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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-SMC-1997-05-12 SIX MILE CREEK ADVISORY COMMITTEE May 12, 1997 Minutes Committee Present: Elizabeth Mulholland, Chair Dan Hoffman, Nancy Ramage, Marjorie Olds, Dick Fischer, Jack Booker, Peter Fortunato, City Forester Andy Hillman (ex officio) . Others Present: Rick Gray, Alan Cohen, Doug Foster, Steve Ehrhardt. 1. Approval of Minutes. The Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee ("Committee") approved the April 28, 1997 special meeting minutes. 2. Reports Chair: Dan will invite George Frantz to discuss the Town of Ithaca's draft "Recreation, Parks and Open Space Plan" at our next meeting. In particular the SMCAC wishes to discuss the purchase/ protection of high-priority land parcels in conjunction with The Town and the proposed development of the Iacovelli Park along the Rec Way. Dan will discuss dates with George for a walk along Rec Way to observe and discuss the Sincebeaux property. City Forester: Andy has hired Bob Drabicki to serve full-time as Gorge Ranger. (There will not be a second Ranger this year. ) Andy was not able to submit an application for Recreational Trail funding by the May 1 deadline. Beth Mulholland: Beth commended Larry Fabbroni's staff for cleaning up and smoothing out the surface of the service road between Commonland and the plateau overlooking the lower reservoir. Land Acquisition: Doug Foster reported that there was no news on land acquisition. The Sincebeaux property will be discussed at the next SMCAC meeting. Mayor: Mayor Cohen said he has appointed Mary Gutenberger as liaison from BPW, and Rick Gray as liaison from Common Council. 4. Restoration of Pipeline Repair Area Larry Fabbroni, Asst Supt of Public Works, responded to letter from Dan and Nancy. He said the repair/service road project "is in progress and will not be completed until at least the Fall planting." Apparently this means restoration work will not happen until Fall, or later. His letter does not address the problem of safe access from the service road to the path down to the reservoir. Andy purchased 1000 Hemlocks and 200 Red Oaks for the area disturbed by work on the pipeline repair and service road. Andy had a planting plan, but it depended on a narrow window of opportunity. Unfortunately, because Water & Sewer did not allocate the personnel and equipment when needed, we have probably lost most of the trees. The Committee lamented the fact that, despite the massive scope of the service road/pipeline repair project, few resources were budgeted or saved for restoration of the natural features. Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee, 5/12/97 p. 2 5. Natural Areas Commission Dan had invited Mayor Cohen, Steve Ehrhart (Vice Chair of the BPW), City Planner Thys Van Cort, and Superintendent Bill Gray to attend today's meeting, to respond to Committee concerns about the level of support and credibility a Natural Areas Commission would have. Mayor Cohen and Steve Ehrhart attended; Doug Foster appeared for Thys Van Cort. The Mayor discussed SMCAC's concerns: How can SMCAC be more effective in implementing the Committee's role as defined in the City Code? How can SMCAC work more effectively in its advisory capacity with City staff? If SMCAC does assume responsibility for larger natural areas will there be increased staff assistance and inclusion of SMCAC in setting policy? Mayor Cohen noted that as for greater staff support, resources are "extremely limited." He believes that problems with communication can be easily remedied with a directive (to DPW from him) requiring that SMCAC or the Natural Areas Commission be informed and involved before DPW does work in a natural area. He will speak to Larry Fabbroni regarding the issues raised in our recent exchange of letters. Mayor Cohen is confident there will be a Natural Areas Commission, but it need not necessarily subsume the SMCAC. Steve Ehrhardt also endorsed a Natural Areas Commission. He will report on this meeting to the BPW, and will explain the necessity of informing SMCAC before work is done in the natural area. He encouraged us to get on the mailing list for BPW agendas. He cautioned that BPW members are very busy and urged SMCAC to be selective about when it wanted the BPW liaison to attend meetings. Doug Foster encouraged SMCAC to support and join in a Natural Areas Commission, because the City would benefit from our experience. He believes the Planning Dept could be more of a resource for a Commission, as it would have City-wide concerns. He did not know, however, whether land acquisition would receive a higher priority within the Planning Department's workplan. Meeting adjourned around 7:00 PM. Minutes by MZO and NR ry�rO x,11 IC 4 FTT-I rT�T_I 7711/4, !