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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPWC Minutes 2007-02-26WSPOMION DATE ,rOWN OF ITHACA PUBLIC WORKS COMMITI'EE M ONEM Y, Februa ry 26, 2007, 9:00 a. m. Public Works Facility, 1. Approval of Minutes a. January 23, 2007 2. Review Northeast Drainage Plan and Costs 3. Review Pennsylvania and Kendall Avenues 4. Discussion on the Briarwood Subdivision Phase It 5. Discussion (m the J)efinition of a Preserve 6. Discussion on the Building at'rutelo) Park T Discussiori on. the Eas,tern Heights Park Playground ["roposal. ghk TOWN OF ITHACA Public Works Cominittee February 26, 2007, 9:00 a.m. Public Works Facility present: Sandy Gittelman, Dan Walker, Fred Notoorn, Rich S'choch, Mike Smith, and Cene Redman. The meeting began at 9:20 a.m. The January 23,2007, meeting nxinutes will be al-,)pj-()ved at the next inecting. Definition of Preserves 'I'lieTown lias accepted several parcels of land and they have named thern. preserves. The PUblic Works staff' neects to know what and how ffieTown Board wants these preserves taken care of. Sandy Gittelinan asked what good forestry practices are. Rich I.3choch said that it depends on what is in the preserve, but typically the area ShOUld be left alone, Sandy felt that we rnight want to put a patlixvay in the preserves. "I'lie staff feels that each preserve should have posted property lities, be left natural, and on a case by case possibly pUt a path through it. "I'lie Comm i ttee agreed that preserves should be for pedestrian use on] y — no motor vehicles, etc. We thought that the wording on the signs should say "Pedestrian Access Only" Rich has pUt tOgether an outline. I -le will tweak it and bring it back to this Committee, Rich. said that ideally lie %vould like to have an inventory of the trees, etc. in each preserve. We have an intern that is working on developing a database for each area. Eastern I -Jeiithts Park Plavuound The'Fown has received a grant to upgradeseveral of the 'Yown's play structures, Over the next three years, we will be replacing play structures in three different 0 Liblic Works (onitnittee Minutes, FebrUary 26, 2007 Page 2 M parks —Eastern Heights Park, Salem Park, andTareyton Park. Presently, tile play structures are outdated and wooden. We will be replacing there with steel and plastic ones, J.'he first one we will be working on is in Eastern Heights Park. We will be nioviTlg the Site, zind we have received as proposal. T he change in site will have 71 to be reviewed by the Planning Board. We will have tO part together an aplilication—Mik(�SiiiithkArillfielpNvithtliis, A �:QR will have tobeclone also. The problems ire the northeast regarding drainage issues were discussed. The area that is worse is in the Briarwood Drive area. The residents in that area would like to have the ditches enclosed. It would cost the Town approximately half as million dollars to cornplete this task. Currcnitly, the Town does this type of work with our own forces. We would have to look at raising the Storm Water Managenlent bUdg(-A Dan said that if we pile the ditches then the rL111-Off f]O\,VWOUld be greater; conseqUOItly Tompkins C(aunt.),, would have t:ca put in larger pipes on Hanshaw Road. I . )an said that the DEC' would rather not have piped ditches as the vegetation in the ditches help filter out pollutants from the runoff. Dan Walker explained that there is a'15" pipe on Briarwood Drive rive that does slom,, down, the water, Dan said that ive could proj,,)OSC Putting ill 15" pipe then having as swalc� built over the pipe. This would nican theTcown might have to go into the resident's yards. We could also put in larger pipe to hold back the water or put in nlicro- pools. The latter is very expensive, Dan said that the drainage way that is behind the 11OUSeS could be cleaned tip alth(.mgh the "Town would have to get eaSkInents to g,,o behind the residcwnt's houses. The Committee felt that the "Town should approach the residents in that area to help clean out their backyard drainage system. The drainage problems in this area are bein" `; gencrated in the developed area, not the proposed developryient area, Dan said that the problems with SUrface water on Muriel Street inight be (,in(! to the "Fown fixing the sewer line on flanshaw Road — reduc.ing water infiltration into the sexArer line, thus it stays on the Surface. Public Works Committee Minutes, February 26, 2007 Page 3 Discussion on the Briarwood Subdivision Phase II Plan Dan said that the developer has come back to the Town with an updated plan for storm water management— proposing 4 ponds be installed. Dan does not feel that this development will make the problems in the area worse but it might not make it any better. There will be another public meeting regarding this development. Cathy Valentino would like to ask the Town Board to hire an independent consultant to look at the drainage issues. There was a discussion regarding the location of roads in the new subdivision. Currently there are only two ways out of the subdivision via Salem Drive and Muriel Street. Fred Noteboom informed the Committee that when Hanshaw Road is rebuilt, the detour would take traffic all the way to Route 13 to Freese Road and back. The County has touse roads with the same or higher classification. The Town will have to make sure the roads are built before any construction on houses begins. There has been no site plan submitted for approval yet. The Committee felt that the Town should make sure there is a third way to get out of the subdivsion and we should approach the developer regarding money to help fix the drainage system in that area. Dan said that a couple of the lots that are proposed will be hard to build on because the sanitary sewer goes right down the middle of the property. They may want to rearrange the lot lines. Currently, there is about 50 acres of land, but only 25 would be developed. This Committee discussed renaming Birchwood Drive North to something like Heron Drive. Pennsylvania and Kendall Avenues Fred said that this topic was left on the agenda (so it didn't get forgotten) but we have no new information on this. Public Works Committee Minutes, February 26, 2007 Page 4 Tutelo Park Sprinkler System Fred is bringing this to the attention of the Conunittee because he believes the cost of this system is very high for the unlikelihood of having a fire. Maintenance of the system is very costly too, with having to have the system tested quarterly. The building is concrete and the ceiling has a 2-hour sheet rock firewall on it. The reason why this is an issue is because Town law states that if you have a storage building it has to have sprinkler system. No flammables would be stored there, just hand equipment. Fred will get the cost of putting in a sprinkler system, along with maintenance costs. We would have to get a variance or have the law changed. The comfort station and the pavilion are currently not available for use because the certificate of occupancy says they cannot be used. The Committee discussed the Town's law and that there is nothing in the law about the size of a building that needs to have a sprinkler system. The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m. RM