Neighbor- local government operations in any natural disaster
hood 7, may be in the right-of-way of the relocated or national emergency and to provide guidance and
Route 13. The exact location of the highway has not assistance in developing local emergency prepared-
yet been determined. Should the city consolidate ness. In addition to developing and provisioning a
with the town into one fire district and considerable fallout shelter system in existing buildings,this agency
new development take place adjacent to the new and its volunteer citizens are equipped and trained
Ithaca College location, an additional station may to assist in the event of a natural disaster such as a
have to be built on South Hill. Consolidation of the flood,tornado, major fire, or blizzard.
fire district has not, however, been officially proposed. Since 1950 Civil Defense has been a department ®'
of the county government. As provided in the New
Manpower York State Defense Emergency Act, the chief execu-
The Fire Department operates on a 24-hour-a-day tives of the county, city, villages, and townships are
basis. Full coverage requires 12 men, 24 hours a day. responsible for Civil Defense within their political
The department employs 50 men to maintain this subdivisions in both national emergencies and natural
continuous coverage. The department's annual pay- disasters. Pip
roll is $404,131 plus the health insurance and retire- Civil Defense has a full-time paid director and lit
ment benefits paid by the city. secretary, as well as a part-time shelter officer. Nearly
The 550 trained volunteer firemen work directly 2,000 volunteers have registered in Civil Defense. Of
with the professionals. In addition to their initial these, several hundred are currently trained and
training and answering calls, these volunteers partici- active. The annual budget for the agency is about
pate in one or two drills a month. It is estimated that $20,000. Civil Defense maintains a local government
the volunteer fire force saves the city $500,000 a year, radio system which provides administrative communi-
cations among key agencies in the city and county
Quality of Fire Protection in times of emergency. The agency also owns a num-
The city's five fire stations are fairly centrally ber of mobile two-way radios, base stations, and a
located within the fire districts and the areas of most relay station.
dense population. All neighborhoods within the city A natural disaster coordinating center is main-
are within a reasonable run (in time and distance) tained in Ithaca. This local center includes extensive
from adequate machinery. Evidence of the quality of communications capabilities. The agency owns a fully
fire protection in Ithaca is the American Insurance equipped light rescue truck which is on call for any
Association's Class 4 rating. A Class 4 is the highest local emergency.
grade a city with a professional-volunteer fire force An increase of at least two persons on the full-time
can achieve. The class grade is assigned on the basis of staff of the Civil Defense Agency is projected for the
the city's building code, the enforcement of the city's next 15 years, with additional equipment and stock-
building code, an adequate water supply and distri- piles to be procured as needed.
bution system, the quality of the city's alarm system,
and the overall quality of the Fire Department in terms Fallout Shelters
of administration and staffing. While it is evident that There are 44,222 shelter spaces in structures with-
the costs of maintaining service will increase, it is in the City of Ithaca. These city shelter spaces repre-
anticipated that Ithaca will continue to retain its Class sent 78 percent of the shelter spaces in the county.
4 rating in the future. Of the 44,222 spaces in the city, 23 percent of them
The Ithaca Fire Department is further supported are stocked with medical and food provisions. Stock-
by a countywide mutual aid coordinating group. ing and licensing of shelters is done only with the
48
rr�
permission of the building owner. Shortage of storage librarians and 11 full-time non-professionals in the
space accounts for the low percentage of stocked next decade. Rather, it is anticipated that there will
-" shelters in the city. be shifts in responsibilities to accommodate the ex-
IM Designation of any additional shelter spaces will be pected increase in library use.
made as new buildings are constructed in the county. Care was taken in the construction of the new
""" As a result, it is difficult to determine the number of building to provide for future expansion. Not only
'M shelter spaces which will be added in the future. If the may two rooms be added, but provision has been
Civil Defense Agency is to meet the national goal of made for double-tier stacks when they are needed.
providing a space for each county resident, it will have Construction of a branch library provides a third
to make provisions for an additional 23,564 shelter alternative for expansion. While it is not anticipated
spaces by 1970 and 36,077 shelter spaces by 1980.* that the present library facility will need expansion
... LIBRARY FACILITIES before 1990, it is possible that a branch library may
rr. be established in the county before then.
Good public library service is an important factor
-- in the continuing efforts of the community to meet Finger Lakes Library System
the educational, cultural, and recreational demands In 1958 the Tompkins County Library became the
of its citizenry. The recently completed Tompkins central library for the newly established State Finger
*�* County Library, located in the City of Ithaca, plays Lakes Library System. Five counties are members of
an important role in community activity. The library's the Finger Lakes Library System region. State aid
current book collection consists of about 110,000 is provided to each region on the basis of the number
*^- volumes, including books purchased with State Book of counties, the population, and the size (by square
Aid,and 185 magazine and 15 newspaper subscriptions. miles) in the region. The staff of the Finger Lakes
The collection also includes 2,500 long-playing records Library System provides a number of services to local
rand 30 sets of foreign language records. A growing libraries who choose to join the system: (1) they
collection of 16mm films is available through the order and process new acquisitions; (2) they provide
Finger Lakes Library System. The data on the num- grants-in-aid; (3) they make consultants available for
"" ber of registered borrowers, Table I11.6, indicates collection, selection, acquisitions, cataloguing, inven-
`W that there has been almost a steady increase in city tory, renovation and training; and (4) they compile
and county residents taking advantage of the library's rotating collections for the member libraries. The
facilities. The most rapid increase in borrowers has Finger Lakes Library System covers 2,541 square
come in the past two years, 1968 and 1969. The library miles and a population of 235,256. The Finger Lakes
staff anticipates a continued increase in usage now Library System also provides bookmobile service to
that the new building is completed. Counts for the 44 areas without libraries in the five counties. Nine of
�rw
TABLE 111.6: Number of Registered Borrowers from these areas are located in Tompkins County.
Tompkins County Library 1965-1969 A comparison of the Finger Lakes Library System
i to other New York library systems similar in at least
Number of Percent Increase/Decrease two of the three designating characteristics indicates
Year Borrowers in Borrowers that the Finger Lakes System ranks about the middle
■r 1965 14,789 - in terms of the number of books held and low in terms
1966 15,843 +7.1 of total circulation and total operating fund receipts
1967 15,812 _ .2 from local, state and federal sources.
WIN 1968 16,720 +5.7 Representatives of the Finger Lakes Library Sys-
1969 17,019 + 1.8 tem anticipate that in the future all libraries in the
region will become members of the system. Presently
�*- SOURCE: Director, Tompkins County Library, July 27 of the ossible 29 libraries are members. A future
1969. goal of the library system is to establish a number of
first five months in the new building show a 23 per- reading centers in communities which are too small
cent increase in circulation and a 63 percent increase to support a library but wish to provide some facility
in reference requests. The increased demand on refer- for educational, cultural, and recreational reading.
ence personnel has exceeded all expectations. The The library system would loan books to the local
director of the library does not, however, foresee an reading center for a period of time.
expansion of his staff of nine full-time professional
° These figures are based on the state Office of Planning Coordi- EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
nation's population projections for Tompkins County. The OPC Education is of greater im ortance to Ithaca than
estimates Tompkins County's population will be 79,952 in 1970 g p
and 92,465 in 1980. to most cities of the same size. The local residents and
49
L
employees and students of Cornell University and Together the two new junior high schools will be •
Ithaca College have a vital concern in education as equipped to handle 2,100 students. In response to the
a process and a way of life, and in turn they take actual concentration of school age population, the .
particular interest in maintaining an outstanding two proposed school sites favor the northeastern
public school system for their children. The extent of section of the district. Enrollment projections for 1990
this dedication is reflected in the fact that approxi- anticipate 2,750 students in junior high school. By .
mately 90 percent of the children entering the Ithaca 1990 the southern and western areas of the district
public schools finish high school and over 60 percent will probably gain sufficiently in population to war-
of those who graduate continue their education. rant the building of a third junior high there.
Every child in the community directly benefits
from the high quality of elementary and secondary TABLE 111.7: Public School Standards Determined
education in Ithaca. Similarly, every member of the by the Ithaca Board of Education
community benefits directly or indirectly from the TYPE STANDARDS
economic presence of institutions of higher learning
in Ithaca. Recommended National Standard-1/2 mile for elementary
Walking schools and 1 mile for secondary schools.
Ithaca City School District Distance Ithaca City School District-4/10 of a mile
The Ithaca City School District includes about for elementary schools and 2 miles for
secondary schools.
half of Tompkins County. The district contains one
high school, two junior high schools, and 13 elemen- Recommended Elementary-3 acres plus 1 acre for
tary schools. Ten of these 16 schools are presently Site Size each 100 pupils enrolled, with a minimum
located within the city. The remaining six are located of 5 acres. f1
in the suburban and rural areas of the district. The Junior and Senior High Schools-5 acres
rest of the count beyond the Ithaca City School plus 2 acres for each 100 pupils up to an
Y Y Y enrollment of 500; above 500, 1 acre is
System is served by the Central School Districts of added for each 100 pupils. The minimum
Dryden, Groton, Lansing, Newfield and Trumans- size is 10 acres.
burg. Recommended Elementary—Minimum 405, maximum 810
The City of Ithaca has within its limits seven Building Junior High—Minimum 750, maximum 1500
elementary schools, two junior high schools, and a Capacity Senior High—Minimum 1000, maximum 2500
senior high school. These schools served 5,950 stu-
dents in 1969. The average age of the elementary Student Sixty-five professionals for every 1000 pupils
Teacher at each level. Professionals include adminis-
school buildings is 42 years while the average age of the Ratio trators, teachers, and academic specialists.
junior high school buildings is 49 years. The Ithaca SOURCE: Ithaca Board of Education, August 1969.
High School was built in 1960. According to the
standards laid down by the Board of Education as
listed on Table 111.7, five of the city's elementary The district is presently well-served by its high
schools have less than minimum enrollment and only school. Future space needs should be easily met:
two meet the City Board of Educations's recommend- the design of the high school is such that additions may
ed site size. The data on Table 111.8 indicates that be made at a reasonable cost, when and if this be-
the average number of students per room in 1970 comes necessary. Some buildings in the high school
ranged between 17 and 28. Only one of these elemen- complex now being used for administrative purposes
tary schools lacks a cafeteria and gym; all have a are also suitable for classrooms. W
library. It is anticipated in the City Education Plan School population projections indicate that present
that Boynton Junior High School will be remodeled high school facilities will reach their capacity in
into a new, 16 room elementary school when the new 1990. After that time facilities may need expanding.
junior high school is completed. This newly re-
modeled facility will relieve some of the pressure on Table III.9 indicates that the highest average in-
Henry St. John Elementary School. crease in student enrollment to 1990 is anticipated in
Two obsolete buildings presently serve 1,873
the K-6 or elementary school grades. The large num-
junior high school pupils. DeWitt Junior High School ber in the elementary grades in 1975 will mean that
by 1990 the high school will feel increased pressure
is the oldest, built in 1912, and largest of the two
junior high schools in terms of students per classroom on its classroom space and teaching staff.
and enrollment. The School Board plans to replace It is expected that the Ithaca Consolidated School
these with two new junior high schools. Both of these District will eventually encompass the entire county.
new junior high schools will be beyond the city limits. The resources of such a large school district would
50
4W r TABLE 111.8: Description of Public Schools within the City of Ithaca by Age,
Number of Rooms, Site Size, and Student Enrollment, 1970
Average
Age of
Site Present Number Students Total
Schools Struc- Age of Size Student Maximum of per Number
Within ture in Addition in Enroll- Student Class- Class- Has Has Has of Grade
aa.. Ithaca Years if Any Acres ment Capacity rooms room Library Cafeteria Gym Buildings Levels
Belle Sherman
Elementary School 43 16 3.26 509 626 22 23.1 yes yes yes 2 K-6
Central
Elementary School 46 7 1.29 258 297 11 23.5 yes yes yes 1 K-6
East Hill
Elementary School 89 16 1.58 173 170 10 17.3 yes no no 1 1-6
Fall Creek
Elementary School 37 5 1.81 301 405 12 25.0 yes yes yes 1 Pre-K-6
y Henry St. John
Elementary School 44 - 1.45 253 250 11 23.0 yes yes yes 1 K-6
4WO South Hill
to Elementary School 15 - 4.39 475 540 17 27.9 yes yes yes 1 K-6
West Hill
Elementary School 17 - 6.25 278 351 11 25.2 yes yes yes 1 K-6
60 Boynton Junior
High School 39 14 1.30 816 825 28 29.1 yes yes yes 1 7.9
DeWitt Junior
so High School 59 29 1.55 1,057 1,000 29 36.4 yes yes yes 1 7-9
Ithaca High
School 9 5 48.00 1,833 2,258 55 33.3 yes yes yes 10 10.12
SOURCE: Board of Education, Assistant Superintendent of Education, February 1970.
oil" make it possible for the district to provide some of Each school district participating in the BOCES
6W the specialized services to the smaller school districts program pays according to the extent to which it uses
in Tompkins County now made available by the the various services. Over the past four years the
Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). BOCES budget has exceeded two million dollars.
After the completion of the two new junior high TABLE 111.9: Enrollments and School Population
schools, the school board does not anticipate any new Projections by Percent Increase from
"""O construction until 1978. Pressures may be felt in the 1960 to 1980
11111110 West Hill and Belle Sherman schools as the areas
Percent Increase K-6 7-9 10.12 K•12
they serve in the Town of Ithaca become more Bevel-
4"M oped. The Board is considering acquiring sites for a 1960-1965 8 9 19 10
new elementary school and new junior high school on 1965-1970 2 1 6 2
West Hill and building an addition to the new Belle 1970-1975 17 5 4 12
Sherman school to meet the needs in these areas as 1975.1980 14 18 10 14
they develop after 1975. Average Increase 10 8 9 10
SOURCE: Ithaca School District: Population and En-
P., rollment Studies, Table 1: Enrollments,
111W Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Continuity Rates, Projections. Egner and
Niederkorn Assoc. Inc., Ithaca, New York,
Initially formed in 1948, BOCES administers edu- April 1967.
a cational programs to a multi-county area. BOCES
provides special educational services which the indi- TABLE 111.10: Absolute Enrollment Projected for
am vidual counties cannot themselves afford. The Tomp- 1970 through 1990
IN kins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES provides services ranging K-6 7-9 10.12 K-12
from a film library to data processing, occupational 1970 4,578 1,911 1,775 8,264
education, specialized teachers, special education for
i mentally, emotionally, or physically handicapped chil- 1980 6,056 2, 2, 10,404
dren, and adult education. 1990 7,905 2,7750 50 2,2271 71 12,926
w�! 51
f�
S ' 1
_ 3
�f} Alf-
.©Q
i
..00000v ��
.00000❖.o �
' TABLE 111.11: Distribution of Staff by Responsibility, Sex, and Level of Education in 1966
MA or
Total Men Women BA Equiv. MA Ph.D. Median
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % Salary
Classroom Teachers 419 127 40 292 70 230 55 146 35 40 10 3 1 $ 7,000
w Special Service 39 17 45 22 56 3 8 19 49 14 36 3 8 $11,000
Personnel
err Administrators 31 25 81 6 19 2 7 19 61 6 19 4 13 $13,000
SOURCE: League of Women Voters of Tompkins Co., Know Your Schools, February 1967, p. 6.
At present, the activities of BOCES are housed The Tompkins-Cortland Community College is
in scattered classrooms throughout the participating presently housed in the old Groton High School. A
districts. A referendum was passed in the spring of site in Dryden has been selected for a new multi-
'' 1968 authorizing the construction of a $3,500,000 million dollar campus which will adequately serve
center which will accommodate all activities of those residents in Tompkins and Cortland Counties
^' BOCES. who are eligible for the community college.
Presently BOCES is placing its emphasis on physi- Cornell University was opened in 1868 as one of
cally, mentally, or emotionally handicapped children. the first land-grant colleges. Over the past century the
It appears, however, that more federal funding is curriculum has grown in complexity and size to in-
being made available for occupational training. With elude fourteen schools and colleges, ten of which are
the availability of this additional funding, there may privately sponsored and four of which are operated
be some shift in program emphasis to occupational as units of the New York State University.
training. The original student body of about 100 has grown
The enlargement of the Ithaca Consolidated to roughly 14,000 with an additional 7,485 faculty and
School District may make unnecessary some of the staff in the Ithaca area. No really accurate prediction
rrr services which BOCES now provides. can be made of Cornell's enrollment, but estimates
place the 1990 enrollment at 21,000.
om Higher Education To meet the pressures which this numerical
to growth will exert upon the existing facilities, Cornell
Three schools for higher education are located in will focus on redeveloping itself as a pedestrian cam-
Alm Tompkins County: Cornell University, Ithaca College, pus, with academic buildings concentrated between
and Tompkins-Cortland Community College. Cascadilla and Fall Creek Gorges. Achieving this con-
The Tompkins-Cortland Community College, centration will necessitate more intensive building in
founded in 1967, will have the commitment to an the core of the campus. High rise buildings will be
"open door" admission policy for residents of the two employed in order to minimize land coverage.
counties. The comprehensive community college is Ithaca College was founded as the Ithaca Conser-
"'�" designed to provide a two-year course of study for vatory of Music in 1892. The school was, up to 1967,
three groups of students: those interested in advanc- located in the heart of the city facing onto DeWitt
ing to a bachelor degree program after high school; Park.
those wishing to get some training before they enter The College is privately endowed and now offers
industry, business, or government; and an adult degrees in the social sciences, humanities, sciences,
education program in conjunction with BOCES for mathematics, art, business administration, physical
those who are out of school for a period, but who are education, physical therapy, speech, speech therapy,
interested in continuing their education. pathology and audiology, and television and radio.
Of the present enrollment of 143 full- and 250 part- The geographical distribution of the student body
time students, approximately 60 percent are from is oriented toward New York State. Fifty-eight per-
Tompkins County and 40 percent are from Cortland cent of the student body is from New York State. The
County. It is anticipated that the College's enrollment present enrollment of Ithaca College is 3,600 under-
r,,,, will expand to 1,500 full- and 2,000 part-time students graduates and 100 graduate students. The college em-
by the end of the 1970's. ploys 700 staff members.
53
�rrr
err
TOMPKINS COUNTY
SCALE
0 2 3 4 MILES
1 0 1 Z 3 A 5 KILOMETERS
50.000 bot erd EasM on New Ywx< .n cen raI zwN
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L E G E N D L_
ITHACA CITY LANSING SCHO
O,C H E M _ -° �`- I f; SCHOOL DISTRICT for GIRLS
-� GEORGE
I � ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JR. REPUBLIC t
JR. HIGH SCHOOLS TOMWV I CORTLANtD
L T 1�0 G A J LL�!-J a DISTRICTS (new) COMMUNTY COLLEGE
1 y
A I HIGH SCHOOL ITHACA COLLEN
MAP '1'.L F aaDISTRICT PUS CAMPUS a LANDS
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER & CONTINUING EDUCATIOC 4
err
err In 1967 a new campus on South Hill just beyond neighborhoods in the city are within walking distance
the city limits was dedicated. This fine complex of or have some bus service to the Central Business Dis-
-- buildings will eventually be completed by the con- trict. Third, office space with adequate parking is
aw struction of two dormitory buildings, a chapel, and a more readily available in the Central Business Dis-
fine arts building. trict. Finally, the location of existing social services
," Ithaca College, with its intentionally small pro- in Ithaca has acted as a stimulus to the location of
grams and its emphasis on the performing arts, speech, new social service organizations in the same area.
and physical education, offers a different type of pro- This physical proximity facilitates communications
Aw gram from those of either Cornell University or and exchange between organizations.
40 Tompkins-Cortland Community College. This unique In recent years the United Fund, which offers
dimension adds a healthly balance to the scope of some financial support to 14 percent of the local and
higher education in Ithaca and Tompkins County. county social service organizations, created the Social
W6 Planning Council as a coordinating body for services
SOCIAL SERVICES receiving United Fund monies. The main purpose of
An important aspect of community development is the Social Planning Council is to increase inter-
the level of community organization.As more emphasis organization communications and reduce duplicate or
is placed on citizen participation in decision-making overlapping functions among agencies serving Tomp-
in federal, state, and local community development kins County, the City of Ithaca, and the towns within
programs, it has become increasingly important to the county.
define the community's experience in working together According to the Social Planning Council's 1969
and its potential for effective organization. annual financial report, five cents of every dollar of
There are 378 organizations in Tompkins County. effective buying power in the county is spent on social
The City Planning Office has classified 141, or 37 per- services. The Council figures 49 percent, or almost
cent, of these county organizations as specifically $9,000,000, of the gross budgets of the county, the city,
social service in nature. Of these 141 organizations 47 and the United Fund go to social services. Of this
percent serve the city, which represents about a third amount, 87 percent comes from the county, two per-
of the county's population. cent from the city and ten percent from the United
Table 111.12 shows the distribution of social ser- Fund. Table 11I.13 indicates expenditures on social
vice organization headquarters in the City of Ithaca. services by program area of service. The county con-
"'�� A review of the number and percent of organizations centrates its monies on health services; the majority
located in each neighborhood reveals that 48 percent of the city's monies go to group work which includes
of all social service organizations in the county are recreation; and the larger part of the United Fund
located in the Central Business District, Neighbor- monies go to group work and family counseling. Pro-
hood 7. There are, no doubt, several explanations for grams for the elderly receive the smallest percentage
the social service centrality of Neighborhood 7. First, of support (two percent).
Ithaca is the county seat and as such the county In a survey completed in 1968, the United Fund
government offices are located here. Second, most measured community response to and use of the social
services which it supports. A review of the responses
TABLE 111.12: Social Services with Headquarters in from city residents indicates that the most highly
go the City, by Interest
valued social services to city residents are the Associa-
tion of Mental Health, the Boy Scouts, the Family
om Percent of
to No. Located Social Service and Children's Service (a private counseling and
Type of Social Service in City in County adoption agency), the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army
and the Senior Citizens. The services most frequently
om Health 22 59 used by the city residents who responded were the Boy
to Youth 6 86
Scouts, Girl Scouts, SPCA, Women's Community
Religious 3 100 Building, and the YMCA. The emphasis on youth
Coordinating Bodies 6 55 programs among the agencies most frequently used
Education 15 94 may be explained, in part, by the fact that 70 percent
Law Enforcement and Government 8 94 of the respondents were married and 59 percent of the
Special Interest 16 73
respondents had at least one child.
Recreation and Conservation 18 80 The fact that the most highly valued programs
Development and Neighborhood 15 82 and the most frequently used do not overlap more is
Improvement
� TOTAL 109 77 not unusual. Some of the services provided are de-
signed for highly specific clientele. There were, for
oft 55
11W
sm
to
I111t.
C I T Y O F
ITHACA
N E W Y O R K
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUNE, 1970 \ .
C A Y U G A LANE
El
�_ T � 2 J �• � - • _ _
;� ,.. . LL
A,
LEGEND
ORGANIZATIONS serving
\ ITHACA AREA
ORGANIZATION serving
TOWN outside ITHACA
�J ■ ORGANIZATIONS serving
TOMPKCNS`°"COl4NTY x �
MAP 11 13 MULTI-COUNOTY REGION� .
....... .ERVIC ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERS
OCATED IN THE CITY, 1969
wrr
example, 3.2 times as many young people (zero to become inflexible and fail to respond to the real needs
18 years) as there were senior citizens (60 years and of the community. With 141 social service organiza-
over) in Tompkins County in 1960. What is impor- tions, Ithaca and Tompkins County have no need for
tant, however, is that the residents of the city recog- an increase in absolute numbers.What is really needed
nize the importance to the life of the community of is flexibility, communications, and community under-
providing special programs such as programs for the standing by the existing organizations.
elderly. The Social Planning Council is trying to
attack the fund distribution problem on the basis of Certainly the very existence of 378 organizations,
what the community itself values, rather than on 141 of which are social service organizations, and the
► what exists. The hope is that by coordination and expenditure of almost $9,000,000, indicates that the
communication the existing social services can reduce county and city residents are not apathetic about their
�- the overlap in their programs and free up monies for community and the services and opportunities it offers
+ + new social services which the community feels it to its residents. These non-social service and social
needs. Such an operation is a cooperative one. With- service organizations provide the city and county with
out the kind of direction stressed by the Social Plan- a backlog of interested and experienced people to
r ning Council the multitude of social services can assist in the community's development programs.
TABLE 111.13: County, City, and United Fund Expenditures on Social Services
low
United
County Percent City Percent Fund Percent Percent
Class Dollars of total Dollars of total Dollars of total Total of total
Health 6,242,138 79.4 3,010 1.9 161,292 17.7 6,406,460 71.6
Percent of total
who Health 97.4 .1 2.5 100.0
m Family Counseling 1,560,841 19.8 5,700 2.9 250,174 27.6 1,816,715 20.4
Percent of total
Family Counseling 85.9 .4 13.7 100.0
Group Work 50,929 .8 172,682 94.3 478,934 52.9 702,545 7.8
Percent of total
«� Group Work 7.4 24.5 68.1 100.0
Elderly 0 .0 1,710 .9 14,170 1.8 15,880 .2
, Percent of total
Elderly 0 10.8 89.2 100.0
Total 7,853,928 100.0 183,102 100.0 904,570 100.0 8,941,600 100.0
r Percent of total 87.8 1 1 2.1 1 10.1 100.0
SOURCE: Social Planning Council Evaluation Committee Financial Report, February 5, 1969, p. 5.
No
57
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a
IV. COMMUNITY FACILITIES
j
aril
WATER SUPPLY average flow of four and three-tenths MGD and a
Water supply is one of the most important factors minimum of two and eight-tenths MGD.*
�.r in urban life. At the present time there are two water Extensive hydrology studies indicate that the city's
supply systems serving the Ithaca area: the Ithaca present water source on Six Mile Creek cannot be
Water System and the Cornell University Water depended upon to meet demands greater than the
System. present demands. The present storage capacity is
inadequate to meet the present level of use in a
The City Water System drought similar to that of 1964-65.
i> The Ithaca Water System currently serves an
estimated population of 29,400. This system derives Storage and Distribution System
,..,, its supply from a reservoir on Six Mile Creek im-
+rr pounded by the Sixty Foot Dam. The dependable yield The city's distribution system consists of a net-
of this source is estimated to be five and two-fifths work of serviceable cast iron water mains, seven
... million gallons per day (MGD). The city treatment pumping stations, and 17 storage tanks. As develop-
plant has a present capacity of eight MGD and a ment occurs on the west side of West Hill an addi-
potential capacity of ten MGD. tional water storage tank will have to be constructed.
Water flows by gravity from the reservoir to the Because of the topographical differentiation in the
rl city treatment plant on Water Street where it is
settled, filtered, and chlorinated. About half of the TABLE IVA: Drawing Capacity of the Ithaca City
,... water processed flows from the treatment plant by Water Reservoir in 1970 and Projected
irr gravity to serve the lower part of the city. The balance for Daily Increases of .08, .16, and .25
of the treated water is pumped by seven pumping Million Gallons
�.., stations to the higher areas on the hills to the west, Daily Water Annual Average Demand Peak Period Demand*
IW south, and east of the city. Consumption (days of safety) (days of safety)
The service area of the present system includes
in MGD****
+.. the entire City of Ithaca, exclusive of Cornell Uni- Low Flow** Average Flow*** Low Flow** Average Flow***
+r versity, and 25 water districts in outlying portions of 5.50 100 255 90 180
the towns of Ithaca, Lansing, and Dryden including 5.58 97 210 87 170
the community of Varna. All areas outside the city 5.66 94 198 85 162
aw which are served by the City Water System are 5.75 91 186 83 154
charged rate and a half for their water. *Maximum demand in the City is in the months of September
,.., and October.
iWr The Cornell University Water System **Ten year low flow is 2.8 MGD.
***Ten year average flow is 4.3 MDG.
The Cornell Water System is owned and operated ****Figures assume that average per capita consumption will re-
by the University. It serves the Cornell Campus (in- main constant, while number of users increases.
cluding the New York State College of Agriculture),
and also supplies the small residential area of Forest
'^ Home (a community of about 90 water customers). TABLE IV.2: Water Treatment Plant Use and
The Cornell supply is drawn from Fall Creek and is Capacity
processed in a rapid sand filtration plant. Fall Creek Present Use 5.5 MGD
" has a minimum seven-day flow of about three MGD; Present Capacity 8.0 MGD
to Cornell uses two and a quarter MGD of the Fall Capacity with Maximum Expansion
Creek seven-day flow. The University also maintains of Existing Facilities 10.0 MGD
reservoirs with slightly more than a day's supply.
The Cornell water system is connected to the city
Ithaca area, water must be pumped to the higher
system for use in emergencies.
elevations where it is stored in tanks and distributed
Capabilities of Ithaca's Water System to individual consumers at the required pressure by
gravity flow. The primary purpose of the storage tanks
The source of untreated water for the city system is to provide a uniform pressure as well as a water
is Six Mile Creek, which has a watershed of approxi- supply for fire fighting (1,000-4,000 gallons per
mately 40 square miles. There are times when the daily minute) and other emergencies.
Ae flow of water in Six Mile Creek is insufficient to meet
tirr the daily need of the city. The U.S. Geological Survey C Minimum flow is the least amount of flow that is likely to occur
reports a ten-year minimum seven-day consecutive within a given time span.
,..,, 61
TOMPKINS COUNTY
SCALE
1 0 1 2 3 MILES
1 2 3 4 5 METERS
SO.ODO foot
914 WAN an N.VoM caor em.cen n sore
ID.aoo meMr grN--J—.1 Trs.MR,.)A,<am,S,zore I
xrs DEDEMeER Issr orc
L
_-- - C A Y U G A__ -r_; y ;' - C O U N T Y
M.2 C Y I STREEET= _ - n
i 1
Groton`ARAERS L-\" EF�° .aY L A N S I N G ' ID
Y _
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G69R O T 0 O R1.iC
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ROAD
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a � '
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A
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tl - BOBTW�Cx' 7 � r VDER` r 1 { I P A f
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T
I -! WATER SYSTEM CITY SYSTEM
ARE .
- AREAS SERVICED F �^" WATERSHED
I CITY CITY SYSTEM
j J WATER TREATMENT PLANT E�I STORAGE TANKS
MAP IV.1
WATER TREATMENT PLANT SERVICE AREAS, 19%
System Adequacy 2. A further solution to the water supply problem
Since renovation has increased the volume of water should be sought by the city in concert with the
_._ that can be processed by the Ithaca water treatment county and Cayuga Lake Basin Board.
plant, the most limiting factor in the water supply
system is the quantity of raw water available in Six SEWAGE COLLECTION, TREATMENT,
.�.. Mile Creek. The question of the source of raw water AND DISPOSAL
is now being considered by the Cayuga Lake Basin The entire City of Ithaca is served by a sanitary
Board and county and city officials. Three possible sewer system discharging to a water pollution control
arr solutions have been proposed: Cayuga Lake, Fall plant located at First and Franklin Streets. All sew-
Creek, and Six Mile Creek. Cayuga Lake provides age in the city system is given primary and secondary
a limitless source of treatable water; however, pump- treatment, and all storm water is handled by a sepa-
ing treated water over the hills to areas of the Town rate system of storm sewers.
of Ithaca and beyond would be quite costly. A higher
_ dam on Six Mile Creek would increase the available Construction of the city water pollution control
arw system began in 1895. The system has been modified
quantity of raw water but the treatment plant would
require expansion and, due to villages on the banks of and expanded until it presently includes:
the creek upstream, the size of the reservoir is limited (1) gravity systems serving East, South, and West
to 10,000 acre feet. The third alternative is construc- Hills, and a large portion of the central city business
tion of a dam on Fall Creek. The probable sites are and residential area;
located on or near the Tompkins-Cortland County
line. The preferred site would place the 10,000 to (2) pumping systems serving much of the flat-
15,000 acre foot reservoir in Cortland County. lands along Cayuga Inlet and the Renwick Heights
None of the three alternatives have been selected area;
No by the groups involved-the Cayuga Lake Basin (3) siphons carrying sewage across Cayuga Inlet
Board, the county government, and the city govern- and Fall Creek; and
m„ ment. The implication of the Fall Creek and Cayuga (4) a water pollution control plant.
Lake solutions is that the county government would
assume the responsibility for both city and county The collection system is divided into a number of
water service and the service provided would be subsystems of sewer service areas, each served by a
No slightly more expensive than the present city service. trunk or intercepting sewer and, in some cases, a
In the case of the expansion of the city reservoir on pumping station.
,., Six Mile Creek, the responsibility for administration Since 1964 the cost of treating sewage has in-
so and extension of service is less clear. creased by 47 percent. The city's annual daily flow,
Proposals however, has increased by 51 percent, indicating that
1. To meet city needs for the next ten years, the the cost of treatment per gallon has not changed signifi-
city will have to expand its supply of raw water. cantly in the past five years.
�.., TABLE IV.3: Description of the Cost of Treating Water and Water Quantities by Absolute Numbers and Percent
Change 1964 to 1968
Cost of Treating Water Water Quantities
Total Average
Expenditures Cost Per Average Total Daily Con-
at Filtration Total Water Million Daily Population sumption
rnr Plant Filtered Gallons Flow Served* Per Capita
Percent Million Percent Percent Million Percent Percent Percent
-- Year $ Change Gallons Change $ Change Gallons Change Number Change Gallons Change
1964 58,570 1,519.9 38.54 4,145.0 28,196 121.9
1965 64,266 + 9.7 1,528.6 +0.6 42.04 + 9.0 4,183.3 +9.2 28,512 +1.1 121.3 +0.5
1966 73,178 +13.9 1,679.0 +9.8 43.56 + 3.6 4,580.0 +9.5 29,086 +2.0 129.1 +2.3
1967 98,655 +34.8 1,711.0 +1.9 57.66 +24.5 4,686.7 +2.3 29,244 +0.5 135.8 +5.1
1968 104,867 + 6.3 1 1,872.3 +9.4 66.01 +14.5 5,114.2 +9.1 29,392 +0.5 148.2 +9.1
*As of January 1 the following year.
SOURCE: Board of Public Works, Annual Reports 1964-1968.
63
60
TOMPKINS COUNTY
SCALE
0 1 2 3 A MILES
Ah 0 1 2 3 4 5 MILOMETERS
50.000 bot 8r4 0axtl m Nex York ma cen ra z
10.000 nWMr®b baseE on Uniurv�Tr�wru Mercator SYetem.zore IR it
NYS DECEMBER 1%r OK
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�I/ L E G E N D
CITY SEWERAGE SYSTEM—
AREAS SERVICED .
CITY
J
J SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
CORNELL UNIVERSITY—MAINTAINED
SUBSYSTEM
MAP IV.2
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT SERVICE AREAS, 19. 3
Plant Capacity In 1966, A Comprehensive Sewerage Study of
Tompkins County was undertaken by O'Brien and
The capacity of the sewer system is determined by Gere Engineering Consultants. The purpose of the
tirr the least capacity of any of the separate elements of study was to evaluate the sewage collection and
the total system. In the sewer system there are two water pollution control requirements for the county
major elements-the treatment plant and the collection for the next 50 years. The study placed the city with-
to mains. in one sewage district, except for Cornell University
The treatment plant capacity is 11.5 million gallons which has its own sewage collection system. (The
om per day. The plant can actually handle 15 MGD for University sewage is treated by the city plant.)
so short periods of time; but for a 24 hour period the Two proposals for the solution of the city's future
plant's limit is 11.5 MGD. treatment problems have been suggested. One
*°^ The absolute capacity of the collection system is solution is that the towns form sewage districts
difficult to determine. Given certain pipe sizes and which would construct collection facilities and con-
known slopes of delivery, rough estimates may be tract with the city for the sewage treatment. The
made of the capacity of the mains. The effect of second solution is identical to the first but proposes
peculiar characteristics of terrain and ground water the formation of a county sanitary district. This dis-
and storm sewer infiltration through leaks in the trict would purchase the existing major city treatment
"* sanitary sewer system (particularly in the older pipes) facilities and upgrade them with the increased
on the carrying capacity of the pipes is hard to mea- demand for treatment in the city and adjacent areas.
sure. Generally, however, the capacity of the sewer The difference in cost between the two alternatives
system has been placed at 11.5 MGD, which is the was so slight as to be within the margin of error of
capacity of the treatment plant.
the estimate. Rates in the city should average from
The committed service area for the sewer system $19 to $24 per household per year and $45 to $59
is considerably smaller than the committed service per household in the town districts serviced by the
area of the water system. In only a few places does city. The study strongly recommends that extension
the sewer service area for the city extend beyond the of the treatment facilities be staged to keep pace with
city limits. the actual growth rate in the area.
