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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee R -0w \VC O M PE 3 A V I. b Ll 7 is D 3 V E cER' 11E IE A REPO l\ ll TO TIRE PLAN ( I:OAD AND COMMON COUNT, IN SUPPORT OF CITItr OF II11'1 IIACA?S STRATIEGIIC HOUSING AND NEEGI SII:,ORHOODS PLAN APRIL 1987 1 OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)is a fifteen-member ad hoc committee that was appointed by Mayor John C. Gutenberger in March, 1986 to assist in the development of Ithaca's Strategic Housing and Neighborhoods Plan. The TAC was charged with the task of identifying the housing and neighborhood concerns that should be addressed during the strategic planning process,evaluating alternate ways of coping with those concerns, and making formal recommendations to the Planning Board and Common Council. During the Planning Board's early discussions of the Strategic Housing and Neighborhoods Plan, it was agreed that the plan should be developed through a process which included meaningful and frequent participation by interested citizens. The Planning Board decided that citizen participation should be solicited in a variety of ways,including public meetings devoted solely to housing and neighborhood issues,presentations by members of the Planning Board and Planning Department staff,coverage by local mass media representatives,and development of a citizens group that can discuss these issues in great detail. The Technical Advisory Committee was formed to provide a forum where housing and neighborhood issues could be examined in a comprehensive manner which took into account both city-wide and neighborhood-specific concerns. In order to promote such discussions, the members of the TAG were selected by the Mayor with the intention of providing representation of a broad range of views relating to housing and neighborhood issues. Thus,the TAC was composed of members of neighborhood civic associations from various parts of the city; representatives from the building, property management, real estate and banking industries; representatives from Cornell;representatives from Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services;and others interested in Ithaca's future. Both homeowners and renters were represented on the TAC. Members of the Planning Board, the Common Council,the Planning Department staff,and guests also participated in the TAC's meetings. A complete list of the members of theTACis included at the end of this report. Although the TAC members were not formal representatives of neighborhood or industry groups, they did provide an important link to communicate the concerns of each of these groups to the Technical Advisory Committee and the Planning Board. In turn, the activities of the TAC and Planning Board were also communicated back to these constituencies through the TAC members. THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE PLANNING PROCESS Between April, 1986 and February, 1987,the TAC held twenty meetings to discuss housing and neighborhood issues. During that year, the TAC's activities were roughly divided into three parts: 2 1) Presentations and discussions to learn more about the dynamics of housing and population in Ithaca, the concerns of different housing consumers and producers, and the overall environment affecting housing choices. 2) The identification and ranking of housing and neighborhood issues that needed to be addressed during the strategic planning process. A part of this activity involved the solicitation of input from the general public during public meetings and hearings. 3) The review and refinement of actions that were designed to address the issues that were uncovered in steps one and two. The TAC discussed the feasibility and effectiveness of each action, and ranked those actions in order of preference. A major objective in the formation of the Technical Advisory Committee was to achieve a cross-fertilization of the ideas and concerns that related to housing and neighborhood issues in Ithaca. The TAC's discussions were informal in nature,and were designed to allow all participants the opportunity to speak about any issue at any time. Detailed minutes of each TAC meeting have been kept, and these have been sent to the members of the Planning Board and the Common Council on a regular basis. Reports on the activities of the TAC have also been regularly presented to both the Planning Board and the Common Council. The following is a more detailed iteration of the activities of the TAC,with particular emphasis given to the significant issues and points of contention that were raised during the TAC meetings. PRESENTATIONS TO THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY 8, 1986 THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS OF ITHACA Kathe Evans and Paul Mazzarella presented an overview of information from Census reports on the population, housing and economic profile of Ithaca. The major features distinguishing Ithaca from similar-sized cities in the northeast United States are the fact that it grew in population between 1970 and 1980, its population has a very low median age and is very mobile, that the average family and household sizes in Ithaca are smaller than other places and continue to shrink in size, that there is a very high percentage of families with female heads of household (31%), that the median family income in Ithaca is considerably lower than in the surrounding region, and that there is an extremely high proportion of renter households in the City (66%). 