HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970-01-26 •
110Minutes
LANSING PLANNING BOARD
January 26 , 1970 : Town Hall
701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting
PRESENT : Mr . James Showacre , Chairman ; Mesdames Louise Barr and Viola
Miller ; Messrs . Peter H . Craig , H . B . Ruzicka
Also : Miss Nancy Glick ( Ithaca Journal reporter ) , Mrs . Lynn Lichten -
stein (Assistant to Tom Niederkorn) ; Mr . Tom Niederkorn (Planning
Consultant ) ; Mrs . Louise Dart , Messrs . Alex Cima , George McConkey ,
James Preston , and other residents of Lansing
ABSENT : Messrs . Paul Barron , Frederick Edmondson
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman at 8 : 10 p . m .
Showacre Introduced to each other the members of the Planning Board
and the meeting visitors .
Inquired whether any of the Planning Board members wished to JOINT
have any record from the previous closed meeting put into the MEETING
minutes of this present meeting . The response was negative . OF JANU -
• ARY 23 ,
Niederkorn Felt that the Friday night joint meeting had been very worth - 1970
while , since it is always good to start out with the Town
Board and allay any possible suspicions . The meeting had
given the Town Board members an opportunitylIto quiz the mem -
bers of the Planning Board - - all of which activity will help
the Planning Board in the long run . The Basic Studies re -
port is first - rate , and something of which the community
ought to feel proud . Volunteer labor is a gamble , and does
not always produce such excellent results .
He had expected to ask the Council to do a good many addi - BASIC
tional pieces of work , but the Basic Studies are so ex - STUDIES
cellent that for the most part this is not necessary . He is
using the maps prepared by Mr . Showacre for various purposes .
He had hoped to make a detailed land -use map ; it was started ,
but the big snow in December had stopped the work . The
quantitative land - use study has been completed , and the
Tompkins County Airport Study redone .
The matters which could be expanded in the Basic Studies re - AREA GROWTH
port have to do with population projections and analysis of AND POPULA-
past growth . Mr . Niederkorn displayed a chart showing what TION PRO -
is happening to Lansing in growth development . Cornell is JECTIONS
the principal growth factor , and most of the new development
• is being absorbed by Lansing , Dryden , and the Town of Ithaca ;
Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , January 26 , 1970 , Town Hall
701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , Page 2
• the City of Ithaca is absorbing some , but the Town of Ithaca
shows the greatest growth . Lansing is now growing faster
than Dryden . Cornell has announced that it will expand , and
this is bringing about further growth . It does not appear
that this trend will change , as long as there is some place
for the people to go .
Craig Inquired whether population figures going back as far as 1865
couldbe found .
Niederkorn Is not sure these could be obtained , but feels they would not
alter the present picture . What will change the picture will
be the migration factor . There probably will not be much in -
dustrial development in Lansing in terms of additional fam -
ilies . Industry park may have some influence . The Bell
Station will bring in some construction families and an in -
dustrial base . The Ithaca school boundaries have had a great
influence on housing situations . Availability and cost of
housing are also factors . The most devastating effect on
Lansing has been the advent of Route 13 , making this area
available to so many more people than was the case previously .
The urban renewal going on in the City of Ithaca has made
automobile dealers come out to Lansing , and the lack of any
possible further development in Ithaca probably made the
• Triphammer shopping plaza possible . The development of the
Fair Grounds will still further preclude downtown Ithaca de -
velopment . In Lansing a new motel will be erected south of
the Howard Johnson motel , when the sewer district problem has
been solved . Eventually there will be egress and ingress be -
tween . Warren Road and the Triphammer shopping plaza .
The population projection should show an elemental growth
plan for the Town of Lansing . There probably will not be a
high population density plan here , because so much of it is
already low density . Two plans ar & being studied , one for
Bush Lane south , and the other for South Lansing .
Lichtenstein Discussed the possible growth of the Tompkins County Airport AREA DE -
and its impact on the Town of Lansing . If the runway were VELOPMENT
extended it would probably be necessary to relocate Warren
Road . There will be pressure to build in this area , but it
would be well to maintain low housing density in it . No
schools or public assembly places should be located in such
an area . A road pattern will be developed to connect all
the residential areas , wherever possible ; such a plan would
tie areas together , and thus prevent them from becoming land -
locked . Key roads would be put in by the Town , but develop ..
ers would still have to put in their own subdivision roads .
• The soil association map shows severe limitations for septic SOIL CHAR-
tank installations in many areas . Information such as this ACTERISTICS
Minutes , LANSING . PLANNING BOARD , January 26 , 1970 , Town Hall
701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , Page 3
• is some of the most important to be gathered . There are
tremendous variations in the soil depths .
A traffic origin and destination study should be available TRAFFIC
for North Triphammer Road . STUDY
More research will have to be done on the school system . SCHOOL
This will be influenced by the population projections . SYSTEM
There may be a consolidation with the Groton School System .
Miller Believes that all of the organizations in the Town - - fire - PUBLIC
men , school boards , men ' s groups in churches , Lions Club , RELATIONS
etc . - - should be asked to send delegates to the public
meetings of the Planning Board . These delegates could take
information back to the organization members . This would
not , of course , preclude Council members , but it would give
representation from the various organizations .
Asked about a Council meeting to display the Basic Studies
book . Mr . Niederkorn felt that this should not be done at
a 701 meeting , but at a regular meeting .
Craig Feels that people are no longer interested in Basic Studies ,
but wish to hear about a Master Plan . During the next six
• months the Planning Board can present the kind of information
in which people are interested .
Showacre Delegates could be invited to attend a meeting for presenta -
tion of the Basic Studies , informed of how long it will take
to formulate a Master Plan , and thereby become oriented . The
fact that the work done by the Town Planner will be broader
because the Basic Studies were done by the townspeople could
be emphasized .
Decision on presentationmeetings was tabled , as no definite
plan could be formulated .
The meeting was adjourned at 10 : 00 p . m . on MOTION of Mr .
Craig , seconded by Mrs . Barr , and duly approved .
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