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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB Minutes 1999-01-19• • • TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD 126 East Seneca Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Tuesday, January 19, 1999 AGENDA 7:30 P.M. Persons to be heard. 7:35 P.M. Consideration of nomination and election of Vice Chairperson of Town of Ithaca Planning Board for 1999. 7:40 P.M. SEQR Determination, Cornell University Wilson Lab /Synchrotron Addition, Dryden Road. 7:45 P.M. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and Recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Special Approval for the proposed construction of a one -story, +/- 4,000 square foot addition to the Wilson Laboratory/Synchrotron facility at Cornell University, located off NYS Route 366/Dryden Road on Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 63- 1 -8.2, Residence District R -30. Cornell University, Owner /Applicant; Jeremy Moore, Agent. 5. Consideration of Lead Agency concurrence pursuant to SEQR for NYS Dormitory Authority funding of Paleontological Research Institution "Museum of the Earth" project, 1259 Trumansburg Road. 6. Approval of Minutes: October 6, 1998; October 20, 1998; November 3, 1998; November 17, 1998; December 1, 1998 (all in packet) 7. Other Business. 8. Adjournment. Jonathan Kanter, AICP Director of Planning 273 -1747 NOTE: IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD IS UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE NOTIFY MARY BRYANT AT 273 -17470 (A quorum of four (4) members is necessary to conduct Planning Board business.) RMAX • TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD TOWN QF ITHr' „Bs LOG& �a /9 9 JANUARY 19. 1999 The Town of Ithaca Planning Board met in regular session on Tuesday, January 19, 1999, in Town Hall, 126 East Seneca Street, Ithaca, New York, at 7:30 p.m. PRESENT: Fred Wilcox, Chairperson; Eva Hoffmann, Board Member; George Conneman, Board Member; Robert Kenerson, Board Member (7:37 p.m.); James Ainslie, Board Member; Tracy Mitrano, Board Member (7:44 p.m.); Larry Thayer, Board Member; Jonathan Kanter, Town Planner; John Barney, Attorney for the Town; Daniel Walker, Town Engineer (7:45 p.m.); George Frantz, Assistant Town Planner. EXCUSED: Christine Balestra, Planner. ALSO PRESENT: Rick Talbot, HARZA; Jeremy Moore, Cornell; Barbara Cooper, Cornell; Don Bilderback, Cornell; Joel Brock, Cornell; Randy Headrick, Cornell; Brenda Cartland, Cornell; Sol Gruner, Cornell; Elizabeth deProsse, Conservation Board; Pat McNally, Cornell; Ernest Fontes, Cornell; John Guttenberger, Cornell; Shirley Egan, Cornell University Counsel. Chairperson Wilcox declared the meeting duly opened at 7:31 p.m., and accepted for the the Secretary's Affidavit of Posting and Publication of the Notice of Public Hearings in Town ,record Hall and the Ithaca Journal on January 11, 1999, and January 13, 1999, together with the Secretary's Affidavit of Service by Mail of said Notice upon the various neighbors of each of the properties under discussion, as appropriate, upon the Clerks of the City of Ithaca an the Town of Danby, upon the Tompkins County Commissioner of Planning, upon the Tompkins County Commissioner of Public Works, and upon the applicants and /or agents, as appropriate, on January 137 1999. (Affidavit of Posting and Publication is hereto attached as Exhibit #1). AGENDA ITEM: PERSONS TO BE HEARD. There were no persons present to be heard. Chairperson Wilcox introduced George Conneman as the new Planning Board member. Mr. Conneman served many years on the Bolton Point Water Commission. He also served as the chair of that board. AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of nomination and election of Vice Chairperson of Town of Ithaca Planning Board for 1999. Board Member Thayer stated Board Member Hoffmann was the Vice Chairperson last year and he did not see any reason to change it. He stated he would like to nominate Board Member Hoffmann as the Vice Chairperson for 1999. • Board Member Ainslie stated he would second the motion if she accepted the nomination. PLANNING BOARD 2 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED • Board Member Hoffmann stated she would like to continue. By unanimous vote, (Board Member Hoffmann abstaining), Board Member Hoffmann was elected Vice Chairperson for 1999. AGENDA ITEM: SEQR Determination, Cornell University Wilson Lab /Synchrotron Addition, Dryden Road. Chairperson Wilcox declared the above -noted matter opened at 7:34 p.m. Jeremy Moore, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) Project Manager, stated he would like to refer to the vicinity plan to explain the location of Wilson Lab /Synchrotron Addition. The G -Line addition is to the west of Wilson Lab. G -Line is located to the west between Campus Road and the Cascadilla Creek. It is approximately 3,000 square foot facility. There is another 1,000 square foot hall linking to Wilson Laboratory. The facility also connects to the Synchrotron tunnel. The underground Synchrotron tunnel is shown in the dashed line. Mr. Moore stated the map shows a temporary construction bridge located across the creek for construction access. An emergency access path is shown in orange. The facility is designed for research in high energy x -ray microscopy. Mr. Moore explained Wilson Lab and the Synchrotron Tunnel were built in 1965. The tunnel half mile in circumference and is located approximately 50 feet below the surface. Wilson Lab ,is houses two academic departments at Cornell University. One being the Laboratory for Nuclear Studies (LNS) and the other being Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). Combined the two departments make -up about 250 researchers and staff. Wilson G -Line is planned to add 3 full time occupants. LNS is primarily concerned with the Synchrotron Ring and the positrons and electrons that circulate in high speeds around the ring. They are collided together within Wilson Lab to study the effects of the collisions. LNS was the original occupant of Wilson Laboratory from its conception in 1965. CHESS is a collaborative research group that was formed in the late 1970's. This research group was primarily concerned with utilizing the bi- products from the synchrotron ring. These are high energy x -rays emitted from the ring. The x -rays are normally absorbed by the earth covering the ring. CHESS utilizes the x -ray energy and uses it as an imaging source. They have been able to harness the x -ray energy into six existing beam lines. Mr. Moore stated the beams are designated as beams A=F and G -Line is the successor. Mr. Moore stated the six beam lines mentioned are over allocated. Cornell University shares beam time with visiting researchers. CHESS is an international facility and visiting scientists are welcome to come and utilize the facility. G -Line will accommodate three new research stations. G- Line will provide time dedicated for Cornell research. 