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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAWHC 2025-08-12 AWHC 2025-08-12 Final AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITTEE August 12, 2025 Virtual (via Zoom) Present: Leonardo Vargas-Mendez (chair and Town Board), Christina Dravis (Town Board), Charles Geisler, Michael Murphy (Village of Dryden) (arrived late), Martha Robertson Absent: Miles McCarty (Village of Freeville), Staff: Gina Cassidy (Planning Department), Loren Sparling (Deputy Town Clerk) The meeting was called to order at 2:03 p.m. Review and Acceptance of Minutes RESOLUTION #14 (2025) – ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM JULY 9, 2025 L Vargas-Mendez offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee hereby accepts the meeting minutes of July 9, 2025, as written. Roll Call Vote L Vargas-Mendez Yes C Dravis Yes C Geisler Yes M Robertson Yes HASIG Application Update The Tompkins County Housing and Economic Development Committee discussed the three proposals under consideration for the Housing Affordability and Supportive Infrastructure Grant (HASIG) at their July meeting. All of these proposals requested $10,000. To fund all three proposals, $9,900 needs to be pulled from the contingent fund, requiring a special motion from the Budget Capital and Personnel Committee. This motion is expected this coming Thursday. Assuming the contingent fund request is approved, all three applications will go to the full legislature one week from today. Deborah Dawson emphasized the importance of voting on all applications at once to prevent any one proposal from being left behind if a contingent fund request was necessary. M Robertson plans to reach out to Committee members to address any questions they may have and encourage their support. The Committee expects to know the outcome by next Tuesday or Wednesday. If approved, G Cassidy and R Burger would put together an RFP for a consultant. M Murphy joined the meeting at 2:07 p.m. There is a 10% match requirement, which has already received approval from the Town. Update on Housing Projects M Murphy provided a comprehensive update on various infrastructure and housing development projects in the Village of Dryden. Water/sewer infrastructure. Dryden won a state infrastructure grant last fall. Despite not requiring SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) initially, Empire State Development AWHC 2025-08-12 Final (ESD) now requires it, causing delays. SEQR determinations will be assessed at the next Village Board meeting (August 20). Bond funding is expected 4-6 weeks after this. Once the bonds are received, the Village will commence work on two main water extension projects intended to provide service to Ezra Village: one down Mott Road, the other up Rte 13. Preliminary investigations have identified numerous manholes that are defective. Video inspections of pipelines are also underway. This project aims to reduce infiltration and inflow (I&I) into the sewer system. Dryden has exceeded its legal sewer limit of 600,000 gallons per day multiple times (four times in 2023, three times thus far in 2025, including record highs in May and June). On the condition that a report is submitted, the DEC is allowing certain projects to start next spring before the I&I grants are finalized and the infrastructure is fully upgraded. This is due in part to Dryden’s demonstrated progress and efforts in addressing the I&I issue (e.g., Lee Rd project saved 150,000 gallons). Ezra Village. Construction will begin on 48 apartments in Ezra Village by spring/early summer 2026. This project has been delayed due to water/sewer capacity. The overall vision for Ezra Village remains at 749 units over 10-15 years, with a goal of 48-72 apartments ready each autumn. Ezra Village plans to use heat pumps for the 48 apartments and is considering geothermal for three larger units planned for future development. Dryden Village is satisfied with the current sketch plans for the Ezra Village project, with details being finalized. The Village limited the project to three floors instead of five and required underground wires and 26’ road widths for fire trucks. The Rte 13/Ezra Village intersection remains a problem, but DOT capacity currently allows for 375 units before this needs to be addressed (estimated at 5-6 years out). In addition, Reggie Broomfield plans to build 16 duplexes (32 units) at Ferguson Rd and Mill St. He has been given permission to start with 4 duplexes (8 units). Paul Simonet has 27 lots (8 existing, 19 in process) on Rte 392 that are expected to be available next spring/early summer. M Murphy is not concerned about the potential softening in Ithaca’s housing market impacting Dryden’s growth. He pointed