HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 ILPC Annual Report
Date: 12/5/11
To: Carolyn Peterson, Mayor
Cc: Ithaca Common Council
From: Lynn C. Truame, Historic Preservation Planner
Re.: 2011 Annual Report of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission
As required by §73-5 of the City Municipal Code, I am pleased to submit the following report concerning
the activities of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission for the period October 1, 2010 –
September 30, 2011. This reporting period is stipulated by the New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation for Certified Local Government programs.
During the period 10/1/10 through 9/30/11, the ILPC heard thirty-one cases requesting Certificates of
Appropriateness for exterior alternations to locally designated historic properties. Of these, twenty-two
were approved as presented, seven were approved with modifications, and two were denied. The
Commission heard one request for issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness on the basis of economic
hardship. As required under §228-4(E)(1)(b) of the City Municipal Code, a financial analysis was
conducted to determine whether denial of this Certificate of Appropriateness would result in the owner’s
inability to earn a reasonable return on their investment. This analysis revealed that the owner was not
prevented from earning a reasonable return as a result of denial of the C of A and the application was
therefore denied. The decision was not appealed.
Seventy-two percent of the cases heard by the ILPC during this period involved minor alterations to the
property in question. Sixteen percent involved major alterations or additions, and twelve percent
involved new construction.
Changes During the Period
On July 15, 2011, Leslie Chatterton, the City’s Historic Preservation & Neighborhood Planner, retired
after 25 years of service. On September 7, 2011, Lynn C. Truame was hired to fill the position. The
position was reduced from full-time (35 hours/week) to part-time (20 hours/week). Lynn Truame is a
1991 graduate of the Cornell University program in Historic Preservation Planning and has 23 years’
experience in the preservation field.
In November 2010, Michael McGandy was appointed to the ILPC to fill a vacant position. Mr.
McGandy is an editor with the Cornell University Press, concentrating on American history and politics.
Continuing members of the ILPC for this period are Susan Stein, Chair; Susan Jones, Vice-chair; Nancy
Brcak; Ed Finegan; and David Kramer. There is one position vacant.
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
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Trainings and Workshops
Commission members Susan Jones and David Kramer attended the Landmark Society of Western New
York’s regional preservation conference in Dansville, NY, on April 30, 2011.
Historic Inventory Work
In May, 2011, the City applied to the Preservation League of New York State for funds to support the
completion of a local historic district nomination for the Henry St. John Historic District, on Ithaca’s
south side. Notice of an award of funding was received in September 2011. The project will involve
completing research on 59 properties in the area that have been previously surveyed, surveying an
additional 18 buildings for which no documentation currently exists, and preparing a Certified Local
Historic District nomination. The City has contracted with Historic Ithaca, Inc., for this work.
Completion of the nomination is expected in fall 2012. If approved, the Henry St. John Historic District
will become the seventh designated historic district in the city, joining the DeWitt Park, Clinton Block,
East Hill, Cornell Heights, Cornell Arts Quad, and University Hill Historic Districts. Contributing
properties that are located in these districts are eligible for both the Federal and New York State
Rehabilitation Tax Credits, as well as the City’s own local property tax abatement program for the
rehabilitation of historic properties.
In September 2010, the City applied to the Certified Local Government Program for funds to support an
intensive level survey of 15 historic properties in the Collegetown area. Notice of an award of funding
was received in June 2011, however due to the change in staffing mentioned above the contract with the
consultant was not executed until September 2011. Because the request could not be fully funded by the
CLG program, the scope of work was reduced to include only 12 of the originally proposed properties.
The project involves research, documentation, and preparation of complete New York State Building
Structure Inventory forms sufficient to serve as the basis for local historic designation of the 12
properties in question. These properties are not contiguous and are being considered for designation as
individual local landmarks, not as a historic district.
Historic Designations
Two buildings in the Collegetown neighborhood were designated as individual local landmarks during
the period covered by this report: the John Snaith House (140 College Ave) and the Grand View House
(209 College Ave). Both nominations were prepared and submitted by Mary Raddant Tomlan and both
were opposed by their owners at the ILPC level, but were not opposed once they reached the Common
Council level.
Related to the Collegetown Terrace project, a property determined worthy of preservation was approved
for local designation by the ILPC but was not approved by Common Council. The building, known as
the Delano House, was subsequently demolished. At issue was the timing of the proposed designation
relative to the stage of development of the Collegetown Terrace plans. The Planning Board asserted that
it was too late in the process to demand the significant revisions to the overall project design that would
have been required to preserve the Delano House. In weighing the recommendations of the ILPC and the
Planning Board, Common Council ultimately agreed with the Planning Board and elected not to
designate the property.
Major Projects in Progress
Two major projects were in progress at the beginning of this reporting period and remain in progress as
of this date: revisions and amendments to Chapters 73 and 228 of the City Municipal Code (collectively
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known as the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance), and completion and publication of the City of Ithaca
Historic District and Landmark Design Guidelines.
Staff have finalized the proposed revisions to the Landmarks Ordinance and these have been approved by
the ILPC, which issued a resolution in support. The proposed revisions will be considered by the
Planning Board at their December 20 meeting, by the Planning and Economic Development Committee
at their January 2012 meeting, and by the Common Council at their February 2012 meeting.
A draft of the Design Guidelines was prepared in May 2011 by a student in the Cornell University
Historic Preservation Planning Program, but the electronic copy that was provided to the City is not in a
format that is editable on City computers. The ILPC Secretary is working with Professor Jeff Chusid at
Cornell University to resolve this problem so that final edits can be made and the document can be
published. The purpose of the Design Guidelines is to better explain the historic designation process and
the ramifications of historic designation to members of the public, and to provide guidance to owners of
designated historic properties for their use in planning repair, restoration, and rehabilitation projects.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynn C. Truame
ILPC Secretary