No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-07-26251 JULY 26, 1995 The Lansing Town Board met in Special Session at the Lansing High School, Room 101 with Supervisor Kirby presiding, for the purpose of conducting a Public Hearing on the proposed new Town Hall. ROLL CALL Jeannine Kirby Supervisor Present Herbert Beckwith Councilman Absent Paul Butler Councilman Present Jeffrey Cleveland Councilman Present Larry Tvaroha Councilman Present Bonita Boles Town Clerk Present Richard John Town Attorney Present VISITORS: George Totman, David Herrick, Robert Tallman, James Turner, Sue Davenport and about 78 Lansing residents. The Supervisor Notice called the meeting to order and had the clerk take the furnished, Roll Call. Public Proof of Notice having been furnished, the Public Hearing on the proposed new Town Hall was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Tallman gave a summary of the construction of the proposed new Town Hall and Mr. Turner explained the electrical and engineering aspects of the building. The rest of the meeting was followed by a question and comment period as follows: MAUREEN DEAN: (8 Conlon Road * Felt location was wrong. * Unaccessible to people without cars. * Ball fields should not be split. * Conlon Road residents do not want the proposed road. * Not centralized. STEVE WHITE: ( 27 Conlon Road) * What future development will take place after the Town Hall is built? * Parking lots should be relocated. * Concerned with the future Road entering onto Conlon Road. Felt it should be closer to 34. HERBERT HOWELL:(1067 Ridge Road) * Third bond issue support this yea * Should not have next to the Town * He will have a force the propos the residents have been asked to r. torn down the building that was Hall. petition for anyone to sign to al to come to a vote. PAT CONLON: (56 Conlon Road) * How many Towns are taking their sales tax up front? ANDY SCIARABBA (851 Ridge Road) * How did the Town come up with the $ 850,000000 figure? * Looks like a resident is included in the acreage the map is showing. * Felt the estimate was too low. CINDY SEAGER (154 Sweazey Road) * Is any furniture included in the price? * Will Woodsedge be expanding on to the present ballfields? * What are the plans for the present Town Hall and will tax dollars fund this? 4�o continued July 26, 1995 HAZEL GARRETT (7 Peruville Road) due to the light on * Will the one way stretch in front of her house be the planning. eliminated? * A facility is needed considering what the old one COLLEEN HILLIARD(76 Auburn Road) What is the total cost of the projected tax rate * This will ruin their construction? property. * * Not happy about the project. to * * Wanted to buy some of the land and did not feel it * The Town has was fair. needs * New Computer disc storage would concentrate the * Will have no privacy * whatsoever. MR. BURNS: (Highgate Circle) to sleep due to the light on * Felt the Village of Lansing should be included in the planning. * Escapees from * A facility is needed considering what the old one is like. there is no * What is the total cost of the projected tax rate for all three phases including capitol that there is a construction? * Building Department does not need a full time do not make staff and so much space. to * The $ 400,000.00 should have been used to reduce * The Town has Property Taxes. needs * New Computer disc storage would concentrate the and recreation storage needed for records. and people * Have communications taken place with the Lansing Schools regarding the Recreation Department? * Could more of the Recreation needs be prioritized and privatized? * Not explained very well that the Court Room will also be a public meeting room. * What will be the cost of lighting for the Recreation Complex? * Does the Court need so much space? * There has been very little communication with the Village of Lansing. * Alternatives and consequences should be looked at before a referendum takes place. * Town makes up of 60% of tax roll and Village makes up 40% - if both pay the same tax rate, the Village should have more correspondence with the Town. BERT HILLIARD: (76 Auburn Road * Feel the $850,000.00 figure is a bare bone situation and feels it should be higher. * Will be an increase in lighting, noise, traffic and taxes. * Safety issues have been neglected. * Has to pull shades in his house to sleep due to the light on the Woodsedge sign. * Escapees from the "prison" are a safety hazard as there is no alarm system to warn adjoining property owners that there is a problem. * Food Concessions do not make enough money to support themselves. * The Town has more pressing needs than ballfields and recreation for adults and people coming from