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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-06-29 TOWN OF LANSING Planning Board ® "Town Meeting on Lansing 2010" Tuesday, June 29, 1993; 7:30 p.m. Judy Saul, representing the Community Dispute Resolution Center and facilitating this meeting, welcomed everyone for attending and introduced herself. She reviewed the agenda and invited everyone to participate and get involved either through attending meetings or by joining a committee. Larry Sharpsteen stated that the Town Board has charged the Planning Board with developing a new Master Plan. He explained that the current Master Plan was developed over 20 years ago and needs to be updated. To assist in the development of the new Master Plan, the Planning Board decided to involve as many people from the community as possible. The project entitled "Lansing 2010" was then launched. Cheryl Nickel explained that the Town Board and the Planning Board are interested in involving as many people in the community as possible in this project. She cited ways to involve the community as follows: (1 ) interviews and surveys; (2) town meetings; (3) citizen advisory committees; (4) volunteer groups; (5) newsletters; (6) involve students; and (7) community design workshops. One of the most important things this project has set up are the Citizen Advisory Committees. Cheryl invited all the committee members to raise their hands to show the number of people involved. She invited anyone else interested in being involved in any of the committees to join. Master Plan Committee - Harold VanEs ® Harold Van Es explained that the Master Plan Committee decided that they would begin by looking at the old Master Plan and then determine what issues need to be addressed. This is a unique committee because they have to work with all the other committees. There are some issues that the Master Plan Committee needs to look at, for example traffic and housing. Some of the issues that have been identified are: maintaining identity for neighborhoods and revitalizing neighborhoods, low-cost housing, utilities, future roads, circulation, thru-roads, speed limits on side roads, parking, environmental impact of traffic and roads, and commercial and industrial development. He stated that the committee really has made a lot of progress, but is working on issues then developing tasks around those issues. Gathering data and communicating that data with the other committees, will be one of the directions to help the Committee to come up with some guidelines for itself. Harold read the mission statement of the Master Plan Committee. Economic Development Committee - Arlene Dende Arlene Dende read through the goals of the committee. Some of the goals are: (1 ) To establish guidelines for commercial and industrial development. She explained that the Committee has distributed flyers around the community asking for input as to the types of businesses they would like to see. Two of the most popular suggestions are: a hardware store and a laundromat. (2) What types of businesses already exist? The Committee has compiled a listing. Arlene invited anyone that owns a business in Lansing to contact the Committee. Town Meeting on "Lansing 2010 " Page 2 Tuesday, June 29, 1993 (3) Draft and map out future development areas as they relate to the Town Center, to • municipal areas, recreational areas, green space, side streets, residential areas, and commercial areas. (4) Provide an explanation of and a recommendation of zoning regulations needed to encourage the identified commercial and industrial development. The Committee is currently in the process of plotting current businesses on a map, and once the map is completed, the information from the surveys of all the services and businesses the community would like, the Committee will make a recommendation to the Planning Board as to what types of businesses they would like to grow in Lansing and also where they should be located and how these business and services will contribute to the economic growth of the community. WHAT TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IS THE COMMITTEE THINKING ABOUT? Arlene stated that everything is preliminary at this point. The Committee has distributed the surveys to see what the community wants, and until they see what is currently in the Town, they will not know what the majority of the people want. Agriculture Committee - Rick Vaughn Rick Vaughn stated that Lansing has the most agricultural land in the County of Tompkins; approximately 40 percent of the land is in active agriculture. The concerns discussed by the Committee have involved: how they can protect farming per se; maintaining open spaces; preservation of natural resources; costs for new development; zoning - would it protect farms? what adverse effects would it have on farm operations?; preservation of land for new farming operations and part-time farming operations; and communication between the farm population and non-farm population. This communication could be handled by involving people who are not associated with farming and by developing brochures about the concerns of farm neighbors. Rick invited input from the non-farm population as well as from people who are concerned with maintaining open spaces, people who own land who are concerned about their ability to keep that land for agriculture or open spaces or recreation. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IS INVOLVED IN FARMING? The Committee has identified less than 50 full and part-time operations; but some of these operations are worth many millions of dollars and employ a number of people. Farming impacts other businesses in the community as well. Farming may be small in population, but large in other ways. EXPLAIN THE IMPACT ON WATER DISTRICTS? Per the Agricultural Law, a water or sewer district can be run through agricultural districts, but a farmer can't be imposed upon the cost. If the farmer chooses, he/she may pull out of the district. Street Tree Committee - Kathy Valentine The mission statement is as follows: Town Meeting on "Lansing 2010 " Page 3 Tuesday, June 29, 1993 The Town of Lansing Street Tree Committee is a volunteer group whose goal is to encourage and help town residences and businesses in planning, planting, and preserving trees along streets, roads, parking lots, and other public areas. We will provide interested parties with recommendations for selections, best locations, and proper planting and care techniques. We will also provide volunteer manpower for planting of trees on publicly-owned land. An ongoing tree planting program when properly coordinated with the Highway and other Town Departments will eventually be in place to enhance the Lansing area providing us with a sense of pride in a community that we call home. She explained that the Committee is still in the planning stage and invited anyone interested to join the committee to contact her. At the next meeting, there will be two guest speakers from the Department of Floriculture and Horticulture at Cornell University discussing suitable species for planting around the Town streets and Town Center. The Committee is also looking for information regarding funding programs for street trees. WHAT SPECIES OF TREES? The Committee will be looking into trees that don' t require a great deal of care and trees the are suitable for planting along streets, and trees that are more tolerable of