HomeMy WebLinkAboutDevelopment Focus Areas Strategy
Building Vibrant Communities
In Tompkins County
… a Development Focus Areas Strategy
Prepared by the
Tompkins County Planning Department
DRAFT
December 21, 2011
Executive Summary
Building vibrant and sustainable communities in accordance with the principles laid out in the “Tompkins
County Comprehensive Plan” (2004) can be achieved by focusing most new development in compact mixed-use
communities. These Development Focus Areas will include places to live, work, learn, play, shop, and access
services. These communities will act as social and economic centers for both the residents living in the focus
area and for people living nearby. With careful planning, these areas can attract the type and scale of
development required to create lively communities in which people will want to live. It is envisioned that at
least two-thirds of all new development will occur in these Development Focus Areas for the foreseeable future.
Four types of Development Focus Areas have been identified in Tompkins County: one Urban Center, five
Established Nodes, three Emerging Nodes, and seven Rural Centers. The difference among these types is largely
a matter of scale and is mostly a function of the availability of public services, primarily water, sewer, and
transit.
The Urban Center (shown in red) and the Established Nodes
(blue) are existing Development Focus Areas and can support
additional infill development. Emerging Nodes (green) are
areas that have some amount of investment in public water
and sewer systems, businesses and services, and employment,
but generally lack the amount of residential development
needed to support a complete mix of uses. Rural Centers
(yellow) serve as important focal points for their residents as
well as residents of the surrounding rural areas. However,
these areas are unlikely to see the level of development found
in the other types of Development Focus Areas due to the
absence of public water and sewer infrastructure.
Local governments play the key role in implementing the
Development Focus Areas Strategy. They have the authority
to establish the legal framework to implement this strategy
and to make the day-to-day decisions to make this plan a
reality.
Several types of actions will need to be taken to achieve the vision espoused by this Strategy:
Density and design. Promote compact mixed-use development in the identified Development Focus Areas.
The success of these communities will be dependent, in part, on the quality of the design of the areas. Infill
development, particularly mixed-use higher-intensity development should be encouraged in the existing
Urban Center and in the Established Nodes.
Development Regulations. Review local development regulations, including zoning and subdivision
regulations, to ensure that they promote the type of development envisioned herein.
Infrastructure Improvements. Make the infrastructure improvements identified in the “Countywide Inter-
Municipal Water and Sewer Feasibility Study for Tompkins County” (2010) that are needed to support the
compact mixed-use development envisioned in this Strategy.
Connections. Provide pedestrian facilities within the Development Focus Areas to make walking an
attractive transportation alternative. Provide strong pedestrian and bicycle connections between Development
Focus Areas and existing Subdivisions near them. Provide and maintain transit connections between the
Urban Center and the other Development Focus Areas.
Controlling Sprawl. Establish a distinct edge around Development Focus Areas. Most businesses and
services should locate within Development Focus Areas. Support efforts to permanently protect important
farmland and natural features.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................1
Development Focus Areas ..................................................................................................1
The Vision...........................................................................................................................2
Changing Households .........................................................................................................2
Benefits of Focusing Development.....................................................................................3
Goals of the Strategy...........................................................................................................4
Planning Process .................................................................................................................4
The Sixteen Focus Areas...............................................................................................................................5
Overview of Development Focus Areas .............................................................................5
Detailed Definition of Development Focus Areas .............................................................5
Table 1: Existing Characteristics of the Sixteen Development Focus Areas..........6
Urban Center.......................................................................................................................7
Established Nodes...............................................................................................................7
Map: Development Focus Areas.............................................................................8
Emerging Nodes..................................................................................................................9
Rural Centers.......................................................................................................................9
Achieving the Vision .....................................................................................................................................10
Overview...............................................................................................................................10
Density and Design...............................................................................................................10
Planning and Design Principles...............................................................................10
What Density Looks Like in Tompkins County .....................................................13
Development Regulations.....................................................................................................17
Infrastructure Improvements.................................................................................................19
Connections...........................................................................................................................19
Controlling Sprawl................................................................................................................20
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................21
Appendix 1 Excerpt from Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan
Appendix 2 LEED-ND and Diversity of Uses
Appendix 3 Detailed Maps of the Sixteen Development Focus Areas
Introduction
In 2003 and 2004, the Tompkins County community
rallied behind a vision of development that centered
on creating vibrant communities while protecting
natural and agricultural lands. This vision was
captured in the “Tompkins County Comprehensive
Plan” (adopted in 2004). Achieving that vision will
involve altering the recent pattern of development
experienced in the County. As the Forward to the
Comprehensive Plan envisions:
“Growth in population is concentrated around
existing population centers in accordance with
local comprehensive plans. Most new
development is built at increased density and
designed to include attractive buildings,
landscaping, and streetscapes that promote
neighborly interaction and greatly enhance the
quality of life.”
The foundation of the Development Focus Area
Strategy is the “Tompkins County Comprehensive
Plan” and its three principles related to
neighborhoods and communities.
Strong Communities: Tompkins County residents
should be safe, healthy, and comfortable with the
aesthetics of their communities, and have daily
opportunities to interact with neighbors and
community members to build strong, cohesive
communities.
Centers of Development: The development patterns
reflected in the existing villages, hamlets, and the
City of Ithaca’s downtown area and
neighborhoods should be promoted as key
components of the built environment that greatly
contribute to the vitality of the local economy and
community life.
Efficient Use of Public Funds: The effectiveness of
taxpayer dollars should be maximized by
investing government funds in public
infrastructure and facilities in the most efficient
manner possible.
Focusing development around existing population
centers will help the community to achieve these and
many of the other principles laid out in the
comprehensive plan. This Development Focus Areas
Strategy identifies where it makes sense to locate
these concentrations of development, how these areas
can attract the type and scale of development
required to create lively communities people will
want to live in, and the steps necessary to achieve this
vision.
Development Focus Areas
The “Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan”
identified two types of focus areas: Natural Features
Focus Areas and Agricultural Resources Focus
Areas. This document identifies a third type of focus
area: Development Focus Areas.
While the six Agricultural Resources Focus Areas
and fourteen Natural Features Focus Areas identify
locations in the county where conservation efforts
should be concentrated, the Development Focus
Areas identify those areas where development efforts
should be concentrated. A Development Focus Area
is a walkable, relatively dense concentration of
mixed-use development that provides:
A variety of housing types (single-family homes,
condominiums, apartments, etc.)
A mix of commercial and community services
Employment opportunities
Public transit access to other Development Focus
Areas in the County
By concentrating most future development into
compact walkable neighborhoods with a variety of
services, we can create great places to live that
support services and facilities that make a community
vital. With lessened development pressures in the
rural areas of the County, it will be easier to protect
the natural and agricultural areas held so dear in our
community and not lose those areas over time to the
effects of sprawl development.
The alternative is to continue on the path we have
followed over the last several decades. The impacts
of sprawling development are seen in increasing
traffic congestion and commute times; air pollution;
inefficient energy consumption and greater reliance
on oil; loss of open space and habitat; inequitable
distribution of economic resources; and the loss of
the rural character of our landscape.
The “Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan”
analyzed the impacts of the pattern of future
development in the community (see Appendix 1).
Two different types of future development patterns
were assessed. The first, the Trend Scenario, assumed
that development patterns seen in the 1990s would
continue over the next thirty years. The second, the
Plan Scenario, assumed a nodal development pattern
that would accommodate the same number of
housing units and job growth. The analysis concluded
that under the Plan Scenario:
There would be fewer roads that experience a
significant increase in evening commute traffic
and a reduction in total miles traveled by
automobile compared to the Trend Scenario.
Both the overall cost and the per-household cost
of water and sewer services would be lower.
The total amount of land needed to accommodate
new residential development would be lower and
the loss of important open space would be reduced
by nearly two-thirds.
There would be a net positive impact on the fiscal
health of the county and its communities.
This Development Focus Area Strategy identifies 16
Development Focus Areas (shown on the
accompanying map), divided into four types:
Urban Center (red) – one, including portions of
the City of Ithaca, the Towns of Ithaca and
Lansing, and the Villages of Cayuga Heights and
Lansing;
Established Nodes (blue) – five, located in the
villages of Dryden, Groton, and Trumansburg, as
well as Newfield (a former village) and Varna;
Emerging Nodes (green) – three, located in the
Towns of Dryden and Lansing, where
infrastructure and existing services can support
new development; and
Rural Centers (yellow) – seven, located in rural
areas in the Towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden,
Enfield, Groton, and Ulysses.
The Vision
These Development Focus Areas will be compact,
mixed-use communities that include places to live,
work, learn, play, shop and access services. These
communities will act as social and economic centers
for both the residents living in the focus area and for
people living nearby.
These Development Focus Areas are a viable
alternative to continuing the development practices of
the last fifty years - a sprawling pattern that results in
the loss of important open spaces, an increase in the
number of miles driven, and an increase in the cost of
municipal services.
This Strategy envisions that at least two-thirds of all
new residential development will occur in these focus
areas and no more than one-third will take place
outside of these areas. This is achievable if the
Development Focus Areas: (1) are held to high
design standards so as to attract residents and
businesses; (2) are supported and promoted by public
policies, including land use regulations; (3) receive
community investment in infrastructure; and (4) are
connected through significant transit, pedestrian and
bicycle links.
Changing Households
Nationally, for more than sixty years, married
couples with children dominated our housing markets
and caused the suburbs to grow explosively. But
today those families make up less than 25 percent of
American households. In their place are young
professionals, childless couples, empty nesters, and
single parents. Study after study show that many of
these households prefer condominiums, apartments,
townhouses, and small-lot single-family homes.
These demographic groups are looking for dynamic,
attractive living environments and are creating a
demand for a greater mix of housing types.
These changes to the housing market are long-term in
nature. The demand for higher-density homes -- by
renters and by owners -- is expected to increase
significantly in the future due to changing
demographics. Nationally, the demand for higher-
density homes will hit new highs by 2015 due to an
influx of:
78 million downsizing Baby Boomers,
78 million persons graduating from college, and
9 million new immigrants
The demand for more housing choices is not just a
national phenomenon. There is plenty of evidence to
suggest that these trends apply locally.
Local realtors are telling the same story of people
approaching them looking for housing types that
are not easily found in Tompkins County.
An in-commuter survey conducted in 2006 found
that 30% of those who work in Tompkins County,
but live elsewhere, would be willing to move into
Tompkins County if housing were more
affordable. And, of those, 80% would be
interested in living in ‘villages, city
neighborhoods, or rural hamlets.’
Tompkins County residents have also expressed
concern about how to attract and retain young
people, particularly those raised here. The most
often identified barriers are the lack of jobs and
the lack of housing choices.
Economic development also relies on a successful
housing market. Many businesses locate where
potential workers already live, or where employees
can be attracted to live. If we want to retain our
existing businesses and recruit new ones, we have to
be able to attract the workers they need. This premise
is a cornerstone of the “Economic Development
Strategy” adopted by Tompkins County Area
Development in 2006.
Benefits of Focusing Development
There are many benefits to focusing most
development into compact communities, benefits that
accrue to residents of the focus areas, developers,
local governments, and to the community as a whole.
Affordability. Developing land at higher densities
lowers the cost of infrastructure and increases the
efficiency of land use. By reducing the costs of
development, housing costs are lower. By making
walking, biking, and public transit viable options to
the private automobile for many trips, and often
allowing shorter auto commutes, transportation costs
are lower. Also, developing more densely allows the
installation of more affordable energy systems, such
as district heating. All in all, these cost savings can
add up to a substantially more affordable cost of
living for residents in the Development Focus Areas.
Vibrancy. People want to live in strong communities:
where there are friendly relationships among
neighbors, where the quality of the built environment
is high, and where residents feel they can live a safe
and healthy life. By building on the distinct identities
of existing neighborhoods and creating new ones that
possess their own special sense of place, the
Development Focus Areas can be exceptional places
to live. Attractive design of public spaces, attention
to details, and proximity of housing to schools, parks
and other services help create walkable
neighborhoods that have a certain vibrancy many
people find desirable.
Reduced Pressure on Farmland and Natural Areas.
While not all new development will be located in
Development Focus Areas, by providing places
where people want to live and where the community
welcomes development, there is reduced pressure to
develop in areas already valued by the community for
their important agricultural, recreational and natural
resources.
Efficiency. According to the Urban Land Institute,
developing on the outskirts of existing communities
eventually costs a community from 40 to 400 percent
more than infill development, when the costs of
building and maintaining new roads, sewers, fire
stations, schools and other public facilities are taken
into account. Short-term private profits may result
from developing outside of population centers, but
the long-term costs are passed on to the public in the
form of higher taxes, deteriorating infrastructure, and
distress of existing businesses. As noted earlier,
developing at higher densities reduces the total cost
of development. It also reduces the community’s
ongoing cost to maintain infrastructure. Developing
in existing population and employment centers takes
advantage of the public and private investments
already made in those areas.
Reduced Overall Traffic. With stores, services,
housing and employment in close proximity to one
another, not all trips will require driving – walking
and biking will be more realistic options for a broader
range of residents. With transit connections between
all the Development Focus Areas and the Urban
Center, most commuters will have a viable
alternative to driving to work. In addition, with
strong businesses and services located throughout the
county, rural residents and businesses will have
nearby alternatives when they need to run most
regular errands. In all, this will reduce the amount of
traffic on the entire road network.
Other Benefits.
Improved health. Cleaner air from traffic
reductions and increased activity by people
walking and biking more results in overall public
health improvements.
Improved water quality. Building compactly
results in less impervious surface, such as parking
lots, resulting in improvements to local and
regional water quality.
Improved resiliency and adaptability. By making
alternatives to driving viable and attractive, and
creating close-knit communities that could
potentially share energy infrastructure, resiliency
to changes in energy markets is greatly enhanced.
Goals of the Development Focus Areas Strategy
The goals of this strategy are to 1) have a community
discussion about where the bulk of new development
should be located to best improve long-term
community sustainability and resiliency, and 2)
develop an action plan that will help achieve the
vision of creating appealing population centers
surrounded by productive agricultural lands,
recreational opportunities, and healthy natural areas.
This Development Focus Area Strategy does not
envision that all new development will occur in the
focus areas. Rather, the strategy envisions that
development will return to earlier patterns now that
the rapid growth of households with children is
slowing. In Tompkins County, prior to the 1960s,
nearly two-thirds of housing units were located in the
city and villages. Today, after 60 years of the post-
baby boom development patterns that encouraged
single-family suburban development, only half of
housing units are in the city and villages. The
objective of this strategy is to have at least two-thirds
of all future housing located in the Development
Focus Areas along with many businesses, employers,
and community services.
Planning Process
The Tompkins County Planning Advisory Board
(PAB) oversaw the preparation of this strategy. The
PAB is a citizen advisory board appointed to provide
the Tompkins County Legislature and the
Commissioner of Planning with advice and counsel
on comprehensive planning matters. The staff of the
Tompkins County Planning Department was
responsible for the day-to-day drafting of this
document and for reaching out to municipalities and
members of the public on its contents.
As noted earlier, the foundation for this Strategy was
laid in the “Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan,”
adopted by the Tompkins County Legislature in
2004. This Strategy also relies on several other local
efforts to help identify the need for this Strategy.
Particularly key were the “Affordable Housing Needs
Assessment,” sponsored by Tompkins County in
2006, the “Countywide Inter-Municipal Water and
Sewer Feasibility Study for Tompkins County,”
sponsored by the Tompkins County Council of
Governments in 2010, and the “Economic
Development Strategy,” prepared by Tompkins
County Area Development in 2006.
Work on the Development Focus Areas Strategy
began in March 2010 at a PAB meeting at which the
proposed approach to the preparation of the Strategy
was discussed. Preliminary information on defining
the Development Focus Areas was presented at a
public meeting held in June 2010. Forty attendees,
representing eight municipalities and a variety of
community organizations heard a presentation on the
benefits of nodal development and the potential
locations of Development Focus Areas. Between
September 2010 and February 2011, the PAB
frequently discussed progress on the Strategy.
The Sixteen Focus Areas
Overview of Development Focus Areas
Four types of Development Focus Areas have been
identified: one Urban Center, five Established Nodes,
three Emerging Nodes, and seven Rural Centers. The
difference among these types is largely a matter of
scale and is mostly a function of the availability of
public services, primarily water and sewer, and
transit.
The Urban Center is the largest of the Development
Focus Area types for a number of reasons. Urban
centers are the historic employment, retail, service,
and government centers for the surrounding region.
These areas tend to have a dense internal transit
system, providing frequent opportunities to travel
between destinations within the Center. An Urban
Center also has water and sewer infrastructure and
the greatest diversity of housing, businesses, and
employment. In Tompkins County, the Urban Center
includes portions of the City of Ithaca, the Towns of
Ithaca and Lansing, and the Villages of Cayuga
Heights and Lansing.
Nodes, whether established or emerging, are
walkable in size. A general rule of thumb is that
people are willing to walk up to ten minutes to run an
errand or walk to school, but for anything greater
than that distance, the inclination shifts to driving. A
ten-minute walk translates roughly into a half-mile in
distance. Nodes, like Urban Centers, have public
water and sewer systems capable of supporting dense
and diverse development.
Established Nodes, as the name implies, already
exist and have a mix of housing types, diverse
businesses and services, and employment
opportunities. In Tompkins County, these are
located in the villages of Dryden, Groton, and
Trumansburg, as well as in Newfield and Varna.
Emerging Nodes already partially meet the
definition of Nodes, however they lack the mix of
land uses that would make them Established
Nodes. They do, however, have some water and
sewer infrastructure (or plans for those services)
with the capacity to support mixed-use
development. Three Emerging Nodes have been
identified: Freeville, South Lansing, and the
NYSEG area.
