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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-2016-07-13 Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting City of Ithaca Planning & Economic Development Committee Wednesday, July 13, 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: Mayor Svante Myrick Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director, Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, and Economic Development; Nels Bohn, Director, Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA); Nick Goldsmith, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Ithaca; Phyllis Radke, Director of Zoning Administration; Deborah Grunder, Executive Assistant Others Attending: Peter Bardaglio, Ithaca 2030 District; Sue Kittel, Workforce Diversity Advisory Commission (WDAC) Chair Seph Murtagh called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. 1) Call to Order/Agenda Review 2) Public Comment and Response from Committee Members 3) Special Order of Business a) Presentation – Ithaca 2030 District Peter Bardaglio and Nick Goldsmith presented the ‘Ithaca 2030 District’ to the group. Why a 2030 District? Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting There are twelve (12) established districts in addition to Ithaca, New York. A 2030 District will monitor common targets and meters, shows efficie ncies of scale, and has an information sharing platform. These districts are private-sector led; public-sector supported. Participation is voluntary. The goal is that all new buildings will be carbon neutral by 2030. Existing buildings will be 50% carbon neutral across the board. The Energy Star Portfolio Manager now available and is user friendly. 4) Announcements, Updates, and Reports a) Old Library Project The Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) and the Ithaca Planning and Development Board held a joint meeting on July 12, 2016 to discuss the old library project. The ILPC thinks the building is too big. There is not variance possible and no certificate of appropriateness was issued. b) City of Ithaca Water Issue Discoloration – Dan Cogan, City of Ithaca Chief-of-Staff, addressed the committee to discuss and inform them about the discoloration in the City’s water supply and what it being done to alleviate the situation. The discoloration is caused by the iron in the pipes. The Water & Sewer Division is working hard to adjust the processing of the water without having to chlorinate it. Permits from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have been difficult of obtain. Lead Testing – Recent tests have showed high levels in some a reas of Cass and Stewart Parks. The City must decide what to do with these areas – do we take off line or replace? Lead testing in City facilities must be done every three (3) years. All levels are below the guidelines except one (1) faucet in City Hall tested too high and was replaced. Alderperson Brock asked for confirmation that the City didn’t test or are not required to test. She stated it’s unclear whether there is a law that states this needs to be done. Cogan stated he will check on that, but further stated that the City has always tested thirty homes. They will now test 60 homes. Water and Sewer estimates that 500 homes likely have lead piping. Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting 5) Action Items (Voting to Send onto Council) a) Mural Proposal – ‘Portals to Peace’ Resolution to Select Artwork for a Mural Installation on the West-Facing Entry Wall of the Green Street Parking Garage Moved by Alderperson Nguyen; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Carried unanimously. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission (PAC) has be en 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, including walls in the City garages on Green Street and Seneca Street, by resolution on May 19, 2010, and WHEREAS, local artist Lachlan Chambliss has submitted his mural proposal “Portals to Peace” as part of the PAC’s Mural and Street Art Program, and WHEREAS, Mr. Chambliss was selected by a group of community members to paint a mural that celebrates Muslim culture, and WHEREAS, the PAC held a public comment period on the mural design and location at its meeting on June 22, 2016 to gather input on the proposed installation, and the pub lic responses to the proposal have been 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 at its meeting on June 22, 2016, a majority of the members in attendance supported sending the proposal to Common Council for its consideration; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council selects Lachlan Chambliss’s mural proposal “Portals to Peace” to be installed on the west -facing entry wall of the Green Street Parking Garage and to be added to the City of Ithaca’s public art collection; and be it further Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting RESOLVED, That the selected artist may proceed with the installation of his mural upon the execution of an agreement with the City as reviewed by the City Attorney. Mural Proposal for the Green Street Parking Garage: “Portals to Peace” by Lachlan Chambliss MURAL DESCRIPTION: “Portals to Peace” creates five doorways that pull the viewer into different scenes representing the journey to peace. The scenes are inspired by Muslim culture yet represent universal themes; they include details to celebrate various international geographic areas and traditions. The detailed archway of each portal reflects the accurate architecture of the respective regions referenced below. Doorway 1) Market scene with money, goods and food items symbolic of charity/alms giving. Items like coconuts, bananas and dates salute West African ideas of charity and sustenance. Doorway 2) Journey to truth with scene of mountainous valley references North Africa. Doorway 3) Mea l under moonlight hosts a Western European picnic spread; symbolic of sharing with others and the body as a vessel of peace. Doorway 4) Tranquil domestic scene reflecting the daily effort to find peace. The scene implies a space to mediate, relax and read with a library in vision. Window design and decor salute Asia. Doorway 5) Light. Our internal light of peace we seek to discover, the external guidance from the universe we seek to know. This mural would be completed by Summer/Fall 2016 at the Downtown Ithaca Green Street Parking Garage. The mural is a door design, a path to someplace which is appropriate for a ramp space literally meant to take you into a different space. The mural will brighten the dark area and the dark area will add to the whimsical nature of the design. Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting b) Public Art Projects: Commons Electrical Boxes and Rainwater Art Resolution to Select Artwork for Commons Boxes: An Electrical Box Mural Project Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Carried unanimously. 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, including municipal electrical boxes throughout the city, by resolution on May 19, 2010, and WHEREAS, in 2012 the PAC launched a project to beautify 21 municipal electrical boxes through the creation of mini-murals by selected artists, and a second round of the project was completed in 2014, and WHEREAS, due to the success of the two projects, the PAC has initiated a third round of electrical box murals to be completed in 2016, including the three new electrical boxes installed on the Commons, and WHEREAS, the project will be funded through a grant from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County and will be budget-neutral to the City, and WHEREAS, the PAC issued a Request for Proposals earlier this spring and after reviewing all of the submissions with the Commons Management Team, distributed 3 proposals for public comment, and WHEREAS, the PAC held a special meeting on July 7, 2016 to review public comment, and while a quorum was not present, all members in attendance as well as the liaisons supported Common Council’s selection of the artwork submitted by Erica Brath, Jennifer Gioffre and David Todd, and Catherine Montgomery to be installed on the 3 new electrical boxes on the Commons; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council selects the submissions of the following artists for Commons Boxes: An Electrical Box Mural Project: Erica Brath, Jennifer Gioffre and David Todd, and Catherine Montgomery (as shown in “Common Boxes Mural Proposals (2016)”); and be it further Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting RESOLVED, that the selected artists may proceed with the installation of their murals on their appointed electrical box upon the execution of an agreement with the City (as reviewed by the City Attorney). Approved at the August 10, 2016 PEDC Meeting Commons Boxes Mural Proposals (2016) Box #1 – North Cayuga Street: “Commons’ers” by Erica Brath Description: “With this design I hope to illustrate the energy of the newly redesigned Commons, a central gathering spot for people from around Ithaca and beyond. I’ve incorporated several elements of downtown culture, including the Ithaca Festival parade, with the main dancers and performers; Press Bay Alley with the strung lights, Circus Culture acrobats and, probably the most popular new attraction for the block-long stretch, the now-annual Wizarding Weekend with a Quidditch rider on a Boxy Bike; and the Apple Festival—the stilt walker is juggling apples. I’ve also incorporated the surrounding elements of Taughannock Falls in the center, and Cornell University and Ithaca College by red in the left (Cornell side of the Commons) corner and blue (Ithaca College side of the Commons) on the right.” Box #2 – Bank Alley: “Cayuga Migration” by Catherine Montgomery Description: “This figurative work features the silhouettes of local birds set in a black and copper background. This piece has a sense of place bringing a graphic urban ascetic and softening it with out abundant and prominent local fauna.” Description: “We’d like to transform the North Aurora street electrical box into a delicious display of treats. Inspiration came to us from two sources. First was the proximity of the electrical box to Madeline’s, everyone’s favorite dessert stop on the commons. Second, the shape and metallic case of the box itself reminded us of a classic dessert refrigerator. We think this design is unique because instead of simply covering the electrical box, we would be incorporating the form into the design, including its locked doors as part of the art work.” Resolution to Select Artwork for the Public Art Commission’s Rainwater Art Project Moved by Alderperson Kerslick; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Carried unanimously. 