HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1996-04-15 PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
April 15, 1996
Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Common Council Chambers
MINUTES
Present:
Committee Members: Susan Blumenthal,Chair, Rick Gray;Tom Hanna; John Johnson;
Jane Marcham.
Non-Voting Committee Member: Alan J. Cohen,Mayor.
Staff Leslie Chatterton,Mariette Geldenhuys,William Gray,Jon Meigs,Herman
Sieverding,H Matthys Van Cort.
Others: Lance Barr,George Frantz,Guy Gerard,Marilyn Gray,Doria Higgins,Carol
Reeves,Lou Withiam,Cynthia Yahn.
L Planning Staff Presentation.
Leslie Chatterton,Historic Preservation/Neighborhood Planner, gave the
Committee a briefing on her duties in the Department of Planning and
Development, summarized as follows. She is the chief staff person for historic
preservation,providing staff support for the ILPC,including technical assistance
with designation of historic resources and with design review. This year the
Commission has adopted a work plan drafted by Chatterton. In addition to
regulatory activities,the plan lays out initiatives in planning,education and
training. Some activities included in the plan are developing a data base of the
City's historic resources in connection with the City's GIS, preparing a list of
properties eligible for local designation,preparing a slide presentation on local
historic and architectural resources and preparing written materials for public
distribution on the City's historic resources. Commission training includes an
upcoming Workshop on Economic Hardship organized by Chatterton. She has
also prepared a bibliography for the Commission on historic preservation sources.
She is the chief staff person for the City's Certified Local Government Subgrant
Program. Projects completed under this program include maps of the City's
historic districts and,nearing completion,a system of signs indicating designated
historic districts in the City. Over the years she has built a strong relationship with
the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in
Albany.
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April 15, 1996 Meeting 2
Chatterton provides a number of other historic preservation related services such
as required reviews of Community Development projects. Recently she has been
working with Alternatives Federal Credit Union to develop an historic preservation
loan program to assist private owners with rehabilitation and maintenance of
historic properties.
As Neighborhood Planner,Chatterton maintains a list of active neighborhood
organizations and works with these organizations as requested. She was the chief
staff person in the highly successful Neighborhood Connections meeting held
earlier this year. She serves on the Mayor's Substance Abuse Task Force and is
the administrator of the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund,which she
believes has been an important stimulant to strengthening neighborhood
organizations. She serves on both the INHS and the MHA Board of Directors and
is the Chair of the INHS House Rehabilitation Committee. She has provided staff
support for the Fulton-Meadow Street Design Study, the final draft of which is
expected to be completed toward the end of April.
Chatterton also acts as the City's Americans with Disabilities Act,(ADA),
Coordinator. She has completed facilities and program surveys for the City and is
in the process of assisting City departments with elimination of barriers to people
with disabilities. Policies and procedures based on survey findings will be
developed by Chatterton for review and adoption by the Common Council. A
question and answer period followed.
• Agenda Review.
Chair Blumenthal said that adjustments had already been made to the agenda and
then explained what the order would be on the remaining items.
• Committee Members' Reports.
Hanna said he wanted to talk about the City budget at some future time.
• Public Comment on Any Planning Issues.
Doria Higgins spoke to the Committee about a proposal she had made to Common
Council regarding Alan H.Treman State Park. Van Cort asked Higgins for a copy
of her statement.
Guy Gerard spoke to the issue of State and City EQR commenting that the City's
ordinance now separates CEQR from site plan review, while the State's suggest
that they should be combined. He recommended that this be examined when the
City considers amendments to its local environmental review ordinance.
IL B 1-a Zone Chart Change.
After a brief discussion, the Committee agreed that the wording of these zoning
amendments should be modified substituting the word"human"for the word
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April 15, 1996 Meeting 3
"social",thus it would read"human service agencies and centers,etc." With this
modification,Hanna moved and Marcham seconded that the proposed zoning
change be put on the agenda for a call for public hearing at the May meeting.
Van Cort was directed to distribute to all Common Council members,the Mayor,
members of the Board of Zoning Appeals and members of the Planning Board,the
memo which sets forth the process by which zoning changes are considered in the
City.