Ithaca because it's cheaper. * Town has been derelict in their duties to the tax payers. * The intersection of Route 34B and Conlon Road will be worse than it is now. * If the Highway Department helps construct the proposed new Town Hall it is very expensive and they will be neglecting the Town roads while they are working on the Town Hall. * Town of Lansing does not need any more athletic 0 0 continued July 26, 1995 programs or fields as they are not used capacity as they are town park or empty part of the south side of the the of to their time. MARTHA LYON: ( 30 West Meadow Drive) * Wants to see a "bottom line" figure. * Security system has not been included. * Telephones are also not included. * No one moves into a new building with "old" stuff. * Feels she is being scammed with not having a figure of exactly what it is going to cost the taxpayers. * Feels Town Board will keep coming back and asking for more money as the estimates were not right. * Will "slush fund" keep building to pay for all the extras. * Does not feel good about this and will be happy to sign a petition. PAT RUSSELL: (3 Peruville Road) * Concerned about the noise factor. * Felt a toxic waste dump would be better than some of the stuff that is now here. JOE LUSK: (77 Au * Conc were * Felt that * Had burn Road) erned about the 1 added into the pi if ballfields wer a safety problem traffic concerns. ight: .ojec e on woul 5 and wondered if they ted cost. both sides of the road d occur. NORM STANTON: (146 Myers Road) * Why not put the Town Hall in the large space south of the present Town Hall. CINDY LION: (Lansing Station Road) * Is the Town Board supporting Commercial Development on the South side of the road. LARRY SHARPSTEEN: (Auburn Rd.- Rep for the Lansing Planning Board) * Various Committees on the 2010 committee suggested a large common area, town park or shady spot on the south side of the road surrounded by a mix of Government Buildings and Commercial Structures. * Three plans were looked at by the Planning Board, Committees, and the Town Board. * Town Hall on the South side would have taken up approximately half of Christopher Field. * The Citizens Committee, Planning Board and the Town Board all agreed that the North side of the road would be the most viable location for the new Town Hall, CINDY LION. (Lansing Station Road) * Served as Chairperson for the Town Center Advisory Committee and wanted to clarify that the recommendation of the Town Center Committee was that the new Town Hall would be on the south side. DEE BARBER: (12 Lockerby Hil * Speaking on Resource Commi * Her committee character of development on 1 Road) behalf of ttee 2010. recommer the south the north the Historic Natural ded protection of the side and they support side. BILL BEMENT: ( 49 Myers Road) * Only sees 2,700 square feet of storage and not 4,000 square feet. * If no furnishings are included, where will the n continued July 26, 1995 money come from to buy 208 fixed seats for the court room. * Doesn't feel public restrooms are large enough for 160 people. CINDY LION: ( Lansing Station Road) * Town Center Advisory Committee suggested the building architecture be compatible with existing architecture in the area.(should be more historical) * Should be more community rooms available. CINDY SEAGER ( 154 Sweazey Road) * What is the bottom line for EVERYTHING? * What other costs can you project? * Should have an estimate for everything. DIANE STROMAN: * Is there a Master Plan and if so, is it possible to see it. HAROLD vanES: ( 47 Buck Road) Chairman of the Master Plan Committee. * Important to have a state of the art compound and house the people adequately with a good working environment which the current one is not, however, felt we were not taking advantage of the opportunity of having a Town Center. * Disappointed that the Town Board went with a different plan than the one the Town Center and Master Plan Committees submitted. KEN POMICHTER: ( 31 Beach Road) * Felt the proposed road would be too close to the homes that border Conlon Road. JOHN DEAN: ( 8 Conlon Road) * What will be the cost of the road? * Would like to see the Town Center on the South side of the road. PAT CONLON: ( 56 Conlon Road) * Town Board owes it to the residents and tax payers to discuss the Master Plan. (Economic Issue) * Any surplus money that comes from taking the sales tax up front should be used to reduce the property tax, and not to accumulate money in the bank. * Piecemeal planning is taking place in the Town of Lansing with the Rescue Vehicle one month, the Town Hall the next and nothing down the road in the long hull. * What is down the road for us? * Biggest problem in the Town of Lansing is traffic. * Felt