°biro_ CITY OF ITHACA lOB EAST GREEN STREET ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850 OFFICE OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT AND TELEPHONE: (607)274-6527 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS FAX: (607)272-7348 MEMORANDUM TO: Dan Hoffman, Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee FROM: William J. Gray, P.E., Superintendent of Public WorksLAJ�J(-� RE: Proposal for a Natural Areas Commission DATE: May 19, 1997 This memo is a follow up to our exchange of correspondence in March, 1997 concerning the city's recent work in the Six Mile Creek Water Shed and my review of your recent agendas for the Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee. It is my understanding that the City of Ithaca is considering the creation of the Natural Areas Commission. This appears to be a city counterpart to the town's Natural Area Commission and a consequence of the current strategy for alienation of inlet island and the acquisition of substitute park land. It also appears from your resolutions and the proposed re-write of Chapter 113 of the City Code that the Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee will be expanded in scope to undertake the larger mandate. This is both reasonable and desirable because the skills and interests of the committee are needed, valuable and applicable to the broader scope. However, I see no reason to re-write Chapter 320 Water Shed, including renaming it "Natural Areas." Chapter 320 was the direct result of the city's 1984 study of the water shed and reflects the city's policies toward that landholding. The city's ownership, control and protection of the water shed affords the opportunity for additional uses for that natural area. The water shed is not an ancillary function of the natural area and the city could not afford it if it were. Your proposed "simplification" of Chapter 320 does not reflect the department's interest or the Board of Public Work's control and operation of the city's water supply. I suggest that the Advisory Committee concentrate on re-writing Chapter 113 while maintaining its reference to the existing Chapter 320 on the water shed. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Fabbroni, the Board of Public Works or me concerning water shed issues as they relate to the creation to the Natural Areas Commission. 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AND OPEN SPACE �_ PURCHASE OF • r '`>;.'::: ��� DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS !::...«:::�::::«::;�::�.� %� �rJ;4� _ I TARGET AREAS•i:....:.::«::« �:::::. KEY Mallibk, \ .. ::::;;:.:.:::::: : `/ •<, � `� AREAS CONSERVATION ZONING FOR •:: ....•....•.....•:::�• CONSERVATION ZDNING I _All _ _ ,LANDS IN EXISTING �i•':. :"�iy.: '.�_ /' � � �'�: �■`�� � ...•f AG - AGRICULTURAL ZONING :,::;. .. :.1. 0) / r/ �n �: �`�� DISTRICT• ••;;;: .•: / LANDS PRDPDSED Fit :' ....•... :::.:•:::::: • CITY OF ITHACA ® O AGRICULTURAL TO AG•-:::::::::::..... .. ...... AGRICULTURAL ZDNING •"•..b. '•::;••• ..e' AREAS RECOMMENDED FOR w • . •':� /� ■ �� INCLUSION IN PURCHASE �` I. _■�0 = _ LDPlIENT RIGHTS PROGR AM NOTE ...• .•::::.-• CERTAIN LOTS FRONTING ON PUBLIC ROADS ... ••-•.•.. WHICH ARE 7m SMALL TO BE Whitt ON ' �� THIS MAP ARE INTENDED 70 BE EXCLUDED •.•'.......•.. ` FROM ANY FUTURE CONSERVATION OR AGRI- :;:•::::...:..;:::...' \ , CULTURAL 20NING DISTRICTS.•..'......"•..•.. .. y ♦ PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS �..;......:•...�.i.�.. �` ` TARGET AREA BOUDARIES ARE GENERALIZED •;'::H.::•�H::�t.: 7'... \ OFDLANDNOT REPRESENT SPECIFIC PARCELS \xuce �.w 11..:. ill i``�,`� \',.\ „... • 4. • .�`� _ \L� ` �, SCALE `"`t„ "� ;: `�. _ ��i� • .1,OI ante NAP PREPARED BT }1� �`\\ !`,i` `�� � •. ��►.v TOWN OF ITHACA 7t,�\�\ p�f i_-- PLANNING DEPARTMENT `aai.l.1. `.��`,`v2` ``�-•� �� , •• :j am[.'] 126 uST SEIECA sTREEr .Q �� •`. � .._.._.._.._:1 • .• AP ,--r„, IT/NCA.N.T. NBSO FIF.K• ■n.sVJV. 1.71012•MO INTRODUCTION The Town of Ithaca is a diverse and prosperous community well known for its scenic natural beauty. Guided by the initial 1977 Park and Open Space Plan and its 1984 update, the Town has begun to develop a network of neighborhood parks and recreational trails. The Town of Ithaca has grown significantly since the inception of these earlier plans, making it necessary to reassess the variety of recreational opportunities available for residents today and in the coming decade. Providing for the recreational needs of the community, once considered a luxury,is now a necessity in municipal • budgets.Offering citizens a variety of activities for relaxation and greater physical and mental well-being contributes substantially to the general health and welfare of the community. The changing demographic profile of today's residents includes a growing population of retired residents with large blocks of time dedicated to their active lifestyles. The predominance of two-career families has also generated a substantial need for organized childcare programs that provide safe and creative recreational outlets for"latchkey" children who are left alone at the end of the school day. Preserving open space and sensitive environmental resources enhances the unique character and high quality of life in our town.Providing for these important resources must be a priority in the future. "Open space," for the purposes of this plan,refers to those lands in the Town of Ithaca that are either predominantly undeveloped in their natural state,or minimally disturbed working landscapes. Open spaces can be any size and provide a variety of both public and private benefits, including preservation of important streams,wildlife habitats and corridors, threatened agricultural lands,cultural,and historic resources. Other important targets for preservation include open areas and greenways between and around existing and future residential,commercial, institutional,and industrial development. It is also vital to reserve the scenic beauty that enriches our day-to-day experiences and permeates our quality of life. This plan reassesses the Town's recreational goals set forth in the 1977 and 1984 plans to accommodate the current residential demographics and the anticipated future population changes in the Town. Using the existing system of parks, trails,open spaces,and sport facilities in the Town of Ithaca and surrounding municipalities, this plan puts forth an innovative and cost-effective integrated network of recreational facilities for Town residents. In the coming decades, we must place a premium on reserving these important ecological and recreational areas while channeling growth to the areas most appropriate for residential development. It is essential that open space conservation efforts proceed despite fiscally challenged times. Once land is developed, it seldom reverts to its former ecological, historical,and scenic condition. Only by making concrete policy decisions now can the Town of Ithaca ensure a sound economic, recreational,and environmental future for its residents. CHAPTER 1 GOALS & OBJECTIVES Introduction The basic principles of this revised park, recreation, and open space plan are presented in the following goals and objectives. Specific recommendations for their implementation are put forth in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8. Designed to guide the Town as it carries out this plan over the coming two decades, these goals and objectives will serve as benchmarks against which the Town can measure its progress. Goal 1. Provide an integrated system of parks,recreational facilities, and open space throughout the Town, with linkages between trails,parks,preserves,stream corridors,and utility rights of ways. Objectives • Initiate a program for locating and developing a cost-effective network of public parks to serve the present and future needs of Town residents. • Establish a coordinated program to preserve environmentally sensitive land and important scenic areas in the Town of Ithaca. • Ensure adequate public access to the recreational resources of Cayuga Lake. • Design a system of off-road bicycle and pedestrian trails to connect existing and future Town parks with residential neighborhoods, commercial districts,and places of work. • Coordinate the development of the Town's park,recreation,and greenway system and facilities with the efforts of surrounding municipalities. • Maintain a continuous network of wildlife habitats and reserve corridors for wildlife migration. Goal 2. Provide for adequate recreational services for all Town residents. Objectives. • Enhance the enjoyment of the town's special character and unique features and promote the appreciation and preservation of the county's important educational, environmental, historical,and cultural areas, • Provide recreational and educational opportunities for people near their homes and work places. • Develop an interconnected network of town parks and trails to provide active and passive recreational opportunities for all Town residents. • Ensure to the greatest extent practicable compliance with the requirements and spirit of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and its successors. • Provide a comprehensive year-round program of basic recreational activities and facilities for all Town residents. • Maximize intermunicipal cooperation and partnerships between the public and private sectors to deliver high quality recreational services for Town residents. CHAPTER 7 ANALYSIS: NATURAL AND OPEN SPACE RESOURCES Unique Space: Open Space Assets The system of protected natural areas in the Town needs to be expanded and better protected from development on adjacent lands.There are many ecologically sensitive areas in the Town that currently have no protection from inappropriate levels of development.These include several Unique Natural Areas identified by Tompkins County that currently have no protective status; areas of ecological significance adjacent to the Cornell Plantations' Coy Glen and Clausen (South Hill) Swamp natural areas; and several areas adjacent to the City Watershed in the Six Mile Creek Valley.Other areas that warrant protection include steep slope areas (slopes in excess of 25%) on West Hill and South Hill, and to a lesser extent on East Hill,and major stream corridors within the Town. Other Open Space Assets Because of past land use and development trends in the Town of Ithaca, over two-thirds of the Town's land area has remained rural in character.These areas are marked by very low density residential development,primarily consisting of frontage lots on the few existing roads and highways. This is especially true of the West Hill portion of the Town, where there are about 4,100 acres of active and inactive agricultural land and woodland. Almost all of this open space is located within the area bounded by West Haven and Hopkins Road on the east, the Town of Ulysses on the north, the Town of Enfield on the west, and Robert H. Treman State Park on the south. The areas of South Hill from King Road southward to the Town of Danby and westward from the Chase Lane/Saunders Road area to the Cayuga Inlet,and along Coddington Road from Troy Road southeastward have low residential density with large tracts of adjoining opens space. The existing rural character of these areas is an important visual asset to residents of the Town of Ithaca. Because of their size, they serve wildlife habitat and biological corridor functions. They contain the bulk of actively farmed land in the Town of Ithaca,and many of its most ecologically sensitive areas. Finally,preserving these areas at rural densities and channeling growth away from them reduces the potential for future costly extensions of public water and sewer infrastructure,and adverse impacts to existing residential areas from increased traffic generated by large scale development in these areas. The Town of Ithaca,if it is to preserve this existing network of large contiguous open space areas, has to implement measures to protect them now.These measures can range from reduced density through zoning combined with cluster subdivision design to purchase of development rights, to acquisition by the Town or other entity. 1 3. OPEN SPACE RESOURCES There are no quantitative standards of open space resources necessary to preserve the quality of life and scenic character of communities. However, it is possible to identify those open space assets which are critical to the preservation of local scenic character,quality of life,and ecological resources of the community. Unlike recreational space, the importance of open space assets does not depend on their proximity to population centers. Many of the important open space assets warranting some level of protection have been identified in the 1990 Town of Ithaca Residents' Survey,the Conservation Board's 1992 Open Space Report,and the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council's Unique Natural Areas of Tompkins County Report. In the Residents' Survey,respondents identified those scenic resources deemed most worthy of preservation. The Open Space Report and Unique Natural Areas Report focused on the most important ecological and scenic resources in the town. Currently the primary method for preserving important ecological and scenic resources is acquisition by the State Parrs,municipal parks, the Cornell Plantations Natural Areas system,Nature Conservancy, the Finger Lakes Land Trust,or by private ownership with conservation easements or other deed restrictions limiting their development potential. Municipalities and the Finger Lakes Land Trust are both able to hold conservation easements on privately held property. Public access to these protected areas varies with the terms of ownership and the fragility of the area Other mechanisms available for open space preservation include municipal acquisition, zoning regulations,cluster subdivision, and purchase of development rights by the Town or other entitles. Strategies for specific parcels of r' rx. land should be outlined as soon as possible for future reference.Planning for potential opportunities ahead of time will facilitate the preservation of critical open space resources. } CHAPTER 8 RECOMMENDATIONS: OPEN SPACE RESOURCES 'a> I. INTRODUCTION This chapter synthesizes the Goals and Objectives outlined in Chapter One,and the issues raised in Chapters Four and Five into a series of recommendations for the Town of Ithaca. Some of these projects may be carried out solely by the Town of Ithaca while others could be cooperative efforts with neighboring municipalities,New York State, not-for-profit conservancies, developers,or private landowners. Through such cooperative ventures the Town can ensure that the open space goals of this plan can be met in the most cost efficient manner possible. This report recommends that the Town of Ithaca actively pursues steps to ensure preservation of its important ecological and agricultural open space assets. Aggressive planning for open space preservation now will pay off in the future. The planning opportunities the Town currently has will diminish as development occurs in the coming years.Planning and taking action now will ensure that the town's goals with regard to open space