HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-07 Steering Committee-FINAL1
ZUSC Meeting Minutes June 7, 2018
Town of Ulysses
Zoning of Ulysses Steering Committee
Final Meeting Minutes
June 7, 2018
Present: Chair Liz Thomas, Rebecca Schneider, Diane Hillmann, Michael Boggs, Rod Hawkes, Steve
Morreale, Sue Ritter, CJ Randall and David West
Public in Attendance: John Wertis, Nancy Zahler, Pete Angie and Stephanie Heslop
Call to Order: 7:05
Agenda Review; Minutes Review (5/24/201)
Ms. Thomas MADE the MOTION and Mr. Morreale SECONDED the MOTION to approve the minutes
from the May 24th, 2018 meeting.
Privilege of the Floor: John Wertis read a statement in which he and the Lord forgave the Committee for
the error of their ways.
Mr. Pete Angie, President of the Jacksonville Community Association (JCA), reported from the most
recent JAC meeting where he heard feedback from residents about the proposed changes. Most
residents seem to agree that 75% is too much lot coverage, a five-foot setback is too narrow and 6,000
square-ft for lot size is too small. Residents were concerned about keeping an open, less urban feeling to
the hamlet and dealing with water waste and runoff.
Ms. Heslop approved of the new standards for commercial development and said she is happy with the
6,000 sq.-foot lot standard, noting that it will keep properties affordable. She added that she would like
to make sure no more gas stations were built in Jacksonville, as she would not “wish living across from
one on anyone.”
Ms. Thomas opened the meeting with Committee reports. Ms. Schneider said the Planning Board
recommended the following:
• Add a standardized percentage to the maximum lot coverage limit;
• Find out what is included in the term “coverage”? Do impermeable or impervious surfaces count
as coverage;
• Create plans to keep as much water as possible on site. “Not for super big storms, that’s not
possible, said Ms. Schneider. “But we’d like property owners to keep water from septic and from
rainfall ranging from a sprinkle to a medium-sized storm on site”;
• Create a type of “Welcome Kit” for new home-buyers and builders. The kit would contain
information about a buyer’s new piece of land, said Ms. Schneider. For example, if a property is
on a steep slope in a Unique Natural Area, any building would need to go through a Site Plan
Review, she explained; and
• Find an answer to Ms. Olson’s question of where the idea for the 80/20 proposal came from and
has it worked somewhere else.
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ZUSC Meeting Minutes June 7, 2018
Mr. Morreale said the BZA also talked about how owners can keep water on their lot, causing more
discussion about bioswales, rain gardens, and other waste water solutions. Ms. Ritter reminded
everyone that any water plan has to abide by the permit process from the DEC and that those
requirements usually come with the development plan. Ms. Thomas said that although some language
about water has already gone to the Town Board, she believes it will be useful for the Planning Board
and ZUSC to work together on future recommendations about local legislation and water. She noted
that a few Planning Board-ZUSC joint meetings would be especially useful for the Town Board as they
begin to finalize zoning language.
Ms. Thomas then asked Mr. Randall and Mr. West to present the new zoning plan for Jacksonville. Mr.
West first gave a quick overview of what was not changing:
• one- and two-family homes will still be able to be built without site plan approval;
• accessory buildings are permitted; and
• minimum lot area, width, depth, side yard, maximum height and lot coverage in the H1 zone
remain the same.
What is changing?
• Mr. West and Ms. Randall propose the addition of a new zone, the Hamlet Center Zone (HCR),
which contains design standards that will require development to happen in a walkable format
with human-scaled buildings that maintain the historic hamlet character that is Jacksonville;
• uses that once required a special permit now go through Site Plan Review, which still gives
powers to the neighborhood review process while avoiding the difficulties of the Special Permit
Process; and
• the H1 Zone has expanded, as many residents felt density was too high. Mr. West said the Zone
has expanded in the east and the north.
Ms. Thomas requested that members of the public present at the meeting be included in the evening’s
discussion.
The ensuing conversation was about if and how the proposed changes will result in the Jacksonville in
which Jacksonville-ites want to live. Major discussion points were lot sizes and setbacks, with some
mention about houses being divided into two or three or more apartments.
Jacksonville residents who were at the meeting agreed that whatever lot size was settled on, it should
be one that keeps the rural, hamlet feel of Jacksonville. People were open to increased density, but not
too much of it. Discussion about setbacks centered on the same questions: how will setback size create
development that has less of an urban feel? How can they contribute to the walkable-ness of the
community?
The setback discussion resulted in the two votes of the evening. Mr. Angie would like sidewalks to be in
Jacksonville’s future; Mr. West responded that regardless, people should remember that much of the
space on either side of any road is owned by the DOT so that it can widen roads or add sidewalks.
Sidewalks are always within the road right-of-way and front yard setbacks would be from the DOT
owned right-of-way, which may already be 10 or more feet from the actual road. Board members
compared Jacksonville’s main road width to that in Trumansburg. In general, members agreed with the
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ZUSC Meeting Minutes June 7, 2018
consensus of the JCA meeting: a ten-foot, not five-, setback would be much more in keeping with the
goals of the hamlet plan.
Ms. Thomas MADE the MOTION and Mr. Morreale SECONDED the MOTION to change the front yard
setback from five feet to ten.
The vote passed 5-1, with Mr. Boggs voting no and Ms. Ritter abstaining.
After more discussion about side yards and how their size could make development feel more urban,
Ms. Thomas CALLED the QUESTION and Mr. Morreale SECONDED the MOTION to change the side yard
setback at 15 feet.
The vote passed 6-1, with Mr. Boggs voting no.
When asked, Mr. Boggs stated that he wanted a setback of 15 feet, ten was still narrow enough to cause
an urban feel to the hamlet.
Other conversation centered around the issue of old houses being divided into apartments. Ms.
Hillmann felt that absentee landlords contributes to the decline of houses. She suggestion a moratorium
on such subdivision until the issue can be more fully researched and a tax abatement for people who
buy subdivided homes and return them to single family residences.
Several people said they favored suggestions made in comments contributed by Trumansburg resident
and architect by trade Paula Horrigan, who had written she thought the proposal promotes more
development than Jacksonville wants or can handle. Mr. West said “we’re actually reducing the
development potential and density . . . over what is now allowed,” and that the “map (Ms. Horrigan)
proposed is twice area we proposed.” Mr. West added that he and Ms. Randall did not hear support
from the community for the extent of map change Ms. Horrigan had suggested. Randall and West also
noted that a Planned Development Area is normally created at the request of, and in conjunction with a
developer, not in zoning as suggested by Ms. Horrigan.
As the time moved closer to 9 p.m., Ms. Thomas reminded everyone that the Jacksonville proposal is still
a living document and people can suggest changes. She asked Committee members to do some
homework, noting they can call on Ms. Randall and Mr. West for help, and to bring specific suggestions
and proposals to the next meeting. Ms. Randall provided information on Image Mate Online, a site that
can help users envision how a parcel would look with different measurements, setbacks, etc.
Mr. Morreale MADE the MOTION and Ms. Thomas SECONDED the MOTION to adjourn. The meeting
adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Maria C. Barry on July 2, 2018