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Home My WebLink About09-14-16 Planning & Economic Development Committee Meeting AgendaPEDC Meeting Planning and Economic Development Committee Ithaca Common Council DATE:September 14,2016 TIME:6:00 p.m. LOCATION:3rd floor City Hall Council Chambers AGENDA ITEMS Item Voting Item? Presenter(s)Time Start 1)Call to Order/Agenda Review 2)Public Comment and Response from Committee Members 3)Action Items (Voting to Send on to Council) a)Art in Glow Mural b)Fall Creek Block Party,Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund c)RestoreNYGrantResolution 4)Special Order of Business a)Public Hearing:Maguire TMPUD Application 5)Discussion (with possible action) a)Maguire TMPUD Application 6)Announcements,Updates,Reports 7)Review and Approval of Minutes a)August 2016 8)Adjournment No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe No Yes Yes Seph Murtagh,Chair Megan Wilson,Planning Staff Megan Wilson,Planning Staff Nels Bohn,IURA Staff Jennifer Kusznir and Lisa Nicholas, Planning Staff 6:00 6:05 6:15 6:25 6:30 6:45 8:00 8:50 9:00 9:05 If you have a disability and require accommodations in order to fully participate,please contact the City Clerk at 274 6570 by 12:00 noon on Tuesday,September 13th,2016. TO: Planning & Economic Development Committee FROM: Megan Wilson, Senior Planner DATE: September 6, 2016 RE: Mural Proposal: Art in Glow by the Ithaca Festival In 2010, the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission (PAC) created a mural and street art program to beautify blank walls within the city while providing local artists from all sections of the community an opportunity to showcase their work. As part of this program, McKenzie Jones Rounds, on behalf of the Ithaca Festival, has submitted a proposal for Art in Glow, a glow in the dark mural featuring a dandelion and the Festival slogan, to be installed on the surface of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. The mural will be installed as part of a larger event scheduled for October 22, 2016. The mural will appear as white paint during the day, but the paint will glow in the dark at night. The installation will wear away from foot traffic and weather conditions, but it will likely remain for at least a year. Initial testing has shown that the paint will not make the walking surface more slippery or otherwise hazardous. The Board of Public Works is expected to add the Cayuga Waterfront Trail to the list of locations pre-approved for possible murals on Monday, September 12, 2016. The PAC has sought public comment on the proposal through notification of surrounding property owners and City staff, and a public comment period was held at the August 24th PAC meeting to gather input on the proposed design and location. The comments received were mostly supportive of the project. A quorum was not present for the discussion at the meeting, but all members in attendance recommended that the Common Council approve the artwork for installation. The mural proposal is attached for your review. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at 274-6560 or mwilson@cityofithaca.org. CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street — 3rd Floor Ithaca, New York 14850-5690 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT JOANN CORNISH, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PHYLLISA A. DeSARNO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Telephone: Planning & Development – 607-274-6550 Community Development/IURA – 607-274-6559 Email: dgrunder@cityofithaca.org Email: iura@cityofithaca.org Fax: 607-274-6558 Fax: 607-274-6558 Ithaca Festival’s Art in Glow Ithaca Festival’s inaugural Art in Glow event will be a celebration juxtaposing the flair of urban street art with the necessity for lighted pedestrian passageways. According to the Downtown Ithaca Alliance’s 2020 strategic plan, pedestrian scale public art, pedestrian level lighting, and pedestrian safety are achievable goals toward improving the downtown environment for locals and visitors. Inspired by the Van Gogh–Roosegaarde bike path in the Netherlands (pictured below), currently among the hottest and most sought after global tourist attractions, Art in Glow will aim to provide long-term beautification and safety in Ithaca, as well as be an interesting and unique public art installation destination for tourists. This project is funded in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Board. The event will entail artists and community members using glow-in-the-dark spray paint to enhance a designated area of Ithaca's Waterfront Trail (see attached image for location). There is local and global precedent for an art installation event such as this, and many city officials have made requests for increased public art as well as thoughtful solutions for pedestrian lighting and safety. Art in Glow will creatively fulfill those needs and is scheduled to take place on October 22, 2016. 2016 Art in Glow Proposed Design Proposed Location Planning & Economic Development Committee Proposed Resolution September 14, 2016 Resolution to Select Artwork for a Mural Installation on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission (PAC) has been established to, among other duties, review and advise the Common Council on proposals for the exhibition and display of public art in the City’s public spaces, and WHEREAS, in 2010, the PAC created a mural and street art program to beautify blank walls within the city, while providing local artists from all sections of the community an opportunity to showcase their work, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works approved several locations for future murals and street art by resolution on May 19, 2010 and added the Cayuga Waterfront Trail to this list on September 12, 2016, and WHEREAS, McKenzie Jones Rounds, on behalf of the Ithaca Festival, has submitted a proposal for Art in Glow, a glow in the dark mural featuring a dandelion and the Festival slogan, to be installed on the surface of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail as part of the PAC’s Mural and Street Art Program, and WHEREAS, after discussing the project with the Ithaca Festival staff, the PAC agreed that the section of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail adjacent to the NYS DOT property would be an appropriate location for the proposed glow in the dark mural, and WHEREAS, the PAC held a public comment period on the mural design and location at its meeting on August 24, 2016 to gather input on the proposed installation, and the public responses to the proposal have been mostly positive, and WHEREAS, the mural will be privately funded, and the installation will be budget-neutral to the City, and WHEREAS, while a quorum was not present for this discussion at the August 24th meeting, all PAC members in attendance recommended that the Common Council approve the Ithaca Festival’s 2016 Art in Glow project for installation on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council selects the Ithaca Festival’s 2016 Art in Glow project featuring a dandelion and the Festival slogan to be installed on the portion of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail adjacent to the NYS DOT property and to be added to the City of Ithaca’s public art collection; and be it further RESOLVED, That the selected artist may proceed with the installation of her mural upon the execution of an agreement with the City as reviewed by the City Attorney. TO: Planning & Economic Development Committee FROM: Megan Wilson, Senior Planner DATE: September 6, 2016 RE: NIIF: Fall Creek Block Party Attached is an application for the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund (NIIF) from residents of Fall Creek related to the neighborhood’s annual block party held on September 11, 2016. The application has been submitted Helen Ann Yunis, a neighborhood resident and organizer of the event. This event has been held annually for several years and is intended to promote a sense of community within the neighborhood. In past years, the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund has supported celebrations in many city neighborhoods that focus attention on neighborhood empowerment and solidarity. Expenditures related to this event include food and flyers to publicize the block party, all of which meet criteria for reimbursement. Residents of the Fall Creek neighborhood donate their time for promotion of the event, set up, food preparation, and clean up. By putting together this event on behalf of the neighborhood, the residents are furthering the aims of the fund to support initiatives that strengthen city neighborhoods. CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street — 3rd Floor Ithaca, New York 14850-5690 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT JOANN CORNISH, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PHYLLISA A. DeSARNO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Telephone: Planning & Development – 607-274-6550 Community Development/IURA – 607-274-6559 Email: dgrunder@cityofithaca.org Email: iura@cityofithaca.org Fax: 607-274-6558 Fax: 607-274-6558 Planning & Economic Development Committee September 14, 2016 RESOLUTION: Request for Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Funds for the Fall Creek Neighborhood Block Party, September 2016 WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Common Council established the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund in 1995 to provide financial assistance to city residents seeking to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods, and WHEREAS, the fund is intended to support residents' interest in community improvement and to encourage, not replace volunteerism, and WHEREAS, the funds are intended to be used for projects or events that provide a general neighborhood benefit and not for the limited benefit of individuals or a select few residents, and WHEREAS, activities specified by the Common Council as eligible for the funding include but are not limited to neighborhood clean-ups, plantings in public places, and neighborhood events like block parties or meetings, and WHEREAS, neighborhood groups are required to submit a completed application specifying other project donations, estimated volunteer hours, estimated costs to be covered by the fund and signatures of residents in the immediate neighborhood, and WHEREAS, to streamline the process the Common Council has delegated authority to approve applications to the Planning & Economic Development Committee, and WHEREAS, each neighborhood group is eligible to receive up to $300 per year as a reimbursement award payable on the submission of original receipts or invoices for approved activities, and WHEREAS, the City cannot reimburse residents for sales tax expenses, and WHEREAS, on behalf of neighborhood residents, Helen Ann Yunis has submitted an application for up to $300 in reimbursement funds to off-set expenses from the Fall Creek neighborhood’s annual block party, and WHEREAS, notice of the block party was circulated throughout the neighborhood via flyers and the neighborhood listserv, and the event provided an opportunity for socializing with diverse groups of residents; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Planning and Economic Development Committee approves the funding request from Helen Ann Yunis in an amount not to exceed $300 for reimbursement upon presentation of original invoices and/or receipts. 108 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 274-6559 To:Planning &Economic Development Committee From:Nels Bohn,Director of Community Development RE:Recommended Restore NY4 Project Date:September 14,2016 At their September 13,2016 meeting,the IURA Economic Development Committee (EDC)reviewed two competing projects to be included in the City’s Restore NY4 grant application.Only one project,which may contain multiple properties,can be submitted by the City. The two competing Restore NY4 projects are the: Seneca/Corn Buildings Rehabilitation Project 109 N.Corn St.(former Wylie dry cleaners building) 413 415 W.Seneca St.(former Ithaca Glass building),and State Street Historic Buildings Rehabilitation Project 139 E.State/MLK Jr.St.(Sage Block AKA Benchwarmers Bldg.) 121 W.State/MLK Jr.St.(former Rumble Seat Music Bldg.) 310 W.State St./MLK Jr.St.(downtown west local historic district) The EDC’s objective was to select the project that maximizes Restore NY competitiveness and local community benefits. While the Committee recognized both projects offered abundant community benefits,the EDC unanimously recommended selection of the Seneca/Corn Buildings Rehabilitation project for inclusion in the City’s grant application for the following reasons: 1. Competitiveness for grant funding –Seneca/Corn has a higher predicted score for Restore NY4 evaluation criteria (see attached “Predicted Scoring –Project Proposals”matrix); 2. Address housing needs –Seneca/Corn includes more housing units (6),which are also designed in a manner to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood;and 3. Impact –the western portion of the State Street corridor is in greater need of new investment. Please find attached the following additional materials: Proposed substitute resolution Predicted Restore NY4 Scoring matrix Seneca/Corns Building Rehab Proposal,dated 8/31/16 j:\community development\restore ny\restore ny4\evaluation\mem to ped 9 14 16.doc Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 1 Proposed Substitute Resolution Planning & Economic Development Committee September 14, 2016 Authorize Restore NY4 Funding Application Whereas, the 2015-16 New York State budget enacted the Restore New York’s Communities Initiative (“Restore NY4”) to revitalize urban areas and stabilize neighborhoods and authorized the Empire State Development Corporation (“ESDC”) to implement the $50 million program, and Whereas, on June 20, 2016 ESDC issued a request for proposals to provide municipalities with financial assistance for revitalization of commercial and residential properties, and Whereas, the goals of the Restore NY program are to (1) revitalize urban centers, (2) induce commercial investment, and (3) improve the local housing stock, and Whereas, Restore NY4 funding is available only for projects involving the demolition, deconstruction, rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of vacant, abandoned, condemned or surplus properties, and Whereas, cities with populations under 40,000 are eligible to submit one project, which may contain multiple properties, not to exceed a request for $500,000 in funding, and Whereas, only projects identified in an Intent To Apply form that was due by July 13, 2016 are eligible for possible Restore NY4 funding, and . Whereas, on June 30, 2016 the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) issued a call for proposals and received 9 property proposals, and Whereas, the IURA Economic Development Committee (EDC) reviewed proposals against Restore NY4 scoring criteria and for community benefit and recommended the following two competing candidate projects be submitted on the mandatory Intent To Apply form: State Street Historic Buildings Rehabilitation - rehabilitation of properties located at 129 E. State Street, 121 W. State Street and 310 W. State Street Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation – rehabilitation of properties located at 109 N. Corn Street and 413-15 W. Seneca Street, and Whereas, on July 21st, 2016, ESDC determined that each of the two candidate projects were eligible for Restore NY4, and Whereas, IURA requested detailed project information from each sponsor by August 31, 2016, and 2 Whereas, on September 13, 2016, the IURA Economic Development Committee recommended selection of the following Restore NY4 application to maximize community benefit and competiveness for funding: (Select one) State Street Historic Buildings Rehabilitation project or Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation project, and, Whereas, the Restore NY4 funding application is due by October 2, 2016, and Whereas, applications must include a municipal resolution in support of the