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.