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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 1999-01-07TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD Town Hall Board Room, January 7, 1999 7:30pm FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair, Jon Meigs, Eva Hoffmann, Richard Fischer, Libby deProsse, Elissa Wolfson, Phil Zarriello, John Yntema, Leo Kriksunov, Staff Susan Ritter Kara Hagedorn opened the meeting at 7:40. Persons to be heard: None Member Concerns: John Yntema expressed dismay at the lighting at the entrance of Longview on Danby Road. Kara Hagedorn agreed that the lighting on the sign was distracting to drivers coming in either direction. Libby deProsse volunteered to speak to the administration of the facility. It was agreed that the creation of a lighting ordinance should be a priority for the Conservation Board. Since Leo Kriksunov cannot easily reach the office of the Town during business hours, and four other newly appointed Conservation Board members need to take the oath, it was suggested that Town Clerk, Joan Noteboom attend the next CB meeting to administer the oath to those members who have not signed it. Coordinator and Chair reports: Sue Ritter distributed copies of the Environmental Review Committee's (ERC) Burger King comments. Sue informed new members, Leo Kriksunov and Elissa Wolfson, that they would be receiving meeting agendas of the Town Planning Board. Sue also distributed the Town's meeting calendar which shows the meeting dates for the various Boards. It was pointed out to the new members, that the second meeting date listed on the calendar, for the Conservation Board, was on an "as -needed" basis only. Kara Hagedorn reported receiving a check for $147.00 from the Town (from the Conservation Board account), as requested by us, for her attendance at the Keeping Track workshop in Vermont. Eighteen area residents will attend. Training completed, this group will document wildlife patterns in the County and thus contribute to our knowledge of their habitats and movements. Kara Hagedorn, our liaison to the County Environmental Management Council (EMC), will give a report on Jan 26 to the EMC's Environmental Review Committee, pertaining to the history of the proposed Town community park on the Monkmeyer property, adjacent to South Hill Swamp (SHS), and as it relates to the SHS Unique Natural Area. Peter Fortunado, a neighbor to the South Hill Recreation Way, called Kara Hagedorn with his concerns about the activity of the Town Park's crew in the Iacovelli park site, ie. dumping fill and cutting down trees. She questioned whether the Crew were sensitive to the environmental factors. It was decided that the citizen be directed to call the Supervisor directly with his concerns. It was suggested that Fred Noteboom be invited to an upcoming CB meeting to discuss the regulations and procedures of the Town's crew related to this and other issues pertaining to Parks and Highway. Approval of minutes: Minutes of the November meeting were moved by Jon Meigs, seconded by Dick Fischer, and approved by all except an abstention by John Yntema. Minutes for December were corrected as follows: Item 2, Change the sentence to read `to provide environmental review for the Town Boards and Committees". Jon Meigs moved the minutes as corrected, Dick Fischer seconded the motion, and all approved. Goals for the Year: Additional goals for the CB: 1. Development of a lighting ordinance. 2. Continuation of Coy Glen study and development of boundaries. What are the historical facts regarding Coy Glen and this Board, in the recent and not so recent past? Sue Ritter will research this topic. 3. Education via the Newsletter and Earth Day booth 4. Development of conservation districts. Outdoor Lighting, ordinance: Problems still exist at Big Al's Hill Top business. The lights on the canopy are not recessed as approved in the original site plan. After Kara Hagedorn talked to Jonathan Kanter and Andy Frost, it appeared that there was a difference of opinion on the interpretation of Article 9 Section 46b of the zoning ordinance. Jonathan and Andy will work with the owner on this. This situation reinforces the need for an ordinance regarding lights. Kara Hagedorn will send a memo to Jonathan Kanter, copied to Cathy Valentino, Supervisor, that requests that George Frantz be allotted some time to initiate a working draft of a lighting ordinance The CB would then work with George on tailoring it to meet the needs of the Town. The ordinance would need to address the following factors: 1.Prevent upward spillage 2. Prevent spillage off the property 3. Control glare. Sue Ritter has found that a new State laws concerning lighting at ATM machines (such as those at M&T) supersedes any local regulations. Libby deProsse will contact Marty Luster about this danger to motorists from the Banks lights. South all Swamp Report: Dick Fischer took some beautiful color photos of the area to use in the report. Still to do: 1. Eva will ask Candace Cornell about any reports she might have. 2. Kara will look into geology. If we can have this ready for the February meeting, it will be good. The Codes and Ordinance Committee will likely not be ready until March to take up the SHS issue. No other Business: Adjournment at 9:10 Libby deProsse- Secretary pro -tem 2 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Town Hall Board Room, Feb. 4, 1999 7:30 pm Final Minutes Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair; Elizabeth deProsse, Richard Fischer, Leo Kriksunov, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema, Phil Zarriello Absent: Eva Hoffmann, Geri Tierney Staff: Susan Ritter Kara opened the meeting at 7:40 pm. Persons to be Heard: Chris Faraday, owner with his wife Camila Faraday of Tax Parcel 50.-1-4.6 on South Hill, spoke to the Board concerning the proposed conservation district in that area. He explained that they plan to farm on their property, and he is anxious that their land not be cut into two zoning areas. He suggests that a conservation district boundary line might better follow property boundaries than cut across them. Another concern he has is the accuracy of some of the botanical designations from the SHS study. For example, one place on his property which is designated as old growth forest is not, but consists solely of five to ten mature white oak trees, several of which are dying due (he says) to runoff across the fields from the Deer Run development. Pressure from future development is another concern he expressed. Jon Meigs replied that the CB is thinking of an "overlay zone" which does not limit what is currently permitted on the property. Faraday remained for most of the meeting and took part in later discussions concerning the South Hill Swamp area. Member Concerns: John Yntema reported that the glare problems from the lighting at Longview have been ameliorated, and acknowledged the part which Lib deProsse played in this improvement. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue distributed up-to-date address sheets for all the members as well as charts which show the "chain of command" of the various boards and personnel which are part of Town government. All should be alert to corrections in the address sheets. She also reported that the Environmental Review Committee has been given the proposed Summerhill Apartment development plan for review. Wetlands are one issue that the committee may want to look into. The ERC will meet in two weeks to discuss this project. Kara reported on her three-day trip to Vermont in January for the "Keeping Track" training course. Difficult terrain for snowshoeing, cold weather, many types of animals to study - she obviously loved the whole affair. The next meeting is scheduled for Tompkins County in March, and she is anxious to select areas for study which will show the greatest variety of wildlife. Kara is preparing reports on this program for both the Town newsletter and the EMC newsletter. 1 She then reported on the deliberations of the cell/communication tower committee of the EMC, and the information which they have received recently through testimony of the Motorola representatives. This concerns a new, multi -tower communications system which is being projected as a cure-all for the shortcomings of the present County hookups. The new plan would abandon five of the seven existing towers and construct much larger towers in their place. Apparently Motorola is the only firm presently capable of building and maintaining such a network, so the notion of competitive bidding is not very useful. The EMC Committee is concerned that there is no independent consultant to evaluate this plan. Kara also distributed a draft summary of her 1/25 meeting with Jonathan Kanter regarding the Evan Monkmeyer development/public parkland negotiations. She notes that the EMC, because of their interest in the UNA designation of land in this area, would be interested in seeing an environmental assessment of any development of the site. The feeling seems to be that it may not be an appropriate site for organized sports, for the installation and use of lights, that it may end up as simply a park for the Monkmeyer development, etc. Kara will continue to express our concerns as further development plans are announced. The Waterfront Revitalization Board has been meeting with focus groups which are concerned with various aspects of this effort. Kara reported briefly on some of the dialogue which has taken place in the meeting she attended. The CB also received copies of a communication from Dan Hoffman of the Natural Areas Commission. This concerns the Sincebaugh property in the Six Mile Creek area, and the efforts to protect this parcel from development. At this point, since the property is now up for sale, he is urging a municipal purchase involving both the City and the Town. Approval of Minutes: The minutes from our 1/7 meeting were accepted as amended. Vice -Chair Election: Following a brief discussion of the need for a Vice -Chair, and the responsibilities of the position, the CB unanimously elected Lib deProsse for 1999. Committee Appointments: It was agreed that the Environmental Review Committee is the most important one for the CB, and that this group needs to be strengthened if possible. Both Leo Kriksunov and Elissa Wolfson were urged to consider this as a committee assignment for 1999 - decision at our next meeting. _ South Hill Swamp Report: CB members complimented Sue Ritter on the current state of this report, which is not completed but which reflects a very considerable effort and is taking shape as a more focused piece of work. Boundary issues still remain to be settled, and the second meeting of the month will be used for the ERC to make what everyone hopes will be a finalizing effort. Some of the suggestions concerned items like consistent legends on the maps, an updating of the older maps, etc. Also it may be necessary to consult with Ostman and Wesley again concerning what are clearly seen as errors in botanical designations, the need for uniformity in 2 definitions, etc. Also, another trip to the site was discussed, but without any clear decision. Sue will attempt to make the suggested changes and produce copies of the revised report for mailing to CB members by 2/12. The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 - Barney Unsworth Ih Conservation Board members should anticipate a meeting on the 18 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Town of Ithaca Board Room, March 18, 1999 7:30 pm Final Minutes (This meeting replaced the regularly scheduled meeting of March 4th that was canceled due to bad weather) Present: Kara Hagedorn,Chair; Elizabeth deProsse, Eva Hoffmann, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, John Yntema, Phil Zarriello Absent: Richard Fischer, Leo Kriksunov, Geri Tierney, Elissa Wolfson Staff: Susan Ritter The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Kara reported on the present status of negotiations between the State Parks staff and Wally Wiggins, regarding the property located adjacent to upper Buttermilk Falls State Park. Sue Poelvoorde, from State Parks, is working with Albany to begin the first phase of land acquisition, which is to have the land appraised. Funds to buy the land may be sought from the 2001 budget. Concerning the Sincebaugh property on Six Mile, the City of Ithaca is willing to put up a portion of the funding for its purchase, additional funding sources will need to be secured for the entire cost. At this point, the Town does not seem disposed to contributing. Dan Hoffman (Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee) is urging the Town to move forward on implementing the re -zoning of this property to Conservation District. The CB (deProsse, Yntema) approved the idea of preparing a Resolution urging that the Town Board approve a change in the pertinent zoning. This would change it from R-30 to Conservation District, requiring a public comment session, which might bring additional pressure to bear. Kara will prepare the resolution for the CB and pass it along. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue Ritter has invited Fred Noteboom to the April 1" CB meeting for a discussion of the concerns CB members have been raising pertaining to Highway/Parks Dept. operations, including salt usage on roads, herbicide/pesticide use along roadways, and issues with Iacovelli Park (tree cutting, filling). Other discussion items for Fred that were suggested included a report on the newly organized consortium of agencies concerned with snow emergencies - what has the experience been so far in terms of improved communication and performance? Also some information on the current status of salt use, and success in finding alternate formulations which meet the need for highway safety without the concomitant negative aspects of road salt.. Herbicide/pesticide use along roadways, amounts used and types of chemicals used. Fred has asked for CB member input about the road/embankment across the street from the Schwan property at 231 Coy Glen Road. This is in the Coy Glen/Hackberry Woods UNA, where a significant portion of the road shoulder is subsiding. How to deal with this? Sue handed out a map of the vicinity and asked members to drive by the area prior to the next CB meeting. The ERC comments, prepared by Jon Meigs, proved to be helpful in Planning Dept. negotiating with Jekabs Pulsts (Chef Yeppi) regarding the fill project at his restaurant on Route 13 south. This will be a long process, and steps will be taken to screen the area from Route 13. A lot more information will be provided when detailed plans are submitted. A final report from the Northeast Transportation Study Working Group will be available in early May. The report with its recommendations will then be forwarded to the Client Committee for implementation consideration. The Waldorf School wants to provide 25 parking spots on their property, which is sharply constricted by the highway junction of Five Mile Drive and Route 13. But to create these spaces will mean filling in some of the DEC regulated wetland area there. A buffer zone between the parking area and the wetland is proposed, but the larger the buffer zone the more the wetland will be impacted. More on this soon, when the plans are submitted. The CB approved the use of funds, possibly $20.00, from the CB budget line in order to make sharp copies of the South Hill Swamp report. Kara reported that Susan Morse, the "Keeping Track" founder and instructor, will be on the local scene 3/26 to 3/28 for the Tompkins County Keeping Track Group's second training session. Kara is also going out to Ohio on 3/28 — 3/30 for the Farmland Trust Conference, a conference dealing with agricultural easements as a device for farmland protection, this in company with George Frantz from the Town Planning Dept. staff. She also reports that the County EMC has reviewed the emergency communications tower issue. The tower subcommittee of the EMC has expressed serious reservations about the Motorola proposal, and have urged the County to hire a private consultant to review their proposal. Business: The CB minutes of 2/4/99 were approved as amended. Earth Day: To date there has been very little planning or publicity in evidence regarding this year's event. Whether to have a CB table on the Commons on April 24, and what to exhibit, remain open questions. South Hill Swamp Report: The balance of the meeting was devoted to yet another tweaking of this document, with a page -by -page review of what Sue Ritter has prepared to this point. It is already a very presentable study, and one which reflects favorably on the CB. Thanks go to Sue, and her endurance during this endless review. The Board approved some modifications to the Conservation Zone boundary for SHS. Specifically, an area in the southeast corner, on the Faraday and Hornbrook property, and an area along the western border incorporating the Town park. Board members also selected two photographs for inclusion into the report. The pictures were taken by Richard Fischer, one was a recent scenic picture, and the other a picture taken in June 1960 of Cornell Professor Robert Clausen in the SHS. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15. Barney Unsworth 2 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Town of Ithaca Board Room 01 April, 1999 7:30 PM Final Minutes Present: Elizabeth deProsse (Vice -Chair), Eva Hoffmann, Leo Kriksunov, Jon Meigs, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema Absent: Kara Hagedorn, Richard Fischer, Geri Tierney, Barney Unsworth, Phil Zarriello Staff: Sue Ritter, Fred Noteboom, George Frantz (arrived later, to discuss Iacovelli Park) The meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM. Persons to be Heard: None. Member Concerns: All present noted with great sadness that Barney Unsworth would not be present to take notes for his always -stellar meeting minutes. John Yntema volunteered to take notes for drab minutes, this time only. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue Ritter mentioned that Conservation Board (CB) comments, on Cornell's North and Town Campus Residential Initiative Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), could be submitted by 27 April. These are comments related to the completeness of the EIS, to insure that the EIS is considering each of the issues that the scoping document said it would. After that, the EIS would be made available to the general public for review, and the CB would then have an opportunity to comment on the substance of the EIS. She also mentioned that Cornell wants to move the proposed Wilson G -Line Station addition approximately 25 feet closer to the Wilson Lab itself, one of the recommendations the CB had previously made to the Town Planning Board. Due to Kara Hagedom's absence, there was no Chair report. Business: There were several corrections suggested for the minutes of the 18 March meeting. Approval of those minutes was postponed until some additional corrections, requested by Kara (and inadvertently misplaced) could be made. A preliminary, revised version, will be made available for review at the next CB meeting on 06 May, for finalizing then. Resolution concerning Sincebaugh Property: Some minor corrections and suggestions were incorporated in the resolution, which was then moved by Jon Meigs, seconded by John Yntema, and passed unanimously by the CB members present. The resolution will then be forwarded to the Town Board for their April 12`" meeting. Discussion with Fred Noteboom, Town Highway Superintendent: Fred gave a brief presentation of his duties and responsibilities, noting that he is in charge of water, sewers, and public works, as well as highways. He discussed many topics in response to CB member questions and concerns: Town locations and the extent of "RoundUp" herbicide spraying; the Town is using as little as possible. Posts being installed near all manholes will be fitted