Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB Minutes 2016-02-16TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD Shirley A. Raffensperger Board Room, Town Hall 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Tuesday. February 16. 2016 AGENDA 7:00 P.M. SEQR Determination: Verizon Wireless Rooftop Telecommunications Facility, 1100 Danby Road. 7:00 P.M. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1-9, Neighborhood Commercial Zone. The proposal involves the installation of a wireless telecommunications cabinet and accessory structures on a 6' by 8' +/- concrete pad with a wooden stockade fence surrounding it, along with one 28.7"+/- tall antenna, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn & Suites Hotel. Garuda Hotels, Inc., Owner; Upstate Cellular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Applicant; Robert J. Brenner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Attorneys at Law, Agent. 7:30 P.M. SEQR Determination: lacovelH 2-Lot Subdivision, 341 Coddington Road. 7:30 P.M, PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Preliminary and Final Subdivision Approval for the proposed 2-lol subdivision located at 341 Coddington Road, Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 53.-1-14.22, Medium Density Residential Zone. The proposal involves demolishing the existing structure and subdividing the 1.47 +/- acre parcel into a 0.51 +/- acre parcel (Lot lA) and a 0.96 +/- acre parcel (Lot IB). Orlando lacovelli, Owner/Applicant. 8:00 P.M. Discussion of adequacy of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for the proposed Chain Works District Redevelopment Project. The proposed Chain Works District Redevelopment Project seeks to redevelop the 800,000 +/- square foot former Morse Chain/Emerson Power Transmission facility and construct new buildings on portions of the 95-acre site that traverses the City and Town of Ithaca's municipal boundary. 6. Persons to be heard 7. Approval of Minutes: January 19, 2016 and February 2, 2016 8. Other Business 9. Adjournment Susan Ritter Director of Planning 273-1747 NOTE: IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD IS UNABLE TO AITEND, PLEASE NOTIFY SANDY POLCE AT 273-1747 or SPOLt i:@ l ()\\ N.l l HAC'A.N3 .US. (A quorum ol four (4) members is necessary to conduct Planning Board business.) Accessing Meeting Materials Online Site Plan and Subdivision applications and associated project materials are accessible electronically on the Town's website under "Planning Board" on the "Meeting Agendas" page (hUi):/Av vvvv.t(iwn.illiaca.nv.us/meetina-at!endas). TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS Tuesday. February 16.2016 By direction of the Chairperson of the Planning Board, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Public Hearings will be held by the Planning Board of the Town of Ithaca on Tuesday, February 16,2016, at 215 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, N.Y., at the following times and on the following matters: 7:00 P.M. Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approyal for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1-9, Neighborhood Commercial Zone. The proposal inyolyes the installation of a wireless telecommunications cabinet and accessory stmctures on a 6' by 8' +/- concrete pad with a wooden stockade fence surrounding it, along with one 28.7"+/- tall antenna, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn & Suites Hotel. Garuda Hotels, Inc., Owner; Upstate Cellular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Applicant; Robert J. Brenner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Attomeys at Law, Agent. 7:30 P.M. Consideration of Preliminary and Final Subdiyision Approyal for the proposed 2-lot subdiyision located at 341 Coddington Road, Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 53.-1-14.22, Medium Density Residential Zone. The proposal inyolyes demolishing the existing stmcture and subdiyiding the 1.47 +/- acre parcel into a 0.51 +/- acre parcel (Lot 1 A) and a 0.96 +/- acre parcel (Lot IB). Orlando lacoyelli, Owner/Applicant. Said Planning Board will at said time and said place hear all persons in support of such matters or objections thereto. Persons may appear by agent or in person. Indiyiduals with yisual impairments, hearing impairments or other special needs, will be proyided with assistance as necessary, upon request. Persons desiring assistance must make such a request not less than 48 hours prior to the time of the public hearing. Susan Ritter Director of Planning 273-1747 Dated: Monday, February 8,2016 Publish: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 TOWN OF ITHACA AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING AND PUBLICATION I, Sandra Polce, being duly sworn, depose and say that I am a Senior Typist for the Town of Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York; that the following Notice has been duly posted on the sign board of the Town of Ithaca and that said Notice has been duly published in the local newspaper, The Ithaca Journal. Notice of Public Hearings to be held bv the Town of Ithaca Planning Board in the Town of Ithaca Town Hall. 215 North Tioga Street. Ithaca. New York, on Tuesday. February 16. 