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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PEDC-2020-09-16Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda City of Ithaca Planning & Economic Development Committee Wednesday, September 16, 2020 – 6:00 p.m. Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street Minutes Committee Members Attending: Joseph (Seph) Murtagh, Chair; Cynthia Brock, Stephen Smith, Donna Fleming, and Laura Lewis Committee Members Absent: Alderperson George McGonigal Other Elected Officials Attending: None Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director, Planning and Development Department; Lisa Nicholas, Deputy Director, Planning and Development Department; Jennifer Kusznir, Senior Planner; Alex Phillips, Planner; and Deborah Grunder, Executive Assistant Others Attending: Chair Seph Murtagh called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 1)Call to Order/Agenda Review For Item #3a and #5a, the boundary expansion was not included. 2)Public Comment Michael Boggs, Enfield, New York, spoke on the couplets. Theresa Alt, Eddy Street, spoke on the early public information session for the CIITAP projects. Tax incentives are the IDA’s prerogative, but it is the City’s incentive for local labor. Hector Chang, 917 N. Cayuga Street, spoke on the couplet item. He asks that the City be mindful of the area being considered and the lack of pedestrian and bike traffic. Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda Marty Hiller spoke on behalf of the Project Growing Hope. We have been working endlessly to keep the community gardens where they currently are. We would like to have developers held accountable to help the community gardens. Chair Murtagh read into the record a letter from the Friends of the Newman Golf Course which is attached to these minutes regarding the Community Activity Center. Murtagh also read into the record a letter from Kenneth Lynch, Town of Enfield council person on the Court/Buffalo Streets couplet. Response from Council: Committee members decided to refrain from commenting until the topic comes up on the agenda. 3) Special Order of Business a) IDA Workforce Housing Requirement and CIITAP Heather McDaniel spoke to the group to explain the debate of the fee associated with this. Alderperson Fleming stated that maybe we don’t need this program. Theresa Alt wrote a great explanation as to it not being needed. Heath McDaniel responded that all the projects are looked at in depth. The IDA sees all the financials on these projects. Alderperson McGonigal agreed with Alderperson Fleming’s comments. The local labor component is very important. McDaniel stated that they have a committee formed to look at that very component. Alderperson Brock thanked McGonigal and asked if there could be a report of their efforts available to us. McDaniel stated they would be more than willing to provide such reports. Alderperson Brock stated she would like to see the IDA stay with their mission of job creation. Chair Murtagh thanked Heather for her comments. Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda 4) Announcements, Update, Reports a) Sustainability Efforts to Date Nick Goldsmith was not in attendance so JoAnn Cornish updated the committee about the sustainability initiatives. More information will be distributed as we move forward. b) Carpenter Circle Project Updates and PUD Lisa Nicholas, Deputy Director of Planning, was in attendance to update the group on this project. Alderperson Lewis asked how the funding approval is going. Nicholas stated it is in the first stage. 5) Action Items (Voting to Circulate) a) CIITAP / IDA Workforce Housing Jennifer Kusznir stated that this does not have to be circulated, but we are asking for a preference to circulate or not. Alderperson Brock stated she understands what the resolution is stating, but there is a large percentage of the community that this is maybe moving too quickly. She would like to remove the City’s recommendation to approve tax abatements to real estate developers in the downtown core. She believes that a conversation must happen about removing the CIITAP all together. Chair Murtagh stated this conversation should have to be with the IDA. Alderperson Fleming moves the resolution with using #3; seconded by Alderperson Smith. Carried 4-1 (Brock). Alderperson Lewis agrees that this is a bigger conversation. Alderperson Brock stated the City doesn’t have the authority to approve a CIITAP application. We can provide a recommendation, but not approval. Planning Director Cornish stated that it doesn’t have to be circulated, but it can. Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda 8/139/15/2020 Draft Resolution—Expansion of the Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program Boundaries and Amendment to the City CIITAP Process Alderperson Fleming moved the resolution using #3 Resolved; seconded by Alderperson Smith. Carried 4-1 (Brock). 1. WHEREAS, in 2017, the City reviewed the Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) in order to identify criteria that the City felt were important for approving projects for tax abatements, and 2. WHEREAS, in 2018, the Common Council amended the CIITAP process to add requirements for diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, and 3. WHEREAS, the current CIITAP process requires an applicant to complete the City application and meet the minimum criteria for location, density, size, municipal compliance, diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, and once an endorsement is received they must begin the application process for the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and 4. WHEREAS, given that the IDA application has similar requirements for diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, which addresses all of the issues that Council identified, it is redundant and confusing for applicants to have two similar processes, and 5. WHEREAS, since the IDA is the agency that administers and monitors tax abatements, the City acknowledges that they are the appropriate body to set any criteria that requires ongoing monitoring, and a simplified application process will be beneficial to applicants and to the City, and 6. WHEREAS, in 2018, the City amended the boundary of the City density district, which is the required location for projects to be located within in order to apply to CIITAP process, and 7. WHEREAS, the amended boundary included