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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 1976-07-07 TOWN OF ITHACA PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING July 7 , 1976 - 7 : 30 p . m . SELECTION OF SITE FORHIGHWAY FACILITY PRESENT : Walter J . Schwan , Town Supervisor Andrew W . McElwee , Councilman Robert . N . Powers , Councilman Noel Desch., 'Councilman Catherine Valentino , Councilwoman Shirley Raffensperger , Councilwoman ALSO PRESENT : Lawrence P . j,Fabbroni , Town Engineer Robert Parkin , Highway Superintendent Barbara Holcomb , Planning Board Chairwoman Ethel V . Boyce , 110 Seven Mile Drive Millard Brink , 706 Elmira Road R . Curtis Gray , 657 Elmira Road Eleanor Sturgeon , 718 Elmira Road Richard Griffin , 146 Seven Mile Drive Roger Bennett , 178 Seven Mile Drive Edith Becker , 661 Five Mile Drive Supervisor Schwan opened the meeting . Schwan . Mr . Fabbroni will run through the hand - out ( attached to these notes ) . Fabbroni . We started . considering additions to the highway facility in August of c1974 . Several plans were prepared to add to the exising buildings .", We obtained preliminary cost estimates from contractors . At that time , considering .cost and maneuvering space for storing materials , and maneuvering equipment , it occurred to the Town Board that with roughly $ 90 , 000 projected for the proposed r additions to a 50 -year old facility , plus sale of property , it might be wise at this time to consider an alternate site with new build - ings , probably with more square footage and more functional . In March of this year we considered cost and feasibility of moving to a new site . As part of the evolutionary process of deciding on a site , it became apparent there were interesting al - ternate sites , and that it might be wise to consider obtaining options on available lands . Therefore , options were taken on two sites , one on Five Mile Drive and one on Seven Mile Drive . Following comments by Mr . R . Curtis Gray and Mr . Millard Brink in particular , other sites were considered and a whole analysis of what was available Gin the Town of Ithaca was made . That was the reason for preparing this report -for the Town Board ( which you have in hand ) . We started in ; Northeast Ithaca . In this area there remains roughly 50 acres in the hands of Lucente , 15 acres of Mr . Schoenfeld , and the remaining lands in this area are in the hands of Cornell University . The private lands are in already established subdivision type neighborhoods and really just fill in the empty areas of what is a skeleton R- 15 residential zone . The remaining lands of Cornell are a little more complicated insofar as coming to agreements with regard to the acquisition of land , even if a good site were available . Special legislation might be required to enter into an agreement with Cornell University on State lands . Mr . Fabbroni went on to cover the situation in East Ithaca , South Ithaca , West Ithaca , and the Inlet Area . He then outlined 11 areas as proposed sites . (All this is covered in the handout attached to these notes . ) Mr . Fabbroni noted that it appeared that Site # 4 and Site # 6 are best from all points of view . His own next personal choice is Site # 2 , Seven Mile Drive . _ 2 _ Boyce . How will it be screened from my view? . Fabbroni . We plan to develop a hedge - green - type of buffer . between your property and where the building is to be , possibly evergreen willow type tree . Holcomb . The '�Town Board asked . the Planning Board at the last meeting to react to the discussions going ° ' on . I will give a recommendation 'lof an informal report of four members of the Planning Board . Basically , we went through the same exercise that Larry outlined in determining what areas . of the Town might be considered . The premise we. started on was : Where is the center of the Town '? Obviously , lthe cen.ter ' . is in ' the City of Ithaca . We arrived at the conclusion that wherever this site is located , it should be readily accessible to one of the four major high- ways - - Rts , 13 , 79. ,. 89 and 96 . We eliminated South Hill for the reasons Larry outlined , and Forest Home for the same reason . WeA talked about the Northeast : That area within the Town was not available except right in the middle of existing areas . We considered '` the airport area . . This is an area which is already noisy because of the planes : 7A disadvantage is that it is not in the " Townalof Ithaca . We would have to have special State legislation to allow us to locate a facility outside the Town . In addition to '' that , the land is part of the Cornell Uni - versity Research Park " and whether or not that land is available , we do not know . However , the price , even if available , would be excessive . We looked '� at the Inlet . area . We looked at West Hill . On West .Hill there ispotential if we knew where Rt . 