a bypass should be put in some place. DON SWEARINGEN: (East Shore Drive) * Traffic is bad. * Access needs to be placed in an area where the traffic can be broken up. Will need to put a big culvert pipe and overhead aerial system to get the kids across the road from ballfield to ballfield. * Doesn't see in the plan, a metal detector for the court room. * Really need to consider putting the traffic up by the prison. JOHN KAMINSKY: (19 Asbury Drive) * Front parking lot not efficient for Senior U U 1 E continued July 26, 1995 citizens bus or TomTran bus to go through. * Town Hoard should make provisions for a loop to get buses in and out. * Proposed Libertyville Trail should take advantage of this situation as it could reduce some of the traffic. * Growth will keep happening in placement of the ballfields a good idea. They should be Lansing and felt the on the curve was not away from the road. BILL BEMENT: ( 49 Myers Road) * Not arguing about the concept would like to know how much committing to. of the building but the tax payers are * The location for the building should also be decided on. PAT RUSSELL: (30 Peruville Road) * Who will inspect the proposed Town Hall? Town has really bad inspectors. STEVE WHITE; (27 Conlon Road) * What are the future plans for the 100+ acres in the same parcel? * Is there a time limit to the Town as to when the land has to be developed. STEVE BUCHANAN: (Emmons Road) * Agrees with the need to expand the facilities but to what extent and where. * Are we getting a clear picture by the chart provided over the past 20 years. * Recreation program has increased but there are seven programs with less than 25 participants. * How much should we support this? * Building permits and population is down in the last five years. * Dryden's court has 4000 more people than Lansing and their case load averages 650 per month which is much more than Lansing, so what extent do we go to expand. * The 11 cents per thousand seems to be the first jump, what will happen after this. * Isn't there a percentage of total cost of the project that is set aside for unexpected contingency funds. (10%--15 %) If there is, that would take care of a lot. DONALD STARNER: ( VanOstrand Road) * Will the contractors give the Town a warranty on the building and the road. MARY ROSENCRANTZ: ( 25 Franklin Drive) * Extremely impressed with the process of the 2010 committees and the vision that they gave for the future of the Town of Lansing but see the vision lacking in the plan. * Extremely disappointed. * Felt the Town Board completely ignored the entire process of the 2010 committees and this is very disheartening. * Was fairly well predisposed to vote in favor of this building but the arguments and the points that have been raised by this audience have convinced her that she was probably relying on confidence in the Town Board that was misplaced. LARRY SHARPSTEEN: (1057 Auburn Road) * Clarified that the comprehensive plan establishes guidelines based on needs and desires of the IGJ. r) G i continued July 26, 1995 community. This is made up from comments from ALL the committees. * As a part of the entire project, three (3) sites were given to the Town Board which picked one of the three sightings after a great deal of thought. * Speaking for the members of the Planning Board that were present, he said they whole heartily supported the Town Board and firmly believe that the site chosen represents the best of all the possible concerns. The project provisions for the town for the next 20 years could not conceivably be developed in the space on the south side of the road as there is not enough room. * The complaints about the athletic fields and the future road have nothing whatsoever to do with the Town Hall project.(Phase 1) * Nothing is cast in stone at this time. DON SWEARINGEN: ( East Shore Drive) * Was an Environmental Impact Statement done. Should look into the traffic problem first. STEVE WHITE: ( 27 Conlon Road) * What kind of provisions were made for the water run off and where will it be directed to. PAT CONLON: (56 Conlon Road) * Town Hall should be by itself,that way the water run off could be controlled. * What is down the road? * How does the whole picture fit into it? CINDY LION: (219 Lansing Station Road) * Doesn't want to see "strip development ". * Town Hall, as proposed contributes to strip development and a sea of asphalt. CINDY SEAGER: ( 154 Sweazey Road) * Can the land purchased from the State be used only for municipal and recreational purposes. * How does this impact on Phase II of the project. MARTHA LYON: ( 30 West Meadow Drive) If an Environmental Impact Statement is done and there are negative feedbacks the Town will have to spend