HomeMy WebLinkAboutAG Minutes 2016-03-22 Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee
March 22,2016, 6:00 PM
Final Minutes
Members Present: Debbie Teeter, Alex Teeter, Clare Forest, Paula Wedemeyer, Sharon Tregaskis, Dean Koyanagi,
Christianne White
Town Representatives: Bill Goodman (Town Supervisor), Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Greg Reynolds (7:15 pm), 5 High School Students
1. Persons to be heard: none
2. Member Announcements/Concerns: Christianne asked about pipelines. Town of Ithaca does not regulate
pipeline utilities. Existing pipelines probably have easements. Ecovillage and Steep Hollow Farms both have
pipelines present. Do feds or state regulate petroleum transmission? DEC or PUC, public utilities? Teeter was
planning to attend an annual pipeline dinner offered to emergency workers to update them on best safety
practices. There is some concern that pressure and flow rate will be increased for existing pipelines which are
more than 70 years old, probably.
Solar Farms, have farmers been contacted about possible leased use of land for solar installations? Taitem and
Renovus are local companies. Sharon Tregaskis has a list of contractors she can share and Dean K. has been
working with Renovus re. siting. Steep Hollow has been approached by four companies but only one is persistent.
3. Chair/Coordinator Reports/ Updates: Mike Smith's report on behalf of Town Planning Department: Next
round of State Purchase of Development Rights applications are coming up soon. The Town Conservation Board is
looking at deer management, and invites farmers to join them on the committee for deer management. Tregaskis
and White may attend committee meetings. Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions has a series of videos on
climate smart farmingthat may be of interest htt...:. cl�mateinstitute.cats.cornell.ed.0 climate-smart-farming-
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vu_d_ . sJ. Some local farmers are profiled including Thor Oechsner discussing extreme weather and climate
variability.
4. Ithaca Town Board Report/ Update: Bill reported that the Town is leaning towards increasing allowable square
footage in proposed sign law, perhaps larger allowances in Ag Zones.This will process through the Town Board to
answer their questions and comments. They could change the draft and then there would be public comment.
Discussion ensued. Perhaps presenting the signage allowed to other farms would be useful. The decision makers
need specific requests.
The Codes and Ordinances Committee is considering a new solar law. They are expecting the Town will get
requests for larger installations. If installations go over an acre there would be certain requirements, and site plan
approval would be required. Cornell did a 10-acre installation by the airport. Ithaca College did 10 acres in
Danby. Renovus is doing larger installations in Ulysses and Enfield. It would be easier if smaller arrays did not
have to go in front of the Planning Board.
The Town Comprehensive Plan has been adopted. Now the busy work of new development and rezoning begins.
There are particular areas that will be subject to a design charrette, including the King Road/Danby Road area and
the East Hill Plaza area. Town will be using form-based zoning, controlling appearance but not use.
Development projects include Maplewood Apartments by East Hill,the Chainworks in the old Emerson Factory,
etc. On South Hill Evan Monkemeyer is anxious to get going. College Crossings will not move forward at this point.
He got approval for 2 story commercial and residential but banks won't finance. He would like to add more
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residential in a third story and will ask for a variance. Town not in favor of a big building surrounded by a paved
surface. Local architects and designer created Form Ithaca with a grant from NYS,to help Town and City do form-
based zoning.
Town won a $30,000 grant to help with planning in the Inlet Valley corridor,which will help study feasibility and
promote economic development. They want to promote ag related and tourism related activities. How can they
attract businesses to the area? Who owns acreage on Rt 13? There is an auto service operation and a climbing
machine fabricator. There is a parcel across the street from the Greentree operation. Eddy's have a parcel for
sale past the GreyHaven motel. John Rancich owns a parcel between Eddy's and Turback's.
Eddydale Farms has approached Town for possible Purchase of Development Rights for 2 parcels behind the
motels on Rt 13.The Town must authorize appraisal.
Nelson Eddy passed away a few weeks ago.
5. Approval of Minutes: The January 26, 2016 meeting minutes were passed and approved. Moved by Sharon T.,
seconded by Christianne W.
6. Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan: We should review Town Ag Plan as staff is starting to work on town
zoning.
Recommendation 2-h: Do we have forest management plans, are our forests under-utilized? Could incentives be
offered to develop forest management plans? Are logging and maple syrup production possibilities? Biofuel
production and hemlock loss are opportunities/challenges we may be facing.
John Gaunt, Greentree owner asked for a change to light industrial. He wants outdoor display of the items he has
for sale. He's talking to local farmers to establish a farmer's market on his site. How will that affect the markets
of EarlyBird and Eddydale Markets just down the highway? The Town Committee worked with him and added
that as an allowable use.
Recommendation 2-o: Debbie Teeter will start a list of ag-related businesses that Town farmers use. She will
email it out to everyone to add to.
Recommendation 3-a: Consider setbacks, buffers, non ag development, animal control, where fences are located,
(can they be on a property line?). Houses on Peachtree Lane are draining onto Ithaca Beer land. Consideration of
direction of storm water is important. American Farmland Trust has information to look at as a resource. Maybe
Farm Credit East has resources relevant to planning.
7. Chickens: Teeters expressed that guinea hens are roamers,very loud, can fly, are independent, entice dogs to
chase them, have been seen roaming as far as% mile from their house. Guineafowl and peafowl get neighbors
riled up. Will their annoying presence ruin the chances of chickens being allowed? What is definition of a
backyard flock? 6 chickens? 50-75 birds? Hens or roosters? Clare Forest made motion to recommend
disallowing guinea hens and peafowl in Town, seconded by D.Teeter, motion does not pass. Discussion, Sharon
and Dean ask why we should weigh in on regulation from which farms are exempt? Latest version of poultry
regulation creates restriction in Low Density Residential where no restrictions currently exist. New opportunities
for MDR would be good. Field trip for Town Board members set for mid-April.
Adjourned at 7:57 pm.
Draft by Christianne McMillan White
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