Rural Centers, like Nodes, are walkable in size. They
usually have a mix of residential development,
employment, businesses, and services. The critical
difference between Nodes and Rural Centers is the
lack of water and sewer infrastructure in the Rural
Centers. Without this infrastructure, they cannot
support the intensity of development envisioned in
Nodes. However, they do serve an important function
as commercial and service centers for the
surrounding rural populations. In Tompkins County,
seven Rural Centers have been identified, located in
the rural areas of the Towns of Caroline, Danby,
Dryden, Enfield, Groton and Ulysses.
Detailed Definition of Development Focus Areas
In order for Development Focus Areas to become the
dynamic living spaces envisioned in the
Comprehensive Plan, they need to provide a certain
mix of uses, located within small geographic areas.
Land Area. In order to keep a focus area walkable it
should be focused on an area with a ½-mile radius
from the center of the commercial core to the edge –
a total land area of approximately 500 acres. The
majority of destinations (businesses and services)
should be located in the core of the focus area
defined as the roughly ¼-mile radius in the center.
An Urban Center, with its abundant supply of regular
internal transit services, can be larger than this
pedestrian-oriented definition. It is an area that has a
variety of internal, overlapping Nodes: a central
business district with retail, entertainment, offices,
and a mix of higher density housing; neighborhood
centers that serve as destinations for the more
residential areas within the Urban Center; and
regional retail centers and regional employment
centers that serve as destinations for a significant
number of persons from throughout the county and
from surrounding counties.
Table 1
Existing Characteristics of the
Sixteen Development Focus Areas
Development Focus Area
Estimated
Housing Units
Estimated
Employment
Service Variety
(out of 14)
Public Water
and Sewer
Urban Center
Ithaca Area 15,500 27,000 14 Both
Nodes
- Established
Dryden 725 800 10 Both
Groton 775 475 10 Both
Newfield 250 250 9 Both
Trumansburg 875 400 10 Both
Varna 450 75 8 Both
- Emerging
Freeville 225 150 8 Sewer only
NYSEG 100 350 7 Both
South Lansing 175 175 7 Water only
Rural Centers
Brooktondale 150 25 4 Neither
Danby 100 50 7 Neither
Enfield 50 75 6 Neither
Etna 250 50 6 Neither
Jacksonville 125 50 5 Water only
McLean 225 100 6 Neither
Slaterville Springs 125 25 5 Neither
The Urban Center and the Established Nodes are existing communities that, for the most part, meet the
definition of a Development Focus Area. As the table above illustrates, Emerging Nodes are areas that
have already seen a significant amount of investment in public water and sewer systems, businesses and
services, and employment, but generally lack the amount of residential development to support a variety
of services. Rural Centers are unlikely to see the level of development found in the other Development
Focus Areas due to the absence of public water and sewer infrastructure.
Population and Housing Development. Studies have
indicated that a population of at least 2,500 is
required to support most basic neighborhood-scale
commercial services, which is an integral ingredient
to a vibrant residential setting. If the average
household size were 2.5 persons, a fully functional
focus area would need a total of 1,000 housing units.
A larger population base would support more diverse
and stronger businesses, adding to the vitality of the
Nodes. Accordingly, a typical Node should support
between 1,000 and 1,500 housing units.
Of course, not all the land in a focus area would be
uniformly developed for residential purposes. If half
of the 500 acres in the development focus area were
devoted to residential development, and accounting
for the need to provide public facilities (like streets
and stormwater management facilities) and to protect
important natural features, housing would need to be
developed at a net density of six to eight units per
acre. However, a vibrant community needs a mix of
housing densities to provide a variety of living
experiences. Thus, housing densities should range
from at least four units up to fifteen units per
developed acre, with higher densities generally
located in the core.
An Urban Center, of course, will have a much larger
population than any Node. With its larger land area
and higher-capacity infrastructure and services, a
typical Urban Center could support between 30,000
or more housing units at higher densities than in
Nodes.
Rural Centers, as noted earlier, rely on private wells
and individual septic systems for water supply and
wastewater treatment. This limits their ability to
support many types of housing. As a result, Rural
Centers are likely to contain between 100 and 300
housing units with density limited by public health
standards.
Jobs/Housing Balance. Vibrant communities are
places that are active throughout the day. Bedroom
communities, where the vast majority of residents are
away at school or at work all day, usually have
difficulty supporting a large variety of businesses and
services. Development Focus Areas in Tompkins
County should establish a balance between
residential development and employment
opportunities in order to support a broader mix of
businesses and services.
If an average household included 1.5 adults in the
labor force, this would mean an employment base of
1,500 to 2,250 persons in Nodes. Of course, not all
residents would work within the Node in which they
live, and others will come from outside to work.
Employment in the Nodes should range between 500
and 3,000. An Urban Center typically includes
numerous regional employment centers, attracting
many workers during the day from throughout the
county, and beyond. Therefore, the employment
opportunities in the Urban Center could include
35,000 or more jobs. Rural Centers, being less
populated, should aim for an employment base of up
to 100.
Variety of Services. Development Focus Areas need
a mix of neighborhood-scale services in order to
promote community livability, transportation
efficiency, and walkability. The LEED-ND
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for
Neighborhood Developments) identified fourteen
categories of non-residential uses appropriate for
neighborhoods (see Appendix 2), seven of which
should be within walking distance in order to
promote community vibrancy. The fourteen uses
include various retail uses, entertainment and
recreational facilities, educational facilities, religious
facilities, government services, medical offices, and
light industrial uses. These facilities would not only
meet the regular needs of residents, they would
provide employment opportunities, as well.
The commercial development in the Nodes, be it
coffee shops or daycare providers, would primarily
serve the daily and weekly needs of the residents of
that Node, as well as the residents of the surrounding
rural areas. The Urban Center also serves a larger
regional function by providing commercial services
unique in the area.
