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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970-02-23 ;{f I 1 • Minutes LANSING PLANNING BOARD February 23 , 1970 : Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting PRESENT : Mr . Peter H . Craig , Chairman ; Miss Louise Barr , Mrs . Viola Miller , Messrs . Paul Barron , Sam Baughman , and Frederick Edmondson Also : Mrs . Lynn Lichtenstein (Assistant to Thomas Niederkorn) , Mr . Thomas Niederkorn (Planning Consultant ) , and Mr . James Showacre ( former Chairman of the Lansing Town Planning Board) ABSENT : Mr . H . B . Ruzicka The Chairman called the meeting to order at 8 : 10 p . m . , and then turned it over to Mr . Niederkorn . Niederkorn Displayed a chart of the Lansing water system from Cherry Road AIRPORT south to the boundary of the Town . The County has by now pur - chased all of the land that is in the normal flight path north of the air field . There will be a high intensity light system to define the flight path . There is a possibility that the • runway could be extended another 1 , 000 feet to the northwest . The present facilities are adequate for Mohawk , whose reason for not having larger planes come into the Ithaca airport is economic - - there is not enough traffic to demand the larger planes . The noise beyond the airport zone is a factor to be considered in planning , although the noisiest position is right at the takeoff point on the runway . Craig Inquired about the incidence of air passengers taking off and landing at points other than Ithaca , in order to take jets . The consensus was that it would be too difficult , in fact , practically impossible to ascertain the degree of this in - cidence . E dmondson There will be a general jetport , but it will not be in Ithaca . N iederkorn Does not anticipate that there will be any possible future ex - pansion of the air service in Ithaca . Asked if an extension o f the airport would not necessitate the straightening of Warren Road , Mr . Niederkorn said that this could be done , or the ✓ oad location changed . Is trying to determine what the limitations and possibilities are in this area . Has identified the utility services by look - • ing at the plans for utility expansions . Sewer plans have not been presented publicly , but the water plans can be , as well as the physical characteristics of the area ; and a site map can be of help in figuring out the problems . Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , February 23 , 1970 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 2 • Lichtenstein Water and sewer are some of the most important factors in UTILITIES deciding where the development will be . Displayed a map showing water and sewer line districts , as well as the pro - posed lines . The water system as now planned will go to the Peruville Road . Of the proposed sewer districts , the first would be built in 1970 , and each ten years an additional dis - trict would be built . The reasoning behind this plan is that although population is now concentrated in District 1 , heavy population increases are expected which will match the water and sewer system expansions . According to engineering pro - jections , 1990 will see the completion of these installations . Displayed two soil limitations maps . For both homesites and septic tanks there are severe limitations . Building on such sites is not impossible , but is extremely costly . Clay soils account for the severe limitations , because of the slowness of drainage . Where rock is close to or at the surface , there are particular problems . Utility costs are much higher in such cases . Craig In spite of the many observations previously made when util - ities were installed on South Hill in the City of Ithaca , a great deal of blasting had to be done . The Lansing Town Planning Board should consider the advisability of not skipping • certain areas when the installations are made . Scanty housing makes for very high utility installation costs . Both housing and commercial building follow the public utility lines . Miller One important element would be the intended use of the land . Some owners of large acreage have no intention of breaking up their acreage . N iederkorn Displayed on a land - use map the Ithaca School District and the DEVELOPMENT developable area which lies in that School District which would be served by the sewer district . There are about 3 , 300 lots of about 10 , 000 square feet per lot . If it is possible to get this number of persons in the area , along with some commercial development , the line would not be so expensive . Leapfrogging should be discouraged . E dmondson There can be individualized treatment systems in addition to the proposed public utilities . N iederkorn A great expansion of population is going to occur with or with - out public sewer lines . The Planning Board will have to decide what kind of development it wishes to encourage - - whether small developments with vast areas in between , or consistent growth out from a common center . The larger the lot size , the more ex - pensive the sewer costs will be . • Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , February 23 , 1970 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 3 • Niederkorn There should be some sort of consistent pattern of development rather than leapfrogging . This can be accomplished by zoning or by control of the capital expenditures for sewer lines and water lines , and perhaps by going one step further and increas - ing the capital expenditures for increasing the roads within the area you wish to develop . If developers would start a de - velopment , other developers would follow . Individual home builders would go out beyond such areas . Craig By stimulating high density housing you can absorb high density desirability . N iederkorn If land prices become astronomical , the market for apartment development will dwindle . Miller If one person goes into the country to build , very shortly the area is no longer country , but a number of other houses are built there also . There was a discussion of the division of Lansing population between the school districts of Lansing and Ithaca . N iederkorn If you provide the public utility installations , there will be a stimulus for apartment buildings , provided the market is • favorable . Only the lack of proper facilities will prevent future growth . The Board will have to protect park areas , drainage areas , etc . E dmondson The studies should then show the installations which would en - courage high density growth . N iederkorn Agreed with this . He will visit the prople responsible for these installations , to speak for one large line , and tribu - tary lines going into it . Craig Feels there should be only one dug trench , and all lines (water , sewer , electricity) laid simultaneously in it . E dmondson Explained the impracticality of this idea : 1 . Danger from water - and- sewer - line contamination 2 . No possibility of simultaneous installation 3 . The lines take different engineering profiles , as the sewer is a gravity feed , and the water line needs to be only just below the frost line . Niederkorn It might bepossible to dig the trenches simultaneously if one • contractor were doing the work . A county -wide system is much 1 Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , February 23 , 1970 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 4 • better than having many small individual water and sewer districts . There may be some move toward this for Lansing (O ' Brien and Geer ) . Niederkorn Displayed a site map (photographic map ) showing the airport area , and mentioned the project of connecting various areas , trying to get some more east -west circulation . It will be necessary to preserve the natural drainage systems as they naturally are now , instead of permitting them to be changed . The drainage runways could be made into parks or ponds in spots . Showacre Asked whether if the hospital decided to put its proposed new building on the Shannon property it would affect the develop - ment of Lansing greatly . Niederkorn There would be some changes , but nothing dramatic . With its excellent tax base , the Town could acquire land near the drain - age lines for purposes of preservation of natural drainage and the establishment of greenswards nearby . The Town Board will have to decide whether the expense involved in building ad - ditional roads is justified by the final benefits . The north and the south ends of the Town should be treated • differently . In the final work , the two will be zoned dif - ferently . Craig Expressed the thanks of the Board for the simulation and use - PUBLIC fulness of this session . Emphasized the necessity for very MEETING early public meetings . Spoke of the proposed meeting with 25 selected leaders in the community . Edmondson Suggested an already .,= packaged presentation of the Greater Ithaca plan which could be used for such a meeting . This would be very useful , particularly as it would show a nearby area . Niederkorn We could have a combination of part of those slides and also some slides for the Town of Dryden , which would show the focus on a Town . Will get the Ithaca Town Planning slides and get the show together . The meeting was adjourned at 10 : 05 p . m . •