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HomeMy WebLinkAboutACCEPTED PB draft Minutes 2024-10-15 PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 1 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD October 15, 2024 Draft MINUTES Present: Fred Wilcox, Chair; Cindy Kaufman (virtual), Caitlin Cameron, Liz Bageant, Bill Arms, and Gary Stewart. Absent Kelda McGurk and Sara Reynolds CJ Randall, Director of Planning, Christine Balestra, Senior Planner, Nick Quilty-Koval, Planner; Susan Brock, Attorney for the Town, David O’Shea, Director of Engineering, Justin McNeal, Senior Civil Engineer, Emily Rodgers, Civil Engineer, Dana Magnuson, Senior Code Enforcement Officer; Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk. Mr. Wilcox opened the meeting at 6:30p.m. 1. Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and Special Permit for the proposed Cornell University Meinig Fieldhouse Indoor Sports and Recreational Facility, located at Robison Alumni Fields on Tower Road on the Cornell University central campus. The project involves replacing the Robison Alumni Fields with a 90,000+/- square foot, 56-foot-tall indoor fieldhouse building and a new synthetic outdoor field hockey field along with new sidewalks and pedestrian connections, stormwater facilities, landscaping, lighting, and other site improvements. The majority of the project is located within the City of Ithaca with a small portion in the Town of Ithaca. This is a Type I Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act for which the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board acting as lead agency issued a negative determination of environmental significance on September 3, 2024. Cornell University, Owner; Kimberly Michaels, TWM, a Fisher Associates Landscape Architecture Studio, Applicant/Agent. Kimberly Michaels gave a presentation on the site plan. • New one acre open space free play area. • Building and site materials diagram and list were shown and detailed, including bicycle racks, seating/benches and lights. There are two existing light poles that are being kept but not used for lighting to allow the nesting of hawks that have habitually made their homes there. • Pedestrian and athletic field lighting specifications were shown and detailed. • Planting plans were shown with a 42-tree net gain and a mixture of trees, shrubs, and ground cover being used. • Building materials consist of a mid-tone gray metal, highly reflective, and a grey brick face with bird-friendly glass. Examples of the materials were handed to the board. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 2 • The goal was to make a very large building welcoming, and the glazing and the origami features have done that, with sections reflecting back the open space. Different view angles were shown depicting the building and surrounding green spaces. The depictions also had day and night views of the building. • Ms. Michaels indicated the corner of the building and portion of the outdoor field and landscaping that was in the Town of Ithaca. Questions from the Board: Mr. Wilcox asked if fire access was signed off on by the Ithaca Fire Department. Ms. Brock noted that Mr. Moseley, as Director of Code Enforcement, has jurisdiction over that aspect of the plan and the applicants have worked with him and it would be part of the building permit process as well. Ms. Kaufman verified that the mechanical components would not be on the roof and not visible and then asked about the type of artificial turf that is now being proposed as it seems to have been changed and was a controversial topic. Ms. Michaels responded that they have been working hard at finding the most sustainable and cutting edge artificial turf and the commitment is to meet current State law and using plant-based infill in the exterior field. They will continue to work to find the best available and newest materials that will address the concerns that have been raised. She said that the inside field is still crumb rubber because natural fill creates a lot of dust and that is an air-quality issue. Ms. Bageant asked about the new one acre open space and if there is drainage infrastructure there. Mr. Herrick responded that the area is slightly depressed and drains to the proposed stormwater management system, but it is not part of the drainage infrastructure there. Mr. O’Shea added that the Town has reviewed the plans and had only two minor comments and they are working with Mr. Herrick on those comments. Public Hearing – Mr. Wilcox opened the public hearing. There was no one wishing to speak and the hearing was closed. (Written comments submitted at the meeting or after posting of the official mailout packet and 24 hours after the meeting can be found in the updated packet online and will be filed permanently with the project folder along with any other comments received after the post meeting deadline.) Ms. Bageant said the project looks great. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 3 Determination PB RESOLUTION 2024-020: Preliminary & Final Site Plan, Special Permit Cornell University Meinig Fieldhouse Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 67.