HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 2024 Newsletter Town of Ithaca Newsletter
Welcome New Department Heads and Staff
Director of Finance
Chris Herbert brings his experience in
corporate, county and non-profit finance
settings to the Town. Hailing from the
McGraw area, Chris is happy to be back in
the Finger Lakes Region and closer to
family.
Director of Engineering
David O’Shea was promoted in July.
David has worked for the town for many
years, working up through the ranks and
was the Senior Civil Engineer for the past
four years.
Codes Department - Dana Magnuson was promoted to Senior Code Officer back in May. Dana has been
with the Town for over 5 years, and you may have noticed her at some board/committee meetings as she takes
some of the workload from Marty.
Tom Gibbons was hired as a new Electrical and Code Officer and is knee deep in training, but you will see him
out and about soon.
Planning Department - Nick Quilty-Koval is our new Planner and busy assisting residents with a variety
of land use applications, implementing the Town's New Neighborhood Code, and creating visuals to accompany
the draft subdivision regulations currently under review by the Codes & Ordinances Committee. Nick is
originally from the Syracuse area and is enjoying biking Tompkins County's broad network of trails.
Engineering Department
Emily Rodgers started with the town in May as a Civil Engineer. Emily has been assisting with various utility
projects and developments.
Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Board Members Sought
The Town is actively recruiting for open positions on both Boards. Visit our website for more information and a
link to an application. www.townithacany.gov
Town of Ithaca receives certification as a Pro-Housing Community!
The Town is proud to announce its certification as a Pro-Housing Community by the New York State
Department of Homes & Community Renewal. Certification is based on assessing a town’s success in
promoting housing growth and a commitment to identifying impediments to housing growth and will help in
applications for certain discretionary State funding opportunities.
Pro-Housing Community Program details are available at: https://hcr.ny.gov/phc
One of the central land use goals in the Town of Ithaca’s Comprehensive Plan is “ensuring that a variety of
housing types and prices are provided that support a broad range of household types, sizes, lifestyles, life stages,
and household incomes in new neighborhoods.” becoming a certified Pro-Housing Community will help us
achieve this goal. (Full Public Announcement Here)
Invitation – West Hill – Conifer Traditional Neighborhood Development Charrette
City and Town residents are invited to attend Conifer's West Hill Traditional Neighborhood Development design
charrette on Wednesday, August 28th from 5-7pm at the Conifer Village Community Room, 200 Conifer Drive.
A charrette is a collaborative design process that includes public participation to create a concept for a master
zoning and development plan (“regulating plan”) for this area. The regulating plan will show the location of
new zoning districts, streets and sidewalks, parks and trails, and other neighborhood features.
If the Town Board adopts the regulating plan, new development in the underlying area must follow it and that
vision will shape how the area north of the existing Linderman Creek Apartments will grow in the future.
The Town’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2014, envisions a new neighborhood in this area, with a character
that borrows from vibrant pre-WWII era neighborhoods and villages throughout the Northeast US. This is
known as traditional neighborhood development, or TND for short. TND has a compact form; is built around
pedestrian friendly, human scale streets and public spaces; offers a wide range of housing and types; and puts
residential, commercial, and civic places within walking distance of each other.
To learn more about TND, and the Town’s planning regulations that guide its design - New Neighborhood Code
To keep you up-to-date on the West Hill TND charrette progress, including other opportunities for you to get
involved and share your ideas, the Town will post project documents – including the developer's project-specific
information at (Conifer TND Development) and at Upcoming/Current Projects.
Contact Director of Planning C.J. Randall for more information on either of the above announcements at
cjrandall@townithacany.gov or 607-273-1721 x120.
CODES CORNER
Hopefully you have enjoyed the nice summer we had by getting out and enjoying our trails and parks.
The State plans to implement changes to the NYS Codes in the first quarter of 2025 and the draft has been
posted in a redlined version here Notice of Rule in Development | Department of State (ny.gov).
There is an opportunity to submit comments on the draft Code now. Please take a moment to consider reviewing
the changes and making comments on these changes that will affect you.
Please remember that building permits are required for many projects, including but not limited to placing a
shed, adding a deck, repairing or replacing an HVAC or heating system. All of our permit applications can be
found here: https://ithacany.portal.opengov.com/
Safety First - Please remember to check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide
detectors.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 607-273-1783 or email at codes@townithacany.gov.
Thank you, Marty Moseley
Director of Code Enforcement and Zoning
Clerks Chatter
Coming Soon: A new About Our Town drone video showcasing the history and views from West Hill, and
An interactive Ethnobotanic Plant Walk at Tutelo Park where each plant will be named with its
Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ traditional name followed by its English common name and scientific name and details on its
significance to Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ culture.
FREE RABIES CLINIC
Saturday, September 14th 11-2
@ TCAT Bus Garage – Drive Through Clinic
Dogs must be on a leash and cats and ferrets in
carriers. Bring proof of last vaccination or
information about where it was done.
Register HERE.
As we welcome students back
to the area, please remember
that all dogs over 4 months of
age living in the Town are
required to be licensed with the
town. You can license your dog
online Here.
Volunteer Opportunities Around the County
Friends in Service Helping
FISH is a non-profit organization which was started by St. John’s Episcopal Church in 1966 with a mission to
provide transportation for medical and health related services within the County or nearby. Drivers are needed.
Find more information here F I S H
TCAT FALL SCHEDULE STARTING SEPTEMBER 7TH
Will not work after Sept 7th New – Mobile Pay as you Go Apps New – Rechargeable Smart Card
TCAT’s Bus Tracker TCAT’s real-time apps TCAT Full Schedule
https://www.historicithaca.org/events
Annual James Potorti Museum of the Earth/State Parks Gorge Walks.
The Finger Lakes region has an outstanding geological record exposed in the local gorges. These guided walks
will introduce major concepts about geology and geologic time, allowing one to interpret the geological history
of the region while enjoying the beauty of our local area.
Potorti Interpretive Gorge Walks Summer 2024 Schedule:
All walks are 10 am - 11:30 am.
Aug. 16: Watkins Glen State Park: meet @ main (lower) entrance, parking lot near the trail
Aug. 23: Robert H. Treman State Park: meet @ Upper Treman Park, parking lot near the trails
Aug. 30: Taughannock Falls State Park: meet @ Lower Falls (along Rt 89), parking lot near the trails
* Please note that while the walks are free, there is a parking charge for the State Parks.
Visit the New York State Parks website for more information about free or discounted admission programs for
seniors, military, and students. In addition, the Tompkins Public Library has New York State Park Empire
Passes available to check out at no cost, learn more at www.tcpl.org/library-things
ARTIST MARKET AUGUST 16TH AT THE FARMER’S MARKET
Sponsored by the Ithaca Arts Partnership
Register to be entered into raffles.
https://artspartner.org/
Registration and more information here https://p2p.onecause.com/arfl/page/aboutstap
What to do when you find a bat in your home.
Bats can get through a hole or crevice as small as a half inch and as summer winds
down, young and inexperienced flyers may fall down a chimney or in through
window and become disoriented.
Do not use tennis rackets, baseball bats, or other hard objects to catch or shoo the bat
out, they have very thin heads/skulls, so it is important to be careful.
If you are SURE that no human or unvaccinated pet has been in contact with it, it is
not necessary to have the bat tested and you can release them back outside away
from your home and pets.
The Wild Things Sanctuary has a website with additional tips about what to
do if you find a bat in your home: http://www.bats911.org
Full PSA Link