money to do whatever is necessary to rectify it, therefore the EIS should be done so the Town would know what the expenses would be. * Could you provide an estimate of what it will be? HAROLD vanEs: ( 47 Buck Road) * Concerned about the estimates and location. * What is the Town Board going to do in the next several months and when will we be able to get together again? MARCY ROSENCRANTZ: ( 25 Franklin Drive) * Haven't heard people say that they don't want a Town Hall but that the plan that is being presented is inadequately drawn. It's not giving the people of this community enough information to make an informed decision about whether this is the plan to accept or not. DEE BARBER: (Lockerby Hill Road) * Felt bad about the criticism as it has been a long process and felt the cost would be much greater if nothing is done about the Town of Lansing. 1 • continued July 26, 1995 * Tonight was to get input in Lansing from people. away * All have different visions the city and felt for the future and felt some of the "vision" more, was a vision of a few. * Town Board is doing a good thing and hoped some of the questions get answered but thought the criticism was too much. MRS. BEMENT: ( 49 Myers Road) * Agreed with Dee Barber, * Felt a very small percentage of the people of the Town were represented in the room and there might be people out there that do not agree with what we are hearing tonight. * Everyone here is very negative and no one has come up with a positive thing to replace with what they are saying negatively. * We have to have a new Town Hall. We're paying fines on the one that we have now and we are growing and we don't have the space. HAZEL GARRETT: * * r, 7 Peruville Road) Felt everyone in the they were property project and would be If it were built in negative. room was so negative owners around the directly effected. dour back yard, you because proposed would be She works in Ithaca and lives in Lansing to get away from the city and felt there could soon be much more, including shopping malls in this area. BILL BEMENT: ( 49 Myers Road) * Disagreed with Mrs. Garrett and stated that the Town owns both sides of the road and there would be no room for any shopping malls in this area. * The Town Center is NOT for commercial use. * Only 2 acres could become commercial which is behind the present Town Hall, CINDY LION: (Lansing Station Road) * There are possibilities for private land and if the Town supported concentrated growth. One area could be from the Elmira Road all along 34. Just an idea that is open for discussion but it doesn't seem to be very open for discussion. HERB BROTHERTON: (424 Lansingville Road) * Will the current computers go in to the new Town Hall. * How much would that cut down on expenses and wouldn't you have to update the computers. * Board should show additions as needed and what is not, such as equipment. LARRY SHARPSTEEN: ( Auburn Road) * Machinery is included in annual budget items. * Fixed seating should be included in the cost of the building. STEVE WHITE: * Realizes we need a new Town Hall. * Some people here have concerns they would like addressed. * The Building Department has very, very knowledgeable people and he feels they do a very good job and he has done a lot of work with them. CINDY LION: ( Lansing Station Road) * Is there any provision in the Town Law provided by the State to have conscious, decision making 2 G 5 r, DON SWEARINGEN: UNKNOWN: DAN KONOWALON: continued July 26, 1995 process on this Town Hall that would help the people support a final decision? ( East Shore Drive) * Maybe working on it more would help the vote. * Would it make more sense instead of having the road on a blind corner to have a four way intersection at the Rogues Harbor corner where they took out the house (Steve White is the owner of the property). ( 25 Franklin Drive) * Felt the Town Hall must be north of 34B just because of the restrictions on the land. * Concerned about the process and the process of getting people involved and whether people who have been working on committees have been heard adequately and whether their inputs have really been taken in to account. * Concerned as to why the input of a couple of committees was ignored. RODNEY BOWMAN: ( Lansingville Road) * Why does the Town of Lansing need a Court Room that will seat 160 people. * How much has already been invested in the study? CINDY LION: (Lansing Station Road) * How will the Town Board get information back to the people? Mrs. Kirby stated that the Town may do another mailing or hold another meeting to try to answer the questions and concerns that were discussed tonight. On motion, meeting adjourned at the call of the Supervisor at 9:10 p.m. • •