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
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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 %)
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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 .
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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
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