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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1995-05-15 eft' Clei rt PLANNING COMMITTEE May 15, 1995 Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Common Council Chambers MINUTES Present: Committee Members: John Schroeder, Chair; Rick Gray,Pam Mackesey,Diann Sams. Non-Voting Committee Member: Benjamin Nichols,Mayor. Other Council Members: Dick Booth. Staff: H. Matthys Van Cort, Director, Planning and Development; Charles Guttman, City Attorney; Richard Eckstrom,Building Commissioner. Others: Steve Ehrhardt,Joe Daley, Susan Hurwitz; press. • Agenda Review. By consensus,the Ithaca Commons twentieth anniversary celebration was moved from the agenda and referred to the Economic Development Committee. • Director's Report. In response to a question from Sams, Van Cort reported that he was in the process of working with the Mayor to set up the client committee for the Meadow/Fulton study. L Regulation of"Adult"Bars. Booth presented the proposed zoning amendment for the regulation of adult entertainment. He explained that the proposed regulations would not regulate bookstores, video rental outlets, magazine shops or the like. The ordinance would apply only to establishments which permitted live performances or the display of specified anatomical areas as defined by the amendment. Booth explained that the amendment as presently drafted limited those establishments to I-1 use districts. He suggested that as an alternative those establishments could be limited to an overlay zone along the northwest side of a section of Elmira Road. He also suggested that in addition the ordinance could specify that no such entertainment could be established within a given number of feet of various kinds of uses, including residential zones, houses of worship, educational institutions,water courses,parks or other recreational facilities. r- Planning Committee Minutes 2 May 15, 1995 After some discussion, the Committee recommended that an ordinance be referred to Council for action which limited adult entertainment uses to the I zones but that an additional restriction be imposed, which would prevent these facilities from being located within a certain number of feet from residential zones, houses of worship, educational institutions, water courses, parks or other recreational facilities. Staff was directed to supply a map showing those areas within industrial zones that would remain after the elimination of (a) 500-foot and (b) 250-foot buffer zones from the uses in the just-mentioned list. IL Report of Task Force on Traffic Issues. At its April meeting, the Committee had considered the proposed"Resolution Concerning the Final Report from the Task Force on Traffic Issues" and had recommended that the last clause of the resolution be amended either by adding the words "where possible" before "will take steps" or by adding the words "any significant" in place of the word "these"between"mitigate"and"negative impacts." These recommendations were referred to the Board of Public Works for their consideration. Ehrhardt explained that the Board of Public Works discussed the proposed changes and wished to communicate to the Council that the Board had already spent a great deal of time on this issue and was not inclined to alter the language of their resolution. Ehrhardt also explained that one of the major findings of the task force report was that the heaviest traffic impacts are on the major carriers in the city. Daley showed the Committee a map of the city which highlighted the major carriers. This map demonstrates that most of the major carriers in the city are in residential zones; therefore, if the city were not to take steps to protect the houses along these streets there would be a major negative impact on the city's residential neighborhoods. Ehrhardt said that the task force strongly recommended that measures taken by the city should not make things worse on these streets and that it should concentrate on mitigation of impacts on the stressed streets. These could include changes in parking or provision of curb bump-outs, speed bumps,etc. After some discussion,the Committee agreed to add the words"any significant"to the last line so that it would read"and will take steps to mitigate any significant negative impacts." Upon a motion by Mackesey,seconded by Sams, the Committee unanimously referred this resolution to Common Council and recommended its approval. M. Zoning Strategies to Promote Affordable Housing. Mayor Nichols explained that he had retained Colin Forth to work on possible amendments to the zoning ordinance which would promote the creation of affordable housing within the city. Forth is soon to graduate with a Master's Degree from Cornell's City and Regional Planning Program. Planning Committee Minutes 3 May 15, 1995 Forth explained that he and the Mayor sought guidance from the Planning Committee and would be asking for help from the Planning Department in carrying out this assignment. Schroeder asked that a work program for Forth be prepared for consideration by the Committee at the June meeting. Among the changes to be considered were rewriting the problematic cluster subdivision regulations, correcting problems with the R-2c zone, and establishment of an affordable housing "floating" zone. The question of the Type I threshold for housing units in the City's Environmental Quality Review Act was raised. Mayor Nichols said that it was important that the city retain environmental regulations necessary for protection of the quality of life within the city. The conclusion of this discussion was that a draft work program for Forth would be developed at a meeting involving Mayor Nichols, Schroeder (as Chair of the Planning Committee), David Kay (as Chair of the Planning and Development Board), Shari Woodard (as Chair of the Rental Housing Advisory Commission) and Van Cort. This proposed work program would then be discussed by the three bodies mentioned above. IV. Bed-and-Breakfast Ordinance. Schroeder explained the latest draft of the proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance which would allow the creation of bed-and-breakfast homes and inns in residential zones in the city. Schroeder thanked Hurwitz for her patience and participation in the process of drafting the proposed ordinance. After a lengthy discussion, Sams moved and Mackesey seconded that ordinance as revised be referred to the Committee of the Whole for inclusion on the Council's agenda for June 7. A public hearing would be called at the June 7 meeting with earliest action on July 5. V. Southwest Park Substitute Parkland. After a brief discussion, the Committee recommended that Council pass a resolution reaffirming its intention to use parcels Al and A2 as identified in Chapter 757 of N.Y.S. Laws of 1985 as substitute parkland for Southwest Park. As noted in the agenda, these parcels located in the City and the Town of Ithaca are also known as parcels SW1 through SW8. On a motion by Mackesey, seconded by Gray, the Committee unanimously recommended that such a resolution be referred to Council for action. VI. Park-and-Ride Lots. Van Cort explained the steps he and other county, city and town staff had taken to investigate providing a park-and-ride system during construction of the Route 96 project. He said he was pessimistic regarding the possibility of a joint effort involving city, town and county because of an apparent lack of willingness on the part of the town and county to allocate substantial funding for park-and-ride lots. It was suggested by Schroeder that the issue be raised by Mayor Nichols at the Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee meeting on May 16 to see whether Planning Committee Minutes 4 May 15, 1995 there was any indication that the town, county or state would support such an effort. There was a consensus on the Committee that the Mayor raise this issue at the MPO. VIII. Enhancement of Local Court Authority in Land Use Matters. Schroeder explained that the city had received a communication from the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials explaining a proposed state act which would allow the granting of preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders in connection with certain violations of land use, building regulations or fire prevention codes. The Committee unanimously recommended that the city pass a resolution of support for such legislation. The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.