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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 1974-01-07TOWN OP ITHACA REGULAR MEETING January 1, 1974 At a regular meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, held at the Town Offices at 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York, on the 7th day of January, 1974, at 5?00 p.m., there were: ^ PRESENT: Walter J. Schwan, Town Supervisor j Andrew W. McElwee, Councilman i Noel Desch, Councilman Victor Del Rosso, Councilman Robert N. Powers, Councilman ALSO PRESENT: Barbara Holcomb, Chairman, Planning Board Kenneth Kroohs, Planning Engineer Reynolds Metz, Zoning Officer James V. Buyoucos, Town Attorney Edward N. Austen, Zoning Board of Appeals W. Warren Buck, Jr., Mgr., Lucente Homes Nicholas Chacona, 555 Elm Street David Gersh, Attorney Beverly Livesay, County Representative Rocco Lucente, Lucente. Homes Evan Monkemeyer, 1059 Danby Road Lenora R. Monkemeyer, 1059 Danby Road Mary K. Oltz, Willseyville Melford E. Oltz, Willseyville Geoffrey Wetzler, Architect Radio, TV, and Press The meeting was called to order at 5:15. MEETINGS BETWEEN TOWN SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES County Representative Beverly Livesay reported that she intends to attend as many of the Town of Ithaca Board meetings as possible. She also said she would like to see closer cooperation between the Town of Ithaca Bo€u:d the the people at the County level. This led to a discussion of the possibility of reviving the joint meetings between Town Supervisors and members of the County Board of Representatives. Such meetings used to be held every two months but were abandoned. Supervisor Schwan advised Mrs. Livesay he would be happy to attend such meetings again if she were instrumental in reviving them. She said she would try. DESIGNATION OF DEPOSITORIES OF TOWN FUNDS Motion by Supervisor Schwan; seconded by Councilman MnElwee, RESOLVED, that the Tompkins County Trust Company and the First National Bank of Ithaca, New York, be and the same hereby aren designated as depositories for all monies coming into the hands of the Supervisor, the Town Clerk, and the Receiver of Taxes. ' Unanimously carried. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY SUPERVISOR FOR 1974 Motion by Supervisor Schwan; seconded by Councilman Desch, RESOLVED, that Councilman Andrew W. McElwee be appointed Deputy Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca for the year 1974. Unanimously carried. - 2 - January 1, 1974 INCANPEScfeNlr Vb; MERCtjRY VAPOR LIGHTSn ■' I ' I • li I ' li!The Board considered the r^pbiiDEBeifidation Of the New Tork StateElectric a Gas CorporktjLon; tnat the Towh switch from incandescentlights in its lighting disi:^i<ira to merdary-vapor lights. Thismatter was tabled pendiifig further in-put; APPOINTMENT OF REl^RES^jiT^/E OF THE TOWN_ TO ATTEND MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TOWNS Motion by Supervisor. Schwan; skl^biided by Councilman McElwee#RESOLVED, tl^at j^rhderidk R.^^a^tsodk, Justice of the Peace, beappointed to fepreseht the Tp^ei bt Ithaca at the meetings of theAssociation of ToWhSi 6h Febrhati^ 4, fe , and 6, i974 iii New York City, expenses to be paid by the T6Wh. RT. 13 - k. Unanimously cartied. Supervisor Schwan reported he had attended a meeting of Department ofTransportation officials and Ton^kins County officials. Assemblywoman Constance E. Cook, Senator William Smith, and others, regarding the Route 13-North Triphammer Road Overpass. He reported that the contract for the work on this project has been let, and the wotk wuuld begin about the first of March unless it is abandoned because oflocal opposition. Supervisor Schwan felt the project had to be accepted as designed or run the risk that the project would be abandoned and not be undertaken again for many years, if ever. He recommendedthat the Board adopt a resolution in support of the project. TheBoard felt the project should go forward and, therefore, took the following action: Motion by Supervisor Schwan; seconded by Councilman Del Rosso, WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca recognizes the existence of major traffic hazards at the intersection of New York State Route 13 and Triphammer Road, and WHEREAS, the New York State Department of Transportation hasawarded a contract for the construction of an overpass at this inter section within the existing State right of way, and WHEREAS, it is the judgment of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca that the project as designed will reduce accidents on both Route 13 and Triphammer Road to an acceptable minimum, and WHEREAS, the likelihood of the status of Route 13 being down- graded should this project not be constructed is very real, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca supports the proposed project as designed by the New York State Department of Transportation. Unanimously carried. The Town Clerk was instructed to forward a copy of the foregoing resolution to New York State Department of Transportaticm officials, to Assemblywoman Constance E. Cook, Senator William Smith; to Frank Liguori, Planning Director, Tompkins County; the three County Repre sentatives; the Supervisors of the Towns of Lansing and Dryden, and to the Mayor of the Village of Cayuga Heights, - 3 - January 7, 1974 M0MKEI4EYER DEVELOPMENT - "SPRINGWOOD" Mr- David B. Gersh, Attorney for the Evan Monkemeyer ("Springwood") development appeared to present a status report and