80% of the G -Line facility will be for Cornell research and approximately 20% for visiting scientists. This will help alleviate some of the current problems they have where Cornell research has to go off campus to use other facilities. The G -Line will incorporate advanced optics. This means they can receive higher beam lines to increase research capability. • PLANNING BOARD 3 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED Mr. Moore explained the reason for the location of the Synchrotron addition is there is existing Oesearch apparatus within the Synchrotron Tunnel that dictates where beam lines can go. The beam lines come off at a tangent to the ring. There were a couple alternative locations. One was further to the east. This would have put the building completely under Campus Road. The other was within Wilson Laboratory. Both of these were deemed less desirable because the optics are less desirable, lower quality, and the cost was at least double. The facility does not have office space. There are three research areas; G1, G2A and G213. There is also an open space for data acquisition and laboratory experiment preparation. Another lab is located to the east with a neighboring bathroom and kitchenette. The area in green represents a heavy weight, iron impregnated concrete that is present for radiation shielding. There is a mechanical room to support the facility. It also shows the link to Wilson Laboratory. Mr. Moore stated there was some references to a future second floor. There are no plans at this time to add a second floor. Since the building is designed to support the high earth loads, it would not preclude the possibility of adding a second floor. This project is not requesting to add a second floor. The building section shows the relative locations of the G -Line facility to the Synchrotron Tunnel. It shows the Kite Hill slope, Campus Road above, and Cascadilla Creek below. This will be a mostly underground facility. The only portion to be exposed would be the south face. There is an extended shut down scheduled this summer for the Synchrotron Tunnel. Construction of the facility needs to happen during the shut -down of the Synchrotron ring. The shut -down period between May and September only occurs once every five to ten years. It is a critical window period. Mr. Moore •stated he appreciates the opportunity to present the project to the Planning Board. The project budget is $4.5 million to $5 million. Approximately half is for building costs. The other half is to outfit the building with instrumentation. The National Science Foundation grant has been tentatively approved to provide the funding for the instrumentation. Don Bilderback, Associate Director of CHESS, stated G -Line will provide three new stations for x -ray experiment, two of which can be run simultaneously. The overall operation will have nine such places on six existing beam lines. They will see a twenty percent increase in their current level of operations. Wilson Laboratory uses hard x -rays similar to medical x -rays except they are a thousand to a million times more intense. Therefore, they are of great scientific interest to examine the structure of a wide variety of materials. As soon as the accelerator machine is turned off then the radiation problems go away. Mr. Bilderback stated they have new optics and a new source plan to go inside of G -Line. This will increase their capability. It will provide more intensity with better optics. They continue to learn how to build better research equipment over time. They have put all their best ideas into G- Line and it will allow the Cornell faculty members and staff members to do experiments they can not currently do. It will give them capabilities for advanced projects. Mr. Bilderback referred to the CHESS (Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source) Brochure. On page two is a radiograph picture and a bird. A study was done to x -ray the legs of the female bird before and after it lays eggs. The outside of the shell has calcium and people have wondered where the calcium comes from. Professor Winkler had a theory it came from nodules in the leg of the female. It is stored until the egg is laid. At that time they are depleted. Live birds were brought to the laboratory, a special setup PLANNING BOARD 4 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED gWas made with the high intensity beams so that they were able to take snap shots. The thickness of Nopfhe nodgels remained the same before and after the female laid an egg. Perhaps the calcium comes from elsewhere in the body or the diet of the bird. "This insight can help us understand how environmental factors, such as acid rain, can play a crucial role in the reproductive failures of some bird populations." (CHESS Brochure, If You Had X -ray Vision, What Would You See? Page 2). Page four shows a picture of Randy Headrick, staff scientist, in his ultra -high vacuum growth chamber. In this experiment he tried to make advanced semi - conductors. He grows thin films on surfaces. This one has Gallium- Nitride growing on sapphire. This material can omit blue light. It will make possible blue light diodes and blue lasers. They have red and green ones, but they need the shortest wave length that you can get in a reliable form. Part of the research is to try and obtain the best possible devices and that is obtained by having smooth surfaces. If these can be made successfully, then they can make lasers that have higher information storage on optical disks. There is also a story about trying to understand why spider silk is as strong as steel. Stronger than steel weight for weight. Mr. Bilderback stated on page six is protein crystallography. People are bringing cold virus or reversed transcriptase, component of the HIV virus, and learning about their three dimensional crystal structure. This is important because if you know where the carbon, hydrogen and oxygens are and the double strands of DNA, then the arrangement and how it works can be figured out. This will hopefully teach them how to defeat these things. Professor Rossmann is coming to Cornell University with anti -viral drugs bound on top of the cold virus and resolving the crystal structure from x -ray photographs. There is also work going on in geology. The swelling of clays is described. • Mr. Bilderback stated the have an outstanding safety program at the Laboratory for Nuclear Y 9 Yp 9 Y Studies and CHESS. They have about 250 people working in the building and a 30 year record of exemplary safety functioning. The reason is they have a very strong set of safe committees that do self policing within their own building. They look at the design, construction, operation of each of the areas. CHESS also has a safety manual. Mr. Bilderback stated they conduct their own in house safety training. They have a safety training video the lab has made and all new employees watch the video along with direction instruction. CHESS is audited by a large number of outside groups. Mr. Bilderback stated they are an experienced team that knows how to run a science facility. Rick Talbot, HARZA, stated the rendering is a front view of the proposed building. They are going to build into the existing embankment. The embankment was man -made when CHESS was built. They are going to dig into the fill, construct the building, and restore the fill to the grade it was at. The southern most elevation of the building will show on the south side of the construction. The G -Line ring is on the inside of the embankment. Early in the project they developed goals. One of their first goals was recognizing the proximity of the Cascadilla Creek and developing a system to safeguard the water quality of the creek. That means sediment and erosion control during the course of the project and after. Mr. Talbot stated they wanted to preserve the natural view. This means protecting and respecting the wetland species at the base of the hill. A good deal of the fill being removed will leave the site. Preserving significant species was important. One of their initial plans called for depositing a good deal of fill on site. It was clear this was in conflict with preserving 0 trees and wetlands. One of the early on measures was to figure out how to get the fill off the site in a PLANNING BOARD 5 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED �afe way. They worked hard to keep the building back and preserve the forest. it will provide a uffer between the building and anyone walking along the Cascadilla Creek, Mr. Talbot stated they were very concerned about safety. There is an emergency trail that will accept the fire apparatus of the town. They are working with the Fire Department to review their plans. A temporary construction bridge across the creek will eliminate heavy truck traffic where it was incompatible with foot traffic. The yellow shown on the drawings is a temporary bridge that will allow fill to be removed from the area. This responds to the safety concerns in front of the building. They asked the contractor involved with the project to council them on how to construct the building. Mr. Talbot stated the Demolition and Site Preparation Drawing shows what the site will look like as it is prepared for construction and during construction. Campus Road is at the top of the hill, Cascadilla Creek is at the bottom of the hill, and Wilson Labs is to the east. The orange is the existing Synchrotron ring and the purple represents the proposed building. The entire rear of the building is underground. They are showing access off Campus Road which will allow construction vehicles to come into a benched platform off the construction road. This allows them to access the site from above. The trees in the area were surveyed and there are many pioneer species. These trees are being removed to build the building and are represented by the "X's ". Currently, the runoff from the site runs through pipes on the uphill portion of the site. This is going to be intercepted into a pipe so that none of the water in the underground pipes will run through the site during construction or after. It will not run after because it has been intercepted with a manifold pipe. They are skirting as much water around the site as they can to reduce erosion and subsurface water. Where will be a temporary mound of material. As the construction occurs, swap space is needed for the fill that is taken from the site. It seemed logical to place this at the base of the embankment and not bring it into the wetland area. The hill was man made and very angular. When they are complete they want to round the bottom of the hill to make it look more natural. The kidney shape is a temporary siltation basin. Their site investigations reveal there is a long mound of water deposited gravel. It creates a convenient catch area that is separate from the creek. Mr. Talbot stated they are going to use the natural mound to catch the water coming off the site into a temporary siltation basin. This is common on many construction projects where you try and catch the sediment before it reaches a body of water. From here, the water that runs into the siltation basin will diffuse slowly into a larger piece of land and will ultimately make its way to the creek after it has dropped its sediment load. After the construction is over they will remove the silt from the basin and restore it to its natural state. The green shows the trees being