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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB Minutes 1982-02-02 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD FEBRUARY 2 , 1982 The Town of Ithaca Planning Board met in regular session in Town Hall , 126 East Seneca Street , Ithaca, N.Y. , on Tuesday , February 2 , 1982, at 7: 30 p.m. PRESENT: Chairman Montgomery May, David Klein , Barbara Schultz, Carolyn Grigorov, James Baker , Edward Mazza, Virginia Langhans, Lawrence Fabbroni (Town Engineer) , Lewis Cartee (Town Building Inspector) , Peter Lovi (Town Planner) . ALSO PRESENT : Members of the Press Chairman May declared the meeting duly opened at 7 : 30 p.m. Mr . May commented to the Press that no public issues would be discussed at tonight ' s workshop but that all were welcome to stay . Mr. May commented that the last meeting and presentation by James Coon and Richard Boos of the State of New York Department of State was very impressive and well structured. The turnout of 36 persons from several Towns , the Village of Lansing, the City of Ithaca and the County was equally impressive. There was good interplay between the two gentlemen . Mrs. Grigorov and every board member thought the session was very good. Mrs. Langhans commented that they were good , very informed and presented much new information to her . There was a general consensus to do it again , led by Mr, May. Mr . May then spoke of Noel Desch ' s request for a joint meeting of the Town Board, Town Planning Board , and Town Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. May suggested the third Tuesday in March, March 16th. All were in agreement with that date. Mr . Mazza asked what the meeting "s purpose would be• Mr. May thought priorities and the zoning ordinance would be agenda items . He asked Mr . Fabbroni , what else? Mr . Fabbroni stated , in general all inter- faces . Mr. May stated that we did not have such a meeting last year . All could not , in fact , remember a meeting for four or five years . Mr . May then asked Mr . Fabbroni and Mr. Lovi to discuss their fire station site planning efforts . Mr . Fabbroni explained that the mandate for studying the entire fire protection system on West Hill and South Hill primarily comes from the detailed discussions leading up to the latest three year contract for fire protection service with the City of Ithaca. As a part of those discussions , the City made a commitment to consider alternate fire station locations to serve West Hill and South Hill . Mr. Lovi then presented information on four alternative sites , two each on West and South Hills, concerning areas served from each within 2 minutes response time and 5 minutes response time that he , Mr. Ocello , and Mr. Fabbroni had worked up, Site IA was up near the County Hospital along Tru.mansburg Road. The specific parcel could be County land , Cornell land , etc . , but at this point the general area was considered for any site. In estimating 2 minute and 5 minute response time contours crude assumptions of travel time were made based on average operating speeds , grades, classi- fication of highway. These assumptions were not extended into the City because assumptions become more indefinite particularly beyond the West and South Hills areas of interest . The way to view the contours at this stage of development is that the 2 minute contour could just as easily be 22 minutes and the 5 minute contour 5� minutes and exact numbers will only come with actual test runs. The hospital area site will serve the County Tlanning Hoard -2- February 2 , 1982 Hospital complex, Statler West , Lakeside Nursing Home , and Candlewyck Apart- ments, within two minutes response time. Most of West Hill including Town and City areas can be served within 5 minutes response. However, the southern section of the Town along Elmira Road would be beyond 5 minute response and probably better served by a downtown City station like Central Fire Station. The westernmost area of the Town along Sheffield Road would continue to be beyond a five minute response from any station yet discussed. This leads to site 1B in the general vicinity of Mecklenburg Road, Hector Street , Warren Place , and the City-Town municipal boundary. This site would serve most of West Hill in the City and a part of the high density area along Trumansburg Road in the Town within 2 minute response within three minutes to the Hospital complex . The remainder of West Hill is sub- stantially within the 5 minute response contour . Based on response, geo- graphy, and growth potential this site would seem to be the more centrally located of the two whereas site lA serves the high density residential and non-ambulatory population more directly. Moving to South Hill , a site just south of NCR on Danby Road would afford direct access down multilane Route 96 into the City portion of South Hill or downtown itself . To the south there would be better overlap with Danby. The alternate site on the Coddington Road Extension in the vicinity of Ithaca College physical plant buildings , while producing about the same five minute response time out to the south. Town line , creates actually a more restricted 2 minute response time contour in the City because there is a restricted left turn movement from Coddington Road Extension to Hudson Street and a restricted right turn movement from Coddington Road Extension to South Albany Street adding probable delay in response. Mr. May asked what is the response time to Ithaca College now. Mr . Fabbroni guessed about 10 minutes as the vehicles come from either Central or No. 5 and must use tuning fork to reach South Hill . Mr. Mazza asked where the responses are. Mr. Fabbroni and Mr. Lovi reviewed numbers for 1981 to Ithaca College , 100 plus , Hospital Complex, 15, Lakeside, 3. There is a problem with malicious false alarms predomi- nantly at Ithaca College, Mr. Mazza commented that it seems that the Hospital and Lakeside have a need for close proximity to a fire station . Mr. Lovi again pointed out that the Mecklenburg Road site was 1 to 1A minutes farther from the Hospital but more central and could serve entire hill . Mr. Mazza preferred a site on Route 96 or the new Route 96 at the Hospital . Mr. Fabbroni pointed out the only connection with new Route 96 would be directly to the City in the case of a multiple alarm fire as there will be no connections to West Hill in the City along the new highway. Mrs. Schultz felt the Coddington Road Extension site would be more available than the land above NCR with the fantastic view. Mr . Mazza