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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-09-05 TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION MEETING September 5, 2012 TOWN HALL BOARD ROOM, 29 AUBURN RD, LANSING, NY PLEASE NOTE: The primary purpose of the Town Board Work Session is to be informational/educational for the benefit of the Board Members. Public comment will be taken at the regular meetings when the items are scheduled on the agenda. Meeting Time: 7:10 pm—9:55 pm Town Board Members Present: Kathy Miller, Supervisor Andra Benson, Councilperson Robert Cree, Councilperson Ruth Hopkins, Councilperson Edward LaVigne, Councilperson Also Present: Guy Krogh, Town Attorney, Jeff Overstrom, Engineering and Planning Coordinator, Pat Pryor, County Representative, John O'Neill, Village of Lansing, Jay Franklin, Tompkins County Assessment, Larry Cathles, Susan and Steve Ruoff, Katrina Binkewicz, Dave Herrick, Andy Sciarabba, Dan Veaner, Andy Sciarabba Jr. and a few other attendees. Topics of Discussion: Jonathan Kanter- Potential for Town Center Development: Jonathan Kanter discussed the following report. Observations Regarding Lansing Town Center Development September 5, 2012 General: 1. The Town has positioned itself well with the planning and core principles of the Town Center. 2. A"development focus area", which the Town Center is, should be a concentrated, mixed-use,pedestrian and transit-oriented community, that includes places to live, work, shop, play, and get community services. 3. The Town Center concept includes areas on the north and south side of Route 34, including the Town-owned site consisting of 150+/- acres. The core of the Town Center along Route 34 already includes the new Town Hall, renovated Library and Community Building, the new Lansing Market to the east and commercial uses along Route 34, and senior housing to the south. 4. Keys to the success of the Town Center are that it should include a mix of housing types, densities, and price ranges, small-scale neighborhood oriented commercial retail and service uses, and community and institutional uses and amenities, including open space and recreational resources. 5. The Town Center should be walkable (convenient, safe and attractive for pedestrians), include an integrated and connected system of walking and bike paths, sidewalks, and other pedestrian amenities, such as street trees,parks, plazas, and benches. 6. It should include well-designed buildings and site features, with parking areas oriented away from public view and pedestrians. 1 Specific: 7. The two proposed housing developments (80 d.u. of senior cottages and 110 d.u. of market rate senior apartments) are consistent with the core principles of a Town Center, as long as the larger context of the Town Center(as described above) is kept in mind. 8. However, too much senior housing to the exclusion of other types of housing might not necessarily be a good thing. The key would be to have a mix of housing on the Town land and that it should have a high enough density to make the Town Center work(e.g., minimum density between 5 and 10 d.u. per acre). It appears that the developers currently discussing plans with the Town have additional senior housing and other housing types in mind for later phases. The Town should determine what the best mix and locations of additional housing in the Town Center would be. 9. The old railroad bed is an important resource for the Town and should be incorporated and enhanced into a core pedestrian-bicycle path in conjunction with any development plans for the Town Center. The woods around the railroad bed should be preserved as much as possible. 10. The Lansing Center Trail System is an important Town resource and should be incorporated and enhanced in any development plans for the Town Center land. Current mowed trail locations may have to be modified to fit around development plans. 11. Natural features (streams, wetlands, woods) should be preserved and protected. 12. Take advantage of scenic views on the Town land. 13. The Town should initiate the "main street" concept on Route 34 (described by HOLT Architects/Trowbridge & Wolf in the 2010 Lansing Town Center—Planning Guidelines report) as soon as possible, starting with a sidewalk, street trees, lighting and other pedestrian amenities. 14. The Town should send out a Request for Proposals (RFP)to solicit ideas and realistic proposals for development of the Town Center. 15. At some point, the Town should further investigate contamination on the portion of the Town land containing the proposed"dog park"to see what additional clean-up might be needed to accommodate future development and what type of development might be appropriate. 16. Consider the possibility of a nine-hole golf course, open to the public, clubhouse, tennis courts and other outdoor recreation amenities, especially on the 50 +/- acre Phase 2 northern portion of Town land. Include this as an option in the RFP to see what kind of interest there might be on the part of developers. Such facilities are popular, would preserve and enhance much of the green space, would be conducive to accommodating a trail system, and would attract prospective home buyers and businesses to locate in the Town Center. If this option is pursued, it may be possible for the Town to acquire some additional adjacent land to ensure that there is sufficient area for such facilities. 17. Consider the possibility of a community center, perhaps focusing on the arts and/or performing arts, in conjunction with a"town green" for public gathering, as recommended in the HOLT/Trowbridge &Wolf report. 18. Consider the development potential of lands adjacent to the Town land for possible future expansion of the Town Center. Consider future road and trail connections to adjacent parcels as appropriate. 19. Develop design guidelines for the Town Center to ensure consistent and high quality design of buildings and site. Include guidelines for building design, pedestrian-friendly orientation/sidewalks/trails, parking in back and sides of buildings, landscaping, street trees, and site furniture, parks,plazas, open space, trails, lighting, etc. 2 20. Consider adoption of a Planned Development Area (PDA) as a zoning mechanism to specify development options and parameters for the Town Center. This could incorporate the design guidelines mentioned above. 21. Utilize developer agreements to make it clear what the Town expects the developer(s) to do when/if the Town sells land to developer(s). This relates especially to development type and size, infrastructure, trails, open space, and other amenities. Although site plan review will help in this process, each individual site development has to fit in with the larger context of the overall Town Center concept. Prepared by Jonathan Kanter, AICP For Lansing Town Board With no further business to discuss the meeting ended at 9:55 pm. Notes were taken by Supervisor Kathy Miller and executed by the Deputy Town Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Darlene Marshall 3