HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.16.25 CB Meeting packet TOWN OF ITHACA
NEW YORK
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca NY 14850
607-273-1747
www.townithacanygov
TO: CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS
FROM: MICHAEL SMITH, SENIOR PLANNER
DATE: JANUARY 9, 2025
SUBJECT: UPCOMING CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING — JANUARY 16, 2025
This is to confirm that the next meeting of the Conservation Board (CB) is Thursday,
January 16th at 5:30 p.m. The agenda for this meeting is enclosed (see the back of
this memo).
The draft minutes from the December 5th meeting are attached. Please email me any
spelling, grammatical, or other minor edits you have prior to the meeting.
At this meeting we will take some time to discuss the CB's activities and
accomplishments from 2024, the 2025 work goals, and the 2025 committee
assignments. Please review these attached draft documents for additions or
modifications.
At this meeting we will also continue the discussion of CB member recruitment ideas.
As a reminder to everyone, please start thinking about nomination ideas for the next
Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award. The deadline is February 28,
2025. The nomination information (eligibility details, nomination requirements, selection
process, etc.) and the new nomination form can be found on the Town's website at
https://townithacany.gov/richard-fischer-award/.
James is signed up to take minutes at the January meeting.
If you have any questions prior to the meeting or are not able to attend, please contact
me at msmith(a)townithacany.gov or 607-273-1747.
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TOWN OF ITHACA
CONSERVATION BOARD
5:30 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 2025
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Aurora Conference Room
215 N. Tioga Street
Ithaca,New York 14850
(The rear entrance is handicapped accessible)
(607)273-1747
Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall
or virtually via Zoom (httys://zoom.us/i/6750593272).
AGENDA
1. Persons to be heard
2. Members comments/concerns
3. Environmental Review Committee Update (Lori)
4. Chair and Coordinator reports
5. Approval of minutes from December 5, 2024
6. Discussion of
- Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Activities &Accomplishments for 2024
- Conservation Board 2025 Work Goals
- Conservation Board Committees 2025
7. Discussion of Conservation Board member recruitment ideas
8. Regular reports and updates (6:30 pm)
a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva)
b. Communications Committee (Ingrid)
C. Tompkins County EMC (Ingrid)
d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James)
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James)
9. Other Business(6:50 p.m.)
10. Review 2025 Work Goals (Frank)/Discuss February Agenda
II. Adjourn (7:00 p.m.)
Conservation Board Members and Associates(*)
Lori Brewer(Chair),Frank Cantone(Vice-Chair),Lindsay Dombroskie*,
James Hamilton,Eva Hoffmann,Ingrid Zabel
Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Meeting
December 5, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
(In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference)
Draft Minutes
Members present: Lori Brewer (Chair), Frank A. Cantone (Vice-Chair), James Hamilton, Eva
Hoffmann, Ingrid Zabel
Staff present: Michael Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Andrew Molnar, Daniel Seib, and Caroline Ashurst (all via Zoom).
1. Persons to be heard:
The above community members urged the Conservation Board (CB) to oppose construction
of the 138-foot Verizon cell tower at Wiedmaier Court. The Town Zoning Board of Appeals is
currently reviewing Verizon's application. The tower would present an eye sore, decrease
property values, impact wildlife, affect survival of endangered species, and impose harmful
health effects of people living at Wiedmaier Court. Alternative options exist (e.g., smaller
cells on existing poles), but Verizon is focused on the proposed site and will not consider
other options. The tower would create precedence for other such disruptive projects in the
Town. Additionally, community members cited a low level of decorum at Planning Board
meetings.
2. Members comments/concerns:
a. The Town Planning Board has already approved the site plan for the Verizon cell tower.
The Zoning Board has yet to approve the height variance, which allows a maximum of
30 feet. The CB will submit a letter to the Zoning Board asking it to reject any height
variance.
b. Related to the Field Hockey project, Eva asked if Cornell has provided any
comprehensive plan for the eastern edge of campus, particularly east of East Hill Plaza
toward Game Farm Road. —
3. Environmental Review Committee Update:
a. The ERC reviewed the proposed generator project at Cayuga Medical Center and did
not identify any concerns.
b. The Planning Board is currently reviewing the sketch plan for the Cornell field hockey
site along Game Farm Road. The Board has not determined what level of
environmental review will be required for the project. Cornell indicated that the carpet
proposed for the field hockey site will not contain any infill (e.g., shredded tires).
However, shearing of the carpet fibers during use is still a concern. The Town's
Planning Committee discussed the moratorium idea on the use of plastic carpets,
based on the CB letter to the Town Board.
C. Lori presented two research studies - Combined toxicity of perfouroalkyl substances
and microplastics on the sentinel species Daphnia magna: Implications for freshwater
ecosystems. Environmental Pollution 363 (part 1), 15 December 2024,125133; Making
invisible chemicals used in plastic materials visible. eBioMedicine 2024 November,
109:105422.
d. Ingrid contacted a lab at Cornell that measures PFAS and provided some locations for
measurement. No word of any action.
Page 1 of 2
4. Chair & Coordinator Reports:
Coordinator report:
a. Maplewood 2 site plan will be on the Planning Board's 12 December agenda.
b. Safestreetstompkins.com - Tompkins County and ten municipalities have come
together to prepare a comprehensive Safe Streets for All Joint Safety Action Plan and
there are a couple of public meetings coming up.
5. Approval of minutes from November 2024 meeting:
James moved and Lori seconded. All approved.
6. Discussion of Conservation Board member recruitment ideas:
a. Mike suggested that the CB place an information table in Town Hall lobby as a
recruitment tool for when people come to pay taxes in person for the month of January.
b. The Town considers the CB as a full board at nine members, of which five is needed for
a quorum. With the resignation of Mike R. we only have five members. Do we wish to
change the number of CB members to seven, for example, to reduce pressure for
quorum? If we get a lot of interest in the future, it could always be changed back to
nine members for a full board, and there is always the option of having more associate
members. Mike S. will consult with the Town attorney and work with the Town Board to
make the change.
7. Regular reports and updates:
a. Scenic Resources: No updates.
b. Communications Committee: Facebook statistics (e.g., post engagements, likes)
trended downward over the last month.
C. Tompkins County EMC: No regular EMC meeting this month, but there was a special
public meeting on UNA's. Ingrid forwarded an email regarding Cargill
d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program: Volunteers did water sampling on
November 19t". Beaver pond has been created at a site James usually uses. Samples
are being analyzed.
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program: Volunteers have been visiting South
Hill Swamp on South Hill to remove invasive plants that have been moving in. On the
south bank of Beebe Lake at the toboggan slope, volunteers were planting native trees
where they previously killed all the invasives.
8. Other business:
a. Members approved the 2025 meeting schedule (James moved and Ingrid seconded).
January's meeting is scheduled for 16 January instead of 2 January.
b. Chair and vice-chair for 2025: Lori Brewer was recommended as chair (James moved
and Frank seconded), and Frank Cantone was voted as vice-chair (Ingrid moved and
Lori seconded).
9. Review 2024 Work Goals:
a. Postponed until January 2025 meeting.
10. Adjourn: at 7:00 pm
Minutes drafted by Frank A. Cantone.
Page 2 of 2
Conservation Board Committees - 2025
Environmental Review Committee
(review of applications for site plan approval, subdivision approval, rezoning,
special permits and zoning variances for the PB, ZBA, TB)
Lori Brewer— Chair
Lindsay Dombroskie
Eva Hoffmann
Scenic Resources Committee
(interpretative view signs, scenic views map.,and guide)
Eva Hoffmann— Chair
James Hamilton
Communications Committee
(Richard B. Fischer Environntal Conservation Award, Town newsletter,
CB website & Facebook pages, recruitment, education & outreach)
Ingrid Zabel— Chair
James Hamilton
Lindsay Dombroskie
Other Appointments:
Tompkins County Environmental Management Council—Ingrid Zabel
Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program—James Hamilton
Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program—James Hamilton
January 9,2025
Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
2025 Work Goals
Goal and Supporting Actions Goal Steward
Conduct and improve environmental
review process to better promote
environmental conservation. Make
field trips to application sites.
Promote awareness of the
importance of scenic resources.
• Get permission to place the
third view sign on Cornell land
at the intersection of Snyder
Hill and Pine Tree Roads.
Refine and finish earlier draft
language and design for this
sign and get approval of the
draft from the whole CB. Send
the design to our local design
firm for final layout before
sending it to the manufacturer
of the earlier signs. Work with
the Town Highway Department
to get the sign located the
optimal way at the site.
• Update the Scenic Viewmap
and guide brochure. �-
Continue outreach through both
traditional and new social media
methods, including Facebook and
Instagram pages and newsletter
articles to encourage and foster more
public participation in conservation
of our resources and environment. Ingrid
• Post 4-5 times per month
articles and events of interest.
• Generate novel text
periodically.
• Solicit input at outreach events
and on Facebook from
residents on environmental
issues that are important to
them.
• Outreach can focus on topics
like land & water conservation,
bluebird boxes, invasive
species & other pest
management, promoting
biodiversity, and converting
lawns to pollinator gardens.
Continue ongoing activities such as
Fischer Award, Earth Day (April 22"d),
Invasive Species Week.
• Nominate and select Fischer James
awardee!
• Plant a tree and host a
rollicking party!
Conduct quarterly and a year-end
review of goals and
accomplishments.
• Track progress on goals. Frank
• Communicate
accomplishments to the public
and the Town Board.
Conservation Board recruitment and
public engagement Lori
• Host 1-2 public events per year
Assist IAMh iMnrwerv.entc at M'telA
Park
l..l-ve 20 plant labels printed I►A
and inetalled
• Device tevt in entry kiAQL
Revised 01/06/2025
2
Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Activities &
Accomplishments for 2024
Awarded its 2ISt annual Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award to
Adrianna Hirtler and held a tree planting ceremony in Tudor Park where an
American Basswood trees was planted;
Environmental Review Committee continued to provide comments on 6 site plan
and subdivision projects;
Provided support to the Town's Deer Management Program, including research and
discussions regarding browse monitoring methods;
Continued to update and monitor the Conservation Board Facebook page
(http://www.facebook.com/IthacaConservationBoard) and the new Instagram
account (hops://www.instagram.com/townofithacaconservationboard/);
41 Hosted a public invasive species education event (Ten Nasty Invaders) at the
Town's East Ithaca Nature Preserve in June as part of NYS's Invasive Species
Awareness Week;
4' Discussed several topics related to Indigenous Environmental Justice throughout
2024, including work being done to create an ethnobotanic trail, highlighting I I
plants at Tutelo Park (hops://townithacany.,,�ov/tutelo-park-plant-walk/);
4' Discussed several NYS regulations or programs including the new NYS Freshwater
Wetland regulations, the NYS Open Space Conservation Plan update, and the NYS
30 x 30 Conservation Strategies and Plan.
LM January 9,2025