with Bluebird nest boxes. Winter Weather Alliance (WWA) (composed of towns, villages, businesses, schools, etc.), and keeping winter roads clear, covered many points: A survey had been circulated among WWA members, to determine how effective the Alliance had been. Evaluation was difficult because of the mild winter. Fred would have called the Sheriff for any road closings if he had felt it was needed, but did not do so all winter. The one road closing was called directly by the Sheriff. The Alliance is trying to establish definitions concerning when closing roads would cause the least problems, which is related not only to the weather, but also to the times people are released from work and schools, to prevent unnecessary traffic problems. Salt, sand, and other materials are used to keep roads clear. Formerly, roads were only salted, but with more information being available, this may change. "Ice -Ban", when mixed with "Magic ", decreases salt use about 20%, improves salt's de-icing action, and sticks to the road better. Fred wants to try a pre -icing program. When trucks are replaced, the new ones will be able to measure the salt they dispense. He expects to use Cornell's 5 -year weather data to help determine how much salt, etc., will be needed and used. Sand is seldom used by the Town, because it is not very effective, needs to be cleaned up in the spring, and much of it washes into the lake and creeks, which in turn tends to smother plants in the wetlands where the sand ends up. Eva Hoffmann mentioned that sand gets underneath car bodies, and tends to hold salt, making vehicle corrosion a worse problem. Jon Meigs noted that there is probably more dust volume from shale disintegration than from the sand usage. In response to Libby deProsse's question about the white deposit on her garage floor and on her rugs, Fred mentioned that it probably came from the use of Calcium Chloride as a de-icer. He suggested washing the garage floor with water to get rid of the white deposits. Libby also mentioned that Cornell uses a lot of "straight" salt for de-icing. Fred mentioned that 1293 tons of salt were used this past winter. Sue brought up Kara's concern about trees having been cut down along Town park trails, and that these dead trees could serve important needs for area birds. Fred responded that trees had been cut at the proposed Iacovelli park, to make clearings in connection with park development. And that trees are only cut along the trail that could pose a safety hazard. Leo Kriksunov asked about the Coy Glen Road subsidence, which Fred had previously asked the CB to look at and make appropriate recommendations. Fred said the Town was not sure what to do to repair the shoulder sliding down and the subsequent road cracking. Use of gabions was mentioned as a possibility. Fred also mentioned: The newest Town gully is on East Hill near/by Snyder Hill Road, caused by stormwater runoff from development in the area. The Town is recycling asphalt, but is getting to the point of needing places to dump it. Iacovelli Park discussion: Fred Noteboom noted that the Town had used a portion of the park as a fill site — an area where a basketball court is proposed. It had been expected that the filling would have been completed this year, but that plan may depend on the upcoming 07 April public meeting regarding plans for Iocavelli Park. George Frantz gave a brief description of Iacovelli park, indicating on maps the locations of slopes; the proposed basketball court and how it would be mostly hidden by an embankment and trees. He also discussed: The Town Board grants the final approval on the development details of the park, not the Planning Board. Residents of Pennsylvania and Kendall Avenues are predominantly college students. The play structure will be similar to ones at Tudor and Northview Parks, and will not be made of plastic.. The park will be 70% brush, young trees, and the pine/conifer forest to the north. The pine and conifers need thinning. Kara had suggested (previously) to George that a forester be hired to recommend a plan for thinning and maintenance. Paths and open areas in the forest part of the Norway spruce/red pine "plantation". Benches in the pavilion. Adjournment was at 9:45 P.M. Prepared by John Yntema Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 7:30 pm, Thursday, May 6 Town Hall Board Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn (Chair), Elizabeth deProsse (Vice -Chair) Richard Fischer, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema Absent: Eva Hoffman, Leo Kriksunov, Jon Meigs, Geri Tierney, Phil Zarriello Staff: Sue Ritter The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: The group discussed the activities of Earth Day. Various programs were held with bus transportation provided, such as bird walks, a nature walk at the Larch Meadows, etc. The general feeling was that this format was quite satisfactory, although certainly different from the by -now -traditional booths and displays on the Commons. Coordinator Report: The Codes and Ordinances Committee (COC) meeting on April 28`h resulted in acceptance of the South Hill Swamp report and a recommendation to forward the CB's proposal on to the Town Board. This proposal for a Conservation Zone, along with Conservation Zone proposals for the Sincebaugh property, and the Buttermilk Falls State Park buffer, will be grouped together in one proposal package (per request of the Town Board). The COC has asked for a recommendation from the CB regarding Buttermilk State Park buffer. The Town Board meeting of May 17`h will consider the next steps for these proposals. Dick Fischer suggested that the city would like to acquire the Sincebaugh property, and possibly has the necessary funds. One result of the Burger King hearings has been a temporary moratorium on all plans for more drive-through enterprises in the Town. This will not, however, effect the Burger King proposal. Chair Report: Kara reported first on the KeepingTrack rack training session which was held here recently in Shindagin Hollow. The question of where to set up transects in the county in order to monitor wildlife activity - and collect data for planning purposes - was discussed. They suggest outreach to hunting groups as a means of studying, jointly, the current wildlife corridors. She also reported on the Farmland Protection Conference in Ohio which she recently attended. The attendees seemed to feel that the zoning decisions and PDR program which went into the Town Open Space Plan represent a major step forward, and a unique effort by a town, as most Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs are proposed on a county or