HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1997-03-16 C3k
To the City of Ithaca Planning Board:
COMMENTS ON THE DEIS FOR 312 COLLEGE AVE. PROJECT OF JOHN NOVARR
from the Conservation Advisory Council and its Environmental Review Subcommittee
March 16, 1997
1. The project would replace the Collegetown Motor Lodge and its parking lot with a
118-unit (252 beds) apartment building with an 84-space parking lot under it. This is the
minimum parking required under zoning for the area. Perhaps not much can be done about
this since it complies with the zoning, but we are concerned about the impacts this will have
on Collegetown: As parking becomes increasingly scarce, there will be even greater impetus
to tear down houses to build parking lots or even another parking garage; there will be
further erosion of neighborhood character; businesses will come under greater stress from
inadequate parking; and sooner or later, the City will feel compelled to build a bigger or a
new garage which taxpayers will have to pay for. The developer should have to bear some
of the public costs that will result from not providing sufficient on-site parking.
The single biggest impact of the project, in both the long and the short term, is likely
to be the combination of the above-named effects, resulting from scarcity of parking in
Collegetown. While some students may give up keeping cars in Ithaca, the number who do
so is likely to be too small to provide significant relief.
2. We are concerned about the visual impact of the building, in combination with all the
other large buildings that have been and are being built in Collegetown. We urge the •
Planning Board to pay close attention to the design of the building, and in particular, the
color scheme. While this won't fully mitigate the visual impact of the project on the.
character of the neighborhood, it should help.
We note that the south side of the building would have no windows. Until yet
another large building is built next to this one, that blank wall will be a major detraction
from the appearance of the building. Furthermore, residents will not have the benefit of
• natural lighting, and electric costs will be higher. We urge the Planning Board to require
energy-efficient windows on all sides of the building. It is imperative that we find ways to
reduce, not increase, the use of energy.
3. During construction, truck tires should be cleaned before they leave the site. Waiting
till they have deposited mud in the street, and then depending on quick clean-up is unlikely
to be fully effective, as has been observed with other projects.
4. What will be done with the demolition debris? Will everything that is recyclable be
recycled? While this matter apparently was not in the scoping document, we nevertheless
feel that it should be addressed.: