HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-1994-11-21 �t l�rK
PLANNING COMMITTEE
November 21, 1994
Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Common Council Chambers
MINUTES
Present:
Committee Members: John Schroeder, Chair; Pam Mackesey; Diann Sams,Roey Thorpe.
Non-Voting Member: Benjamin Nichols,Mayor.
Staff: H. Matthys Van Cort, Director, Planning & Development; Charles Guttman, City
Attorney.
Others: Rick Gray; Joe Daley;Jack Jenson; Betsy Darlington;press.
• Chairperson's Report.
After a brief discussion the next Committee meeting was scheduled for Monday,
December 5, at 7:30. Schroeder requested that an additional item be added to the agenda,
namely the approval of an agreement with the state of New York for an ISTEA
Transportation Enhancement Project Agreement. There was no objection from any
member of the Committee and it was added to the agenda.
L Northside Land Use Committee Recommendations.
Joe Daley explained the process by which the Northside Land Use Committee had been
reappointed, and he summarized the recommendations made by the committee. He said
that they had held a number of meetings and had come to unanimous recommendations on
the fourteen points which they are proposing to the Planning Board and to Common
Council. He asked that the Planning Board and Common Council take action on the
recommendations, and that the contract with mutual housing be amended to reflect the
recommendations of the committee.
Daley noted that the Board of Public Works had unanimously approved the proposed
road. Schroeder added that the Parks Commission was willing to accept the revised
proposal as well, although it was not their first preference.
There was some uncertainty as to whether the P&C was planning to remain in the
neighborhood, and Daley suggested that it might be appropriate to reconvene the
committee should the P&C decide to close the Hancock Street store.
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November 21, 1994 Meeting
Diann Sams disclosed for the record that she is a resident of the Mutual Housing
Association. Mackesey moved, Thorpe seconded and it was unanimously approved that
the list of recommended changes be forwarded to the Planning Board for action and that a
revised contract with Mutual Housing be prepared based on the recommendations of the
Northside Land Use Committee.
II. Southwest Area Land Use Study.
Van Cort presented the latest report of the Southwest Area Land Use Study Committee
highlighting the changes between this draft and the draft that had been submitted to the
council previously. Van Cort also noted receipt of a report from Stearns & Wheeler,
consulting engineers, who had prepared a preliminary environmental assessment of
Southwest Park. The report indicates that a substantial portion of the Southwest Park
property is a wetland under the current definition. The City has requested that the Army
Corps of Engineers consider formal delineation of the wetlands in Southwest Park.
Thorpe moved and Mackesey seconded that the revised report be referred to the Planning
Board for action. Approved Unanimously.
M. Letter of Support for Relocation of County Offices into the City.
Schroeder circulated a draft letter, already approved by the Economic Development
Committee, to the County Board of Representatives regarding the possibility that the
County will move certain Human Services activities back to the City of Ithaca from the
Biggs complex. After some minor modifications to the letter Thorpe moved and Sams
seconded that the letter be signed by Mayor Nichols, Schroeder (as Chair of the Planning
Committee) and Mackesey (as Chair of the Economic Development Committee) and that
it be sent to the County Board of Representatives. Approved unanimously.
IV. Approval of ISTEA Transportation Enhancement Project Agreement.
Schroeder explained that the City could not proceed with hiring a consultant to work on
the City Bicycle Plan until an agreement between New York State and the City of Ithaca
was signed for the ISTEA funding. ISTEA funding has been made available for
development of a bicycle plan in the City. Schroeder also noted that the city had already
agreed to carry out the responsibilities enumerated in the proposed contract. After a brief
discussion, Thorpe moved and Sams seconded that the proposed agreement be approved
by the Common Council. Passed unanimously.
V. "Ministerial Acts"and Type I Actions Under CEQR.
Betsy Darlington asked that the committee consider an amendment to the local
environmental review law which would make issuance of a permit (such as a building
permit) for any project meeting Type I thresholds a discretionary, rather than ministerial
act, and therefore always subject to environmental review. Mayor Nichols questioned the
need for this amendment, saying that all large projects are now covered by the state and
local environmental review ordinance. It was pointed out that the retenanting of a large
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November 21, 1994 Meeting
store, such as the Staples store located next to K-Mart, would, under certain
circumstances, require an environmental review under this proposal. Darlington argued
that retenanting of existing buildings would, in all likelihood, not have a significant impact
and would not require an Environmental Impact Statement. After some further
discussion, the Committee chose not to act on this proposal. The Committee will,
however, consider a Conservation Advisory Council recommendation that certain City
natural areas be designated as Critical Environmental Areas.
VI. 1995 Planning Department Work Program.
Van Cort reviewed the projects which were on the 1994 Work Program. He cautioned
the Committee that the addition of a number of new projects in 1994 caused the
Department to fall behind on some of those projects already designated high priority. The
addition of other projects for 1995 would cause a further erosion of the schedule.
Regarding the continuation of Planning projects already in progress Van Cort reported on
the status of the Inlet Island, Southwest Area Land Use Study, and Downtown Design
Plan.
Regarding the Meadow Street Area Land Use and Rezoning Study, it was agreed that
staff would make a report on the study at the next Planning Committee meeting.
• Transportation Issues.
Van Cort gave a brief status report on each of the items listed under
Transportation for 1994, which include the Route 96 Project, City Bicycle Plan,
odd/even parking regulations, Response to Traffic Task Force, Parking Benefit
Assessment District, and providing assistance to MPO for long range
transportation plan. It was noted that the Route 96 Project would require less
work on the part of the Planning staff but more work on the part of Engineering in
1995. Work should begin in earnest on the Bicycle Plan in 1995. Van Cort
requested that odd/even parking removed from the work list. At this point no
items have been referred to the Planning Department from the Traffic Task Force
report. Work on the Parking Benefit Assessment District will not begin until a
decision has been made regarding relocation of County services into the central
business district. The Department has spent a good deal of time in 1994 working
with the MPO on the long range transportation plan.
• Economic Development.
Van Cort summarized status of the high priority 1994 economic development
projects. In 1994 the Department applied for Economic Development Zone status.
This application was not successful. The Department continues to seek tenants for
the Carpenter Business Park and may have two parcels under lease in 1995. Upon
direction from the Common Council the Department in actively considering
expansion of the Cherry Street Industrial Park. The Department continues to work
with the County and Town Planning Departments on a variety of topics including
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mapping and information management, waterfront preservation and enhancement,
and economic development.
Very little has been done in 1994 on reaching a decision toward preparing a new
comprehensive plan. There is agreement among many that a new comprehensive plan is
needed but the resources to prepare a plan have not been made available.
Van Cort suggested that an item be added in 1995: investigating various traffic calming
measures which could be employed in the City of Ithaca. Van Cort is offering a major
reward to anyone who comes up with a better name for traffic calming.
The Committee then entertained suggestions from its members regarding the work
program for 1995. Mayor Nichols suggested that Cornell rezoning should be high
priority. In the area of economic development he recommended that work continue on the
establishment of a Local Development Corporation or a Business Improvement District in
downtown. Van Cort said that the Department would not play a lead role in working
toward establishment of a BID. This would have to be a private sector initiative.
Mackesey suggested that the Department should spend time looking at the city's
neighborhoods in 1995 and coming up with recommendations for preservation and
planning. An attempt should be made to find out what is going on in the neighborhoods
and what the problems are perceived to be. Thorpe said that she would like a policy
established on the proposed Ithaca Falls Park as she is concerned that the area will be
made too formal if it becomes an actual city park. She would, however, like to see the
trail to the falls more accessible so that it could be used by people with different abilities.
She also would like to see work continue on selling the BT Glass Building.
Schroeder concurred that Cornell rezoning should be a high priority and that
neighborhood protection and traffic mitigation should also be investigated in 1995.
Schroeder continued his list with of the following work program items: creation of a
Local Development Corporation; extension of Cherry Street Industrial Park; investigation
of upper story development in the Central Business District; work on a management
structure for the Central Business District; and the sale of surplus city owned land.
The Mayor pointed out that the Department always works on many items which are not
on the work program list. Van Cort again cautioned the Committee that staff was limited
and only those items which were genuinely high priority should be put on the work
program as high priority items.
A tentative schedule was established for approval of the 1995 Work Program which
includes discussion by the Planning Board and Planning Committee in December and then
final action by the Planning Committee in January for referral to the February Common
Council meeting.
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