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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-1971-12-28 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES City of Ithaca Regu?ax Meet--,ng December 28 ,1971 7:30 p.m. PRESENT: Chm. Putney, Messrs. Shaw, Hemming, Burns and Austin. ALSO: Director Meigs, Bldg. Comm. Jones, Stuart Stein, R. Marvin, J. Cantrell, and representatives of the press and radio: Ithaca Journal, P. Walsh; WHCU, J. Ellis; WTKO, D. Torrence and WVBR, Bob Lynch. ABSENT: Vice Chm.. Doney, Mr. Conley. It was MOVED by Mr. Shaw, seconded by Mr. Hemming and CARRIED that Minutes of the last Regular meeting of the Board, November 30, 1971, be approved, amended as follows: On p. 2, OLD BUSINESS: a) Mazza/N. Meadow St. rezoning, paragraph 2, add after sentence 2: Mr. Austin gave comparative figures on assessed valuations on both sides of the street which indicate that any kind of commercial enterprise on the west side would yield more money, tax-wise, to the city. I.ECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS: a) Report on First Meeting of Tompkins County Planning Board - Mr. Hemming, appointed by Mayor Johns as city representative to the County Board, presented the report (see Official Planning Board file) which includes his statement, "The City of Ithaca Planning Board is vitally interested in County efforts to improve the scope of planning, both long- and short-range. We believe, as I am sure you do, that such things as roads, sewers, water, lines, storm sewers, creeks, and neighborhoods, cannot and should not be confined to arbi- trary bounda-Ity linea between our city and our several towns. The City Planning Department needs to be correlated with township and county departments, and, at some point in the future perhaps we can have one large department through intelligent integration of the smaller units , and operate it =der a balanced board." Mr. Hemming also informed the Board that Mr. Liguori distributed to those at the meeting a 91-page book of statistical data titled, "Information for Decision Making in Tompkins County: which members may wish to obtain at some cost. It was MOVED by Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. Shaw, "Planning Board approves the Report." CARRIED. COMMUNICATIONS: a) Letter dated November 30, 1971 from Ithaca City School District, requesting designa- tion of two members of Planning Board as delegates to the Annual Nominating Convention of the Ithaca Citizens Committee on School Board Candidates, to be held in Kulp Auditorium of Ithaca H Lgh School on Monday, January 24, 1972s at 7:30 p.m. - Chairman Putney asked for volunteers to serve and Director Meigs and M�•. k tin responded. Mr. Hemming MOVED, "Director Meigs and Mr. Austin represent the Planning Board as delegates to the Annual Nominating Convention of the Ithaca Citizen Cor-nittee on School Board Candidates." Seconded by Mr. Burns. CARRIED. b) Memorandum dated December 3, 1971 from J. Parkes of the Planning Office of Cornell University, to the effect that the State Department of Transportation plans to close the Forest Home bridge for rereairs for a period of approximately 3 months commencing sometime between Dec. 20 and 24, 1971 - For information of the Board, Director Meigs read the memo which includes the information that "Cornell has proposed that Forest Home Drive between the Martha Van Addition parking lot entrance and Plantations Rd. be marked one-way eastbound. Howard Stevenson [County Highway Superintendent] will ask the State to make that part of Forest Home Drive north and east of Plantations Rd. one-way westbound. Vehicles, then, can get onto Forest Home Drive at either end and get off at Plantations Rd." Chairman Putney directed Director Meigs to correlate with the Supt. of Public Works and the County Highway Supt. regarding the closing of the bridge, the designation of the one-way streets, rerouting of traffic, etc. c) Letter dated Dec. 3, 1971 from Joseph Greenberger, in which he suggests expJ_oring a�,ain the feasibilitZ of decking? some arts of Six-Mile Creek - Director Meigs read the letter from Mr. Greenberger which included the possibility of "utilization of air rights over Six- Mile Creek which would permit Ithaca to take advantage of programs such as the Open Land Program provided by H.U.D. This agency could come up with 50% to 90% of the necessary financing. Additionally, Section 811 of the Housing Act of 1954 relating to defense prepara- tions may be applicable as well. "At any rate, even if the project were to be financed at the local level, the additional tax base coupled with some sort of center-city parkland should offset a substantial part of the costs involved." Mr. -Burns MOVED, "Planning Board direct Mr. Meigs to reply to Mr. Greenberger, inviting him to meet with them and present his idea in more detail for their consideration." Seconded by Mr. Austin. CARRIED. d) (Item not on Agenda) Letter from Dr. Edward C. King re. .Lnplication for conditional M a pro:Tal_ of small su?ldiirision on Cornell Walk.