and natural resource protection are met in the most efficient and cost-effective manner for taxpayers. Communities nationwide are fmding that traditional patterns of development have resulted in the disruption of plant and wildlife habitat, with a marked decline of plant and animal diversity.Like all communities, ours faces the challenge of preventing this decline as we continue to grow. By taking appropriate actions, the Town of Ithaca can ensure that future losses in plant and wildlife habitat and biodiversity due to development will be minimized to the extent practicable. Preservation of important open space resources has both environmental and fiscal benefits for the community. Recreational open space improves the overall appeal of a community to visitors and increases tourism. Open spaces also soften urban and suburban landscapes with ribbons of green to improve the quality of life and enhance property values. Consumer surveys show that home buyers are willing to pay high premiums to live near natural open spaces. (Urban Land Institute, 1994,National Association of Homebuilders, 1995).Thus, preserving open space benefits the developer and the Town through higher property values. The cost of building on many environmentally sensitive areas, such as steep slopes, unstable soils,and floodplains also entails extremely expensive construction and high annual upkeep costs for by the owner. The simplest way to avoid these costs is to leave these areas wild. Unique Space: Open Space Assets This Plan recommends that the Town embark on a specific course of action to ensure the preservation of its significant ecological,agricultural,scenic,cultural,and historical resources through a combination of techniques. (0 Only by acting appropriately now can there be any assurance that those unique local attributes will still be here for future generations. The techniques available to the Town of Ithaca to accomplish the objectives of this Plan are: 1) enactment of zoning densities and allowed land uses appropriate for agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas of the Town; 2) use of cluster subdivision design to protect smaller, site specific ecological resources; 3) voluntary purchase of development rights (PDR) program; and 4) acquisition by the Town, NYS OPRHP, the City of Ithaca,Cornell Plantations or other private entities of ownership of certain properties. Conservation Zoning District Conservation zoning is an effective tool to protect the natural resources of a large area. The Six Mile Creek Valley Conservation Zone was recently enacted into town law in the summer of 1996. Originally recommended in the 1990 Six Mile Creek:a Heritage to Preserve report,this designation will protect the steep slopes, mature woodland,highly erodible soils,rare plant species, water quality of the reservoir,and provide a biological corridor southward from the city to the Towns of Dryden,Danby, and Caroline. The zone will visually buffer the South Hill Recreation Way and help preserve an area identified as an important scenic resource during preparation of the 1993 Comprehensive Plan. Map 8-1 shows those areas of the Town of Ithaca where conservation district zoning is recommended as a tool for preservation of major areas of open spaces.These conservation zoning districts,as envisioned,would be applied to areas of extremely steep slopes,significant woodlands, wetlands, and larger ravines and stream corridors. Included among these areas are: the flanks of West and South Hill; the State Parks and some areas adjacent to them; the corridor of Cayuga Inlet with its associated wetlands; the Coy Glen and Fall Creek stream corridors; and the portions of the crest of South Hill where woodlands, steep slopes,and wetlands predominate. The areas recommended for conservation zoning in this plan correspond to many of the areas designated as Conservation/Open Space on the 2010 Anticipated Land Use Map in the 1993 Comprehensive Plan. Agricultural Zoning District Areas in the Town of Ithaca recommended for inclusion in the revised agricultural zoning district are also shown on Map 8-1. The largest of the areas is that portion of West Hill bounded roughly by the Town of Ulysses and NYS Rte. 96 on the north, Hopkins,West Haven, and Calkins Roads on the east,Robert H. Treman State Park on the south, and the Town of Enfield on the west. Except residential development along roads and highways, and the Drew subdivision off Sheffield Road, much of this area consists of large tracts of contiguous rural and agricultural land. Soils in the area are well suited for agricultural use. Moreover,much of it is outside the current limits of public water and sewer service. • (, i Four other actively farmed areas are recommended for protection under a revised agricultural zoning district. These areas include the southern portion of Inlet Valley, the large area on South Hill south and west of Buttermilk Falls State Park; and two agricultural areas totalling about 650 acres owned by Cornell University on East Hill. See Appendix B: Preserving Agriculture Utilizing Cluster Subdivision Design While the use of cluster subdivisions should be encouraged by the Planning Board throughout the Town of Ithaca, it is particularly important that the idea be used in the areas identified below to protect important natural and scenic resources. 