out that 13,000+ cars come through the Village each day and that a significant portion of workers in Tompkins County commute from outside the County. Dryden is positioned as a more affordable alternative to Ithaca and Lansing. Lansing has seen an amazing amount of growth but has become more expensive. Dryden is less expensive. M Murphy emphasized Dryden’s unique growth in upstate NY, tied to Cornell and the need for housing to support potential business growth. M Robertson added that the Rte 13 corridor to the west and northeast is a highly traveled commuting route, expected to “supercharge” with the opening of Micron. New Sidewalks. Surveying for the new sidewalks is complete and topographical work is underway. Engineering will begin this autumn and continue into 2026, with construction expected by next spring. New York Forward Grant Projects. The projects started slow, but are now catching up, with some major ones ($150,000 to $1+ million projects) that look very exciting. Smaller projects for residential window/heating upgrades are also being considered. AWHC 2025-08-12 Final The next Local Planning Committee (LPC) meeting for the grant has been rescheduled for September 18 (changed from August 26). Consultants are currently working on the applications. Examples of some of the larger projects being considered include: Pottery studio/former bank – Brad Will has plans for four upstairs apartments, requiring structural modifications ($1+ million project) Corner building – Kayla Lane envisions $500,000 for a façade remodel, windows, and heat pumps Arnold’s – Converting excess space into two storefronts (exact details pending) Stone building – Heat pumps, stone sealing, and a new façade Linda Bruno’s properties – Two apartments are being sold to Kayla Lane Clark for a full gut renovation ($1+ million project) June’s Café and Pizzeria – Upstairs renovations Dryden Creamery – Plans for an upstairs rental/catering room, more food downstairs, and an expanded outdoor eating/ice cream area Former XCP building (Elm St) – Being developed for coffee and spice companies and an Ithaca Ice expansion ($1+ million project) Clark’s – Expansion to carry more products and upgrade cooling systems. They will also take over a 4,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by a drugstore Several other buildings are planning small renovations. Owners contribute a 25% match. Higher percentages that are given make the proposals more competitive for funding. Non-profits and the Village do not have a requirement to match. Methodist Church. The Methodist Church closed on June 31 and was listed on July 1. Healthy Kids was initially interested but pulled back due to profitability concerns. The non- profit Dryden Center for Community is currently in the process of purchasing it, and plans to use the sanctuary for plays and music performances. It could still be used for church services, if needed. Rooms will be available to rent, and Wednesday dinners will continue. A public fund drive is planned for September 12, targeting major donors and public contributions. As a non- profit, they have no match requirement, but robust plans are needed for funding approval (ca. $800,000). Brief Follow-Up on Increasing Community Representation on the Committee L Vargas-Mendez recommended that, if possible, additional Committee members be sought from eastern Dryden. The two vacancies were advertised in the Town newsletter last week. Potential members must submit an application to be considered. For Committee member recruitment, he will inquire about a dedicated email notice going out to the newsletter listserv as well as a front page website announcement. Update: Zoning Advisory Group C Geisler has stepped into the role of Committee liaison to the Zoning Advisory Group (ZAG) and provided an initial update on zoning reform efforts. Tony Salerno chairs the ZAG but has transitioned primary management of revisions and consultant interaction to John Kiefer. The zoning revisions are planned in three phases, potentially spanning two or more years. AWHC 2025-08-12 Final Nationally, there is tons of interest in zoning reform, which is bipartisan and strong. Zoning is increasingly being seen as exclusionary and overly interventionist. There are basically two main forces: those seeking to downsize and deregulate, and those advocating for more inclusionary and inviting zoning to promote diversity. New zoning types, like form-based zoning, are being explored (Nan Stolzenburg is interested in this). N Stolzenburg conducted interviews and collected comments for her report. The ZAG is reviewing this report in blocks. Phase I: • ZAG is approaching the end of Phase I. Some issues have been moved to Phase II, such as density limits. J Kiefer presents a straw man for each phase on which the ZAG comments. • ZAG’s July and August meetings have been canceled, but N Stolzenburg will send updated comments on Phase I based on ZAG feedback. These will form the basis of their September meeting, which N Stolzenburg will attend. Her third draft will be circulated among the Town’s various advisory boards for input, followed by a public meeting for discussion. • The Data Center Ordinance is part of Phase I, and has been prioritized, given the town’s current moratorium on crypto mining/data centers. G Cassidy warned that the Big Beautiful Bill may contain a section that would make it illegal for municipalities to regulate data centers for a period of 10 years. This implies that municipalities could outlaw them entirely but lose regulatory capacity (for 10 years) if they were to permit them. This needs careful consideration. Phase II will commence in September. Phase II: • Density limits. What guidance is called for in the revised Comprehensive Plan? • N Stolzenburg recommends a build-out analysis using different zoning scenarios and possibly GIS to identify land that is developable based on population density and traffic patterns. • Residential and commercial design guidelines will be incorporated in subdivision and zoning ordinances based on best practices for smart growth. N Stolzenburg will provide examples. • BESS (battery energy storage systems) ordinance: N Stolzenburg will be working on this for ZAG review. NOTE: As ZAG revises Dryden’s local zoning, non-local forces are at work that may pre-empt the long-standing legal tradition of zoning being the responsibility of town and cities. These include: 1. As more electrical generation comes from renewable energy sources (wind and solar), BESSs become necessary for grid stability during periods of high demand. 2. Data center ordinances for Bitcoin and other high energy demand infrastructures. 3. New thinking about affordable housing resting on deregulation (including zoning), new forms of development by right, and pushback against incentive zoning, inclusion zoning, compulsory set asides and “fair share” mandates as in New Jersey. Zoning reform is a bipartisan impulse across the US and frequently means: • Increasing (and incentivizing) density • Reducing minimum lot sizes • Creating transit-oriented development zones • Streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timeline • Expanding by-right multifamily zoned areas AWHC 2025-08-12 Final • Allowing mixed-use and multifamily development in retail, office, and light manufacturing areas • Allowing accessory dwelling units on lots with single-family homes • Eliminating or relaxing residential property height limitations • Eliminating or reducing off-street parking requirements, and • Donating vacant land for affordable housing development C Geisler anticipates contentious and deeply interesting discussions on these issues over the next few years. M Robertson added that, as a home rule state, New York will find it difficult to tell municipalities what they have to do, but it will be just as hard for local municipalities to allow (or even require) affordable housing. C Geisler related that David West (Tompkins County Housing Administrator) shared with him that Cook Properties is now interested in placing autonomous mobile home units (that sit on their own land) in Geneva. This pilot project allows for a new/relatively new mobile home to be purchased for around $200,000 (which includes the price of land) and placed on a vacant lot. Geneva is embracing this as a form of modular housing. C Geisler noted that New York State started land banking in 2011. These banks rehabilitate abandoned/foreclosed junk properties. He raised the question of why Tompkins County does not have one. Decision to Move Committee’s Monthly Meetings to First Tuesday of the Month, 2:00- 3:30pm L Vargas-Mendez confirmed with Committee members the schedule of future Committee meetings as being the first Tuesday of every month. The meeting time will remain at 2:00-3:30 p.m. Thus, the Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee will next meet on September 2 at 2:00 p.m. Other G Cassidy informed the Committee that Hillside Acres in Varna has been sold, but not to Cook Properties. The new owner is unknown, and no applications for building on it have been received by the Town. A previous attempt to organize a resident-owned cooperative at Hillside Acres did not materialize due to the effort required and the shifting focus of Pathstone, a nonprofit. In addition, DOT has allowed for a crosswalk to be installed in front of Varna Auto so as to improve pedestrian safety and access to trails. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Loren Sparling Deputy Town Clerk