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 .
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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 :
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( 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 .
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.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 .
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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