1.The lower portion of West Hill immediately west of Taughannock Blvd. (NYS Rte. 89) where steep slopes, mature woodland,and highly erodible soils predominate.Preservation of this area would protect the ecological resources present there,provide visual buffering for the proposed Black Diamond Trail, and provide a biological corridor northward from the city. 2. The Indian Creek,Williams Brook,Linderman Creek, Cliff Park Brook,and Coy Glen Creek stream corridors on West Hill.Use of cluster subdivision design to reserve undeveloped or minimally developed buffer zones along these streams would maintain their natural aesthetic value for the enjoyment of current and future residents,and their ability to serve as biological corridors and assist in controlling stormwater runoff from new residential developments. 3. The areas of the Inlet Valley east of Five Mile Drive(NYS Rte. 13A) and Elmira Road (NYS Rte. 13) where denser residential development is anticipated in the future. Cluster subdivision design in these areas would help preserve the wetlands that predominate there,protect the water quality of the Cayuga Inlet, a high quality trout stream,provide visual buffering for the proposed Black Diamond Trail,and preserve a significant biological corridor extending southward from the city to Danby and Newfield. 4. The areas of South Hill between Danby Road and Buttermilk Falls State Park,and the steep slope areas below Danby Road and north of King Road. These areas are marked by a combination of stream corridors,wetlands, mature woodland,and steep slopes which warrant protective measures.The use of cluster subdivision for development adjacent to Buttermilk Falls State Park would create additional buffer areas between future residential development and the day use areas of the upper park. 5.The crest of South Hill from Ithaca College south to the Town of Danby. This area contains a combination of large areas of woodland, substantial pockets of wetlands,and steep slopes that warrant protection. Part of this area is protected as the Clausen Swamp Natural Area maintained by the Cornell f Plantations. Cluster subdivision design in this area would help preserve a large tract of contiguous woodland and significant wetland resources,and provide additional buffering for the Clausen Swamp Natural Area. Purchase of Development Rights The Town of Ithaca should establish and fund a voluntary purchase of development rights (PDR)program for certain agricultural lands and key ecologically sensitive or important areas of the Town. Under such a program the Town of Ithaca would pay landowners willing to accept a permanent easement limiting the uses and development potential on their land. The amount paid for the easement would be determined through a formal appraisal analysis,and would equal the difference between the value of their land for development purposes, and the value as agricultural land or other open space-related uses. In practice such easements are referred to generically as "conservation" or "agricultural" easements, and have been used successfully elsewhere in New York and other states,by both government and private, not for profit groups such as the local Finger Lakes Land Trust,and the nationwide Nature Conservancy organizations. Under Sect. 247 of New York State General Municipal Law the Town of Ithaca is empowered to: "...acquire,by purchase, gift, grant,bequest, devise, lease or otherwise, the fee or any lesser interest, development right, easement,covenant, or other contractual right necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter, to land within such municipality." for the purpose of preserving: "...any space or area characterized by (1) natural scenic beauty or, (2) whose existing openness, natural condition,or present state of use,if retained, would enhance the present or potential value of abutting or surrounding urban development,or would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural or scenic resources." Conservation and agricultural protection easements are becoming widely used as tools for preservation of open space assets because,among other reasons, they: 1. maintain open space in private ownership; 2. lower the costs of acquiring permanent open space within a community; 3. maintain some continued tax revenues; G11 4. limit the liability exposure of the easement holder,because of the limited nature of their interest in the land. The primary benefit of an easement program of the type proposed is that the properties remain under the ownership,and stewardship, of private landowners. The property also remains on the tax rolls, and is assessed at its market value subject to the restrictions imposed on its use by the conservation or agricultural easement. Because the land protected by easement continues to be privately held,it is normally not open to the public, and thus not subject to the same problems with regard to damage and liability faced by publicly held open space. To be most effective a voluntary purchase of development rights program must be aimed at specific properties or contiguous tracts of land identified as containing ecological, scenic,or agricultural assets worthy of protection. To this end,this report recommends that approximately 60 properties in the Town be designated as candidates for the acquisition of conservation or agricultural easements.