state level.. Presently the Town's focus is on the agricultural lands PDR program, but the CB has been asked to start recommending conservation lands. The CB will be asked to study the town's agricultural property and to recommend the areas most worthy of protection. Some Town seed money should be available for this purpose. The Tompkins County EMC Communication's Tower Committee (Kara belongs) has advocated the hiring of a consultant to develop an alternative to the Motorola Ten - tower proposal for the emergency service here in the county. The hope is to be able to co - locate the towers, to minimize height and number of towers, etc. This consultancy is out for bids now. Then finally (and unfortunately), Kara and her husband will be making a career move in late summer which will take them to San Luis Obispo in Calif. So we have only a few months more of Kara's energy and leadership. (Our transient community greets many new environmentally -oriented people and loses many good ones as well.) Business: The minutes of 3/18/99 and 4/8/99 were discussed and accepted as amended. The Buttermilk State Park buffer: Discussion continued regarding the establishment of a Conservation Zone adjacent to the Buttermilk Falls State Park eastern boundary, between W. King Rd. on the north and Comfort Rd. to the south. This includes the area that Wally Wiggins is proposing for development. The proposed buffer will also affect several other properties including land owned by Auble, Leonardo, Chase and Johnson. Wally Wiggins is committed to transferring ownership of land, including a small gorge, to State Parks and a small parcel to the Town for parkland as a quid pro quo for approval of his site plan for the first 14 lots on a portion of his property. This transfer has, however, not yet occurred. Finger Lakes Parks intends to buy this land, but acquisition funds are tied up in the budget impasse in Albany. And what else is new? The group reviewed a proposed conservation zone for a Buttermilk Falls S.P. buffer, which was prepared by Kara and Sue. The CB approved this proposal, which will be incorporated into a one-page memo with attached map for distribution to the COC. CB members feel strongly that the character of this area of Buttermilk will be degraded substantially without the protection which a buffer could afford. Com No time left, so this must wait until our June meeting. Adjourned: at 9:20 pm- - 2 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 7:30 pm Thursday, June 3,1999 Town Hall Board Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair; Lib deProsse, Vice -Chair; Richard Fischer, Eva Hoffmann, Leo Kriksunov, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, John Yntema Absent: Geri Tierney, Elissa Wolfson, Phil Zarriello Staff: Sue Ritter The meeting was called to order by Chair Hagedorn at 7:30 pm Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Libby circulated information concerning the NYSACC Board of Directors Meeting, which will be held in Stone Ridge, N.Y. 6/12 to 6/15. Apparently the CB will not be able to be represented this year Dick Fischer asked about Kara's schedule for the months remaining - apparently her last meeting with the CB will be in August (this has been changed to October). She commented on the fact that a new chair will soon be needed and on the fact that there will be an open seat on the Board. Questions concerning our liaison link with the County Environmental Management Council - must this responsibility be assigned to the CB chair? Sue will check. More discussion concerning the present status of the EMC and apparent plans for restructuring the membership of the group. Kara spoke enthusiastically of her experience with this group and the quality of the people who are members. Planning Dept. staff is working on a draft lighting ordinance which will probably come to the CB for comments when it is completed. When finally in place, such an ordinance should eliminate the kind of Big Al experience which the Town is undergoing. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue announced that the Town Codes and Ordinances Committee (COC) is sponsoring a public information meeting on 6/30 to invite comment on the areas proposed for Conservation Zoning in the South Hill area of Town, including: 1) South Hill Swamp area, 2) the Sincebaugh Property and 3) Buttermilk Falls State Park and land adjacent to the Park's eastern boundary, between W. King Rd. and Comfort Road. The Town submitted its concerns to the City regarding Cornell University's North Campus Residential Project. In the comments, the Town asked for more consideration on the impact of the additional traffic generated by the plan on areas like Forest Home, which are already suffering from a serious traffic overload. The plans for removing the Moore house are also a red flag. A public meeting is being scheduled for the proposed Iacovelli Park project. This project has generated some neighborhood concerns, particularly about the noise from large groups of children, the location and size of the proposed basketball court, etc. Some aspects of the original plan is being revised to address these concerns. The Planning Board has reacted negatively to Waldorf School's proposed parking and driveway that calls for filling in the Fleming Meadows wetland. The Board has asked that this plan be redrawn so as to minimize impacts to the wetland. The Burger King application passed the Planning Board on a vote of 3 to 2 has moved on to Preliminary Site Plan Approval. The Assembly of God Church proposal for construction of a new church site on former farm fields off Bostwick has been approved. Although no formal announcement has been made, it now appears that the Scott Hamilton properties across from East Hill Plaza will be re -developed, and a big box retailer may move in.