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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-08-20 4 8 5 1 Planning Board Minutes August 20, 1997 TOWN OF DANBY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 20, 1997 - 7 : 30 P. M. Regular Meeting PRESENT : Chairperson Kenneth Horst Planning Board Members : Gerald Catlin, Arch Dotson, William Farrell , Linda Hansen, Robert • Roe, Nancy Weitzel Others Present : Code Enforcement Officer - Susan Beeners Secretary - Carol Sczepanski Planning Department Representative - Rebecca Lubin Members of the Public : Beatrice Hogben, Naomi Strichartz, John Henderson, Dawn Parks , Bob Strichartz, Verna R . Little, Pat Woodworth Chairperson Kenneth Horst called the meeting to order at 7 : 37 P . M . and welcomed Robert Roe , a new member of the Planning Board . Chairperson Horst made the following statements and expressed his concerns as follows : "It is good to be back after a vacation that was granted to him and at least he will be a member of the Planning Board for at least five (5 ) months" . He he reported to the board that he had given serious consideration of resigning from the Board , but if he were to be replaced it would be with another new member. His decision to continue was because we are now going a through a process of developing a new comprehensive plan and it might be better if he continued rather than have someone new that is unfamiliar with the process . He said "I will do the best I can to represent the Board for the next five ( 5 ) months" . In response to letters he received from the Planning Board he said : "I appreciate the very strong support from the Planning Board that I received . I am very proud of this Planning Board. I think we have an excellent Planning Board . Bob Roe who is a new member of the Planning has a challenge before him to adhere to some of the standards that I think that this Planning Board has set" . Chairperson Horst commented on how the Planning Board has demonstrated extreme service to the community and to the public . This Planning Board serves the public, not our own personal concerns or feelings, but what the public is trying to tell us and the people who make up the Town of Danby . He reminded the Board that there were times when they would not all always agree on decisions that are placed before them and that once a vote has been taken, the majority rules and we should stand behind that decision. He complimented the Board on their past performance and said that they have demonstrated unity . • The Planning Board welcomed Chairperson Horst back to the Board . Members of the Public : Verna Little - 1758 Danby Road - urged the Board to be as open as possible to people who are not appointed and do not hold positions of power. Comprehensive Planning Work Session With Rebecca Lubin , Tompkins County Circuit Rider Planner Susan Beeners reported that the Town Board approved an $ 800 . 00 expenditure to obtain assistance from the Tompkins County Planning for Comprehensive Planning work . The plan is for monthly work sessions of the Planning Board through December. The work is to develop comprehensive plan goals and try to move the comprehensive planning along and we are still hoping to hear from the 4 6 2 Planning Board Minutes August 20, 1997 Planning Federation Grant that we have applied for sometime in October. Chairperson Horst said that there has been meetings with Judith Pastel , Superintendent of the Ithaca City Schools relative to the Danby School . She has indicated that she would be happy to come out and speak with us about our planning process about how the school , as it now is , fits into the planning future . Susan asked the Board to allow time for work sessions with Rebecca Lubin at their regular monthly meetings . The Board will schedule the September and October meetings at 7 : 00 P .M . to allow time for development review . • Rebecca Lubin said that she would like to discuss with the Board the kind of process she sees Danby going through in their comprehensive planning . 1 ) The first step is to identify issues . 2) Get general and specific information --demographic , land use and national resource information possibly through the use of sub-committees . 3 ) Goal setting and recommendation setting is based on the background information and issues you want to look at. 1 ) Do we need to change our zoning ordinance? , 2) Do we want to look at our subdivision regulations ? 3 ) Do we need to develop some new local law covering historic resources, scenic areas ? Rebecca presented the Board with demographic information obtained from the 1980 and 1990 senses report from Tompkins County and explained the contents . Some of the basic facts of the Danby area are : 1 ) There are 53 . 6 Square Miles or 34 ,285 acres in Danby . It is the fifth largest municipality in Tompkins County but has the lowest population and housing density with the average household size 2 . 75 . Housing density in Danby is equal to the Town of Caroline . In Tompkins County the population density is 3 . 1 per household and housing density is 1 . 2 . (Population Density - . 08 persons per acre and Housing Density - . 03 units per acre) . 2) Open space including New York State Forest Lands is almost 1 /3 . 3 ) Rural Residential is 33 . 