application, proof that a public hearing was held on proposed application, and a site control affidavit for projects located on non-municipally owned property, and Whereas, the property owners have agreed to provide the full 10% required local match contribution, so no City match funds are required; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby endorses submission of an application for the Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation project for up to $500,000 in grant funding from the Restore NY4 program, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby finds the proposed project is consistent with the City comprehensive plan and Urban Renewal Plan; that the proposed financing is appropriate for the specific project; that the project facilitates effective and efficient use of the existing and future public resources so as to promote both economic development and preservation of community resources; and the project develops and enhances infrastructure and/or facilities in a manner that will attract, create, and sustain employment opportunities where applicable, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Mayor, upon advice from the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to take all actions necessary to submit a Restore NY4 application in accordance with this resolution, including, but not limited to, certification of the application, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Mayor is authorized to modify the proposal to address any unforeseen feasibility issues that arise that would impact competitiveness of the application, and RESOLVED, that, if awarded, the Mayor, upon advise from the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute an agreement with ESDC, and any other documents necessary to receive the Restore NY grant, as well as agreements with individual property owners to implement the project, and be it further RESOLVED, the IURA is hereby authorized to administer and implement the City’s Restore NY4 grant award. RestoreNY4updated9/13/16PredictedScoringProjectProposalsCityofIthaca,NYEconomicFeasibilityDistressLeverage Induce Revitalize ImproveBrownfield Stateor CommercialanUrbanLocal Project ESDAddress Sponsor EconomicEmpireOpportun. FederalInvestment Center Housing Readiness DiscretionDistress Zone Area ProgramsTOTAL(15pts) (5pts)(5pts)(20pts) (20pts) (10pts) (10pts) (20pts) (15pts)(115pts)1 Corn/Seneca109E.CornSt. E.Cope 5 YES NO B,C,D restaurant 0units 18 NA41315W.SenecaSt. E.Cope 5 YES NO B,C,D $2,160,000 mixeduse 6units 18 NA5 5 0 15 20 9 10 18 NA82Subtotals $2,160,000 6units2 StateSt.Historic139E.StateSt. LEnterprises,LLC 5 YES NO A,B $1,728,000 mixeduse 2units 18 NA121W.StateSt. UrbanCore,LLC 5 YES NO A,B $124,039 restaurant 0units 20 NA310W.StateSt. FeiQi 5 YES NO A,B $150,000 mixeduse 0units 14 NA5 5 0 15 20 10 4 1877Subtotals $2,002,039 2unitsLeverageStateorFederalProgramsA.HistoricrehabilitationtaxcreditsB.PropertyAssessedCleanEnergy(PACE)financingthroughEnergizeNYC.Deepenergyefficiencyincentivestolowerenergyusagebyatleast50%,NYSERDAandFederal179dtaxdeductionPreparedbyN.Bohn,latestrevision9/13/16RESTORENY4SCORINGCRITERIAStatutoryPriorities ProgramGoalsD.Renewableenergyincentive,federalInvestmentTaxCredit&Federal179dtaxdeduction PPM Homes STREAM Collaborative Proposal for Restore NY August 31, 2016 Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project Revitalizing Ithaca’s West End THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK TABLE OF CONTENTS Background 4 History 5 Surrounding Land Use and Zoning 6 Existing Conditions 7 Building Design 10 Site Design 10 Transportation 11 Design Drawings 12 Letters of Support 20 413 W. State St.109 Corn St Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 4 Background Premium Property Management (PPM Homes) has been serving the Ithaca area for twenty years, traditionally providing homes for a student tenant base. The company has expanded within the community to now serve many local professionals with residential and commercial amenities. At PPM homes, we recognize the city’s general need for housing and for new retail/commercial initiatives. With this project in particular we have the opportunity to fulfill a need for workforce housing, catering to the “missing middle”, and provide space for new emerging commercial activity to serve this demographic. The project is conceived as a form of “Lean Urbanism” or small scale infill development that makes the most of existing infrastructure to provide lower cost alternatives to the high impacts and high costs of larger scale redevelopment. The project will involve two buildings in Ithaca’s West End, an area which is beginning to see rejuvenation and positive growth with the expansion of the popular retail shops Mama Goose and Mimi’s Attic along with Gimme Coffee among others. Located at 413-415 W. Seneca and 109 N. Corn Street, these two buildings are currently vacant, underutilized properties with great potential as infill redevelopment projects. PPM Homes has been successful at rejuvenating older buildings, and this location in the heart of the West End will provide an opportunity for a diversity of uses. 413 West Seneca will be redeveloped into a mixed use building with 2,122sf of office space and 1,794sf of workshop space for the main headquarters of PPM Homes. This will make PPM’s services more central to its client base, and provide the building with a solid anchor occupant. Most of the building is currently one story, however zoning allows greater height and relief from parking requirements to encourage residential development. In keeping with the City’s comprehensive plan goals, PPM will add 2 stories of housing above its offices. The six bi-level apartments will range in size from loft-style studios to 3 bedrooms, catering to a variety of household sizes. The location is within easy access of public transportation and is embedded in the most walkable part of Ithaca, offering residents easy access to Downtown and West End businesses and amenities. The 413 West Seneca re-development complements the second project located less than a half-block away at 109 N. Corn Street (formerly Wylie’s Dry Cleaning). This property also lends itself to a mixture of uses. With an “L” shaped building configuration, the ground floor is ideal for a restaurant, bar or nightlife venue, with outdoor cafe seating and a reasonable amount of parking. The large parking lot is intended to be managed as an event space utilized for markets, sales, concerts, art shows and food trucks. Upper floor spaces may include rehearsal space for theatre groups, and meeting space for community organizations. There is opportunity for nearby organizations and businesses, such as the adjacent used clothing and furniture store, to also use the spaces created by the project for such things as performances, community gatherings and outdoor sales. The public use space in the building and large parking lot will become a gathering place affording strong community development opportunities, and giving this area a distinctive vibe. We believe the two rehabilitation projects promote strong community development initiatives and align with the city’s vision outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. These projects encourage mixed-use development for commercial and residential needs within the City’s West End. The location of the two properties off the State St/MLK axis, offers an opportunity to expand positive redevelopment and pedestrian activity toward the surrounding neighborhood. Increased pedestrian activity on West Seneca will begin to transform the street from an automobile dominated environment to one that is people-centered. We are excited for the opportunity to be an integral part of this neighborhood that has long needed positive development, and is now improving at a rapid rate. These projects will not only breathe new life into blighted properties, but will also increase our ability to build a long term presence and relationship within the community. “Millennials prefer amenity rich housing choices. These amenities are within walking distance. They prefer smaller units with open floor plans and are not interested in yard work at all.” Howard Ways of the Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County in Washington D.C. Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 5 History 109 Corn Street According to the historic record of Sanborn maps dating back to 1893 the 109 Corn Street property was formerly the site of three residential buildings - two duplexes and one single family home. Residential buildings remained at least until 1918 with the corner duplex being replaced with a single family home some time between 1893 and 1905. By 1965 the homes fronting on Seneca Street still remained but Wiley’s dry cleaning business had replaced the earlier duplex. The remaining homes were later demolished and the current parking lot has been in place for many years. The dry cleaning footprint changed slightly over time through a number of small additions and reconfigurations but more or less remained in the same location for well over 60 years. Wiley’s dates back to around 1949 and was in operation until 2015 when it was purchased at auction by Ed Cope from PPM Homes. 413 W. Seneca Street 413 W. Seneca street was the previous home to Ithaca Glass until the building was purchased by Ed Cope from PPM Homes in 2015. Prior to being the offices and workshop space for the Ithaca Glass company the property appears to have been a part of a lumber yard property but did not have any buildings as far back as 1893. It was likely used as parking and possibly lumber storage. The property was subdivided from the former lumber yard operation in the 1960’s and some form of the current building was constructed. The current front facade of the building is closer to the sidewalk than what is depicted in the 1965 Sanborn map but it is not clear if there was an addition or if the current building was a complete replacement. The two existing apartments on the 2nd floor appear to have been added or perhaps renovated later than the original construction of the building and it remains a functioning mixed-use property although currently vacant. In 2015 there was a fire on the back roof that has caused significant damage to the workshop area that still has not been remedied. 1965 1893 1905-1918 Building reuse almost always yields fewer environmental impacts than new construction when comparing buildings of similar size and functionality. - Preservation Green Lab National Trust for Historic Preservation Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 6 Surrounding Land Use and Zoning 109 Corn Street - B-2d and CBD-60 413 W. Seneca Street - B-2d The project is located in a primarily commercial block between W. State Street and W. Seneca Street. The neighborhood immediately to the north is primarily a multi-family residential zone (R-3a) and just one block to the north is Washington Park which is a single family neighborhood (R-2a). To the west and east are more commercial properties (B-2d). To the south is the CBD-60 zone of W. State/MLK Street with the existing building at 109 Corn Street sitting entirely within the CBD-60 zone and the remainder of the property in the B-2d zone. 413 W. SENECA W. STATE/MLK STREET109 CORN500 yr flood zone Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 7 Existing Conditions Both properties are currently 100% vacant and in poor to very poor condition as a result of deterioration from age, neglect and, in the case of 413 W. Seneca, fire. Both properties represent opportunities in terms of existing infrastructure that can be retained, renovated and greatly enhanced through new investment. 413 W. Seneca - Existing Conditions High bay workshop space below (note the blue tarp covering a portion of the wall damaged by fire in 2015) and exterior photos at right. Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 8 109 Corn - Existing Exterior Conditions Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 9 109 Corn - Existing Interior Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 10 Building Design 109 Corn Street This is a perfect example of Lean Urbanism (and opportunities for Tactical Urbanism) by making the most of an existing building without the expense of a total redevelopment. The complete rehabilitation of the existing envelope would involve opening up the west elevation to the street with new and inviting storefront, and raising the roof on the second floor to provide better headroom for community spaces. Unsightly additions and sheds would be removed and the building generally cleaned up for the proposed uses. Extensive enhancements to the courtyard and parking areas would include re-paving and screening per city regulations, infrastructure for its use as an event venue, perimeter landscaping, a solar power canopy, electric vehicle charging stations, and landscaping of the outdoor dining courtyard. 413 W. Seneca Street The existing ground floor would be completely renovated into the aforementioned offices and workshops for PPM Homes, with the existing glass entries facing the street being retained. The all glass street facade, which is not energy efficient, would be replaced with punched windows set in colorful fiber cement panels. Brick side facades would be retained and the existing concrete block workshop areas would be painted. A new glass garage door (ala Press Bay Alley) would enhance the appearance of the workshop facade and offer a sense of human activity inside. The new apartments would be a modern overbuild clad in white fiber cement panels. The shape of the new addition would step back from the existing building perimeter to comply with front, side and rear yard setbacks, creating a contemporary sculptural form. The vibrant colored panels would be used at third floor window projections to add visual interest. A small parking area will serve staff. The building will feature roof terraces for most apartments and green roofs. Utilities and Energy STREAM Collaborative has accepted the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which means every project we design begins with a conversation about how we can achieve a net zero fossil fuel usage. In the year 2016, most of our buildings are being designed to reduce the overall fossil fuel usage by at least 70% compared to a conventional building of the same type and by 2030 we aimed to have all of our buildings designed for zero carbon emissions. The primary strategy for this is to install a high performance thermal envelope well beyond the minimum energy code requirements along with high-efficiency electric air-source heat pumps which provide both heating and cooling without on-site fossil fuels. PPM Homes shares these environmental values and they are exploring the use of both onsite and remote solar photovoltaic systems to offset the onsite electric energy usage. The water, sewer and electricity usage will be typical of residential development in the City of Ithaca and the current systems are capable of serving the new demand. Site Design Stormwater 109 Corn Street is approximately 0.24 acres and 413 W. Seneca Street is approximately 0.15 acres. Both properties are too small to require stormwater mitigation, and none of the proposed renovations/additions to either property would disturb any of the subsurface soil. As such there would be no State or Local requirements for quantity or quality treatment of stormwater. However, some existing asphalt pavement would be removed and more green space would be established. This reduction of impervious surfaces is part of a best-practices strategy for urban environments. Both properties are located outside the 500 Year Flood Zone and would not require flood insurance or any special flood proof construction techniques. Landscape A planting plan is being developed for both properties to address the street edge and common space between buildings, such that these spaces are a lush urban experience with interest throughout all seasons. All plantings will be selected to be naturally drought tolerant with no irrigation installed, and manual watering only required during the period of initial plant establishment. Strong consideration will be given for native and edible plants. Site Lighting Lighting will be installed to allow for safe pedestrian travel across the site, enhance the sense of urban liveliness, and provide a sense of security between buildings and in the parking areas. All light fixtures will be sharp cut off and dark-sky compliant. All buildings will have lighting at entries and no flood lights will be installed. Bike Storage The project will include external visitor bike racks and covered bike storage for staff. Residential tenants will be able to store bikes within their own individual units. Lean Urbanism occupies the emerging seam between the demonstration projects of Tactical Urbanism and the policy- focused agenda of Smart Growth and New Urbanism. The Congress for the New Urbanism www.cnu.org Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 11 Solar Parking Solar shading structures are being considered for the parking area of 109 Corn Street. These structures will significantly help reduce the urban heat island effect and provide shading for bikes, cars, vendors and people making use of the parking area for new and creative functions beyond the current parking lot. The solar panels will also help offset the power needed for electric vehicle charging stations. Trash and Recycling Both properties will include designated trash and recycling facilities for tenants. 