3 The TAC's discussion of these issues centered around how the development of new rental housing in Ithaca had affected the price and availability of housing for all housing consumers. TAC members reported that the development of new student housing on East Hill has not saturated the student housing market (creating vacancies and more price competition), but that it has had the impact of shifting more of the student population out of outlying areas and into East Hill,thus creating less competition between student and non-student households in neighborhoods such as Fall Creek and the Southside neighborhoods. The vacancy rates for housing in the neighborhoods around Cornell continue to be very low, despite the additional construction. The conversion of existing housing into higher density housing was also felt to be a significant -- problem in Ithaca. Many conversions are poorly planned and are built with insufficient financial resources,creating new problems in many neighborhoods. Many converted buildings are not properly maintained and are allowed to deteriorate, in spite of the fact that they generate good income as rental units. MAY 22, 1986 CONTINUATION OF DISCUSSION OF THE LOCAL HOUSING MARKET The TAC discussed how the presence of large numbers of students who reside off-campus has created enormous impacts on the entire Ithaca housing market. The student component of the housing market has driven up the price of all housing in the market due to the fact that students (through their families) are relatively wealthy and can afford to pay more for housing than many non-students;that students can easily live three or four to a house, sharing equally the cost of that housing, while a family may have only a single wage-earner to cover its housing costs; and because the high demand for student housing has encouraged landlords to compete with families for the same housing, raising the price of that housing. The members of the TAC agreed that Ithaca's housing plan should be based in part upon the plans of Cornell and Ithaca College for student and employment growth. There was a strong consensus that Cornell and Ithaca College should take immediate steps to provide additional on-campus student housing. The TAC also discussed at length the City of Ithaca's impact on the housing market. Some TAC members felt that the City's zoning'.regulations discourage creative or innovative types of housing development, especially that which could occur on infill lots. Other areas suggested for improvement include the development of a better system to regulate the conversion of existing dwellings into higher density housing so as to screen out inappropriate conversions and the development of a demolition ordinance to prevent valuable older buildings from being destroyed. JUNE 5, 1986 THE DEVELOPER'S PERSPECTIVE ON HOUSING IN ITHACA TAC member John Novarr, plus William Downing, Claudia Weisburd and Gerald Weisburd formed a panel to discuss the prospects and problems of housing development in Ithaca. Downing noted that while there is a great need for additional student housing in Ithaca, it is important to protect existing neighborhoods from conversion to largely student,housing. The City should • 4 recognize that students and families have very different lifestyles and needs, and that areas specifically for student housing should be provided. The City should consider allowing much taller buildings in limited areas to accomodate the need for student housing. The City should also provide adequate parking for these projects as a municipal service. Downing also advocated a project review process by the City that would emphasize quality of design over myopic rules on lot coverage, side yards or building height,for example. John Novarr also favored improvements to the present system of project review. He noted that most of the new buildings that are being constructed in Ithaca are of the cheapest possible construction type,which will not provide long-term benefits to the City of Ithaca. Both Novarr and Downing said that the BZA's method of reviewing and approving projects was extremely narrow in perspective and largely ineffective. They felt that there should be more concern with historic preservation and aesthetic issues and more negotiation with the developers over the elements of a project. Gerald and Claudia Weisburd commented on the prospects for future development of housing in Ithaca. They noted that there were very few vacant sites available, and that many of these were difficult and expensive to build on. They felt that increased density in the form of infill development and conversions should be encouraged, and that new housing could be built without detracting from the quality of the neighborhood environment. The TAC discussed the pros and cons of higher density housing in Ithaca. Many members felt that the strong public reaction against growth is largely related to our local experiences with student housing.'There are many examples of poorly built and poorly maintained student housing projects that have become a blighting influence on a neighborhood. At the same time,there are virtually no examples of good quality high density housing in Ithaca. It was noted that an example of good quality high density housing exists in Geneva, N.Y.,where an infill townhouse project has become a great asset to the city. There was a consensus among the TAC members that the Ithaca needs to take stronger measures to ensure that housing quality is maintained. Two actions were suggested: a special housing court that would give housing and zoning lawsuits higher precedence than they now receive, and the development of enforcable standards to regulate the appearance of buildings and yards. JULY 1, 1986 PRESENTATION ON THE FINANCING OF HOUSING The panelists for this presentation included TAC members Doug Dylla, Herman Sieverding and George Gesslein. The presentation included information on how mortgage lenders assess whether a household can qualify for a loan, the nature and requirements of the secondary mortgage market, how subsidy programs such as those available through SONYMA and INHS can assist a low income home buyer, and how rental housing projects are financed. Several of the important points pursued by the TAC included the following: 1) The increasing use of the secondary mortgage market by local 5 bankers is further limiting the ability of marginally acceptable home buyers to qualify for a loan. The underwriting demands of the secondary market have become increasingly standardized and conservative,and local bankers must conform to those standards in order to later sell their mortgages on the secondary market. 2) There are many older houses in Ithaca which are available at what appear to be quite reasonable purchase prices. However, many of these homes are in poor physical condition and require large expenses to bring them up to a reasonable standard of quality. Many of these homes are very inefficient to heat and can be very costly to live in , making them less affordable than they first appear. 3) The Federal government's commitment to providing subsidized housing has been greatly diminished in recent years, significantly reducing the financial resources available for subsidized housing. The nature of subsidized housing programs has also changed. There are very few programs left which assist in the production of new housing units. Most of the existing programs provide vouchers which low income families can use to help them afford to live in existing housing, but in a tight housing market such as Ithaca's, many families still cannot find units that are available at prices they can afford, even with a subsidy. It was noted that many states, including New York,are attempting to compensate for the loss of Federal aid by developing new state programs. In New York, these include the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, the Homeless • Housing Assistance Program, the Home Ownership Development Program and low cost home financing through SONYMA. 4) Cooperative and mutual housing were discussed as possible alternative ways of achieving the benefits of homeownership. It was reported by the panelists that these types of housing are not viewed as good investments,by local bankers, and thus they are reluctant to finance these types of projects. JULY 17, 1986 IMPACTS OF TAX REFORM LEGISLATION ON HOUSING SUPPLY Panelists Andrew Sciarabba and George Gesslein presented information on the impacts that the proposed tax reform legislation would have on the local and national housing markets. The most significant impact was viewed to be the loss of the ability to shelter income from other sources through losses generated from real estate investments. Both panelists agreed that this was not a totally undesirable change, since it will require new projects to stand on their own economic 6 merits rather than be built principally as a tax shelter. There have been few abuses of this type in Ithaca, but in other parts of the country there are now many buildings which stand vacant or underutilized because they were built in an oversaturated market. The one area where the tax shelter provided by real estate will survive is where an owner actively participates in the management of a rental unit. In such a case, the owner may shelter up to$100,000 in other income through the losses generated by the real estate. This will make single family and duplex homes attractive investments as tax shelters. In Ithaca,it may result in more pressure to convert owner-occupied housing into rental housing or to add additional rental units in existing buildings. The panelists predicted that the tax reform legislation would significantly reduce the interest of investors in the development of new rental housing. This is because other types of investments will become more attractive than rental housing. A probable impact of this will be that rents will rise faster than they have in recent years for existing rental housing. AUGUST 25, 1986 CORNELL AND ITHACA COLLEGE PLANS FOR STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND ON-CAMPUS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT The panelists for this presentation included TAC members William Gurowitz and Neff Casaburri and William Paleen, all`Cornell administrators."Paul Mazzarella presented information about Ithaca College that was obtained through interviews with I.C. officials. It was reported that Cornell's current student enrollment is 17,500, and that that figure,is not expected to change significantly in the near future. 51%of these students live off-campus, 39%live on-campus and 10% live in fraternities or sororities. William Gurowitz listed the following goals for student housing at Cornell: 1) The improvement of both on-campus and off-campus housing so that Cornell can compete successfully with-other universities for students. 