- Mr. Meigs informed the Board that Dr. King has submitted the request together with required deeds and maps but he had not had time to review the matter prior to the meeting. He recommended that it be reviewed and presented to the Board at the Jan. '72 meeting. Nr. Burns MOVED, "The Board refer the matter to dousing & Redevelopment Committee for review and report back to the Board." Seconded by Mr. Austin. CARRIED. C=4ITTEE R7._"`,-.TS- a) 7._"`,-. Sa) General Plan & CapitalImprovements - Regarding N. Meadow St./Mazza rezoning - Mr. Hemming, Chm. of the Conuittee, said that though the Committee had not met to discuss the matter, he believed it should be put up for vote again, providing it be in order. He MOVED, "Planning Board RECOnMEND to Ccmmon Council that the area described by Councilman Bangs' motion (west side of Meadow St. involving the 500, 400 and half the 300 blocks) to be re- zoned to B-4, be so rezoned." Seconded by Mr. Austin. Director Meigs said he believed the motion was out-of-order because the Committee had not met as moved at the last meeting, Mr. Hemming maintained that if there are people who object to the rezoning, they will have the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing of Common Council. Mr. Austin said ' the city will not be harmed in any sense except by leaving the area as it is so that the city continues to 'lose' taxes. 2 Mr. Meigs said the argument that has been advanced so far in favor of rezoning has been based on no special requirement other than the request of a member of Common Council and he does not think it has been studied enough by this Board, or any other body, to make a decision. Mr. Austin replied that if you study the area and are acquainted with it, it is fairly well solidified with the exception perhaps of 1 block. Chm. Putney ruled the motion by 1,1r. Hemming in order and explained that any action of the Board is a recommendation to Common Council. He then asked for a vote on the motion. VOTE: Ayes - 4, CARRIED unanimously. OLD BUSINESS: a) Final report of University Avenue Study from Steven Peterson - Mr. Meigs informed the Board that Mr. Peterson told him the report is at the typist, who expects to have it com- pleted by Monday, Jan. 2. Mr. Shaw MOVED, "the Board extends the deadline for receipt of the final report 2 weeks from this date, or until Jan. 12, 1972." Seconded by Mr. Burns. CARRIED. b) Sign Ordinance - At the Dec. 1, 1971 meeting of the Common Council a resolution was passed that the Sign Ordinance be referred to the Planning Board for study and recommendation thereon prior to Jan. 5, 1972.- Mr. , 1972.- Mr. Shaw MOVED, "the Planning Board RECOMMEND to Common Council that the Sign Ordinance be adopted." Seconded by Mr. Hemming. CARRIED. Mr. Burns abstained from discussion and vote. c) Invoice for printing of General Plan Summary', and General Plan which has been re- ceived from Wilcox Press, and which differs considerably from the bid for the job,- Mr. Meigs reported that City Attorney Weinstein advises the additional charge over that of the bid should be negotiated. In his opinion such a great increase is not justified. Mr. Meigs reported also that City Controller Russell has encumbered funds to take care of any eventualities, but he, too, feels the additional charge should be negotiated. In the discussion which followed, Mr. Burns recommended that the printing company be asked for a detailed accounting of the reason for the increase. The chairman's first reaction was that inasmuch as the job was awarded on the basis of bid, the bid price only should be paid; any excess charge over the accepted bid would have to be strongly questioned and justified by the claimant. Mr. Meigs said that when he inquired of the printer as to the additional cost for corrections and changes, he was given conservative estimates. Mr. Austin was of the opinion that any extra charge shouldn't exceed the bid price by more than a percent similar to other normal price increases for services, and that job extras should likewise be presumed to have limits. Mr. Austin MOVED, "the matter be referred to the Executive & Liaison Committee and Director Meigs for investigation." Seconded by Mr. Burns. CARRIED. 