109 Corn Street may include a dumpster for the ground floor commercial tenant (if restaurant use) and all others would use curbside pickup for trash and recycling. Transportation Both properties are on at least one bus route, offering access to Cornell, Downtown, West Hill and other prime destinations. There is a designated bus stop at State and Corn Street (less than 1 block) and Seneca and Albany (less than 3 blocks). The site is well served by existing sidewalk infrastructure, frequent bus service and car share. There are currently 8 Ithaca Carshare vehicles parked within 6 blocks of the properties (less than a ¼ mile or 5 minute walk) and 1 of these vehicles is parked around the corner on State/MLK within 1 block. Along with good accommodations for bicycle storage, residents are likely to make fewer than the average number of car trips. The opportunities for people to live a car-free or car-light lifestyle is very strong in this location and the impact on automobile traffic of the project is expected to be negligible. The Walk Score is 93 out of 100 making this location a “Walker’s Paradise” according to Walkscore.com. Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 12 109 Corn Street - Aerial Perspective Design Drawings Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 13 109 Corn - Building Elevations Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 14 109 Corn - Perspective Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 15 109 Corn - Building Plans First Level Second Level Existing Use Existing Area Proposed Area Business 8,682sf 5,232sf Multi-purpose 3,450sf Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 16 413 W. Seneca - Aerial Perspective Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 17 413 W. Seneca - Building Elevations Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 18 413 W. Seneca - Perspective Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 19 413 W. Seneca - Building Plans Second Level Third Level Existing Use Existing Area Proposed Area Office 1,688sf 2,122sf Workshop 2,486sf 1,794sf Residential 2,052sf 6,778sf First Level SENECA STREETOffice Workshop Seneca / Corn Street Building Rehab Project 20 Letters of Support Individual Property Data Sheet Municipal Name Project Name Complete an Individual Property Data Sheet for each building in this application. Limit description to the space provided on this form. Attach a photograph of the building façade for each property. Attach a Site Control Affidavit for non-municipally owned properties (Part 6.c). Site Name/Address Size (in square feet): Is the municipality the owner of this property? Yes No If NO, Name of Property Owner: Is the property owner an official of the applicant municipality, or spouse, son or daughter of a municipal official?Yes No Assessed Value of Property Date of Last Assessment Is the building/property located in an: If YES, provide name of zone/area: Brownfield Opportunity Area Yes No Project Type: (Check all that apply) (See Section 7 of Guidelines for Definitions) Demolition Deconstruction Rehabilitation Reconstruction In specific terms, describe the reuse strategy for this property. Estimated start date: Estimated completion date: Describe status of permits, zoning or other regulatory requirements. ATTACHMENTS: (1) Façade Photo (2) Site Control Affidavit (if necessary) City of Ithaca Seneca/Corns Street Buildings Rehabilitation 413-415 W Seneca & 109 N Corn 11,239 ■ Ed Cope ■ 440000 2015 ■ Rehabilitate 2 vacant buildings on the same urban block for mixed-use redevelopment including restaurant space, offices, and housing. January 2017 February 2018 Individual Property Budget Page 1 Municipal Name Project Name Site Name/Address ESD Region Total Square Feet (SF) Check One in Each Column Building Type * Type of Construction (commercial/mixed-use only)Building Category *Project Type * Residential Office – Class A Vacant Demolition Commercial Office – Class B Abandoned Deconstruction Mixed-Use Office – Class C Surplus Rehabilitation Office – Class D Condemned Reconstruction Light Mfg – Class B Light Mfg – Class C Light Mfg – Class D Retail – Class C Retail – Class D * See Guidelines Section 7 for Definitions. RNY Funding Calculation for Commercial Buildings (Commercial ONLY) ( Commercial Allowance x Total SF )+( HazMat Allowance x Total SF )= Maximum RNY Funding Request x +x = * See Guidelines Section 5 for Commercial and HazMat Allowance Charts Sources of Project Financing as itemized on the Sources and Uses Statement Name of Entity Funding Amount Documentation Attached * Cash Yes No Bank Yes No Other 1 Yes No Other 2 Yes No Other 3 Yes No Other 4 Yes No * ATTACHMENT: (1) Letters of commitment for all financing sources (2) Documentation for all equity commitments City of Ithaca Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation 413-415 W Seneca & 109 N Corn St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Southern Tier 109 Corn St 0.24 acre & 8,682 SF building/413 W. Seneca St 0.15 acre & 12,000 SF building:0.39 total acre & 20682 SF building XX XX XX XX Tompkins Trust Company PPM Homes ■ Ed Cope ■ ■ ■ $2,368,000.00 $221,000.00 $365,000.00 Individual Property Budget – Sources and Uses StatementMunicipal Name‘Property Assessment List’ Individual Property Number: Site Name/AddressUses of FundsSources of FundsTotal Restore Muni Equity* Bank* Other 1* Other 2* Other 3* Other 4*AcquisitionLandBuildingSubtotalGeneral ConstructionNew ConstructionRenovationSubtotalInfrastructure / Site PreparationDemolitionOn-Site StreetsParkingWater/SewerExcavation/GradingEnviro. CleanupSubtotalIndirect/Soft CostsProfessionalService/ConsultantsEngineeringInspectionsFeesInsuranceEnviro. AssessmentLegal CostsClosing CostsContingenciesSubtotalOther CostsSubtotalTOTAL40,000400,000440,0001,600,0001,268,0002,868,00086,00070,00065,000221,00030,00050,00035,00010,00020,00035,00015,00020,000150,000365,0003,894,000500,000500,000500,0001,600,000768,0002,368,0002,368,000$221,000$365,000586,000City of Ithaca Part 7.c – Site Control Affidavit for Non-Municipally Owned Properties Municipal Name Project Name It is my/our understanding that ____________________________________ will submit a Restore NY (MUNICIPAL NAME) grant proposal to Empire State Development Corporation requesting funds to revitalize urban centers, induce commercial investment and improve the local housing stock. I/we further understand that the Restore NY program provides grants for up to 90% of the costs to demolish, deconstruct, rehabilitate and reconstruct residential and commercial properties, subject to applicable program grant limits. I/we further understand that the ____________________________________ is proposing to use these (MUNICIPAL NAME) funds to demolish, deconstruct, rehabilitate and/or reconstruct my property at ___________________________________________________________________________________ STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP (COUNTY) I/we certify that I/we are the rightful owners of such property and that I/we consent to have my/our property included in the Restore NY application and will allow the municipality control of the above mentioned property for the purposes outlined in this application. /s/ ___________________________________________________________________________ Type/Print Name __________________________________________Phone: _______________ /s/ ___________________________________________________________________________ Type/Print Name __________________________________________Phone: _______________ This is to certify that I have reviewed the tax roles for the ___________________________________ (MUNICIPAL NAME) and determined that __________________________________________ is/are the owner(s) of record of (NAME(S) OF PROPERTY OWNER) __________________________________________________________________________________ STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP (COUNTY) TAX MAP # as of the most recent assessment period and that no transfer of ownership information has been transmitted to the _____________________________________________________ since that date. (MUNICIPAL NAME) /s/ _______________________________________________________________________________ (CITY CLERK / TREASURER) Type/Print Name __________________________________________________________________ NOTE: For long term leased properties where the lessee is in control of the property (e.g., a ground lessee), the lessee must also submit a signed Site Control Affidavit. City of Ithaca City of Ithaca 413-415 West Seneca St & 109 North Corn St, Ithaca, NY 14850 (Tompkins) Ed Cope (607)272-1765 IURA Supplemental RestoreNY4 Questionnaire City of Ithaca Property Name: PPM Homes Office and Mixed Use Office Building Property Address:413-415 W Seneca, and 109 N Corn Description of Rehabilitation Work Please provide a brief narrative description of rehabilitation work to be undertaken. Please include the square footage of building area to be rehabilitated and square footage of hazardous materials to be abated. Rehabilitate two vacant buildings into mixed use buildings with new office and residential space. 109 Corn St is 0.24 acres & 8,682 SF building area. 413 W. Seneca St is 0.15 acre & 12,000 SF building area 0.39 total acre & 20682 SF building Project Financing Feasibility The Restore NY4 application requires letters of commitment from all financing sources. Provide the best information available at this time regarding lender loan commitment/interest at this time. Attach any correspondence from lenders. If funding is to be derived from other sources, please identify the source and the level of commitment/interest expressed to fund the project. The project will be funded by local banks, letter from local bank attached, from owners out of pocket, and from community lending where needed. Applicants have a solid history of obtaining financing from all of these sources on prior projects. Proof of available cash equity A minimum 10% cash equity match is required for RestoreNY4. Identify the source of cash equity. Attach any documentation verifying available cash equity. IURA Supplemental RestoreNY4 Questionnaire City of Ithaca Ed Cope Fidelity Investment Accounts Statement of Need Requested RestoreNY4 funding: Minimum RestoreNY4 funding required for project to proceed: Explain why RestoreNY assistance is being requested. Use one or more of the following as a guide. Include information on the impact RestoreNY funding is likely to have on the project’s success. Provide supporting documentation as applicable. Financial Gap Sufficient funds cannot be obtained from other sources to complete the project without RestoreNY assistance. (Include evidence that RestoreNY assistance is needed to subsidize, encourage or leverage private sector investment and bank financing) Feasibility The project cannot go forward as planned on the basis of terms offered (or required) by funding sources. (Include the expected terms that would be imposed by funding sources and why these will not allow the project to proceed. Outline the terms that are required and explain how these will make the project feasible.) While local banks and lenders are interested in making funding available they want additional funding to minimize their exposure on this project. IURA Supplemental RestoreNY4 Questionnaire City of Ithaca End RESTORE NY4 City of Ithaca Project Name: Property Address: (in $) Office/workshop/Restaurant 12,598 8 SF 99,634 1-bedroom unit 2 $1,166 month 27,984 2-bedroom unit 2 $1,750 month 42,000 3-bedroom unit 2 $2,375 month 57,000 Pro-Forma Operating Statement Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 REVENUE Residential Rent 127,000 130,810 134,734 138,776 142,940 Residential Vacancy (6,350) (6,541) (6,737) (6,939) (7,147) Commercial Rent 99,634 102,623 105,702 108,873 112,139 Commercial Vacancy (15,942) (10,262) (7,399) (7,621) (7,850) Total Revenue 204,343 216,631 226,301 233,090 240,082 EXPENSES Utilities Paid by Owner 9,600 9,888 10,185 10,490 10,805 Maintenance 3,000 3,120 3,245 3,375 3,510 Insurance 5,000 5,200 5,408 5,624 5,849 Real Property Taxes 50,000 52,000 54,080 56,243 58,493 Legal/Bookkeeping 900 936 973 1,012 1,053 Management 8,730 9,079 9,442 9,820 10,213 Total Expenses 77,230 80,223 83,333 86,565 89,922 Net Income 127,113 136,407 142,967 146,525 150,160 Scenario Analysis: Staff Analysis $500K Restore If $0 + Energy & Debt Service Capacity 105,927 113,673 119,139 122,104 125,133 Restore NY Incentives PILOT Cash Flow 21,185 22,735 23,828 24,421 25,027 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3 Return on Cash Equity 3.3% 3.4% 3.5% 1.9%3.6%6.7% Return on Total Equity 2.0% 2.1% 2.1%1.4%2.2%4.0% Debt Service Coverage Ratio 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 Cash Available for Debt Service 119,139 119,139 119,139 119,139 Interest Rate 4% 4% 4% 4% Amortization Period 300 300 300 300 Mortgage Attainable 1,880,900 1,880,900 1,880,900 1,880,900 Development Cost 3,401,000 3,401,000 3,401,000 3,401,000 Mortgage 1,880,900 1,880,900 1,880,900 1,880,900 Equity/Restore NY4 Grant 1,520,100 1,520,100 1,520,100 1,520,100 RestoreNY4 Request 500,000 0 500,000 500,000 Cash Equity 725,000 1,225,000 725,000 725,000 Exisitng Equity - Assessed Value 440,000 440,000 440,000 440,000 Total Equity 1,165,000 1,665,000 1,165,000 1,165,000 Potential Energy Incentives 68,752 $2/SF NYSERDA; ITC ($25K)+ PV solar $0.4/watt)68,752 68,752 To achieve financial feasibility, a project must meet lender requirements and the developer's risk-adjusted return on equity. A develop generally seeks a minimum Return On Equity (ROE) higher than alternative investments, such as a stock market index fund that historically returns 7%. Real estate investments offer tax advantages and additional income upon sale or refinancing that may adjust the required pro-forma ROE to 7.5% - 10%. Lender has indicated a loan of approximately $1,875,000 should be achievable. Without Restore NY4, the ROE is approximately 1.4%, well below the typical ROE level for a project to proceed. At $500K of RestoreNY4, the ROE is 2.0%, still well below the typical ROE threshold. If potential energy incentives for PV and to lower energy demand 70% below building code are included, then the ROE increases to 2.2% If $20K/year were saved in property taxes through CIITAP, then the ROE would increase to 4.0% Vacancy rate for the office/workshop at 413-15 W Seneca can be reduced as tenant (PPM) has committed to occupy these spaces. $500K of Restore NY is an appropriate level of assistance to make the Corn/Seneca Building Rehabilitation Project feasible. Seneca/Corn Buildings Rehabilitation 413-415 West Seneca St & 109 N Corn St A lender seeks a debt coverage ratio of at least 1.2 and quality collateral. 1 Proposed Resolution Planning &Economic Development Committee September 14,2016 Authorize Restore NY4 Funding Application Whereas,the 2015 16 New York State budget enacted the Restore New York’s Communities Initiative (“Restore NY4”)to revitalize urban areas and stabilize neighborhoods and authorized the Empire State Development Corporation (“ESDC”)to implement the $50 million program, and Whereas,on June 20,2016 ESDC issued a request for proposals to provide municipalities with financial assistance for revitalization of commercial and residential properties,and Whereas,the goals of the Restore NY program are to (1)revitalize urban centers,(2)induce commercial investment,and (3)improve the local housing stock,and Whereas,Restore NY4 funding is available only for projects involving the demolition, deconstruction,rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of vacant,abandoned,condemned or surplus properties,and Whereas,cities with populations under 40,000 are eligible to submit one project,which may contain multiple properties,not to exceed a request for $500,000 in funding,and Whereas,only projects identified in an Intent To Apply form that was due by July 13,2016 are eligible for possible Restore NY4 funding,and . Whereas,on June 30,2016 the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA)issued a call for proposals and received 9 property proposals,and Whereas,the IURA Economic Development Committee (EDC)reviewed proposals against Restore NY4 scoring criteria and for community benefit and recommended the following two competing candidate projects be submitted on the mandatory Intent To Apply form: State Street Historic Buildings Rehabilitation rehabilitation of properties located at 129 E.State Street,121 W.State Street and 310 W.State Street Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation –rehabilitation of properties located at 109 N.Corn Street and 413 15 W.Seneca Street,and Whereas,on July 21st,2016,ESDC determined that each of the two candidate projects were eligible for Restore NY4,and Whereas,IURA requested detailed project information from each sponsor by August 31,2016, and 2 Whereas,on September 13,2016,the IURA Economic Development Committee recommended selection of the following Restore NY4 application to maximize community benefit and competiveness for funding: (Select one) State Street Historic Buildings Rehabilitation project or Seneca/Corn Street Buildings Rehabilitation project, and, Whereas,the Restore NY4 funding application is due by October 2,2016,and Whereas,applications must include a municipal resolution in support of the application,proof that a public hearing was held on proposed application,and a site control affidavit for projects located on non municipally owned property,and Whereas,the property owners have agreed to provide the full 10%required local match contribution,so no City match funds are required;now,therefore,be it RESOLVED,that the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby endorses submission of an application for the ________________________________project for up to $500,000 in grant funding from the Restore NY4 program,and be it further RESOLVED,that the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby finds the proposed project is consistent with the City comprehensive plan and Urban Renewal Plan;that the proposed financing is appropriate for the specific project;that the project facilitates effective and efficient use of the existing and future public resources so as to promote both economic development and preservation of community resources;and the project develops and enhances infrastructure and/or facilities in a manner that will attract,create,and sustain employment opportunities where applicable,and be it further RESOLVED,that the Mayor,upon advice from the City Attorney,is hereby authorized to take all actions necessary to submit a Restore NY4 application in accordance with this resolution, including,but not limited to,certification of the application,and be it further RESOLVED,that the Mayor is authorized to modify the proposal to address any unforeseen feasibility issues that arise that would impact competitiveness of the application,and RESOLVED,that,if awarded,the Mayor,upon advise from the City Attorney,is hereby authorized to execute an agreement with ESDC,and any other documents necessary to receive the Restore NY grant,as well as agreements with individual property owners to implement the project,and be it further RESOLVED,the IURA is hereby authorized to administer and implement the City’s Restore NY4 grant award. TO: Planning and Economic Development Committee FROM: Lisa Nicholas, Senior Planner DATE: September 9, 2016 RE: Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development - Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan and the Community Gardens On July 25, 2016, the City of Ithaca received an application from Tom Schickel, agent for Carpenter Business Park LLC, for a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) for the Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan with the Community Gardens. The proposed project is primarily the development of an auto dealership consisting of a new 40,000+/- SF LEED Gold certified building with a rooftop garden and cafe, and a large landscaped parking area for employees, customers, auto display and service. Other major project components include the permanent relocation of the Community Gardens (and associated elements), the extension of Fifth Street across NYS Route 13 and the installation of approximately 1,250 linear feet of sidewalk and landscaping along the property frontage on NYS Route 13. The applicant is proposing zoning for the site that is identical to the Industrial (I-1) Zoning District. On August 10, 2016 the Planning and Economic Development Committee voted to authorize and direct staff to circulate the proposal for review and comment from City boards/committees, the Tompkins County Planning Department, and any neighboring property owners within 500 feet of the proposed project. The Committee directed staff to hold a Public Information Session, to forward comments to the applicant and to the Common Council for their consideration and to schedule a Public Hearing for the September 14, 2016 Planning Committee meeting. Public Information Session A well-attended Public Information Session was held on August 31, 2016. Prior to the session, two display ads were published in the Ithaca Journal, property owners within 500 feet of the project site were notified and the site was posted with signs giving the time and date of the meeting. During the meeting, the applicant presented the proposal and answered questions from attendees. Minutes of the session are attached for your reference. The minutes contain both questions and comments regarding the proposal. Comments Received Please find attached comments received regarding the proposal. Comments that directly relate to the Comprehensive Plan are highlighted in yellow for your reference. Public Hearing A public hearing to receive comment on the proposal has been advertised and scheduled for the September 14, 2016 Planning Committee Meeting CITY OF ITHACA 108 E. Green Street — 3rd Floor Ithaca, NY 14850-5690 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, BUILDING, & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOANN CORNISH, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHYLLISA A. DeSARNO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Telephone: Planning & Development – 607-274-6550 Community Development/IURA – 607-274-6559 Email: dgrunder@cityofithaca.org Email: iura@cityofithaca.org Fax: 607-274-6558 Fax: 607-274-6558 Recommendation to Council Regarding Conditional Approval of the Proposed Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan and the Community Gardens This recommendation has been provided in the form of a draft resolution written to contain options for either approving or denying the concept. In accordance with §325-12 Planned Unit Development of the City Code, the Planning Committee will make a recommendation to Council regarding the conceptual approval of the proposal. The Committee will consider all comments that have been received, as well as all comments made at the public hearing. The recommendation may include additional requirements or limitations to either mitigate undesirable impacts or to ensure the development conforms to the goals of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Criteria for Decision Making for PUDs and TMPUDs In accordance with §325-12 Planned Unit Development of the City Code: The Common Council will consider an application for any PUD on the following criteria, among others: (1) Does the project further the health and welfare of the community? (2) Is the project in accordance with the City Comprehensive Plan? (3) Does the project create at least one long-term significant community benefit? In accordance with §325-13 of the City Code, applications for any development within the TMPUD will be evaluated using the following criteria, among others: (1) Is the project in accordance with the City Comprehensive Plan, which specifically lists the following: (a) Promoting mixed-use development, including commercial and housing. (b) Emphasizing waterfront activities. (c) Reducing impacts of parking. (d) Providing for additional employment opportunities. (e) Promoting public access to the waterfront. (f) Enhancing and preserving any environmentally sensitive areas. If you have questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact me at lnicholas@cityofithaca.org. Draft Resolution Planning & Economic Development Committee September 8, 2016 Consideration of Common Council Conditional Approval for Maguire at Carpenter Business Park Application for Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) - Resolution WHEREAS, on March 2, 2016, the Common Council adopted legislation establishing a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) for a period of 18 months in the Waterfront Study Area, and WHEREAS, on July 22, 2016, Schickel Architecture submitted a completed TMPUD application on behalf of Carpenter Business Park, LLC, and WHEREAS, the proposal is to construct an approximately 50,000 SF Ford Lincoln Nissan dealership, including three new showrooms, a cafe/restaurant, and outdoor merchandise display, all fronting the Route 13 corridor, with a proposed sidewalk that will be tree lined and protected from Route 13 by a decorative fence, and WHEREAS, in accordance with the adopted City process for consideration of a planned unit development, the application was circulated to City boards and committees, as well as to the County Planning Department, and WHEREAS, a public information session, hosted by the applicant, was held on August 31, 2016, and WHEREAS, in accordance with the TMPUD, the meeting was advertised in the Ithaca Journal, signs were posted on the property, and property owners within 500 feet were notified by mail of the meeting, and WHEREAS, a notice was posted in the Ithaca Journal on August 30, 2016, in order to advertise a legal public hearing to be held on September 14, 2016, and WHEREAS, the process for consideration of an application for a Planned Unit Development requires that the applicant obtain an approval in concept from the Common Council prior to beginning the site plan review process; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Common Council has reviewed the application for the Maguire at Carpenter Business Park project and has determined that it does/does not comply with the goals of the City Comprehensive Plan, and therefore the Common Council does/does not hereby grant an approval in concept to Maguire at Carpenter Business Park. /, and be it further (IF APPROVED, CONTINUE WITH BELOW, IF NOT APPROVED, END HERE) RESOLVED, that by granting an approval in concept, the Common Council acknowledges that the applicant is able to begin the site plan review process, despite any zoning-based deficiencies in the application, and, be it further RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby request that the City Planning Board update the Common Council after each Planning Board meeting where this project is considered and to request ongoing written comments from the Common Council, and be it further RESOLVED, that if this project receives a negative declaration of environmental significance and contingent site plan approval, the applicant will return to the Common Council for final consideration of the adoption of the Planned Unit Development district. Comments Received on Proposed TMPUD for Carpenter Business Park and Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan As of 9-9-16 Comp Plan –related elements are highlighted in yellow for your reference From: Anita Graf/Valoy Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2016 3:05 PM To: Common Council Cc: Ducson Nguyen Subject: Maguire Proposal for Carpenter Business Park Dear Council People, I'm writing to you as a local constituent to express my STRONG antipathy toward yet another Maguire dealership being built in town, ESPECIALLY in the proposed area! That area is a place of beauty and nature for our community. Farmer's Market, bike trails, and Community Garden are in keeping with this vibe, but a car dealership would be the absolute most wrong kind of development to put there, in my opinion. The whole Rt. 13 corridor is quickly becoming a ode to urban sprawl and corporate interests. Right now, that little section of land by the Farmer's Market is a small (and shrinking) island of sanity in the sea of car and consumer culture. I'd rather see the land left in plants (either wild or cultivated), but if business is what is destined to go there, then I wonder if something more in line with Farmer's Market (small, local, many vendors) could be encouraged. Right now the Farmer's Market is a huge tourist (and local consumer) draw. Many people ride bikes or walk there, even. And the reason people go is for the whole experience. If I had to fight my way through a Maguire Dealership, it would make a huge impact on interest in going there at all. It's bad enough going past B&W, Aldi's, and the Water Treatment Plant. A car dealership, though, would be far worse than all those other enterprises combined. I'm not sure if family and work obligations will allow me to make the meeting on this in September in person, so I'm sending this email in advance in case I don't make it. Sincerely, Anita -- Anita Graf Dreaming Earth Properties 323 North Albany St. Ithaca NY 14850 From: Judy Swann Sent: Monday, August 29, 2016 9:00 PM To: Cynthia Brock Subject: Opposition to car dealership at Carpenter Business Park Hi Cynthia, I want to add my voice to those who oppose development of the Carpenter Business park by a car dealership. I have nothing against the Maguires; but if they want to develop that property, I would insist they diversify into something not connected with the internal combustion engine. We have just lived through the hottest July ever after a series of increasingly hot Julys, and still I see people taking car-based vacations and running car-based errands in their air-conditioned, plastic-and- metal death machines, acting like they really have no other options for getting around, acting like cars are the norm, acting like their cars are not the root cause of our climate's degradation. They are. Car culture is sociopathology at its most heinous. We do not need another car dealership. We need alternative power industries, we need local manufacturing, we need outside-the-box thinking. Driving kills, even if there are no "accidents." Please do everything you can to encourage another tenant for that location. No more poisons for Ithaca! No more pact with poisons! And shame on the Community Gardens, who actually decided it would be better to partner with a car dealership than to be inconvenienced by a move to another location. What can we do to inspire civic pride in our city if not demonstrate, even to those unwilling - at first - to see that a future - a non dystopic future - cannot be business-as-usual? Sincerely, Judy Swann 329 Hook Place Hello Ms. Nicholas, As I explained on the phone, I would like to attend the meeting tonight, but I will be late. Here is a statement of my