HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 9-7-06 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
September 7, 2006
Final Minutes
PRESENT: Chris Benedict, Diane Conneman, Lenore Durkee, James Hamilton, Eva
Hoffmann, Brent Katzmann, Susan McCutcheon, Jon Meigs, Larry Sallinger
STAFF: Sue Ritter
The meeting was called to order at 7.30 PM.
Member Concerns: Larry called attention to the upcoming need for a member from the
CB to serve on the Tompkins County EMC and said he would be glad to continue in this
position.
Referring to the latest issue of the NY State Association of Conservation Commission's
(NYSACC) newsletter, Jon suggested that copies of their new publication "Guide to
Local Planning for Agriculture in New York" be ordered and made available to members
of the CB and other interested parties. The publication is also available through a
download on the farmland trust website.
James expressed his appreciation for the chance to review the documentation that
explained the ongoing discussion about amending the zoning ordinance to
accommodate certain solar collectors and installations. He was impressed by the
productive input and lively interaction among the individuals and agencies involved in
this work.
Chair report:
a) The Tompkins County Water Resources Council has a vacancy and is asking for
applications from interested persons. The term of service is January 2007 to December
2009, and the individual will also be expected to serve on a subcommittee.
b) Diane also passed around the American Paleontologist publication which included
an article and photo describing the Fischer Award presentation to PRI's Museum of the
Earth.
c) The Codes and Ordinances Committee has been working on a revision of the
zoning law to include certain solar installations and this revision will be discussed
tonight. Review of dock regulations continues.
d) Diane would like to ask Christian Peters, a Cornell PhD candidate in the Department
of Soils and Crop Science, to give a presentation to the CB at the October meeting or
thereafter. His interest is evaluating soils and conditions that would maximize output to
meet local food needs. His views may help us as we consider the value of farm lands
vs. open space and the wise use of both.
Coordinator's report:
Sue made a presentation on the draft Stream Setback Law, including showing an
educational video on stream buffers, to the Town Board at their August 14th meeting.
The Board agreed to allow the proposed law to be distributed for public review. The law
will be sent to interested members of the Tompkins County Water Resource Council for
their input, and the Town Ag Committee has also requested that Craig Schutt, from
Tompkins County Soil and Water District, be forwarded a copy for his review. Following
this review by local water resource professionals, it will be circulated to the general
public, with an informational meeting likely to be held later in the fall.
The draft outdoor lighting ordinance will receive a public hearing in October and the
Town Board may take a vote on adoption at that time.
The Conifer Village at Ithaca affordable apartment complex for seniors has recently
been awarded funding from the state, so they are working on meeting the terms of the
Planning Board conditions in order to begin development. This development is located
behind (north of) Linderman Creek Apartment Phase I I and I I I off Mecklenburg Road.
The Town has received a matching grant from NY State Parks to repair/replace play
structures in three Town parks.
Jon commented that the Town would be eligible to apply for a state-administered
Federal grant for trail improvement, according to an announcement in the Summer 2006
NYSACC News. Sue responded that, at this point, the Town has a couple of trail
projects, funded by state grants, (including the $500,000 grant for "Gateway Trail",
starting near Buttermilk Falls S.P.) and is not sure it wants to take on additional ones.
4. Business: The draft minutes of July 6, 2006 were approved as corrected.
5. Discussion of a local law concerning the use and installation of solar collectors as
freestanding structures:
Diane briefly outlined the history of the discussion on this proposed law. Copies of
communications and meeting minutes on this topic were distributed to all the CB
members. In the end, three items were unresolved and the CB was asked to consider
them and make its recommendations. The items are: 1) the maximum height of the
collectors; 2) the maximum surface area of the collectors; 3) the permitted yard location
of the collectors.
