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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB Minutes 1957-12-04 bu.nut es of .• Jointitieeting • of the - Planning Board and Zoning Board, of Appals December4 1957 .:7: 45 Pe i4I . Presents Mr . Watson ; Liguori , Phillips ; VasseRols'ton , :-Powers , and Fogelsanger . Mr . ' Dahmen , attorney for Leonard Liberman , ,explained "".to the Board why. the prop It erty "bounded on :the east " by East Shore" Drive; by -th`e , Remington • `Salt Block and on the north and south' ,by Leonard . Liberman should be • rezoned .froin residential to commercials He - stated that : the Tri -State Egg . Company and `the Village of,. Cayuga Heights sewer plant ,and ' the salt rights: of the : Morton SaltCompany were , all. commercial and that the property ' in.'question . :had been used ' in the past commercially . :. He also ' explained that " .NM.r . Liberman is ` going " .to reserve ' .1 , 006 -feet of his own property as residential zone on the ;north and : on the .south -of the proposed : :commercial district * , The comMP mercial `-zone : would be , an exceptionally .good .tax base - for the Town and might offset losses due - to annexation .::of " the Elmira Road to , the. . city. of Ithaca . He stated that Mr . Liberman 'is: building - his .own residence ' to the .north of the proposed commercial zone : Building is ' going- : on I ' V the` present 'time • at ' the sight of the old Wind & ' " " staves Motel .which burned . `last . year .LL ,. In answer ''to a question - About : a specific use. " contemplated " for . the area , Mr . " Liberman stated' that " 't-here" . is , no plan at the present time ; 'but that it would be difficult • to sell the area with .: its .' Dresent residential zoning and that the Land would be more attractive 'as a• , commercial zone . He state' d . that � he owns . 26 to 28 " acres and ' that there are ` nc < res. .idences in the ' area except those owned by himself . The residences' that he now 'own' re leased with . . a 30-day "revocation : clause , 1 Mr . ; Liguori -stated that it , would be easier ' for ,the Board to act if they were definite .withplans for the area' . Mr ; -Dahmen stated. that plans were " actually made , " but a motel, gasoline station , -diner; and .other :accessory usses might be put into ` the .area .: -He - felt that the Board could specify those things which could not be done in the area , _ INx . Bruric' Ma' appeared --and stated that he represented a large : number of people in the area who felt that .'business is too broad a classification for the area . H'e; 41 said that they. expressed' a . desire to retain the area as` residential and felt that , the Board of, Zoning Appeals could grant variances.. to the .. Ordinanc® rather than ` : change the entire. classification. to '.business : Mr . ' Phillip's' stated that -many ordinances . go . !!punch. drunk " . with variances and make the whole , ' pattern hodge podge . , The Board must not look 'at one, piece , but 'the . entire growth of the area . he, felt •that the, population". density and demand for ser - vices in an area should be the governing factors in changing zoning . Small spots of a Commercial nature should . ,not be, permitted . k ` Ir . Dahmeri ' started : that there was very _ little - room fort" expansion of the commercial zone to the: south .Because ' of topography, and that on the east. is a high tension line and " sewer plant which 'would block development . He said that .in the past . the . area had been commercial "and that he felt it should ' no*;'be co1.mmercial again to conform to � :the "facts :of use in . the past . - Mr . Phillips , stated, that commercial and industrial areas in many parts of the twon had. been',. left as non- donf.orming ., and . that he was not aur° that there was any need for - additional commercial ` zone at this 'time . Mazza. stated . that it 'mould = beIP . impossible totcontrol orderly and attractive . business - development :if . a _change, has made at this ,time' to, a business zone . deman. appear®d to ask fora change of zoning , from residential to commer - cial• fo ' his property loCated ' at. :t' e corner of 'Judd`;Falls -Road , and Mitchell- Street . 