bring the Board up to date on their efforts to satisfy the conditions to be met with ^ regard to site plan approval of the "Springwood" project. Mr. Gersh , said they had supplied the electrical layout for "Springwood", added the drainage (a section of foundation with footer drains); furnished a letter from George W. Guest, Sanitarian, Tompkins County Health Department, dated January 7, 1974 to Mr. E. Monkemeyer indicating that Mr, Guest had verbal indication from the Regional Office of the New York State Department of Health of basic approval of the water plan for "Springwood" (Mr. Guest indicated there would be some minor addi tional requirements.) Mr. Guest also indicated in this letter that he had verbal indication of basic approval of the sewage plans by the Department of Environmental Conservation. Mr. Guest also noted in his letter that a sewage application form would have to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Conservation by the Town. Councilman Desch felt the downstream creeekbed needed to be improved, and that the Town should have a letter from the developer saying they will modify the creekbed to comply with the development design. ^Ir. Monkemeyer said he would furnish the Town with such a letter. Mr. Desch said he thought the Board ought to have a letter on the drain age, and a recommendation from the Planning Board that "Springwood" has met all the conditions outlined by the Planning Board. Mr. Desch also suggested that when the building permit is issued it should have an attachment from the developer indicating that they would comply with all the Planning Board recommendations and conditions. Mr. ^ Desch felt the "Springwood" developers should appear once again be- i j fore the Town Board. Before the discussion was concluded, however, I it appeared that the Board would be satisfied with letters indicating that the conditions had been satisfied, together with official Health Department approval. Mr. Monkemeyer indicated that such letters would be furnished. REPORTS OF TOWN OFFICIALS Kenneth Kroohs, Planning Engineer, reported that Arthur A. Prince would like to have Fidler Road accepted as a Town road. This will be taken up at the meeting of February 11, 1974. PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ZONING ORDINANCE RE TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS Proof of posting and publication of the notice of the public hearing on this matter having been presented. Supervisor Schwan opened the hearing by reading the recommendation of the Planning Board (based on a resolution duly adopted by the Pl2mning Board at its meeting on November 20, 1973), as follows: The Planning Board recommended that the Zoning Ordinamce of the Town of Ithaca be amended as follows: Article III, Section 4, Paragraph 2; To be deleted in its ! entirety. .1 Article IV, Section 11, Paragraph 2: Amended to read: "A two-family dwelling provided that the minimum lot size for such use shall be 20,000 square feet and further provided, that in all subdivisions pro posed after the effective date of this amendment in no case shall the density in each sxibdivision exceed 3.5 units per gross acre." Article V, Section 18, Paragraph 2: Amended to read: "A two-family dwelling." The remainder of the paragraph to be deleted. - 4 January 7, 1974 Supervisor Schwan then asked for comments on the proposed amendment. f Mr, Rocco Lucente, Lucente Homes, said if the lot size requirement for an owner to be permitted to havq an apartment in the house is increased by 25%, it would increase'^he cost^by 25%, based on rising prices. He felt this would be a hardship on'retired people and young people who needed an apartment in the house in order to be able to maintain the house and keep up mortgage and tax payments. Supervisor Schwan said one of the reasons for the proposed amendment was to pre vent the proliferation of duplexes on R-15 lots. n 1 Mr. Lucente suggested that an apartment might be permitted if it did not exceed 65% of the living area (geiieraly considered to be that area that is normally heated). The Board was concerned over the definition of "living area." The Board was also concerned with en forcement of such a provision since it appeared the 65% provision could be avoided and the Town would not even know it. The Zoning Officer would have to inspect each house to measure the apartments. From a practical standpoint, this would not be enforceable. Town Attorney Buyoucos suggested the possibility of the 20,000 square foot lot requirement and the 65% requirement. Supervisor Schwan noted that the discussion had raised enough ques tions so that it might be better to table consideration of the mat ter at this time. Councilman Powers and McElwee did not concur. Motion by Supervisor Schwan; seconded by Councilman Desch, RESOLVED, that consideration of the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Ithaca be tabled. A poll of the Board members was taken on the resolution with the following results: Supervisor Schwan .., Councilman Desch Councilman Del Rosso Councilman McElwee ., Councilman Powers .., Voting Aye Voting Aye Voting Aye Voting Nay Voting Nay The resolution was duly adopted. APPROVAL OF WARRANTS Motion by Councilman Desch; seconded by Councilman Del Rosso, RESOLVED, that the Warrants dated January 7, 1974, in the following amounts, be approved: General Fund $ 315.80 Water and Sewer F\ind 223.00 Unanimously carried. ADJ0URNI4ENT The meeting was adjourned. Edward L. Bergen Town Clerk