1) After considering a variety of factors such as the type of supporting structure, degree
of tilt, and season of the year, it was suggested that the simplest way to deal with
possible height variation is to stipulate that any part of the solar collector would not
exceed the total permissible height at any setting. It was then agreed that the
maximum height should not exceed 20 feet. (Motion, Lenore; Second, Larry; 6 for and 2
opposed)
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2) Square footage is one factor determining the ability of a solar array to generate the
amount of electricity needed by a residence. Brent pointed out that a modern
conventional home of 2250 sq.ft. would require more energy than could be generated
by a 500 sq.ft. solar array and that 1000 sq.ft. would be more reasonable. He added
that homeowners needing more energy might install roof-mounted collectors which are
permitted by existing regulations. An area of 1000 sq.ft. was agreed upon. (Motion,
James; Second, Lenore; 7 for and 1 opposed)
3) The placement of a solar array on property produced the most discussion.
Freestanding solar arrays would be considered as an accessory structures, which are
not permitted in front yards under current regulations. However, a front yard might be
the only suitable place for a property owner to install an array. Some felt that there
should be no provision for "front yard installation by right", arguing that such installations
should be negotiated by the property owner with his neighbors and that citizens should
be concerned with the "amenities of our surroundings". Other members also were
deeply concerned about esthetics, but pointed out that the concept of"ugly" might
certainly differ from person to person. Others reflected that, as a nation, we are heavy
consumers of energy and that we need to be more conscious of our life styles and work
to be less profligate in our use of energy. One member argued that the present cost of
installing a solar array is prohibitive for most people, but that over time such installations
will improve and be more accessible. It was pointed out that the Town of Ithaca has
2/3rds as much solar gain in a year as Phoenix, AZ. This puts Ithaca in a position to
make great strides in the use of solar energy. Certainly, as such energy sources
become more "popular", technological improvements will result in smaller, more
efficient, systems.
The CB members agreed that, while the use of solar arrays should be encouraged,
such systems may not be suitable in all situations, so that other forms of energy
generation such as wind and geothermal sources should also be considered. Some of
these alternatives would be less intrusive and a responsible builder should advise a
client on such matters.
It was finally agreed that "the Conservation Board supports solar panels in front yards
as of right". (Motion, James; Second, Sue; 6 for and 2 opposed).
The proposed draft resolution, to include the above recommendations, was voted as
follows:
Motion, Chris; Second, Larry ; passed with 7 (seven) for and 1 (one) opposed.
Regular reports and updates:
Environmental Review Committee--no report
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Scenic Resources Committee--The Committee is looking at a list of recommendations
for action to preserve scenic views. James is working on an educational sign for East
Shore Park.
Tompkins County EMC--The July meeting featured John Bosak representing TCLocal, a
group interested in what will happen when oil production falls below that necessary to
satisfy demand. Mr. Bosak argued that life styles will return to those characteristic of
the early 1900's with more self-sustainability required, and with a possibility of a return
to dependency on coal, being in great abundance, as an energy source. Larry
suggested that Mr. Bosak might be a good choice to speak to the CB. TCLocal can be
found on Google.
Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program--Water was sampled on August 22. A
member was sent to a BM (Benthic Macroinvertebrates) workshop to learn new
techniques of sampling and analysis developed by Hudson Bay River Watch. On
September 10, the Plain Street bridge will be the site for using the new techniques.
Efforts continue to develop a publicly accessible format for all data accumulated so far.
City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission--no report
Fischer Award Committee--A sugar maple is being selected and it will be planted a few
days after the dedication of Tutelo Park.
Other business: We are being asked to contribute a piece for the fall issue of the Town
newsletter. Jon will work on an article about the Fischer Award.
Larry, representing the CB, expressed an interest in attending the Conference on the
Environment to be held October 13-15 at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua,
NY. A motion was made by Eva and seconded by James to allocate funding from the
CB budget for Larry to attend. Passed unanimously.
Brent announced that the annual meeting of the Green Building Alliance will be held on
October 10. Several "green" homes will be open to the public and vans will be available
for tours of these properties. It will be an opportunity to see solar panels, geothermal
systems, green roofs, and other energy-conserving measures.
Susan McCutcheon announced that in October, Cornell will present a plan for dealing
with the deer population at the Plantations and will identify 4-5 areas for investigation.
The meeting was adjourned at 9.20 PM
Lenore Durkee
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