all of the newly created waterfront zoning districts, with the exception of the Cherry Street District, and 8.6. WHEREAS, the portion of the Cherry Street District north of Cecil Malone is zoned for mixed use development and Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda there is development interest in this area, but the high cost of construction makes these projects challenging, therefore, be it now • RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council amends the City Density District to include the portion of the Cherry Street zoning district north of Cecil A Malone Drive, and be it further 1. RESOLVED, the City of Ithaca Common Council understands that the City’s Community Incentive Investment Tax Abatement Program continues to be a vital tool to encourage density in the City’s Density District, and be it further 2. RESOLVED, that the City acknowledges that the IDA tax abatement application includes similar criteria for local labor, diversity, and workforce housing, and in order to reduce confusion and eliminate redundancy, the City hereby amends the CIITAP criteria to remove the housing, local labor, and diversity requirements and only retains criteria for location, density, size, and municipal compliance. Or 3. RESOLVED, that the City acknowledges that the IDA tax abatement application includes similar criteria for local labor, diversity, and workforce housing, and in order to reduce confusion and eliminate redundancy, the City hereby requests that the IDA application include density, location, size, and municipal compliance requirements for any City projects, and hereby eliminates the City application process for tax abatement requests. b) Amendment to Design Guidelines Ordinance (Waterfront Zoning) Alderperson Smith moved to send onto Council; Alderperson Lewis seconded it. Carried unanimously. Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda An Ordinance Amending The Municipal Code Of The City Of Ithaca, Chapter 160, Entitled “Design Review” To Amend the language to Applicability and Exemptions WHEREAS, the City’s current applicability for mandatory design review is inconsistent with § 325-4 Establishment of districts, WHEREAS, the current applicability and exemptions does not include the current Waterfront and Collegetown zones; now, therefore, ORDINANCE NO. ____ BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca that Chapter 160 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca be amended as follows: Section 1. Chapter 160, Section 160-4 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is hereby amended to read as follows: Mandatory design review shall apply to all proposals for: A. New construction, exterior alterations, addition or removal of exterior signs, or additions to any structure within the zones designated B-1b; B-2c; B- 2d; all CBD zones, including CBD-60, CBD-85, CBD-100, and CBD-120; C-SU; WF-1; WF-2; WE/WFD, CSD, ND, MD; and on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area as designated on the map entitled "2009 Collegetown Urban Plan and Conceptual Design Guidelines Planning Area," dated November 2011, a copy of which is on file in the Ithaca City Clerk's office. B. New construction, exterior alterations, or additions to any structure 60 feet in height or greater in any zone. C. Demolition of any primary structure within any zone, and demolition of any portion of any structures within the zones designated B-1b; B-2c; B-2d; all CBD zones, including CBD-60, CBD-85, CBD-100, and CBD-120; C-SU; WF-1; WF-2; WE/WFD, CSD, ND, MD; and on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area. D. New construction of a primary structure on a parcel within any zone within two years following a demolition of a primary structure on that parcel. E. Changes to the site, such as the addition of new or alterations to existing hardscape elements, including but not limited to paving, retaining walls, or fences on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area. Section 2. Chapter 160, Section 160-6B of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is hereby amended to read as follows: B. Any action pertaining to any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area on which a single-family home is Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda and will remain the primary use shall be exempt from the requirement for design review. Section 3. Effective date. This ordinance shall take effect immediately and in accordance with law upon publication of notices as provided in the Ithaca City Charter. 6) Discussion NYSDOT Proposed Changes to Buffalo and Court Streets Lisa Nicholas stated there is no resolution in the packet. Last month the Planning Board approved Carpenter Circle The DOT and the City have different visions for this area. With the receipt of the building grant, it may make it easier to work better together. There is a lot of data for this corridor. Alderperson Brock asked for clarification of the building grant the City has been awarded. When and how will this committee be kept informed of the process? Planning Director Cornish stated we will need to have meetings with DOT and the traffic engineers. We can provide information at next month’s meeting as to the process. Alderperson McGonigal stated he sees that DOT wants to move cars through this area quickly. There are a number of houses and businesses already on Court Street which are not at all in favor. When the change in Fulton Street to one way, DOT thought it would benefit the residents and businesses there. It did not. The cars travel too fast through that area. Planning Director Cornish stated the City feels the same. DOT does want to move cars through. The state does own these streets so we must work with them. Alderperson Brock stated that travelers going east and west have to go through Ithaca. That causes such the bottleneck of traffic at times. Alderperson Lewis stated that many would like to see multi-modal. Research has shown that vehicles travel faster on one-way streets. She would like to look into that research to get a better understanding. Chair Murtagh thanked all who have worked on this. Approved at the January 20, 2021 PEDC Agenda 7) Review and Approval of Minutes a) March 2020 Moved by Alderperson Brock as amended; seconded by Alderperson Smith. Carried unanimously. 8) Adjournment Moved by Alderperson Fleming; seconded by Alderperson Brock. Carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.