2) The creation of a"superior living and learning environment" at Cornell. 3) The development of 300 additional beds on campus. 4) A reduction in the population density in the University Halls. 5) The formation of a working committee to assist sororities and fraternities in budgeting. The renovation of the University Halls and the loss of Sage Hall as a residential building will 7 result in the loss of 400 beds on-campus. This loss will be partially offset by the new Jessup Road townhouses, which will provide 300 beds. Ithaca College also reported that its current student population of 5500 is also projected to remain constant. 75%of Ithaca College students live on-campus, and the 25%that live off-campus are concentrated in the South Hill and Collegetown neighborhoods. LC. does not plan to build any additional student housing in the foreseeable future. Several TAC members commented that they were extremely wary about Cornell's and I.C.'s plans for stable student enrollments. It was pointed out that the student populations of both institutions have grown steadily in recent years, and that economic pressures could force that trend to continue. It was also pointed out that any addditional students enrolling at either institution would cause the off-campus student population in Ithaca to increase since there will not be a net increase in on-campus housing at either institution. The impacts of students residing in South Hill neighborhoods has become a very serious problem, according to the TAC. This is due to the fact that most buildings in these areas were built to accomodate low-density residential uses, and do not provide sufficient parking, setbacks or buffers that are needed for student housing. The behavior of some students causes a great deal of tension in the neighborhood, and apparently I.C. does very little to control its off-campus population. Members of the TAC suggested that Ithaca College take a much more active role in counseling its off-campus students regarding their rights and obligations,as neighborhood residents. It was also suggested that neighborhood conflicts or landlord/tenant conflicts could be mediated through the Community Dispute Resolution Center. The lack of appropriately located development sites for additional student housing was discussed by the TAC. It was suggested that Cornell and I.C. should make some of the land that they own available to private developers for the purpose of construction student housing. This would be a way for these institutions to fulfill their obligation to house their students without having to increase their responsibilities as a property manager. It was also suggested that the Town of Ithaca consider changing the zoning of land near I.C. so as to allow for the development of apartment buildings that could house students. SEPT. 25, 1986 PRESENTATION OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STUDY "SUPPLY, DEMAND AND AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING" Kathe Evans and Paul Mazzarella presented the first draft of a study of population and housing trends in the Ithaca urban area housing market. Among the significant findings contained in the study were the following: 1) The population of the City of Ithaca and the surrounding area has grown at a moderate rate in the last several decades, and this rate of growth is expected to continue. 2) The average size of both families and households in the housing 8 market area has grown steadily smaller since 1950. In addition, there are even greater proportions of non-traditional households such as single parents with children or unrelated people living together. The growth in the number of households has exceeded the growth in total population,creating a growing demand for housing units. 3) The production of new housing units in the housing market area has not kept pace with the demand. The result is a low vacancy rate for all types of housing and housing prices that have risen faster than most other areas in the northeast United States. 4) Housing affordability is a growing problem for Ithaca residents. The median priced single family home in 1986 ($65,000)was 23% higher than in 1985. Increases in the costs of both buying and renting a home have increased faster than increases in the income of Ithaca families. In 1986,only about 30%of the families in Ithaca possessed an income adequate to purchase a median priced single family home. The TAC discussed at great length two significant issues in the study. It was felt that the projected population for the City of Ithaca for 1990 was overly conservative. It was pointed out that the new construction that has occurred in the City already in this decade accounts for far more population growth than that projected for 1990. It was also pointed out that Cornell and Ithaca College continue to expand both their student and staff populations,and that Ithaca will certainly receive a share of that growth. The second issue that was discussed involved housing affordability. Some TAC members felt that the study had not adequately accounted for the families that borrow money from their relatives, fix up a deteriorated house, or find some way to save an extrordinary portion of their income for a down payment. The consensus was that while housing affordability was