8% with many large parcels of which many could be subdivided . 4) Population information -- in the 1965 general plan developed for Danby the population projection was that the Danby population would be 3 , 500 by 1980 . The County population projection estimates table for Danby shows and is based on birth rate , death rate and migration rate . Other estimates are being developed on a regional level that will probably be based on percentage criteria. • 1995 - 3 ,029 2000 - 3 , 158 2010 - 3 ,437 2025 - 3 , 758 . (The population count in the 1990 census was 2 , 858 ) . Criteria can be developed with population estimates based on age of the population. The census report includes age breakdowns of the population . Residents in 1985 - breakdown Same House - 1 , 651 (62 .2%) Same County - 649 (24 . 5 %) 4 8 7 3 Planning Board Minutes August 20, 1997 Same State - 236 (9%) Outside New York - 117 (4 . 4%) Housing - There are a lot of interesting figures you can get from the census such as number of housing units, standard housing, housing conditions, number of single housing units , two family, multi-family, mobile homes etc . Number of Housing Units 1980 - 878 1990 - 1 ,087 % of change 1980 - 1990= 23 . 8 % Enfield had the largest percentage of increase in housing reported in the 1990 census . • Median Value of Owner Occupied Units - $ 81 ,400 (Tompkins County $ 94,700) Tompkins County figures are flexible due to student population in some areas . Income figures can be used to get a picture of the population of the community . Income/Employment Median Family Income - $42 ,944 (TC $ 37 , 874) Median Household Income - $ 34, 500 (TC $27 , 742) Per Capita Income - $ 15 , 600 (TC 13 , 171 ) Income figures are useful in showing whether we have affordable housing to the majority of Danby residents . Chairperson Horst said that we have to consider students and senior citizens when using income figures verses expenses for housing . Employment by Industry Educational Services in Tompkins County is approximately 50% Agriculture, forestry and Fisheries - 50 (2 . 98 % (TC -2 . 58 %) Construction - 158 (9 . 42%) (TC- 4 . 33 %) Manufacturing - 230 ( 13 . 71 %) (TC - 9 . 31 %) Transportation - 34 (2 . 03 %) (TC - 1 . 92%) Communications and Other Public Utilities - 49 (2 . 92%) (TC 1 . 83 %) Retail and Wholesale Trade - 282 ( 16 . 82%) (TC 15 . 6%) Finance , Insurance and Real Estate - 91 ( 5 .43 %) (TC - 15 . 6%) Services (Business and Repair, Personal , Entertainment and Recreation - 137 ( 8 . 17%) (TC - 6 . 92 %) Health Services - 72 (4 . 29%) (TC - 4 . 86%) Educational Services - 419 (24 . 99%) (TC 38 . 35 %) Other Professional Services - 103 (6 . 14%) (TC 7 . 69%) Public Administration - 52 (3 . 1 %) (TC - 2 . 17%) Other Background Information that can be used : Rebecca presented a map she made of Danby showing natural resources with overlays outlining types of soils slopes and things that would have limited growth areas . This type of map shows areas • where growth could physically occur . An inventory can be done of historic resources in looking at things that the Town may want to preserve including the rural landscape areas . Identifying information and elements can be useful in developing goals for a comprehensive plan . Some of the issues to look at are : land use, housing , natural resources, scenic resources , transportation, population and economic , community facility . A comprehensive plan is usually written for a ten ( 10) years and reviewed in five (5) years . To develop a plan it usually takes about one ( 1. ) year . There must be consideration in how a comprehensive plan will be used when setting goals and guidelines and how detailed the plan should be . 4 8 8 4 Planning Board Minutes August 20, 1997 Rebecca said that at the next meeting the Planning Board should be prepared to discuss what type of plan and they want and the kind of issues and goals to be addressed . There should always be public involvement and a good time to involve the public is after major issues have been identified . She suggested that the Planning Board review our existing Comprehensive Plan . Chairperson Horst said that we need to look at our infrastructure related to possible water and sewer needs where growth may occur. The next meeting with Rebecca Lubin will be Wednesday, September 17, 1997 at 7 : 00 P . M . Approval of Minutes : III July 19 , 1997 Public Hearing Minutes - Bruce Proposal A motion was made by Gerald Catlin and seconded by William Farrell to approve the Planning Board Public Hearing Minutes for the Bruce Proposal as published . A vote on the motion resulted as follows : Carried Unanimously July 19, 1997 Public Hearing - Englehart Proposal A motion was made by William Farrell and seconded by Linda Hansen to approve the Planning Board Public Hearing Minutes for the Englehart Proposal as published . A vote on the motion resulted as follows : Carried Unanimously July 19, 1997 Planning Board Meeting A motion was made by William Farrell and seconded by Gerald Catlin to approve the Planning Board Minutes of July 19, 1997 with minor corrections . A vote on the motion resulted as follows : Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT : On a motion the meeting adjourned at 9 :45 P . M . aided. 4r " _I Carol W . Secretary min- 8 -20 . 97 •