III. Economic Development Plan.
The Committee discussed the proposed economic development plan using
Chairperson Blumenthal's previously distributed memorandum of April 10 on this
subject as a starting point. Johnson suggested that public schools be added to the
list of membership categories. Hanna suggested that the last paragraph on the first
page be amended adding the words"foster and support"after the words"the City
could implement." Gray suggested that equity and fairness be made goals of the
plan. Hanna said that he thought benchmarks for implementation should be set
forth in the plan.
Sieverding suggested that Mr. Bill Casolara invited to make a presentation to the
Planning Committee at its May meeting. He is experienced in group discussions
and decision making and has organized several major planning efforts in the area.
The discussion concluded with the direction that Blumenthal's memo be amended
and distributed to Common Council. Blumenthal agreed to make the appropriate
changes in the memorandum.
IV. West Buffalo Street On-Street Parking.
The reason for this item being on the agenda is that there is continuing concern
regarding the impacts on the 600 Block of West Buffalo Street when on-street
parking is removed. Van Cort was directed to talk to DoT representatives to see if
there were other sites in the project area that could be used for interim parking.
Van Cort mentioned that he had talked to Stan Birchenough of NYSDoT
regarding the parking lot which is to be constructed at the corner of Fulton and
Court Streets. Van Cort has asked Birchenough if this block could be completed
before the parking is removed from West Buffalo.
The Committee requested that Bill Gray talk to Larry Fabbroni about these
concerns to see whether Fabbroni could work with the contractor and DoT so that
they would be sensitive to the needs of businesses and residents during the
construction project.
Someone suggested that Greenstar make their lot available to area residents during
off business hours. Lastly, the question was asked whether the city could keep one
lane for parking until a long-term solution is found.
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April 15, 1996 Meeting 4
V. Cliff Street Parking.
Van Cort briefed the Committee on the status of this proposal. Marcham said she
was strongly in favor of this project since the City had ignored the wishes of the
residents of Cliff Street in choosing the Route 96A alternative,and that the
problems of the Cliff Street residents had to be addressed in some way.
In response to a question by Carol Reeves,Mariette Geldenhuys said that there
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were no legal impediments to creating a publicly owned neighborhood parking
area. The Committee discussed the possibility of establishing a local area benefit
district for maintenance of the facility. Johnson said he would like to have the
BPW express their opinion regarding the proposed parking lot and walkway to
Cass Park.
After some further discussion,Hanna moved and Johnson seconded that the
Committee support the proposed parking lot and walkway in concept and refer
financial questions including both capital and operating issues to the B&A. The
Committee noted that the cost of engineering should be included in the project.
The Committee made reference to the drawing prepared by George Frantz which
places the new parking lot on 701 and 705 Cliff Street. The idea of shifting the
facility to the north on 705 and 711 was rejected by the Committee. It appeared
that creating a new homesite on the land south of the proposed parking facility
would not be financially feasible because of the instability of the soils. The
resolution passed unanimously. Van Cort said he would continue to work with the
other city departments and Mr. Gillogly to try to reduce the cost of the proposed
facility.
VL SEQRA/CEQR.
Geldenhuys said that the State has recently approved significant amendments to
the State Environmental Quality Review Act. These amendments not only make
substantive changes in the SEQRA law such as modifications to the Type I and
Type II lists,but they also significantly modified the structure of the law and the
regulations. The result of these changes is that there are significant differences
between the requirements of State and the City of Ithaca's Environmental Quality
Review Laws.
Geldenhuys proposed two alternatives. One is to appeal the City's law,relying on
State SEQRA during the period when the City's law is being rewritten. The other
alternative is to try to make some changes to the local law now while working on
more extensive modifications. The problem with the latter alternative is that the
changes to the State regs are so extensive that minor modifications to the local law
will not bring them into compliance with the State's. On the other hand,repealing
the City's law would put more projects in the unlisted category giving slightly
wider discretion to lead agencies in making determinations of significance.
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April 15, 1996 Meeting 5
After some discussion,Johnson moved and Marcham seconded that the City's
EQR law be repealed and that the City rely on State EQRA during the period
when City EQR is being rewritten.
Geldenhuys was directed to write a memorandum regarding the process by which
this repeal could be enacted and to advise the Planning Committee at their next
meeting.
VII. Waterfront Revitalization Grant Application.
Jon Meigs presented a proposal to seek partial State funding for construction of a
public pier at Steamboat Landing. The estimated budget for this project is
$30,000. The application date is April 23, 1996. After some discussion,Johnson
moved and Gray seconded that the City submit the application to the appropriate
State agency for such funding.