a very serious problem in Ithaca, the study has overstated the problem. IDENTIFICATION OF HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES A basic element of the strategic planning process is to identify and begin to understand the causes of the critical problems that confront housing and neighborhoods in Ithaca. With this in mind, the Planning Board and the Technical Advisory Committee developed a list of the problems, issues and concerns that they felt should be addressed through this plan. The development of this list was based on the personal knowledge of the participants, input gained through public meetings on this topic and research completed by the Planning Department staff. The initial list of problems that was developed could be categorized under four major headings: • 9 housing conditions, housing affordability, housing demand and neighborhood change. This list of problems, and a brief description of the impacts that these problems create, is shown below. PROBLEM IMPACT HOUSING CONDITIONS 1) Deteriorated or dilapidated housing Unsafe housing conditions, disinvestment, negative visual and social impacts 2) Maintenance of buildings and grounds Unsightly neighborhood appearance, deterioration of the housing stock 3) Overcrowding in dwelling units Untenable living conditions, negative neighborhood impacts such as noise, parked cars, etc. 4) Underutilization of the housing stock Inefficient use of existing buildings contributes to housing shortages, high prices and overcrowding HOUSING AFFORDABILITY 1) Lack of affordable housing for low Contributes to poverty,overcrowding and middle income households and unsafe living conditions 2) Reliance on,public housing subsidies Overreliance on tax dollars to provide for adequate housing 3) Lack of affordable student rental Promotes overcrowding and conversions housing to rental housing 4) Displacement of low income households Limits housing choices and exacerbates by wealthier households other housing problems of low income households 5) Inequitable tax assessment practices Rental housing underassessed in relation to its true value HOUSING DEMAND 1) Low vacancy rate for rental housing, Inflates housing prices, reduces particularly near Cornell incentives for maintenance, promotes conversions that create rental units 10 2) Diminishing household size,growth Lack of available units to meet changes in the total number of households in housing demand 3) Changes in the types of households Lack of affordable housing in family competing for existing housing units neighborhoods 4) Housing needs for special groups such Limited housing opportunities available as the homeless, battered women or deinstitutionalized mental patients 5) Limited new housing construction in Generally aging housing stock, tax Ithaca revenues and wealth lost to outlying communities 6) Student housing needs in conflict with Conversions of owner occupied housing family housing needs to rental housing, changes in neighborhood character, price inflation NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE 1) Conversion to higher density housing Changes to the character of a neighbor- hood and the value of its housing 2)- Conversion of residential uses to Commercial intrusion into residential commercial uses areas 3) Parking and traffic problems Creates congestion, noise and inconvenience in neighborhoods 4) Zoning ordinance does not adequately Discourages the production of innovative address the review and approval projects while granting approval to of proposed projects undesirable projects This list of housing and neighborhood problems was reviewed and discussed by the TAC. During the course of that discussion,the list was amended to add,delete or modify the problems. Once amended,the list contained twenty-six different problems and issues that the TAC felt merited further discussion during the planning process. The list of twenty-six problems were then ranked by the members of the TAC in order of the severity of these problems. Each TAC member assigned a score which indicated that person's assessment of the severity of the problem. The scores that could be assigned ranged from one (low priority) to three (high priority). The ranking was achieved by taking the average score of all the voting TAC members for each problem. The final ranking by the TAC is shown below. Those problems with the scores closest to three were rated as being the most severe, and • 11 requiring the most immediate attention. RANK PROBLEM SCORE 1 Neighborhood parking and traffic issues 2.7 2 Affordable housing for low and middle imcome families 2.6 3 Student housing needs in conflict with family housing needs 2.5 4 Dilapidated or deteriorated housing 2.3 5 Cutbacks in federal funds of subsidized housing 2.3 6 Changes in the types of households seeking housing 2.2 7 Conversions to higher density housing 2.2 8 Conversions of residential uses to commercial uses 2.2 9 Overcrowded housing conditions 2.2 10 Concentrations of poor quality housing 2.2 11 Over-reliance on public housing subsidies 2.2 12 Poor maintenance of buildings and grounds 2.1 13 Low vacancy rate for rental housing near Cornell 2.1 14 Zoning ordinance does not promote adequate project review 2.1 15 Maintenance of neighborhood civic associations 2.1 16 Inequitable tax assessment practices 2.0 17 Lack of representations by renters in city policy making 2.0 18 Housing needs of special groups 1.9 19 Lack of