- perhaps Rite Aid. Some of the small retail operations there have been notified that their leases will not be renewed. The Town Board has proposed a moratorium on large scale development projects for the next few months. Kara discussed her presentation before the COC concerning the Buttermilk Falls S.P. buffer proposal. After some discussion and members questions the COC accepted the CB Conservation Zone boundary proposal. She urges CB members to do what they can to generate support for the suggested boundary. Approval of Minutes: the minutes for the May 6 meeting were accepted as submitted. Conservation Zone Recommendations: Discussion turned to the presentation planned for 6/30 regarding the three proposed conservation zones, and also to whether the Board wanted to modify the current language in the Six Mile Creek Conservation District to address specific concerns related to South Hill Swamp and Buttermilk Falls S.P.. The current plan is to have one generically written conservation zone in the ordinance that will cover all the conservation zones in the Town. The Board was asked to consider recommending modifications to the existing language or consider adding requirements that would address specific concerns for the individual conservation zone. The South Hill Swamp, for example, is being recommended not. to protect a watershed, like Six Mile Creek, but to protect its unique vegetation and wildlife. Therefore, a specific requirement addressing concerns for protecting rare plants could be proposed for the conservation zoning language. In the case of South Hill Swamp, the Board might want to consider recommending the purchase of development rights in the most sensitive areas, since a conservation district approach might not really protect the area as we would wish. This would be especially important if Ithaca College is not amenable to restricting use of the South Hill Swamp area. Two other ideas were discussed - a "no disturbance zone" of 250 ft. away from Buttermilk Falls S.P. and negotiating more weight for the Conservation Board recommendations to the Planning Board for development proposals in the Conservation Zone. Sue will pass these concerns along to Jonathan Kanter, and see if they can be presented to Codes and Ordinances. Coy Glen: A subcommittee will work on outlining a Coy Glen Conservation Zone, probably with a visit to the site. Jon Meigs, John Yntema, Geri Tierney and Barney Unsworth suggested as members. The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 pm 2 Meeting Minutes prepared by Barney Unsworth Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 7:30pm, Thursday, 1 July,1999 Town Hall Board Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair; Lib deProsse, Vice -Chair; Richard Fischer, Eva Hoffmann, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema Absent: Leo Kriksunov, Geri Tierney, Phil Zarriello Staff: Sue Ritter, Mike Smith Chair Hagedorn called the meeting to order at 7:35pm Mike Smith, a new member of the Town Planning Department was introduced. Some of his recent work was reviewed later in the meeting. Person to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Considerable discussion was devoted to the Wednesday -night (6/30) Public Information Meeting devoted to the "proposed conservation zones for the South Hill area" and presented to a well-filled Board Meeting Room, principally by Kara. Many CB members had been present, and expressed gratification at the obvious interest reflected in the turnout and the questions asked. The opposition registered by some who would be affected by adoption of the conservation zones was also noted. The Town Board is scheduled to consider these proposals at their meeting on 7/12, and then pending their approval it will be passed along to the Planning Board for their reactions. Kara urged that CB members to follow these proposals as closely as possible and attend the necessary meetings to do so. She will be here to help until October. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue told the group of the need to contribute to the next Town newsletter, copy for which will be due in September. Dick Fischer reported on the Bluebird nesting box project - along the sewer lines, no less, which seems to be producing some success stories. Lib deProsse asked about the need for more playing fields in Cornell's North Campus project, since so many of their fields appear to be virtually unused much of the year. Progressport - A Town Lighting Ordinance: Mike Smith reported on the work he has done so far in researching outdoor lighting and beginning the creation of such an ordinance for the Town of Ithaca. Many questions were asked, as CB members became more familiar with the topic - an issue which we have touched upon several times in the past year but have never come to grips with except in a cursory fashion. "Light Trespass" was the new buzz word for the evening - just ask any CB member. The ordinance would generally address lighting glare, lighting height, and controls to insure that light does not "trespass" off of the property. Drawing on ordinances of other municipalities, Mike will have some work for our review at the next CB meeting. Minutes: The minutes of our 6/3/99 meeting were approved as amended. Coy Glen: The group turned to a consideration of "A Rationale for Coy Glen Conservation Zoning", prepared by Jon Meigs. This was discussed in conjunction with the memo of 7 June from Kara Hagedorn (also prepared by Jon) to Cathy Valentino concerning the whole topic of conservation district zoning. Considerable discussion, both about Coy Glen and about revisions to the Conservation Zone Ordinance language followed. Since not everyone had a copy of the June 7th document, it was decided to hold off further discussion until the August meeting. Jon Meigs reported on the work of the Coy Glen Subcommittee. This group has proposed a boundary configuration for Coy Glen, and lands contiguous to Coy Glen, both north and south of the glen, that have been identified in the Town's Open Space Plan as needing protection. Sue will work on maps which would be useful for a conservation district proposal, Eva will contact Candace Cornell to see about obtaining information from the Coy Glen Biological Corridor Plan that the CB drafted in 1994, Elissa will investigate information from Cornell Plantations. The rationale that Jon Meigs prepared provides a starting place for a proposal. Given that Jon's document only pertains to the specific Coy Glen area, additional work will be needed to describe and compile information on the other areas contiguous to Coy Glen. PLEASE NOTIFY SUE if you can't make the August 5th meeting - to insure a representative group can be assembled. Kara, who is now entering her "Things you must all do after I leave" mode, urged us to set a target of having material prepared which can go into the Codes and Ordinances packet for the fall. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 7:30pm, Thursday, 5 August, 1999 Town Hall Board Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Lib deProsse, Vice -chair, Richard Fischer, Leo Kriksunov, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, Phil Zarriello Absent: Kara Hagedorn, Eva Hoffmann, Geri Tierney, John Yntema, Staff: Sue Ritter Vice -chair deProsse called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Jon Meigs reported to the group concerning the Environmental Review Committee discussion of Cornell's North Campus Residential Initiative. After a review of the material, our concerns are as outlined below: 1 - What about changes in zoning - to what extent is this necessary and useful? 