1_ 0He -owns'. -1 acres . bounded , by:: the NYABC by 1N.r . Bar nes , . by. Cornell' 's swine barns , ' and' by the, cemetery . He ' stated 'that prior to the passagecof . - the Zoning Ordinance , : , : the _ property ' was; commercial and that it had' been•: discussed . for- a change to commer .. . cial when the :ordinance, was passed; . . He .-. stated that- : he - now uses the roller skating rink for . shows as well as :roller skating and that .the ,whole operation his somewhat : noisy and not - conducive _to . residential ' development . He stated. that he `hada tre - m®ndous amount. ;of money' invested .and' if something should. happen to . him he feared ' for the conduct .'of his business if the • zoning were not .- changed: .• • He stated that - he had ,filled thousands of - yards .' of. under land : and' . was Lconstantly trying , to 'make the area more pre 'sentable '. ...He also.' - said- that if the area .` develops there - - would be a need for a . commercdal . zone . He pointed . - out 'that h'e ,paid :over p3 , 000 - in taxes - during. 1957 . ' Mr .. Watson wanted to . know whether the entire . property was, to beichanged to com- mercial' or : if' only that. north ' of Mitdh:ell Street . , Mr . Ideman stated that this wasn' t clear in ' his, mind; .but that there was a . .. . large drainage area to the south' of Mitchell Street ; . an area , of about two or three .. acres : It would be expensive:- to put -Mouses there . The' acres . .north of Mitchell Street . is -the , 'ar.e& of : prime cons,lderation . Mr . Hartman" se:id ' that Mr . Ideman painted ' a rather gloomy picture of the area in. which he lived ; - that he didn ' t• . feel , it: unattractive : ;except for the -bowling alleys and the ' skating rink 'i. M - • _ Y Mr . . Ide�mari said that he . was 'constantly filling =1 and making `improvements so that his property :woulc!. look well . '110 'said . that his customers complained that there wasn ! t ,enough' areas for parking and that , the . 'parking-` problem . was .being taken care of . now . .. . Mr : Watson asked if plans ' Y ad been :discussed - with,` Mtr . Barnes . :. . . , Mr . Ideman , said :`that . they, had . riot and he didn ' t know . what . might go , into the Barnes ' property. He , said .that as a practical :business .matter- he certainly wouldn ' t put; anything . on this, property that '. could not . be' used by' the • people of the town. <- 'Mr . . Phillips . stated that: :as 'yet . he could not see. . a need for the area to be com - mercial ; . but stated that he didn.' t. 4ant to pry into proposed uses . He said that the present commercial building can - be used for other .business uses ' of the same classification and, that . the Zoni.ng , Qrdinance would _ riot : eliminate the present busi nese use . - . ' Mr . De � Wier stated that he. felt . that - Wo, Ideman ` had 'not •done anything which was not .,acceptable but that traffic created by the : .commercial use made it difficult far people at the intersection of Judd. Falls Road 'ann• Mtch® 11 Street . It was sug Bested . that access be provided- ,from,' Mitchell Street Mr:. Watson opened the floor to questions , on light 'in dustrial`• .zones , Frank AID Eldridge: said that the Ridgecrest , - King , Road area did not have light industrial . facilities such as water , ,sewage , etc , and was now . an esiabl shed . residence zone . He said he -. felt there were, better, areas for light industry" the town . ;. , : . pop -3 - Mr'. Watson stated: : that business . looking for , industrial areas find it difficult `:•.to locate and that an , industrial. park would be • a 1 . great asset to the community . Mr . Phillip :;aid that, •good . industrial development ' hedps pay for the cost of government and" . car. ' be • very attractive in appearance . .. He- said . that the road system in the . Ithaca a"reei isnot , at present, adequate to - take -care of ' . any new - large in- dustrial developme:nt:. Mr . Watson 'stented 'that one of-.-the basic . problems ; . o'f the 'Planning Board . is to find an area,. Whidi is . not' nova, developed Tesidentially -arid which offers. the necessary facilities - of a light .industrial area . , p .oo pot Mr . Bob Child :stated - that %. he was not opposed to� industrial expansion but won- " dered about the clause in- the ligh°t�. industrial :, section of �: the Zoning Ordinance which pop allowed ' substituti.on of - use . ' He • stated : that he "would , like zto ootry to define more closely . .the .things which can be done in a light industrial . .areapop . -, o . Mr.. Watison stated'- that the ' area between the • 5- and . ? Mile, Drives is an . area to be.. studied for light : i.ndustriale. .purposes . p . Mr . Marion , asked :-if ,r'esidences or businesses could . come into , the area if the pok,zone were Light industry .. " I : - Mr . Watson and. Phillips stated thatin- the dight' ixdustrial ' areas , everything 4 . is prohibit ; except` those things specifically permittepp - d . ' It p,p pop Mr Watson introduced the multi family dwelling , 'discussion by stating that the . , present ;Zonng : Ordinance' " had no restrictions . on. the : number ' of families who could occupy • a :. residence . He . said . that ' we . have . recently `liad multi =family development in a residential ` areae and said that he .felt : we could be . more: :,definite about defining .developmeilt in residence ,`districts : . . pop A .repre'sentativ'e . •from the Muriel. Street. district -. said . •that the introduction of multi-family units into an e-stablished . -one-family : area pias the • thing . people ob jected to . . .` .He stated •.that ,there is a . need for apartments but they should obe .in an area where one -family .residences are not already- built . rvir . Phillips' stated that in . many Zoning -,Ordinances an A-1 residential zone is forp :one -family residences - only ,..and an . A- residential - zone ..permits any type - of op dwelling : • _The first ' Zoning Ordinance proposed .'for ,the Town of JthacaR - had an A -1 and 'an g' residential zone This was . not - acceptable 'to the people of the Town and the : present .- zoning ordinance rises a. fairly_ loose definition -:of a _residential zone which . was m9re. L acceptable to , the . people at. that . time . 1. pop pp Mr : Liguori stated that there are two _ approaches .to the problem: _ the first . is a zone . r. estr.icting building in A -1 zones to _ one� famly residences and .: establishing separate . zones . for: apartments ,• the' other is- . 0 1 . , • the ."deri6ity of population by stating the number. . of squarpope .feet of lot' per ,, family unit . • ` pppop . Mr '. . Lucent stated that. these `'areas. could. be combined 4alloaong apartment areas but - also stating• a density .of'. population for other residential zones '. Robert. Williamson' -: said that , a , compromise; between tpp .he density of. population idea and " the multi fam30.1 zone idea would be most favorable• to him . He said that a multi=fsm ly. • dwe.11ing, erected. -in 'a : one•-family resid'enc® ' `area .. would blendnicely into that area if it were , properly • located and ° landscaped , and ' that there are still. many Areas where apartments might be built in one =family residence neighborhoods . These apartments would serve the needs of the people better than locating all apart= ments - in one area . • He ' stated that an ` apartment zone might deteriorate into a slum area because of lack of interest - in maintenance by the people who.. lived in the apartment . He said that the decisions about developing land should be made by the owner and not be ; decided ° by rulingslof the Planning Board . - It was suggested .that when a developer makes a sub-division he must , commit him- self to either one -•family or. multi -family lots before filing the final plan . The location of apartments in new . sub-divisions should ` be subject to the control of the Planning Board . ' ` ' Mr . WilTiamson 'stressed the need for good apartment developments and sighted the eviction of persons living . n - the Thurston Apartments recently_ purchased by Cornell University as • a voment s ' dormitory . Mr . . Phillips and 1r . ' Watson . suggested that a studyPgroup . be formed to . report on the problem . Rocco .Lucenti presented his Winston Drive Sub-division for review and was aslted by the Planning Board .to re - submit plans for the sub-division when they had been completed . Mr . Blatchley appeared to say he had been approached by a - real . estate agent and by a food store . for development of . his land . He asked what• he, should do , to proceed with :sub-division . Sub-division regulations will be given to , him so that he can appear on January 8 with a ` definite proposal . ` There alas no vote on the question of Mr . Loberman and ' Mr . Ideman ' s . requests for change' . in zoning . .. . The meeting was adjourned at 11 : 15 until r : 30 on December 10 . ! ..