(Map 8-1) These properties represent approximately 3,600 acres of important agricultural or environmentally sensitive land which warrants permanent protection from development pressure. Because of the concentration of agricultural lands on West Hill,including land with more valuable Class I and Class II agricultural soils, the majority of these properties, totaling some 2,170 acres,are located in that area. They are recommended as priority candidates because of their importance as agricultural assets. Altogether approximately 2,800 acres of agricultural land and approximately 800 acres of environmentally sensitive land are recommended for inclusion in a voluntary purchase of development rights program. The criteria used to select properties recommended for a voluntary purchase of development rights program are: 1. The property contains a locally important agricultural, ecological or scenic resource; • 2. The agricultural and/or ecological resources on the property warrant protection above and beyond that which could be provided through the proposed conservation or agricultural district zoning or other growth management tools; 3. A permanent easement removing development rights on the property would not interfere with the Town's ability to accommodate the population growth that could reasonably be expected through the next 50 to 100 years,without inducing a leap-frog development pattern; 4. For agricultural land a parcel should contribute to creation of a critical mass of contiguous agricultural land to ensure optimum efficiency and thus economic viability from the standpoint of farmers, and to protect farmers from intruding residential development; 5. For ecologically sensitive and environmentally important land, the property must harbor one or more environmental attributes,contribute to a critical mass of open space, and enhance opportunities for creation of a high-quality biological corridor. To implement this proposed purchase of development rights program, the Town should establish a fund for the gradual acquisition of development rights over the next ten years. The potential cost of this envisioned purchase of development rights program, and proposed the mechanism for funding it,are outline in Chapter Nine. The properties proposed for inclusion in a voluntary purchase of development rights program are properties which are considered important enough to warrant expenditure of public monies to purchase easements. The Town should entertain acceptance of easements on any properties which may contain agricultural or ecological resources worthy of protection if offered as a donation by a landowner,or offered as part of a cluster subdivision design. Open Space Ownership In some cases it would be more appropriate for an agency or organization other than the Town of Ithaca to retain ownership of permanent open space proposed as part of an overall subdivision plat.Where the opportunity exists the Town should encourage developers to donate or otherwise transfer lands dedicated as permanent open space to a not-for-profit conservancy or land trust, or other public agency. Opportunities to pursue such a policy exist in a number of locations, including: 1. Lands along the lower portion of West Hill adjacent to the future Black Diamond Trail could be attached to the Trail right-of-way or Allan H.Treman State Marine Park; 2. The undeveloped parcels of land surrounding the Coy Glen Natural Area maintained by Cornell ,! Plantations; 3. Many large parcels of land with development potential located adjacent to Robert H. Treman or Buttermilk Falls State Park,or along the Cayuga Inlet stream corridor between the two; 4. Several undeveloped parcels of land surrounding the Clausen Swamp Natural Area maintained ii by Cornell Plantations; 5. Adding to the Nature Conservancy's Eldridge Preserve should adjoining lands in that area be developed; 6. Expansion of the City Watershed/Mulholland Wildflower Preserve holdings through transfers of open space resulting from subdivisions on adjacent properties; and 7. Enlarging the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology complex at Sapsucker woods. (). The transfer of ownership to entities other than the Town of Ithaca benefits the Town because it accomplishes the goals of this Plan, while limiting to the extent possible the cost to Town