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.
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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-
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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:
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“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
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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.
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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.
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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