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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB Minutes 1993-04-20• FINAL TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD APRIL 20, 1993 FILED TOWN OF ITHACA Date X11691951 Cierk t& The Town of Ithaca Planning Board met in regular session on Tuesday, April 20, 1993, in Town Hall, 126 East Seneca Street, Ithaca, New York, at 7:30 p.m. PRESENT: Chairperson Carolyn Grigorov, Robert Kenerson, Virginia Langhans, Herbert Finch, Stephen Smith, Candace Cornell, William Lesser, Floyd Forman (Town Planner), George Frantz (Assistant Town Planner), Daniel Walker (Town Engineer), John Barney (Town Attorney). ALSO PRESENT: Vic & Jessie Loomis, Kinga Gergely, Cliff & Shirley Townsend, Noel Desch, Richard Wallace, David Auble, Don Lucenti, Ron Simpson, Jerry Weisburd, David Klein, Bruce Brittain, John Whitcomb. Chairperson Grigorov read the Fire Exit Regulations to those assembled, as required by the New York State Department of State, Office of Fire Prevention and Control. AGENDA ITEM. PERSONS TO BE HEARD. Noel Desch addressed the Board and stated the he wanted to be sure that all of the Planning Board Members received a copy of a letter to the editor of the Ithaca Journal regarding EPODs. Mr. Desch then handed out copies to each of the Board Members. (Hereto attached as Exhibit #1) Chairperson Grigorov asked if anyone else wished to speak. No one spoke. Chairperson Grigorov closed this portion of the meeting. AGENDA ITEM. WORKING SESSION, DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. Town Planner Floyd Forman addressed the Board and read from a prepared statement; "In recent neighborhood meetings the Planning Board had heard from a number of persons that thought that the Comprehensive Plan was too restrictive and those that thought that the Comprehensive Plan did not go far enough, that it did not limit or control growth. This Plan strikes a balance between those different points of view. Members of the Comprehensive Planning Committee (hereafter referred to as CPC) had to compromise to gain consensus. Consensus is fragile. Every member of the CPC would probably change some element of the Plan. All members compromised so that a Plan that had general agreement could be transmitted to the Planning Board. And when they transmitted that Plan to the Planning Board they did so unanimously. Let me just offer you three thoughts of what I think the Plan is trying to accomplish. ® Everybody says that it's complex and at points it is but I think three of the things that the Plan is trying to accomplish is that the Town is trying to accommodate the projected population and 6 Planning Board 2 April 20, 1993 housing needs through the year 2010. It has tried to focus growth away from environmentally sensitive areas and direct it near existing infrastructure. It is trying to improve existing infrastructure rather than continuing to expand infrastructure. And I think you can understand why, certainly money is an issue. As you make your recommendations for changes to the Plan ask yourself, will they enhance the objectives of the Plan and also ask yourself will they keep the consensus that the CPC worked so hard to obtain. In the end it is your document and I'm sure that you will deal with the Comprehensive Plan in a manner that benefits all of the residents of the Town of Ithaca. Thank you." Board Member Robert Kenerson stated that the Comprehensive Plan is rather extensive and he would not want the Planning Board to re- invent the Plan. The Planning Board has not been deeply involved and therefore the Board Members need to read through and take a look at what they would like to achieve with the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Kenerson stated that the Planning Board needs to agree on what a Comprehensive Plan is, how to complete the Comprehensive Plan that was submitted by the Comprehensive Planning Committee, without rewriting it. Mr. Kenerson stated that each member needed to understand what the Plan could do for the Town of Ithaca and what the Plan needs to do for the Town of Ithaca. Board Member William Lesser stated that he felt the Board should review the document systematically from the back toward the front and to focus on Chapter 3, Goals, Objectives & Recommended Actions, particularly the Recommended Actions. Mr. Lesser stated the he felt, in many ways, that this is the most critical part of the Comprehensive Plan, Town Planner Floyd Forman stated that the Board Members need to decide what they want the Town to look like 20 years from now. Board Member Candace Cornell stated that she felt the four points of the Comprehensive Plan should be, 1) the Physical Plan, 2) the Long Range Plan, 3) the Comprehensive Plan, and 4) a Statement of Policy. Ms. Cornell stated that in her opinion those are what the Plan really is. Ms. Cornell stated that the Board should keep those four characteristics in mind as they