preserved. The hammer shaped area is the turn around for emergency vehicles. Personnel will access the building through the underground link. There will not be car parking in the area. The door shown is for an emergency exit. Mr. Talbot presented to the board the Talbot stated where the trees were removed wild flowers and low maintenance turf. They grow quickly and naturalize the area. The grasses. Over time trees will spread to this • once a year. The pink area is the building. drawing that shows the site in its completed state. Mr. they will restore the area with an upland mix of native will also augment the area with pioneer species that will area over the building will receive an upland mix of area. The area is designed so that it can be mowed Area five is the area where they are trying to round out PLANNING BOARD 6 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED he slope. The green area will be seeded with a wetland mix of various seeds. Mr. Talbot stated hey will overseed the entire area so that any construction area will be healed with this special mix. The round objects are new trees that they will augment. They are all native wetland species. Further down the hill will be a small wood chip path. Mr. Talbot stated many of the employees at CHESS and the general public find it relaxing to walk the trail. To buffer it from the view of the Cascadilla Creek, they are going to put a border of various native wetland shrubs. Board Member Ainslie asked if there is a possibility in the future of expanding to a second floor. Mr. Talbot stated the packet indicates the building is able to hold a second floor. There is expansion capability on top of the building, but is not foreseen at this time. Board Member Ainslie stated then there would be no reason to landscape the area above the building. Mr. Talbot responded there is not reason to, but they are going to seed it for erosion control purposes. Board Member Hoffmann asked if the contour on the drawing is the contour after construction. Mr. Talbot stated the area of the building is very close to what the existing contours are. They ehave submitted a grading plan that shows the contours before and after. Board Member Hoffmann asked if the contours on drawings C2 and C3 are the contours during and after construction. Mr. Talbot stated the contours on C3 are existing contours. C1 in the packet shows the contours before construction and after construction. The heavy lines represent the proposed contours and the dashed lines are existing contours. When they are finished the most amount of cut that is visible is in front of the building. They have to notch out the hill to allow the doors to open. Board Member Ainslie asked how far above the tunnel will the floor of the addition be. Mr. Talbot stated the floor will be at the tunnel level. Attorney Barney asked what types of things could happen if things are left unattended. Mr. Bilderback replied they have a doubly redundant safety system. They have tried hard to duplicate functions electronically. Mechanically, they try and put up barriers between you and the tunnel. It is not virtually impossible for someone to make a mistake, but you would have a difficult time. It is not impossible to have a safety accident. The safety committees have spent a lot of time trying to put up permanent barriers and figure out the default ways someone will get into trouble. Attorney Barney asked what the risk is to people entering the facility. PLANNING BOARD 7 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED Mr. Bilderback stated there are two types of areas in the building, public areas and controlled Wreas. The controlled areas are the areas in the vicinity of the radiation areas. The radiation areas are the rooms where the beams come in. There is no risk outside of the building. One of the reasons the accelerator was built underground was to provide dirt as a natural safety shield. Several feet of dirt and several feet of concrete are enough to take the radiation levels down to zero. In the building there are radiation monitors that are live all the time. If they were to detect radiation above a certain threshold then they would shut the machine down. All radiation workers wear small film badges that are periodically read by outside companies. In Ithaca, people receive a unit of radiation per year walking around. Their badges often read less than that value. Attorney Barney asked if the radiation is from what is going on inside the tunnel. Mr. Bilderback stated they have a particle accelerator which is an evacuated tube a half mile in circumference. Positrons travel in one direction and electrons in the other direction. In the lab, the purpose is to do high energy physics. The collisions create some of the radiation, but the fact that the beams travel in a circle means they are accelerated and generate the x -rays they use. Mr. Bilderback stated they were audited by the New York State Department of Health in October of 1998. They reviewed all their safety practices and looked at shielding and personnel monitoring. The Department of Health was extremely satisfied with our operation. Board Member Mitrano asked what is the worst case scenario. is Mr. Bilderback stated that if all the beams were to be directed at a shielding wall, our shielding wall is thick enough that the dose someone would receive on the other side is equal to one dental x- ray. Our thirty year safety record speaks for itself. Jonathan Kanter, Director of Planning, asked if radioactive materials were transported to or from the site. Mr. Bilderback stated there are some radioactive sources that are in use at the laboratory as calibration sources. The University has a permit from the New York State Department of Health. These are transported in approved containers with appropriate paperwork and safety guards. There has also been some removal of things from our site. Board Member Thayer asked if there will be any increase in transportation of radioactive materials with the new facility. Mr. Bilderback stated no. Attorney Barney stated there will be three more beams, but they are all under one G. Mr. Bilderback stated when they make a connection to the storage ring they call it a beam line. There is A -F and G. Each of the beams that come off can be split several different ways. On G -Line they are going to split it two ways, but the last two stations work together. In the end they end up with seven different beam lines and twelve experiment stations. PLANNING BOARD 8 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED Board Member Hoffmann stated in the chapter on Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning, ander Ventilation, page 6. It talks about a return plan which will be linked to the AHU to maintain a negative pressure relationship within the Wilson Lab linking corridor. Mr. Bilderback stated AHU is Air Handling Unit. It has to do with the flow of air in the air conditioning. They have air flowing in the tunnel. It flows from the main part of the building, down and out around the tunnel. They need to maintain that air flow. They would like to have some negative air pressure so that the air in G -Line does not go back into the tunnel. If there were to be a fire in G -Line, you would not want it to move to the tunnel. The tunnel is the most difficult structure because it is a quarter mile around before the next safety exit. Smoke in the tunnel is the greatest hazard to anyone in the tunnel. Board Member Kenerson asked if there is a growth pattern foreseen. Mr. Bilderback responded that over time Wilson Lab has been growing in terms of numbers of its collaborators. CHESS has been growing. It started as a four person organization in 1977. Now it is a 36 person organization. Over time they have been steadily growing. One of the reasons they need G -Line is because they are out of space and out of place to do new things. Board Member Kenerson asked adequate space for future growth. Mr. Bilderback stated he does not have the foresight of another thirty years. Another few •years they would like to continue to build up their capabilities and staff size. They are out of space in Wilson Lab. They have discussed adding a fourth and fifth floor onto the main part of Wilson Lab. George Frantz, Assistant Town Planner, stated one of the benefits of an addition to Wilson Lab is the removal of the temporary office space. They just came before the board for a five year extension. Board Member Hoffmann stated this proposal is something the applicant wanted to do instead of adding to Wilson Lab. Mr. Bilderback stated the existing addition would only add office and laboratory space. Unfortunately, there is no way to direct our x -ray beam from two stories down to the upper levels. Board Member Hoffmann asked if they were to add a second floor to the proposed building would it be for office space. Mr. Bilderback responded it would be for office and laboratory space. A year and a half ago they envisioned a two story building, but the cost was too great. Chairperson Wilcox asked if sedimentation and silt control are adequate. Mr. Frantz responded that it is more than adequate. It is addressed in Drawing C2. The basin • itself is there. At one point Cascadilla Creek ran close to the bank. With the construction of Wilson PLANNING BOARD 9 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED ab the creek was relocated. Before the lab was built, the creek was running against the base of the ill. Board Member Thayer asked if the temporary bridge was a pontoon. Mr. Talbot stated it is not a pontoon bridge. It is a 60 foot bridge with support on each end. It has "I" beams. Board Member Thayer asked if anything would cause a backup related to the bridge. Mr. Talbot stated if there is a flood, the bridge will be taken out by the water currents. Board Member Hoffmann asked why the proposed building is such a far distance from Wilson Lab. Mr. Bilderback stated there is equipment in the existing tunnel. It is constrained to go to that particular place. From that point it is a tangent line and the beam comes out. They have to build a building around that line. Board Member Hoffmann asked why the temporary excavation area is a distance away from the building site. 0 Mr. Talbot stated the scale of the drawing is 20 scale. It is not far from the site. What would happen is the material taken out of the hill would be parallel with the slope of the hill. It is a temporary place to put fill taken out of the hill. Chairperson Wilcox asked what an alternative location would be. Mr. Talbot stated an alternative would be the forest. Mr. Bilderback stated another alternative considered was to bring the dirt across the creek into the Oxly Arena area. Then they would have to put up a second siltation basin and silting fences. This is something close, reasonable, and cost effective. Board Member Hoffmann asked how large a proportion of fill will be in the area. Mr. Talbot stated much of the fill will be put on the top of the roof. It will be needed for fill. He estimates 500 -1000 yards will remain to round the bottom of the slope. With any construction project you are going to be pulling some earth out. You will have some spoil that you cannot immediately load onto a truck and get rid of. You need space to put the fill. Board Member Hoffmann stated this is close to the creek and she hopes there are as many safety measures as possible to keep drainage from carrying things into the creek. PLANNING BOARD 10 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED Mr. Talbot stated the siltation Will find its way to.the siltation basin, suggested the material be seeded v film over it to protect it from water. gravel. This does not drain directly then west, and diffuses out. basin is downhill from the spoil area. Any water running off that They reviewed their plans with Dr. Whitlow from Cornell and he rith an annual rye. They also talked about putting polyethylene Downhill from that is a silt fence, siltation basin and mound of into the Cascadilla Creek. It drains first into the siltation basin, Board Member Hoffmann asked if the results of the test borings have been complete and if the results were ready. Mr. Moore stated they are in the process of taking soil borings at the site. However, they do have information on borings in the vicinity. One is right at the site. It gives them information on the type of soil conditions. Mr. Frantz stated staff does not have concerns about subsurface conditions. It is being built on glacial till. It is the type of soil that many builders on the Cornell University Campus have built on. There is no evidence to suspect that it will not support this building. There is a good indication of what the subsurface conditions are. A good indication is Wilson Lab. If the concern is erosion and sedimentation control during construction, the applicant has addressed it quite completely. The temporary retaining wall will help retain the upper sides of the excavation to help retain the upper portion of the embankment. Daniel Walker, Director of Engineering, stated proper cover treatment will keep the soil in Oplace. The slope is stable now and it will not be different when it is finished. If you look at the electron ring, they have a very critical mission to prevent any slippage or soil loss. They need to protect the structures. There will not be any problems with the fill. Plan C2 shows a cutoff trench that will be a diversion that will push the water towards the sedimentation basin. Any silt that comes off the construction site will be trapped. He is confident there will not be any major technical problems they cannot address as they go. It will also be monitored. Mr. Frantz stated it is preferable to use the proposed site for the temporary earth storage than to have it trucked across the creek. The proposed site has a temporary siltation basin between the pile of earth and the natural berm. They have chosen the most optimal location for the fill. Chairperson Wilcox duly closed the SEQR Determination for Wilson Lab /Synchrotron Addition at 9:00 p.m. MOTION by Robert Kenerson, seconded by Lawrence Thayer: WHEREAS: 1. This action is the Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Special Approval for the proposed construction of a one -story +/- 4, 000 s. f. addition to the Wilson Laboratory /Synchrotron facility, PLANNING BOARD 11 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED located off NYS Rte 366 /Dryden Road on Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 63- 1 -8.2, Residence District R -30. Cornell University, Owner /Applicant; Jeremy Moore, Agent, and 2. This is an Unlisted Action for which the Town of Ithaca Planning Board is legislatively determined to act as Lead Agency in environmental review with respect to Site Plan Approval, and 3. The Planning Board, on January 19, 1999, has reviewed and accepted as adequate a Long Environmental Assessment Form Pt. I submitted by the applicant and a Part /l prepared by the Town Planning Department, a site plan submission prepared by Harza Architects, Engineers and Construction Managers entitled "Cornell University Wilson Laboratory G -Line Addition," which includes drawings entitled "Site Map," dated 11127198, "Site Plan," "Demolition & Site Preparation Plan" and "Landscape & Restoration Plan," each dated 11124198, and other application materials, and 4. The Town Planning staff has recommended a negative determination of environmental significance with respect to the proposed site plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby makes a negative determination of environmental in accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act for the above ,significance referenced action as proposed and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. AYES - Wilcox, Hoffmann, Kenerson, NAYS - None. Thayer, Mitrano, Ainslie, Conneman. The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and Recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Special Approval for the proposed construction of a one - story, 14,000 square foot addition to the Wilson Laboratory /Synchrotron facility at Cornell University, located off NYS Route 366 /Dryden Road on the Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 63 =1 -8.2, Residence District R -30. Cornell University, Owner /Applicant; Jeremy Moore, Agent. Chairperson Wilcox duly opened the public hearing at 9:00 p.m. and asked if any members of the public wished to be heard. With no persons present wishing to be heard, Chairperson Wilcox closed the public hearing at 9:01 p.m. Chairperson Wilcox stated when he was at the site, he noticed the distance from the stairway off of the temporary trailers to the side of the gorge. They need a path through the area for emergency vehicle access. He estimates it is only eleven feet from the corner of the stairs to as close as he could get to the gorge. Chairperson Wilcox stated he called a member of the City of PLANNING BOARD 12 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED haca Fire Department and they recommend a minimum of twelve feet. He is concerned about the bility of emergency vehicles to get through the area. Mr. Moore responded they were also concerned. They have been working with Ray Wheaton from the Ithaca Fire Department, Mr. Wheaton has been out to the site twice with Cornell to look at this issue. They have decided to relocate the stairs from that corner over to the end of the trailer. This will create twenty foot clearance to allow fire apparatus through the area. Chairperson Wilcox asked if Mr. Moore had a letter from the Fire Department. Mr. Moore stated he did not have a letter from the Fire Department. He explained they expected a letter, but they are still working with the Fire Department and Andrew Frost. Mr. Kanter asked if the plan showed the steps being relocated. Mr. Moore stated the plan shows the steps in a new location. There is a prior plan showing the steps being removed. Chairperson Wilcox stated the site map shows the steps in their current location. In C1, the existing steps have been shaded light gray and the relocated steps appear darker. He stated he would feel comfortable if approval was contingent upon an appropriate letter from the Fire Department stating that access is sufficient. • Mr. Frantz stated ten feet is more narrow than the Fire Department would prefer. A fire truck is approximately 8.5 feet wide. It will scale close to twenty feet with the removal of the steps. Board Member Hoffmann asked if some of the tunnel will be above grade. Mr. Talbot replied most of the tunnel will be underground. The part of the tunnel that joins the existing Wilson Laboratory will be above grade. The finished floor of Wilson Laboratory and the height of the tunnel requires that some of it be above grade. Mr. Kanter stated he would like details of the lighting submitted prior to issuance of a building permit. Mr. Moore stated the report refers to external lighting of the building. It would be flood lights on the corner of the building. MOTION by Tracy Mitrano, seconded by James Ainslie: WHEREAS: 1. This action is the Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and a • recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Special Approval for the proposed construction of a one -story +A 4, 000 s. f. addition to the Wilson Laboratory/ Synchrotron facility, PLANNING BOARD 13 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED • located off NYS Rte 366 /Dryden Road on Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 63 =1 -8.2, Residence District R -30. Cornell University, Owner /Applicant; Jeremy Moore, Agent, and 2. This is an Unlisted Action for which the Town of Ithaca Planning Board, acting as lead agency in environmental review with respect to Site Plan Approval, has, on January 19, 1999, made a negative determination of environmental significance, and 3. The Planning Board, at a Public Hearing on January 19, 1999, has reviewed and accepted as adequate a Long Environmental Assessment Form Pt. I submitted by the applicant and a Part II prepared by the Town Planning Department, a site plan submission prepared by Harza Architects, Engineers and Construction Managers entitled "Cornell University Wilson Laboratory G -Line Addition," which includes drawings entitled "Site Map," dated 11127198, "Site Plan," "Demolition & Site Preparation Plan" and "Landscape & Restoration Plan', each dated 11124198, and other application materials, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby waives certain requirements for Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval, as shown on the Preliminary and Final Site Plan checklists, having determined from the materials presented that such waiver will result in neither a significant alteration of the purpose of site plan control nor the policies enunciated or implied by the Town Board, and • 2. That the Planning oard hereby rants Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the 9 Y 9 Y pP proposed construction of a one -story +/ 4,000 s. f. addition to the Wilson Laboratory/ Synchrotron facility, located off NYS Rte 366 /Dryden Road on Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No, 63 =1 -8.2, Residence District R -30, as shown in a site plan submission which includes drawings entitled "Site Map," dated 11127198, "Site Plan," "Demolition & Site Preparation Plan" and "Landscape & Restoration Plan, "each dated 1 1124198, and other application materials, subject to the following conditions: a. granting by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the required Special Approval for the proposed project; b, submission of construction details of all proposed structures, roads, and other improvements, including details of the type and design of all proposed lighting, and detailed sizing and final material specifications of all improvements for approval by the Town Planner prior to the issuance of a building permit; co submission of record of application for and approval status of all necessary permits from state and federal agencies, and copies of all permits and approvals granted, prior to the issuance of a building permit; • d, submission of an original or mylar copy of the final site plan to be retained by the Town of Ithaca, signed and sealed by the responsible surveyor, engineer or architect; PLANNING BOARD 14 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED is e. Receipt of a letter from the City of Ithaca Fire Department or other evidence satisfactory to the Town Planner that adequate access exists for emergency vehicles to be able to reach the proposed building; f. Receipt, prior to the issuance of any building permit of. (I) Copy of the contractor's implementation plan for the sedimentation and erosion control plan, and (ii) Copy of the notice to DEC, if required, of the intent to construct sedimentation and erosion control facilities. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED. 1. That the Planning Board, in making recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals, determines the following: a. there is a need for the proposed use in the proposed location, as demonstrated by the applicant, be the existing and probable future character of the neighborhood will not be adversely affected as a result of the proposed project; • ce the specific proposed change in land use as a result of the proposed project is in P p P 9 p p P I accordance with a comprehensive plan of development for the Town of Ithaca. 2. That the Planning Board reports to the Zoning Board of Appeals its recommendation that the aforementioned request for Special Approval be approved. AYES = Wilcox, Hoffmann, Mitrano, Ainslie, Thayer, Conneman, Kenerson. NAYS- None. The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of Lead Agency concurrence pursuant to SEAR for NYS Dormitory Authority funding of Paleontological Research Institution "Museum of the Earth" project, 1259 Trumansburg Road. Mr. Kanter stated the original idea was to respond to the Dormitory Authority's request to be lead agency in regards to the funding of the "Museum of the Earth" project. Instead of concurring with their designation, they have agreed to let the Town of Ithaca Planning Board be lead agency. Mr. Kanter stated it would make more sense to wait until there are site plans ready for actual review so proper determination of environmental significance can be made. There does not need to be a 40 resolution. PLANNING BOARD 15 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED. MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED 4ff