information about housing conditions in Ithaca 1.7 20 Displacement of low income households 1.6 21 Limited new housing construction in Ithaca 1.6 12 22 Diminishing household size, growth in total households 1.7 23 Lack of affordable student rental units 1.6 24 Economic impact of new construction versus rehabilitation 1.4 25 Underutilization of existing housing stock 1.3 26 Declared interests of members of the TAC 1.2 Further discussion of these problems by both the TAC and the Planning Board resulted in a shortening of the list so that the planning process could focus on only the most severe and persistent housing and neighborhood problems that confront Ithaca. The result was a list of six major problems areas that would continue to be examined. It was recognized by all of the TAC members that each of the six problems identified were complex, multi-faceted issues for which no simple solutions were available. Nevertheless,a commitment was made to try to seek achievable actions that would address these problems. The final list of significant housing and neighborhood issues developed by the Technical Advisory Committee is shown below. TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE LIST OF SIGNIFICANT HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES Availability of Housing Includes the availability of a variety of types,prices and locations of houses for all income groups Affordability of Housing Includes the various aspects of housing affordability for low and middle income households Parking and Traffic Issues include parking availability, traffic congestion, truck traffic and alternate side of the street parking Neighborhood Conflicts Includes conflicts between different lifestyles,commercial and residential uses and conflicts with institutions 13 Building Maintenance All issues related to the upkeep and appearance of buildings and grounds Input by Neighborhood Improving communication between Residents neighborhood residents, city officials and officials from nearby instituitions and businesses RECOMMENDED ACTIONS TO ADDRESS HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES The third and final stage in the Technical Advisory Committee's planning process involved the development of strategic objectives that addressed each of the six major problem areas identified earlier and the evaluation of various actions that could be implemented in order to meet those objectives. Both the objectives that were adopted and the actions that are recommended were developed with the strategic planning perspective in mind. That perspective states that solutions to the problems that have been identified must be realistic solutions. There must be an awareness of the nature and extent of the problem,an assessment of the effectiveness that the proposed solution will have in solving the problem, and an understanding of the legal, financial, social and political constraints under which the City of Ithaca operates. In other words, an effort was made to find solutions that would have a relatively immediate impact and could be realistically implemented by the City of Ithaca. This perspective was not intended to stifle the creation of unfamiliar or bold approaches to the solving of these problems. On the contrary, throughout the TAC's meetings and in the public meetings to gain public input, many new approaches were suggested. Each of these were examined to determine whether the action merited further study and possible implementation. For each action, the TAC evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of the action, what steps would be necessary for implementation and the cost of implementation. Each TAC member then voted on the desirability of each action, and all the votes were averaged to obtain a sense of the entire committee's preference for each issue. Votes on each of the actions were cast according to the following system: VOTE(1-7) I I I I I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 HIGHLY NEUTRAL HIGHLY IN FAVOR OPPOSED OF ACTION TO ACTION 14 The following summary presents the strategic objectives and the recommended actions adopted by the TAC for each of the six major problem areas. For each strategic objective, there are from one to three actions that are recommended to implement each objective. The composite TAC vote is also shown for each of the actions that were voted on. Because of the length of the information prepared for each action, detailed descriptions could not be included in this report. However, this information is available for review in the City of Ithaca's Department of Planning and Development offices. STRATEGIC ACTIONS TO TAC OBJECTIVES IMPLEMENT OBJECTIVES VOTE Affordability of Housing A) Create zoning alternatives that 1) Develop planned unit development or cluster 2.3 encourage the development of development alternatives for infill sites. affordable housing. 2) Give a density bonus to developers who build 2.4 affordable housing units. B) Increase opportunities for 1) Evaluate the feasibility of alternate home 1.8 home ownership among low ownership methods such as cooperative and middle income households. housing or mutual housing. C) Encourage the provision of 1) Actively pursue all available and future 2.0 additional affordable rental federal and state programs that subsidize housing. rental housing. 2) Develop a land banking program and make 3.0 sites available to private developers. 