could go through the Goals, Objectives, and Recommendations, and continually see if the changes made in the Comprehensive Plan fit into those four components. Chairperson Grigorov stated that the Board needed to get the ideas worked out and agree to the content of the Plan, and then work on the editorial aspects of the Comprehensive Plan. Board Member William Lesser stated that each member of the ® Board could write up their own definitions of what the Comprehensive Plan is and bring those suggestions to the next working session meeting. ® Planning Board 3 April 20, 1993 Town Planner Floyd Forman stated that he would like the Planning Board Members to send their suggestions and comments to him so that he could see if everyone's thinking was the same. Board Member Herbert Finch stated that the Town should consider hiring an editor to check for typos, and grammatical errors. Board Member Virginia Langhans stated that there would be public hearings which would allow the Board to work through the Comprehensive Plan with the public's input and concerns. Ms. Langhans stated that people read the Comprehensive Plan and feel that they are being restricted too much and that the Board may need to consider whether or not to restructure some things contained in the Plan. Board Member William Lesser stated that the Board must also identify which changes and comments from the public are the most important and decide how to incorporate those ideas into the Plan. Board Member Robert Kenerson stated that he had some changes written up to share with the Board at the next working session Planning Board meeting. it Town Planner Floyd Forman stated that Comprehensive Plans are general concepts of what could be in your area for the next 20 to 30 years, in terms of development, open space, infrastructure, etc. Chairperson Grigorov asked if all of the Board Members were in consensus that a Comprehensive Plan was needed. All Board Members agreed that a Comprehensive Plan would be helpful. There was some discussion about the list of priorities in Chapter III and the order in which they should be prepared. The Board decided that Chapter III would be further discussed at the next meeting. Board Member William Lesser stated that the health and well- being of the citizens of the Town of Ithaca needed to be considered as one of the main priorities of the Comprehensive Plan. Town Planner Floyd Forman stated that legislature regarding density, open space, and housing, would allow for some flexibility for the Town of Ithaca. Town Attorney ,john Barney stated that one of the goals should be to try to direct the higher density of development where there would be infrastructure. Chairperson Grigorov declared the working session regarding ® the Comprehensive Plan duly closed at 10:34 p.m. Planning Board 4 April 20, 1993 AGENDA ITEM: REPORT OF THE TOWN PLANNER, Town Planner Floyd Forman stated that he felt that the Mayer School would be coming before the Board sometime in the near future. Mr. Forman stated that the GEIS would be coming back, and that he expected an updated draft from Cornell University to be in the Planning Department during the week of April 26, 1993. If there were any questions or comments on either of these projects, the Board Members could call Mr. Forman anytime during the week. AGENDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES - December 15, 1992 MOTION by Robert Kenerson, seconded by William Lesser: RESOLVED, that the Minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board Meeting of December 15, 1992, be and hereby are approved as written. There being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. Aye - Grigorov, Kenerson, Langhans, Finch, Smith, Cornell, Lesser. Nay - None. 0 The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - January 5, 1993 MOTION by William Lesser, seconded by Herbert Finch: RESOLVED, that the Minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board Meeting of January 5, 1993, be and hereby are approved as written. There being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. Aye - Grigorov, Kenerson, Langhans, Finch, Smith, Cornell, Lesser. Nay - None. The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - February 2, 1993 MOTION by Virginia Langhans, seconded by Stephen Smith: RESOLVED, that the Minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board Meeting of February 2, 1993, be and hereby are approved as written. • El Planning Board vote. 67 April 20, 1993 There being no further discussion, the Chair called for a Aye - Grigorov, Kenerson, Langhans, Finch, Smith, Cornell, Lesser. Nay - None. The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT Upon Motion, Chairperson Grigorov declared the April 20, 1993 meeting of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board duly adjourned at 10:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, StarrRae Hays, Recording Secretary Town of Ithaca Planning Board.