support for the project: To the Planning Division: As a potential neighbor of the Maguire Dealership, I am writing to support the proposed project. The dealership will occupy long vacant land that has not been producing taxes for the city. Additionally, Mr. Maguire's business will provide career opportunities for local Ithacans. Because the dealership will be within walking distance to downtown Ithaca, customers as well as employees will benefit from the convenient location. The Community Gardens will continue to flourish in the general area. It is a win-win situation for Ithacans, for the city, and for Mr. Maguire. I strongly support the TMPUD for Carpenter Business Park LLC. Respectfully Submitted, Randy Murphy All Stone and Tile From: Ashley Miller Sent: Friday, August 12, 2016 12:21 PM To: Joseph Murtagh; Ducson Nguyen; Josephine Martell; Graham Kerslick; Cynthia Brock Subject: A Correction Dear Committee Members, I attended the recent meeting of the Planning and Economic Development Committee to observe Maguire's presentation of their plans for Carpenter Park. In his presentation, Tom Schickel, the architect for this development, at least twice described the Ithaca Community gardeners as "excited" by several aspects of the plan to move the plots to the east side of the property. As someone who attended board meetings of the Ithaca Community Gardens as well as their meetings with Maguire, I feel I must correct that impression. I think I can safely say that no one from the gardens is excited at the prospect of starting anew next to a humongus car lot. From my attendance at the meetings with the Maguire team, I cannot understand how Mr. Schickel got such an erroneous impression. Yes, after much agonizing, the Board has signed a letter of intent. Their motive was to insure the future of the gardens. Due to a historic lack of support from the city, they felt that Maguire's offer to work with the gardens toward ownership presented more security than the city's current 1 year revocable lease. Rather than excited, I would describe the gardeners as dismayed and apprehensive. Best regards, Ashley Miller Dear People, Thank you for voting to reject Maguire’s attempt to take land and food from less well-to-do Ithaca-area people through their proposal. Thank you. Bob Laurentz, Psy.D., Ph.D. 8-31-2016 Hello- Below is a message that I sent to my Council member, Donna Fleming, to expresses my opposition to the Maguire proposal for the land near the Ithaca Farmers Market. Thank you for any guidance you can provide to support the public interest by opposing the Maguire proposal. Cindy Kramer Dear Donna- For many years, I have been a gardener at the Ithaca Community Gardens located near the Ithaca Farmers Market. I am opposed to the Maguire proposal not just because I am a gardener in that location but because I am a resident of the City of Ithaca for 25 years. As a city, we are involved in a number of development projects, each with their mix of supporters and opponents. The Maguire proposal must be opposed for many reasons because of how it will impact our vision for Ithaca, and what our city will look like in just a few years. My understanding is that the developers of a comprehensive plan for Ithaca are considering multiple factors, including economic, social, and environmental. I believe that the Maguire proposal for a car dealership at the site near the Market has more negative consequences than positive ones. As one of your constituents, I am asking you to oppose the proposal. I have heard about and seen drawings of some exciting ideas that have been envisioned for this location including designing more beautiful and accessible walkways to connect the Northside neighborhood, and the City in general to this area as well as other uses of the area itself. A car dealership belongs on the business strip further south on Meadow Street rather than encroaching on an area that has the potential to become a more productive site with increased recreation and more diverse economic activities. At this time, we need much more discussion as a larger community in order to decide on a plan for this area. This is essential before any decision is made that will allow Maguire to proceed with its plan. As a public representative, I appreciate any effort you can make to oppose the private Maguire proposal and to support continuing a public envisioning process for this location. It is much too early for City Council to settle on accepting the Maguire proposal as the one that will define this area for decades to come. Thank you for your involvement in public affairs. Cindy Kramer Dear Lisa, As a Fall Creek and City of Ithaca resident, mother of 3 children, active weekly user of the Ithaca Farmers’ Market, professor of food systems and passionate gardener, I would like to indicate my strong opposition to the plans proposed by McGuire to put a car dealership on Rt. 13 next to the farmers’ market and community gardens. I think that as a city that has committed in the comprehensive plan to let the community to decide how to develop the area, this is exactly contrary to this important commitment. The farmers’ market and community gardens are important social, economic and environmental places in Ithaca which support the production and sale of local, sustainably produced food. They are also important sites for tourists and visitors to Ithaca. Putting a car dealership right next to them will not only increase the traffic problems for the northside of the city, and for Rt. 13, but will make parking problems at the farmers’ market even worse than they are already, making it a less attractive food option for residents and visitors. In addition the dealership will increase pollution and promote more private auto dependence in a city that is allegedly committed to promoting walking, biking and public transit over car use. The new car dealership will not generate as much tax revenue as many other possible uses, and will eliminate the potential to develop this area of the city into other, more productive, sustainable and attractive options for local businesses. Instead, it will support a strip mall, big box development pattern within the city - again going totally against the city’s commitments and the interests and will of local community members. I hope that the city leadership will take the lead in preventing this plan by McGuire, and in doing so show their vision for a healthy, economically thriving and sustainable city that we all want Ithaca to be!!! Sincerely, Rachel Bezner Kerr 109 Farm Street From: Alec Johnston Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 6:15 PM To: Common Council Subject: Terrible Location for Car Dealership Consider this four emphatic voices against the proposed McGuire dealership plan. We already have to drive past all their dealerships coming from the south. Having yet another McGuire dealership as the first thing you see entering the city from the north is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard, and I've lived here 40 years. This is the first time I've been prompted to write anyone in government as well, so you can see how bad an idea it is. My whole family thinks this idea stinks. It's a terrible first impression, and a worse than terrible idea for the waterfront. Quite frankly I assume you all know what a downright stupid idea it is, and I hope to do your best to squash it. I don't care how many things they do to try to make it "green", it's still a dealership downtown, and by the waterfront. Horrible, horrible idea. The McGuires- no paupers already- are complaining they have nowhere to build their dealerships. Well, too bad, there are other towns. Some of us are quite sick of the virtual monopoly already. So, yeah- please don't let this happen. Alec Johnston and family From: Daniel Kaiya Fuson Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 4:02 PM To: JoAnn Cornish Subject: Insight on the Maguire proposal JoAnne Cornish, I write to you with the understanding that you are receiving public comments on the proposed parking lot Maguire auto would like to build on the last 10 acres of unbuilt land in Ithaca. I understand you are probably receiving a lot of opinions on this issue. I thank you for handling this, It must be difficult and frustrating to get prodded and talked at from many different directions. I am sure many of the people you deal with are not pleasant. I hope to share something unique enough to be worthy of your attention. Please pass this to others who may be part of the decision making process. Human life on this planet is currently in peril. The temperature has set heat records each of the last fourteen months. A big portion of this problem can be attributed to mass numbers of small choices, to kill trees, and put more cars on the road. Adam Smith wrote 'A Wealth of Nations' in the 1600's, and is often credited as a grandfather of our capitalist system. This ideology was designed to end feudalism. It partitions land based on money, and largely allows the 'owner' to do whatever they want with the land they hold title to. He describes the human right to make money, off of their work. Human's who gather and carry apples to market, have a right to sell them at a profit, because they do the work that adds value to the apples. He urged this kind of economy to end feudal slavery, where workers simply took orders, and could be killed by their overlords. He created hope this way. Four hundred years later, we have destroyed more than half the ecosystems in the world, all based in his ideology. The flaw rests in the foundations. Capitalism liberates humans from (feudal) bondage to each other, yet it ignores the creation of the very things we gather, buy and sell. The Earth. There is no built in interest to protect her. Thus, people keep killing trees, and burning black gas, because there is money in it. Please don't let this happen yet again. I realize it may seem beyond your power to fix the big problems, and I urge you to consider that we each must face these challenges in the small ways we can. The world is being cut, burnt and paved by a grand series of small choices. In each case, the people involved undoubtedly think it isn't that big a deal. The benefits of the money they will make seem worth it. Maguire bought this land, and killed everything there. This included large and abundant fruit trees. They blame the city for citations about it being overgrown. I assure you they could have tended the land without killing the trees. I doubt they gave it a second thought. They live with minds that replace life with ideas. I presume it makes them feel powerful. In this case, they imagine a nine acre parking lot, and a building they call 'green', because they intend to grow vines on it. Meanwhile, they will peddle their right to sell us all as many cars as they can get us to borrow money to buy. They have no interest in the greater impact. The greater impact, impacts their bottom line. Economics won't stop this. This is the last ten acres in Ithaca that we could protect for better use. Please help turn it into something beautiful. Something with trees and plants that take more carbon out of the air. Please don't put money first. Please don't throw up your hands and step aside for rules. Rules can be rewritten. They can be interpreted in our favor. We must change our approach to living together on this planet. It depends on a lot of small choices to protect life. Thank you, Daniel Fuson Daniel Kaiya Fuson Intuitive & Spiritual Guidance Wildflowerfire Energy-work www.wildflowerfire.com To the Planning and Economic Development Committee: Good People: I've never run a large car dealership, so it's difficult for me to imagine why Maguire wants to grow and grow, spreading all over our fair city. I guess they make a lot of money and they want to make more. I realize that Maguire does provide jobs to members of the community. They also charge exorbitant rates for repairs. The issue at hand, as I understand it, is Maguire wants to open yet another dealership, on land where community members are currently growing food. Please, good people. For the love of life, and community, and the possibility of preserving a decent way of life for human beings, can you please just say NO to Maguire's latest attempt to grow bigger and bigger? A wise person recently repeated a pertinent phrase: "Enough is enough!" Grow food, not automobile dealers. Or, are we going to allow big business to pave paradise and make it all a parking lot here in Ithaca? We've got a beautiful community- let's keep it that way. Honestly, Will Fudeman 806 Giles Street Ithaca, NY 14850 cities towns& The decision maker’s bridge to stronger, greener communities better! PO Box 6515, Ithaca, NY 14851 • Ph: 607-275-3087 • Fax: 607-272-2685 • bettercities.net Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Joeeph “Seph” Murtagh Chair, Ithaca Common Council Planning and Economic Development Committee Re: Maguire Planned Unit Development application Dear Seph, As a team member of the Form Ithaca project, I would like to respond to the Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan application to Common Council to build a car dealership in Carpenter Business Park. Form Ithaca is cited three times by Maguire in their application to support elements of their proposal. For the record, the car dealership concept is far different from the desires expressed by citizens in the charrette, workshop, and other meetings leading up to the 2015 Form Ithaca waterfront plan. Citizens agree that stretch of Route 13 is both a significant barrier and opportunity for Ithaca. We repeatedly heard from participants the desire for mixed use, an urban neighborhood, and a transformation of Route 13 into an urban boulevard. The Maguire plan envisions retaining the high- way with its current design speeds that are unsafe and uncomfortable for pedestrians. That is why their plan includes a fence between a walking path and the highway. A well-designed urban boule- vard with sidewalk would require no fence. The proposal for a large isolated commercial building surrounded by parking lots has nothing in common with the urban neighborhood in the Form Ithaca plan. The proposal for a traffic light at Fifth Street will allow for a safe pedestrian crossing but will not slow traffic speeds to make North Meadow appealing to those outside of motor vehicles. The plan includes a restaurant/cafe, but I wonder who would patronize such an establishment in the middle of a car dealership, when Ithaca has so many cafes on appealing urban streets. The character is closer to a big box store or shopping center than a mixed-use urban place. If the cafe doesn’t suc- ceed, it will be taken over by offices or used as a waiting room by Maguire. We need businesses and employers in Ithaca—although we currently have a surplus of jobs and a lack of homes in proximity to employment. This site represents the biggest opportunity for Ithaca to connect to the water with a new urban neighborhood and change the character of that stretch of North Meadow Street as envisioned by the city’s comprehensive plan and illustrated in the 2015 Form Ithaca Waterfront Plan. Those opportunities will be lost for many decades if the current Ma- guire proposal is given the green light. Changes to the plan could improve it—bring the main building to the corner and put the cafe on an urban sidewalk. Remove the fence, add on-street parking and restripe the road to slow traffic. Liner buildings along North Meadow would provide pedestrian-friendly enclosure to the street that has been proven to slow traffic and increase safety—plus add economic value to the plan. We believe that an urban neighborhood is the better choice for the site—for tax revenues, finding places for people to live, and connecting the city to the waterfront. It is important to remember that the sales tax generated by Maguire dealerships goes to the municipality of the car purchas- er—not to the City where the sale is made. Tax revenues from mixed-use urban properties gen- erate many times those of a car dealership on a per-acre basis. See the attached table of Maguire properties compared to other buildings in the City. But if a car dealership is considered for the business park, we believe that the design should not reinforce the conventional suburban arterial character of North Meadow Street. That would not support the goals of the city’s comprehensive plan. Regards, Robert Steuteville Executive Director Better Cities & Towns Ithaca, NY Enclosure CC: Svante Myrick, Cynthia Brock, George McGonigal, Ducson Nguyen, Donna Fleming, Rob Gearhart, Graham Kerslick, Stephen J. Smith, Josephine Martell, Deborah Mohlenhoff, JoAnn Cornish, Nels Bohn Property Parcel Number Assessed Value Area (SqFt) Value Per SqFt Maguire’s Dodge 500700-122.