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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAWHC 2025-10-07 att AWHC 2025-10-07 Final AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITTEE October 07, 2025 Virtual (via Zoom) Present: Leonardo Vargas-Mendez (chair and Town Board), Christina Dravis (Town Board), Michael Murphy (Village of Dryden) (arrived late), Martha Robertson, Tony Salerno (Planning Board) Absent: Charles Geisler, Miles McCarty (Village of Freeville) Staff: Gina Cassidy (Planning Department) Guest: Ryan McHugh The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. Review of Volunteer Application to Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee Committee members began the meeting by considering the application of Ryan McHugh to join the Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee. R McHugh was introduced as a Freeville resident with a notable passion for social justice and equitable policy. His experience includes work with the Rochester People’s Climate Coalition (now the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee Valley Region), which partnered with Pathstone to retrofit houses with better insulation for better energy efficiency. Members expressed that his interest in housing and his residency in Freeville would bring valuable diversity to the Committee. M Murphy arrived at 2:02 p.m. RESOLUTION #15 (2025) – ADVANCE APPLICATION OF R MCHUGH TO JOIN THE AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITTEE L Vargas-Mendez offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: WHEREAS, Ryan McHugh has applied for membership to the Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee hereby approves the application of Ryan McHugh and advances it to the Town Board for consideration. 2nd M Robertson Roll Call Vote L Vargas-Mendez Yes C Dravis Yes M Murphy Yes M Robertson Yes T Salerno Yes Review and Acceptance of Minutes RESOLUTION #16 (2025) – ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM AUGUST 12, 2025, AND SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 M Robertson offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee hereby accepts the meeting minutes of August 12, 2025, and September 2, 2025, as written. Roll Call Vote L Vargas-Mendez Yes AWHC 2025-10-07 Final C Dravis Yes M Murphy Yes M Robertson Yes T Salerno Yes Zoning Advisory Group (ZAG) / Data Centers and Housing T Salerno delivered a detailed presentation on the draft zoning code pertaining to data centers. The discussion aimed to clarify the proposed regulations and address concerns about their potential impact on adjacent areas, particularly in the context of future housing development. The presentation was prompted by concerns from the Committee regarding the impact of data centers on the area surrounding the Light Industrial (LI) zone by NYSEG, specifically within a half-mile radius. The draft law is intended to allow for small, potentially beneficial data centers while preventing the development of large, resource-intensive facilities. T Salerno emphasized that when considering nodal housing development, the Committee needs to take the whole LI zone into consideration, not just the potential impact of a single data center. Any new housing would have to contend with the existing industrial character of the zone. The proposed regulations place significant restrictions on data centers, making them a more heavily regulated use than other businesses within the LI zone: Maximum Size: 5,000 sq ft Comparable in size to the local Dollar General, this is at the lower end of what is considered to be a small data center. Power Limit: 1 megawatt This limit is not only intended to prevent excessive energy draw that could compete with future housing needs but also designed to prevent massive facilities from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, or Oracle from taking hold here. Permitted Location: Light Industrial (LI) zones only The Town has two LI zones, one near NYSEG and one off Hanshaw Rd. Quantity Limit: One data center per LI zone This prevents the clustering of multiple facilities within a single designated zone. Property Setbacks: 100 ft setbacks This is noted as being much stricter than requirements for other LI zone uses, some of which have no setbacks. These 100 ft setbacks would mitigate any noise generated by the data centers. Permitting Process: Special Use Permit (SUP) An SUP would give the Town Board direct oversight and the ability to impose specific conditions, such as requiring a formal noise study. Questions about use and benefit to the community would be voiced by the Town Board during the site plan review prior to issuance of the SUP. Water Usage: Prohibition of single-pass cooling Facilities must use the more environmentally friendly closed-loop or air-cooled systems, preventing the large-scale consumption and discharge of groundwater. A one megawatt data center would require about 300 tons of cooling capacity. Noise Levels: Must comply with Town’s noise ordinance AWHC 2025-10-07 Final The draft code references the existing noise ordinance, which limits nighttime noise to 65 decibels (normal conversation volume) at the property line. Data centers must adhere to this. T Salerno argued that the proposed small-scale data centers would not be the most significant sources of noise and power consumption that already define the area. The existing NYSEG substation