Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-1998-09-28COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Special Meeting 4:15 P.M. September 28, 1998 PRESENT: Mayor Cohen Alderpersons (8) Shenk, Sams, Farrell, Vaughan, Spielholz, Hershey, Taylor, Blumenthal OTHERS PRESENT: City Clerk – Conley Holcomb EXCUSED: Alderpersons (2) Manos, Marcham PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Cohen led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 2.1 Public Comment Regarding the Use of the Woolworth Building Mack Travis, President of the Ithaca Downtown Partnership and a Managing Partner of Center Ithaca, noted that the IDP passed a Resolution of Support of the Public Library use IDP with annual payments from the County to the IDP, and the City of Ithaca in lieu of taxes. He stated that the building does not fit the format for box retail. Jerry Martins, Co-owner of Now You’re Cooking on the Commons, recommended that Council consider extending the consideration time from 3 months to 6 months. He voiced his support of retail business in downtown, and if the Library were to move into that building, the opportunity would be lost of expanded retail uses. John Schroeder, City of Ithaca, concurred with the suggestion of 6-month time period of consideration. He stated that Council should appoint a Task Force comprised of merchants, banks, and community members. He believes that multi-use development on the site would be the best solution, and would be supported by almost everyone in the community. Richard Berg, City of Ithaca, voiced his opposition of the relocation of the library to the Woolworth Building. He stated that the relocation should be conditional upon a mixed use of the building. Bob Romanowski, Town of Ithaca, asked Council to consider this issue carefully and make a decision that is in the best interest of the taxpayers. Daniel Hoffman, City of Ithaca, stated that Council should stand up for City residents. He believes that any endorsement of the library use should be tied to mixed-use development. He further urged Council not commit to a multi-story development, and stated that the time period scheduled is not adequate for thorough consideration. David Coat, the Commons, stated that the Woolworth Building is an inappropriate location for the library. 2 Joe Daley, City of Ithaca, asked Council to be mindful of City residents. He stated that the library is closed on weekends in summer, which is the best time for retail. He further stated that the Library is only open on Sundays throughout the remainder of the year due to private donations. He believes the County needs to back out of the proposal because they are scaring away developers. 2.1 Woolworth Building and County Library Resolution By Alderperson Blumenthal: Seconded by Alderperson Shenk WHEREAS, in October 1997 the Woolworth Corporation vacated the building in downtown Ithaca where they had successfully operated for about 30 years, and WHEREAS, the Woolworth building, located at the prime location of Green and Cayuga Streets, has remained vacant since that time, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca would like to see the building occupied rather than vacant, and the site redeveloped for a multi-story, mixed-used structure, and WHEREAS, the City, building owner David Abbott, the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, the Woolworth Corporation, and regional development companies have each individually searched for a retailer or group of retailers to occupy the Woolworth building, and WHEREAS, the feasibility of adding more stories to the existing structure or building above the existing structure were explored and determined not to be feasible, and WHEREAS, the Common Council understands that there is a national trend for large general merchandise and department stores to move out of downtown areas, often requiring cities to seek non-retail enterprises as downtown anchors to maintain a high level of activity and vitality, and WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Library Improvement Committee has recommended that the Tompkins County Library move in order to improve library services and that the best location for expansion of the library would be the Woolworth building, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca places great value in keeping the library easily accessible to city residents and recognizes that an enlarged library facility offering enhanced services would increase library patronage downtown, not only by generating more foot-traffic but also by positively filling a prominent vacant space downtown, and WHEREAS, it would be most desirable for the Woolworth parcel to be redeveloped with a multi-story, multi-use structure with a mix of public and private uses, including some combination of: the library (possibly on the second floor), a general merchandise tenant or an aggregation of smaller retailers in order to provide retail products to the downtown residential and office communities; Class A office space to attract additional businesses downtown; and/or housing units to further strengthen the downtown’s residential sector, and WHEREAS, a brief study of building an entirely new mixed-use structure was done but additional information is desired to further determine the feasibility of this idea, now therefore be it, RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca wishes to further explore the possible options for the development of a new multi-story, mixed- 3 used building consisting of the library along with other residential and/or commercial uses, such as retail stores and offices, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca supports the Library Improvement Committee's recommendation to relocate the library into the Woolworth building if such relocation is part of a multi-story, multi-use development, or as a single-story, single-use facility if the City is unable to develop a plan for multi-story, multi-use development within 6 months, and