-1-3 $1,175,000.00 74651 $15.74 Maguire’s Subaru 500700-122.-1-4 $1,460,000.00 111235 $13.13 Maguire’s Vacant 500700-122.-1-1 $185,000.00 20433 $9.05 Maguire’s Toyota 500700-126.-1-3.2 $6,100,000.00 420995 $14.49 Maguire’s Ford 500700-95.-1-1.1 $2,050,000.00 134746 $15.21 Note: All of the existing Maguire’s properties have a higher ratio of building to parking than the proposed waterfront site, average value per foot would likely be significantly lower on the new property. Alternate Use Comparison Properties Assessed Value Area (SqFt) Value Per SqFt 321 N Tioga St $775,000.00 5940 $130.47 Breckenridge $1,100,000.00 19001 $57.89 359 Elmira Rd (Hotel) $7,650,000.00 71898 $106.40 311 Willow Ave $190,000.00 3877 $49.01 Research: Randall+West for Form Ithaca Historic Mixed Use Townhouses Affordable Housing Midrise Route 13 Hotel Single Family Home Tax comparison: Maguire versus alternate uses From: Kyle OConnor Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2016 11:43 AM To: Common Council Subject: Maguire development To the council , being a 30 + year resident of area I really hope you will take in consideration that Maguire is local born company that has shown a positive imprint in Ithaca over the years. They have provide employment opportunities too many people contributed to many local charities .by selling cars in Ithaca think of the tax base they bring, think if they didn't exist , and the number one complaint of most people is the rate of taxation ,yet we fight to prevent local grown business that contributed greatly to the economics of this city, maybe they should leave it vacant for next 25 yrs in my eyes it's very unusable piece of property , my thinking there are many transit folks here short term ,what do long term residence feel .the benefits of this project outweigh the negative points. This is progression in a positive way. Please vote to approve a locally successful company thank contributes to our community ,and is here for the long haul .thanks for your time.....Kyle Please reject Maguire's proposal for Carpenter Park I attended Maguire's presentation. I read their booklet. They have said many nice things and quoted our Comprehensive Plan. But on examination many of their claims lack substance or credibility. I urge the City to reject Maguire's proposal for Carpenter Park. Maguire's project does not look to be good for the neighborhood. In their presentation Maguire seemed disrespectful and misunderstanding of the community. Maguire put a photo of the building murals just before a photo of drink cans littering the ground, a clear implication that they regard the art as trash, not as a vibrant and positive alternative both to plain ugly buildings and to disrespectful graffiti. Maguire calls a new intersection on Meadow at Fifth Street a community benefit, but that new intersection is not viewed as a benefit by residents. Fifth Street is quiet and residential; it neither warrants a signal nor deserves extra traffic. Making Fifth Street lead into Maguire would make the neighborhood an obvious place for test drives. When asked, Maguire did not say whether they would recommend for or against driving through the neighborhood, nor did they answer how many test drives there are per sale. They seem not to have the neighborhood's interests and wishes in mind, nor is Maguire respectful enough to answer their questions. It's hard to see a larger community benefit from an additional traffic light on Route 13 either. There isn't room for the turning lanes they mentioned. Will the width required for a new turning lane be subtracted from the road shoulders, converting them from safe to unsafe places to travel by foot or bicycle? Continuous safe pedestrian and bicycle access in each direction should be maintained on Route 13 as far north as Dey Street, where the limited access portion begins. Maguire claims to want to make the area more bicycle friendly, but did not back up this claim or even know that bicycling is not legal on a standard sidewalk. I wonder, if Maguire is 51% female owned, why it was so many guys at their presentation. Is this female ownership real, or is it simply for taking advantage of opportunities which are supposed to benefit women? Maguire's multi-use claim is not credible. They call insurance for the cars they sell a different use. They want to take credit for the Community Gardens which are already there. Then Maguire says they will have a cafe. Ithaca has a very high density of restaurants. It's a very competitive business with a high failure rate. I find it hard to believe Maguire will attract customers to a cafe in the middle of a car lot. With one of the most successful of cafe/restaurants, the Ithaca Bakery, just down the street, the chance of a car dealer starting a successful cafe/restaurant there looks mighty slim. Are they fools, or do they think we are? Maguire says it will install a solar charging station for electric cars. Who will go there long enough to use this station or leave their car there to go somewhere else? Are the people charging up their electric cars, are they the cafe customers? Such a facility would be a good public amenity if only it were in a useful location. I don't know whether Maguire's offer is a good or acceptable deal to the Community Gardens. A positive is that the gardens would remain accessible to the current clientele via the just-upgraded pedestrian crossing of Route 13 at Third Street. But it is also clear that the gardens would be less consolidated in shape, requiring more fencing and wasted edge. Moving most of the gardens even this relatively small distance would still be very disruptive, and it's not obvious to me when that could occur while not interrupting gardening activities as Maguire suggested. Whether the funds offered would cover the proposed amenities is another important question whose answer I do not know. The parking spaces Maguire offers to the Farmers' Market would be on lawn. We have seen at the Farmers' Market that parking on grass digs the lawn into ruts and does not work, which is why the practice has been discontinued. I find it hard to believe that the public really will be welcome at all hours on the new "roads" which go through their lots full of expensive cars. Maguire says it will plant lots of trees. Subtracted from this benefit are at least 2 street trees at the end of Fifth Street, 20 street trees on Carpenter Circle and 7 huge trees near B&W where Maguire proposes to move the Community Gardens. Those big trees especially help cool the area. The proposed new sidewalk for North Meadow Street would be separated from the road by extra distance and a fence, while Route 13 would retain its design as a highway where drivers routinely break the speed limit. What Route 13 needs is not a distant separate sidewalk alongside more huge car lots. It needs a design and land use which shows drivers that this is an urban area with people walking to and from destinations, people using a sidewalk along building fronts on a curbed street. An urban design of Route 13 and urban land use along both sides by Carpenter Park would naturally slow traffic and make drivers more respectful. Safety benefits would extend to the south into the West End, which is currently intimidating and dangerous for pedestrians and bike riders trying to cross or use these streets. Ithaca tried "car-oriented zoning" along Elmira Road in the 1970s. We are still dealing with its negative effects in terms of safety and access for Ithacans who work and shop in the businesses along "the strip", an area which has grown into a big box sprawl. Hotel workers who lack cars cannot cross Route 13 safely to buy food at a convenience store. People who reside in the flats and would otherwise not use a car feel they must have a car just to get groceries. Let's not turn the north end of town along Route 13 into another perpetually "car-oriented zone". Let's make Route 13 and Carpenter Park work for a future in which more people want to and need to be less car-dependent. I'm glad Maguire uses rainwater at its existing sites. I'm glad they have photovoltaic panels. I'm glad they build LEED. We just don't need more car dealerships, especially not defining another entrance to Ithaca. We need a future which works better for reduced car use. David Nutter 243 Cliff Street Ithaca NY Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION Meeting Minutes Wednesday, August 31, 2016 – 5:30 p.m. Common Council Chambers, Third Floor, City Hall, 108 E. Green St. This meeting was advertised in the Ithaca Journal on 08/20/16 and again on 08/29/16. It was also posted online on the Ithaca Journal website. Below is a copy of the media release that was distributed. MEDIA RELEASE City of Ithaca Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) Public Information Session: Proposed Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) – Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Day: August 31, 2016 Time: 6:00 PM Place: Common Council Chambers, City Hall 108 E. Green St., Ithaca On August 31, 2016, the City of Ithaca will hold a Public Information Session for a proposed project for Carpenter Business Park, LLC. The Public Information Session will begin at 6:00 PM, in the Common Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca. In accordance with the requirements of the City of Ithaca Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD), the developer and project team will present information about the project and answer questions from the public. The proposed project is to develop an auto dealership on approx. 8 acres of the 10-acre site, with a 40,000-SF sales and service building and a large landscaped parking/vehicle display area. The project includes proposals to relocate the community gardens and extend Fifth St. across NYS Rt. 13. The applicant is proposing zoning for the site that is identical to the Industrial (I-1) Zoning District. For questions regarding this project, or to see the completed TMPUD application, please contact Lisa Nicholas at lnicholas@cityofithaca.org, or 274-6550. Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, & Economic Development 108 E. Green St., Third Floor, City of Ithaca (City Hall) Ithaca, New York 14850 Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F 2 Introductions JoAnn Cornish, Director of Planning and Development, City of Ithaca Lisa Nicholas, Senior Planner, City of Ithaca Jennifer Kusznir, Senior Planner, City of Ithaca Attended by(Names taken from Sign in Sheet): Svante Myrick Nels Bohn Dan Cogan Joseph Murtagh George Mcgonigal Graham Kerslick Rob Gearhart Cynthia Brock Ducson Nguyen Donna Flemming Tail Basilius Sheryl Swink JoTodd Dick Tlank Daylay Kiefer Carol Chock Kip Wilcox Larry Roberts Dan Kornblum Jan Rhodes Norman Judy Swann Armin Heurich Michael Smith Rick Manning Daniel Fuson Hoyt Benjamin Christopher Trudeau Theresa Alt Jaime Sweeten Randy Murphy Lindsey Lyman Jaekah Chase Pat Shea Stacey Schrier Nancy Riffer Kelly fgrank Kathy McLau Overview of the Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) Cornish briefly summarized the City’s TMPUD process and criteria: In September of 2015, the Common Council adopted Plan Ithaca, as Phase I of the City of Ithaca’s Comprehensive Plan. In November of 2015, the Planning and Economic Development Committee directed planning staff to begin working on a waterfront development plan as a part of the next phase for the Comprehensive Plan. The existing developable land along the City’s waterfront is currently zoned WF-1, WF-2, SW-2, P-1, and I-1. Since this planning effort will likely result in changes in the zoning requirements in this area, the City rezoned the entire area to a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) zone, until a plan for the waterfront is completed. In 2014, the City adopted a floating PUD that could be used in any I-1 zoning district. The PUD is a tool intended to be used to encourage mixed-use or unique single use projects that require more creative and imaginative design of land development than is possible under standard zoning district regulations. A PUD allows for flexibility in planning and design, while through the process of review and discussion, ensures efficient investment in public improvements, a more suitable environment, and protection of community interest. However, a PUD also requires the applicant to work with the Common Council to determine appropriate development of a site. Since, the zoning in this area is in a transition period, having the Common Council oversight on any potential development plans will allow for appropriate redevelopment of this site that will take into consideration the work that is being done on the plan for this area. In March the Common Council established a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development Zone in the waterfront study area for a period of 18 months. This is intended to allow the City to have time to complete the waterfront study and any subsequent zoning amendments for this area. 3 As a part of this process, developers are asked to hold a public information session to allow members of the public to get more information on the proposed project and to have an opportunity to make informed comments on the project to the Common Council. After this meeting the City will send the minutes of this meeting along with any additional comments that are received to the Common Council for their consideration. A formal public hearing for this project will be held on September 14, 2016, at the City Planning and Economic Development Meeting. If given conceptual approval by the Common Council, the project will then begin the site plan approval process. If the project receives a conditional approval from the Planning Board, it will return to the Common Council for final approval of the TMPUD. Project Team: Phil Maguire Tom Schickel, Schickel Architecture Hayden Rinner, Miller Mayer Bayer, Maguire Project Presentation The project team presented an over view of the project. Some highlights of the presentation are outlined below, the full presentation is available on the City website at http://www.cityofithaca.org/DocumentCenter/View/5065: This proposal is for Phase I of a three phase project. This first phase is a proposal to construct a LEED Gold Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan dealership. The plan would feature three new showrooms along with a cafe/restaurant and outdoor merchandise display all fronting the tree-lined Rt. 13 corridor with a pedestrian sidewalk in front protected from Route 13 by a decorative fence. This project will provide the following community benefits: • Sidewalk from Cascadilla to 3rd Street • Street trees and landscaping, new decorative fence, traffic light at 5th Street. Expansion of 5th Street across Rte 13 to Maguire and farmers market • Farmer’s Market-additional parking for the market 50 parallel spaces. • Multiple access points to relieve traffic to the market when it gets backed up • Onsite solar charging stations • Community gardens –Maguire will purchase land for PGH and will fund site relocation and improvements on the site-will put property back on the tax rolls • Project will include a street garden zone along rt 13. Solar array zone and sloped garden zone. Questions & Answers Applicable questions from attendees and developer responses are summarized below, but are not recorded verbatim. Public Comment: Is it your intention to go forward with the project if you can’t get the 5th Street crossing? 