3 d) Capital Improvements: It has been reported that the $18.01 budget adopted by Council includes only $160,000 for capital improvements, a reduction of 85% over the C22ital Improvement Review Committee's proposal. Further review of project proposals by the CIRC is expected. - The reduction makes it important that the Planning Board re-examine the reeom-^ mended projects from its schedule for active construction in the next year. %100,000 for the entire city would effectively limit projects to be.done to other than ones the Planning Board recommended and passed on to the Review Committee. Mr. Shaw MOVED, "General Plan & Capital Improvements Committee reconvene and review priorities and determine if it wishes to make new recommendations to the Review Committee.', Seconded by Mr. Hemming. CARRIED. e)(Item not on Agenda) Disposition of previously approved recommendation for specific ` wording of family definition in new zoning ordinance. Mr. Hemming reported that residents of the area have requested him to inquire into the matter. He submitted the following: "Following several hearings before Common Council, its Codes [Sic] & Ordinance Committee; Planning Board and its Codes & Ordinance Committee, Common Council approved the zoning change requested by property owners in the six block area bounded by Cornell Street, Miller Street, south side of Mitchell Street, and east city line from R-2 to R-1 at a Public Hearing on February 3, 1971, and referred said property owners' other request concerning an amended wording with respect to the definition of the word "FAMILY" to its Codes [Sic] and Ordinance Committee for inclusion in the next revised edition of the City of Ithaca Zoning Ordinance, having approved the following wording et its December 2, 1970 meeting, to wit: "A family consists of one or more persons living in the same household who are related to each other by blood, marriage, or adoption." We are now< asking for a progress report on this matter inasmuch as the Town of Ithaca has seen fit to use the same wording in their new zoning ordinance, we feel that this word "FAMILY". is the key to interpretation of zoning regulations and should be essentially the same ; language for both City and Town of Ithaca." Mr. Hemming MOVED, "the matter be referred to the Board's Codes & Ordinances Committee for investigation and report back at the Jan. '72 meeting of the Board." Seconded by Mr. Austin. CARRIED. Mr. Meigs was directed to follow up with the Codes & Ordinances Committee. NEW BUSINESS: a) Discussion of procedure for interview and selection of junior planner for vacancy created by Mrs. Martinez' resignation - Mr. Meigs reported he has replied to 3 different groups of applicants: 1) foreigners who cannot be considered under Civil Service Law, 2) those applicants who are not available immediately, and 3) several applicants who are still interested, some from as fax away as Washington State, and who have requested telephone interviews. Of those who remain in the third or largest group, a number of them already have ad- vanced degrees; the others, according to the Civil Service requirements, fill the specifica- tions, with some exceptions. Mr. Shaw MOVED, "the Planning Board direct Mr. Meigs to screen the applications by education, experience, availability, etc. and select for the decision of the Board those most nearly filling the requirements of the job." Seconded by Mr. Austin. CARRIED. 4 MISCELLANEOUS: a) Zoning Appeals: 1) BZA Appeal 966 - Request by Electric Repair Shop, Inc. for a Special Permit (Appeal to Sec. 7, Col. 4 of the Zoning Ordinance) at 303 W. Lincoln St. , in an R-3 district, for a sign in excess of that allowed by the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Austin MOVED, "The Planning Board, in its previous recommendation of approval of a variance, specifically for a shall electric appliance repair operation at this location, specified that any signs required by the business should be in character with the existing sign on the adjacent business to the west (Cayuga Electric Co. ) in general size and style, and not obtrusive on the neighborhood. Therefore, the Board at this time reaffirms its recomr.endation to limit the size of the sign to that -of the one next door." Seconded by Mr. Shaw. CARRIED. 2) BZA Appeal 967 - Request by Rhomac for a Variance to Sec. 7, Cols. 2 and 3 of the Zoning Ordinance at 210 Center St. , in an R-3 district. Mr. Austin MOVED, "Planning Board RECO11,11END granting the variance requested, specifically for the sale of floor maintenance chemicals and equipment, and service associated therewith.P4 Seconded by Mr. Burns. CARRIED. Chairman Putney addressed the Board briefly, expressing his appreciation for their cooperation during the period of his chairmanship and the previous 2 1/2 years when he served as a member, and his hope that the members will remain interested and be successful in the coming years. Mr. Hemming said that though he has served on the Board less than 6 months, he feels he has learned a great deal from the experience. MEETING ADJOURNED 9:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, than C. Meigs 12.30.71 Planning Director 5