2016 commencing at 7:00 P.M.. as per attached. Location of Sign Board used for Posting: Town Clerk Sign Board - 215 North Tioga Street. Date of Posting: February 08, 2016 Date of Publication: February 10,2016 Sandra Polce, Senior Typist Town of Ithaca STATE OF NEW YORK) SS: COUNTY OF TOMPKINS) Sworn to and subscribed before me this 10'^ day of February 2016. Notary Public - . -E>£B0RAH-.KELLEY : . ^Notary Public, "Stfite of New York - n NQ;-0lKEa025073 -'-OuatifieGl in Schuyler County --_^Gpmmission Expires May 17, gn /y THE ITHACA JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOAfS NOTICeOFPUBUC HEARINGS Tuesday. February 16,2016 ^ direction of the Chsirper- son of the Planning Brard. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Public Hearings will be held by the Plsmirig Bosid of the Town of Ithaca on Tues- d^. February 16, 2016, at 215 North Tugs Street, Itha ca, N.V.. at the foBowIng timee and on the foBowing matters; 7:00 PAt. Consideration of Prdiminsry and RnsI Site Plan Approve for the pro posed rooftop telecommurd- cation ^Ity localed at 1100 Danby Ro^ (NVS Route 96B). Town of tthaca Ta* Par cel No. 37.1-1-9. Neighbor hood Commercial Zone. The proposal involves die ristalla- don of a wireless teleconvnunlcations cabinet and acceseory strvctures on a 6' by B' *!■ concrete pad with a wooden stockade fence surrountfing it. along with one 28.7*+/- tall anten na, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn & Suites Ho tel. Geivda Hot^s, Inc.. Own er; Upstate Ocular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Ap plicant; Robert J. Brenner. Nixon Peabody LLP, Attor neys St Law. Agent. 7:30 P.M. Considefatlon of Preliminary and Rnal Sub-dvision Apptiaval for the pro posed 2-lol siMlvision locat ed at 341 Coddington Road, Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 53.-1-14.22. Mer&m Density Retidential &ne. The proposal involves demolishkig the exisling structure and subdividmg the 1.47 ♦/- acre pared into a 0.51 +/• acre parcel (Lot lA) end a 0.96 +/- acre parcel (Lot IB). Orlando lacoveD, Owner/AppBcant. Said Planning Board w9 el said dme and said place hear dl perscfts in suppon of such matters or cdijections there to. Persons may appear by agent or ki person. Indvidu- ds with visud SnpalrTnents. hewing impairmenis or otherspecid ne^. wiB be provid ed with assistance as neces- smy. upon request. Persons dedfing assistance mud mdre such a request not less than 46 hours prior to the lime of the pubkc heating. Susan Rllter Director of Planning 273-1747 Dated; Monday. Feb 8.2016 2/10/2016 Town of Ithaca Planning Board 215 North Tioga Street February 16,2016 7:00 p.m. PLEASE SIGN-IN Please Print Clearly. Thank You Name Address 111 }]} AM L=n TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD MEETING Tuesday, February 16, 2016 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 Town Planning Board Members Present: Fred Wilcox (Chair), Joseph Haefeli, Liebe Meier Swain, Jon Bosak Town Staff Present: Susan Ritter, Director of Planning; Chris Balestra, Planner; Bruce Bates, Director of Code Enforcement; Lorraine Moyniham-Schmitt, Attorney for the Town; Deb DeAugis- tine, Deputy Town Clerk Call to Order Mr. Wilcox called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and accepted the secretary's posting and publication of the public hearing notices. AGENDA ITEM SEQR Determination: Verizon Wireless Rooftop Telecommunications Facility, 1100 Danby Road Mr. Wilcox pointed out that the agent, Mr. Brenner, called from Rochester to inform staff that he could not make it to the meeting. He wanted to postpone the action, but Mr. Wilcox thought the board could handle the application without anyone present to represent the applicant. Ms. Balestra had his phone number and said he was on standby to answer any questions. She said that the antenna itself meets the streamlined provisions of the town's telecommunications law and therefore requires only a building permit; however, any equipment associated with it on the ground level needs site plan approval. Ms. Meier Swain wondered why they requested a 6-foot fence as opposed to the 8-foot fence required by the law. Ms. Balestra explained that the planning board has the authority to waive that requirement, so she added it to the resolution. The 8-foot requirement in the law is for towers themselves, and she thinks that when the law was written the equipment needing to be protected was thought to be more substantial. She doesn't think the town anticipated these small cell distribution systems. When they did the streamlined provisions, they just carried it over. Mr. Bosak said it's not just the size of the fence, it's the location. The 8-foot fence might be appropri ate for Coy Glen, where it's out in the woods, but in this case, it's butted up against the side of a hotel and would be excessive. Ms. Meier Swain asked whether the light would be visible above the fence. Ms. Balestra responded that the light will be on a mounting bracket and is supposed to be facing down. It's a task light; it's not supposed to be on all the time. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 2 of 11 PB Resolution No. 2016-11; SEQR, Verizon Wireless Rooftop Telecommunication Facility, 1100 Danby Road, Tax Parcel No. 37.TT9 Moved by Liebe Meier Swain; seconded by Joseph Haefeli WHEREAS: 1. This action is Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Itha ca Tax Parcel No. 37.TT9, Neighborhood Commercial Zone. The proposal involves the installa tion of a wireless telecommunications cabinet and accessory structures on a 6' by 8' +/' concrete pad with a wooden stockade fence surrounding it, along with one 28.7"+/- tall antenna, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn & Suites Hotel. Garuda Hotels, Inc., Owner; Upstate Cellular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Applicant; Robert]. Brenner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Attorneys at Law, Agent; and 2. This is an Unlisted Action for which the Town of Ithaca Planning Board is acting as lead agency in the environmental review with respect to the rooftop telecommunications facility proposal; and 3. The Planning Board, on February 16, 2016, has reviewed and accepted as adequate a Short Environmental Assessment Form Part 1, submitted and prepared by the applicant; Parts 2 and 3, prepared by Town Planning staff, a narrative, a packet of materials provided by the applicant containing tabs "A" through "N," including drawings titled "Upstate Cellular Network DBA Verizon, Project Number: 20151277751, Location Code: 392588, Site Name: King Danby," pre pared by Verizon and Costitch Engineering, including sheets GCOOl-003, CClOO-101, CCllO- 112, CC500-502, and EC500-501, dated 10/29/2015 and revised 11/17/2015, and other appli cation materials; and 4. The Town Planning staff has recommended a negative determination of environmental signifi cance with respect to the proposed rooftop telecommunications facility project; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby makes a negative determination of environmental significance in accordance with Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law and 6 NYCRR Part 617 New York State Environmental Quality Review for the above referenced action as proposed, based on the information in the EAF Part 1 and for the reasons set forth in the EAF Parts 2 and 3, and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. Vote Ayes: Wilcox, Haefeli, Meier Swain, Bosak AGENDA ITEM Public Hearing: Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1-9, Neighborhood Commercial Zone. The proposal involves the installation of a wireless telecommunications cabinet and accessory structures on a 6' by 8' +/- concrete pad with a wooden Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 3 of 11 stockade fence surrounding it, along with one 28.7"+/- tall antenna, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn & Suites Hotel. Garuda Hotels, Inc., Owner; Upstate Cellular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Applicant; Robert]. Brenner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Attorneys at Law, Agent Mr. Wilcox opened the public hearing at 7:19 p.m. and closed the public hearing at 7:20 p.m. PB Resolution No. 2016-12: Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval, Verizon Wireless Rooftop Telecommunication Facility, 1100 Danby Road,Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1-9 Moved by Fred Wilcox; seconded by Liebe Meier Swain WHEREAS: 1. This action is Consideration of Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Itha ca Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1-9, Neighborhood Commercial Zone. The proposal involves the installa tion of a wireless telecommunications cabinet and accessory structures on a 6' by 8' +/- concrete pad with a wooden stockade fence surrounding it, along with one 28.7"+/- tall antenna, mounted on the ridge of the Country Inn <Sl Suites Hotel. Garuda Hotels, Inc., Owner; Upstate Cellular Network d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Applicant; Robert]. Brenner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Attorneys at Law, Agent; and 2. This is an Unlisted Action for which the Town of Ithaca Planning Board, acting as lead agency in the environmental review with respect to the rooftop telecommunications facility proposal, made a negative determination of environmental significance, after having reviewed and accepted