4 Developer Response: Yes, the project can proceed with or without the 5th Street crossing. Public Comment: Is there an alternate business plan for the building, as people cut back on vehicular use and automobile sales decline? Developer Response: Manufacturers are striving to build automobiles that have smaller carbon footprints and continue to explore alternative fuel options. However, the need for additional vehicular sales in Ithaca remains and the business plan will remain the same Public Comment: Have you spoken to or are you willing to speak to the nearby residents about the potential for a 5th Street crossing to see what exactly is beneficial to the surrounding neighborhood? Developer Response: Yes, we would greatly appreciate their input and want to be good neighbors. We encourage anyone to reach out to us for a meeting. Public Comment: The plan shows a sidewalk along Route 13 that allows for bicycles. Are you suggesting this would be a trail that would be wide enough to accommodate bicycles? Developer Response: The plans are not fully defined at this time. We are open to designing the sidewalk/trail to the specifications that will work best for the City and the state DOT. Design was to have 5th street to be connector that would encourage the public to use it, not just be a cut through. Sidewalks are intended to be all along Rte. 13 and all along 5th Street extension. Public Comment: Will the jobs created be full time positions with benefits? On average how many test drives are there for each car sale and what would be the routes? Developer Response: All full time employees are salaried with full benefits and with bonuses tied to the number of sales. Maguire has not yet determined the route for test drives. Generally test drive routes are mostly right hand turns for safety uses. The busiest times for the dealerships is on Saturdays for sales and weekdays for parts and service. Maguire can make the traffic study available publicly. The study analyzes the expected traffic impacts for the different days of the week. Alder Person McGonigal Comment: How many jobs will be created in Phase I and how many people of color work for Maguire currently? Is Maguire committed to hiring locally? Developer Response: Phase I will create 15 new jobs in Phase 1, total job creation for the entire 3 phased project will be 63 jobs, which will create 3.3 million in additional wages. Maguire is an equal opportunity employer and strives for diversity. We are committed to hire local and train local, and have advancement opportunities. 5 Public Comment: Why are you proposing to add another traffic signal on Rte 13 when traffic is backed up on 13 coming from Lansing? Adding more congestion. Why not have your deliveries come on 3rd Street? Develop Response: We are open to different traffic plans. We plan to bring DOT to table with the City to try and improve the traffic situation that would be mutually beneficial. Public Comment: Community Gardens has gone from 1 person of color to 10 -15 people of color this year. How will this project benefit low income people of color? Develop Response: We are probably one of the only developers that are willing to give a permanent home to the Community Gardens. Public Comment: Have you tested the soil where you want to move the gardens? Develop Response: Our plan is to come up with a budget that would be allocated to the gardens that they would use to decide what the garden would need. We would also agree to move all of the topsoil to the new location. We don’t currently know how long the process will take, but we would not move the gardeners mid-season. Public Comment: Are the Cornell warehouse building part of the project? Develop Response: We could use it and we have looked at it. The facility is currently listed for sale, however, we have not submitted an offer for the property. Our main focus is to do our project on the site that we currently own. If the City would like us to expand into that site we will consider it. Public Comment: This way of selling cars has been around for a long time Are you worried that this will become an out dated way of delivering this product? Developer Response: Every project has risk. We juggle risk with investment, revenue and economic development. The automobile business is always changing and we try to strategize to keep our business successful. The new franchises will dictate the buying process. It is on average the 2nd largest investment that people make. There are still often repair and trade in which needs to be done in person. Public Comment: I am a Northside resident and I use bike as primary source of transportation. Have you done analysis of how this project will impact bikes and also pedestrians and bike that are accessing the waterfront trail? The Third Street access is the primary access to the trail. Developer Response: This project would enhance it the experience for bikes and pedestrians. The road along the railroad will be a real road with 6 sidewalks and will open a new trail space, even if the traffic light does not go forward. Public Comment: What about all of the new vehicular traffic and test drives? How will this impact the neighborhood? Develop Response: The traffic report will analyze this and we don’t think that the impact will be as extreme as you might think. Public Comment: What other sites were considered and why does it need to be at carpenter? Develop Response: We have tried other sites, this is the 3rd attempt. This site is not cheap. But we need to expand. We utilize 130% of our total. We have additional off-site parking because we don’t have enough room on our current lots. People want to be within a 2 miles radius to service their vehicle Public Comment: Do you have other sites that you have considered? Develop Response: We had considered other sites in the past. We no longer have any others that are currently being consider. Public Comment: You mentioned that the 2nd largest purchase that a person makes is their car, it is also the 2nd largest contributor to global warming. How much total new paving will result from this project? Develop Response: We don’t have these details at this time, they are variables that are up in the air. The existing zoning is industrial. There are zoning setbacks and greenspace requirements that will be developed during the planning and development stage. The typical lots on Old Elmira Road have about 5% landscaping, even though the current requirement is about 12%. This lot will likely have about 20% of landscaping. This does not include the community gardens, which would increase it significantly. Public Comment: Thank you for this project. The property across the street currently has no trees, this will be an improvement. Northside community met and discussed a traffic signal, but we couldn’t get the funding and the approval. You have taken great steps towards accomplishing what the Northside community tried to do over 15 years ago. I think this is a great project. Public Response: Would you consider working with the waste water treatment plant- on a climate action plan for the Northside Neighborhood? Develop Response: Yes Public Comment: You said in your presentation that you think everyone would agree that the traffic light on 5th Street is a good idea. I live on 5th street 7 and we don’t think this is a good idea. This would result in more traffic and pollution. What is your plan to deal with negative health and environmental impacts to putting a traffic signal on 5th Street? Develop Response: I apologize I am not speaking on behalf of public with regards to the traffic light. I was trying to reference the comp plan. The traffic light was a part of that plan that was considered beneficial. It would be a high cost to our project and it is optional. It was meant to be a benefit, is not essential. We would work with the community and be open minded to find out what works best to the public. Public comment: There have been heat records for 15 months and the North Pole is melting in large part due to automobile usage. Do you believe that global warming is real, and do you have a responsibility to work to improve this situation? Developer: Manufacturers need to do a better job to encourage alternative fuel and electric vehicles. But, there is a need for vehicles in the City. We would encourage studies to improve on the situation, we want to be a part of making better, but there is currently a need in the City to sell, maintain and service automobiles. Public: Can you meet with people who live and work across the street? Northside United is a good place to start. Developer: Yes, we would be happy to meet. Dan Hoffman: Attended the meeting in order to answer questions on behalf of the Community Gardens board. Public Comment: The City is already saturated with automobiles. Over 8,000 cars were counted in one day in front of the street where I live. On that same day there were over 32,000 cars in front of the location of proposed dealership location. The air pollution from vehicles is trapped at ground level and creates a health risk, we need less vehicles. Meeting Adjourned City of Ithaca Planning & Economic Development Committee Wednesday, August 10, 2016 – 6:00 p.m. Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street Minutes Committee Members Attending: Joseph (Seph) Murtagh, Chair; Graham Kerslick, Ducson Nguyen, Cynthia Brock, and Josephine Martell Committee Members Absent: None Other Elected Officials Attending: None Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director, Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, and Economic Development; Nels Bohn, Director, Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA); Megan Wilson, Senior Planner; Lisa Nicholas, Senior Planner; Deborah Grunder, Executive Assistant Others Attending: Sue Kittel, (WDAC); Schelley Michell-Nunn (WDAC); Phil Maguire and Tom Schickel, Maguire TMPUD Application Chair Seph Murtagh called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. 1) Call to Order/Agenda Review No changes were made to the agenda. 2) Public Comment and Response from Committee Members Theresa Alt, 206 Eddy Street. She is very encouraged that the City is focusing on diversity in the CIITAP. She encourages the City to go slowly with the Maguire project . Larry Roberts, 406 South Plain Street, he is very excited about the tax abatements focusing on diversity. Sarah Hess, 124 Westfield Drive, encourages the diversity recommendations of the CIITAP. It’s the right thing. Take the first step – the right step. (Jesse) Reed Stebegor, 120 North Aurora Street, is in favor of the CIITAP diversity recommendations and also encourages the City to go slowly with the Maguire project. Sara Koste, 120 N. Aurora Street, agrees with others to take the Maguire project slowly. She would much rather see a car dealership than housing. 3) Announcements, Updates, and Reports a) Collegetown Construction Alderperson Kerslick relayed information provided by Michael Thorne, Superintendent of Public Works, as to the situation in Collegetown. NYSEG continues to have delays which just further delays this project. College Avenue will soon be open both ways. There are many construction crews involved with the work being done. The blocks of College and Dryden will hopefully be open for the start of the semester. On a positive note, the new Greenstar will be open very soon. JoAnn Cornish asked that all be respectful when communicating with City st aff. b) Water Conditions Dan Cogan addressed the committee regarding the City water conditions. The rain has helped replenish the reservoir. The discolored water continues, but is gradually getting better. Water and Sewer has been treating the water to rid the water of the manganese. It’s being treated at the plant rather than in the pipes. The number of complaints has reduced. People should still remain mindful of their water consumption. Cogan also responded to the leaking of some of the fire hydrants around the City. The water is being run in order to keep the water fresh and not chlorinated. Alderperson Brock thanked Dan Cogan and the Water & Sewer staff for being diligent with working through the discolored water situation . c) Collegetown Design Guidelines Winter and Company have been hired on to help the City with zoning guidelines that may or may not be part of the design guidelines. A first draft should be available later in August. 4) Action Items (Voting to send on to Council) a) Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund – National Night Out Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. Passed unanimously. RESOLUTION: Request for Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Funds from the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council for National Night Out, August 2016 WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Common Council established the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund in 1995 to provide financial assistance to city residents seeking to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods, and WHEREAS, the fund is intended to support residents' interest in community improvement and to encourage, not replace volunteerism, and WHEREAS, the funds are intended to be used for projects or events that provide a general neighborhood benefit and not for the limited benefit of individuals or a select few residents, and WHEREAS, activities specified by the Council as eligible for the funding include but are not limited to items such as neighborhood clean-ups, planting in public places, and organizing neighborhood events like block parties or meetings, and WHEREAS, neighborhood groups are required to submit a completed application specifying other project donations, estimated volunteer hours, estimated costs to be covered by the fund and signatures of residents in the immediate neighborhood, and WHEREAS, to streamline the process the Council has delegated authority to approve applications to the Planning & Economic Development Committee, and WHEREAS, each neighborhood group is eligible to receive up to $300 per year as a reimbursement award payable on the submission of original receipts or invoices for approved activities, and WHEREAS, the City cannot reimburse residents for sales tax expenses, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council have submitted completed applications for reimbursement funds to off-set expenses that in past years have generally ranged from $500 – $1,000 for their annual National Night Out events, held this year on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, and WHEREAS, this annual event is sponsored by the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council at Titus Towers and by the Family Sites Tenant Council at Conway Park, and the events provide opportunities for socializing with diverse groups of both South of the Creek and Northside residents; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Planning and Economic Development Committee approves the request from the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council in an amount up to $600.00 ($300.00 per neighborhood group) for reimbursement upon presentation of original invoices and/or receipts. b) Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) – Diversity Requirements Alderperson Kerslick wanted to clarify that the comments made in Heather McDonald’s letter were covered in last month’s meeting. Alderperson Brock thanked Nels Bohn for summarizing and preparing the resolution being voted on tonight. An unconscious bias question was asked by Seph Murtagh. If companies don’t have the proper HR department, will they be helped? Schelley Michell-Nunn said that certainly will be available to anyone. Sue Kittel offered her thanks for everyone’s help with this. It has been a long time coming and it is wonderful to see this move forward. Inclusion of Diversity & Inclusion Requirements in the City of Ithaca Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) – Resolution Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Passed Unanimously. 