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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2009-07-16BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Committee of the Whole Meeting 4:00 p.m. July 16, 2009 PRESENT: Commissioners (4) - Jenkins, Schlather, Tripp, Wykstra OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works - Gray Acting Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Benjamin Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney DAC Liaison – Roberts Information Management Specialist - Myers Director of Planning and Development – Cornish Community Development Deputy Director – Kittel Assistant City Engineer – West EXCUSED: Mayor Peterson City Attorney - Hoffman Commissioner Brock Common Council Liaison – Zumoff ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Superintendent Gray explained that a revised agenda had been prepared that included the addition of an Executive Session to Discuss Pending Litigation, the addition of Power to Act on several sets of minutes, and the removal of the Appeal of Water Bill for 900 Stewart Avenue – Discussion. No Board member objected to these changes. Commissioner Schlather stated that he had to leave the meeting promptly at 5:30 p.m. He asked if the executive session could be postponed until later in the meeting because so many people from the public were in the audience to hear the discussion of the proposed TCAT bus shelter relocation because of the construction of the Hotel Ithaca. Superintendent Gray responded that due to staff schedules it would be better if the Board held the executive session first. The Board agreed. Motion to Enter Into Executive Session to Discuss Pending Litigation – Resolution By Commissioner Schlather: Seconded by Commissioner Wykstra RESOLVED, That the Board enter into Executive Session to Discuss Pending Litigation. Carried Unanimously The Board reconvened into regular session with no formal action taken during the executive session. Power to Act – Recommendation of TCAT Bus Location – Discussion, Possible Recommendation to Planning Board Director of Planning and Development Cornish and Assistant City Engineer West joined the Board for the discussion of this item. Nancy Oltz, representative of TCAT and Scott Whitham, Architect for the Hotel Ithaca was also present for questions and input as well. Superintendent Gray explained that there were members of the public here who are very interested in this project and would be available to help with the Board’s discussion of this item, if the Board agreed. The Board agreed to let members of the public speak on this topic with the normal three minute limit. 2 July 16, 2009 Director of Planning and Development Cornish explained that discussions with the applicant and TCAT have been taking place for a long time regarding the Hotel Ithaca and the TCAT bus stop/shelter on Aurora Street which is the proposed location for the entrance to the hotel. She stated that the discussions in the project review have gotten to the point where input from the Board is needed. She stated that there are two proposed alternatives for the relocation of the bus stop; one is to re-align the curb/create a drop off zone on Aurora Street and the second one is to move the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Street between the city parking lot and the curb cut at Viva Tacqueria. She, and Assistant City Engineer West, proceeded to review the engineered drawings showing the two proposals with the Board and explained recommendations from staff and TCAT for the relocation of the bus stop. She explained that the Board’s input is needed today in order for the project to be reviewed and discussed by the Planning Board at their July 28th meeting. The Planning Board will evaluate both options for any environmental impacts they may have. DAC Liaison Roberts expressed concern that the alternative for the Aurora Street location appears to be similar to the Hilton Garden Inn entrance on Seneca Street. He noted that the Disability Advisory Council would not support a similar arrangement in front of the new hotel. He requested that when the City and developer have a solution that it come to the Disability Advisory Council to be explained so they can make a recommendation relative to the proposed solution. Director of Planning and Development Cornish responded that staff has concerns about that proposal as well because motorists would pull up in front of the Hotel, similar to the Hilton Garden Inn. She further stated that this proposal comes very close to the planters on The Commons as well which would have to be removed. DAC Liaison Roberts left the meeting at 4:35 p.m. Commissioner Schlather questioned what staff’s recommendation would be to the Board for the relocation of the bus stop. Assistant City Engineer West responded that staff from the Engineering and Planning departments are prepared to recommend moving the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street by Mayer’s. Nancy Oltz, TCAT representative, addressed the Board to state that TCAT would reject the Aurora Street proposal for the new bus stop and/or loading zone as they feel there will be enforcement problems. TCAT has asked the developer to provide a third alternative and they declined, pending the Board’s recommendation. Extensive discussion followed on the floor regarding the two proposed alternatives, and whether businesses in the area had an opportunity to provide input into the proposals. Linda Myers, merchant on E. State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street (Interior Designer), addressed the Board regarding her concern that the City does not understand the traffic flow on the 300 block on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. She stated that she has tractor trailer deliveries a couple of times a week that end up double parking which causes delays up the street in traffic flow. She is also concerned about the safety of people entering and exiting the parking lot on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street because of lack of visibility with buses stopped nearby. She also voiced concern about current problems with loitering and garbage in this area and that by providing a protected bus shelter it would enhance that problem. She suggested moving the bus stop to the Seneca Street or Green Street bus stops. Julie Schroeder, owner of Home Spun, on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street, addressed the Board to express the same concerns regarding truck traffic and deliveries on the street that hampers traffic flow and causes delays. She stated that by putting a bus stop on that street would hamper truck traffic and by eliminating parking spots on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street it could also be eliminating potential customers. She also feels that creating a bus stop there would be dangerous and is concerned about the safety of pedestrians. 3 July 16, 2009 Terry Miller, owner of Madelines Restaurant, addressed the Board to express support for the relocation of the bus stop to Seneca and Green Streets because that is what is taking place now during the current construction on East State Street/Martin Luther King Jr., Street. She expressed concern regarding the proposed location on Aurora Street as it would affect Madeline’s patio, outdoor dining, and detract visually from the dining experience at their restaurant. Gary Ferguson, Downtown Ithaca Alliance Director, explained to the Board that the Downtown Ithaca Alliance has tried to facilitate meetings between merchants and the City to better understand what the hotel project involves. He stated that the business owners in the area are trying to understand the implications of the construction and options being considered. He is not sure, at this point, what option would work best as businesses need to know more about the project and the proposals. He noted that there is a lot at stake because of everyone’s investment and interest in the downtown area and everyone is interested in making a decision that will be the best for everyone. Nancy Oltz explained to the Board that during the work day there are 39 stops at the Aurora Street bus stop. She stated that TCAT wants a bus stop to be located in that part of the City because of its convenient location downtown next to The Commons and the service it provides to Ithaca College students during the academic year. She further expressed appreciation to City staff for involving TCAT in this project, asking for their input and recommendations on a proposed new location for the bus stop, and trying to work with them to find a solution. She stated that TCAT was first approached by the City with the proposal to relocate the current stop on Aurora Street to a different spot on Aurora Street. Then, they were approached by City staff again that they might not want that location because the hotel patrons arriving/unloading in front of the hotel would block buses. She explained that TCAT took a bus to Aurora Street to see what would be the safest and best approach for a relocated spot there and that is why they prefer the East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street proposal. She stated that when TCAT found out that the entrance to the hotel was going to be on Aurora Street they did not want patrons of the hotel to block buses coming and going and cause buses to double park and create hazards for both pedestrians and vehicles. She stated that TCAT would support the proposal to relocate the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. Assistant City Engineer West stated that the only place for trucks to unload on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street if the bus stop were to be relocated would be next to Viva Tacqueria. He further stated that right now trucks are double parking on the street. Commissioner Jenkins questioned the need for a bus stop in this area since other stops at Seneca Street and Green Street are in such close proximity to this one. Commissioner Schlather stated that this is a central business district and buses should have a stop in this area. He further stated that part of this Board’s efforts should be to design a bus stop that will include a 24/7 kiosk display as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Walkway information, so this is more than just a bus stop and he feels that the focus should be to locate a bus stop on East State Street/Martin Luther King. Jr. Street. He questioned whether four parking meters could be removed in order to help provide a loading zone because merchants need a loading zone in that area near to their stores. He is not happy with the proposals presented to the Board and he is not sure how a bus stop can be configured near Mayer’s but feels there should be a way to do that. Commissioner Wykstra stated that he is unconvinced that traffic flow will work on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street if the bus stop is relocated there, and needs more information. Assistant City Engineer West responded that traffic on the 300 block of East State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street is congested as the result of the traffic signal at Stewart Avenue that needs to be adjusted to allow smoother flow of traffic. He noted that there are traffic concerns and limitations in this area and suggested that one way 4 July 16, 2009 this could be resolved would be to use smaller buses so that turns could be made easier in that area. He stated that staff are also concerned that once the hotel is built that there will also be a demand for a loading zone near the hotel which will have impacts as well that need to be considered. He further stated that it will be imperative that the bus stop on Aurora Street be relocated during the construction of the hotel and its staging area. Commissioner Schlather asked if the sense of the Board was to relocate the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street or to make it work on Aurora Street. He stated that the details will need to be worked out regarding relocation, for example, the developer’s obligation to replace the bus shelter is one thing, but removing parking spaces from the City’s inventory needs to be negotiated or redesigned on Aurora Street with respect to tapering the sidewalk that would need to be worked out. Director of Planning and Development Cornish explained that for the Planning Board they just need a sense of where the Board is going. The details that are important to the Planning Board are aesthetics and mitigation. She stated that once the sense of this Board is known to the Planning Board they can work on final design plans that will then need to come back to the Board and then on to Common Council for approval. Commissioner Wykstra stated that he does not feel comfortable moving the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street because there is a lot of value in its present location for passengers to safely disembark onto the Commons. He noted, again, that he is concerned about the traffic flow on East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. Commissioner Tripp stated that she is leaning towards relocating the bus stop on Aurora Street. Commissioner Schlather supports relocating the bus stop to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. because he feels there is too much competition on Aurora Street. He feels that Aurora Street is more likely to have cars using the bus stop area, IPD parks its vehicles at that end of The Commons for visibility, and noted that this is a big decision. He stated that he wants to incorporate the concerns of the merchants as well into the decision. He feels that there should be a cost to the developer for the removal of the four metered spots as well since they are being removed because of the developer. He also stated that there is a lot of pedestrian traffic on the 100 block of North Aurora Street especially on weekend nights. He noted that he has a big concern about removing this centrally located bus stop. Commissioner Jenkins stated that she would like to see a third alternative because she does not want to see the bus stop relocated to East State Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. She noted that area is used heavily by trucks and the City needs to keep the loading zones there in order to keep the businesses downtown. She supports the use of the current bus stops on Green and Seneca Street instead of relocating the bus stop. Director of Planning and Development Cornish explained that the next step would be that the Planning Board would discuss this at their meeting on July 28th and talk about the points that have been raised today and try to come up with a recommendation for the Board. She hopes that at the next meeting of this Board there would be a quorum as well so that decisions can be made that could help facilitate future discussions. Assistant City Engineer West stated that the curb line on Aurora Street is not constructed currently to meet the future needs and that this project could move forward if the developer understood the continued use of the area would be for the bus stop on Aurora Street. He would request that the developer show alternatives by creating loading/unloading zones in the hotel space, appropriate curbs, etc. and present that alternative to the Board for consideration. He stated that if there were more detailed drawings showing that proposed alternative, taking into consideration recommendations from staff, to show what the hotel area will look like physically would be of benefit to everyone. 5 July 16, 2009 Scott Whitham, architect for the developer, stated that he would work with staff to move forward with a third alternative proposal for consideration by the Board. Commissioner Schlather left the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Power to Act – Request for Encroachment Agreement/License at 634 West Seneca Street - Resolution This item was not discussed because there was not a quorum of Board members. INLET ISLAND PARKING LOT: Director of Planning and Development Cornish and Rick Manning, independent contractor for design of the proposed temporary (3-5 years) parking lot on Inlet Island, joined the Board for the discussion of this item. Mr. Manning explained that his notes from the last Planning Board meeting were that the Board preferred having no perpendicular parking along Old Taughannock Blvd, so preferred Plan Alternative 2. He stated that other concerns and observations from that meeting were: ƒ Incorporate bicycle parking (his observation). ƒ If budget allows, provide permanent planting along flood channel and promenade. Large trees preferred. ƒ Widen tree lawn along Old Taughannock Blvd. ƒ Protect and preserve existing trees. ƒ Consult with BPW regarding the issue of paid parking spaces in this lot (Jill Tripp suggested that BPW expects there to be paid spaces in this lot). Mr. Manning stated that he was working with Environmental Engineer Gibson regarding the storm water management plan and would like to have the Planning Board review the proposal at their August meeting. He stated that there are 200 parking spaces proposed that will be constructed by the City. He explained that materials that would be used to construct the parking lot and pedestrian pathways and how they will be delineated. He will meet with boaters as well to assist him in creating a “boating” themed area. Discussion followed on the floor regarding whether this will be a paid parking lot or not and that a decision had not been made about that. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding the budget for the project and where funds would come from for maintenance of the enhanced landscaping in the area. The City owns the parking lot, so increased costs for maintenance will need to be incorporated into the Department of Public Works budget. The Board requested that a discussion of whether this be a paid parking lot or not be placed on a future agenda. Terry Ciaschi, Island Fitness, and Joe Perry, Chemung Canal Trust, both addressed the Board in support of keeping the parking in the lot free. Superintendent Gray stated that he would take Mr. Manning’s proposal, which is very tastefully done, to the Planning Board with the recommendation that they grant temporary approval so that the project can move forward. The Board extended their support for the concept proposed for the temporary parking lot. Director of Planning and Development Cornish thanked the Board for reviewing this proposal in July in order to discuss this so that it could move forward to the Planning Board sooner. STAFF REPORTS: Acting Assistant Superintendent for Streets and Facilities Benjamin reported to the Board that crews had placed the curb on Hancock Street and would start on the driveway for P & C before the blacktop goes down. They will be placing three curb cuts at P & C, one on Lake Street and two on First Street since they were grandfathered in and the City has to replace what was there when the work began. 6 July 16, 2009 He further reported that on July 21, 2009 crews would start milling East Buffalo Street (between Eddy Street and Stewart Avenue) and then pave afterwards. They will try to complete the work before school starts in August. Commissioner Tripp noted that it has been great to see all the sidewalks being replaced. Acting Assistant Superintendent for Streets and Facilities Benjamin reported that when property owners see the City marking out sidewalks for work that it seems to be encouraging them to do the needed repairs on their own sidewalk before the City comes through to do them. He further explained how the city replaces sidewalks that are damaged by tree roots. Assistant Superintendent for Water and Sewer Whitney reported that staff has been working with the Natural Areas Commission on a “trial run” of their proposed guidelines for work in natural areas. They have followed the guidelines to construct an access road in order to do dam maintenance which should begin soon. Superintendent Gray stated that Rick Ferrel delivered a draft of the 2010 general budget to him for the Department of Public Works – Streets and Facilities that incorporated the Mayor’s guidelines of 0% and 2% increases. He said this is a difficult budget to develop because it needs to include all salary increases from the contracts that are in place. He stated that he would put this on a future agenda to discuss further with the Board. Commissioner Tripp asked where Common Council was in the water source decision. Superintendent Gray responded that he has not heard anything other than what the Common Council Liaison to the Board said which was that the Board should make a recommendation instead of a decision. He stated that he would keep the Board up-to- date on anything he finds out about the project. Commissioner Wykstra stated that he spoke with Alderperson Coles and she was not happy with the final resolved clause in the resolution that the Board passed. He stated that he thought it was notable that neither the City Attorney nor the Mayor had a problem with that resolved clause and had not proposed that it be changed in their proposed version of the resolution. He further stated that he feels that Common Council members are digesting the information at this point. He noted that the Board needed to make sure that it followed the City Charter appropriately to fulfill its responsibilities. He further stated that the City Attorney had told him it would go to Common Council in September and that the Board’s finding has to be briefed to Common Council and then Common Council has to present its own findings. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Due to lack of quorum the Board was unable to act on approval of the following meeting minutes: January 7, 2009, June 3, 2009, June 10, 2009, and June 24, 2009. ADJOURNMENT On a motion the meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m. Sarah L. Myers Carolyn K. Peterson Information Management Specialist Mayor