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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-04-26 Minutes • LANSING PLANNING BOARD April 26 , 1971 : Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting PRESENT : Mr . Peter H . Craig , Chairman ; Miss Louise Barr , Mrs . Viola Miller ; Messrs , Paul Barron , Samuel Baughman , Frederick Edmondson , and Stephen Farkas Also : Messrs . Louis Bush , a member of the Lansing Town Board ; Thomas Niederkorn , Planning Consultant ; and James Showacre , a Lansing resident The meeting was called to order at 8 : 10 p .m . Craig Presented the agenda for the meeting : ( 1 ) a brief discussion AGENDA of the recent Town Board meeting ; ( 2) information on the gen - eral subject of sewers ; and ( 3 ) presentation by Mr . Niederkorn of the Master Plan as developed to this point , plus some ad - ditional questions about zoning . Craig Had presented at the Town Board meeting the final copy of the SEWER LINE Planning Board ' s resolution concerning. , sewers for Lansing , MATTERS but then had had to leave the meeting early , so did not get to • hear all of the discussion which followed . Mrs . Miller and Mr . Bush agreed that there was too much confusion in the meeting and that not enough pertinent information was presented . Some better way of presenting information to the public should be devised . Mr . Craig will suggest that there be an executive joint session of the Town Board and the Planning Board on Monday evening , May 3 , 1971 , and will telephone Mr . Howell and Jane Bush . The meeting will be for the purpose of discussion of the Master Plan , as this is vitally important in connection with sewer planning . The meeting was turned over to Mr . Niederkorn at this point . Niederkorn From his work and from the report of the public hearing , it MASTER PLAN has occurred to him that the small area at the south end of AND ZONING Lansing is causing all of the problems and is the area that is always discussed in the newspapers . The Town should , how- ever , be viewed as a whole , and this more correct view would help to calm the general feelings within the Town . While the population projections may not be absolutely correct , they are an indication of what may happen in Lansing in the next 25 years . At an allowance of a half - acre for every family that is • anticipated , this population increase would fit into a very small square of land . If that area is spread over the whole township , then the increase can be absorbed with practically Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , April 26 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 2 • no change whatsoever . The number can be doubled and could easily fit below Burdick Road and Cherry Road , and nothing else would have to change . . Whether or not the Town desires this growth , it will occur . If sewers are not installed , then the Health Department will have to do the judging . With these points in view , there is really no cause for com- motion . Mr . Niederkorn then displayed a map showing a general plan of future land -use . Four - fifths of the Town is predominantly rural , agricultural , or institutional . Predominantly one - or two - family residential districts occupy four - fifths of the re - maining area . There are a few areas which are already pre - dominantly industrial or research areas . The predominantly conservation areas are those that have significant natural features which should mean a great deal to this generation in preserving them for future generations . There are some small predominantly commercial areas , and another small area pre - dominantly multiple - family residential in nature . The area around Salmon Creek Valley is agricultural and probably will remain so for many years . Lansing residents should be con - cerned about that area , to prevent it from changing character . As to Public Services : Schools - - One additional elementary • school will be needed , but this would be in the Ithaca district . Fire Stations - - There are now five fire stations , which should take care of this aspect of public services for the foreseeable future . Parks - - There are not many parks at the present time , although more than in most other towns in the area . Recreation Areas - - Mr . Niederkorn suggested that sometime in the future more of such areas be developed , or that additional undeveloped land should be acquired . The recreation areas are concentrated in the heavily populated areas . Other suggested sites are two along the lake , and a large one at the end of Teeter Road . An additional one will also be necessary in the Ludl.wville area , as well as the one already there . A good- sized site at the power station , next to the lake , could be easily developed . Public Buildings - - The Town Hall and Town Barn seem to be in appro - priate places , so no change is suggested . The Pump House should also be considered as a possible future meeting - place . The present old barns are being used only for storage . Mr . Niederkorn then affixed an overlay which showed a suggested major road system . At present traffic is concentrated on North Triphammer Road . The east -west connections must be improved if at all possible ; Farrell Road might be extended west to Route 34 . There was a discussion of whether it is important to attempt to put a road across . Salmon Creek . Mr . Niederkorn feels that it is not really important to have such a road . • Farkas Would not like to see the conservation area cut up any more than it is at present . Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , April 26 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 3 • Niederkorn Towns can do a great deal indirectly toward regulating their future if they have a good master plan . Mr . Niederkorn then displayed overlays of a proposed road system for the south end of Lansing : ( 2 ) with sewer lines up to Twin Glens within the largest district than can be created . The high - density developed area could then pay for the lines . As pressure builds up to expand , the payments can be re - distributed over the larger area . This happens in a series of steps . By extending the line another 4 , 000 or 5 , 000 feet very little additional increase in units can be sewered . (b ) The further extension to Waterwagon Road would not be justi - fied by the amount of sewered area it would add . The cost would not justify this extension , and the benefits to be derived would not be sufficient to warrant it . When a land - use map has been ascertained to be logical , the Town should then take steps to control residential development in accordance with the recognized conditions shown by that map . The next map showed proposed parks and the drainage systems . Because of various drainage problems , the Town Board or Planning Board ought to make sure that no developer comes in with plans to disturn the natural drainage systems . Development can occur • around the drainage areas . The parks developed along these can be small , say three to five acres . Five such parks were pinpointed for future development . It was recommended that the immediate area along the Twin Glens park area should also be acquired by the Town and held for pub - lic use . Craig Pointed out that the two streams in the north are , because of their position relative to the water supply for the Town , in a different class from those to the south , which empty into the lake far to the south of the two to the north . If these four water- ways are protected , then those who live nearby can literally walk down to the lake . A subdivision owner can be required to give an easement for cleaning and access to the stream . Niederkorn The Bolton Point area is particularly important and should not be sold to a private developer . The Town should protect it , as it is one of the few areas which can be reached from land rather than only by boat , and it may become the source of water for Lansing . A camping spot or park area above the lake shore south of Gulf Stream could be established by the County . This is close to the beautiful Gulf Creek area and could have access to the water - front along the railroad track . The railroad track area could • be a walking - path connection between the various lakeside points . Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , April 26 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 4 • Has discussed this with several legislators , and they are en - thusiastic about this plan , for whenever the railroad is no longer active . A further map overlay showed a distribution of the population growth in another way , by extending the sewer line out to Water - wagon Road . This will spread the concentration more broadly , with a lower density of development . It would put the popula - tion along Route 34 over to Farrell Road and Triphammer Terrace . This would then limit the development at the south end of the Town and leave a low- density center , unless residents would be willing to build a great many expensive laterals . Craig This would bring some strip development along the line , with cul - de - sacs of residences going up the roads . Niederkorn Commercial development does not require as much in the way of sanitary servies as do residential areas . Another map overlay showed what would happen if only Districts 1 and 2 were serviced . The concentrations of multi - family residences would be within the limits of the sewer district . In the surrounding areas there would be low- density development , with no notable population development center in the Town . The concentration of population density would have the benefit of • the developer contributing to the Town services , and the cost of such services would be lower for the developer , and his economic profits thereby increased . Bush Asked whether zoning might force people out of the south end of the Town , but Mr . Niederkorn did not think this would be the case ; this is not what has happened anywhere else in Tompkins County . Showacre Feels that unless people have some guarantee that the residential area will remain that way , they will not want tobuy land and put an expensive house on it . Miller People who want to live in the southern end of Town can , if there are sewers , buy and build on a much smaller piece of land than if there are no sewers . Showacre Inquired as to what the planning schedule now is . Niederkorn His responsibility is to get the drawings into reproducible shape , and write texts for them , and to set up a fiscal plan and schedule . He must also complete work on the Zoning Ordinance , and then the entire plan must be written up and distributed. Craig The termination of the contract is not , according to Mr . Bennett , . hard and fast . As the time approaches , the Federal and/or State Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , April 26 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 5 • government applies more and more pressure for completion of the Master Plan . Mr . Niederkorn will write up what the Plan - ning Board has already agreed on , and will write up the other material as it is agreed upon . It does not require public hearings for the Town Board to accept the Master Plan , but it would do away with the mystique if the Plan were given wide distribution . Showacre Suggested presentations to the few established groups in Lansing . Craig We have had some public meetings , but if you do have such meetings you must have very definite ideas ; anything less than that disturbs people . Only within the last two months or so has anything suitable for public meetings been developed . Showacre Believes that if there are no public meetings , people will feel that the Planning Board has been working in a vacuum . Baughman Feels that this reaction is present in all such instances . Barron Mentioned that the door to the Planning Board meetings stands open at all times , so that anyone can be present at Planning Board meetings . • Niederkorn In Dryden there were many meetings , at which people said nothing ; but when the discussion got into zoning , people came , and were vocal . If we had a year in which to go over the ideas that have been presented , this would be very good ; but in the absence of time we must do the best we can with what we have . ' Miller Asked for Mr . Bush ' s opinion of taking this to the public . Bush His personal attitude is that nothing like this should be done until the final plan can be presented at a public meeting . Craig It is the Town Board that makes the decision , and therefore should acquire a level of understanding of the plan for above that needed by the public . Niederkorn Took up the matter • f zoning . At this point Messrs . Baughman and Bush retired from the meeting . Niederkorn Discussed the chart of proposed zoningregulations which relates the various types of use to each other . The two most important considerations are the minimum lot size and the frontage . The high - density areas have smaller lot size per dwelling unit and • smaller frontage per development unit . The predications are on two bases - - sewered and not sewered . Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , April 26 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Regular Meeting , page 6 • Showacre It may be legislated by the Tompkins County Board of Health that a house can be built on every other lot , this option per - mitting the building of houses on small lots . Then if sewers are installed , the alternate empty lots can be sold for res - idential purposes . The members of the Planning Board and Mr . Niederkorn then went through the chart , making various small changes but in the main agreeing on the majority of the various points presented in the chart . Miller Asked whether it would not be a good idea to get the real es - tate developers together and present these points to them . Edmondson Feels that there is no point in trying to do this , since de - velopers and most realtors are against this sort of thing . Niederkorn It is impossible to woo these people if they are opposed to the idea in the first place . Farkas Announced that he is being transferred to another area of the FARKAS State , and will be leaving Ithaca in two or three weeks . He RESIGNATION will present an official letter of resignation to the Town Board . The Planning Board very regretfully accepted the resig - nation , and will give thought to the matter of a replacement • recommendation . Mr . Craig will notify the members of the Town Board at next month's meeting about this resignation . It was decided to hold an executive meeting with the Town Board on Monday , May 3 , 1971 . Mr . Craig will speak about this also at the Town Board meeting , inviting its members to attend . The meeting adjourned at 10 : 45 p .m .