1. WHEREAS, at the City’s request, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (“IDA”) established a program to provide financial incentives for development of multi-story buildings in the greater downtown, and 2. WHEREAS, in 2015 the Mayor formed a working group to recommend reforms to CIITAP to: A. Retain the program as an effective tool to incentivize smart growth and discourage sprawl and B. Improve the program’s ability to deliver broad community benefits that may include: • An increased use of local labor; • An increase in living wage job creation; • More environmentally friendly building; • Increased economic opportunities for people of all backgrounds, and 3. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Common Council amended the City CIITAP policy to require documentation of the actual level of local construction labor participation on CIITAP projects and require solicitation of construction bids from local subcontractors utilized on CIITAP projects, and 4. WHEREAS, the IDA incorporated the City’s local construction labor requirements into the CIITAP program, and 5. WHEREAS, additional CIITAP requirements to enhance energy performance of buildings and require a developer contribution to a community benefit fund have received preliminary support from the Common Council; and 6. WHEREAS, the Planning & Economic Development Committee has had substantial dialog with the City’s Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee (WDAC) regarding how to structure appropriate and reasonable diversity and inclusion requirements in the CIITAP policy; now, therefore, be it 1. RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council does hereby amend the City CIITAP policy to require applicants to satisfy the following diversity and inclusion requirements: Diversity and Inclusion In order to meet diversity requirements, single use project end-users (projects developed specifically for one corporate end-user such as a hotel or bank) must commit to the following: A. Action: The single-use project end-user will: • Become active members of the Diversity Consortium of Tompkins County, attend the bi- annual Diversity Roundtable, and participate in the Diversity Consortium’s annual workshops and events. Active membership is defined as paying annual membership dues, attending a minimum of four meetings of the Consortium per calendar year, participating in at least two of the approximately six trainings offered per year and attending the bi-annual conference when offered; • Establish and implement management strategies for hiring, retention and promotion of women, people of color and people with disabilities for part-time, internship, and full- time positions at all levels of their organization with the goal of employing a workforce in which the number of women, people of color, and people with disabilities meets or exceeds a number in proportions equal to that of the population of the City of Ithaca demographics; • Identify and implement specific actions designed to reduce and address unconscious workplace biases, such as annual staff training; and, B. Reporting: The single-use project end-user will provide to both the IDA and the Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee, on March 1st of each year of the abatement period, annual reports detailing: • Workforce diversity goals, and strategies utilized each year to increase hiring, retention and promotion of women, people of color, and people with disabilities; • Actions taken to reduce and address unconscious workplace biases; • Workforce demographics by gender, race/ethnicity, age, disability, job class and gender, and job class and race/ethnicity; and • Compliance with active participation in the Diversity Consortium, and be it further 2. RESOLVED, that the above CIITAP diversity and inclusion requirements not be subject to the IDA recapture policy in recognition that adoption and implementation of workforce diversity and inclusion strategies is more an on-going process than an easily measured outcome, and be it further 3. RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby requests the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) require CIITAP applicants, and their single-use project end-users, to satisfy the City’s’ diversity and inclusion policy as a condition of approval, and be it further 4. RESOLVED, The Common Council hereby recommends the IDA to apply similar diversity and inclusion requirements as a condition for approval of tax abatements on a county-wide basis, and be it further 5. RESOLVED, that the City Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee (WDAC) is hereby requested to develop a workforce diversity and inclusion resource toolkit to assist employers meet CIITAP diversity and inclusion requirements, and be it further 6. RESOLVED, the City CIITAP application be expanded to require any applicant for a single-use end-user project to describe their strategy for ensuring diversity in hiring. Mayor’s Charge to CIITAP Reform Committee Deliver recommended reforms to the CIITAP to the Common Council that will: 1. Retain the program as an effective tool to incentivize smart growth and discourage sprawl 2. Improve the program’s ability to deliver broad community benefits that may including: • An increased use of local labor • An increase in living wage job creation • More environmentally friendly building • Increased economic opportunities for people of all backgrounds In summar y, the proposed amendments require the following on-going actions: 1. Active membership in the Diversity Consortium of Tompkins County; 2. Establishment of workforce diversity goals and strategies; 3. Implementation of workforce diversity strategies; 4. Implementation of actions to address unconscious workplace bias; and 5. Workforce demographic reporting. To address concerns that new diversit y and inclusion requirements may impact the attractiveness and effectiveness of the program, only single-tenant projects are subject to these requirements and failure to satisfy diversity and inclusion requirements will not be grounds for recapturing financial assistance. The proposed diversity and inclusion requirements only appl y to single-use, project end-users, such as a hotel or corporate headquarters. Residential, mixed-use, or office projects with multiple tenants that receive CIITAP incentives are not subject to the diversity and inclusion requirements. The amendments specifically request that diversit y and inclusion requirements not be subject to the Industrial Development Agency’s Project Recapture Policy to recapture past, or rescind future, financial assistance in instances when a company violates terms of a project agreement. Rather, the Workforce Advisory Committee will be expected to report instances of non-compliance to the Common Council, who may then recommend revisions to the policy for new applicants. Please submit any written comments to me b y Tuesday, August 9th. Please contact me at NBohn@cityofithaca.org or (607) 274-6547 with any questions. 5) Action Items (Voting to Circulate) a) Maguire TMPUD Application Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development Application for Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan and the Community Gardens On July 25, 2016, the City of Ithaca received an application from Tom Schickel, agent for Carpenter Business Park LLC, for a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) for the Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan with the Community Gardens. In accordance with §312-13 of the City Code, applications for any development within the TMPUD will be evaluated using the following criteria, among others: (1) Is the project in accordance with the City Comprehensive Plan, which specifically lists the following: (a) Promoting mixed-use development, including commercial and housing. (b) Emphasizing waterfront activities. (c) Reducing impacts of parking. (d) Providing for additional employment opportunities. (e) Promoting public access to the waterfront. (f) Enhancing and preserving any environmentally sensitive areas. The proposed project is primarily the development of an auto dealership consisting of a new 40,000+/- SF LEED Gold certified building with a rooftop garden and cafe, and a large landscaped parking area for employees, customers, auto display and service. Other major project components include the permanent relocation of the Community Gardens (and associated elements), the extension of Fifth Street across NYS Route 13 and the installation of approximately 1,250 linear feet of sidewalk and landscaping along the property frontage on NYS Route 13. The applicant is proposing zoning for the site that is identical to the Industrial (I-1) Zoning District. The project site is 10.933 acres and is comprised of seven tax parcels. The community gardens currently occupy 2.12 acres of the site with the remaining 8.813 largely undeveloped with the exception of a 7,000 SF building (to be removed) and an access road (to be relocated). The proposal will result in the following program: Project Element* Acres % of site Community Gardens (same as existing) 2.120 19.4% Building s (approx. 40,000SF) .918 8.4% Landscaping .711 6.5% Paving/ Parking /Roads 7.187 65.7% Total 10.936 100% *Does not include proposed off-site improvements The Project Sponsor states many project benefits in the application such as:  Establishing a productive tax-revenue generating use on a site with significant spatial constraints  Implementing objectives of Plan Ithaca. As one of the four Enterprise districts within the City of Ithaca, the plan states that Carpenter Business Park "has great potential for business development and employment opportunities"  Creating a significant number of new well-paying jobs (refer to TCAD Economic Impact Report, dated January 29, 2016)  Bringing new life to the adjoining Waterfront District including the Ithaca Farmers Market.  Creating a tree-lined Rt. 13 corridor with a pedestrian sidewalk protected from Route 13 by a decorative fence.  Extending Fifth Street across Rt. 13 with a traffic light and pedestrian crosswalk into the heart of the site providing a through route to Third Street and the Ithaca Farmers Market. A Fifth Street Extension with a traffic light is one of the specific objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. The application has been reviewed by staff for completeness and has been found to be satisfactorily complete for distribution and review. Should the committee be in agreement, this application will be circulated for comments and a public information session will be held, in accordance with the Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) requirements. The tentative date for the Public Information Session is Wednesday August 31, 2016 at 6pm in Common Council Chambers. If the Committee is in agreement, staff will begin this process and return in September with any comments that are received. Please see the attached resolution for your consideration. If you have questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact me at lnicholas@cityofithaca.org. Phil Maguire stated this is not just one project, it is three. It is very important to the Maguire Group. One year ago, Maguire purchased the City’s Carpenter Business Park. This project is designed for the Ford, Lincoln, Nissan location to move to. Hyundai and Subaru will move to the existent Ford location then the current Hyundai site will be renovated. The developer has listened to many groups to get to where they are now. Tom Schickel stated a major issue of this project is the power lines. NYSEG is not interested in burying the electrical lines. He also pointed out the tentative agreement with the Community Gardens regarding land swaps. With these land swaps, both the Community Gardens and Maguire benefit. The Community Gardens would much rather be at the Third Street location. Alderperson Kerslick commented he is not opposed to car dealerships. He thanked the team for a very clear vision. There has been a lot of conversation as to what to do with this important area of the City. He was happy to know of a letter of intent with the Community Gardens. The bulk of this is still parked vehicles although the project does carry a lot of green aspects. He would like to see a lot more thought put into this project. Alderperson Martell asked when the DOT approval would take place. Phil Maguire responded that DOT will allow them to add a sidewalk and a decoratiave fence. DOT asked for a traffic study which has been done and provided. It’s unclear how long it will take DOT to finish this process. She also asked for numbers of the Toyota and Subaru dealerships. There is roughly 850 cars between the two. They are busting at the seams. Moving Ford, Lincoln, Nissan to the new location will ease up the area of the other lots. Alderperson Brock stated she does have hesitation for a car dealership in this area, but she is also not sure she would want housing there either. She had two other comments/questions: Is there any plan to purchase the Cornell buildings currently for sale? and The cafe/restaurant started out as included by the dealership. Over time, it’s now being viewed as an independent business. What is the plan ? Maguire responded: Buying the Cornell buildings is a possiblity but are very expensive. What we would like to use them for might not be what the Council would like. There is no desire at the current time to purchase these buildings. Purchasing these buildings would be totally separate from the project, and not puchasing them would not stop their car dealership project. Draft Resolution for the Planning and Economic Development Committee to Authorize the Circulation of and Public Information Session for the Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development Application for Carpenter Business Park with Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan and the Community Gardens August 10, 2016 Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Passed unanimously. WHEREAS: the City of Ithaca received an application from Tom Schickel, agent for Carpenter Business Park LLC, for a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) for the Maguire Ford Lincoln Nissan with the Community Gardens, and WHEREAS: the project site is in the waterfront study area, which the City rezoned to a Temporary Mandatory Planned Unit Development (TMPUD) Zone in DATE for a period of eighteen months until the Area Plan is complete and new zoning is in place, and WHEREAS: the applicant proposes the development of an auto dealership consisting of a new 40,000+/- SF LEED Gold certified building with a rooftop garden and cafe, and a large landscaped parking area for employees, customers, auto display and service. Other major project components include the permanent relocation of the Community Gardens (and associated elements), the extension of Fifth Street across NYS Route 13 and the installation of approximately 1,250 linear feet of sidewalk and landscaping along the property frontage on NYS Route 13, and WHEREAS: The applicant is proposing zoning for the site that is identical to the Industrial (I-1) Zoning District, and WHEREAS: The project site is 10.933 acres and is comprised of seven tax parcels. The community gardens currently occupy 2.12 acres of the site with the remaining 8.813 largely undeveloped with the exception of a 7,000 SF building (to be removed) and an access road (to be relocated), and WHEREAS: the application has been found to be satisfactorily complete for the purpose distribution and review, now therefore be it RESOLVED: that the Planning and Economic Development Committee does hereby agree to authorize and direct staff to circulate the proposal for review and comment from City boards/committees, the Tompkins County Planning Department, and any neighboring property owners within 500 feet of the proposed project. Comments and concerns will be forwarded to the applicant and to the Common Council for their consideration and a Public Information Session shall be held on August 31, 2016 at 6pm in Common Council Chambers. A public information session will be held August 31, 2016. A public hearing will take place at the September 14, 2016 Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting. 6) Review and Approval of Minutes a) July 2015 Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Passed unanimously. 7) Adjournment Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.