Adequacy of the Sewer System SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
,... Throughout the City of Ithaca, refuse is collected
ow Given the relative stability of the population in at least once a week. Two collections a week are
Ithaca, the present sewer system and treatment plant made in the downtown business district and in
,... should be adequate to meet the city's needs for the Collegetown.
W next 25 years. It goes without saying that the contin- Disposal of the collections is made at the city's
ual improvement and updating of the present facilities land fill located just south of Clinton Street between
must continue. the railroad and the Relief Channel. The land fill
It should be noted here that the increasing aware- site is leased by the city. The Board of Public Works
ness of the need to control pollution of Cayuga Lake estimates that the present site will be exhausted by
and its tributary streams should be a stimulus for the end of 1970. Adjacent to the land fill site the city
continuing to follow and even exceed the guidelines owns the Southwest Park which, because of its low
established by the New York State Pure Water elevation, is also available for a sanitary fill. This
Authority. area will be exhausted by 1972.
TABLE IV.4: Cost of Sewage Treatment Plant Operations for the City of Ithaca, 1964 to 1968
Sewage Average Cost Per
Treatment Annual Average Daily Flow Million
and Disposal Costs Flow Daily Total Per Capita Gallons
Flow Population
°""" Percent 1,000,000 Percent (1000 Served Percent Percent
Year Dollars Change Gallons Change Gallons) Gallons Change Dollars Change
1964 73,262 1,343.6 3,858.7 32,500 118.7 54.53
1965 71,317 -2.6 1,658.3 23.4 4,552.9 32,600 109.0 -8.2 43.01 -21.1
1966 79,781 11.9 1,635.9 -1.4 4,490.1 32,600 137.7 26.3 48.77 13.4
1967 98,568 23.5 1,827.9 11.7 5,013.9 32,600 153.8 11.7 53.92 10.6
1968 110,106 11.7 2,034.9 11.3 5,567.4 32,600 170.8 11.0 1 54.11 J 0.4
SOURCE: Annual Report of the Sewer Division, Board of Public Works, City of Ithaca, 1964-1968.
�, 65
With the limit of the city's land fill site fast being tancy of the city's site make decisive action on the •
reached and the increasing pressures from the state plan or some modification of the plan imperative.
for the city to conform to new and more stringent sani- Proposals .
tary land fill standards,the City of Ithaca must look for
a new dumping site. In its search, the city has joined 1. The city should support and cooperate with the
county in providing sites and facilities for solid
forces with the county. ■
The present countywide Refuse Disposal Plan waste disposal.
under study includes two primary dumping sites, two NATURAL GAS
secondary dumping sites in the county and a transfer
site within the City of Ithaca. The possibility of elim- The entire City of Ithaca is serviced or serviceable
inating the two secondary sites and increasing the with natural gas. In 1969, there were 7,013 gas custo-
size of the city's transfer site to accommodate the mers in the city. The New York State Electric and .
added volume is also under study. Gas Corporation does not anticipate any sizeable
The two primary sites are both a considerable `increase in gas service within the city in the next
distance from the city. This distance necessitates the decade because the market area within the city is
transfer site. One primary site will be in the general saturated.
area bounded by Routes 13, 38, and 34, 11 miles from Distribution
the city. The exact site has yet to be determined. The Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation is the ■
The second primary site will be located in Tioga major supplier of natural gas to the Electric and Gas
County just over the Tompkins-Tioga County line Company. The Consolidated Gas Supply Company
off Route 96. This site is 13 miles from the city. These pipes gas from as far away as Texas and keeps reserve
two primary sites would be open six days a week. supplies in depleted gas beds in Pennsylvania and
The two proposed secondary sites, one in the vicinity New York. The City of Ithaca is serviced by a double
of Enfield and the other in the Caroline area, would gas line, with substations on Slaterville Road beyond .
be open two days a week. the city limits and on Spencer Road at Albany Street.
The proposed transfer site is suggested to keep Either one of these stations alone can handle the pres-
collection rates low. Packer trucks would dump their ent gas service for the city. However, the Electric and .
refuse at the transfer dump where it would daily be Gas Corporation is working toward a certification of
loaded onto trailers and hauled to one of the primary the Slaterville Road line which would permit doubling
sites. This transfer process would eliminate the long the existing pressure. Also scheduled during 1970 is .
run to the primary site for the packer trucks. The the replacement and enlargement of the line serving
city would operate the transfer site and it would be I! the Spencer Road regulator station. This line taps
open six days a week. One suggested location for �he main Consolidated Gas line near the Ithaca-Danby .
such a transfer site is the present city land fill area town line just off Route 96.
between Meadow Street and the flood control channel. The city gas distribution system connects to both
Should the city and Enfield and Caroline all agree stations. A network of medium pressure lines carry
to use the transfer site-primary site alternative rather gas throughout the city to the low pressure lines
than building two secondary sites, the county would which service the bulk of the residential area. The
assist the city with the cost of operating and main- city's gas distribution system is controlled by 24
taining the transfer site. underground pressure regulators. The major industrial
The estimated cost of creating and maintaining gas users in the city, or adjacent to it, are: Morse
the four sites proposed in the Refuse Disposal Plan Chain, Therm Electric, National Cash Register Com-
is $450,000 the first year and $140,000 each succeed- pany, Ithaca Gun, and Cornell University.
ing year. The annual operating cost of the transfer Since the provision of the double line feed from
site is estimated at$33,000. the Slaterville Road and Albany Street stations to the
The present plan would provide county residents city in 1955, Ithaca has been well-served with natural
with a total of 400 acres for land fill purposes, suffi- gas. The present consumer market within the city is .
cient to meet their refuse disposal needs for the next almost saturated, according to the Electric and Gas
20 years. It is estimated that the proposed refuse Corporation. Therefore, additional demand will come
disposal plan will cost each resident of the county primarily from new single family residences, new
$1.75 a year. industry, or a shift in types of fuels used by existing
None of the governing bodies involved, the city, industry. In any of these cases, by laying new lines or
villages, towns, and county, have come to any upgrading existing lines, the Electric and Gas Cor- .
decision on the refuse plan. The pressure to meet pjoration will be able to meet local needs for the next
state sanitary requirements and the short life expec- 20 years.
66 .
TOMPKINS COUNTY
SCALE MilES
0 2
1 2 5 11LOMETERS
1"\
50.000 imt 6asM m r m em.cen rat ZOone IB
Io.000 meter ged eased on U�� sai Tr�rorseaMeresaior System.
NYS DECEMBER 1961 Ort
III l
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LEGEND
IC H E M U N G C 0 g
I i ® 9 _I SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY
REFUSE DISPOSAL SITE
T I�0 G A
PROPOSED SITE
MAP IV.3
PROPOSED COUNTYWIDE REFUSE DISPOSAL SITES
s
ELECTRICITY i ing the society's standards all the roadways within
the city were classified according to the criteria of the
In 1969 the 8,400 electric customers in the City of Society. Map IVA shows the classification of all the
Ithaca were serviced from four substations—one each roadways within the city for lighting purposes. After
on East Hill, South Hill, West Hill, and the "Flats." classifying the roadways, the city was divided into
Only the Fourth Street substation on the Flats serves five priority areas. Priority area one was upgraded in
Ithaca exclusively. Each of the other stations serves 1967, the first year of planned development. The city
the hill and adjacent areas beyond the city limits. k is presently proceeding on the third of the five areas.
Like the natural gas service, all housing units and When completely upgraded the new street lighting
industries in the city can be serviced with electricity, "system will cost the city $110,000 to $117,000 a year.
To date the City of Ithaca has been buying light,
Source of Electricity not electricity, from the New York State Electric and .
New York State Electric and Gas Corporation Gas Company. The purchase of light includes the
generating plants are backed up by interconnections fixtures, maintenance, and the electricity. Presently
with power systems in the northeast, including gen- mercury vapor lights, as recommended in the Light-
erating stations and consumers in the New England ing Plan, are being installed. Lighting in city-owned
states, New York,and the Province of Ontario,Canada. parking lots is included in the same Electric and Gas
All of the city-serving substations except East Company agreement. .
Hill are serviced with 23 kv lines. The East Hill sub- The city owns some two dozen ornamental poles
station is served by two 115 kv lines. Cornell Univer- in the city. The bulk of these poles are located in city
sity is serviced from this substation. Sparks. In addition, the city owns the light fixtures on
Within the next decade the Electric and Gas ;Route 13, a state arterial. The poles on Route 13 are
Corporation will build a new substation between the imaintained by the city.
Cayuga Inlet and Route 13 at Fourth Street Ex-
tended. A 115 kv line will service this new substation, TABLE IV.S: Recommended Lighting for Major, Col-
increasing the amount of electricity available to lector and Local Streets within Down-
downtown Ithaca. From 1955 to 1969 the average town, Intermediate,and Outlying Areas
customer's electric consumption in Ithaca increased
from 4,000 to 6,000 kilowatt hours annually. The Roadway Area Classification
Electric and Gas Corporation anticipates that the Classification
average customer's electric consumption will continue Outlying
to increase at the same rate as the national trend. Downtown Intermediate and Rural
This would establish an annual consumption of
Major 2.0f.c. 1.2f.c. 0.9f.c.
9,900 kilowatt hours by the year 1980. The construc- Collector 1.2f.c. 0.9f.c. 0.6f.c.
tion of the new Fourth Street substation will cover Local or
the potential residential and industrial demands for Minor 0.9f.c. 0.6f.c. 0.2**f.c.
electricity in the city until at least 1985. "The average horizontal footcandles recommended represent
average illumination on the roadway pavement when the illumin-
ating source is at its lowest output and when the luminaire is
in its dirtiest condition.
STREET LIGHTING "Residential.
Many variables, both economic and esthetic, affect SOURCE: American Standards Association, American
roadway lighting. Key among these variables are the Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting
light source, type of fixture, traffic information and (New York: Illuminating ngineering o-
traffic safety. The City of Ithaca has accepted the ciety, 1964), p. 11. .
standards established by the Society of Illuminating
Engineers. No expansion of the street lighting system is antici-
City Lighting Plan pated unless there is a shift in uses within the city,
such as an expansion of the Central Business District.
In 1966 an evaluation of the City of Ithaca's street The Ithaca Common Council has directed its Charter
lighting was completed by the Board of Public Works. and Ordinance Committee to draw up an ordinance .
The major thrust of the study was that the lighting Which would place the wires for all new areas and
provided by the city was inadequate and should be for areas scheduled for replacement throughout the
upgraded to meet the minimum standards of the city underground. Such an action would contribute .
Society of Illuminating Engineers. Pursuant to meet- greatly to the appearance of the city in the future.
68
C I T Y
ITHACA
�h ` .-. -
N E W Y
•
CITY PLANNING BOARD JUNE, 1970
Al
Arm
%� �/ Viii `�.
H
PP
Presently underground wiring is scheduled for the 4. To make the most efficient use of existing school
urban renewal area and for new development in the and park area recreation facilities.
Central Business District. The development of Cass 5. To encourage and involve local citizens in park
Park, partially financed by state and federal funds, also development and improvement.
includes underground wiring. The Common Council's The final recommendation is seen as a key one in the
action would further extend underground wiring in development of Ithaca as a tourist and vacation
keeping with the recreational orientation of Ithaca. center.
Proposals The Recreation Plan proposes ten types of parks
1. The City Street Lighting Plan should be com- and open spaces, ranging in size from a tenth of an
pleted and continually reviewed and upgraded. acre to 100 acres or more. The Recreation Plan stand-
ards were based on the standards of the National
2. Within the next 10 years the city should purchase Recreation Association but adjusted to fit the size,diver-
the lighting infrastructure. All provision of street sity and physical characteristics of Ithaca.
lighting in areas of the city not presently serviced Community Parks — Community parks are de-
should be undertaken by the city government, signed to serve not only local residents, but visitors as
p 3. To enhance the appearance of the city, and to well. These parks should contain 50 to 100 acres and
facilitate maintenance of city streets, all street should have sports fields, hard surface courts, open
lighting lines, along with other utility lines, grass game areas, picnic areas, and rest rooms. Four of
should be placed underground. Ithaca's 52 parks are classified as community parks.
PARKS AND OPEN SPACE These parks range in size from one and six-tenths
acres in historic DeWitt Park to 177 acres in the
The City of Ithaca is located on Lake Cayuga in developing National Arts and Recreation Center.
the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of New York Neighborhood Parks—These parks provide open
State. Thousands of visitors come to see the rugged space and play area three-tenths of an acre to two acres
gorges and wooded hills in this lake's area annually. for all children, including pre-schoolers. Neighborhood
Surrounded by this natural beauty, the city should parks are designed to service all residents to a maxi-
s work to make it more accessible to its residents and mum of 3,000 within a quarter mile radius. Thirteen of
better known to its visitors. the existing or proposed parks and open spaces in the
Today 13 percent of the city's land is employed Recreation Plan are classified as neighborhood parks.
in parks or open space. Ninety percent of this land Neighborhood Commons—A commons, smaller
is, however, located in two neighborhoods, Inlet Val- than a neighborhood park, is designed to serve resi-
ley-Elmira Road and Cayuga Inlet. The remaining dents on a single block or within no more than a four
ten percent of city-owned open space is scattered block radius. Such a commons, no more than half an
through eight of the remaining neighborhoods. This acre, could be a vacant lot, interior parcel, or a sel-
: means that, to date, two of the city's 12 neighbor- dom-used street or alley. Five neighborhood com-
hoods contain no city-owned park or open space land, mons have been identified in the Recreation Plan.
3 The 1968 Recreation Plan suggests the addition School Playgrounds—School playgrounds provide
of 165 acres of park land and open space to the city's active play space, hard and grass surfaces, and play
1968 holdings. The study's proposals for the provision apparatus. Such playgrounds, attached to schools,
of additional open space and park land focuses partic- should be three to seven acres and serve the area
r ularly on the neighborhoods without parks and opera within a quarter mile radius. Each elementary school,
space and on the most densely settled areas of the one junior high school and the high school have such
city. play areas.
The objectives of the Recreation Plan are five-fold: Waterways—Waterways are a special natural re-
source which should be used in a variety 1. To encourage the location of recreation and open- Y of ways.
space facilities to preserve the unique natural The development of these areas for boating, fishing,
features in the city. swimming, or picnicking may be city or neighborhood
2. oriented. The size of the recreation areas is depen-
To distribute open space and park facilities dent upon topographical and drainage patterns.
throughout the city according to the density of Focal Points—These have been defined by the
population and accessibility of the site. Recreation Plan as noticeable visual relief in the land-
3. To locate open space and park facilities so that scape or historically significant physical features.
they will be available to the residents of develop- The development of such areas may include a sitting
ing neighborhoods as well as in the developed area or special landscaping treatment. Nine focal i
areas of the city. points have been identified within the city.
70
Connections—Connections provide a physical or Undeveloped Open Space—The Recreation Plan
visual link between recreation facilities. The Recrea- recommends that five acres within the city be held, in
tion Plan proposes creating ten connections. These a natural state, to act as transitions between the urban
connections developed by walk-ways and/or bicycle center and the surrounding countryside.
trails will increase the accessibility of many of the Table IV.7 lists the 57 recommended and existing
city parks. parks and open spaces in the city and their functions.
It is important to note that a few areas serve only
Indoor Facilities—Indoor facilities for programs, one function. By using the code number or letter, all
meetings, and indoor games are provided at 15 of the of the parks and open spaces may be located on Map
city's 57 recreation areas. There is at least one of IV.5.
these indoor facilities in all but two neighborhoods.
Such facilities are particularly important to recreation The proposals of the Recreation Plan, as Table
during the long winter. IV.8 indicates, will provide the city with 19.4 acres
of park and open space land per 1,000 residents. The
Special Facility—Special facilities provide an un- largest amount of acreage per thousand is provided
usual recreation opportunity, something which might in the Cayuga Inlet Neighborhood, the site of the
not be expected in a city's normal recreation system. future regional National Arts and Recreation Center.
The Recreation Plan identifies 16 special facilities The neighborhood with the least amount of city-owned
within the city, a few of which are yet to be park land is Neighborhood 2, University. While the
developed. The facilities range from a community city owns little park land in this neighborhood, a great
. center to the zoo. deal of open space, playfields, and recreation area has
TABLE IV.6: Recreation Area Standards as Set by the 1968 Recreation Plan, City of Ithaca
Type of Recreation Service Area
Area Size and Population Development Location
Community Parks 35-100 ac. 15 min. by car; Sports fields, hard-surfaced courts, open grass areas, Should be adjacent to other special
20,000-30,000 people picnic areas, rest rooms facilities, i.e. nature preserves, etc.
