HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2002-05-02 TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD
May 2, 2002
Final Approved Meeting Minutes
Present: Clifford Blizard(Chair), Diane Conneman, Lenore Durkee, Richard Fischer, Conrad
Istock, Jon Meigs, Barney Unsworth, Don Weir, Elissa Wolfson, John Yntema
Absent: Eva Hoffmann
Staff: Susan Ritter(Coordinator)
The meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM.
Coordinator and Chair Reports:
Several comments from Sue noted: 1) the upcoming public meetings on the zoning ordinance
revision; 2)the hiring of a planning intern; 4) a reexamination of the CU proposal on its athletic
field on Pine Road with special attention to the hawthorn woods. 5)the first participant in the
Purchase of Development Rights Program; 6)the approval by Codes and Ordinances of the
revision of Local Law 44 concerning Conservation Board membership and other changes.
Clifford announced his acceptance as a graduate student in the College of ESF at Syracuse which
will necessitate his resignation from the position of Chair of the CB. Don Weir, as Vice-Chair,
will need to take up the reins after the August meeting.
CB Committees and Reports:
1) The ERC: This committee met at 6:30 PM today and John Yntema reported on discussions
about the proposed connector road and pedestrian walk between College Circle Apartments and
the IC campus. The ERC has concerns about the direction and amount of drainage from this
road, the safety of the sidewalk route (for example, the walkway should be separated from the
road by a curb, not by painted lines), and offered a suggestion that the sidewalk route be
modified at the point where it leaves the apartment buildings area to enhance the safety of
pedestrians and reduce the amount of disturbance caused by the original design.
The ERC did not understand the rationale for reconfiguration of the slope near Building 425 on
the IC campus. Ostensibly, this is being done to use the 22,000 cy of fill resulting from
construction at College Circle Apartments (if the contractor so decides). But the ERC felt that
the increased truck traffic, fuel expenditure,pollution and noise makes it important for IC to
think of some other way to handle the fill problem. Sue will look into these issues.
2) The County EMC: Don Weir reported that Heather McDaniel is now the coordinator for the
County, replacing Tom Mank. The Council has approved the proposed Pesticide Neighbor
Notification Law which is a good first step towards better control of pesticide use in the County.
Of considerable concern was the news that Cornell is negotiating with the DEC about the permit
requirements for lake water testing connected with the Lake Source Cooling project. Among
other things, the permit requires Cornell to test water at 9 sites in the lake; Cornell would like to
reduce this number to 3 sites. In addition, the pipe clean-out process using the "pig", has not
been done since LSC was initiated two years ago. Cornell has stated that the insertion of some
right angles bends in the pipe prevents the use of the "pig". However, the need for a clean-out is
not pressing, according to CU, because the zebra mussel population is declining. The EMC
feels that this attitude is unwarranted as the decline of the mussel is probably just the low point
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of a population cycle; it also wants to exert pressure for the testing of 9 sites according to the
original permit requirements. It was felt that the CB should send a letter to the DEC in support
of the EMC position.
Conrad Istock also added that there are critical times for the proper testing of lake water; that is,
during the seasonal breakdown of stratification.
South Hill Conservation Zone Progress Report: Clifford reviewed the history of this area and
noted that, following a vegetation analysis, the CB recommended the re-delineation of portions
of the zone to both satisfy the need of IC for more space and the need to preserve unique habitat.
IC still wants to contest this modification, but without offering firm reasons to support their
view. The South Hill Conservation Zone with the Town's modifications will be included in the
revised zoning ordinance for general comment.
Cayuga Lake Waterfront Plan: Don Weir made extensive comments and suggestions on this
plan and shoreline usage overall. This was followed by thoughtful discussion on the feasibility
of the plan. Conrad and some CB members felt that any real progress towards achieving a
revitalization plan must start with addressing and then implementing practical ways to reduce
and finally eliminate sedimentation and pollution, especially at Stewart Park.
Stream Buffers Workshop: Clifford reported on the meeting of the Six Mile Creek Riparian
Buffer Workshop. He was particularly impressed by a study suggesting that mitigation of peak
flow at a stream's headwaters might decrease erosion downstream.
CCVM Waste Management Facility: After careful examination of the CU proposal (particularly
Appendix J) describing an alkaline hydrolysis plant for treating animal wastes, Conrad has
written, in the capacity of a private citizen, to the CCVM and pointed out that the hydrolyzed
material from the facility, even after being processed in the waste water treatment plant, will
result in a very large nutrient load entering the lake that will have serious effects on lake water
quality. Specifically, the effluent from the IAWWFT will show an increase of approximately
18% in BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) due to the processing of the hydrolysate. The
long-term effects of such an increase may be quite damaging. All of these points should be
included in the main text of the proposal, not in an appendix. The CB expressed its appreciation
to Conrad for researching this document so carefully.
Regulation of Jet-Skis on Cayuga Lake: Don Weir reported that an EPA ban effective by 2006
will require pollution levels from 2-stroke engines to be lower than is presently allowed. Since
this is probably not possible, manufacturers will go to 4-stroke engines.
Controversy will likely develop with respect to the use of 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke engines and the
Water Resources Council does not want to get into the controversy when decisions are being
made about the use of jet-skis on the lake. Rather, it proposes to use a zoning system (e.g. noise
zone, safety zone, etc.) established a specific distance from the shore that will give lake- and
river-shore property owners some protection from the intrusiveness of personal watercraft usage.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Lenore Durkee, Acting Secretary
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