as adequate a Short Environmental Assessment Form Part 1, submitted and prepared by the appli cant, and Parts 2 and 3 prepared by staff; and 3. The Planning Board, at a public hearing on February 16, 2016, has reviewed and accepted as adequate a narrative, a packet of materials provided by the applicant containing tabs "A" through "N," including drawings titled "Upstate Cellular Network DBA Verizon, Project Number: 20151277751, Location Code: 392588, Site Name: King Danby," prepared by Verizon and Costitch Engineering, including sheets GCOO1-003, CClOO-101, CCllO-112, CC500-502, and EC500-501, dated 10/29/2015 and revised 11/17/2015, and other application materials; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That the Planning Board hereby waives certain requirements for Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval, as shown on the Preliminary and Final Site Plan Checklists, having determined from the materials presented that such waiver will result in a significant alteration of neither the pur pose of site plan control nor the policies enunciated or implied by the Town Board; and 2. That the Planning Board hereby waives the requirement for an 8-foot tall fence, required in the streamlined provisions of the Town Telecommunications Law, §270-219(0)(4)(g), determining that the proposed 6-foot tall fence will provide adequate security for the facility; and Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 4 of 11 3. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby grants Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval for the proposed rooftop telecommunication facility located at 1100 Danby Road (NYS Route 96B), Town of Ithaca Tax Parcel No. 37.1-1'9, as shown on the plans and materials referenced in Wliereas #3 above, subject to the following condition: a. The proposed security lighting must comply with the shielding requirements of the Town's Outdoor Lighting Law (Chapter 173). Vote Ayes: Wilcox, Haefeli, Meier Swain, Bosak AGENDA ITEM SEQR Determination: lacovelli 2-Lot Subdivision, 341 Coddington Road Mr. Fabbroni handed out new surveys of the subdivision and site plans. Mr. lacovelli lives at 347 Coddington Road and purchased the neighboring property, which had been in bankruptcy for five years. Mr. Raponi owned the property since 1920 and didn't do much upkeep. His daughter inherited the house when he passed away and she didn't do much with the house either. She passed away and it went into bankruptcy. Mr. lacovelli wants to demolish it. He had a permit to do so, but it was withdrawn. He wants to split the property in two and build two houses. There would be one driveway serving the two properties. Mr. lacovelli is the neighbor and bought the property to protect himself. They've responded to staff s request of the "no disturbance" zone, but he has concerns. If a tree were about to fall on the neighbor's house on Juniper Drive, would Mr. lacovelli be able to deal with the situation? He thought it was far-reaching and would like the resolution amended to define it better. The no disturbance line is the only change they had in the subdivision map. He described the site plan for the two-family homes, which are similar to the ones Mr. lacovelli has built 20 times now in the town. Mr. Bosak asked what our comp plan says about the area. Ms. Balestra said the comp plan calls it an established neighborhood. It calls for continuing the residential uses of the area, which would be single-family homes, multiple-family homes, townhouses. Mr. Wilcox said the lots are similar in size to lots in that area, like Juniper Drive and Pineview Terrace. Mr. Bosak said he would not be able to vote that it has a negligible environmental impact. Regarding whether the project would result in a change in the use or intensity of use of the land, die answer is yes because it would go from one unit to four. Regarding whether the project would impair the character or quality of the existing community, it seems to Mr. Bosak to be a change right around that location. Regarding whether it would impair the character or quality of important historic, archeolog- ical, architectural, or aesthetic resources, the narrative attached to the building permit shows how the existing building is a piece of history. The statement from Historic Ithaca backs that up. He stated that he will not be able to vote yes to the proposition that this has a negligible environmental impact. Ms. Meier Swain asked whether there is a historic preservation plaque sign close to the house. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 5 of 11 Ms. Balestra said it is not listed on the state or national registers nor has it been nominated to be. Mr. Wilcox asked what the status of the house is in terms of livability. Mr. Fabbroni said it's gutted. They had a demolition permit and then it was pulled. It needed to be done to begin with, so Mr. lacovelli gutted it and then they walked through it and saw how convolut ed the framing was - nothing would have been able to meet code any more. For that reason, he thought it would be better to start from scratch. There's an old stone foundation that Mr. Raponi tried to parge. The wiring, plumbing, and furnace are all gone. Mr. Bates said the permit was not pulled, it was suspended after planning staff informed him that this met the requirement of needing suspension. Mr. Wilcox stated that a short time after the demolition permit was granted, a subdivision was applied for. The planning department determined that the demolition and subdivision should be linked for the environmental review so there's no segmenting of actions - so we can consider the potential impacts of the entire project. Ms. Balestra said the day after it happened, she called Mr. lacovelli and explained the situation. Mr. lacovelli said he got it late Friday night with no warning or phone call. Someone just put a stop- order notice on his door. He didn't think that was proper. Mr. Wilcox said it would have been proper if they had let the town know they planned to subdivide the property when the demolition permit was applied for. Mr. Fabbroni said Mr. lacovelli felt he needed to demolish the house. If he had applied for a subdivision and it was denied, he would still have the right to build a house on the property. It seemed straightforward and not hiding anything from anybody. Ms. Moynihan Schmitt explained that the two actions are in tandem and that SEQR Section 617.3 states that "A project sponsor may not commence any physical alteration related to an action until the provisions of SEQR have been compiled with." This includes clearing, grading, and demolition. Mr. Wilcox asked if the proposed houses will be similar to the ones Mr. lacovelli has built on Pennsylvania and Kendall Avenues, commonly referred to as "student specials." He stated that they're ugly. Mr. Fabbroni responded that they will be, but only because the town hasn't come up with something different for 20 years. Mr. lacovelli would be happy to build a two-story house that could house four students and look more like a house the planning board would like to see. Six people in the lacovelli family have rehabilitated a whole neighborhood, and if the town sat down and talked to them, they might end up with something more like what they want. Mr. lacovelli has always complied with the law and is probably one of the better landlords in the town in terms of not making more work for the building department. He has a whole file of thank-you letters from parents. Students are 40% of our community. They can walk to campus from this neighborhood. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 6 of 11 Mr, lacovelli agreed that they're ugly, but claimed that the town doesn't allow him to do anything else. In order to have four unrelated people in the house, he has to build a duplex. Mr. Fabbroni added that the town is the only municipality in the county that has the 50% rule; i.e., that the second unit can only be 50% of the square footage of the main unit. That forces the up-and- down duplex. Things need to be revisited if the town wants something different. Ms. Balestra disagreed, saying she has seen designs for single-family homes with accessory apartments that don't look like an up-and-down or side-by-side duplexes. There are many different ways to build a home with a variety of architectural styles. The town is not forcing them to do any one style. Mr. Wilcox pointed out that the planning committee has something on their agenda for Thursday that might impact this project. Ms. Ritter said it's the consideration of a moratorium on construction of new two-family homes. It's been a subject for over a year that the town board and planning committee have been discussing because there are concerns about the student rentals and the changes that are happening, especially on South Hill neighborhoods. Mr. Wilcox reminded the board that the town does not have architectural review. Mr. Bosak said that the three things he sees as possibly significant environmental impacts have nothing to do with architectural review; they have to do with the intensity of land use, character and quality of the existing community, and historic resources. Mr. Fabbroni stated that they're not asking for anything but what the zoning permits. This is the 23rd building Mr. lacovelli built. He and his brothers completely rehabilitated a neighborhood. Nobody likes what they did, but there were 100-year-old houses in the area ready to fiill down, and Mr. lacovelli and his brothers were the urban renewal firm that the town didn't have to hire. That's worth at least a meeting with all of them to come to some common ground. Instead, the town passes new regulations trying to get it under control, and the brothers all comply with all those rules and regulations