Urban Center
The single Urban Center in Tompkins County is
located in the middle of the county and includes
portions of the City of Ithaca, the Towns of Ithaca
and Lansing, and the Villages of Cayuga Heights and
Lansing. The Urban Center incorporates well over
15,000 housing units, roughly 27,000 jobs, and a
fully diverse mix of non-residential uses. While The
Commons functions as the central business district
for the County, the Urban Center also includes
neighborhood centers, with commercial and service
centers surrounded by largely residential
neighborhoods, including Collegetown, Northside,
Community Corners, and South Hill, and regional
shopping facilities along Route 13 in the southwest
portion of the City and on North Triphammer Road in
the Village of Lansing.
The Urban Center has the service and infrastructure
base to support infill development, both residential
and non-residential. As of this writing, the City of
Ithaca is beginning an update to its Comprehensive
Plan and the Town of Ithaca is finalizing its
Comprehensive Plan update. To support the Urban
Center concept as outlined in this Strategy, the City’s
and the Town’s plans will, ideally, identify the
primary and secondary service and commercial
centers, describe opportunities for infill development,
and support The Commons as the County’s primary
central business district.
Established Nodes
There are five Established Nodes in Tompkins
County. These include the Villages of Dryden,
Groton, and Trumansburg. Housing units within the
half-mile radius circle centered in these villages
range from 700 to 1,000, existing employment
ranges between 400 and 2,500, and the mix of
services is 9 or 10 types out of the LEED-ND
defined 14. These Established Nodes can support
infill development, both residential and non-
residential. Each of these villages has a well-
defined commercial center that should be
strengthened. Additional residential development in
these commercial centers would help maintain and
enhance their vitality.
There are two smaller Established Nodes in the
County: Newfield and Varna. Housing and
employment are significantly lower in these areas.
However, they have a healthy mix of non-
residential uses and infrastructure that has the
capacity to support additional development. They
are, however, limited in their ability to become as
large as the other Established Nodes due to the
limitations of geography (steep slopes in Newfield,
and steep slopes and wetlands in Varna).
Emerging Nodes
There are three Emerging Nodes in Tompkins
County. These are areas that have at least some
infrastructure in place with the opportunity for
expansion in the future, and limited residential and
non-residential development. There are large
differences among the Emerging Nodes and each is
described below.
The Freeville Emerging Node is located in the
Village of Freeville. Unlike the other villages in
the County, Freeville does not have a public
water supply, but it does have public sewer
service. While the development of the Village as
a full Node is possible, this potential is
dependent on the provision of public water.
The NYSEG Emerging Node is located in the
Town of Dryden around the (now largely
vacant) NYSEG office building. It has an
industrial park that provides jobs and the
NYSEG complex offers a unique opportunity for
redevelopment. If some residential development
were sited here, this area could serve as a full Node.
However, like the Established Node of Varna, there
are geographic limitations to development due to
steep slopes, wetlands, and Fall Creek.
The South Lansing Emerging Node is located in the
Town of Lansing. Unlike other Development Focus
Areas, this Emerging Node seems to have two
‘centers,’ one around the Rogue’s Harbor/Town
Hall Area and one around the Route
34/Triphammer Road intersection. In order to take
advantage of this configuration, development
efforts should focus on siting compact residential
development in the center and commercial and
service activities in the two distinct commercial
areas on the edge of the focus area. In addition, the
infrastructure to support additional development in
this area is planned, but not existing. Development
of this Emerging Node is dependent on the
provision of complete water and sewer
infrastructure.
Rural Centers
There are seven Rural Centers identified in Tompkins
County: Brooktondale, Danby, Enfield, Etna,
Jacksonville, McLean, and Slaterville Springs. These
are located in the rural areas of the county and are the
historic hamlets in the community. They generally
include 100-200 housing units, 50 to 100 jobs, and 5 or
6 of the 14 non-residential types of facilities and
services. These areas do not have the infrastructure
capacity to support the higher-intensity development
envisioned for the other Development Focus Areas.
However, they do serve as important focal points for
the residents of the Rural Center as well as for the
surrounding rural areas. Future development in these
areas should be encouraged. In particular, businesses
and services should be located in the core of these
Rural Centers to provide a single destination where
residents of the Rural Center and the surrounding areas
can go and meet their needs.
Achieving the Vision
Overview
Local governments in Tompkins County play the key
role in achieving the vision of the Development
Focus Areas Strategy. The County can help create
this vision and provide support for municipal
planning actions, but only local governments have
the authority to establish the legal framework to
implement this strategy and make the day-to-day
decisions over the coming years to make this plan a
reality.
Several types of actions will need to be taken to
achieve the vision espoused by this Strategy. These
fall into five broad categories:
Density and Design. Promote compact mixed-use
development in the Development Focus Areas.
The success of these communities will be
dependent, in part, on the quality of design.
Development Regulations. Review local laws,
including zoning and subdivision regulations, to
ensure that they promote the type of development
envisioned in this Strategy.
Infrastructure
Improvements. Implement
improvements to existing
public water and sewer
systems to support compact
mixed-use development.
Connections. Provide pedestrian facilities within
each Development Focus Area to make walking
an attractive transportation alternative. Provide
and maintain transit connections between the
Urban Center and the other Development Focus
Areas. Also, provide strong pedestrian and bicycle
connections between the Development Focus
Areas and nearby existing developed areas.
Controlling Sprawl. Most of the benefits of
concentrating growth in the Development Focus
Areas will not be achieved if a sprawling pattern
of development continues outside of these areas.
Development outside the Development Focus
Areas should not require the expansion of water,
sewer, and transit services and should fit the
character of the surrounding rural landscape.
The Urban Center and the Nodes provide Tompkins
County with the greatest opportunity for changing the
pattern of future development. These areas already
have in place the foundation for the envisioned nodal
development pattern – they have (or have plans for)
infrastructure, they have already established some of
the land use mix needed to support vibrant
communities, and they have been identified as
important centers by the local community. The key to
making this Development Focus Area Strategy a
success is to direct much of the County’s new
development to these areas.
Density and Design
As noted in the earlier sections of this Strategy, the
success of Development Focus Areas depends, in
large part, on their ability to create a vibrant
community, one to which residents and businesses
will be attracted; where people will walk to work,
school, and shopping; and where important natural
features and systems will be protected and enhanced.
