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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1996-09-16 , eje jc,i6 PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 16, 1996 Present: Susan Blumenthal, Chair;Rick Gray;John Johnson;Jane Marcham.Non-voting members: Alan J. Cohen,Mayor. Staff. H.Matthys Van Cort,Director of Planning and Development;Herman Sieverding,Deputy Director Planning and Development;Paul Stevenson, Community Development Administrator. Others present:Betsy Darlington,Dan Hofmann, Guy Gerard, Charlie Trautmann, Cynthia Yahn. 1. Chairpersons Report Steep Slopes Ordinance Chairperson Susan Blumenthal reported that she had met with Planning Director Van Cort regarding the proposed Steep Slopes Ordinance. Planning staff will prepare maps of the proposed area to be rezoned. Blumenthal will try to get a graduate student who will do research on Hillside Zoning Ordinances in other communities. Parking Lot Control Equipment Blumenthal reported that Lynn Yost will prepare a quarterly report for Common Council regarding the status of the acquisition of new parking lot control equipment. 2. Committee Members' Reports Rick Gray distributed a resolution from the Conservation Advisory Council asking that Common Council retain ownership of the festival lands and a parcel known as Parcel B contiguous to the Allan H.Treman Marine State Park. Gray further reported that the Youth Bureau is working with the Town of Ithaca on developing a safe path between Ithaca High School and Boynton Middle School to the Youth Bureau and Stewart Park. 3. Staff Report Herman Sieverding reported that the Planning and Development law student intern is drafting amendments to the City's subdivision regulations which will simplify the approval process for minor subdivisions. Susan Blumenthal reported that Matt Howard,a student intern working out of the Mayor's office,has completed his research on review criteria and standards for Site Plan Review and will be presenting a report in the near future. 1. Sciencenter Sieverding explained that the City is transferring title of land to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA)which will in turn transfer the land to the Sciencenter. The steps for this disposition include identification of the Sciencenter as a project sponsor,review of the sale terms by the Common Council and a legal advertisement in the newspaper of record containing the sale terms. Sieverding distributed a copy of the proposed sale terms between the IURA and the Sciencenter and reviewed the highlights of the sale terms with the Committee. The Committee directed Sieverding to bring the sale terms to Common Council for action at the October 2 meeting. 2. Mutual Housing Association--Phase II Paul Stevenson explained that Common Council needs to take action on the terms for the sale of land by IURA to the Mutual Housing Association for the Phase II construction. He stated that MHA wanted to start construction this fall on the second phase. Johnson expressed reservations about selling the land for$1. Marcham spoke in favor of the sale terms stating that there is a serious need for new affordable housing. 3. Awning Ordinance Revisions Several Committee members and the Planning Director inspected the awnings and canopies on The Commons. The consensus was that the colors on The Commons were,with a few exceptions,very acceptable. It was not clear whether this was a result of the review by the Commons Advisory Board and others or whether it was due to decisions by merchants and property owners. After a brief discussion,the Committee decided it would recommend new regulations that would permit any color awning and would only regulate the size and location. It was also agreed that odd shaped awnings were acceptable. The Committee directed staff to prepare the necessary legislation for an amendment to the regulations regarding awnings and canopies. Johnson asked whether it would be possible to redraft the process chart showing how this action would simplify the permit process for awnings and canopies. 4. West End Parking 1. Parldng Study For West End Cynthia Yahn addressed the committee,requesting that a parking study be conducted in the West End. She stated that,in her opinion,it was critical that there was adequate parking in the West End during the transition years which will follow construction of Route 96. She was highly complimentary of the Community Development staff for their efforts in securing funding for the West Buffalo Street parking lot. It was agreed that Susan Blumenthal would try to get a planning intern to work on an off-street inventory of parking in the project area. Van Cort will supervise the work of the student. Van Cort said the construction of the off-street lot on Buffalo Street was a high priority of the CD staff. It was one of three projects that we hope to complete in 1996. There was some discussion of how the Buffalo lot could be regulated. There was concern that all the spaces would be used by the businesses in the area leaving none for the residents. It was decided that the decision regarding regulation would be made after the lot has been constructed. Yahn asked that parking be permitted on Buffalo Street at least until the off-street lot is constructed. She asked that the City formally request DoT to permit one lane of parking on Buffalo Street until the off-street parking is constructed. She suggested that the curb cuts should be installed while they are doing the curbs on Buffalo Street. She also requested that Council continue to request that parking on Fulton Street be retained. The Committee directed that a resolution be drafted for consideration by the Common Council requesting one lane of parking on Fulton Street between Esty and Buffalo. The Committee asked that the Mayor and Van Cort speak with Charles Moynihan, Regional Director,regarding the outstanding parking issues in the Route 96 project area including provision of one lane of parking on Fulton Street between Esty and Buffalo,provision of one lane of parking on each of Seneca and Green between Fulton and Meadow, and a temporary provision of parking on Buffalo Street between Fulton and Meadow. It was noted that the City's main bus station on the west end,is unlit and locked at night. This results in new arrivals to the City coming to an unlit and locked bus station that does not have a telephone. There was a consensus on the committee that this was a bad situation. Van Cort was asked to discuss this with the private sector to see if anything could be done to improve these services at the bus station. Yahn stated that the dust conditions in the project area had worsened and that the dust was having a significant impact on computers,copiers,coolers and other equipment sensitive to dust. She also stated that buildings were settling in the area. Owners think this is a result of the use of heavy equipment in the Route 96 project. The Mayor announced that he did not give permission to cut down the trees on Cayuga Street in front of Clinton Hall. He said that he has heard a great deal of negative comment from the public and he wanted to set the record clear. It had not been his decision and he did not issue the permit. He stated the BPW would be discussing this issue on Wednesday. 2. New Southwest Park/Provisions of public Access from Elmira Road The Committee discussed a request by the CAC regarding access to the proposed substitute land for Southwest Park. Betsy Darlington and Dan Hoffmann joined in the discussion. Blumenthal listed a number of reasons why the City should not act at this time regarding the land owned by the County. Dan Hofmann argued that ownership by the City of the land would give the City control over development along the Elmira Road frontage. Blumenthal stated that any necessary control and access could be achieved through the site plan review process. Blumenthal pointed out that the Parks Commission had not been consulted about the use of the substitute park land and whether access should be encouraged from the Elmira Road. Dan Hoffmann suggested that the proposed substitute park land would benefit from automobile access. Committee members questioned whether access by automobiles might be advisable. No consensus regarding any communication with the County was reached. The Committee took no action. 3. Southwest Area Land Use Study. It was reported that the Planning Board at the last meeting unanimously endorsed the concept of rezoning part of the MH-1 zone to B-5,based on the assumption that this would not be an acceptable housing site because of previous use as a City dump. The next step to rezoning would be to name a lead agency and perform an environmental review on a draft zoning change. Mayor Cohen stated that it would be advisable not to spend the money on that environmental review at this time and instead to see whether there was private sector interest in rezoning the area. If there is interest,the cost of the environmental review for the zoning change could be borne by the private sector developer who would in all likelihood need to do an environmental impact statement on any development proposal. The Committee unanimously supported this suggestion. No further action would be taken on the zoning change until staff has an opportunity to see whether there is private sector interest in development of the site. 4 Environmental Bond Act After a brief discussion,Rick Gray moved and Susan Blumenthal seconded a resolution provided by NYCOM in support of the 1996"Clean Air, Clean Water" bond act. q/p/ s/sept16