Neighborhood Parks .3.2 ac. Y4 mile radius; Area for modified field games, quiet sitting area, Centrally located within neighborhood—
up to 3,000 people pre-school play area may be developed in conjunction with an
elementary school
Neighborhood Commons .1-.5 ac. 1-4 block radius; Flexible; each unique, the development should be Anywhere within a residential block—
up to 1,000 people based on the individual needs of the neighborhood a vacant lot, interior parcel or seldom-
used street or alley
tl School Playground 3.1ac. `/4 mile radius; Apparatus area, hard and grass surfaces Adjacent to elementary school)
3,000-5,000 people
Varies; waterways are
Waterways Varies Flexible;pedestrian ways,bicycle paths or streets which Depends upon topographical and
within walking distance provide public access to the water. drainage patterns
of all homes in city;
entire city, sometimes
neighborhood-oriented
Focal Points Varies Varies; entire city or None; sitting areas or special landscaping treatment Varies
neighborhood-oriented may be developed
. Connections Varies Varies; entire city or Pedestrian ways, bridle paths, bicycle paths Dependent on natural features
neighborhood-oriented
Indoor Facilities Governed Within walking dis- Provision of wide variety of activities to be carried Centrally located within a neighborhood,
by type tance of all homes in on simultaneously,including basketball,arts and crafts, if possible, in conjunction with a school
'^ of neighborhood; approx- swimming, ping pong, billiards, games and meetings
service imately Y4 mile radius;
3,000.5,000 people
. Special Facility Varies Varies; neighborhood Flexible; may be an outdoor facility such as a In conjunction with a community park,
or entire region marina or zoo, or an indoor facility such as the if possible
Festival Theater
r Undeveloped Varies Dependent on None; occasional brush removal Varies
Open Space natural features;
entire city
SOURCE: Recreation and Open Space Plan, City of Ithaca, October 1968, p. 14-21.
71
+rw
H� RECREATION
`v CITY OF II� AND
\\\�\ ITHACA �� �', '� � \ OPEN SPACE PLAN
\� \ RECREATION TTIIONE and OPEN OPnENi SPACE
NEW.�\ NEW YORK
\\\
OTT�WYIM buro wor.nBr , SCHOOL PLAYGROUND i
\\ NORTH SIDE HOUSE
\\ 1
\\ 1 08 SOUTH SIDE HOUSE I
®®
\�� \ c A r u a A LAKE © A.
Q C COUNOUN A.
LIBRARY
SENIOR CITIZENS' CENTER\\ — � VISUAL EXPERIENCE '
ell
12. _
f 71
LJ
r
s
,u- ❑
it
as .
25/� gas � •�� '� \ �:
AI•' �d�� x• �?nn.• Ef� _ J�^I}}IBS�lwr.
e xo'`.
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.✓^� err• ik � t�. ;v tz" t i3t ,tit
jand OP N SPACE �;
���*; t �t�3 iYti
A
0cl by the 19 8 Recreation Plan +�'
TABLE IV.7: Recommended and Existing City Parks and Open Spaces by Function
O O N w C y y
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j O O 0 7 y Ny
nE L°O
E: -ms . o >, d
oa dm 0O c g=
a ac
u1O 1O i�' O vM i�A cn
�a za z0 rna DO
Cayuga Lake Shore Park (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X
Newman Municipal Golf Course &
Biological Field Station (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X
Proposed Pier Road Parking Facility (3) . . . • . . . • X
Fuertes Bird Sanctuary (4). • • . . . • • • • • • . . • . • . X X
Stewart Park (5 and 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X
BPW Material Storage Yard (7) . . . . . . . . . . • . • • X X
CYO Property-City Nursery (8). . . . . . . . . . . . • • • X
Inlet Shore Connection (9)• • . . . . . . . . • • . • • • . . X X
Taughannock Blvd. Park (10) X X
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brindley Park (11). . . . • • • • • • • • • • • • . . • • . . • • X X X
40® Floral Avenue Connection (12). . . . . . • • • • • • • • • X X
Proposed Parks-West Hill (13). . . . . . • • • . . . • . . X X
�^ MacDaniels Park 14 • • . . . . X
fir+ West Hill School Playground (15). . . • . . . . . • . . . X X
Southwest Park (16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • X
Buttermilk Falls Connection (17) . . . . . . • • • . • • • X
Buttermilk Falls State Park (18). • • • • • • • • • • • • • X
Baker Park (19)• . • • • • • • • . . • . . • • . . • • . . • • . .
rXX Wood Street Park (20). . . . . . . • • • • . . . • . . • • . .
Six Mile Creek Connection (21) . . . • • • • • • • . . • . X X
Fair Street Park (22) . . X
Henry St. John School Playground (23) . . . • • . . • X
Proposed Neighborhood Commons (24 & 25)• . . • X
Clinton Street Open Space (26) . . . . . . • . • • . • • . X
Washington Park (27) • . . . . . . . • . • • . . • . . • . . . X
Central School Playground (28) . . • • • . • • . • • . • • X X
Conway Park (29) • • • • • • • • . • •
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
X
Thompson Park (30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
Auburn Park (31) . . • • . . • • • • • .
X X
. Ithaca High School Athletic Area (32). . . . . . . . . .
Fall Creek Connection (33) X X
Fall Creek Park (34) . . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • • . • • • X
. Willard Way Park (35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X
Lake Street Park (36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X
Fall Creek School Playground (37) . . . . . . . . • • . . X X
Linn Street Commons (38) X
Cascadilla Creek Connection (39). . . . . . • • . . • . . X X
Cascadilla Avenue Walkway (40) . . . . . . • . . • • . • X
DeWitt Park (41). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X
DeWitt Junior High School (42) . . . . . . . . • • . . • . X X
ra East Hill School Playground (43) . . . . . . . • • . • . X X
South Hill School Playground (44) . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
Lower Six Mile Park 45 X X X
Van Natta Dam-Six Mile Creek Park (46). • . . . • . X X
Six Mile Creek Watershed (47)• . . . . • . . • . . • . • • X X
. (Continued on next page) 73
a
TABLE IV.7: Recommended and Existing City Parks and Open Spaces by Function (Continued)
o o N N a
L L N N C O O U
j O O C 0 N N o m
- 0° o 0
.N LN rE 0 3 d m
'_Y bDY b0E L T +0+ N C °O
.)a- Za- ZU cnd 3: LL U -oLL N1i �O
Belle Sherman Park (48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
Belle Sherman School Playground (49). . . . . . . . . X X
Bryant Park (50). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
Maplewood Park (51). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X
Beebe Lake (52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X
Northside House (A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
Southside House (B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
YMCA (C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
�3.
Tompkins County Library (D). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X
Senior Citizens Center (E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X
SOURCE: Recreation and Open Space Plan, City of Ithaca, October 1968, p. 22. „ .
TABLE IV.8: Description of Actual and Proposed Park Land and Open Space by Neighborhood, Function of
Park, and Population in Ithaca, 1969
c._
o=
L L C
O� N o�N L'oNU n co A N VO CCo CV y O-U a TLL C
O iC
� -C q
o o o o O. O`a -0 p -0 � -O N E .99 000 6 C d C N : 0 s Vi 0 p
U Z Z a ?i 1i U _� �� DO de21 °O d ¢a
Cornell
Heights - - - - 2 6 1 - 1 2 2 13.5 2,641 5.1
(1)
University - 2* - - 3 11 2 - 1 3 4 5.3 3,880 1.4
(2)
Belle
Sherman 1 2 1 1 2 3 3 1 - 4 7 22.4 3,228 6.9
(3)
College-
town - - - 1 2 3 2 1 - 2 4 23.9 3,491 6.8
(4)
Fall Creek - 3* 2* 2 3 3 1 2 - 1 9 3.9 3,549 1.1
(5)
North
Central - 2 - 1 - 2 2 - - 6 2.5 3,106 0.8
(6)
Central 1 1 - 1 1 3 1 4 4 - 11 2.1 2,191 1.0
(7)
South Hill 1 1 - 2 2 2 1 - 2 5 3.0 2,053 1.5
(8)
South
Central - 3 2* - 1 3 1 1 1 8 6.8 2,690 2.5
(9)
Inlet Valley-
Elmira Rd. 1* - - - - - 1 - - 3* 3 67.0 456 146.9
(10)
West Hill - 4* 1* 1 1 2 1:* 1 - -
(11) 8 12.1 1,492 8.1 .
Cayuga
Inlet 4 - - - 6 4 - 3 7* 4 11 397.2 22 18,054.0
12
TOTAL 8" 18*1 6* 9 231 291 15* 16 14* 22t1 591 559.7 28,799 19.4
*Includes proposed parks
'Discrepancy in total due to double-counting
2Waterways, focal points, and connections not included in total
SOURCE: Recreation and Open Space Plan, City of Ithaca, October 1968.
74
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been,and will continue to be,held on the campus.Con- In addition to proposing an additional 165 acres
sidering this, there is really no shortage of open space of park and open space land, the Recreation Plan
and park land in the University Neighborhood. Of all has evaluated every neighborhood and provided for as
the residential neighborhoods in the city, the densely much additional open space and park land as the
_ developed North Central Neighborhood has the least present development of the area permits. As Table
recreation area, eight-tenths of an acre per thousand. IV.8 indicates, on completion of the plan the city will
As Table IV.8 indicates, however, under the recom- have 19.4 acres park land per 1,000 residents. The pro-
_ mendations of the Recreation Plan each neighbor- posals of the Recreation Plan, therefore, gives the city
hood has at least a minimum amount of open space a long-range plan for providing adequate recreation
and park land, three-tenths of an acre. and open space for its residents. Implementation of
A further recommendation of the Recreation Plan this plan will greatly enhance the city's environment
was for the city to make the regional state parks adja- both to its residents and visitors.
cent to the city more accessible to city residents, par-
ticularly those residents in neighborhoods with few
r parks. In order to do this, the city would have to pro- Proposals
vide mass transit to the local parks. Table IV.9 lists 1. The city should strive to implement the 1968
the three adjacent parks, their size, facilities, and Recreation Plan.
r the extent of their use in the 1968 season. As the table
indicates, at least two of these regional state parks, 2. The city should undertake a program to make the
Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman, are within regional parks adjacent to the city more accessible
lao six miles of the city, easy bus distance. to city residents.
TABLE IV.9: Description of the Regional State Parks Adjacent to Ithaca by Distance, Size, Facilities and Popu-
lation Served in 1968.
Distance Number of
Regional Parks from City Size in Number of Number of Population
Picnic p Special Facilities
rrr in Miles Acres Camp Sites Cabins Tables Served 1968
Swimming, hiking trails,
Buttermilk Falls 3 675 60 7 161 14,029 recreation building, picnic
rrr State Park shelter
Fishing,swimming,hiking
Robert H. Treman 5 1020 137 14 351 140,031 trails, playground
State Park equipment
Swimming, boat launch-
""' Taughannock Falls 10 793 84 16 551 214,550 ing ramp, 5-boat ma-
State Park Ids
SOURCE: Finger Lakes State Parks Commission, 1969.
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V. SPECIAL COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
r
NATIONAL ARTS AND RECREATION CENTER The Festival Theater, by providing the highest
The Center, as the National Arts and Recreation quality theater experience during the summer season,
Center at Ithaca has come to be known locally, is will help to further Ithaca's reputation as a summer
low vacation spot. In addition, however, the theater will
truly a community project. From the conception of fulfill amuch-needed community function, by the idea through its execution local citizens have pro-
viding a facility for community cultural and civic
spearheaded the drive for the new facility. After its events during the winter season. Special community
completion, the Center will provide local residents
activities such as concerts, guest performers, and
with a base for a recreation industry, and with ballets will make Ithaca a more attractive com-
facilities for civic and community programs during munity for potential residents.
the winter months. While space has been allocated on the Master
The major elements of the Center will be: a 450- Site Plan for the Concert Hall, Museum, Art Gallery,
boat marina and boat launching area to be con- and Children's Center, plans for the development of
structed by the State of New York; a golf course and these facilities are pending the completion and oper-
park area already existing and owned by the City of ation of the Festival Theater.
Ithaca; a new 81-acre recreation complex to be con-
structed by the city; a federally constructed flood The Marina
control channel which will serve as a boating and The Finger Lakes State Park Commission is re-
fishing stream and as an intercollegiate crew course; s onsible for the planning, maintenance,
and a repertory theater, concert hall, museum-art p p g'
gallery and a children's center to be built by a pri- and operation of the proposed State Marine Park.
The new marina facility will initially provide 350
vate organization known as the Center for the Arts,Inc. berths; ultimately 100 berths will be added. Berthing
jointly the city and state governments will make will be available for boats up to 50 feet in length.
.. the Cass Park and old municipal airport sites avail- Slip rentals may be on an hourly, daily, or seasonal
No able for cultural and recreational development. The basis. A portion of the berthing capacity (50 to 70
state will acquire 52 acres from the city and will berths depending upon demand) will be kept avail-
- develop 30 acres reclaimed by hydraulic fill at the
able for transient boaters. Facilities will include
north end of the area for a State Marine Park in- auto parking, electricity, water, a sewage disposal sta-
cluding a 450-berth marina. The Center for the Arts,
Inc., will lease 14 acres of land from the city for its
,y.., tion, refuse collection, rest rooms with showers, and
supervision, including night watchman service. Regu-
40 site overlooking the marina. On the southern portion lar vehicular use charges will be collected for the
of the park area, the city will build an extensive boat launching ramp and parking area. A conces-
- recreation area. All of the development will be sioner will provide gas, oil, and other services. It is
coordinated in order to provide year-round recre- estimated that the new marina will accommodate 100
ational opportunities.
to 325 yachtmen daily.
Center for the Arts The construction cost estimate for the marina is
�r
Four performing arts facilities will be provided $2,835,200. The facility will be built in three stages.
_ by the Center for the Arts, Inc.: a Festival Theater, The costs of goods and services necessary to sustain
a Concert Hall, Museum and Art Gallery, and a the marina's annual operation and maintenance have
Children's Center. These facilities will be developed been estimated at $48,150. The estimate does not, of
in stages beginning with the Festival Theater. course, include debt service, construction costs, or
The Festival Theater building will include more land costs. Annual revenues are expected to exceed
than 80,000 square feet of space. The building will expenses by anywhere from $16,000 to $35,000. This
include costume and scenery shops, dressing rooms, surplus will help defray initial costs and building
administrative offices, seminar rooms, a small audi- expenses.
torium seating 250, and the main auditorium seating City Park Facilities
1,700. The total cost of the theater development will
10 be $5,840,000. The City of Ithaca has purchased 81 acres of land,
Based on estimated figures the Festival Theater adjacent to the state land, to be developed for picnic
1"M could make $1,272,840 from ticket sales and winter and year-round recreation uses. The facilities will
err season use if it operated at 80 percent of capacity include: an olympic size swimming pool with adja-
during the theater season. Spending an estimated cent sun deck and 1,200 locker bathhouse; 13 base-
$1,218,114 for salaries, operating expenses, debt ser- ball and softball diamonds; 4 tennis courts; an ice
No vice, and land, the theater should have a net profit rink which will make use of the bathhouse lockers
of $54,726 or more per year. and dressing rooms in the winter months; lighting;
79
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r parking; storm drainage; sewer service; picnic areas; TABLE V.1: Employment Concentration Ratios
and undeveloped open play areas for touch football (County/New York State) for the En-
and other games. A ribbon of the park land with tertainment and Services Sector in the
Western Upstate Counties with Major
walkways will flank the flood control channel on Urban Centers
the floodway levee for those interested in less stren-
""� uous exercise. Representative Upstate
�r All of the city picnic and playfield facilities will Counties and Urban Entertainment and
Centers Recreation Services
be available free of charge for use by residents and
non-residents alike. A small charge will be levied Broome (Binghamton) .54
�r for the use of the swimming pool and ice rink in Chemung (Elmira) 66
order to meet their operation and maintenance costs. Cortland (Cortland) .50
The development of these city park lands is being Erie (Buffalo) •82
jointly funded by the Appalachia Commission, Fed- Monroe (Rochester) .77
eral Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, and the City of Oneida (Utica) .62
Ithaca. The $1,600,000 project will be built in three Onondaga (Syracuse) .67
�w stages. The first stage, already completed, was the Tompkins (Ithaca) .70
acquisition of the land for $500,000. Construction of SOURCE: Derived from 1960 Census of Population,
the second stage, including the swimming pool, bath- Vol. 1, Part 34, Table 85.
house, band shell, playfields, picnic area, roadways,
sewers, walkways, and landscaping, was scheduled to labor force employed in the entertainment-recreation
begin in the summer of 1970. The cost of Stage 2 is service sector. This specialization in the entertainment
rrr $650,000; half of this $650,000 will come from the
> and recreation service sector indicates that Ithaca is a
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. prime location for a recreation industry as represented
a" It is anticipated that Stage 3 of the city park by the National Arts and Recreation Center. Not only
will be completed in 1971. This stage will
project p g will the new facilities increase Ithaca's specialization
include the ice rink, further landscaping, additional in this part of the service sector,but this economic con-
parking, walkways, roadways, lighting, picnic areas, centration reveals that Ithaca already has a head start
and a playground. Stage 3 of the project will cost on providing the additional entertainment and recrea-
$450,000. These costs will be born equally by the city tional services such as restaurants which the tourists
and the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. attracted by the center would desire. -
The main economic impact of the National Arts
Community Impact and Recreation Center is indirect. The center itself
own
A review of the employment figures for the City will operate in the black, but it will not produce great
of Ithaca indicates that the city's economy has profits. Rather, the economic impact of the center
become increasingly dependent upon higher educa- will derive from the dollars spent by tourists attracted
tion as the major local employer. Higher education, to the center. While it is not anticipated that the new
however, is a growth industry and provides Ithaca tourists will offset in all areas the decline in the retail
with a stable economic base from year to year. One and service sector created by the exodus of students,
to key factor about an economy based on higher educa- the added tourists should at least help support exist-
tion is that higher education contributes to the city's ing business and certainly will stimulate new addi-
N" seasonal variation in economic activity. The exodus tions to the service sector in certain areas such as
to of some 12,000 students each summer affects the retail overnight accommodations. Presently there is a need
and service sector directly. While Ithaca is in a superb for expansion of the service sector during the aca-
location for campers and vacationers, the summer demic year. Demand falls off sharply during the sum-
trade to date has not begun to make up for the mer season. As a result of this drop, businessmen are
student exodus. discouraged from making needed expansion in their
A second important factor, concomitant with establishments. The increased summer demand cre-
ow Ithaca's specialization in higher education, is the ated by a recreation industry would offset the sea-
specialization in the entertainment and recreation sonal fluctuation and encourage expansion in the
•• service sector of the economy. Table V.1, listing the service sector.