Although there is no single design template that can
be applied to all of the
Development Focus Areas,
there are certain planning
and design principles present
in all good examples of
nodal development.
Planning and Design Principles
Compact and multiuse: Development Focus Areas
are designed to include a range of mutually
supportive uses, including neighborhood-scale
retail and services, offices, and residential uses
combined and integrated in a compact form. As
Nodes are developed around pedestrian
accessibility, core services, transit and shopping
should be no more than a ten-minute walk from
residences.
Pedestrian friendly: Street life is an integral
component of Development Focus Areas. To
encourage and facilitate walking, successful
Nodes feature a comfortable, safe and efficient
pedestrian network with wide sidewalks, seating,
and other pedestrian comfort features.
The Urban Center and the Nodes
provide Tompkins County with the
greatest opportunity for changing the
pattern of future development.
Residentially diverse: Development Focus Areas
are dynamic communities able to accommodate a
diversity of residents at varying stages of life.
From senior housing to family-oriented
developments, the Development Focus Areas
contain a mix of housing types that appeal to a
variety of demographic groups. Housing types
include detached single-family homes,
apartments, condominiums and town homes. This
residential diversity helps accommodate a broad
range of incomes and needs, while also helping
support area services and businesses. With the
higher densities, residential privacy and safety can
be addressed through careful design, building-
orientation and site layout.
Businesses and Services: To best support its
residents, the overwhelming majority of
businesses and services are located in the core of
the Development Focus Area, the ¼-mile radius
circle at the center. This concentration of services
makes it easy for residents to run multiple errands
on a single trip.
Multi-modal: Development Focus Areas
accommodate a variety of users on their street
networks in a safe and efficient manner. Streets
are not designed solely for access by the
automobile. In fact, large surface parking lots are
minimized and replaced with smaller lots to the
side and at the rear of buildings and with on-street
parking. Transit stops are conveniently placed and
pedestrians are provided with wide sidewalks and
safe crosswalks. Bicycle facilities are provided to
improve cyclist safety and further reduce and
calm car traffic.
Well designed: Good building design through the
use of design guidelines helps achieve higher
residential densities while maintaining livability
and is a prerequisite for attracting both residents
and businesses. Design guidelines should be
specific to each Development Focus Area and
created in consultation with property owners,
businesses, and citizens. Guidelines can stipulate
simple design features like having storefronts and
entryways face streets or parks.
Public Realm: An active, engaging and safe
public realm is central to a successful
Development Focus Area. Comfortable sidewalks,
public sitting and gathering places, street trees and
other plantings, public art, and ground level, street
front retail are all components of a public realm
where people want to spend their time. Investing
in and upgrading these spaces can help attract
more pedestrians and street traffic and promote
local businesses. Many Nodes also include some
kind of larger public gathering or event space as a
focal point around which other uses can be
clustered. These high-quality public spaces help
foster community interaction and community
pride and can be used for a variety of events, such
as farmers markets and local festivals and
celebrations.
Green Infrastructure: Development Focus Areas
integrate, protect, and enhance natural features
and open space. Existing vegetation, such as trees
and notable landforms, should be maintained as
focal points or incorporated in the overall design.
Naturalized stormwater management is also
encouraged to reduce infrastructure service costs
and create additional multi-purpose green and
open space. In general, a minimum of 20 percent
of a Development Focus Area’s gross area should
be maintained as park or open space.
Complete Streets: As is the case in the City of
Ithaca and villages in Tompkins County, State
Highways transect most of the Development
Focus Areas, creating special design challenges.
This will entail creating a street where the
movement of vehicles through the area does not
impede local pedestrian and bicycle activity
within the area and, in fact, supports access to
local businesses and services. In 2011, New York
State adopted Complete Streets legislation to
consider the needs of all users “including
pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation
riders, motorists and citizens of all ages and
abilities, including children, the elderly and the
disabled.” In local villages, this has been
successfully achieved, such as in the Village of
Trumansburg, using creative and thoughtful
streetscape design.
Although these Planning and Design Principles were
adapted from “Nodal Development: Creating
Compact, Complete, Mixed-Use Communities,”
prepared by the Regional District of Nanaimo in
British Columbia, they are not foreign to Tompkins
County. Most of our existing communities already
meet some or all of these principles. Cases in point
are the Established Nodes in the County. Some have
a ‘Main Street’ central business district with
surrounding residential neighborhoods, as seen in
Dryden, Groton, and Trumansburg. Even the smaller
Established Nodes – Newfield and Varna – meet
most of these principles. All of these Established
Nodes have a variety of businesses and services, a
mix of housing densities, and (all but the smallest) a
nearly complete sidewalk network. Similarly, on a
larger scale, we can look to the City of Ithaca, where
the mix of businesses, services, and housing types is
denser and even more diverse.
Density and Design Recommendations
Urban Center and All Established Nodes –
Encourage infill development, particularly mixed-
use higher-intensity development, in the Urban
Center and in Established Nodes. Each
community should identify specific locations
suitable for infill development and actively
promote these within the development
community. Barriers to developing these sites
should be identified and addressed.
Urban Center and All Emerging Nodes – Require
new development to be in accord with the
planning and design principles listed above.
Towards that end, conduct detailed design studies
for each of the Emerging Nodes and for
neighborhoods in the Urban Center, involving
local residents, property owners, businesses,
developers, and local government planners and
elected officials.
All Rural Centers – To the degree possible,
encourage new development in the Rural Centers
to be in accord with the planning and design
principles listed above.
Newfield and Varna Established Nodes – These
smaller Established Nodes have geographic
limitations on their size due to the presence of
streams, wetlands and steep slopes. The
boundaries of these areas should be carefully
delineated to protect vulnerable natural features
and better define where development should be
encouraged within the Nodes.
What Density Looks Like Around Tompkins County
The following photos and maps illustrate existing development patterns at varying densities within Tompkins
County.
Location: Gaslight/Uptown Villages, in the Village of Lansing
Net Density: 16.5 units per acre
Lot Size: 300,000 square feet
Location: Fall Creek Neighborhood, in the City of Ithaca
Net Density: 15.3 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 2,600 – 6,100 square feet
Location: Southside Neighborhood, in the City of Ithaca
Net Density: 13.4 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 2,200 – 7,600 square feet
Location: Belle Sherman Neighborhood, in the City of Ithaca
Net Density: 8.2 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 3,500 – 19,200 square feet
Location: Village of Dryden
Net Density: 5.6 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 7,500 – 18,000 square feet
Location: Newfield Hamlet
Net Density: 2.4 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 5,100 – 44,000 square feet
Location: Etna Hamlet, in the Town of Dryden
Net Density: 2.1 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 8,500 – 68,000 square feet
Location: Brooktondale Hamlet, in the Town of Caroline
Net Density: 1.3 units per acre
Typical Lot Sizes: 12,000 – 68,000 square feet
Development Regulations
Most communities in Tompkins County have adopted
Comprehensive Plans, enacted Zoning Ordinances
and Subdivision Regulations, and have other land
development regulations in place. In many cases,
these existing regulations make it difficult to achieve
the patterns of development envisioned in this
Strategy. The density of residential development
permitted is often well below that required to support
the compact development patterns envisioned herein
and commercial development is permitted in areas
remote from residential neighborhoods.
A complete review of these regulations is needed to
identify those regulations that would need to be
amended in order to implement this Strategy.
Development Regulations Recommendations
All Development Focus Areas – To the extent
possible, incorporate the Planning and Design
Principles into local zoning ordinances,
subdivision regulations, and other development
laws.
Urban Center – Within the Urban Center, require
residential development to be at net densities
between eight and twenty units per acre, with
higher densities in and around the downtown
central business district, moderate densities near
other commercial centers, and lower densities
elsewhere. Establish minimum density standards
for all new residential development.
All Established and Emerging Nodes – Within the
Established and Emerging Nodes, require
residential development to be at net densities
between four and fifteen units per acre, with
higher densities in the core of the Development
Focus Area. Establish minimum density standards
for all new residential development.
All Established and Emerging Nodes and Rural
Centers – Within the Established Nodes,
Emerging Nodes, and Rural Centers, require new
businesses and services that attract customers to
locate in the core of the Development Focus
Areas.
Commercial Development in the Focus Areas
The type, scale, and design of commercial
development should vary among the Development
Focus Areas. The Urban Center provides regional
shopping destinations in Tompkins County and
should continue to do so.
Commercial development in the other Development
Focus Areas should provide goods and services
primarily to the residents of the Development Focus
Areas and the surrounding rural areas. In general,
permitted businesses should not generate large
At these recommended densities and taking into account the capacity of infrastructure, without any
additional detailed analysis, the Development Focus Areas could support a significant number of new
housing units. The “Countywide Inter-Municipal Water and Sewer Feasibility Study for Tompkins
County,” sponsored by the Tompkins County Council of Governments in 2010, concluded that there is
existing capacity to immediately serve the equivalent of 10,600 new housing units and an additional
2,850 to 7,300 units with identified improvements to existing systems.
The historic average annual growth rate in population in Tompkins County is 1%. At this rate, housing
units would increase by 8,600 in the next twenty years. Two-thirds, or roughly 5,750 housing units,
could easily be accommodated in the proposed Development Focus Areas.
Development Focus
Area Type
Housing Unit
Growth Potential
Urban Center 5,000 – 10,150
Established Nodes 725 – 1,900
Emerging Nodes 1,050 – 1,550
Rural Centers 50 – 1,075
Total 6,975 – 14,675
volumes of traffic, should minimize adverse impacts
on nearby residential properties, and should fit the
visual character and architectural scale of the
Development Focus Area. Strip-type shopping
centers, highway-oriented commercial uses, and
drive-through facilities should be minimized.
The following is an illustrative (not exhaustive) list
of the types of businesses and services that could be
expected to locate in the Nodes and Rural Centers.
These should be limited in size, based on the
population to be served and the need to fit into the
character of the Development Focus Area. Some
suggested size limits are provided.
Commercial Uses
Artist studios
Banks, excluding drive-through facilities
Bed and breakfasts, inns (12 rooms)
Business and professional offices (2000 square feet)
Convenience stores
Farmers markets
Medical and dental offices (3 doctors)
Music, dance, art studios and schools
Personal services, including pharmacies, launderettes, barber/beauty shops, tailors and shoe repair
Restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and bars (2000 square feet), excluding drive-through facilities
Retail, including clothing, hardware, furniture, and antiques (5000 square feet)
Public/Semi-Public Uses
Churches and other places of worship
Community centers, clubs, and lodges
Day care centers
Libraries and museums
Municipal or government buildings, including fire and police stations
Post offices
Primary and secondary schools
Conditional Uses
Light manufacturing, including agricultural processing
Animal shelters and kennels
Communications facilities
Indoor entertainment facilities (5000 square feet)
Indoor recreation facilities (5000 square feet)
Infrastructure Improvements
This document has noted several times the
importance of the availability of water and sewer
infrastructure to support the change in development
patterns. In March 2010, the Tompkins County
Council of Governments published a review of the
status of water and sewer infrastructure entitled,
“Countywide Inter-Municipal Water and Sewer
Feasibility Study for Tompkins County.” That study
included an inventory of municipal water and
wastewater facilities and evaluated their capacity to
support growth in a nodal development pattern. The
study identified the limitations (if any) to system
expansion.
The study also included an analysis of the readiness
of each of the proposed Development Focus Areas to
support the development described herein and (for
those not ready) how long before those systems could
reasonably be ready. The readiness of the Urban
Center, Established Nodes, and the Emerging Nodes
are:
Immediate to 5 Years
Urban Center
Established Nodes: Dryden, Groton, and Varna
5 to 10 Years
Established Nodes: Newfield and Trumansburg
Emerging Nodes: NYSEG and South Lansing
10 to 15 Years
Emerging Nodes: Freeville
The Rural Centers, for the most part, do not have
existing infrastructure, so it is unlikely that they will
be ready for the more intense development needed to
develop as Nodes.