be it further resolved, RESOLVED, That the City will take the lead role in exploring this option for three months and that costs to the County will not exceed current projected expenditures, which is the cost of renovations and improvements for the library to locate in the existing Woolworth building, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the City will work with the County and the Ithaca Downtown Partnership to strengthen the central business district by developing plans to increase retail activity along the Green Street corridor, by improving pedestrian access between the Green Street corridor and The Ithaca Commons, and by studying the options for further improvements to Green Street and the City-owned land surrounding the Woolworth Building, and be it further, RESOLVED, That if the Woolworth building is selected as a new library site, Common Council requests that the County include City representatives on the library design committee to maximize the facility’s integration into the downtown community. Alderperson Blumenthal explained the purpose of the second Resolved clause and stated that the City would take the lead role in the development plan. She further noted that the County does not want to invest more tax dollars into the project, which could be a constraint in putting the development package together. Alderperson Vaughan asked about the consideration time period, as it is a great concern to the public. Alderperson Blumenthal responded that complex development projects, especially mixed-uses, take a while to put together. The intent is to pursue possibilities, develop financial feasibility and a reasonable expectation of development. Depending upon the configuration or combination, the length of time can vary. Alderperson Shenk stated that the monetary figures should not be included in the City’s resolution, as it is a County issue. She further stated that the three-month time period should be expandable if a promising lead develops. Amending Resolution By Alderperson Farrell: Seconded by Alderperson Taylor RESOLVED, That the first Resolved clause be amended to read: “RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca wishes to further explore the possible options for the development of the new multi-story mixed- use building consisting of the library, along with other residential and/or commercial uses, such as retail stores and offices, and be it further” and, be it further RESOLVED, That a second Resolved clause be added to read: 4 “RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca supports the Library Improvement Committee’s recommendation to relocate the library into the Woolworth Building if such relocation is part of a multi-story, multi-use development, and be it further” and, be it further RESOLVED, That the third Resolved Clause be amended to read as follow: “RESOLVED, That the City will take the lead role in exploring this option for twelve months and that costs to the County will not exceed current projected expenditures, which is the cost of renovations and improvements for the library to locate in the existing Woolworth building, and be it further,” Alderperson Spielholz noted that the Park Foundation money would not be offered to the County unless the project is a single use, one story building. Alderperson Taylor stated that she supports the Amending Resolution. She stated that the City should send a strong message to the County, and take a stand for City retailers and residents. Alderperson Farrell proposed an amendment to the Amending Resolution to read as follows: Amendment to Amending Resolution: By Alderperson Farrell: Seconded by RESOLVED, that the following Resolved clause be added: “RESOLVED, That, at this time, the City of Ithaca supports the Library Improvement Committee’s recommendation to relocate the library into the Woolworth Building if such relocation is part of a multi-story, multi-use development, or as a single story, single-use facility only if the City is unable to develop a plan for multi- story, multi-use development within one year, and be it further” The motion failed for the lack of a second. Mayor Cohen read the following information from a letter addressed to the Tompkins County Board of Representatives from the Park Foundation: “The terms under which the grant has been offered are as follows: The grant was intended for library use, and to ensure that the County would have a library suitable for the next century located in a downtown core, easily accessible to walkers and commuters alike, and readily available to our schoolchildren and their families. The Board has repeatedly emphasized that the County’s Public Library is one of its most valuable resources, and that access to that resource by our most disadvantaged residents should be a high priority. The grant therefore has been offered to Tompkins County on the condition that the County utilize all grant monies provided by the Park Foundation for the acquisition of the Woolworth Building in order to renovate with other funds that building for the exclusive use of the Tompkins County Public Library. The concept of a stand-alone public library is vital to Foundation Board members who believe that a library demands the dignity and integrity of a site devoted to its functions. Because the Foundation trustees realize that the City will sustain an immediate loss of property tax revenue when the building passes from private to public, the Foundation is willing to engage in discussions with the Mayor and Council about ways in which the Foundation might ease that loss of tax revenue over a period of several years until other sources of tax revenue are available. The 5 Foundation’s own planning needs required the board to establish a deadline for County action on this matter, so that the Foundation Board can formally approve this grant in a timely fashion. That deadline is October 1, 1998, which is the same deadline for all potential grantees with requests that are going to be discussed