agreed but pointed out the insurance advantage to NCR may outweigh that considera- tion. He asked if it was possible to go through the Ithaca College campus to reach Coddington Road on the east side of the campus and points south. Mr. May felt a turning radius at intersections may be a problem. There may be another site around Morse Chain . Planning Board -3- February 2 , 1982 r " Mr. Mazza again wondered why the site near the City was favored on West Hill . Mr . Fabbroni pointed out no place in the City was beyond two minutes response time . Mr. Lovi went on to show overlays on the overhead projector for West and South Hills showing areas where properties paid taxes per year of $0 to $300, $300 to $800, and over $800. Location based on value turns out not to be overly significant along side other factors discussed earlier. Mr. May felt the main issue was that the fire station be somewhere up on South Hill . Mrs. Grigorov wondered about an isolated over $800 tax area out Coddington Road. Mr. Lovi felt it was an anomaly most likely explained by the size of the parcel . Mr . Klein wondered what kind of interplay occurred with other municipal fire departments . Mr. Lovi acknowledged that with the short preparation time, Enfield and Trumansburg departments were not contacted for tonight ' s presentation. Mr. Klein was interested in seeing density areas and growth for balance of the hills incorporated into the final analysis. Mr. Fabbroni felt the City Fire Department is the department to which we must look for primary response. Mr. Baker felt outlying communities would have slow res- ponse since they were all volunteer departments , whereas the City has paid drivers and officers. He felt there should be better response to houses on West Hill , Mr. Mazza felt there was more life at stake in the Hospital and Lakeside than the value of losing a home . Mr. Mazza and Mr . May both thought it would be nice to tie the location into the construction of Route 96. Additionally, Mr. May thought the Town should also look at development potential in the areas being considered for service. Mrs. Grigorov wondered why East Hill was not considered. Mr . May and Mrs. Schultz seemed to feel that response time was five minutes or more. Mr. May felt many natural obstacles add to the res- ponse problem. Mr. Lovi then gave a brief sketch of his evolution of the current draft . He described the fundamental difference between zoning law and subdivision law and his preference for a model he had found. Board members thought it appropriate to look at and comment on the draft before any more formal typing. Mr. Lovi was to send subcommittee members Schultz, Grigorov, Klein, and Mazza draft copies for review. Mr. Mazza wondered about the status of the Planning Board By-Laws. Mr. May did not know for sure. The proposal has been turned over to Mr . James Buyoucos who delegated it to someone else in the firm. The Board wondered about the controversy of Williamsburg Park Section 5 as they had all received several letters from individuals . Mr . Fabbroni described his response to the public primarily consists of saying we will not answer specific questions as a specific detailed proposal has not been made to the Town by the developer. Mr. Schoenfeld is not expected to forward specifics before his return from Texas. The Board was generally agreeable to such a response . Mr. May wondered why he had not gotten a copy of the Guzman letter . Mr. Fabbroni promised Mr. May a packet . Mr . Mazza was surprised the developer suggested townhouses without consulting the neigh- bors who are well organized. aPlanning Board -4- February 2 , 1982 Mr. May felt we should respond to people who write to the Town. Mr. Fabbroni suggested the reply to Mr. Guzman answered a lot of questions on the general process of meetings. He felt detailed responses without a detailed proposal in hand were inappropriate at this stage. Mr. May felt the public should understand that this is still an open question, Mr. May wondered about the status of the Zoning Ordinance. Mr . Fabbroni described the hearings that the Town Board had held where mostly cosmetic changes and the issue of occupancy and family were decided. The ordinance then went to legal review and has been back and forth to the Town Board over the creation of a P-2 zone as suggested by Cornell . P-1 would deal with central campus . P-2 generally would deal with areas adjacent to Town residential districts where more difficulty with buffering and compatibility of land uses can occur. It has taken some time to deal with Cornell ' s fear of the Town being an obstructionist rather than Cornell seeing it as justifiable site plan review, Mr. Fabbroni felt Cornell "s recent experience with the City tended to fuel such fears rather than diminish them. The outcome of the City case to date reinforces the Town position subjecting educational institutions to reasonable review procedures. This has certainly delayed the review process. He stated that Mr. Desch has pushed Mr. Buyoucos for legal review with a wish to adopt a base ordinance as soon as possible. Mr. May wondered what target date was in the newsletter . He suggested Board members proceed to refamiliarize themselves with the current draft . He also suggested that Board members be sent a copy of Section 71 . He felt issues of cluster, PUDs, and commercial zones need to be discussed. Mr. Fabbroni felt all those issues should be discussed. Mr. Mazza wondered about Concord-Burleigh intersection streetlight . Mr. Fabbroni said the Town Board had approved it but not to expect it for two or three months. Mr. May asked about new business. Mr. Fabbroni described his trip to the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C . , high- lighting a 38% drop in transportation research, an apparent change to 200, 000 instead of 50, 000 for program cutoff of population which will put Ithaca in direct competition with larger New York metropolitan areas than before. On the good side, the State has already started to build up on transit subsidies to levels that should make any Federal pull-out bearable. The major problem, as he saw it , is transportation research is magically seen being transferred from government to private industry with no apparent transition policy or program. Mr. Fabbroni stated the floods had kept daily agenda busy. Mr. May thanked him for his report . Mr. Mazza moved for adjournment ; Mr , Klein seconded. Unanimously approved. Mr. May declared the meeting duly adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Nancy M. Fuller, Secretary,