the town does in a vacuum. There are five lacovellis you could sit down with that own 75% of the neighborhood you don't like. On top of that, Mr. lacovelli is a neighbor. He took the initiative to buy the property. Mr. Bosak stated that he heard the assertion that there's nothing you can do with this property that wouldn't be adding to it. He doesn't believe that's true. Replacing the existing single-family dwelling with another single-family dwelling would not be adding to it and rehabilitating this historic structure would not be adding to it. We're not talking about zoning right now, nor are we talking about architectural styles, we're talking about environmental impact. Mr. Mazza pointed out that when the Juniper Drive subdivision was created, that increased the density; it's the nature of any subdivision. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 7 of 11 Mr. Bosak responded that pointing to something that he might also have had a problem with if he had been on the board is not establishing in his mind a good reason for going along with this proposal. Mr. Mazza said that it has to have a significant environmental impact. If that's true, then any subdivision ever passed had a significant environmental impact and shouldn't have been passed. Mr. Bosak said he didn't say it had a significant environmental impact; he said he could not certify that it doesn't have a significant environmental impact, which is the question before the board. It will take further study to determine the impact. For that purpose, we have an environmental impact statement. Also, when we do get to the point of looking at the impacts, the question isn't whether there's an environmental impact, the question is: Is the environmental impact overbalanced by the benefit to the community? He isn't seeing a big benefit to the community of putting these units in here. Mr. Mazza asked what would be a benefit to the community. The existing house was vacant and unoccupied for at least five years - falling down, in disrepair, an eyesore. Mr. Bosak said he didn't think it was his job to provide responses to that. Mr. Wilcox noted that the board had only four members present because of the weather, and Mr. Fabbroni requested they come back when they would have the benefit of the full board's perspective. Mr. Wilcox agreed, but wanted to give members of the public who attended the meeting the oppor tunity to address environmental issues. They will have a chance to speak again when and if there's a public hearing. Bruce Brittan, historian for the hamlet of Forest Home, spoke in favor of preserving the Greek Revival house at 341 Coddington. If it weren't for the subdivision request, there would be no reason to demolish that house. In fact, if it weren't for this particular subdivision request, there are 1.5 acres and more than one way to draw a line; it does not have to go through the house. It could be drawn around the house to get sufficient side yard setback. If necessary, the house could be moved. If you want to put a new foundation under an old house, it's often easier to build the new foundation next to the house, put in all the utilities, then slide the old house onto the new foundation. If you want a two-family home, there's nothing saying that a Greek Revival can't be a two-family home. There are two-family Greek Revival homes in Forest Home. Rehabbing costs less than demolition and new construction. It takes less energy and there's less material going to the landfill. The town's compre hensive plan talks about reducing waste and energy usage. Page 31 of the comp plan talks about Greek Revival buildings as being community treasures. Goal HR-1 states that the town should "Preserve, enhance, and promote the Town's historical resources." All of which leads him to believe that part of the SEQR may have been filled out incorrectly. Part 1, 5b: Is the proposed action consistent with the Comprehensive Plan? He would say possibly no. Part 1, 12a: Is it listed on the historic register? It is not, but it is eligible; it meets the requirements. Once a house is eligible, the same rules apply as if it were on the register. Granted, a private owner can demolish a house on the register. But Part 2, 1: Would this be in conflict with an adopted land use? He thinks it is. Part 2, 8: Will this impair the quality or character of important historical resources? He thinks that demolishing a house qualifies. In conclusion, he would ask that any subdivision approval be predicated on some Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 8 of 11 good faith effort to preserve the house. It's possible to do it and it would be nice to make an effort to do so. John Lewis, Historic Ithaca and resident of the town, agreed with Mr. Brittain and suggested that this is an example of why you need to move toward having zoning that would protect properties of this type and help meet