96 may go . We were trying to avoid a site location with pass - by traffic . We considered the . Inlet area . We went through the same presentation which Larry has made . We asked a lot of questions about .. the projected sites . The Seven . Mile Drive site is prefered for these reasons : ( 1 ) It has the shortest distance to a major highwy - 200 feet . ( 2 ) It is already naturally buffered , with the possibility of further buffering . ( 3 ) The size 'jof the site is adequate . ( 4 ) The site ' is sheltered and a building on this site will be the least obvious . For these. reasons the four members of the Planning Board recommend the Seven Mile Drive site . Mr . Schwan and . Mr . McElwee had a discussion with Mr . MacNeil and the County ' Hi_ghway Department last week,. about the possibility of a consol-idated operation with the County . There. was general . agreementilithat . the existing men and machines would not disappear if the Town . consolid'ated with: the County . The only piece of equipment which might be duplicated in consolidation would i be the gradall and the loader in terms of saving money . There was general agrement no saving would be achieved . As far as the County is concerned , there is no available unused area .in their existing highway- facility . Even on County land a new building would be re - quired .. Mr . MacNeil talked of leasing land from the County . Our research indicated that , legally , we might not be able to invest Town funds in leased land . Consolidation with the County did not appear wise for the following reasons : _ 3 _ ( 1 ) No saving . ( 2 ) No. available storage area . ( 3 ) The s-ite . ' not considered a particularly good one . ( 4 ) No . benefit to the long range future of the Town . Mr . Millard Br"ink ' objected to the location of the site as adversely affecting the people in the area ; for instance Mrs . Boyce 'who has lived there . 40 . years . Her property and trees would be used as a buffer . . He said it is a " blind " corner and that the Town is headed for trouble in getting into Rt . 13 . Mr . Evans , he said ; has a home wtithn ' 50 feet of . the corner and his trees would have to be cut and . a. caution light would be neededi . He said they had already had near accidents in the last two weeks:. He said he had lived in the area ''. for 25 . yearse that he - knew the traffic pattern . He said if . the Town builds within 500 feet of his farm pond where he has ducks , bass , and. geese , his farm would. be for sale in short order . He said ' .he had friends . in the area who will say the same things he has with respect -. to traffic. . He said " the Town should be located with the . County barns and ' the school buses ; that is where the Town belongs ; _ and1` there is no : reason . why the Town cannot get a location . there . Ali that . is required is to appropriate land across the way from the County. . There is no reason to locate a mile away from. it . Eleanor Sturgeon . OIn this cased , agree with Mr . Brink . That is a ' bad crossing ,, very dangerous , a lot ' of children in the neighborhood and a lot of traffic already . We do suffer with traffic on Rt . 1 .30 To have more truck ST, would be estremely dangerous . Boyce . I have lived there 49 years on that piece of land and I am going to fight for it . I already have a pond across the road that the Town built for fire protection when Harry Baker was Town Supervisor . You '', can ' t: now even get them to spray for mosquitos . They dug a pond 'for fire protection right ' in back of the motel be - tween Rosten and former Marion . property. , That pond is between Wonderland and Dunrovin . It was put in a . short - time before the Wonderland. was built and there has been friction between the two pieces of property over the years . Griffin . I am against this 1000 . Schwan . We will not duplicate what we already own . We would use the pieces of . machinery of three towns and a village , whichever . was closes .t !' to the problem . Griffin . It makes no sense ; it should be in the Cornell . University area .., ' Aren ' t the Cornell orchards going to be moved ? Schwan .. That ; is State land . In any event , we will probably utilize the Village of Cayuga Heights backhoe . Griffin . There will be a lot of maintenance on those facilities . It should be closer by . Bennett . I - wa' s at one of the first meetings . Even though you say you are getting too many trucks and ' buses at ' Bostwick and Seven Mile Drive , you " started in that area . Why not continue in that . area . I wonder if you would allow some private industry to spread out . Schwan . ' It is already zoned light industrial . Bennett . Butlnot Seven Mile Drive . 