transformers are rated at 60-80 decibels and produce a significant hum that is audible from the road. The Wiggins Plastics / Knickerbocker manufacturing facility has numerous external air handlers that generate a fair amount of noise and draw huge amounts of power, well in excess of one megawatt. Route 13 itself was also identified as probably the biggest noise generator in the area. A primary concern raised during the discussion was the potential for a data center to be used for cryptocurrency mining, a use the Committee deemed undesirable. The core of the problem is that the hardware used for an approved AI or research data center is exactly the same as the hardware used for crypto mining. This creates an enforcement challenge. A facility could be approved for a community-benefiting use (e.g., research), but then, after opening, flip a switch and begin crypto mining, an activity the Committee viewed as undesirable due to its immense energy consumption for minimal local employment or community benefit. The Town would have no easy way of knowing this change had occurred. To address this, the Planning Board intends to recommend an explicit enforcement provision in the final code. This would specify penalties for non-adherence to the SUP, including the ability to levy fines or revoke the permit entirely, thereby forcing a shutdown. The data center regulations were discussed in the context of the comprehensive plan’s goal to encourage mixed-use and residential development in designated nodes. The Committee has previously explored encouraging housing within the LI zones. The presence of industrial uses, including a potential data center, presents challenges related to noise and compatibility. T Salerno was hard-pressed to find a location in the LI zone near NYSEG in which to situate housing, but was more optimistic for the LI zone near Hanshaw Rd. It was also confirmed that a provision in a recent federal bill that would have restricted local municipalities from regulating data centers did not pass, leaving local control intact. The Planning Board’s resolution will be sent to the Town Board this month, with a public hearing and final vote likely to occur in December. T Salerno also noted that the Planning Board will be undertaking a separate zoning code update related to battery energy storage systems (BESS). Concerns about fire access, lithium-ion batteries, and noise (e.g., hum from transformers) will be addressed. Review of RFP to Search for Consultant The Committee conducted a detailed review of a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at hiring a consultant. The consultant’s role would be to analyze a specific parcel of land and assemble the core information necessary to attract a developer for a housing project. Substantial changes were made to the RFP based on Committee feedback, primarily focused on the scope and timing of public involvement and the relevance of background materials. A minor change was made to clarify the goal of creating diverse housing options (e.g., explicitly mentioning rentals as well as those for sale). All references to the consultant holding public meetings were struck from the document. Concerns were raised that it would be premature to involve the public at this point. With site control still an issue, members worried that early public meetings could create AWHC 2025-10-07 Final misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations and potentially expose the Town to legal risks if it is perceived as planning the use of land under litigation. The list of plans for the consultant to review was significantly edited for relevance and currency. The Committee’s rationale was strategic and financial: to save the consultant’s “paid time” to focus their efforts on the most critical and up-to-date materials, ensuring taxpayer money is spent efficiently. Among the documents removed were Vital Communities Project (2002), Open Space Inventory (2003), Recreation Master Plan (2011), and the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan (2018). Among the documents retained are the Comprehensive Plan (2005), Route 13/366 Corridor Management Plan (2008), Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan (2015; shows County’s vision for nodal development), Natural Resources Conservation Plan (2017), Town of Dryden Water and Sewer District Consolidation Study (2017), Tompkins County Housing Strategy (2017), and the most current Housing Snapshot. It was also decided that the Town’s HASIG application would be provided to the consultant as a separate background attachment as it efficiently states the reason this is being done. The RFP was further amended to refer to the Comprehensive Plan in general rather than specifying the Dryden2045 update to ensure it encompasses both the 2005 plan and its recent update. With the revisions agreed upon, the Committee took action to move the RFP forward, as amended by today’s discussion. RESOLUTION #17 (2025) – APPROVAL OF RFP TO SEARCH FOR CONSULTANT FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR 100-ACRE UNDEVELOPED PARCEL ON ROUTE 13 M Robertson offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee hereby approves the attached Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to conduct research and provide a feasibility study for mixed commercial and affordable housing elements to be situated on a 100-acre undeveloped parcel as a prelude to any development, and be it further RESOLVED that this Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee asks that said Request for Proposals be forwarded to the Town Board for review and approval. Roll Call Vote L Vargas-Mendez Yes C Dravis Yes M Murphy Yes M Robertson Yes The RFP will be placed on the agenda for the next Town Board meeting. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:08 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Loren Sparling Deputy Town Clerk Request for Proposals Feasibility Study for 100-acre Undeveloped Parcel on Route 13 October 8, 2025 1.Purpose The Town of Dryden seeks to enter into an agreement with a qualified consultant to provide a feasibility study for an approximate 100-acre undeveloped parcel on Route 13 (on the north side of the highway), between the NYSEG building and the Rt. 366 turnoff towards Etna (Tax Map Parcel #44.-1-9). This feasibility study, although intended for this one particular parcel, should have elements that are transferable to other appropriate sites within the Town should this specific parcel become unavailable. Services shall include, but not be limited to: A)Researching, consulting on best practices, document drafting, mapping, and creating a professional report that includes verifiable references of valid and reliable sources, supporting graphics, and statistical analysis. The content of this report shall include: •Describing the features of the land and evaluating conditions for construction. •Recommending the highest and best uses of the 100 acres. •Establishing approximately how many homes at that location would be successful in this housing market: what types of units and at what price points. [We are seeking to create a walkable community with diverse housing options within it (i.e., rentals as well as for-sale).] •Determining what commercial uses and services would be successful at that site (including childcare) and whether a TCAT park-and-ride might be possible. •Locating external funding sources available to support this project. •Using the existing infrastructure study that estimated costs to bring water and sewer to the edge of the parcel, estimating how much more it would cost to provide service within the parcel. • The goal and intent of this project is to create a realistic, realizable plan to use this identified area to enhance opportunities, especially for affordable housing, reflecting the community's vision for its future growth and development and to preserve and enhance the quality of life in the Town of Dryden as put forth in the Comprehensive Plan. 2.Introduction, Background and Legislative Basis Town of Dryden Feasibility Study for Identified Route 13 Development Area RFP Page 2 The Town of Dryden prepared its first "General Plan" in 1968. The 25-year plan set forth a vision for a "pleasant and efficient physical environment" based on guiding principles to "protect that which is worth protecting, conserve that which is worth conserving, and improve that which needs improving". The 1968 Plan recognized that agriculture is Dryden's principal land use and that the Town should seek to preserve its rural character. The Plan acknowledged the need to plan for anticipated growth, particularly in the Rt366/13 corridor, and to create conservation and agriculture zones to protect those sensitive areas. There have been updates to the Comprehensive Plan since that first 1968 plan. Dryden2045 is the most recent update to the Town of Dryden’s Comprehensive plan, finished in 2022. As requested by residents, it includes topics missing from the (preceding) 2005 Plan, such as the town’s role in responding to climate change, the ever- increasing cost and lack of diversity of housing, and the need to plan for and encourage residential and commercial development. Dryden2045 expands the concept of development nodes to “nodal corridors.” These corridors extend beyond the areas proximate to the hamlets/villages. The intent is to provide for diverse development opportunities, residential development in particular, in part to attract people who currently live outside the town and commute through the town to work and other venues. New York Town Law §272-a which provides the legislative authority for towns to adopt and periodically update comprehensive plans, states that among the most important powers and duties granted to a town government is the authority and responsibility to undertake town comprehensive planning and to regulate land use for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizens. 3. Scope of Work This RFP seeks a proposal to provide a feasibility study for this 100-acre undeveloped parcel on Route 13 to be of maximum benefit for the people and environment of the Town of Dryden. 