-1-13.2 Planning Board, October 15, 2024 WHEREAS: 1. This action is consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval and Special Permit for the proposed Cornell University Meinig Fieldhouse Indoor Sports and Recreational Facility, located at Robison Alumni Fields on Tower Road on the Cornell University central campus. The project involves replacing the Robison Alumni Fields with a 90,000+/- square foot, 56-foot-tall indoor fieldhouse building and a new synthetic outdoor field hockey field along with new sidewalks and pedestrian connections, stormwater facilities, landscaping, lighting, and other site improvements. Cornell University, Owner; Kimberly Michaels, TWM, a Fisher Associates Landscape Architecture Studio, Applicant/Agent, 2. Approximately 80% of the Meinig Fieldhouse Indoor Sports and Recreation Center project is located within the City of Ithaca. The overall project area totals 7+/- acres, with 5.8+/- acres in the City of Ithaca (including the proposed outdoor synthetic turf field hockey field, approximately 74,000+/- square feet of the proposed fieldhouse building, most of the proposed paving, landscaping, lighting and stormwater management facilities) and 1.2+/- acres in the Town of Ithaca (including approximately 16,000+/- square feet of the proposed fieldhouse building, some paving, landscaping, lighting, and stormwater facilities), 3. The project is a Type I action under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (6 NYCRR Part 617), for which the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board, acting as Lead Agency, issued a negative determination of environmental significance on September 3, 2024, 4. The Town of Ithaca Planning Board, at a Public Hearing held on October 15, 2024, reviewed, and accepted as adequate a Basic Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, along with an application submission titled “Meinig Fieldhouse Indoor Sports and Recreation Facility, Site Plan Review Materials Submission,” prepared by Fisher Associates and dated September 20, 2024; said materials were supplemental to previously-submitted application materials and drawings dated December 15, 2023, April 19, 2024, and June 10, 2024, and other application materials, and 5. Project plans, and related information, were duly delivered to the Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability Department per New York State General Municipal Law §§239-l et seq., and such Department responded in a January 16, 2024, letter from Katherine Borgella, Tompkins County Commissioner of Planning, pursuant to §§239-l, -m, and -n of the New York State General Municipal Law, determining that the proposed action will have no significant county-wide or inter-community impact; PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 4 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That the Planning Board hereby finds that the Special Permit standards of Article XXIV Section 270- 200, Subsections A – H, of the Town of Ithaca Code, have been met, specifically that: A. The project will be suitable for the property on which it is proposed, considering the property’s size, location, and physical site characteristics. • The project is located on the Cornell University campus and will be constructed over two existing sports fields. The property’s size, location, and physical site characteristics can accommodate a fieldhouse building and associated amenities. B. The proposed structure design and site layout are compatible with the surrounding area. • The structure design is modern and will be located among other modern and historic structures on the Cornell University central campus. The structure and site layout are compatible with the surrounding college campus area. C. Operations in connection with the proposed use do not create any more noise, fumes, vibration, illumination, or other potential nuisances than the operation of any permitted use in the zone. • The proposed project will produce temporary noise, vibration, and other nuisances associated with construction. Such nuisances will cease upon completion of the project. Proposed illumination will comply with the Town Outdoor Lighting Law (Town Code, Chapter 173). D. Community infrastructure and services, such as police, fire and other protective services, roadways, schools, and water and sewer facilities are currently, or will be, of adequate capacity to accommodate the proposed use. • The proposal is largely located within the City of Ithaca, which contains its own community infrastructure and services. The services in the Town of Ithaca portion of the project are of adequate capacity to accommodate the proposed use. E. The proposed use, structure design, and site layout will comply with all the provisions of the Town Code and with the Town of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan, except where the Zoning Board of Appeals are considering area variances/appeals. F. The site layout, with proposed vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian access, traffic circulation, and parking and loading facilities, is sufficient for the proposed use and is safely designed for emergency vehicles. • The small portion of the site layout that will be in the Town of Ithaca includes a widened walkway that is specifically designed to accommodate multiple modes of transportation, including emergency vehicles. G. The project includes sufficient landscaping and/or other forms of buffering to protect surrounding land uses. Existing vegetation is preserved to the extent possible. • The surrounding land uses are college campus uses, which are the same as the proposed use. Most of the tree loss associated with the project will occur in the City of Ithaca. The fieldhouse building will be constructed over an existing disturbed site. The project includes a robust and sufficient landscaping plan surrounding the building and site. H. To the extent deemed relevant by the Planning Board, the proposed use or structure complies with all the criteria applicable to site plan review set forth in Chapter 270, Zoning. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 5 2. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby grants Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed Meinig Fieldhouse Indoor Sports and Recreation Facility, as described in the materials listed in Whereas #4 above, subject to the following conditions: a. Before issuance of a building permit, receipt of any necessary variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, b. Before issuance of a building permit, and per the memo written by David O’Shea, Emily Rodgers, and Justin McNeal, Town of Ithaca Engineering Department, dated October 4, 2024, revision of the SWPPP Volume 1 narrative to include the following additional comment: “If any fill sites are located within a designated MS4, the MS4 must approve the site and sign onto the SWPPP as an additional MS4,” c. Before issuance of a building permit, and per the memo written by David O’Shea, Emily Rodgers, and Justin McNeal, Town of Ithaca Engineering Department, dated October 4, 2024, addition of winter stabilization procedures and specifications to the construction drawings, in accordance with the Construction General Permit and the NYS Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control, and d. Before issuance of a building permit, submission of a fully executed (signed) Agreement Between the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ithaca for Building Permitting, Inspection, and Related Services for the Cornell University Meinig Fieldhouse Project, which must specify responsibility for all building permits, certificates of occupancy, certificates of compliance, and all code-related inspections. Moved: Liz Bageant Seconded: Bill Arms Vote: ayes – Bageant, Arms, Wilcox, Kaufman, Cameron, and Stewart 2. Recommendation to the Town of Ithaca Town Board regarding the proposed Maplewood Phase II Planned Development Zone (PDZ), associated with the Maplewood Phase II Project on Maple Avenue, located between the Maplewood Graduate Student Apartment complex and the East Lawn Cemetery. The project, which requires a rezoning from Multiple Residence and High Density Residential Zones to a PDZ, involves consolidating four parcels and constructing six (6) five-story apartment buildings, containing 615 units/800 beds in studio, one bedroom, and two-bedroom unit configurations. The project will also include integrated amenity/service spaces, parking areas, trails and pedestrian facilities, open spaces, stormwater facilities, and other site improvements. The rezoning is a Type I Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and is subject to environmental review. Cornell University, Owner/Applicant; Michele Palmer, Whitham Planning, Design, Landscape Architecture, PLLC, Agent. Michele Palmer said they did not have a presentation per se, but did have the Planned Development Zone draft available to show and discuss as well as the site plan materials. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 6 Ms. Cameron said she noticed a use that was not defined (garden market), and she was curious what that is and whether it should be defined. Ms. Palmer said the term is probably a holdover from Maplewood I PDZ and was probably left for flexibility to allow it if someone wanted it, but they had no issue with removing it. Ms. Brock said it is defined in Maplewood I and can be added. Ms. Cameron asked if there were concerns about the parking ratios, looking at the potential of some of these uses that may bring outside vehicles. She asked the applicant how they are accounting for that vagueness. Ms. Palmer said the intention would be that those uses are for the residents, and although not impossible, that is not the intention. Ms. Cameron asked about the car share option and there is a conversation about bringing in a car share option, and in other communities there is a credit for say, six spots, for car share use. Ms. Palmer said she did not think that it was necessary at this point, but Greystar is entering into an MOU with a car-share and bike-share program and felt the PDZ was not restrictive in this aspect, so she did not feel it was necessary to look for credits. Mr. Wilcox added that Maplewood I was shown to have a little too much parking, so this is working off that. Mr. Arms asked what the car to unit ratio was in Maplewood I and spaces are numbered; are there spaces for visitors. Ms. Palmer said it was conceived as a numbered system, but that didn’t work, and people with permits can park where they would like. Mr. Arms said he has never seen parking full. He asked about retail shops that seem lacking, and he is in favor of the project, but thinks some retail might be good. Mr. Jacob von Mechow showed the parking diagram and the public parking areas which are intended to take some of the street parking on Maple Ave and bring it into the development. He also showed the loading zones and car share spots. Mr. Arms asked about the water tower and jurisdiction. Mr. von Mechow said the City of Ithaca owns the property and has agreed to let us put a fence up. The applicant team is collaborating with the City on some aspects of that. Mr. Wilcox asked about the arrows on the street near the water tower and if that is the direction of traffic around the tower which depicts two-way and one-way. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 7 Mr. von Mechow responded that based on the traffic study, there were some concerns about the street access there and it was suggested that that portion be an entrance only. Ms. Palmer said there is a sidewalk there and there is an existing bus stop and TCAT is willing to talk about putting the bus stop back where there was one at the now vacant apartment complex. Ms. Randall said that Maplewood I had some built in flexibility for retail and 5,000 sqft cumulative was suggested to the Planning Committee for focused retail. Ms. Bageant asked about the total dwelling units that were finalized. Ms. Palmer said there are 615 and 20% are 2-bedroom and we are asking for some flexibility in the PDZ as we get closer to final plans. Ms. Bageant said the PDZ language is very set, and she wondered if that was too restrictive. Ms. Randall said the origin of that was to know the mix, and it may change. Ms. Brock has suggested a range with a hard number in total. Ms. Brock turned to parking spaces, and the draft has flexibility that could be interpreted as zero parking spaces and she suggested that there be a range, with a minimum. She quoted the Maplewood I vs proposed parking ratios, which are considerably lower than Maplewood I. She added that the bicycle parking allocation is very large. Ms. Palmer said there are six spaces but also a lot of covered bike storage being provided so that number is high because there is outdoor space at each building and then the bike share locations. Ms. Cameron said there should be a minimum amount of bike parking provided. Discussion followed on how to look at the impacts of any ranges and pay attention to the extremes of either end. Mike Kavanagh, Greystar, said 75 parking spots would be the minimum in his mind. Ms. Bageant asked if the bike storage units could be used for anything else or would it be permitted and controlled. Mr. Kavanagh said there is no charge for bike storage and residents would be given a lock or pass code and it is a glass unit and storage of other things would not be allowed. Mr. Wilcox asked about the process. The Planning Board wants to be lead agency for SEQR and he asked if that would be for both the PDZ and the project? Ms. Balestra responded that it would be both. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 8 Mr. Arms asked about the term “community” and what that means and asked if the public would be permitted to use the open space. Ms. Palmer said it is meant to be the residents of Maplewood I and II and the public is absolutely welcome to use the open space and trails. Some discussion followed on what is and isn’t public access and making that very clear in the language. Mr. Arms said the Planning Committee did a great job on this. Mr. Weinberg asked if the Board was comfortable with the word “approximately” regarding the number of parking spaces and if they can agree on a range, then all the “approximately” references can be removed. Mr. Wilcox noted that this Board does not make that determination, that is the Town Board’s decision when establishing the Planned Development Zone. 3. Persons to be heard Resident spoke about the proposed Verizon tower, saying that she and her family recently moved here and one of the reasons was the Town’s strong environmental stance and she was not told about this proposed project in time to speak at the last meeting. She said she spoke to many of her neighbors who also said they did not receive any notification of the proposal. She said that she is an acupuncturist and believes in science and there is a lot of radiation that comes off of these towers and there are a lot of studies out there about the dangers of that. She said she doesn’t want that in her backyard and her children playing around it and she is shocked that the Town of Ithaca is even considering this. She questioned the location and the need for the tower and urged the Town to look at the studies that are out there. Mr. Wilcox responded that there is no responsibility for the Town to send out a letter, it is up to the public to stay informed about projects in the Town. Notification is done as a courtesy to property owners within 500 feet of a proposal. Secondly, you cannot argue about health impacts if they are meeting the Federal standards for emissions, that is Federal law that we are bound to follow. The resident said their own proposal stated that it could cause harm, and why is that not addressed. Mr. Wilcox responded that we are aware that people are concerned. PB 2024-10-15 (Filed 11/8) 9 Ms. Brock asked if notifications were sent and Ms. Randall responded that they were, but they are sent to property owners, and many of the properties adjacent to the proposed tower are owned by the same person. The resident said that her comment was not a personal attack on the Town or the Board, but she thought the applicant was required to do so. Ms. Brock added that the applicant will be required to prove they meet the Federal standards for emissions and do so each year. Ms. Bageant added that the meetings are posted to the Town’s YouTube Live Meetings site if the resident wanted to see what was discussed at the other meetings. Staff noted that all application materials that have been submitted are on the Town’s website. 4. Approval of Minutes – None 5. Other - The next agenda was discussed. The meeting was adjourned upon a motion by Mr. Wilcox, seconded by Ms. Kaufman, unanimous. Submitted by Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk