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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1995-03-21 City CierK Approved 7/25/95 Planning and Development Board MINUTES Special Meeting March 21, 1995 Present: David Kay, Chair;Sarah Adams,Susan Blumenthal,Anne Clavel, Carolyn Peterson,Denise Rusoff,John Schroeder. Staff: Herman Sieverding. 1. Discussion of the Board's Comments on the DEIS and Review of Proposed Letter to Army Corps of Engineers A proposed letter to the Army Corps of Engineers was distributed and discussed briefly. The Board reviewed the statement prepared by John Schroeder that presents the Board's comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Wal-Mart project. Schroeder summarized the revisions in this document since the Board last reviewed it. The Board discussed the section of the report regarding zoning issues and concurred with the conclusions stated in the report. There was also some discussion about the economic impact section of the Board's report,particularly alternative scenarios of the impact of Wal-Mart on the central business district. The Board requested that RKG's analysis of this impact(part of 1st draft of Economic Impact Assessment Report)and RKG's letter of June 12 to David Kay be included as part of the FEIS. John Schroeder moved the adoption of the document entitled"Planning and Development Board(Lead Agency) Comments on the DEIS Dated Nov. 22, 1994 Submitted by East Coast Development Company on Behalf of a Proposed Wal-Mart Department Store on Elmira Rd. in the City of Ithaca." That resolution was seconded by Denise Rusoff. The Board unanimously voted to adopt this statement as their comments on the DEIS. Schroeder then moved a resolution requesting East Coast Development Company to hire an architect and/or landscape architect who could work with the Board in exploring design alternatives to the site plans proposed in the DEIS. The motion was seconded by Denise Rusoff. The Board voted 5-1 to pass this resolution, which is attached to these minutes. r• N Planning and Development Board March 21, 1995 Request That the Project Sponsor Of the Proposed Wal-Mart Department Store Hire Architecture and Landscape Architecture Professionals. WHEREAS, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement dated November 22, 1994 submitted by East Coast Development Company on behalf of a proposed Wal-Mart department store on Elmira Road in the City of Ithaca lists three "Objectives of the Project Sponsor," the first being "To provide a high quality, convenient and aesthetically pleasing department store to serve the regional market area," and WHEREAS, the Planning and Development Board believes attainment of such a high-quality and aesthetically-pleasing project — especially when so many sensitive environmental mitiga- tion issues are involved—will require solutions provided by design professionals, and WHEREAS, the Board regularly requires Site Plan Review applicants (including those with far smaller and less environmentally problematic projects than the proposed Wal-Mart) to work with professional architects and/or landscape architects, so specific design and site issues can be addressed effectively and high design standards can be attained, and WHEREAS, the Board feels resolution of the serious building and landscape design issues associated with the proposed Wal-Mart will require a dialogue between the applicant, the Board, City staff members and architecture and landscape architecture professionals hired by the appli- cant; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Board of Planning and Development request the applicant to hire a profes- sional architect and a professional landscape architect (or one professional with qualifica- tions in both fields) with whom the applicant, the Board and City staff can work in attempting to devise a mutually acceptable site plan of a high design standard that will adequately mitigate negative environmental impacts.