400 employment concentration ratios for the entertain- The potential market for the Ithaca Festival Thea-
ment and recreational service sector in the western up- ter can best be estimated by drawing a comparison
OM state counties with major urban centers, shows that between the Ithaca theater and the theater which
Ar Tompkins County is ranked third after Erie (Buffalo) most closely approximates the Ithaca theater in size
and Monroe (Rochester) in terms of the ratio of its and purpose—the Stratford, Ontario, Festival Theater.
81
The Stratford theater is located in a community al- this same year, 1963, an Urban Renewal Agency was
most the size of Ithaca. Total admissions to the Strat- created as a department of the City.
ford theater during the season are close to 350,000. Public hearings were held on the plans for the .
About one-sixth of the total admissions are students Project I area in 1964, and the plans were submitted
attending the five week student season. The Ithaca to the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
theater plans the same length season as Stratford, ment in Washington for approval. Final approval on .
including a special student season. Annual attendance the Project I area plans came in May 1965 and land
at the Ithaca Festival Theater is anticipated to be acquisition began in 1966.
218,500 to 251,000. Of this attendance, 75,500 to The total cost of Project I will be $5,996,300. Of .
80,000 are estimated to be students. At least half of the this gross cost, $1,116,300 will come from land sales,
people in attendance will make use, to some degree, leaving a net project cost of $4,697,930. The Federal
of the entertainment and service sector of Ithaca. government will provide three quarters or $3,659,950 .
The variety of tourists who will be attracted by of the net cost. The state and city governments will
the range of facilities at the Center, the new theater, split the remaining quarter; each will pay $609,990.
marina, and recreational facilities indicates that there r The city will provide its funds by undertaking public .
will be an increased demand not only for costly improvements in the project area. These improve-
accommodations and restaurants, but also for the less ments include_ such things as sidewalks, underground
expensive. It will be necessary for the community to utilities, and street trees. The total public improve-
provide a wide range of services if it is to accommodate I ments needed in the area will exceed the city's share
and stimulate the increased demand created by the by some $200,000. The state will pay this sum to the
Center. It will be necessary, for example, to provide !city from its share. .
clean and scenic campgrounds as well as commercial
lodgings. Since the adoption of the Project I area plans,
In considering undertaking the provision of addi- the city has installed improvements beyond those
tional public and private facilities, it is important to designated in the plan. For these improvements in
note that the Center at Ithaca is a long-term project. excess of the plan, the city accrues credit of three-
It is designed to meet present and future needs of quarters of the construction cost with the Federal
tourists,vacationers, and local residents. Studies by the government. These credits will total better than a
Department of Interior indicate that participation in million dollars and may be applied to any future
outdoor recreation is growing rapidly. Between 1960 turban renewal project undertaken by the city. In the .
and 1965 participation in major summer outdoor event of no further renewal projects in the city, the
recreation activities grew at a rate which exceeded credits will revert back to the Federal government.
eight percent per year. By the year 2000, participation Procedure
is estimated to be four times the 1960 level. It is impor-
tant to note that the National Arts and Recreation The Urban Renewal Agency is purely adminis-
Center at Ithaca will include or promote nine of the rative. The initiative for new urban renewal projects,
ten outdoor activities which the Interior Department applications, and plans must come from the City
studies indicate are, and will be, the most popular: Olanning Board with Common Council approval. All
walking for pleasure, swimming, driving for pleasure, Phanges in project plans, once they have been ap-
playing outdoor games and sports, bicycling, sight- proved by the Department of Housing and Urban
seeing, picnicking, fishing, attending outdoor sports bevelopment, must be approved by the City Plan-
events, and boating. ning Board and Common Council. e
The five-man Urban Renewal Board is responsible
URBAN RENEWAL for hiring the director and staff of the Urban Re-
Urban Renewal began in Ithaca in 1959 with the newal Agency and for the execution of the approved
Floral Avenue Residential Urban Renewal Project. plans. The mayor and four citizens appointed for
Eventually this project was abandoned; however, Indefinite terms make up this Board.
Urban Renewal continued. In 1961 a General Neigh- r .
borhood Renewal Program was undertaken for 90 Administration
acres in the Central Business District. This Central Presently the Urban Renewal Agency employs
Business District renewal area was divided into three five persons: the director, a rehabilitation officer, a
project areas. In 1963 a Survey in Planning Grant was relocation officer, an accountant and a secretary.
made to the city for the first of these three projects, If no further renewal projects are undertaken, this
Project I, a 25-acre, four block parcel at the eastern staff will be cut back in the next year to two, the
end of the downtown area, indicated on Map V.2. In director and a secretary.
82 .
I � •
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rr>�'�>��� iii •
.1 ♦ I � � 11
•
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i
116�.
OR
The Future increase in city population will come from increases 110
In the past year the Department of Housing and in student population from 1970 to 1990. In 1969, 50
Urban Development changed its policy to focus on percent of the undergraduate and 73 percent of the 0P
residential neighborhood renewal. The result of this graduate students at Cornell University were living *`
policy change was that, in the future, funds would
not be available for renewal programs which focus TABLE V.2: Proportion of Students to Total 990 r00 1
on the business areas. Funds, therefore, for the com-
pletion of Project II and III areas in Ithaca are not Students and Total %Students of
available. If Ithaca is to have any further urban re- Year Dependents %Change Population Total Population
newal programs, they will have to be of a residential 1950 11,602 --- 29,257 39.8 err
nature. No funds for residential renewal will be 1960 12,750 + 9.9 28,799 44.2
allocated to Ithaca, however, without the provision 1970 13,250 + 3.9 29,500 44.9
of relocation housing. Not only has no local desire 1980 17,300 +30.5 32,150 53.8
been expressed for residential renewal, but Ithaca's 1990 1 21,800 1+26.0 1 37,250 58.5
housing market is so tight that there is no relocation !
housing available. SOURCE: City Planning Office population projections, so
In September 1968 the Development Act of the 1969.
an
New York State Legislature was enacted and the in off-campus, non-University housing. Ithaca College
New York State Urban Development Corporation anticipates being a residential college. The College's
was formed. This non-profit corporation was estab- policy toward off-campus living, however, varies. In
lished to assist municipalities and local entrepreneurs 1969, 450 seniors and 60 graduate students lived off
with their development plans. In December 1968 campus. The College has no plans to provide housing
Ithaca was one of the first communities to receive for its graduate students.
Urban Development Corporation assistance. To date Because of their large numbers and their ability
the Urban Development Corporation has assisted to group together and divide rent, single students
the city and Ithacans with three projects: a parking have the greatest impact on housing in Ithaca. While
structure in the Central Business District; low and the University anticipates maintaining its growth rate
middle income housing and a parking structure in at two and a half percent for the next five years, pro-
Collegetown; and housing units on West Hill and jections for 1980 indicate an enrollment of about
beyond Cornell Quarters. 17,200. It is anticipated that about one-third (5,700)
The director of the Urban Renewal Agency sees of these students will be graduate students. About
the Urban Development Corporation's activities as half of these graduate students will be married.
an important contribution to the community's re- Therefore, the growth of the University by 1980 will
newal. The Urban Development Corporation has place 2 800 graduate families in the housing market,
the advantage of being able to undertake construe-
tion, while the Urban Renewal Agency must wait, and about 300 undergraduate families (providing the
rate of married undergraduate students remains con-
tant . What this
often for years,for acceptable private sponsors for pro-
posed projects. ) growth means to the housing mar-
ket is that, by 1980, 550 more student families and .
HOUSING 2,500 more single graduate and undergraduate stu-
Because of the size of Tompkins County and the dents will be seeking housing in the Ithaca market
fact that Ithaca is the service and employment center area. What is more important is that the families must ■
for the county, the Ithaca housing market area and compete with the single students' ability to pay higher
the county have been considered coterminous. The rents. A 1968 study by the Dean of Students Office
vacancy rate for the entire market area, 0.75 percent, at Cornell indicates that 70 percent of the sampled
however, is 0.35 percent higher than the vacancy rate students living off campus have one to three room-
for the city. The difference in these rates, plus the mates, and 77 percent pay $41 to $70 per roommate,
greater abundance of buildable and lower priced land monthly rent. The median rent paid by under-
has drawn residential settlement away from the city. graduates for off-campus housing is $55 per month.
Population projections for the county as compared Estimates indicate that, in 1968, one-third or 7,400
to projections for the city indicate a continuation of families in Tompkins County made less than $6,000 a .
the trend toward the county for residence. The year. Median rents in Ithaca, $9 above the state
county population in 1970 is anticipated to increase median, place a squeeze on local low income families.
by some 15,000, while the city's population is ex- In addition, real estate appraisers indicate that one-
pected to increase by 700. Much of the anticipated quarter to one-third of the housing stock in the county
84
rr�
needs more than regular maintenance. Low-income Provision of adequate housing in the Ithaca hous-
and the poor conditions in the housing stock have ing market area for the present and future will de-
"' been compounded in the 1960-1968 period by demoli- mand strict code enforcement and continual review
tion of 286 units and a population increase of 13,400. and changing of the city building codes to keep up
From 1960 to 1968, 3,790 new units were built. In with the new concepts, materials, and techniques
the same time period, the population increased by which are being developed in the building trades.
4,962 family units, indicating that the increase in One answer to the high cost of construction to middle
families exceeded the increase in housing by 24 per- and low income families is prefabricated housing.
cent. Code and ordinance revisions should consider new
efficient land uses and employment of such money-
TABLE V.3: Comparison of Housing Units per Struc- saving construction techniques both in the city and
ture in Tompkins County, 1950, 1960, county.
a+ 1968
Units in April 1950 April 1960 January 1968 TABLE V.4: Housing Vacancy Rates for Selected
Structure # % # % # % Upstate Communities, 1967
1 unit 10,450 64 13,546 68 14,285 60 Postal
2 units 2,796 17 2,116 11 2,495 10 Vacancy Overall Residential Apartment
3 and 4 units 1,789 11 1,568 8 2,190 9 Surveys Percent Percent Percent
5-9 units 823 5 1,363 7 1,615 7 -
10 or more units 228 1.5 716 3 1,915 8 Auburn Area (9/66) 2.5 1.8 10.0
Mobile homes 165 1.5 601 3 1,200 6 Cortland (8/67) 2.8 1.4 12.5
aw 16,251 -- 19,910 +23 1 23,700 +19 Syracuse (6/67) 2.0 1.5 3.5
Utica-Rome (4/67) 2.6 1.6 4.5
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Housing, 1950 and 1960. Ithaca (4/67) 0.4 - -
low 1968 estimated by students of Housing and Tompkins County Vacancy Rate 0.75% (4/67)
Design 542, as part of student project at
Cornell.
SOURCE: Housing Subcommittee of the Tompkins
County Resource Development Committee,
A study undertaken in 1962 by the New York State A Review of the Housing of Tompkins
-�, Division of Housing and Community Renewal found ounty, December, 1968, Table 1.
that, at $14 per room, there were 571 families and
individuals eligible for low rent housing. Of these, TABLE V.5: Vacancy Rates for Areas of Tompkins
186 or 33 percent were aging individuals and couples. County, 1967
as This meant that in 1962 there were 571 families and Number of Vacancy
individuals in Tompkins County living in substandard Area Units Rate
�... housing whose net annual income did not exceed six Brooktondale 450 0
r times the rental of $14 per room per month, includ- Dryden 620 0
ing utilities. Etna 126 0
am The Ithaca Housing Authority is committed to Fr ton a 650 0
provide 300 of the needed 571 low income housing Groo ton 1,534 1.6
units by 1971. Contracts have been let for 270 of Ithaca City 13,405 0.4
;ter these housing units. This construction of 300 units Ithaca Town 2,776 1.6
Jacksonville 115 0.9
leaves 271 of the original need plus 283 units de-
., molished, for a total remaining need for 544. In McLea n 1113 3 3.5
ville 5 1.8
r November 1969 the Common Council gave the Hous- McLean
ing Authority permission to explore provision of 400 Myers 80 0
�,. more low and middle income units. Of this 400, the Newfield 925 0
i� S
New York State Urban Development Corporation has lle Springs 106 D
already said that they would provide 160 to 180. Soouth uth Lansing 108 0.9
Trumansburg 1,373 0
Estimates indicate that the Ithaca housing mar- West Danby 350 (Approx.) 0.6
ket area needs, from 1969 to 1971, 1,100 units in addi- TOTAL 23,295 0.75
mom tion to the proposed low and middle income units. SOURCE: Vacancy Survey by Post Offices in Tomp-
48y Of these units, the State Urban Development Cor- kins County, April to December 1967,
poration intends to provide 420 to 440. League of Women Voters.
Now 85
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"11919 f ,"
VI . CIRCULATION
and TRANSPORTATION
CIRCULATION A primary generator has been defined, for the
The movement of men and materials through purpose of this study, as a land use which generates
Ithaca is essential to the life of the city. This move- a high volume of traffic daily. This class of generator
is divided into two groups: those which generate a
ment includes both point-to-point travel within the g P � g
city as well as vehicular access to the city. The major constant high volume of traffic and those which gen-
public conveyances for men to and through Ithaca erate a high volume of traffic at peak hours. The
are bus and airplane. Materials come to Ithaca by truck constant primary generators, Cornell University and
and rail. Each of these means of circulation is con- the Central Business District, are considered to be
..s sidered here. the two major traffic generators in the city. The other
rr primary generators such as Therm and Ithaca Gun
INTERNAL CIRCULATION are considered to be major traffic generators at the
fts The focus of internal circulation must be on the peak hours, 7:30 to 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 to 5:30 P.M.
existing land uses and street system and on the street Both types of primary generator place a maximum
system's ability to handle the present traffic flow and stress on the city's circulation pattern.
the future traffic demands. A secondary traffic generator has been defined as
a constant medium volume traffic
All roads in the city have been classified as to their generator. This
function: local, collector, or arterial streets. Local generator classification includes areas like Elmira
streets provide access to property abutting the public Road and Collegetown and specific land uses such as
err h School-Board of Education.
right-of-way. Collector streets are a residential phe- the Ithaca High
nomenon which filter traffic from local streets into The tertiary traffic generators are those which are
r arterials and local generators such as shopping cen- seasonal such as Stewart Park; periodic generators
ters, schools, and community activity centers. Arterials
move large volumes of traffic at relatively high TABLE VIA: Traffic Generators in and Adjacent to
low speeds. The function of each street is determined by the City of Ithaca, 1969
the land uses which it connects. A local street con-
nects predominantly residential land uses to adjacent Type Land Use
collector streets while a collector street connects resi- Primary Central Business District
dential areas to other medium-type traffic generators Cornell University
such as shopping areas. Peak-Hour Primary Ithaca College
Map VIA shows the existing classification of all Ithaca Gun Company
streets in the City of Ithaca according to their Morse Chain Company
function. As the map indicates, the Central Business National Cash Register
err District is traversed by arterials (Route 366 and Company
Route 79). Two arterials bisect, rather than unify, Therm Inc.
three predominantly residential neighborhoods, Belle Secondary Elmira Road Commercial
Sherman (Ithaca Road, Route 366), South Central West End Commercial
(Clinton Street, Route 96B), and South Hill (Aurora West State Street Commercial Collegetown
Street, Route 96B). In the remaining cases the arter- Ithaca High School-Board r ials assist in defining the boundaries of the city's of Education
neighborhoods. Hancock-Adams Streets
Several of the circulation problems which exist in Commercial Area
to the city are revealed on Map VIA. First, congestion Co-op Shopping Center
problems are created by the fact that three collectors, Tertiary Elementary Schools
s� a local street, and a state arterial all converge on the Boynton Junior High-
single bridge across the flood control channel at Central-Immaculate
State Street. Second, access to the city is limited on Conception Schools
three sides by hills with gradients in excess of ten Stewart Park Cass Park
percent. Each of these hills bears a major arterial Municipal Golf Course
access road to the downtown area. Third, the city col- N. Cayuga-Farm Streets
lector streets provide poor access to the Cornell Uni- Commercial Area
am versity campus. The map also indicates the primary, Peripheral Tompkins County Hospital
secondary, and tertiary traffic generators for the city. Community Corners Commercial
Some of these generators, such as Therm, are just be- Triphammer Shopping Center
jAw yond the city line; nonetheless, they generate traffic Tompkins County Airport
through the city. SOURCE: City Planning Board, City of Ithaca, 1969.
89
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Map VIA
EXISTING MAJOR STREETS & TRAFFIC GENERATORS, 1970
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rw such as an elementary school which generates a high kins County and more than 56 percent of the total
volume of traffic for a short period of time daily; or employed labor force in the City of Ithaca. Combined
constant low volume generators such as a neighbor- students and staff at the University generate an esti-
hood shopping center. mated 16,000 vehicular trips per day. This base figure
Also indicated on Map VIA are the peripheral would be even higher if internal commuting into the '
ad traffic generators. These generators are beyond the city and occasional trips to the campus were also
city limits, but attract considerable city traffic,as does, included.
for example, the Tompkins County Airport. These 16,000 daily trips to the University affect
In determining traffic generators, it is important almost all of the major traffic carriers in the city. The
to consider the volume of traffic produced by the two most heavily traveled approaches to campus are
individual land use. Through traffic passing by the from the west and south. The main access route to
site is not included in the traffic generated by a given the campus from the west is State Street to College
land use. The existing traffic generators have a sig- Avenue. From the south the main access roads are
nificant impact on the pattern of collector streets in Ithaca and Dryden Roads.
