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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 2017-12-211 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING COMMITTEE SUMMARY OF DECEMBER 21, 2017 MEETING Committee Members Present: Rich DePaolo (Chair), Rod Howe, Pat Leary. Staff/Board Members/ Town-Related Others Present: Susan Ritter, Director of Planning; Bruce Bates, Director of Code Enforcement; Bill Goodman, Town Supervisor. Chair Rich DePaolo called the meeting to order at approximately 4:30pm. Persons to Be Heard: None. Committee Announcements and Concerns: None. Consider November Meeting Minutes: Rod moved; Pat seconded; approved with minor edits. Discussion of follow-up and implementation of new legislation: - Rich: Asked staff if they were receiving calls/questions on the new legislation. - Staff: Responded that they were receiving calls, including complaints, questions about waivers (from operating permit requirements), requests for operating permit application forms, and requests for having town representatives speak at upcoming meetings of the Board of Realtors and Landlord Association to explain the legislation. The committee reviewed a draft operating permit application prepared by the Building Department. - Bruce: Introduced the application form and explained the various elements and rationale. He indicated that he had only just drafted it today and was looking for initial feedback. - Committee: Discussed several aspects of the application. They suggested requesting the name of a contact person if the owner cannot be available on the property within one hour. -Rich: Asked whether something should be added requiring the availability of the operating permit to the tenant. He thought certain information, such as the local contact name/number and occupancy requirements, would be of interest to the tenant. - Committee: Agreed with the suggestion. - Pat: Requested that the directive in the last section of the application be toned down by removing “you must”. - Committee: Agreed with the suggestion. -Bruce: Explained that they were currently receiving requests for the form. Staff is handling the requests by collecting names and addresses/emails so they can provide them with the application once it’s ready. The Town’s website provides this information along with a sign-up form. -Bruce: Described information that other municipalities collect for their operating permit application that have not been included in the town’s draft. This includes number of dogs, square footage of the unit, information about the tenant(s), etc. - Committee: Agreed that this additional information was not pertinent for the town’s application. -Rich: Asked Bruce to revise the form and include any other materials anticipated to be part of the application package (inspection checklist, “family” definition, etc.), for the next meeting. Discuss potential legislation allowing duplexes in the High Density Residential (HDR) Zone: - Rich: Opened the discussion by acknowledging that duplexes would also eventually be considered for the town’s proposed mixed used zones (identified in the Comp Plan as traditional neighborhood 2 development (TND)). He described the town’s occupancy requirements and that each duplex unit would be allowed three unrelated individuals, or a family plus one boarder (per Town Code). He thought that by restricting ADUs, and allowing duplexes in the HDR zone, it would alleviate the conversions of single family homes in established neighborhoods by landlords. He then mentioned the interest in having architectural standards. - Sue: Provided a document prepared by staff containing images of different duplex designs and showing examples of desirable and non-desirable outcomes. She went through the images with the committee, looking at elements such as mirroring, window-to-wall ratios, building materials, wall planes, etc. - Committee: Indicated they were open to having some architectural standards to foster a more desirable appearance. - Pat: Cautioned against making the standards too burdensome that resulted in much higher costs. - Sue: Added that the committee had also mentioned having site standards addressing landscaping, parking and dumpsters. -Sue: Asked whether the legislation should allow/address the subdivision of a duplex so each unit could a different owner. - Bruce: Responded that this was unlikely and it might be best to wait until there was a clear need. - Rich: Requested that for the next meeting staff prepare language concerning architectural standards. Also of interest was having a definition of duplex. Staff Updates and Reports: -Sue reported on the following: Chain Works District – the PDZ language is expected to be ready for consideration at the next committee meeting. Parcels adjacent to CWD - there are several parcels along Danby Road adjacent to the undeveloped portions of the current Industrial Zone (future CWD PDZ). CWD is proposing multi-family housing in this area. One of the individual parcel owners is interested in redeveloping their small parcel for multi-family housing. The committee will need to consider how to handle these few lone Medium Density Residential zoned parcels in light of the surrounding CWD PDZ. In addition, and of particular concern, is the remaining 4 acres of Industrial Zone land, now owned by Om Gupta, that will need to be more appropriately zoned. Special Permit/Approval criteria – staff has been working on revising Town Code 270-200 to make the criteria easier to understand and clearer for Board members to make findings on. Next Meeting Date and Upcoming Agenda Items: The next meeting is January 18, 2018 starting at 4:30pm. Starting in February 2018; meetings will start at 4:00pm. Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:30pm.