3) Evaluate the feasibility of rent controls. 3.9 D) Develop local programs to 1) Develop a locally funded housing trust 1.9 offset the loss of federal funds fund to subsidize affordable housing. for affordable housing. 2) Apply to state or private sources of 2.5 financing for affordable housing. 3) Organize a consortium of banks that 2.7 offer below-market financing for the development of affordable housing. 1S Availability of Housing A) Preserve the character and 1) Develop new regulations for conversions 2.0 density of areas that are of existing buildings to higher density currently zoned R-1 and that ensure compatibility with the R-2. existing neighborhood. B) Provide opportunities for 1) Encourage more mixed-use residential/ 1.4 more residential development commercial development in business zones. in flexible forms that are not currently permitted under 2) Rezone selected areas or parcels to allow 2.0 existing zoning regulations. more intensive residential development. 3) Revise zoning regulations to permit 2.1 development options such as PUD, zero lot line or cluster development. C) Develop a program of new 1) Inventory all city-owned and acquired 2.4 residential development on property and set guidelines for its use city-owned property. and disposal. D) Actively seek all available 1) Submit applications for housing subsidy 2.0 federal and state programs programs through the IHA, INNS or city. that aid the production of subsidized housing. E) Support the retention and 1) Provide financial or in-kind support to 1.0 rehabilitation of the city's local programs such as the INHS House existing housing stock. Recycling program and the Section 17 program. F) Support the development of 1) Work actively with Cornell, I.C.,the Town 2.0 additional on-campus and off- of Ithaca and the Village of Cayuga Heights campus student housing. to provide for appropriate sites for new student housing. 2) Develop and exaction program that would 3.1 require Cornell and I.C. to either provide adequate housing for new students and staff or pay a fee to the City that would be used to develop new housing. Traffic and Parking 16 A) Limit through traffic by cars 1) Develop additional restrictions against 2.0 and trucks on local neighbor- heavy truck traffic on neighborhood streets. hood streets. 2) Study the expected impacts of the Route 96 2.2 project on neighborhood traffic patterns and develop action to mitigate undesirable impacts. 3) Develop a program of"traffic limiters" 2.8 that would eliminate or slow down non- area traffic on selected streets. B) Improve existing enforcement 1) Develop a program of selective enforcement 1.6 of speed limits in the city. of speed limits at dey locations and times. C) Improve the availability of 1) Develop additional municipally owned off- 1.8 off-street parking in areas street parking lots or structures. of critical need. D) Improve the regulation of 1) Evaluate and improve the existing regulations 1.4 on-street parking in areas of governing on-street parking. heavy parking use. E) Develop improved maintenance 1) Revise the existing alternate side of the street 1.8 and snow removal procedures parking regulations in accordance with DPW for city streets. maintenance requirements. Neighborhood Conflicts A) Develop better land use 1) Work more closely with adjacent munici- 1.5 coordination between palities to resolve land use conflicts near adjacent municipalities. municipal boundaries. B) Foster better relations between 1) Support the development and continuation 1.8 various factions within of neighborhood civic groups that represent neighborhoods. and encourage the participation of all neighborhood residents. C) Improve the substance and 1) Develop new responses to conflicts that 2.2 enforcement of local laws that arise over"lifestyle"differences such as preserve neighborhood peace noise, parking or yard appearance. 17 and appearance. D) Establish on-going communi- 1) Establish a formal working group composed 2.2 cations between neighborhood of neighborhood residents, Cornell, I.C. and residents and Cornell and I.C. city officials to resolve conflicts. officials in areas where land- use and lifestyle conflicts exist. E) Improve the regulation of 1) Revise the city's process of project approval 2.5 commercial activities in or so that projects with potential harmful impacts near residential areas. would be subject to a more discretionary approval process. Building and Grounds Maintenance A) Improve the response by the 1) Develop new procedures to be used by the 1.6 City of Ithaca to complaints DPW and Building Dept. to receive, investi- about violations of city codes gate and follow-up on complaints. or ordinances. B) Improve the appearance of both 1) Develop new procedures for the enforcement 1.8 owner and renter occupied of performance standards that are easy and residential buildings. fast to administer. 2) Develop performance standards to regulate 2.6 to appearance and maintenance of buildings and grounds. C) Provide technical and financial 1) Enhance the present INHS program that 2.0 assistance to low income home- assists homeowners in making repairs by owners so that they can adequate- providing adequate financial support and ly maintain their homes. allowing the program to be used outside of the INHS target area. Input by Neighborhood Residents A) Develop a better method to 1) Establish guidelines and procedures for 2.4 resolve disputes that arise the mediation of disputes between neighbor- within the community. hood residents, developers, the City of Ithaca or other community factions. B) Increase communication 1) Urge elected officials to attend neighborhood 2.1 civic associations and thecivic association meetings in their wards. City of Ithaca on issues that 18 affect neighborhoods. 