Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-2010-02-09Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 1 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 Special Planning & Development Board Meeting Minutes February 9, 2010 Board Members Attending: John Schroeder, Chair; David Kay; Jane Marcham; Tessa Rudan; Jill Tripp Board members Absent: Robert Boothroyd; John Snyder Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director of Planning and Development; Lisa Nicholas, Senior Planner, Department of Planning and Development Applicants Attending: Women’s Community Building Kathryn Wolf, Trowbridge & Wolf LLP; Steve Hugo, HOLT Architects; Nathan Brown, HOLT Architects; Paul Mazzarella, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Chair Schroeder called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. 1. Agenda Review There were no changes to the agenda. 2. Site Plan Review A. Site Plan Review, Redevelopment of 100 West Seneca Street (Women’s Community Building), 100 West Seneca Street, Trowbridge and Wolf, Applicant for Owner, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. Determination of Environmental Significance, Consideration of Preliminary and Final Approval. The applicant proposes to replace the existing building with a six-story residential building with a total of 52 apartments, including two apartments and meeting and office space on the ground floor and 50 one and two bedroom apartments on the second through sixth floors. The apartments will be rented to households earning between 30 to 90% of median income. The building is proposed to be steel and masonry and include a number of green design elements. The project includes surface parking, some of which will be located under the second story, landscaping, a green roof on the overhang over the first floor and bicycle parking. The project site has recently been rezoned from B-1a to CDB-60. This is a Type I Action under both the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B (1), (h)(4) & (k) and under the State Environmental Quality Review Act §617.4 (9) both of which require environmental review. Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 2 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 Project consultant Kathryn Wolf described recent changes to the proposed building, especially to its first floor, which instead of including a community space rentable by the community at large, will now instead include two apartments and office and meeting space, the latter intended for use by the project’s residents. Due to the altered first floor use, there will no longer be a building entrance on Cayuga Street. Planning Board members raised concerns and asked for clarifications about certain project elements, resulting in the following small project modifications: • Because of concerns about security, applicant agreed to use an open metal fence, rather than a wooden board fence, along the south side of the shade garden. • Plans for handling trash were discussed. Applicant explained that there will be a trash room with a trash compactor located on the first floor south of the “South Stair,” and that, consequently, there will be no exterior dumpster. Applicant added that pick up routines for trash removal have not yet been determined. Applicant agreed to label the trash compactor room on the project plans, and to modify these plans by adding either striping or signage restricting the use of the parking space just south of the compactor room’s doors. • Bike storage was discussed. The dedicated basement bicycle storage area shown in earlier versions of the project has been eliminated, though it will still be possible for residents to store bikes in individual basement tenant storage units. After some discussion, applicant agreed to add bike racks at ground level along Seneca Street in reasonable proximity to the main building entrance; these will be in addition to the ground-level bike racks already shown on the Cayuga Street side of the project. • Applicant agreed to revise the landscape plan to show the trellis plantings intended on either side of the parking area entrance off Seneca Street and to show the planting material intended for the first-floor roof-overhang green roof. • Applicant agreed to revise the site plan drawings to clarify that both fence sections paralleling Cayuga Street at the northeast corner of the site will be decorative metal fence (i.e., the northernmost of these sections will not be wooden board fence). • Applicant agreed to revise the elevation drawings so that the full corner pier detailing now shown at the southeast and southwest corners of the building will also occur at the northeast corner of the building. This requires a revision (addition of tall, narrow recessed brick detail) at the Cayuga Street end of the north elevation. Adopted Resolution for City Environmental Quality Review: On a motion by Tripp, seconded by Marcham: Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 3 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 WHEREAS: the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board has one pending application for site plan approval for a mixed use apartment building, located at 100 West Seneca Street, by Trowbridge and Wolf LLP, applicant for owner, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS), and WHEREAS: the applicant proposes to replace the existing building with a six-story residential building with a total of 52 apartments, including two apartments and meeting and office space on the ground floor and 50 one and two bedroom apartments on the second through sixth floors. The apartments will be rented to households earning between 30 to 90% of median income. The building is proposed to be steel and masonry and include a number of green design elements. The project includes surface parking, some of which will be located under the second story, landscaping, a green roof on the overhang over the first floor and bicycle parking. The project site has recently been rezoned from B-1a to CDB-60, and WHEREAS: the applicant’s