at the Park Foundation Board meeting on the 19th and 20th of October, 1998. The Board appreciates the County’s willingness to abide by this deadline and looks forward to celebrating the future of the Tompkins County Public Library. Extensive discussion followed regarding the Park Foundation conditions and development possibilities. Alderperson Sams stated that more time is needed to analyze the project. Alderpersons Spielholz and Hershey voiced their opposition to the City being held hostage by the County and the Park Foundation. They voiced their support of multi-use development. A vote on the Amending Resolution resulted as follows: Ayes (0) Nays (8) Shenk, Sams, Farrell, Vaughan, Spielholz, Hershey, Taylor, Blumenthal Failed Amending Resolution: By Alderperson Farrell: Seconded by Alderperson Sams RESOLVED, That the first resolved clause be replaced with the following language: “RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca wishes to further explore the possible options for the development of a new multi-story, mixed-use building consisting of the library, along with other residential and/or commercial uses, such as retail stores and offices.” Mayor Cohen stated that downtown is struggling with its identity and revitalization. He further stated that the City of Ithaca is struggling financially, and this is a time when Common Council must look not only at what is good for the City, but also what is good for the entire community. Mayor Cohen distributed a list of businesses that were contacted regarding their interest in the Woolworth Building. He stated that big box stores such as Target and Wal-Mart would not be interested in downtown locations if they feel they have an opportunity to develop in the Southwest part of the community. He further stated that Woolworth’s conducted a national search for a renter, and was unsuccessful. Benderson Realty, one of the largest regional development companies in upstate New York, paid for the opportunity to recruit businesses, and failed. Parking deficiencies are a determining factor for large businesses. The typical requirement of most box stores is 5-6 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet, and the Woolworth location cannot provide that. He stated that he does not want to see the building vacant for a number of years, nor does he want to see the Library to move out of the City of Ithaca as the YMCA and Post Office did. Alderperson Vaughan stated that the library should be viewed as a new anchor for downtown. She stated that she would have preferred retail development, but this is an excellent second choice. 6 Alderperson Blumenthal noted that the City has not been in the forefront of the project because they do not have ownership of the building. This Resolution puts the City in a prime position to influence the outcome of the building use. She noted that the parking space requirements are not as meaningful in this situation because a large percentage of patrons would be walking, biking, or riding the bus to whatever store was built. Mayor Cohen left the meeting at 5:00 p.m., and Acting Mayor Sams took charge of the meeting. A Vote on the Amending Resolution Resulted as Follows: Ayes (7) Shenk, Sams, Farrell, Vaughan, Spielholz, Hershey, Taylor Nays (1) Blumenthal Carried Amending Resolution By Alderperson Hershey: Seconded by Alderperson Spielholz RESOLVED, That in the third Resolved clause, the three month time period be changed to “three months and/or a reasonable amount of time after.” Discussion followed on the floor regarding the difference between having a three-month deadline or a longer frame available to research other options. A Vote on the Amending Resolution Resulted as Follows: Ayes (4) Shenk, Vaughan, Hershey, Blumenthal Nays (4) Sams, Taylor, Farrell, Spielholz Motion Failed Amending Resolution: By Alderperson Spielholz: Seconded by Alderperson Shenk RESOLVED, That in the third Resolved clause, the three month time period be changed to six months. A Vote on the Amending Resolution Resulted as Follows: Ayes (7) Shenk, Hershey, Blumenthal, Sams, Taylor, Farrell, Spielholz Nays (1) Vaughan Carried Alderperson Shenk left the meeting at 5:45 p.m. Alderperson Blumenthal stated that she is not comfortable supporting this legislation because too many changes have been made that are not in writing. Alderperson Hershey thanked everyone for voicing their opinions and concerns and making the debate informative. 7 Main Motion as Amended A vote on the Main Motion as Amended resulted as follows: Ayes (6) Sams, Farrell, Vaughan, Spielholz, Hershey, Taylor Nays (1) Blumenthal Carried 2.2 Common Council - Approval of Sales Tax Exemption on Clothing and Footwear January 17, 1999 through January 24, 1999 By Alderperson Vaughan: Seconded by Alderperson Spielholz BE IT ENACTED BY the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section one. Receipts from sales of and consideration given or contracted to be given for purchases of clothing and footwear exempt from state sales and compensating use taxes pursuant to paragraph 30 of subdivision (a) of section 1115 of the tax law shall also be exempt from sales and compensating use taxes imposed in this jurisdiction. Section two. This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall apply to sales made and uses occurring during the period commencing January 17, 1999, and ending January 24, 1999, although made or occurring under a prior contract. Alderperson Vaughan stated that Council is considering this legislation with the intention that the Mayor will veto it if the County does not adopt similar legislation. Alderperson Sams voiced her opposition to the Resolution. A vote on the Resolution resulted as follows: Ayes (6) Hershey, Taylor, Spielholz, Vaughan Blumenthal, Farrell Nays (1) Sams Carried ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:50 P.M. ________________________ _______________________ Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC Alan J. Cohen, City Clerk Mayor