JW the city. In order to have adequate traffic flow each Traffic from the west and south flows through the
traffic generator should be supplied with internal Collegetown area creating heavy congestion at the
collector streets correspondent to the traffic volume intersection of East State Street and Ithaca Road, as
created by the land use. Map VI.2 shows the local well as a movement and parking problem in College-
collector and arterial streets and major generators as town proper. Only students living beyond a two-mile
they correspond to the projected land uses in the radius of the campus are entitled to a University park-
city for 1990. ing sticker. As a result other campus commuters park
Several of the more important existing traffic gen- their cars in Collegetown. More than 400 student cars
erators are considered here in detail. The Central a day park in the Collegetown area. The on-going
Business District, Cornell University, Collegetown, parking problem in Collegetown is further com-
and the West End Business District have been pounded by the approximately 400 employees in
selected from all the internal traffic generators Collegetown, many of whom must also park their cars
because of the specific movement problems they in the area.
create. The redevelopment of the block bounded by
College Avenue, Dryden Road, Eddy Street, and
" The Central Business District Cascadilla Place will provide office space, retail space,
An important aspect of the downtown circulation and living units. Off-street parking spaces will also be
is access. The major collector streets used for access in provided within the block. Despite the provided park-
the Central Business District are Green, Seneca, ing, the traffic generated by additional shoppers at-
Cayuga, Tioga, and Aurora. Green and Seneca carry tracted to the area may add to the general parking
the largest single traffic volume in the Central Busi- problem in this densely developed area.
ness District. Many of the cars which come into the The north and east accesses to the campus are less
Central Business District use the collectors Green and congested. Stewart Avenue and Cayuga Heights Road
Seneca Streets to avoid the congestion created by are adequate to handle the present traffic flow, as is
the narrowness and on-street parking on State Street. Triphammer Road. The small segments of Wait and
Some of this traffic is passing through, the rest is gain- Thurston Avenues which must be used from Trip-
'! ing access to the downtown parking lots between hammer to the campus are in need of improvement.
Aurora and Cayuga Streets. Most of the traffic entering campus from the north
On all the streets in the Central Business District, and east comes from the Village of Cayuga Heights
except State westbound at Aurora and Tioga north- and the Town of Lansing. Both of these areas are
bound at State, traffic counts indicate that the evening growing as residential locations for staff and students.
traffic volume exceeds the morning traffic volume. The If this trend of residential settlement increases in the
evening peak is, in all cases, more abrupt than the north and east, the present campus access routes may
1 morning peak which tapers off into shopping traffic. become inadequate.
a
Cornell University West End Business District
Cornell University is the largest single employer The main access road in the West End is Meadow
and traffic generator in both the City of Ithaca and Street. Traffic counts on Meadow Street indicate that
Tompkins County. The 6,400 full-time faculty and the highest volume on the street occurs between State
hO staff employed by the University represent more than and Green Streets. The second largest volume of traffic
25 percent of the total employed labor force in Tomp- occurs between Seneca and Buffalo Streets. The high
91
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Map VI.2
PROJECTED MAJOR STREETS & TRAFFIC GENERATORS, 1990
i
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131Ni
t to existing park and
adjacen developed
Segments of streets be closed and
9. areas should designated by the
indicates recreation facilities a shortage
Green Streets to expand recreation where there is at Meadow and west comes into the plan
.. traffic volume the traffic from the using Fulton 1968 Recreation
Street instead of Street• A of play space: and Auburn
°f Avenue
that much Meadow to Green Street is Cleveland
{ city across direct access a• between Dey
amore Mea St street turning b Adams Street Streets
Street for of congestion °n State Fifth
oint traffic on Streets Fourth and Streets
second p westbound Madison between South Streets
created by c een Fair and
�* eadow. d• Titus betty Marshall and Cayuga
left onto M proposals into the e Willow between
highways should feed ' L TRp,FFIC
rovide ease EXTERNA con-
as top traffic has
..� The main external hig a way ar years an in-
1. stem in such generators' early p°st-w addition to
city street sy city's primary g t0 improve- Since the Ithaca. In traffic either
to the increased in industrial visitor
of access should be given tinually city,
..• increase in commercial an through the Y College
rw+, Immediate attention intersections to crease assing Ithaca
2• of the following attracted to Ithaca or The growth of the
ment increased. have also contributednumber
.� traffic safety: State Streets traffic has 1960 the
and Cornell University city Since has increased
a Mitchell and State Streets c into the the city
College and Mitchell Streets increase of traffic and leaving
b Stewart and entering haVe been studied
Streets of vehicles to the city access to
,
C. Co
State Road by 64 percent. routes gaining d. Eddy and d Ithaca e of traffic g
Mitchell Street an Streets The ten mat°r volume fined according to
e• Aurora Street will be exam
f State and Meadow park to determine the oads enter the city-
Elmira Road and Cliff,and the city. These which they
g' Floral,Elm,Hector, from
h. State, the direction Access
Streets to creating a Eastern as a four-lane
be given Northern and
should limited vehicular ac- was redesigned the north side
3 Consideration with Cayuga Street. In 1964 Route 13 the east to Route
concourse, fork and and relocated from and relocation
pedestrian tuning h�ay rading use of all
*" between the unproved by highway its upg vehicle
cess, should be and/or of the city• Since est increase iu ow carries an
The attern the larg
straig 13 has the city• Route 1 n
circulation Widening, htemn � shown of about 14,000
... 4 reconstructing, streets: roads to traffic (Af the the
the access daily e of the pressure °Much
4r leveling the following relieve som the city•
venue annual has r
a. Stewart A vehicles and north thoroughfares pSed of trucks and
a. Dryden Road east and . comp truck traffic,
Avenue other traffic on Route 13 of this hi h
oo C. University vehicles. Not allto the relocated g -
Thurston Avenue to the Univer- of the
d. to other oversized orth Route 13 along
direct access made could be diverted n the old
4"' 5 To provide another should be however, which follows State Streets
impTOVer'c'e University Avenue, par" to Mitchell and east en-
so campus, and Lake way. Route 366 oads used
sity Lake, and Dryden and Ithaca R rovides a much- make
Lincoln, of Lincoln still p vehicles
DeY, intersection Into the city, and oversized of the
at the Gun Shop Hill. and ' Trucks ercent
titularly goad to the city. 13 p as been
�+ rade on Elmira trance outbound and
and the g c along ro- ercent of the 366.Moreover,then cars using
,.- 6. Safe moveirnprov°a byffi stalling curbs, burning in o p traffic on Route of trucks to cars anc wer
be imp by limiting inbound the Prop ortion
9 Thirteen percent f366 flow that
rrw should median strip, and an increase in 1961•
viding a m 366 since using ROUrade on Mitche
movements- west parkway' should 14 percent more trucks are percent g acce!
rnovem the South from 14 p , Despite the 12 p heaviest traveled
,rr street, city line extending an did in 196 the fourth of Route 13
7 A collector the old rovide Route 366 is the relocation t
be built along Meadow Street, to
of West Street, prior to goad route was
venue to ing south road in the City- den Road-Ithaca
Floral A the develop the north,the Dry access to the city• east act
access from of the city- north and
the south side esidential land, second most tray{dtbird of the
own Hlll to to developable r Giles Street, 0n Route 34,
c has increased by 21 pert
No rovide access extended to incoming traffic
8. Top should be in
place should be Taylor place roads,
Hillview place and arkwaY•
w• and Warren Southwest p
No completed to the
OWN
40
while --°
outbound
Two other north and c decreased slightly
Street east access from 1962. I
these and East State Street roads exist: Mitchel] °f traffic-access roads (Route 79
lower than he volume ) On both way that its°wever' should 96
roads, hoW °n the other °f tragc is a °f down tragc feeds i B be relocated
ever, these three. Like the PPreciably be South Hill, the nto Elmira Road in such a
crease in inbound access other three carefully evaluated. apacity of ' rather than
i
bound traffic. and routes showed Elmira n
gc• a Slight d an in- Road should �
The total train ght decline in out-
indicate that gic volume Western
creased b truck and figures External Access
oversize for all five west ' routes to and
Y four percent in d vehicle train roads include Routes 89 from the northwest
five ina'or Perce the c Route
1 access roads fro six-year in' 89 has show ' 96, and 79• A and
49 percent of the m the north Period. These over the last n the largest i mong these three
a five perce total external and east carried 100 Percent. , an increase in total tra �
nt increase nt n Years
increase over 196 train volume in 1 increase of
over the 1950 969, Route 96 handles the 'pore than
external 2 and an 11 percent traffic bulk
traffic volume. v0lums and ranks third amo °f the no
In Southern Aecess Of Route 96 ng access bound .
Routes 13e south, Elmira There has Years, but r not changed significantly roads. The total
Road (New Yor been more trucks are in the
in the north' and 96) is the c k of tr a relative
h• Elmira counterpart State ucks to decrease using this road.
Rraodunt of traffic as Rooad carries bouto ROUte 13 crease in the camber Cliff Street but the proportion
s share of the ute 13 in the the same nc °f trucks on the an absolute in
higher tha total southb north. The existence of street
total n Route 13 °und tragc however,Elmira the newl only one four- since 1962.
northb , Made access Constructed floo lane bridge
cent of
northbound trafc °i, the north's share to d control across
all southb Elmira Road °f the Particularl the city from the ntro a channel has
A second °und traffic. carries 50 daily Y digcult west
South souther per Y volume of tr and hazardous, northwest
Aurora Street,n access to the city Of 17,000 vehicletragc across this bridge total average
the steepest South Auror Y is Route 96B Provide The reloca ' ge is in excess
on this grades in the Y a Street has one of chan a second brid On of Route 96
street has i city, et the volume nel. This ridge across will .
in the last ncreased b me of traffic about 60 second brid the flood
decline seven years. Y more than erce ridge is ant- control
Although an 120 Percent Cent of the outbt of the inbound traffic, to relieve
iri the percenta gh th do
on South Aurora S ge °f trucks tore was a slight n• The relocation train gc, and
an increas of
fro ger cars direct atio Route 6 the 62 per_ .
pas more n of present intersec-
sized vehicles. absolute numbers to 1969, there w access for Could
South of trucks and as Cornell Univ eastbound also provide a
highest total ' Aurora Street ersity and Ca traffic
to the increase over much of the Co going to
usage city' The danger e m traffic of all the s shown the ngestiOn dow Y�iga Heights,
evide g r of this spar access roads mown relieving
ge is need
on the stee Y the hi ase ' Peak Hours
P incre
P street. high incidence of a cidents ternal evaluation or Traffic
.
Ithaca College atio of peak
Busi ge, relocated fro access roads
ness District travel indicates that
for tragic
the cit to South M Ithaca's Peaks between that in the °n the ex-
on limits Hill o Centr Cornell-bound n 7:00 and Mornin
on South ' has contrib n Route 96 al 8:30 g Car
Aurora Street uteri to the u B beyond between 7;30 traf;c which to A'M, exce
traffic represents et' It is esti exce and g; nds to Pt for
Sou that t increased tragic ption. Tra A.Al. Ro reach its
Aurora Street Percent °f the ' he College 8:00 he on this road peaks 96B is the peak
tragc. and 48 in train ge to A M' The Route Peaks only
Percent on correlate from 6:00 Y
The third t of the outbound With the morning traffic `1'M `N,
lvenue, d southern access a co Morse C peak see
Co shift Company and at National C ms
le total so Avenue c to the city is Floral 96, and 34, inexease i ha c In the afternas Register
uthb arries only three n traffic
Since °und tragic• in volume n there is
1962 the Percent of Peak betty °n the other On Routes 96B,
ersized v relative fre een 4:00 and 5: ccess roads
ehicle tragic 9uenc 30 P.M.p tends to
,ess roads; how has declined o Of truck and
;est absolute ever' these roads n the southern
increase have evidenced Several Proposals
1s studied. The °f total traffic ed the incre Proposals
oily traveled b sOUthbo gic carried of asing the for reducin
y car und roads, the all evolved fr future g the hazard and
Elmira and truck traffic. n' are still access accessibility of
Road is large enou For the roads to he evaluative stud Ithaca have
gh to carry the volume 1' Route 13 should Y of the ten major •
and continue uld be extended
South
along Fulton
lo
ng the railroad Street
tracks.
2. The relocation of Route 13 should provide a half Collegetown, the third major business district in
intersection at Meadow Street. the city, has a definite parking problem. Campus com-
3. By constructing alternate routes around the city muters, unable to qualify for on-campus parking,
frequently park in Collegetown. In addition, employ-
and by requiring trucks to use these routes, truck
and other heavy traffic should be removed from ees in Collegetown also use the on-street parking in the
c pressure area. New developments in the area are in accordance
Routes 366 and 79, alleviating the traffic
from the residential neighborhood. with the City Zoning Ordinance in providing their own
off-street parking,but many of these new developments
® 4. The peripheral highway should be located south will create traffic in excess of what they can or are
and east of the city close enough to Ithaca to required to provide for. Therefore, some of the rede-
alleviate truck access problems. With the con- velopment in the area will simply compound the
struction of the peripheral highway, South Aurora existing parking problem.
Street should serve only as a collector.
5. To alleviate the conditions of limited access across Proposals
the flood control channel, it is essential that the 1. Parking structures should be built in both the
relocated state arterial Route 96 North and the Central Business District and Collegetown to
city's proposed Southwest Parkway be completed relieve the congestion presently created by on-
as soon as possible. street parking and to provide more parking for
j 6. Through traffic now coming into Ithaca on Route the additional traffic which will be generated as
89 should be diverted onto Route 96 North and these areas develop further. As the Central Busi-
brought into the city. Such a diversion of traffic ness District develops, parking structures should
from Route 89 would relieve the pressure on the be built on the north, west, and south periphery
Inlet Park Road now being used to bring Route 89 of the shopping area.
traffic to the city. The park road would then serve 2. A study should be undertaken for solution of the
exclusively as an access to the Inlet Park complex. parking problems in the West End Business Dis-
trict which extends along Elmira Road and Mead-
PARKING ow Street and along the west end of State Street.
As indicated in the 1968 Central Business District 3. The University should be encouraged to continue
Parking Study, urban renewal has changed the char- to provide as much parking as possible for its
acter of the Central Business District. Not only has staff and students. The location of such facilities
urban renewal made the Central Business District less should be coordinated with the city.
dense, but it has also provided much additional space
® to alleviate the pressing parking problem in the area.
The parking study indicates that there is a short- OTHER TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
age of parking along State Street. Additional parking COMMUNITY TRANSIT SYSTEM
lots on Seneca and Green Streets, adjacent to State The city took over the bus system in August 1961.
Street, have been recently provided by redevelopment In December of that year the executive committee of
of the area for more parking for those destined for the Community Transit System recommended to the
State Street.
The evaluation of total parking available in the Common Council (1) that service be extended to
Central Business District according to demands of the those parts of the city which seem to indicate the
City Zoning Ordinance indicates that presently there need for service and the willingness to patronize the
is adequate parking in this area. As construction for line, and (2) that the city acquire new equipment to
urban renewal proceeds there may be slight decreases reduce the high cost of maintaining the old equip-
in the number of parking spaces available, but on the ment. The administrative committee agreed that"mass
whole it is expected that parking in the downtown transport is a public service like the Youth Bureau, F
area will remain adequate for the foreseeable future. library, water supply, boat marina, golf course, street
Parking in the West End Business Area should be paving or fire protection,' and that since bus service
considered in conjunction with the presently changing was a public service the city should absorb the annual
character of that part of the city. The new and pro- deficit accrued by the system.
posed relocations anticipated in the West End and Use
the future industrial and commercial development in
the area will generate new parking demands. Specific Passenger use of the bus system declined by 62
solutions to the parking problem will have to wait percent from 1957 to 1960. Nationally, in cities of
for the development of the area. comparable size, passengers riding the bus decreased
95
by approximately 20 percent in the same four-year since 1964. While the 1964 figures are only two percent
period. below the 1960 figures of 276,658, a comparison of the
An origin and destination study done in 1961 re- 1957 to the 1967 figures reveals a 66 percent loss. In the
vealed that almost 60 percent of passenger trips were first eight years of the 1960's, the transit system lost
made between the Cornell University campus and the 16 percent of its riders. A look at the type of users
Central Business District. The percentage increase in reveals that there has been less change in cash fares
use between the summer, July-September, and the than in student fares. This decline in student fares is
school year, October-December, indicates that the primarily the result of the decision in 1965 to limit
transit system is still dependent to a great extent on student tickets to high school students. The number of
the Cornell-Central Business District traffic. Forty- riders using tokens has increased since 1964. Table
five percent of all the trips were made to and from VI.3 also indicates that the revenue from the transit
work, 23 percent to and from shopping, 17 percent to system has increased overall, although irregularly, r
and from school, 9 percent on personal business, none from the 1964 figures. This increase is the result, in
for social reasons, and 6 percent for other reasons. part, of an increase in bus fares in January 1965.
Table VI.2 indicates that only slightly more than 50 The annual loss before capital expenditures has ow
percent of the transit system's use was daily. Seventy also fluctuated widely since 1964. The average annual No
percent of the bus users indicated that a car was not loss before capital expenditures is $4,006 a year. This
available for their use for the trip. The 1960 census loss does not include the purchase of equipment. The 1°"
data on mode of transportation to work indicates that average annual loss on the system including equip-
of the 11,085 people going to work in Ithaca, only ment is $16,410.
TABLE V1.2: Frequency of Use of the Transit System Equipment
by Percentage, 1961. In 1969 the city had six operable buses. Two of
these buses were purchased in 1962,three in 1966, and
Persons interviewed who: Percent p
Use the bus daily 54 one in 1968. Three of the city's buses are 19 passenger
mini-buses and three are 35 passenger buses. Pres-
Use the bus occasio nally 12
Use the bus once twice a week 34 ently the city is on a six-year replacement schedule;
o
it is anticipated, however, that the new equipment
SOURCE: Wilbur Smith and Associates, Mass Trans will have a longer life expectancy. The city added
portation in Ithaca, New York, Vol. 1, April three buses in 1969,one mini-bus and two 35-passenger
1961, p. 15.
buses. Of the three newly acquired buses, two were
three percent took the bus. These figures indicate, used as replacements for old vehicles and one was
therefore, that while about half of the bus system's used to extend city service.
bi
passengers are daily users without a car, this is really
a small proportion of the people going to work in the Service and Need OR
city. In 1960, 16 people drove to work for every one Today the city is providing the six bus routes
that took the bus and 10 people walked to work for shown on Map VI.3. Five of these routes service East
every one that took the bus. Avenue, the main north-south Cornell campus road.