taxpayers of maintaining such open space assets. E i4 CHAPTER 9 THE COSTS AND HOW TO PAY FOR THEM 1.Introduction The level of investment needed to carry out the programs outlined in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8 is significant. It is important to remember that it is investment--a commitment of financial resources now for future advantage or benefit-- that is being proposed in this report. These benefits will be enjoyed by all Town residents generations to come. There are three major costs associated with the recommended programs outlined in the previous chapters. They are 1) investments in the envisioned park facilities; 2)purchase of development rights (PDR) for open space and important agricultural lands preservation; and 3) the costs of maintenance and operation of park land and facilities. The key to carrying out the proposals most efficiently is the development of a fiscal plan,and a commitment to provide the necessary funding for that plan on an annual basis. In doing so the Town can calculate, at the outset, the costs it will incur over the course of carrying out this plan,and integrate them into its long-range fiscal planning. Moreover,planning now will enable the Town to capitalize on the availability of outside sources of funding such as state or federal grant programs. Having a palette of park and recreation capital improvement proposals"on the shelf" and ready for implementation, with matching funds already in the Town's annual budget, greatly enhances the Town's competitive advantage when applying for such grants. There are many methods the Town of Ithaca can use to fund the park and recreation improvements proposed in jj this report,and to preserve its important agricultural and ecological resources. With adequate planning, these ! programs do not require large increases in property taxes for Town residents. The keys to success are commitment to the Plan, foresight and creative planning in carrying out the Plan, and effective use of all potential sources of funding for park development and open space preservation. 2. BUDGETING FOR THE FUTURE Capital Improvements Costs — Future Parks and Bicycle/Pedestrian Path Development The capital improvement budget is a long-range plan that lays out the timing and costs of the capital improvements and land acquisitions necessary to realize the parks and bikeway components of this plan. These costs are distinguished from the operational costs of a park system in that they are one-time costs; they may be (�0 costs which the Town cannot afford or does not wish to pay for in a single fiscal year; or project costs which may be funded by grants and other external sources. The level of investment anticipated by the recommendations in this report make the development of a long-range capital improvement plan a necessary factor in Town fiscal planning. Through such planning, these investments can be accomplished in more easily accommodated increments. Bonding of very large capital improvements also becomes possible.Finally, such up-front planning favorably positions the Town of Ithaca to get matching state or federal grants for park development. The cost estimates for future park facilities and the bicycle and pedestrian path network are based on the recommended uses for the individual future park sites and bicycle and pedestrian routes identified in Chapter Five. Generic cost estimates for the various components of park facilities, (e.g.,typical baseball diamond) and paths (e.g., typical 10 ft. wide bikeway) were derived from a variety of sources, including project cost data from actual Town or City of Ithaca park improvements, and construction industry cost estimating references. These estimates were then applied to the specific site or route. Future Park Improvements Table 9-1 lists the recommended capital improvements outlined in Chapter Five for completion over the life of this plan. They include the types of facilities that will be needed to meet the recreational needs of Town residents in the coming decades,such as baseball and soccer fields,basketball courts, tennis courts,play structures for children,picnic facilities, walking paths,and space for a wide variety of informal recreational activities. In addition to monies for the new facilities listed in Table 9-1,$50,000 in funding is included in the projected capital improvement expenditures. This money is for modifications to existing park facilities necessary to ensure compliance with the accessibility standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1991. These modifications are scheduled for completion in 1997. Since all of the park sites listed in Table 6-1 are either already owned by the Town,or are expected to be • obtained through subdivision park and open space dedication mechanism or through land donation (Maple Avenue/Mitchell Street site),no land acquisition costs are included in the cost estimates. The total anticipated costs for the proposed future park improvements over a 20-year period is $2,250,000.