February 4, 2010 “Updated Project Summary” states, “The apartments will be rented to low- and moderate income households at rents that are affordable. The rents will serve a range of incomes, but affordability will be ensured by limiting the rents to not more than 30% of income for each target income level. The rents also include the cost of utilities. The affordable rent levels will be maintained for at least 30 years under a regulatory agreement between the developers and the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal. However, it is the intent of the developers to maintain the affordability of the housing for the life of the building,” and WHEREAS: this is an Type I Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B (1),(h)(4) & (k) and under the State Environmental Quality Review Act §617.4 (9) both of which require environmental review, and WHEREAS: 6 NYCRR Part 617 of the State Environmental Quality Review Act and Chapter 176.6 of the City Code, Environmental Quality Review, require that a lead agency be established for conducting environmental review of projects in accordance with local and state environmental law, and WHEREAS: State Law specifies that for actions governed by local environmental review, the lead agency shall be that local agency which has primary responsibility for approving and funding or carrying out the action, and WHEREAS: it has been requested that the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), all involved agencies, consent to the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board being Lead Agency for this project, and WHEREAS: the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Dormitory Authority have consented to the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board being Lead Agency for this project, and WHEREAS: the Planning Board has on February 9, 2010 reviewed and accepted as adequate a Long environmental Assessment Form, Part 1 submitted by the applicant and Parts 2 & 3 prepared by planning staff, drawings entitled “Site Plan (002)”, “Basement Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 4 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 Floor Plan (AP101)”, “First Floor Plan (AP102)”, “Typical Upper Floor Plan (AP103)”, “Exterior Elevations (AP201 & 202)”, “West Seneca Street Perspective (AP203)”, “Renderings and Building Section (AP301)”, “Parking Entrance Views (AP302)”, “Automobile Sight Lines (AP303)”, “Automobile Sight Line Images (AP304)”, “Demo Plan (L101)”, “Layout Plan (L201)”, “Grading Plan (L301)”, “Planting Plan (L401)”, and “Site Details (L501)”, all dated 2/4/2010 and prepared by HOLT Architects and Trowbridge and Wolf Landscape Architects LLP, and other application materials, and WHEREAS: the City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council, Tompkins County Planning Department and other interested agencies have been given the opportunity to comment on the proposed project and all comments received have been considered, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED: that the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board determines that the proposed apartment building will result in no significant impact on the environment and that a Negative Declaration for purposes of Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law be filed in accordance with the provisions of Part 617 of the State Environmental Quality Review Act. Unanimously Approved Adopted Resolution for Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval: On a motion by Tripp, seconded by Marcham: WHEREAS: the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board has one pending application for site plan approval for a mixed use apartment building, located at 100 West Seneca Street, by Trowbridge and Wolf LLP, applicant for owner, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS), and WHEREAS: the applicant proposes to replace the existing building with a six-story residential building with a total of 52 apartments, including two apartments and meeting and office space on the ground floor and 50 one and two bedroom apartments on the second through sixth floors. The apartments will be rented to households earning between 30 to 90% of median income. The building is proposed to be steel and masonry and include a number of green design elements. The project includes surface parking, some of which will be located under the second story, landscaping, a green roof on the overhang over the first floor and bicycle parking. The project site has recently been rezoned from B-1a to CDB-60, and WHEREAS: the applicant’s February 4, 2010 “Updated Project Summary” states, “The apartments will be rented to low- and moderate income households at rents that are affordable. The rents will serve a range of incomes, but affordability will be ensured by limiting the rents to not more than 30% of income for each target income level. The rents also include the cost of utilities. The affordable rent levels will be maintained for at least 30 years under a regulatory agreement between the developers and the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal. However, it is the intent of the developers to maintain the affordability of the housing for the life of the building,” and Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 5 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 WHEREAS: this is an Type I Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance §176-4 B (1),(h)(4) & (k) and under the State Environmental Quality Review Act §617.4 (9) both of which require environmental review, and WHEREAS: 6 NYCRR Part 617 of the State Environmental Quality Review Act and Chapter 176.6 of the City Code, Environmental Quality Review, require that a lead agency be established for conducting environmental review of projects in accordance with local and state environmental law, and WHEREAS: State Law specifies that for actions governed by local environmental review, the lead agency shall be that local agency which has primary responsibility for approving and funding or carrying out