Table VI.3 indicates the number and type of bus One line each runs to the Village of Cayuga Heights
users, annual revenue, and annual loss to the transit (Route 3), Elmira Road (Route 2), West Hill (Route
system from 1964 to 1968. The figures indicate that 3), and South Hill (Route 4). The addition of a sev-
there has been a spasmodic decline in passenger use enth operable bus allows the addition of service to the
TABLE VI.3: Number and Type of Bus Users, Annual Revenue and Annual Loss of the Transit System From
1964-1968
Annual Loss
Cash Fares Tokens Used Student Tickets Total Riders Annual Revenue Before Capital
Expenditure
Year Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Change Number Change Number Change Number Change $ Change $ Change
1964 186,149 46,298 38,428 270,875 54,720 3,838 .
1965 162,206 -13.0 55,155 +19.0 16,128 -58.0 233,489 -14.0 58,711 +7.0 206 -95.0
1966 180,151 +11.0 49,913 -10.0 8,176 -97.0 238,240 +2.0 59,577 +1.0 6,408 +301.0
1967 176,056 - 2.0 63,157 +27.0 8,685 +6.0 247,898 +4.0 66,392 +11.0
1968 170,739 - 1.0 52,759 -16.0 8,530 -2.0 232,028 -1.0 58,700 1 -12.0 1 10,719 1 +46.0
SOURCE: Community Transit System, 1969.
96
traffic volume at Meadow and Green Streets indicates 9. Segments of streets adjacent to existing park and
that much of the traffic from the west comes into the recreation areas should be closed and developed
city across Meadow Street instead of using Fulton to expand recreation facilities designated by the
Street for a more direct access to Green Street. A 1968 Recreation Plan where there is a shortage
second point of congestion on Meadow Street is of play space:
created by westbound traffic on State Street turning a. Cleveland Avenue
left onto Meadow. b. Adams Street between Dey and Auburn
Streets
®� Proposals c. Madison between Fourth and Fifth Streets
+ 1. The main external highways should feed into the d. Titus between Fair and South Streets
city street system in such a way as to provide ease e. Willow between Marshall and Cayuga Streets
of access to the city's primary generators.
ow EXTERNAL TRAFFIC
2. Immediate attention should be given to improve-
ment of the following intersections to increase Since the early post-war years traffic has con-
traffic safety: tinually increased in Ithaca. In addition to an in-
a. Mitchell and State Streets
crease in commercial and industrial traffic either
b. Stewart and State Streets attracted to Ithaca or passing through the city, visitor
�., c. College and Mitchell Streets traffic has increased. The growth of Ithaca College
and Cornell University have also contributed to the
d. Eddy and State Streets y
e. Mitchell Street and Ithaca Road increase of traffic into the city. Since 1960 the number
f. State and Aurora Streets of vehicles entering and leaving the city has increased
g. Elmira Road and Meadow Street
by 64 percent.
h. State, Floral, Elm, Hector, Cliff, and Park The ten major routes to the city have been studied
Streets to determine the volume of traffic gaining access to
the city. These roads will be examined according to
3. Consideration should be given to creating a the direction from which they enter the city.
+�+ pedestrian concourse, with limited vehicular ac-
do cess, between the tuning fork and Cayuga Street. Northern and Eastern Access
4. The circulation pattern should be improved by In 1964 Route 13 was redesigned as a four-lane
reconstructing, widening, straightening, and/or highway and relocated from the east to the north side
leveling the following streets: of the city. Since its upgrading and relocation Route
a. Stewart Avenue 13 has shown the largest increase in vehicle use of all
b. Dryden Road the access roads to the city. Route 13 now carries an
c. University Avenue annual average daily traffic (AADT) of about 14,000
d. Thurston Avenue vehicles and has relieved some of the pressure on the
5. To provide another direct access to the Univer- other east and north thoroughfares into the city. Much
sity campus, improvements should be made to of the traffic on Route 13 is composed of trucks and
Dey, Lincoln, Lake, and University Avenue, par- other oversized vehicles. Not all of this truck traffic,
ticularly at the intersection of Lincoln and Lake however,could be diverted north to the relocated high-
and the grade on Gun Shop Hill. way. Route 366, which follows the old Route 13 along
Dryden and Ithaca Roads to Mitchell and State Streets
6. Safe movement of traffic along Elmira Road and into the city, still provides a much-used east en-
should be improved by installing curbs, by pro- trance to the city. Trucks and oversized vehicles make
viding a median strip, and by limiting turning up 24 percent of the outbound and 13 percent of the
movements. inbound traffic on Route 366. Moreover,there has been
7. A collector street, the Southwest Parkway, should an increase in the proportion of trucks to cars using
be built along the old city line extending from Route 366 since 1962. Thirteen percent fewer cars and
Floral Avenue to Meadow Street, to provide an 14 percent more trucks are using Route 366 now than
access from the developing south side of West did in 1962. Despite the 12 percent grade on Mitchell
Hill to the south side of the city. Street, Route 366 is the fourth heaviest traveled access
road in the city. Prior to the relocation of Route 13 to
8. To provide access to developable residential land, the north,the Dryden Road-Ithaca Road route was the
Hillview Place should be extended to Giles Street, second most traveled access to the city.
aw and Warren Place and Taylor Place should be On Route 34, the third of the north and east access
completed to the Southwest Parkway. roads, incoming traffic has increased by 21 percent
93
titer
�r
while outbound traffic decreased slightly from 1962. of traffic. However, should 96B be relocated in such a
Two other north and east access roads exist: Mitchell way that its traffic feeds into Elmira Road, rather than
Street and East State Street (Route 79). On both of down South Hill, the capacity of Elmira Road should
these access roads the volume of traffic is appreciably be carefully evaluated.
lower than on the other three. Like the other three
roads, however, these access routes showed an in- Western Access
crease in inbound traffic and a slight decline in out- External routes to and from the northwest and
bound traffic. west include Routes 89,96, and 79. Among these three,
The total traffic volume figures for all five roads Route 89 has shown the largest increase in total traffic .
indicate that truck and oversized vehicle traffic in- over the last seven years, an increase of more than
creased by four percent in the six-year period. These 100 percent.
five major access roads from the north and east carried Route 96 handles the bulk of the northwest bound .
49 percent of the total external traffic volume in 1969, traffic and ranks third among access roads. The total
a five percent increase over 1962 and an 11 percent volume of Route 96 has not changed significantly in the
increase over the 1950 external traffic volume. past seven years, but more trucks are using this road.
Southern Access There has been a relative decrease in the proportion
of trucks to cars on Cliff Street but an absolute in-
In the south, Elmira Road (New York State crease in the number of trucks on the street since 1962. i
Routes 13, 34, and 96) is the counterpart to Route 13 The existence of only one four-lane bridge across
in the north. Elmira Road carries about the same the newly constructed flood control channel has
amount of traffic as Route 13 in the north. Elmira made access to the city from the west and northwest
Road's share of the total southbound traffic, however, particularly difficult and hazardous. The total average
is higher than Route 13 on the north's share of the daily volume of traffic across this bridge is in excess
total northbound traffic. Elmira Road carries 50 per- of 17,000 vehicles. The relocation of Route 96 will
cent of all southbound traffic. provide a second bridge across the flood control
A second southern access to the city is Route 96B, channel. This second bridge is anticipated to relieve .
South Aurora Street. South Aurora Street has one of 'about 60 percent of the inbound traffic, and 62 per-
the steepest grades in the city,yet the volume of traffic cent of the outbound traffic, at the present intersec-
on this street has increased by more than 120 percent tion. The relocation of Route 96 could also provide a
in the last seven years. Although there was a slight more direct access for eastbound traffic going to
decline in the percentage of trucks to passenger cars ;Cornell University and Cayuga Heights, relieving
on South Aurora Street from 1962 to 1969, there was ;much of the congestion downtown.
an increase in absolute numbers of trucks and over- .
sized vehicles. South Aurora Street has shown the Peak Hours for Traffic
highest total increase in traffic of all the access roads An evaluation of peak hours for traffic on the ex-
to the city. The danger of this sharp increase in traffic ternal access roads indicates that in the morning car
usage is evidenced by the high incidence of accidents travel peaks between 7:00 and 8:30 A.M., except for
on the steep street. Cornell-bound traffic which tends to reach its peak
Ithaca College, relocated from Ithaca's Central between 7:30 and 9:00 A.M. Route 96B is the only
Business District to South Hill on Route 96B beyond Exception. Traffic on this road peaks from 6:00 A.M.
the city limits, has contributed to the increased traffic to 8:00 A.M. The Route 96 morning traffic peak seems
on South Aurora Street. It is estimated that the College to correlate with the shifts at National Cash Register
traffic represents 45 percent of the inbound traffic on Company and Morse Chain. In the afternoon there is
South Aurora Street and 48 percent of the outbound a constant increase in traffic volume on Routes 96B,
traffic. 96, and 34. Traffic on the other access roads tends to
The third southern access to the city is Floral peak between 4:00 and 5:30 P.M.
Avenue. Floral Avenue carries only three percent of
the total southbound traffic. Proposals
Since 1962 the relative frequency of truck and
oversized vehicle traffic has declined on the southern Several proposals for reducing the hazard and
access roads; however, these roads have evidenced the increasing the future accessibility of Ithaca have S
largest absolute increase of total traffic carried of all evolved from the evaluative study of the ten major
roads studied. The southbound roads, then, are still access roads to Ithaca:
heavily traveled by car and truck traffic. For the pres- 1. Route 13 should be extended over Fulton Street e
ent, Elmira Road is large enough to carry the volume and continue South along the railroad tracks.
94
i
2. The relocation of Route 13 should provide a half Collegetown, the third major business district in
intersection at Meadow Street. the city, has a definite parking problem. Campus com-
3. By constructing alternate routes around the city
muters, unable to qualify for on-campus parking,
{ and by requiring trucks to use these routes, truck frequently park in Collegetown. In addition, employ-
and other heavy traffic should be removed from ees in Collegetown also use the on-street parking in the
Routes 366 and 79, alleviating the traffic pressure area. New developments in the area are in accordance
from the residential neighborhood. with the City Zoning Ordinance in providing their own
off-street parking,but many of these new developments
i ® 4. The peripheral highway should be located south will create traffic in excess of what they can or are
and east of the city close enough to Ithaca to required to provide for. Therefore, some of the rede-
alleviate truck access problems. With the con- velopment in the area will simply compound the
struction of the peripheral highway, South Aurora existing parking problem.
Street should serve only as a collector.
5. To alleviate the conditions of limited access across Proposals
the flood control channel, it is essential that the 1. Parking structures should be built in both the
relocated state arterial Route 96 North and the Central Business District and Collegetown to
city's proposed Southwest Parkway be completed relieve the congestion presently created by on-
as soon as possible. street parking and to provide more parking for
6. Through traffic now coming into Ithaca on Route the additional traffic which will be generated as
89 should be diverted onto Route 96 North and these areas develop further. As the Central Busi-
brought into the city. Such a diversion of traffic ness District develops, parking structures should
from Route 89 would relieve the pressure on the be built on the north, west, and south periphery
Inlet Park Road now being used to bring Route 89 of the shopping area.
traffic to the city. The park road would then serve 2. A study should be undertaken for solution of the
exclusively as an access to the Inlet Park complex. parking problems in the West End Business Dis-
® PARKING trict which extends along Elmira Road and Mead-
ow Street and along the west end of State Street.
As indicated in the 1968 Central Business District 3. The University should be encouraged to continue
Parking Study, urban renewal has changed the char- to provide as much parking as possible for its
acter of the Central Business District. Not only has staff and students. The location of such facilities
urban renewal made the Central Business District less should be coordinated with the city.
dense, but it has also provided much additional space
to alleviate the pressing parking problem in the area.
The parking study indicates that there is a short- OTHER TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
age of parking along State Street. Additional parking COMMUNITY TRANSIT SYSTEM
lots on Seneca and Green Streets, adjacent to State
Street, have been recently provided by redevelopment The city took over the bus system in August 1961.
of the area for more parking for those destined for In December of that year the executive committee of
State Street. the Community Transit System recommended to the
The evaluation of total parking available in the Common Council (1) that service be extended to
Central Business District according to demands of the those parts of the city which seem to indicate the
City Zoning Ordinance indicates that presently there need for service and the willingness to patronize the
is adequate parking in this area. As construction for line, and (2) that the city acquire new equipment to
urban renewal proceeds there may be slight decreases reduce the high cost of maintaining the old equip-
' in the number of parking spaces available, but on the ment. The administrative committee agreed that"mass
whole it is expected that parking in the downtown transport is a public service like the Youth Bureau,
area will remain adequate for the foreseeable future. library, water supply, boat marina, golf course, street
Parking in the West End Business Area should be paving or fire protection," and that since bus service
considered in conjunction with the presently changing was a public service the city should absorb the annual
character of that part of the city. The new and pro- deficit accrued by the system.
® posed relocations anticipated in the West End and
the future industrial and commercial development in Use
the area will generate new parking demands. Specific Passenger use of the bus system declined by 62
solutions to the parking problem will have to wait percent from 1957 to 1960. Nationally, in cities of
for the development of the area. comparable size, passengers riding the bus decreased
95
by approximately 20 percent in the same four-year since 1964. While the 1964 figures are only two percent
period. below the 1960 figures of 276,658, a comparison of the
An origin and destination study done in 1961 re- 1957 to the 1967 figures reveals a 66 percent loss.In the PW
vealed that almost 60 percent of passenger trips were first eight years of the 1960's, the transit system lost 6"
made between the Cornell University campus and the 16 percent of its riders. A look at the type of users
Central Business District. The percentage increase in reveals that there has been less change in cash fares OW
use between the summer, July-September, and the than in student fares. This decline in student fares is
school year, October-December, indicates that the primarily the result of the decision in 1965 to limit
transit system is still dependent to a great extent on student tickets to high school students. The number of
the Cornell-Central Business District traffic. Forty- riders using tokens has increased since 1964. Table
five percent of all the trips were made to and from VI.3 also indicates that the revenue from the transit
work, 23 percent to and from shopping, 17 percent to system has increased overall, although irregularly, an
and from school, 9 percent on personal business, none from the 1964 figures. This increase is the result, in
for social reasons, and 6 percent for other reasons. part, of an increase in bus fares in January 1965.
Table VI.2 indicates that only slightly more than 50 The annual loss before capital expenditures has
percent of the transit system's use was daily. Seventy also fluctuated widely since 1964. The average annual
percent of the bus users indicated that a car was not loss before capital expenditures is $4,006 a year. This
available for their use for the trip. The 1960 census loss does not include the purchase of equipment. The
data on mode of transportation to work indicates that average annual loss on the system including equip-
of the 11,085 people going to work in Ithaca, only ment is $16,410.
e
TABLE V1.2: Frequency of Use of the Transit System Equipment
by Percentage, 1961. In 1969 the city had six operable buses. Two of
Persons interviewed who: Percent
these buses were purchased in 1962 three in 1966 and to to
one in 1968. Three of the city's buses are 19 passenger
Use the bus daily 54
Use the bus once or twice a week 34 mini-buses and three are 35 passenger buses. Pres-
ently the city is on a six-year replacement schedule;
Use the bus occasionally 12 it is anticipated, however, that the new equipment
SOURCE: Wilbur Smith and Associates, Mass Trans- will have a longer life expectancy. The city added
portation in Ithaca, New York, Vol. 1, April three buses in 1969,one mini-bus and two 35-passenger
1961, p. 15. buses. Of the three newly acquired buses, two were
three percent took the bus. These figures indicate, used as replacements for old vehicles and one was
therefore, that while about half of the bus system's used to extend city service.
passengers are daily users without a car, this is really
a small proportion of the people going to work in the Service and Need
city. In 1960, 16 people drove to work for every one Today the e cit y is providing the six bus routes
that took the bus and 10 people walked to work for shown on Map VI.3. Five of these routes service East
every one that took the bus. Avenue, the main north-south Cornell campus road.
Table VI.3 indicates the number and type of bus One line each runs to the Village of Cayuga Heights
users, annual revenue, and annual loss to the transit (Route 3), Elmira Road (Route 2), West Hill (Route
system from 1964 to 1968. The figures indicate that 3), and South Hill (Route 4). The addition of a sev- IIrWPR
there has been a spasmodic decline in passenger use enth operable bus allows the addition of service to the
TABLE V1.3: Number and Type of Bus Users, Annual Revenue and Annual Loss of the Transit System From
1964-1968
Annual Loss
Cash Fares Tokens Used Student Tickets Total Riders Annual Revenue Before Capital
Expenditure
Year Number Percent Percent Number Percent Percent Percent $ Percent
Number Number
Change Change Change Change $ Change Change
1
1964 186,149 46,298 38,428 270,875 54,720 3,838
1965 162,206 -13.0 55,155 +19.0 16,128 -58.0 233,489 -14.0 58,711 +7.0 206 -95.0
1966 180,151 +11.0 49,913 -10.0 8,176 -97.0 238,240 +2.0 59,577 +1.0 6,408 +301.0
1967 176,056 - 2.0 63,157 +27.0 8,685 +6.0 247,898 +4.0 66,392 +11.0 - - .
1968 170,739 1 - 1.0 52,759 1 -16.0 1 8,530 -2.0 232,028 -1.0 58,700 -12.0 10,719 +46.0
SOURCE: Community Transit System, 1969.
96 .
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MAP V1.3
AREA TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
County Hospital on West Hill and an increase in the TABLE V1.4: Freight Shipments In and Out of the
frequency of service to Elmira Road and South Hill. Ithaca Station by Carload in 1968
The addition of another bus has made it possible to IN OUT
extend the service hours to the hospital and Cornell
campus from 6:00 A.M. to midnight six days a week. Type Carloads Type Carloads
Proposals Milliken Station 15,600 Wallace Scrap 156
Lumber Yards 416 Morse Chain 108
1. The policy that the bus system is a necessary Brick 52 Cayuga Rock Salt 3,000
community service and should be provided de- Agway 156 Agway 75
spite possible financial loss to the city should be Beer 52
continued. Total 16,276 Total 3,339
2. During the summer season bus service should be SOURCE: Mr. A. Schmidt, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Au-
extended to the lake front parks and Buttermilk burn, New York, 1969.