pollution, traffic, and salt. Historical Resources Committee - Dee Barber Dee Barber began by explaining what the Committee has come up with to help guide them. Why? (1 ) promote and nurture community spirit; and (2) integrate preservation values into local policies. What needs to be done? (1 ) Recommend eight specific objectives which were adopted, with slight modifications, from principles of the National Trust: (a) identify historic places, both architectural and natural, that give the community its special character and that can aid its future well-being; (b) adopt the preservation of historic places as a goal of planning for land use economic development, housing for all income levels and transportation; (c) create organization, regulatory, and incentive mechanisms to facilitate preservation and provide the leadership to make them work; (d) develop revitalization strategies that capitalize on the existing value of historic, residential, and commercial neighborhoods and properties and provide well-designed affordable housing without displacing existing residents; (e) ensure that policies and decisions on community growth and development respect a community's heritage and enhance overall livability; (0 encourage excellence in design for new construction and in the stewardship of historic properties and places; (g) use a community's heritage to educate citizens of all ages and to build civic pride; and (h) recognize the cultural diversity of communities and empower a diverse constituency to acknowledge, identify, and preserve America's cultural and physical resources; (2) Establish on-going committee (Historic Preservation Commission) How will we do it? ® (1 ) promote special projects through Lansing Historical Association; (2) review current projects underway (schoolhouse, bicentennial, and local history projects); (3) explore ways and means of meeting the objectives; Town Meeting on "Lansing 2010" Page 4 Tuesday, June 29, 1993 (4) review existing sources; • (5) interface with other Citizen Advisory Committees; and (6) explore methods to establish historic commission. Communications Committee - Cynthia Frazier Cynthia Frazier displayed the newsletter mailed to the community earlier this month. She is recruiting new members to join the Committee, especially writers, artists, photographers, proofreaders, or people who work in public relations. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER NEWSLETTER? The Committee might be putting out another newsletter this fall; but if not a separate issue, it will be a part of the Town Newsletter. Parks and Recreation Committee - Gay Nicholson Gay Nicholson stated that the Committee began by forming subcommittees to deal with reports on demographics, the natural features inventory, and an inventoryof recreational programs and park facilities that are currently in place. One of the primary tasks is to sample public opinion on what they would like as far as parks and recreation. The Committee did an informal survey at Lansing Days (June 12), but will be doing more formal surveys in the future. The information gathered from the 52 people that were surveyed at Lansing Days, made it clear that the recreational facility most used is Myers Park. Changes to the current facility that were suggested are: upgrade the • playgrounds, concessions stands, park benches, better security, sand areas, and greater cleanliness. The response to the question of what new facility would you like to see added was overwhelmingly in favor of a bike path and nature trails. Some were in favor of more neighborhood parks (e.g. Ludlowville). HAS THE COMMITTEE CONSIDERED USING THE SCHOOLS AS REVENUE GATHERERS? This has been looked into and there are some activities currently being conducted at the school, but it is being taken into consideration further. Town Center Committee - Cindy Lyon Cindy Lyon explained that the Committee began by trying to answer the following questions: Why do we need a Town Center? What would it look like? What would be in it? A goal of the Committee is to try to keeping the identity of Lansing separate from Ithaca and keeping the rural character. One way to accomplish this is to concentrate growth in one area. A Town Center will be a physical place where growth will be concentrated. It must be economically feasible, and there must be many reasons for people to come to the area. There should be something there for everyone. There should be parking spaces, recreational areas, commercial services, public and civic buildings, and cultural and social activities. It must be integrated with what is already here. This area needs to be safe and accessible for traffic, for • pedestrians, for bicycles. Town Meeting on "Lansing 2010" Page 5 Tuesday, June 29, 1993 The Committee is presently working on looking at specific goals that they are trying to accomplish from the mission statement, and what would be a design and a location for the Town Center. WHAT ARE THE DEFINED LIMITS? At this point no specific area has been designated. The Committee is looking at a number of areas and has been comparing developing in other similar towns. OPEN SESSION WHAT IS THE GENERALLY FEELING ABOUT ZONING? Arlene Dende felt that zoning would protect all of us. Cheryl Nickel felt that as a community, the zoning regulations could be written to satisfy most everyone. Linda Hirvonen felt that before zoning regulations could be written or implemented, a thorough study of the town, what is in the town, what is needed in the town, and what the people want needs to be done. Judy Saul commented that zoning can be used as a tool. TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF A LAUNDROMAT, THE TOWN WOULD NEED TO HAVE A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. Judy Saul commented that that is a good example of how one issue overlaps another issue. I LIKE LANSING JUST THE WAY IT IS AND WANT IT TO STAY THAT WAY. Lansing is great as it is, but it won't stay the same. Strip development is already beginning on Route 34 and Triphammer. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WEREN'T ADDRESSED BY ANY OF THE COMMITTEES. Larry Sharpsteen stated that the committees have been considering the environment. If there is no tax base to support the Town and its services, people may have to leave. The best way to improve that tax base is to provide some type of industry. THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY EXTREME CONCLUSION TO DRAW. Larry Sharpsteen felt that there has to be a balance between industry and the environment. If it wasn' t for Milliken . ' Station and the other big businesses in Lansing, we wouldn' t be here. Growth is a part of life and children need a place to work and live. THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED AS TO THE TYPES OF ZONING . HOW WILL FINAL DECISIONS BE MADE? BY SMALL GROUP OR BY A COMMUNITY VOTE? Ultimate decisions are made by the elected representatives. The information that is gathered will be assessed and will be developed into a working document by the Planning Board with the help of a professional planner. There will be public hearings and another town meeting in the fall. The working document will then be presented to the Town Board. The Town Board will make the final decisions . Judy Saul then closed the meeting and invited everyone to break into small groups and to visit the Committee tables. ® The meeting was closed at 9: 10 p.m. . Submitted by Michelle Eastman