11 - 4 - .Brink .. If , . originally , there was logic in building for 60 buses on Bostwick Road , why is it not logical now to locate across the road from them or tie in with the County in some way ? That question has notli,been answered . There is: a perfect location right across the road'l'; and that is where you belong . It may cost a little more money , but - you are . building these Town barns for the next 30 or 40 years . Your proposed location is at a blind corner . Mr. . R . Curtisl, Gray , � 657 Elmira Road , objected to the proposed site on Seven' Mile Drive on the grounds that it will create noise in. the . neighborhood , create a more dangerous inter - section . It . will create ' dust and dirt . Heavy trucks will be bad for the road which- was not made for truck traffic ; the road is very narrow with little or no shoulders . It is a dangerous location for school children who use the bus . The corner . is a blind approach to Elmira Road . because ' of high pine trees and shrubbery . Mr . Gray said the best locatiori ' is on. Bostwick Road or with the County . He said if it costs the taxpayers a little more money , the Town should nevertheless locate property because it will be there for 50 years . Mr . Brink noted that the Ithaca � Journal reported at least twice that the Town proposed to buy 10 . 8 acres at a cost of $ 13 , 850 . He said the Town _ would . be purchasing 3 . 5 acres of usable land and all the rest . is non_ usable . He said it would cost the Town a lot to drain the swamp area and: put a road through there . With 3 . 5 usable acres at $ 13 , 850 , the Town would be paying close to $ 4 , 000 an acre for the usable land . All the rest , he said , is not usable and that he could prove it . The usable area is only 3 . 5 acres , the aerial photo is not up to date . Mrs . Raffensperger asked Mr . Brink if he considered the access . better from Five ' Mile Drive than Seven Mile Drive . Mr . ®r , Brink said " absolutely " . ' " You are 200 feet from Rt . 139 All these . trucks are going to come of this poor access . On the other hand , if you go on Bostwick Road , , then you are going into the City of Ithaca down Five Mile Drive the other way toward the Octopus and you are splitting !� the traffic . You cut the traffic in part when you get on the Bostwick Road . It does not all go on Rt . 13 at one location . " McElwee . I. . think we should compare Five Mile Drive with Seven Mile Drive on to Rt . 13 at the intersection only . Brink . The Seven Mile Drive entrance . to Rt . 13 is blocked from view because Evans ' home is within 25 ft . of the State highway line . - You aren ' t going to move that home. He has three pine trees in front of the home , ` so you have a blocked view to get on Rt . 13 at that particular point . This is why Mr . Gray said you will have accidents there . Becker . If you really want excitement , you want to watch 60 school buses , . the Town trucks , the trucks from Rt . 13 . With the fumes , you can ' t leave your windows open . Talk about pollution , you should be down there . Voice . Five Mile Drive , it takes me 25 minutes in the norning and 12 minutes at night . I have sat one , two , and three minutes because of the school buses on that road . That road is a mess now . 90 % of those trucks all go to the Elmira Road and then to here . Then - I have ',' the Octopus or the trucks . Schwan . In evaluating both intersections , I think it was easier . to get on Rt . 13 from Seven Mile Drive than it was from 13A . - 5 - Boyce . Half of the school buses go down Seven Mile Drive ; also Landstrom , and Rumsey - Ithaca . Mr . MacNeil thought the proposed site - might. be . too far from the service areal He said the suggestion that the Town might locate with the County facility had some - merit '. Even though the Town would still have ':to construct a building it would have the back - up of the County ,; for repairing , . painting . He noted that the County itself is growing , and its highway facility will have to be expanded and this expansion could go hand in hand with Town expan- sion . Mr . . Schwan was ' not convinced that the County site is adequate . He wondered where the ', County would put the Town . Mr . Brink said there is 40 to 50 acres of abandoned land which could be . bulldozed . The County , he said , has got their " junk " spread everywhere . Put it all together ', he said , and ' 20 acres of land would be available . Mr . Schwan said the County does not own that amount of acreage .' The balance belongs to Babcock who will sell none of it , he . said . ' He said also that the access is not good . Mr . Brink thought a good access could be made . Supervisor Schwan asked Mr . MacNeil4if ` the County was offering space � to the ','; Town . Mr . MacNeil said they explored that on a . conceptual basisljin discussion with Howard Stevenson . He said he thought if the site must be located in the area discussed there would . be some . , merit in locating with the County . He said , however. , one of the steepest hills in all of Tompkins County is involved . SupervisorSchwan said we have been living with that for 50 years . Mr .. MacNeil did not appear to ' make a, definitive statement that ' County 'iland . was available , in response to Super - visor Schwan ' s question . Schwan . . We will close the meeting . Thank you very much for coming . ADJOURNMENT The meeting was duly adjourned . fill EdwarOoOL . Bergen Town Clerk