2 - The relocation of the Moore House - Jon Meigs is strongly opposed to this, and is preparing a memo for CB members on the topic. 3 - Are not the North Campus Residential Initiative and the projected North Campus entrance dual concerns? (Considering them separately could be "segmentation", which is not permitted in the GEIS process. The Town Planning Board will take a preliminary cut at this proposal on 8/17. (The Ithaca Journal of 8/6 reports that the City Planning and Development Board met to consider the Initiative -also on 8/5 - and accepted the document with "minor changes", which include "rewording some statements, providing additional supporting documentation and data for some topics and making sure that the Town of Ithaca...... feels that the document is complete...... In response to concerns, Cornell has proposed working with municipalities to create a more formal entrance to North Campus, as well as open up an on -campus road to two-way traffic that was previously deigned as a service road - a move that they believe will decrease traffic in the surrounding areas. And last week, Cornell and Historic Ithaca announced plans to move the house to one of two sites near the original location at 128 Pleasant grove Road, though Historic Ithaca has indicated that this compromise is not what the historic preservation agency would prefer.) Also under Member Concerns, Barney Unsworth distributed copies of the latest Cayuga Lake Watershed Network newsletter and discussed plans for a Conservation Board display table at the CLWN Lake/Fest on August 14th. Sue Ritter is planning to prepare some materials - maps and literature - which will document the CB work on conservation districts in the past year. Members who can are urged to attend. Coordinator Report: Sue also reminded members that the deadline for articles to go in the next issue of the Town newsletter is September 7. Our South Hill proposals may get some attentions, as well as the new zoning map now in preparation. She then reported that some thirteen acres along Stone Quarry Road are going to the Codes and Ordinances Committee for proposed Conservation District rezoning. This will add to 2 the buffer which is being created along east side of Buttermilk Falls State Park and protect some land with a steep gradient from development. Also, State parks has written to the Town requesting a rezoning action to add to the protection of Upper Buttermilk Park. The request is to rezone the MR zone at the corner of W. King Rd. and Danby to R-30 Residence. Parks indicates that they do not have the personnel to afford adequate protection for park lands without zoning to a lower residential density. The President of Ithaca College has written to the Town Zoning Board regarding the proposal for the South Hill Swamp Conservation District. Her statement is essentially a repeat of the statement made by the I.C. Vice President for Business Affairs at the 6/30 Public Information Meeting. I.C., she states, is embarking on a long-range study of their property needs for the decades ahead, and the Conservation District idea muddies the water. Ongoing discussions are recommended, and a meeting between Town officials with IC will probably take place in the coming weeks. Minutes: The minutes of our July ls` meeting were approved as amended Coy Glen: Our work on this issue will be postponed until Jon Meig's computer is again in the mood to function. NYSACC Annual Meeting: The Conservation Commission meeting will be held in Rochester, 9/24-9/26. Sue needs commitments from CB members before she can confirm. At present it appears that three members would like to attend. After some discussion it was decided that the South Hill Story should be our entry for this year in the NYSACC Project Awards contest. Sue is struggling with a 250 -word project description for the application, Jon Meigs has recommended some modifications which were presented to the group. With group approval, it was decided that Elissa will work this over and send it to Sue for our entry. Also regarding South Hill, Sue reported on a recent meeting she had with Evan Monkemeyer and his current architect vis-a-vis their plans for development of the South Hill Monkemeyer property. Conservation Zoning Ordinance Language: Discussion centered around what changes need to be made in this document, such as set -backs along Buttermilk State Park, greater protection for plant species, etc. Jon Meigs will work on this document further and redefine it for the next CB meeting. Proposed Lighting Ordinance: The CB reaction to the document prepared by Mike Smith was quite favorable. The Board recommends that the document move on to Codes and Ordinances for their consideration, accompanied with the cover memo from the CB - Sue will prepare this. Plantations Policy: Elissa read a statement she has received concerning Plantations land use policy - that is, what the Plantations administrators do with properties which are given to the university. Sometimes there are strings attached which limit land use, sometimes the passage of time dictates a use other than originally specified, sometimes the responsibility which Cornell assumes in accepting the gift can be a burden, etc. This is valuable background information for CB members, who so often find themselves in situations where they are dealing with the university. The information will be distributed to all members. Lib deProsse decreed Adjournment at 9:30 B. Unsworth Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 2, 1999 Old Jail Conference Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair; Elizabeth deProsse, Vice -Chair; Eva Hoffmann, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema Absent: Richard Fischer, Leo Kriksunov, Geri Tierney, Phil Zarriello Staff: Susan Ritter Chair Hagedorn called the meeting to order at 7:45 Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Jon Meigs inquired about the work being done at the First Assembly of God property. He had concerned with the excavation and the lack of erosion control measures. Has this been addressed by the Town? Sue responds that the Town Zoning and Engineering Departments have been notified of the concern. She will follow up regarding any further action. Concerning possible new members on the Conservation Board, Barney Unsworth suggested that a renewed contact with Lois Levitan might be fruitful. Lib deProsse reported on a discussion with Don Weir, a new resident with an environmental background and an interest in volunteer work here. The group authorized Sue to make the initial contacts. Several CB members attended the Town Democratic Party Caucus of yesterday evening as first-time visitors, and had questions about the candidate selection process of the political parties for Town Board members and Town Supervisor. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Sue reviewed details of the NYSACC Conference on the Environment, scheduled for Sep. 24-26 in Rochester. Attendance at these meetings is one of the many perks of CB membership. This year's program sounds quite interesting, and three or four CB members, along with Sue, will attend for all or part of the meeting. Kara Hagedorn discussed plans for her move to the West, finding housing adjacent to a state park near San Luis Obispo, and her plans to return for a period next summer, probably travelling by Redtail. She then discussed the question of Conservation Zoning on Ithaca College property, and the current state of Town -College negotiations. There seems to be some grounds for optimism regarding these meetings, now that the I.C. President is involved. CB members should set aside the Planning Board meeting dates of October 5 and October 15 as possibilities for a review of this question. This will probably be a public hearing. The CB moved to authorize Kara and Elissa to write to the Codes and Ordinances Committee, recommending a change in zoning (MR to R-15) for the land adjacent to Upper Buttermilk at the corner of W. King Rd. and Rt. 96B. Finger Lakes Parks (Sue Poelvoorde) has finally secured some funds for the purchase of Wally Wiggin's land here as a buffer. Business: The minutes of the August 5u' CB meeting were approved as amended. ERC Comments: Jon Meigs will work this over some more, based on this evening's discussion of the North Campus Residential Initiative. Conservation Zoning Language: CB will request language in the new Conservation Zone to include: - a 200 foot no disturbance from Buttermilk Falls State Park boundary - rare and scarce vegetation shall be maintained (According to R. Wesley, rare = plants occur in only 1 - 5 locations within the Cayuga Lake Basin, scarce = occurrences on 6 - 20 locations.) Meeting was adjourned at 9:45 _ Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 6:30 pm, Thursday, 7 October, 1999 Town Hall Board Room FINAL MINUTES Present: Kara Hagedorn, Chair; Elizabeth deProsse, Vice -Chair, Richard Fischer, Eva Hoffman, Leo Kriksunov, Geri Tierney, Barney Unsworth, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema, Phil Zarriello Absent: Jon Meigs Staff: Susan Ritter This meeting was scheduled for 6:30, with adjournment at 7:00 so that the CB members could take part in the lecture/discussion at the Holiday Inn sponsored by the Tompkins County Planning Federation. The speaker on this occasion was Robert Burchell of Rutgers University. His topic: The Cost of Sprawl; Land Use and your Tax Bill. The meeting was called to order at 6:40 by Chair Hagedorn Persons to be Heard: None Member Concerns: Vice -Chair Lib deProsse made the presentation of a framed certificate of thanks and a handsome volume of color photographs and commentary by local historian Carol Kammen concerning the Finger Lakes region to Kara Hagedorn. Kara described the plans for her (their) move west, the struggle with bureaucratic regulations involving the move of a red tailed hawk out of state, and invited us all to help them pack, as well as to attend a farewell party. Pictures were taken, compliments were exchanged and good feeling pervaded the room. But Phil Zarriello passed along the melancholy news (for us) that he is contemplating a move to another USGS office, this one serving an area in Mass/RI. Of course this will mean a move from Ithaca and the loss for us of a very active and effective CB member (former Chair) as well as a similar force on the Town Codes and Ordinances Committee. CB personnel -wise, this seems to be a time of loss, rather than gain. Barney Unsworth asked for clarification of the "State Cell Tower Proposal" article, found in the Summer '99 issue of NYSACC News. Is the proposed state legislation a threat to local option in this area? He will follow up for more details. Barney also mentioned the Sustainable Watersheds Conference, the annual FL- LOPA meeting scheduled for Auburn on Oct. 20 and 21, and asked for $35 from the CB budget to attend one day of this affair. His request was approved. CB members briefly discussed the recent NYSACC Conference On the Environment in Rochester, which many of our members attended. Coordinator and Chair Reports: Kara discussed a recent meeting involving herself, Cathy Valentino, and several other Town representatives, with Ithaca College's Vice -President for Business Affairs, Tom Salm, regarding the Town's plans for a Conservation District on South Hill. IC continues to press us for a long-term delay in our zoning efforts until they have completed their Master Plan for the school. Apparently neither side was persuaded to move very far from their earlier position, and a letter will be drafted for Cathy's signature restating the Town's reasons for re -zoning to Conservation Zone, this to go to I.C. Kara spoke with Mary Russell, from the Town Board, who suggested that Kara pass on her list of outside organizations and persons she has been in contact with while serving on the Board, those who are interested in conservation issues and who we might want to maintain contact with or notify of future meeting concerning conservation issues. Mary Russell also asked about the Viewshed Committee and suggested that the Conservation Board renew efforts to establish viewshed protection. The Town's new digital camera could prove to be very useful in viewshed analysis work. Sue Ritter mentioned that Evan Monkmeyer is doing a reworking of his plans for a subdivision and will probably be submitting a sketch plan of the proposed park and subdivision within the coming weeks. Sue distributed Jon Meig's revision of the comments of the Environmental Review Committee concerning the North Campus Residential Initiative. Given the timing, she will need to obtain approval from CB members on the revisions via e-mail. She also mentioned that letters have gone out to three potential new CB members, urging that they consider serving on the Board. If letters of interest come in, Sue will invite them to our next CB meeting. CB members who had contributed to the Fall '99 Town newsletter - Richard Fischer and Kara Hagedorn, were complimented for their participation. Stare thinking now about the next issue.! Business: The minutes from the 9/2 CB meeting were approved as amended. The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 - 2 Barney Unsworth