the action, and WHEREAS: it has been requested that the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), all involved agencies, consent to the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board being Lead Agency for this project, and WHEREAS: the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Dormitory Authority have consented to the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board being Lead Agency for this project, and WHEREAS: legal notice was published and property posted in accordance with Chapters 276-6 (B) (4) and 176-12 (A) (2) (c) of the City of Ithaca Code, and WHEREAS: the Planning and Development Board held the required public hearing on January 26, 2010, and WHEREAS: the City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council, Tompkins County Planning Department and other interested agencies have been given the opportunity to comment on the proposed project and all comments received have been considered, and WHEREAS: the Planning Board did on February 9, 2010 review and accept as adequate a Long environmental Assessment Form, Part 1 submitted by the applicant and Parts 2 & 3 prepared by planning staff, drawings entitled “Site Plan (002)”, “Basement Floor Plan (AP101)”, “First Floor Plan (AP102)”, “Typical Upper Floor Plan (AP103)”, “Exterior Elevations (AP201 & 202)”, “West Seneca Street Perspective (AP203)”, “Renderings and Building Section (AP301)”, “Parking Entrance Views (AP302)”, “Automobile Sight Lines (AP303)”, “Automobile Sight Line Images (AP304)”, “Demo Plan (L101)”, “Layout Plan (L201)”, “Grading Plan (L301)”, “Planting Plan (L401)”, and “Site Details (L501)”, all dated 2/4/2010 and prepared by HOLT Architects and Trowbridge and Wolf Landscape Architects LLP, and other application materials, and WHEREAS: the Board understands that, due to conditions imposed by the potential funders of the project, the applicant is not able to provide community meeting space on the ground floor of the new building such as is available in the current building. Members feel that although the loss of such a space in that location will be felt by those that currently use it, there are alternative community spaces with similar facilities in close proximity to the downtown core that can accommodate many of the users. While members feel furthermore that a publicly accessible use of the first floor, and especially Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 6 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 one capable of generating significant foot traffic at this important downtown intersection, would be highly desirable, they acknowledge that such uses may not be compatible with the conditions imposed by the potential funders of the project. They also find that the developer’s proposed use of the first floor fully conforms to the recently changed zoning for this property, and has the additional public benefit of including additional downtown residential units, and WHEREAS: due to the upcoming funding application deadline for the project as well as the recent need, as described above, to change the program for the ground floor at a relatively late date, final proposed building elevations and ground floor plans are still under development. Members of the Planning Board feel that, although preliminary approval is not usually granted at this stage of project development, due to the previously described reasons, this project has significant benefit to the city, and therefore, finalized elevations and floor plans will be approved by the Board at a later date and as a condition of site plan approval, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED: that the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board does hereby grant preliminary and final site plan approval to the proposed apartment building to be located at 100 West Seneca Street in the City of Ithaca subject to the following conditions: i. Final building elevations, including building materials, must be approved by the Planning and Development Board before issuance of a building permit, and ii. Submission of documentation showing either that 1) rooftop mechanicals will not be visible, or 2) if visible, that they be arranged and/or screened so that they appear to be architecturally integrated into the overall building design, and iii. Submission of revised landscape plan showing corrected key, plantings for green trellises and plantings for green roof on overhang over first floor, and iv. Submission of lighting, signage, sun screens and site furnishing details, and v. Contingent upon BPW and NYSDOT approval, submission of revised drawings showing the bump-out at the corner of Seneca and Cayuga Streets as an element of the project and not as an alternate, and vi. Submission of revised “Automobile Sight Lines (AP303)” drawing showing building footprint moved two feet north, to be consistent with the other project drawings, and vii. Submission of revised drawings showing sidewalk paving in the tree lawn strip as stamped or colored concrete, and viii. Submission of revised drawings showing additional bike racks on the Seneca Street side of the building, and ix. Submission of revised “Site Plan (002)” drawing showing a label on the trash compactor room and restricting the use of the parking space adjacent to this compactor, and Approved at the March 23, 2010 Planning and Development Board Meeting 7 J:\GROUPS\Planning and Dev Board\MINUTESJGSfinal\2010\0209 x. That noise producing construction be limited to the hours between 7:30 am and 7:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and xi. Bike racks shall meet City of Ithaca specifications and be installed prior to granting of Certificate of Occupancy, and be it further RESOLVED: that the Planning Board encourages the proposed effort by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance and INHS to attempt to find a compatible active use for the ground floor of the building. Unanimously Approved 3. Adjournment On a motion by Tripp, seconded by Kay, and approved unanimously, the meeting was adjourned at 7:06 p.m.