HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-03-19TOWN OF DRYDEN PLANNING BOARD
MARCH 19, 1998
AGENDA: (1) Northeast Subarea Transportation Study - Update by James Hanson,
Commissioner of Planning.
(2) Modify parcel - Gary Shelhammer - Lake Road
MEMBERS PRESENT: CHAIR. BARBARA CALDWELL, GORDON DEIBLER,
RICHARD TURECEK, AND ERICA EVANS.
ALSO PRESENT: REBA TAYLOR - Dryden Village Mayor; ELAINE YOUNG -
Dryden Village Trustee; JAMES HANSON - Tompkins County
Planning Commissioner; SGT. EDWARD ABRUZZO - New York
State Police - advisor on the NESTS committee; JOHN TOTTY -
Varna Community Association; LOIS CHAPLIN - NESTS
Committee; DEB GRANTHAM & CHARLES HATFIELD -
Dryden Town Board; DIANA J. RODFORD - Freeville Village
Trustee; LOTTE CARPENTER & JIM KREBS - Freeville Village
Planning Board; STU BERG - Dryden Town Zoning Board of
Appeals; HENRY SLATER - Dryden Town Building and Zoning
Codes; RICHARD J. YOUNG, SR; INSHIK LEE; and GARY
SHELLHAMER
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The meeting was called to order by Chair. Barbara Caldwell.
NORTH EAST SUBAREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY
Barbara Caldwell welcomed all present. This meeting was scheduled for the opportunity
to state what was liked, and /or concerns with possible solutions about the roads; bus routs; etc.
for the Town of Dryden. The Committee has been meeting for approximately four months
gathering community input and identifying problems. This is part of a study which encompasses a
territory from Rhodes Harber down to Route 79.
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James Hanson, Commissioner of Planning for. Tompkins. County presented a narrative of
the North East Subarea Transportation Study. The study was started in 1990, as the Village of
Lansing Land Use Impact Analysis. This study included the same communities which are
involved now, with representation form the Town of Dryden; Village of Lansing; Town of
Ithaca; Cornell University; Realtors, Tompkins County Board of Representatives; & Tompkins
County Planning Department.
The North East Area (The Village of Lansing, _edges of Dryden and the Town of Ithaca)
was and is considered a prominent growth area with a lot of congestion. Prior planning involved
the proposal of corridors which would link up. the. NorthEast_Area with Route 81 - Cortland.
They also considered a loop system that went from the North East Area and connected up with 34
and 34B and eventually connecting with Route 79.
These proposal were never developed due to opposition form Cortland County, area
residents, and NYS Department of Transportation was not concerned enough with the road
building projects
That committee got as far as analyzing the problem and found there was. a.lot of
congestion in the North East Area. There were some things that could be done, however no
money to study it and no money to fix it.
In late 1992 the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Counsel was created. This is the
designated Transportation Planning Agency for this area of New York State, Tompkins County.
Every area in New York State that has an urbanized .population .similar to ours in Tompkins
County, the edge of one - hundred thousand population, have created what is known as
Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
The MPO is a participatory form of transportation.planning.and transportation
implementation. It includes all of the municipalities throughout Tompkins County. With
representation on the Policy and Planning Committees.. The.Planning Committee does the
technical work and background studies before handing it over to the Policy Committee which is
composed of elected officials. They develop.the unified .planning _work program which translates
in to a Capital Improvement Program. The Capital Improvement Program involves all of the
bridges, highways and transit moneys. The TIP is the construction funds for all of the areas in
Tompkins County.
This Plan is put together and submitted to the State for consideration of allocating State
funds. Participating MPO's across New York State are contending for projects.
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The reason for reviving the Northeast Subarea Transportation Study is because the Ithaca
Tompkins County Transportation Counsel was created and fully established in 1993. A director
was put in place and review showed that it was impacted -there_ is. congestion and.nothing.has,been
done for a period of years. We are continuing adding vehicles, volume without capacity, we are
not building new roads.
There is a lot of issues and. areas_ within_ this -area where- roads_ are .not_connected,.roads
without sufficient capacity, transportation projects that don't work very well and could be better
organized.
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