ITEM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES = OCTOBER 6, 1998. MOTION by James Ainslie, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt October 6, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical corrections as presented. THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. AYES: Wilcox, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. NAYS: Hoffmann, The MOTION was declared to be carried. AGENDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES = OCTOBER 20, 1998. MOTION by James Ainslie, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt October 20, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical ,corrections as presented. THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. AYES: Wilcox, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. NAYS: Hoffmann. The MOTION was declared to be carried. AGENDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES = NOVEMBER 3, 1998. MOTION by James Ainslie, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt November 3, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical corrections as presented. THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. AYES: Wilcox, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. NAYS: Hoffmann. • The MOTION was declared to be carried. PLANNING BOARD 16 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED 4 ffNDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES - NOVEMBER 17, 1998. MOTION by James Ainslie, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt November 3, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical corrections as presented. THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. AYES: Wilcox, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. NAYS: Hoffmann. The MOTION was declared to be carried. AGENDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES = DECEMBER 1, 1998. MOTION by James Ainslie, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt November 3, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical ,corrections as presented. THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. AYES: Wilcox, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. NAYS: Hoffmann. The MOTION was declared to be carried. AGENDA ITEM: APPROVAL OF MINUTES - SEPTEMBER 1, 19980 MOTION by Fred Wilcox, seconded by Larry Thayer. RESOLVED, that the Planning Board does hereby approve and adopt the September 1, 1998 as the official minutes of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for the said meeting, with clerical corrections as presented and with the following correction: That on page 27, Second Paragraph, Second Sentence, which read: "She hoped it would have been possible to include that area." This was changed to read: "She hoped it would have been possible to include that area at the 0 north end of the property." THERE being no further discussion, the Chair called for a vote. PLANNING BOARD 17 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED �YES: Wilcox, Hoffmann, Conneman, Kenerson, Ainslie, Mitrano, Thayer. AYS: NONE. The MOTION was declared to be carried unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS: Attorney Barney stated the Linderman Creek appeal is scheduled to be argued February 19,1999. The judge in Cornell Lake Source Cooling agreed with our arguments and dismissed the case. The order implementing that decision has to be prepared by the winning side. It has been sent to the judge and he has yet to sign it. When it comes back, the other side will be served a copy. That will begin the thirty day period in which they have to file their notice of appeal. Chairperson Wilcox asked if an appeal is expected. Attorney Barney responded he does not know if they will appeal. Chairperson Wilcox stated there is a request for potential articles for the Town Newsletter. Mr. Frantz stated in 1988 Mr. lacovelli proposed to subdivide current lots 1, 21 3, and 4 plus 3.5 acres downhill of the former railroad grade into 13 lots. It was a controversial proposal because ,the neighborhood was concerned about the fact Mr. lacovelli would be building two - family student occupied homes on the 13 lots. The family owned a number of rental properties on South Hill. The original subdivision was approved by the town. In 1992 Mr. lacovelli came back with a proposal that Mr. lacovelli could transfer the rental development potential of this land to the west to a new six unit apartment building. Mr. lacovelli was allowed to consolidate into four lots and donated to the Town 3.5 acres below the railroad grade which is a future town park site. At that time the agreement was lots 2, 3, and 4 would be owner occupied. Mr. lacovelli would build homes and then sell them. There would be deed restrictions limiting them to owner occupancy. There is a new house on lot 3 that is empty. Mr. lacovelli would like the town to remove the restriction on owner occupancy from lot 3 and lot 1. In exchange, Mr. lacovelli would consolidate lot 2 with lot 1 or lot 4. Mr. Frantz stated Mr. lacovelli is asking that the existing house on lot 1 would never have to be owner occupied. On lot 3, the Planning Board would remove the owner occupancy restriction. Mr. Kanter stated when Larry Frabroni had this preliminary discussion with Mr. Frantz, we told him we would ask the Planning Board for its informal opinion. Chairperson Wilcox stated at our next meeting, the Planning Board can discuss it again. That will give the board enough time to think about it. Mr. Kanter stated he assumed that no members of the Planning Board wished to attend the Association of the Towns Meeting because he has not heard from anyone. If people are still interested, they need to contact the Town Clerk. *AGENDA ITEM: ADJOURNMENT: PLANNING BOARD 18 JANUARY 19, 1999 APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED - MARCH 2, 1999 - APPROVED - APPROVED - APPROVED Upon MOTION, Chairperson Wilcox declared the January 19, 1999, Meeting of Town of f0thaca Planning Board duly adjourned at 9:49 p.m. Prepared by: Carrie L. Coates, Keyboard Specialist/Minutes Recorder Mary Bryant, Administrative Secretary for the Town of Ithaca Planning Board. • •