the goals outlined in the strategic plan. The house is a very nice example of a Greek Revival house, and would be a loss to the community if it were torn down. Going forward in revising the code, he hopes the town would consider ways to have more teeth in considering the impact on historic structures in a way that would meet what is outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Wilcox asked why this house is worth restoring. Mr. Lewis said that it is his understanding that it was a fine example of a Greek Revival. It's restora- ble. The window treatments are a particularly fine example of that period. It's not a particularly high- end example, but it's was a nice prosperous farming house with good detailing features. He said that the layout is not great for making a duplex, so you can't maximize the income. Mr. Bosak added that the packet included a detailed rundown of the features of the house. Ms. Ritter said that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the town hired an archeological class of grad students to undertake a survey; it was done under the rules and regulations used by the state. Every structure in the town over 50 years old was surveyed, with the exception of a few along Route 89. The next step, which was not done, would have been to determine what the important and significant features of that survey were. Mr. Fabbroni said the assessment was made in 1997. Nothing was done to that house for the remainder of the time Ms. Raponi owned it. It stood empty for the last five years. Mr. Wilcox agreed with Mr. Fabbroni's suggestion that they continue the discussion at a future meeting when more board members are present. He asked the board if they had comments. Mr. Haefeli asked what happens if there's a pos dec. Ms. Balestra explained that it means that the board has determined that there's the potential for at least one significant environmental impact and the next step would be to determine the scoping. We would have to look at what that impact might be and what studies might need to be done to analyze the impacts and mitigate them. Mr. Haefeli said that the HIS is the beginning of a conversation. He wanted to keep the conversation positive, but expressed his frustration with the lack of vision coming from the applicant. Mr. Fabbroni responded that the planning board is not the ZBA. Mr. lacovelli could come up with a suggestion that would save the house, have a second house, and meet his economic goals, but it would require a variance, and there's no guarantee that it would be granted. They're almost forced to go for the straightforward thing that meets zoning. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 9 of 11 Mr. Haefeli said that Mr. Fabbroni's tone was one of inevitability that that would be the outcome. He wanted to encourage bigger thinking even though it's not easy or convenient. If everything was done by rules and regulations, we wouldn't need a board. The board is here to help preserve the character of the community, which is in everyone's interest. Mr. Fabbroni said that when they looked at subdividing a second lot to the city's side, they couldn't meet the side yard requirements. That's how they ended up where they are. If Mr. lacovelli could have four people in that house and rehabilitate it and they got a variance for the side yard to build a second house on a lot toward the city, he would be perfectly happy instead of doing something for the 23rd time. Mr. Wilcox asked Mr. Fabbroni to provide a subdivision map for the next meeting to show that they couldn't subdivide the lot without needing a variance. Mr. lacovelli said he has lived next door to that house for 25 years. There used to be a room in the back that Mr. Raponi added on, but before Ms. Raponi could get a mortgage, the town told her she had to tear it down. So now there are big concrete abutments there. There's a door that leads out with no steps. Those things can be remedied, but he needs some direction from other people. AGENDA ITEM Discussion of adequacy of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for the proposed Chain Works District Redevelopment Project. The proposed Chain Works District Redevelopment Project seeks to redevelop the 800,000 +/- square foot former Morse Chain/Emerson Power Transmission facility and construct new buildings on portions of the 95-acre site that traverses the City and Town of Ithaca's municipal boundary. Mr. Wilcox said the purpose of the action was to, as a board, provide feedback to the city in assisting them to make their determination of whether this document is adequate for release to the public for their comment. Written comments were provided by Mr. Bosak and Ms. Collins. Mr. Bosak said he is in total agreement with Ms. Collins's comments. Ms. Meier Swain asked for the definition of "industrial," as used in the document. Mr. Censel of Fagin Engineers said both the