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, the PAC has proposed the installation of rainwater art – artwork that is only visible during periods of rain – on City-owned sidewalks around downtown Ithaca, and WHEREAS, the installation will be temporar y, and the artwork will wear away with foot traffic, weather, and shoveling, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works approved nine locations for the project b y resolution on April 25, 2016, and WHEREAS, the PAC wanted community involvement in the project and released an online survey in June 2016 that allowed the public to vote for the favorite rainwater art designs, and WHEREAS, the project will be funded through a grant from a private foundation and will be budget-neutral to the City, and WHEREAS, at its meeting on June 22, 2016, the PAC reviewed the top 10 designs selected by the communit y and unanimously voted to recommend that the Common Council approve the designs, as shown in “2016 Rainwater Art,” for installation on City-owned sidewalks around downtown Ithaca, as approved by the Board of Public Works; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Common Council selects the design shown in “2016 Rainwater Art,” as recom mended by the Public Art Commission, for installation on approved City-owned sidewalks around downtown Ithaca as part of the Rainwater Art Project. c) Residential Energy Score Project DRAFT Resolution to Endorse Tompkins Residential Energy Score Program - July 13, 2016 Moved by Alderperson Martell; seconded by Alderperson Brock. Carried unanimously. WHEREAS the City of Ithaca has goals of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and according to the March 2016 Tompkins County Energy Roadmap, in order to meet the goal of reducing GHG emissions 80% by the year 2050, the community will need to achieve at least a 35% reduction in energy use in existing buildings through retrofits and upgrades; and WHEREAS the Comprehensive Plan recommends that the City “collaborate with Tompkins County and/or local municipalities to explore required disclosures of energy use for all properties” and the adopted Energy Action Plan recommends to “investigate point of sale energy audits” and to “explore voluntary certification programs and incentives such as Energy Star or HERS Index;” and WHEREAS the NYS Reforming the Energy Vision initiative has a goal of helping consumers make better and more informed energy choices; and WHEREAS a residential energy score program would benefit residents of all income levels by providing the ability to better understand and reduce energy-related living costs; and WHEREAS a project team, composed of representatives of the Towns of Caroline, Danby, Ithaca, Ulysses and the City of Ithaca, with consultation from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Planning Department, was formed in 2013 to work on a residential energy score project; and WHEREAS the Town of Ithaca, working on behalf of the project team, submitted and was awarded grant funding from NYSERDA’s Cleaner, Greener Communities program, and contracted with subject matter experts Performance Systems Development to develop deliverables for the project; and WHEREAS the original project proposal was to develop and adopt a local law or ordinance to require a home energy rating to be disclosed at the time of listing for sale, however due to pubic feedback and the lack of incontestable legal authority to enact such a law, the project team opted to develop a voluntary program and phased implementation plan; and WHEREAS extensive public outreach guided the creation of the first draft report of the program and implementation plan, completed on February 24, 2016. The second draft was informed by more than 250 comments collected from additional public outreach, and was presented to the governing boards of the five partner municipalities between May 23 and June 15, 2016, with a comment period ending on June 17, 2016, and comments on the second draft were incorporated into the final report, titled “Tompkins Residential Energy Score Program and Implementation Plan;” and WHEREAS the grant contract with NYSERDA requires the project team to present the final report to the governing boards of each of the five partner municipalities for consideration of adoption, including a formal vote; and WHEREAS funding for implementation of the RESP program will be primarily sought from outside sources, and the City’s endorsement of the program will strengthen funding requests; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Ithaca endorses the Tompkins Residential Energy Score Program and Implementation Plan, dated July 6, 2016. 6) Discussion a) Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) – Diversity Members of the Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee (WDAC) were present to continue the discussion from the previous meeting. It’s the WDAC that in order to believe in diversity, you must work hard to accomplish diversity. There are a large number of people who do not feel involved or important. There is a concern that the City can approve this at the City level, but it’s the IDA that won’t for the entire county. Alderperson Brock suggested a possible meeting between the City and the IDA to try to agree to have this approved not only at the City level but at the county level as well. The City agrees and accepts the WDAC recommendations. Nels Bohn will generate a resolution to bring back to the August Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting. The WDAC’s recommendations will be circulated. Moved by Alderperson Kerslick; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Carried unanimously. b) Off- Street Parking Rentals Phyllis Radke, Director of Zoning Administration, attended the meeting to clarify certain zoning regulations regarding the renting of residential parking. It is not legal to rent residential parking for commercial use. Collegetown parking requirements have been changed to having a ‘no parking’ requirement. The CPOZ zone was taken out in the 1990s. Now more people have more parking. When a parking lot is built, there has to have enough spaces to accommodate the needs of the building. 7) Review and Approval of Minutes a) May and June 2016 – Moved by Alderperson Kerslick; seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. Passed unanimously. 8) Adjournment Alderperson Kerslick motioned to adjourn; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.