2) Establish an "executive committee"of 2.9 representatives from each neighborhood civic association that meets regularly with city officials. C) Develop greater contact 1) Establish"community relations"committees 2.9 between residents of city at Cornell and I.C.to communicate with neighborhoods and the neighborhood groups and resolve any problems administrations or Cornell that may arise. and Ithaca College. EVALUATION OF THE TAC PLANNING PROCESS The TAC met regularly for eleven consecutive months, during which time they completed a set of recommendations and priorities for the City of Ithaca's Strategic Housing and Neighborhoods Plan. Since the TAC provided the earliest input into the planning process,and the acceptance and implementation of this plan is the responsibility of the City's elected officials, it remains to be seen what impact the TAC's efforts will have on the completed plan. Nevertheless, most members of the TAC felt very positive about their efforts over the last year and the value of those efforts to the City's Strategic Housing and Neighborhoods Plan. At the final TAC meeting,the TAC members discussed the process that they had just completed and reviewed both the positive and negative aspects of that process. It is hoped that these self-evaluative comments will help the City's next planning effort work smoother and more effectively. The positive aspects of the TAC planning process included the following: The TAC made extensive use of local expertise on a variety of technical issues relating to housing and neighborhoods. These included developers, financiers, and the Planning Department staff. Staff work was very helpful in preparing for the meetings, framing the issues, organizing the participants and following up on suggestions. This helped move the process along at a faster rate than would have otherwise been possible. The introductory educational sessions helped individual members attain the personal expertise needed to cast an informed vote on the recommenced strategic objectives and actions. At the end of the sessions, most participants agreed to do additional work to ensure that the recommendations are seriously reviewed and implemented. 19 The TAC process could have been improved by doing the following: Ensuring the active participation of representatives from Ithaca College in the TAC planning process. Despite repeated requests to participate, I.C. officials chose not to attend any TAC meetings. Electing a chairperson from the TAC participants (no one came forth to assume this role, an election was never held). More consistent attendance during the second half of the planning process,particularly from those representing the landlord, developer and financial sectors. The appointment of a student representative to replace the original appointee who failed to participate. The establishment of task forces to deal with specific issues and come up with independent proposals. Despite any shortcomings, the TAC process accomplished a number of goals. First, TAC discussions and deliberations established a direct connection between neighborhood participation and the planning process. This is evidenced by the fact that the most consistent participation came from the neighborhood representatives. Second, a number of TAC members independently suggested strategies for implementing the Housing and Neighborhoods Plan. The suggestion to establish mediation procedures to resolve neighborhood conflicts is an example of such a strategy. Third, a foundation was laid for communicating neighborhood issues between the city and Cornell, which was well represented on the Committee. Some TAC members expressed great concern that Ithaca College chose not to involve itself in the planning process, particularly since it became apparent that the problems involving student housing on South Hill are extremely serious and require a concerted effort by both l.C. and the city to solve. Most TAC members who completed an active term agreed to undertake further responsibility as their recommendations are further considered by other public bodies. This includes attending meetings by the Planning and Development Board and the Planning and Development Committee of Common Council, attending public hearings on the plan, and making themselves available to consult with individuals and groups who desire clarification regarding the views and recommendations of the TAC. TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP NAME AFFILIATION Neff Casaburri Cornell University, Off-campus housing Doug Dylla Fall Creek resident, INHS Charles Fay Southside resident James Gardner Real estate,property management George Gesslein Citizens Savings Bank William Gurowitz ` Cornell University, Campus affairs Mark Haag Rental property owner Nancy Leeming East Hill resident John Novarr Developer, rental property owner Lani Peck West Hill resident Jane Pederson East Hill resident Leslie Phelps Northside resident Judith Rossiter South Hill resident Jon Rudolf Student, renter Herman Sieverding Northside resident, real estate finance Shirley Smith Southside resident