town and city had different definitions, using terms like light industrial, manufacturing, and assembly, so they just used the term industrial to cover all those items. From a development point of view, they're not going to put a foundry in there because of the mbced use, but they wanted to keep a broad definition for the full development because they're creating their own zoning and design standards for the entire parcel. Ms. Meier Swain questioned the logic that they're trying to take a broad view with the attempted dive into low-income housing, moderate-income housing, and upper-class housing. Mr. Censel said that's not how they approached it, but that the city added that portion into the scoping document. Their focus was that they're creating housing - they're going to offer a wide variety of sizes of housing to a wide range of income levels. Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 10 of 11 Ms. Meier Swain pointed to the self-sufficiency standard in our most recent housing study, which said that in order to provide housing for an adult, infant, and pre-schooler, you need at least $55,000 net from an income perspective. In this plan, in order to rent a two-bedroom, you need $95,000, which wipes out the median income of the city of Ithaca, which is at $52,000. Mr. Gensel said they're using average rental rates in this area. They aren't predicting a rental structure because there are some pieces of the puzzle that won't be resolved until later, which include environ mental remediation of the site that has a certain cost level. Regarding how to submit comments to the city, he suggested that all comments be submitted, as is, and to let city planners sort out the adequacy comments from potential comments on the content. Those comments will have to be arranged in a matrix and they have to address every comment. Ms. Meier Swain noted that they didn't address cell phone use. Tliey're adding 900 units with at least four devices each. Ms. Ritter responded that because that wasn't in the scoping document at the beginning, it isn't an adequacy comment, but a substantive comment. Mr. Gensel agreed that the issue was not considered and that as part of the final GEIS, he would contact the cellular provider to address it. The price of the Belle Sherman Cottages was discussed, and Ms. Meier Swain stated that this is an issue. We're building all this housing that doesn't meet the financial capability of median-income buyers. Mr. Wilcox pointed out that INHS can't get the bids to build their project cheaply enough in order to sell them to households making $50,000 per year. Mr. Gensel said that there's a corollary: when you build newer housing, the older housing will sell at a lower price. To build affordable housing, you have to go through the state, and this isn't one of those types of developers. It's a specialty thing and it's a very tight budget. Wlien he's worked on those projects, you can't spend an extra $1000 on landscaping. Mr. Bosak said there's a way to deal with the fact that the city is becoming gentrified. The problem is that the high-income people find it a great place to live, so they bid up the prices of rents and ownership. The solution to that is not to build more low-income housing because that just enables more people to occupy this wonderful place to live. Instead, one solution is to make this all high- income housing to get people who can afford it out of older housing and into this new stuff. So you can take opposing viewpoints on whether you want low-income housing there and still agree on the fact that it isn't specified enough according to the scoping document. Mr. Wilcox agreed, saying that newer units command a premium over older units and you also create vacancy. He said the town board has discussed low-income housing, but the question is if you can build it, how do you keep it affordable? Planning Board Minutes 02-16-2016 Page 11 of 11 On a motion by Mr. Wilcox and seconded by Mr. Bosak, the board requested that staff pass the comments from Mr. Bosak and Ms. Collins to the city of Ithaca for their consideration and determi nation of adequacy of the draft GEIS for public comment. The board voted unanimously in favor. AGENDA ITEM Persons to be heard - Nobody came forward to address the board. AGENDA ITEM Approval of Minutes PB Resolution No. 2016-013: Minutes of January 19, 2016 Moved by Fred Wilcox; seconded by Jon Bosak RESOLVED, the Planning Board approves the minutes of January 19, 2016, as amended. Vote Ayes: Wilcox, Haefeli, Meier Swain, Bosak PB Resolution No. 2016-014: Minutes of February 2, 2016 Moved by Fred Wilcox; seconded by Jon Bosak RESOLVED, the Planning Board approves the minutes of February 2, 2016, as amended. Vote Ayes: Wilcox, Haefeli, Meier Swain, Bosak AGENDA ITEM Adjournment Upon a motion by Jon Bosak, the meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Dkbra DeAugistine,Town C