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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-1994-12-05 PLANNING COMMITTEE December 5, 1994 Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Common Council Chambers MINUTES Present: Committee Members:John Schroeder,Chair; Pam Mackesey. Non-Voting Committee Member:Benjamin Nichols,Mayor. Staff: H. Matthys Van Cort, Director, Planning and Development; Charles Guttman, City Attorney; Paul Mazzarella, Executive Director, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services; press. • Chairperson's Report. Schroeder said that he had received a telephone call from Andrew Mazzella, Regional Director of the Finger Lakes Region of State Parks, regarding the status of the Treman Marina Master Plan. Mazzella informed Schroeder that Finger Lakes was behind schedule on preparation of the text of the master plan and its environmental review. Maz7ella said, however, that the final master plan map was ready for review. Mazzella suggested that there might be some benefit in the City's granting informal endorsement of this final map, contingent upon completion of supporting text agreeing with the map. Schroeder said Mazzella would present this proposal at the January Planning Committee meeting. The January meeting will be moved to January 24, since the regularly-scheduled date is January 16,Martin Luther King Day. L Revised Agreement with Mutual Housing Association. Chuck Guttman discussed the new agreement between the Mutual Housing Association and the City that will be necessary to implement the new recommendations of the reconstituted Northside Land Use Committee. Guttman noted that there were errors in the latest survey,which will require further work on the part of the surveyor. Guttman said that a new subdivision would have to be submitted to the Planning and Development Board. A question was raised as to whether the Sciencenter is obligated to pay for part of the new road between the City Park and the MHA property. This road would run from Franklin to Adams Streets. Planning Committee Minutes 2 December 5, 1994 Meeting Van Cort said that he had discussed the MHA project with Paul Mazzarella, and was informed that are some problems regarding the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal funding. The second phase of the Mutual Housing Association is funded in part by New York State Housing Trust Fund, administered by DHCR. DHCR has informed MHA that the unit cost is above DCHR's guidelines, and therefore reductions will have to be made in the project budget. Mazzarella intends to seek waivers from this requirement. Any savings the MHA could make in the project would be helpful in securing DHCR funding. The road expense for MHA will be between$30,000-$40,000. Guttman was directed to prepare a new MHA-City agreement, for consideration at a future Planning Committee meeting. IL Meadow Street Area Land Use and Rezoning Study. Van Cort distributed an outline for the study and reported on staff's progress in completing the various study components. He said that, because of the press of new projects that came up during the year, the work on the Meadow Street study is considerably behind schedule. Some of the factors that had affected this project included Trish Norton's resignation,the final decision on the Route 96 Project, the application to the Appalachian Regional Commission for money for the Drop-in Center,the Human Services Consolidation Study,and the Drug Task Force. Mayor Nichols asked whether it would be possible for the staff to come up quickly with a series of urban design recommendations that could be incorporated in zoning changes. If several alternatives could be presented, then we could determine whether there is any interest on the part of the Common Council in modifying the zoning ordinance. Van Cort noted that a neighborhood committee that was to advise the staff on this study had not yet been appointed. He suggested that the Mayor and he talk about the appointment of this committee. Van Con further said he would bring back to the Committee alternative urban design and zoning recommendations at the January meeting. M. Inlet Island Land Use Plan. Schroeder presented an update on progress to date. Van Con discussed recent conversations with Shirley Egan of the Office of the University Counsel of Cornell University. The Committee directed that staff contract for surveys of all parcels relevant to the Inlet Island alienation and conversion process. Parcels identified by Common Council in 1994 as potential substitute parkland include five parcels (SM-17, SM- 20, SM-12, SM-il and SM-4) in the Six Mile Creek Valley. The Committee directed that a sixth Six Mile Creek Valley parcel (SM-3) be surveyed as well for possible inclusion in the substitute parkland package. C:\ICelly\ThysTlanComm\12-5min.doc Planning Committee Minutes 3 December 5, 1994 Meeting Guttman said that he was in the process of negotiating with the owner of SM-4 a dividing line between the area to be acquired by the City and the remainder of the parcel. IV. Route 96 Project Follow-up: Curb Lawn on Clinton Street. Schroeder reported that this item had been resolved with DoT. DoT has agreed to pay for all improvements in the block of Clinton Street that will be affected by the Route 96 Project. V. 1995 Planning Department Work Program. Schroeder distributed a draft 1995 Planning Department Work Program. The Committee then discussed each item in the draft. Van Cort gave a brief status report for continuing items. Attached is the tentative work program proposal resulting from the Committee's discussion. After the Planning and Development Board has had an opportunity for input, the Planning Committee at its January meeting will vote on a final work program recommendation to Common Council. c: uy∎Thys\riancouasmin.aoc • 1995 Planning Department Work Program (Preliminary Planning Committee Recommendation, December 5, 1994). • Continue Long-Range Planning Projects: — Inlet Island Land Use Plan.* — Southwest Area Land Use Study. — Northside Land Use Plan. — Geographic Information System. • Meadow Street Area Land Use and Rezoning Study (completion & implementation). • Rezoning of Cornell University.* • Transportation Issues: — Possible Move of County Offices Downtown: Parking and Traffic Issues (including possible new parking garage & Parking Benefit Assessment.District).* — City Bicycle Plan. — Rt. 13 and Rt. 96 Projects: Coordination With D.o.T. as necessary. • Neighborhood Protection: — Statistical Analysis of Neighborhood Trends (to help identify existing pres- sures and problems). — Traffic Calming East of Meadow Street (menu of ideas for a one- or two- block pilot project; specific plan to be determined by B.P.W.). • Economic Development: — Local Development Corporation.* — Expansion of Cherry Street Industrial Park. — Sale of City Land (Northside triangular block, B.T. Glass, City Hall Annex, other small parcels). * Of the items on this list, these four are to receive the highest priority.