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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.