Falls State Park.
In 1964 the city purchased the Lehigh Valley
LONG DISTANCE BUS SERVICE Railroad switching yard on Cayuga Inlet. The city is
Two main lines of the Greyhound Bus Service using the old switch yard site as part of the National
Arts and Recreation Center development being
cross at Ithaca. These two lines run from Syracuse to planned for the lakefront at the inlet. The new rail-
Elmira, and from Rochester to Binghamton to New road switch yard was relocated south of Clinton Street
York. Each of the Greyhound lines has five or six buses in the Inlet Valley.
traveling both directions through Ithaca daily. Monday through Friday between midnight and
Through the years, particularly since the termination 8;00 A.M. a train crosses the Elmira Road-Inlet Valley
of passenger rail service to Ithaca in 1963, the Grey- Neighborhood to the switch yard. Between 8:00 A.M.
hound line has experienced a steady increase in the and noon daily the train crosses town, past the North
number of passengers handled at the Ithaca terminal. Central Neighborhood to the Cayuga Rock Salt Mines
The local agent estimates that, at present, more than
250 passengers leave the terminal daily while more and Milliken Station. Periodically trains are sent on
spur lines to Morse Chain. The main Ithaca line is
than 1,000 leave the terminal on a holiday. Approxi- frequently used by 100 car trains. Since a speed limit
ally. 100,000 passengers leave Ithaca by bus annu- of five miles per hour is necessary within city limits,
ally. these trains hold up traffic in the West End for ten to
The Trailways Bus Line passes through Ithaca en- 20 minutes. The city's major east-west collectors and
route to Binghamton and New York City. About 900 arterials are crossed by the tracks. An arrangement
passengers a year use this service. must be made for crossing these primary and secon-
dary roads; the train crossing should be made during
RAILROADS the off-peak traffic flow on the collectors and arterials.
The City of Ithaca is serviced by the Lehigh Such an arrangement would be predicated on the
Valley Railroad line five days a week. Cornell Uni- cooperation of the various industries supplied by the
versity is serviced at its East Ithaca Station three days Lehigh Valley Railroad. Another problem is also
a week. For five years the railroad sharply curtailed caused by spur lines which cross South Aurora Street
its passenger service to Ithaca, and in 1963 passenger and Hudson Street on South Hill and create a safety
service was eliminated altogether. hazard to vehicles on the hill. These tracks are rarely,
The Ithaca freight line runs from Sayre, Pennsyl- if ever, used and should be removed.
vania, via Ithaca to Milliken Station on Cayuga Lake.
Spur lines connect the Ithaca line to Morse Chain on Proposals
South Hill and to the wholesale-industrial area in the
Inlet Valley. The East Ithaca freight line runs from 1. Although little expansion of rail service is antici-
Sayre to East Ithaca and to Cortland. gated in the Ithaca area in the future, rail move-
In 1968 16,276 carloads of freight entered the ment should be rescheduled during the periods
Ithaca area and 3,339 carloads of freight were shipped of lowest vehicular traffic on the city collectors
out. The railroad does not anticipate any significant and arterials which the train must cross.
change in the volume of freight to and from the city in
the next decade. The only significant change would AIR TRANSPORTATION
come from any new industry which located on the rail The old Ithaca Municipal Airport was located on
line. the Inlet at the head of Cayuga Lake. In September
98
TABLE VI.S: Tompkins County Airport Air and Pas- airports within driving distance: Syracuse, Rochester,
senger Traffic 1965 to 1968. and Elmira. The market for air service in Ithaca is
ers
Passen Change expected to remain rather constant; improvements in
Actual g (Percent) Total Uses of
Year Departures Over Preced-Airport for All east-west service, however, may persuade more local
Off On ing Year Purposes people to take connecting flights out of Ithaca.
1965 5,114 38,650 38,749 11.5 Presently the County Airport lacks an Instrument
1966* 4,386 41,207 40,362 4.2 120,000 Landing System. Such a system would make it pos-
1967 4,102 46,188 44,552 10.4 145,000 sible for aircraft to land at the airport in inclement
1968 3,807 49,793 47,697 7.1 167,490 weather. An Instrument Landing System has been
proposed for the airport and will be financed and in-
1966.re Airlines discontinued Tompkins County service in August stalled by the Federal Aeronautics Administration.
SOURCE: Tompkins County Airport Annual Reports, Installation of the system is anticipated by 1972. With
1965 through 1968. the installation of the landing system, the airport
management anticipates enlarging the ramp to accom-
1956 the Municipal Airport was discontinued and its modate medium-sized jets. To date the air space
services relocated to the Tompkins County Airport, within a five mile radius of the County Airport is
a 10 to 15 minute drive from the city. The County controlled by the Elmira Airport Tower. When the
Airport serves several functions locally: passenger weather is poor, clearances for landing at Tompkins
service on scheduled and chartered flights, freight, County are issued from the Elmira Tower.
air express, air mail, and private aviation. Business Chartair, the chartered flight service out of Tomp-
at the airport also includes the local limousine services kins County Airport, carried some 5,000 passengers
and car rental agencies. in the northwest region of New York State in 1968.
This was a decline of 18 percent from 1967. However,
Passenger Service the Chartair Service increased by 30 percent from
Until 1966 Ithaca and Tompkins County were 1966 to 1967.
serviced by two airlines. In August 1966 Empire An important segment of airport traffic opera-
Airlines discontinued its service to the area. The tions come from the East Hill Flying Club and itin-
passenger and air traffic generated by the airlines erant private pilots. These two users account for 48
using the airport is indicated on Table VI.5. Although percent of all traffic operations at the County Airport.
the number of departures has decreased steadily over The total number of airport users has increased
the past few years, passenger traffic has increased as steadily. In 1968, 167,490 people used the airport
a result of a shift to larger planes. Terminal facilities facilities. This 1968 use was 16 percent higher than
which were considered adequate to handle passenger in 1967. The 1967 use was 21 percent higher than in
and air traffic in 1960 are no longer able to accom- 1966.
modate the increased usage. The airport management Airport users create an estimated 900 automobile
anticipates the completion of a new terminal building trips per day. Ground transportation for these airport
by 1975, users is mainly by private car. The airport limousine
Thirty-five percent of the passengers boarding service, however, carried 13,640 passengers in 1968,
flights at Tompkins County Airport in 1967 and 1968 a slight decrease in use. Decreases have also been in
were connecting with other flights. The high per- evidence in car and rental service.
centage of connections indicates a gap in the air
services offered from the County Airport. This gap Proposals
cannot be closed by a regional airline alone; however, 1. The city should support the county's efforts to
flights from Ithaca to major airports are sufficiently expand air service and facilities at the Tompkins
infrequent to cause a loss of business to other large County Airport.
99
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CONCLUSION and EPILOGUE
CONCLUSION
The General Plan for Ithaca as presented here has 2. Planning provides for the most efficient long-range
established a broad policy to assist in guiding the use of that part of the city's land which presently
community toward predetermined objectives. The suffers from abuse.
fundamental objective of the plan is to make Ithaca
3. Planning establishes objectives, arrived at by the
a place of and for man.
whole community, on which to guide decisions
An essential part of preparing the General Plan
was the two months of public hearings, comments, and and to allocate tax dollars.
criticisms of the plan. Suggestions from these meetings 4. Planning enables the community to base priorities
were carefully weighed and incorporated into the for public improvements on accepted and desired
final document. Community participation is essential community objectives.
so that the objectives of the plan reflect the desires
and values of the residents for the future priorities in 5. Planning reduces unnecessary expenditures which
the community. do little to improve the city's physical environ-
A second important facet of the plan is flexibility. ment.
The best plans must be responsive to changes in the
community. Our plan is general. However, it was 6. Planning avoids the great expense of providing
public services before an area is ready to develop.
made at a single point in time. Ithaca is dynamic.
The proposals listed in the plan must be reviewed 7. Planning helps to attract and retain people, in-
periodically to keep the plan contemporary with the creasing the production and consumption of the
current situation in the community. The community community which are vital to a growing economy.
objectives of the General Plan, however, should be re-
tained so long as they are valid expressions of the 8. Planning offers residents the opportunity to do
community's desires and values. something about many urban problems which
A third important facet of the plan is its cost. everyone dislikes such as heavy traffic and lack of
Traditionally, matters of community growth and deci- parking.
sions affecting the physical environment are deter-
mined on the basis of economic expediency. It is not 9. Planning protects future generations from the
difficult to see that improving a community is an costly job which faces Ithaca now: correcting our
expensive procedure. Improvement requires sizable past mistakes.
sums of money over long periods of time. By planning, This question of cost is a serious one. But before
the short-term profit is often traded off for the greater asking it, one might consider how much the lack of
long-term saving. Several examples of how planning planning has cost the community in the past, how
can save money for everyone in the community are as much it is presently costing the community to correct
follows: mistakes which could have been avoided, and how
1. Planning protects the value of property by spe- much it will cost the community in the future if the
cifically designating the use to which a property, city does not begin long-range planning now. Can
and adjacent properties, can best be put. we really afford not to plan for Ithaca's future?
103
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EPILOGUE
The fact that Ithaca does not exist in isolation from erated by the educational institutions the economic
the surrounding area, and that it is subject to abstract advantage will accrue to the merchants and residents
influences of regional and national scope, has been of the surrounding towns.
alluded to in the body of this plan and is intellectually The growth of these educational institutions, as
obvious. This local interdependence is presently in- well as of other major industries and businesses in or
stitutionalized in such facilities as the city water and adjacent to Ithaca, has helped make the city the
sewer systems. Thus, while the General Plan is limited commercial and service center for an area roughly
directly by the governmental boundaries of the city, corresponding to the county. Coordinated public and
the plan must also estimate the impact of trends of private development programs aimed at further
growth and development in the area external to the strengthening the position of the city will have a
city and vice versa. greater total effect than the business gained by each
Ithaca, in this regional role, is obligated to plan for individual establishment locating in the city because
the future in such a way that it will benefit other parts shoppers will tend to patronize establishments adja-
of the region as well as itself. The mutual benefit will cent to those which are the primary object of their trip.
result primarily from the adoption of a policy of posi- If the convenience of access, the variety of oppor-
tive intergovernmental coordination, coupled with tunity, and the amenity of the city's central and sub-
active efforts on the part of each level of city govern- sidiary business districts are not maintained and
ment to provide effective programs for improved improved, more and more decisions on business loca-
living and working conditions for the entire com- lion and shopping trips will be made in favor of more
munity. Such a commitment to intergovernmental scattered, but comparatively more attractive sites in
organization would be in the best interests of the city areas outside the city. As a result, such scattered sites
and the adjacent towns since it would mandate the would have the effect of weakening the city's economic
most effective and efficient use of common financial, position, as well as fostering marginally-attractive and
human, and physical resources. marginally-profitable shopping centers in the surround-
The city's primary role is as a center for, and ing area.
stimulus to, development in Tompkins County. By Ithaca is the employment center for a region larger
planning and providing responsibly for future growth than the county. The 1960 Census indicates that three
in the city, the quality of life for all residents of the and a half times as many persons commuted into
county will be enhanced. The city must plan to main- Tompkins County for work than traveled out of the
tain and improve its ability to furnish the requisite county for work. Moreover, by virtue of its concentra-
urban services and urban amenities necessary for a tion of commercial and educational activity, most of
total county population which may increase 40 per- this commutation comes to the city. This in-commuta-
cent by 1980 and 90 percent by the end of the century. tion rate will be sustained or increased by the expected
Another major role of the city is as a locus of the growth of present major employers and the possible
two major educational institutions, Ithaca College and addition of other enterprises in and near the city.
Cornell University. The combined budgets of these Business and employment opportunities are closely
institutions, which are considered industries, currently linked to residential opportunities. The tight housing
approximates $150,000,000. These budgets are four to market in Ithaca and the county, documented in the
five times bigger than the gross expenditure of the section on housing, is one of the reasons why so many
next largest local industry. The economic importance people commute to the jobs available in the city. This
of these institutions is supplemented by the money plan proposes that a major effort be made to stimu-
spent by the 17,500 students and their dependents late increased construction of housing for all income
resident in the area for the better part of each year. levels within the city. Such building activity would
As pointed out in the education section of this plan, have the effects of supporting the construction trades
growth of these institutions is expected to continue for and retaining more of the local payroll within an
at least the next few decades. Therefore, if the city expanded and easily accessible consumer market. If
plans and provides services and facilities needed by the increased demand for housing, indicated by popu-
the institutions, their employees, and students, then lation projections and commuter trends, is not met by
the city will grow and this growth will help to provide the city with a policy of encouragement and provision
the funds necessary for programs to benefit all city of resources available within the city, such as land
residents. If the public and private sectors of the city and municipal services, then a solution will be found
decide not to respond to the increasing markets gen- outside the city. Development of housing outside the
105
city may have adverse long run effects, i.e. high costs eluding major natural features and public lands of all
of providing utilities and unnecessary duplication of types: trees, parks, streams and lakes, gorges, and
services. undevelopable land which should be protected and
Another part of the city's role in regional develop- preserved. Private conservation action should be en-
ment is as a governmental center. Because it is acces- couraged to develop similar care for, and pride in,
sible and the seat of two governments, the city and individual properties. Such action can be channeled
the county, many other public, semi-public, and pri- through group action in areas of special interest such
vate agencies also have their headquarters in the city. as civic groups, neighborhood associations, nature and
Movements currently underway to combine similarly environmental action groups. These organizations -
oriented social service groups promise more efficient sponsor clean-up campaigns in neighborhoods, busi-
and effective community action. Similarly, problems ness areas, and recreation lands; restore areas and
j dealing with physical development, such as waste buildings of historic and scenic interest; and support
disposal and water supply, would probably benefit historic preservation efforts, architectural review
from increased intergovernmental coordination. The standards and boards, and otherwise influence con-
question of primary responsibility for the solution of servation efforts of the larger community.
waste disposal and water supply will require that Control concerns the establishment and impli-
consideration be given to consolidation of govern- mentation of measures for maintenance and growth
mental agencies on a county-wide basis. Such a county of the community. These controls may be direct or
agency would then coordinate the efforts of all govern- indirect. Direct controls usually take the form of
mental agencies within the area. codes, ordinances, and regulations such as those for
The City of Ithaca has historically played a central building, zoning, and subdivision. However, these
role in the operation and development of its surround- measures may also include policies for overall develop-
ing county. Today, difficult policy and development ment such as the proposals in this plan and policies
decisions are confronting the city. Resolution of these and procedures for intergovernmental cooperation in
problems will affect positively or negatively the con- solving matters of common concern. Other methods
ditions in the areas beyond the city. Recognizing its of control are indirect. These controls include civic
position of leadership, the city must consider its con- and special interest group involvement and general
tinual interaction with the surrounding area and public opinion. These can be either positive or nega-
acknowledge that the best future rests in maximum tive forces supporting or resisting existing and pro-
development of the potential of both the city and the posed controls, or initiating and lobbying for needed
community which surrounds it. changes.
Among community problems which must be dealt Development is a method of solving problems and
with on an integrated basis are water resource effecting change largely by working toward the future
development, housing, sewage and refuse disposal, within the existing framework of control. Although
pollution control, highway access into and through development is primarily concerned with questions of
both the city and county, adequacy and location of land use and circulation, the effect of this physical
commercial activity, land use and zoning, and expand- development on the economic and social development
ing the community's economic base. The solutions to of the community must also be considered. Develop-
these community problems will bear directly on the ment decisions must be made on the basis of research
shape of future development: whether it is to be into the community's needs and desires. Planning
scattered, diffuse and haphazard, or orderly and com- and development done in the absence of this knowl-
posed of a clearly defined and dominant center with edge is invariably damaging to someone, and often
well planned subordinate nodes or areas of develop- has negative repercussions on the original planning
ment. body. Only by considering these external effects can
Some of the methods available to resolve these the city meet the needs of its own residents and busi-
common community problems are conservation, nessmen and provide efficiently for its own service
control, and development. Conservation pertains to area. By considering the impact of development on
maintaining and restoring the community's existing the city, the city will consolidate and reinforce its own
resources, through public and private action. At the position in the commercial service market area. By
public level the normal maintenance activity of opera- conserving and concentrating physical and financial
ting agencies is effective in taking care of govern- resources the city will benefit the entire area.
: mental structures and developed facilities such as The major means of resolving these community
roads and sewers. Further public involvement is problems and expanding the community's economic
E required in action programs and other conservation base lie in: (1) developing increased intergovern-
efforts concerning the undeveloped environment, in- mental cooperation; (2) increasing citizen and private
106
enterprise's interest and involvement; and (3) increas- city attractive in both the economic and physical
ing commitment to planning and programming orga- sense will result from public support for their govern-
nized action by public and private agencies at all levels. ment. This concerned, informed, and progressive
In sum, Ithaca will serve both its own interests and community action is instrumental in achieving a satis-
those of its regional community by recognizing and fying and enduring environment for living and work-
un,Aerstanding its greater responsibility. By looking at ing; a healthy city, physically and economically; a
=end acting on its own and on its community's develop- city which provides outstanding facilities for learning
ment problems, the city will reinforce the cycle of and leisure; a city which attracts new businesses and
economic growth by attracting business and industry. residents while serving the present ones better. Ithaca
Continuing responsive and responsible action on the is most likely to achieve its full potential as a center
part of the city will result not only in increased com- for and a stimulus to regional community life, employ-
munity spirit and pride; it will also encourage needed ment, and services by assuming leadership in the effort
public support for government. Increased civic in- to resolve regional community problems, and by work-
volvement and participation in physical, social, and ing to achieve maximum beneficial growth both inter-
economic development programs that make a growing nally and externally.
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