Infrastructure Improvements Recommendations
Newfield Established Node– Improve the
wastewater treatment facility in the Newfield
Development Focus Area. Flows to the
wastewater treatment facility have been exceeding
permit limits pointing to the need to expand the
number of absorption fields. This expansion may
be required whether additional development
occurs or not.
Trumansburg Established Node– Provide a
redundant source of groundwater supply for the
water system serving the Trumansburg
Development Focus Area.
NYSEG Emerging Node – Municipal water and
sewer infrastructure exists in portions of the
NYSEG Development Focus Area but does not
extend north across NYS Route 13 to Hall Road
or Pinckney Road. The service area would need to
be expanded to support a mixed-use, compact
Node.
South Lansing Emerging Node – A new sewer
district would be needed to serve the existing and
new mix of land uses in the South Lansing
Development Focus Area.
Connections
The proposed Development Focus Areas will be
successful only if pedestrian travel is a viable
transportation option within the Focus Area and if
bicycle and transit travel are viable transportation
alternatives to destinations outside the Focus Areas.
In 2007, pilot walkability studies were conducted in
two communities: (1) the Village of Trumansburg
and (2) the Northeast area of the Town of Ithaca and
the Village of Cayuga Heights. These walkability
studies provided specific recommendations to
improve and enhance pedestrian access to important
destinations, such as schools, shopping, employment,
and health centers. Assessing walkability requires a
very detailed knowledge of existing facilities and
experience with identifying specific barriers to
walking in a community. It is important for any
walkability study to employ a process that involves a
broad cross-section of the community in order to
provide a good picture of the community’s walking
concerns and needs.
As noted earlier in this report, development in
Tompkins County over the past fifty-plus years has
not followed a nodal development pattern. As a
result, there are several areas in the County with a
significant amount of development near, but not
within, the proposed Development Focus Areas. It is
important to build connections between these
developments and the Development Focus Areas.
With strong pedestrian, bicycle, and/or transit
connections to the Development Focus Areas these
more scattered developments can enjoy some of the
benefits of the Focus Areas without necessarily
having to drive.
Connections Recommendations
Urban Center and All Established Nodes –
Conduct walkability studies and implement the
recommendations.
Urban Center and All Established Nodes –
Complete sidewalk systems and develop and
implement long-term maintenance plans.
All Development Focus Areas – Establish strong
pedestrian and bicycle connections between the
various Development Focus Areas and nearby
development. Some areas require particular
attention, as highlighted below. Develop
connections between:
o Urban Center and residential areas near Deer
Run, along Snyder Hill Road, in western
Cayuga Heights, in western Village of
Lansing, and in northern Village of Lansing.
o Freeville Emerging Node and the William
George Agency facility.
o NYSEG Emerging Node and the Etna Rural
Center.
Provide transit service that meets the needs of
commuters in the Development Focus Areas. In
particular, provide regular commuter service
between the Nodes (both Established and
Emerging) and the Urban Center. Continue to
provide regular transit service throughout the
Urban Center.
Controlling Sprawl
Most of the benefits of concentrating growth in the
Development Focus Areas will not be achieved if a
sprawling pattern of development continues outside
of these areas. Developing outside of the focus areas
will require more investment in water, sewer, and
roads; create a demand for services in new areas even
as services in existing areas are stagnating or in
decline; require more trips by automobile as scattered
development cannot be served efficiently with trails
and transit; and continue development pressure on
farmland and important natural areas. Limiting
development outside the Development Focus Areas
will also help preserve rural character, an oft-stated
goal of local plans.
While the Development Focus Areas Strategy
recognizes that there will continue to be a need and
demand for development outside the identified focus
areas, there are several strategies that can help to
control it.
A distinct edge should be established and
maintained between the Development Focus
Areas and the surrounding countryside.
For those businesses and services that are
important to creating a successful Development
Focus Area, local development regulations should
discourage their location outside of the identified
focus areas.
Economic development activities for rural areas
that are not dependent on subdividing and
developing land should be identified and
promoted. This would include exploration of new
agricultural and forestry products and markets and
the development of renewable energy resources.
Efforts to permanently protect important farmland
and critical natural resources should be supported.
Transfer of Development Rights programs should
be explored for individual towns, for portions of
towns, or even for multi-town regions to help
promote and direct growth to the Development
Focus Areas.
Conclusion
Tompkins County strives to promote sustainable
practices including social, environmental, and
economic stewardship to benefit this and future
generations, and to inspire other municipalities,
public and private entities, and residents to do the
same.
The way we develop land is fundamental to
sustainability. Community sustainability requires a
transition from poorly-managed sprawl to land use
planning practices that create and maintain efficient
infrastructure, ensure close-knit neighborhoods and
sense of community, and preserve natural systems.
This strategy presents a vision of sustainable
development for Tompkins County that is both short-
term and long-term in nature. There are actions that
municipalities can take now to impact development
patterns in the near future, as well as create a
coordinated approach to development far into the
future. Such coordination will not be easy to achieve
and will require the action of 16 municipal
governments to truly change development patterns in
the County. However, the result of creating vibrant
population centers where people are clambering to
live while at the same time protecting the natural
features and agricultural productivity valued by the
community, may be compelling enough to spur
discussion that results in tangible changes in the
status quo. Absent such coordinated action,
development patterns will continue to chip away at
the rural character of our region, while making it
more difficult for population centers to attract the
types of services desired by residents.
Looking to the Future
The benefits of this nodal development pattern may
not be fully realized in the next five to ten years, but
the development of today is likely to be here in 50 to
100 years and beyond. As we strive to develop a
sustainable community we can expect higher costs
for fossil fuels, more reliance on transportation
alternatives, a need for increased efficiency in public
services, and an increased emphasis on daily activity
that leads to better health. All of these trends are
better accommodated in a nodal pattern of
development and are much more difficult to achieve
with a sprawling pattern.