4. Necessary Topics and Guiding Principles The feasibility study will focus on the identified location, keeping the social, environmental, and economic context as well as likely future growth patterns in mind. A) In addition to Dryden2045, consultant shall familiarize themselves with the Town of Dryden: • 2005 Comprehensive Plan, including the Varna Community Development Plan; Town of Dryden Feasibility Study for Identified Route 13 Development Area RFP Page 3 • 2008 Route 13/366 Corridor Management Plan and the current update; • 2015 Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan which includes Dryden; • 2017 Natural Resources Conservation Plan; • 2017 Town of Dryden Water and Sewer District Consolidation Study; • 2017 Tompkins County Housing Strategy. • Most Current Tompkins County Housing Snapshot; and provide justification for recommendations with references from these documents. B) Topics to be considered in the feasibility study shall be: • Affordable Housing • Transportation • Walkable Communities • Economic Development • Climate Change and Energy • Environmental Responsibility C) Guiding principles to be adhered to shall be: • Protect and enhance the livability of residential areas by ensuring diverse and affordable housing options for all residents and promoting investment in existing housing • Promote development in a manner that enhances the existing character and livability of the Town of Dryden and its neighborhoods by channeling new development into nodal areas around existing villages, hamlets, and available infrastructure • Support future growth and development through adequate and efficient public infrastructure, facilities, and services 5. Project Structure The Dryden Town Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee, along with the Town Director of Planning, will serve as the steering committee and the "customer" for the work. The Town Director of Planning will serve as point person for the project for contractual matters such as invoice approval and payment for services. The Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee meets virtually on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00 pm, and the consultant will be expected to attend these meetings when project- related items are on the agenda. Town of Dryden Feasibility Study for Identified Route 13 Development Area RFP Page 4 6. Project Schedule Proposal Submission Deadline 7. Proposal Requirements Please include the following with your proposal: • A narrative indicating your understanding of the work and an outline of how you plan to conduct and complete the work. Describe your approach to data collection, e.g., traffic volumes. Describe if and how you plan to use 2020 census data. • A schedule broken down into project phases and including on-site meetings. • A cost proposal broken down into project phases and including fee and reimbursables. Provide a project cash flow projection. • Billing rates of people who will work on the project. • Roles and resumes of people who will work on the project including any subcontractors. Identify the proposed project manager. • Examples of similar projects/work scope elements done by the people proposed for this project. • Exclusions, if any, to this Request for Proposal. • Three references for similar work by your team proposed for Dryden’s project. • Demonstration that your company has at least five years’ experience delivering similar studies. 8. Proposal Preparation Costs The Town shall not be liable for any costs associated with the preparation, transmittal or presentation of any response or materials submitted in response to the RFP. 9. Additional Terms and Conditions Town of Dryden Feasibility Study for Identified Route 13 Development Area RFP Page 5 • All documents to be prepared and furnished to the Town in the preparation of the study and the study itself shall become the property of the Town. • Consultant shall carry a minimum of $1 million general and automotive liability insurance for the duration of the agreement. 10 Award of Work Contract award will be based on previously demonstrated qualifications of the team proposed for the work, completeness of the proposal, the proposed schedule and work plan, and the proposed fee. Following the receipt of Proposals, the Town reserves the right to request clarifications and other comments of specific Proposers regarding matters covered in the Proposals prior to identifying selected Proposers for negotiations. Proposers are advised that the requirements of this Proposal are subject to further refinements and clarifications by the Town until an agreement between the Town and the successful Proposer is executed. The Town intends following receipt evaluation, clarification, and strengthening of Proposals, to enter promptly into discussions to finalize an Agreement providing those services with the selected Proposer whose Proposal, in the judgment of the Town, is most advantageous to the Town. The Town may, in its sole discretion, discontinue such negotiations at any time and begin negotiations with an alternate Proposer or Proposers responding hereto. The Town specifically reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals submitted, for any reason, in its sole discretion, or to reissue an RFP in identical or altered form, or not to issue further RFPs. 11. Questions and Proposal Submission • Submit any questions in writing to the Director of Planning at the address below at least two weeks prior to the deadline set by the Planning Board for the receipt of proposals. Please do not submit email or verbal questions and do not approach members of Town boards or the Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee. An addendum to this RFP, if required, containing responses to questions will be published on the Town’s website at: https://dryden.ny.us a minimum of one week prior to the deadline set for submission of proposals. • Submit proposals to the following address. Submit 3 paper copies and a digital copy (pdf) of the proposal to: Ray Burger Director of Planning Town of Dryden 93 East Main Street Dryden, NY 13045