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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PDB-1977-01-25 MINUTES PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD - CITY OF ITHACA Regular Meeting, January 25i 1977 , Common Council Chamber, City Hall PRESENT: Chairperson LeG. Benson, D. Fuller, R. Hildreth, M. Crowley, R. Bordoni ALSO: M. Parkhurst, J. Bernstein, H. M. Van Cort, E". Gellerman, T. Hoard, A. Albanese , other members of the press and the public 1. Call to order. The Chairperson called the meeting to order. 2 . Approval of the minutes of December 28, 1976 . Mr. Fuller. MOVED approval of the minutes. Mr. Hildreth seconded. Minutes approved. 3. Chairperson' s report. Ms. Benson welcomed Councilman Raymond Bordoni and Ms. Mary Crowley to the Planning and Development Board. She then spoke about tax abatement for developers. She said there is a new possibility for granting up to 50% tax abatement for new construction, and referred the matter to executive committee of the Board to make a recommendation as to what the City 's position should be. The chairperson noted that the next meeting of the Board will be held in the Fall Creek district, probably in the Fall Creek School. She said the executive committee had met to discuss school reorganization and had expressed its frustration at not being able to get planning points across. On behalf of the Planning and. Development Board, Ms. Benson attended a School Board-sponsored public meeting and expressed the Board's concern with keeping neighborhood schools open, for the preservation of the neighborhoods. She said the proposed closings would be a one-time savings followed by expenditures for busing which would be long-lasting. She said she hoped joint occupancy .would be actively pursued by the Board of Education and Administration. Ms. Williams of the Planning Department also addressed that meeting. Ms. Benson noted that :she had received a communication from Mrs. Detweiler thanking the Board for its consideration of her case. 4. Special order of Business. None. 5. Zoning Cases: Appeal 1147 : Appeal to permit continuation and remodeling of a Gulf Service Station at 302 West Seneca, which is anon- conforming use in an R-3 zone. The staff reported that the station owners wanted to clean up and modernize the station and to make it at least partly self-service. They were requesting a variance to section 30. 25 Column 2 (Permitted Use) and section 30.49c (Extension of Non-Conforming Use) . They did not claim any hardship. The staff noted that gas stations are not permitted in R-3 zones. Gulf is proposing three signs (a Gulf sign P & D BOARD MINUTES 2 January 25 , 1977 and gas price sign on one pole, and a building sign) ; they are permitted only one pylon sign. The staff recommended that the exterior architectural treatment be carried completely around the building, that the proposed 4x 5 ' price sign not be accepted and that live plants be used in the landscaping instead of the proposed plastic shrubs. Staff noted that business had increased since the closing of part of State Street, and that this had been the stimulus to improve the station. The owners are also planning substantial improvements to the building involving removal of the service bays and installing larger tanks. Ms. Benson remarked that since there is so much traffic on Seneca Street now, the street is no longer desirable for residence and that the zoning map should perhaps be changed to reflect. this. Mr. Fuller noted that he approved of the property improvement, but not the signs, and added that the improvement of the station' s business would be reflected in an increase in sales tax returns for the City. Ms. Benson felt that real plants should be substituted for the existing plastic one, for ecological as well as aesthetic reasons. Mr. Fuller MOVED recommending approval with the following conditions : 1. That live plants be substituted for plastic; 2. That the thematic architecture of the building be carried through- out the building's exterior; 3. That the proposed signs be reduced in size by one-third. He so -recommended because the City has caused a change in traffic patterns and thus a change in the community. He felt the gas station could be designed to be compatible with the community. Mr. Hildreth seconded. Mr. Hoard noted that the Gulf station owners had not applied for a sign permit and that this request would have to . go through the Planning and Development Board as well. A vote was called. APPROVED unanimously. Appeal 1148 : Appeal to permit change in non-conforming use from grocery to storage and servicing of vending machines at 213 First Street, in an R-3 zone. The store is located between Monroe and Madison Streets. It has been for sale for one year, but because of its proximity to the P & C, it has not attracted buyers. Though there is an apartment upstairs, it would take some extensive remodeling to convert the ground floor to residential use. Compatible commerical uses might be office or storage which would not be open for long hours of business as the grocery had been. The staff .reported that the lot is deficient in front and side yards. The proposed use would involve truck traffic . and recommended denial as the proposed use isnot in keeping with the character of the neighborhood and not in keeping with long!­�range planning objectives . Mr. Van Cort remarked that this use would not P & D BOARD MINUTES -3- January 25 , 1977 provide a service for neighborhood residents, either. He said the staff preferred the property be converted back to residential use, or, if it were to be used commercially, that the business be a home occupation or one that does not involve much traffic. Mr. Hildreth said he did not think vending machine storage would require very much traffic. Ms. Benson noted that using part of a neighborhood for dead storage does nothing for the neighborhood. Mr. Hildreth stated that there were hardships involved which were not claimed on the Appellant' s application. Mr. Fuller' MOVED recommeding denial of the application. Ms. Crowley seconded. CARRIED by the following vote : AYE: Fuller, Bordoni, Crowley NAY: Hildreth Ms. Meyer proposed that the Planning Board find a volunteer architect to discuss conversion of the space with the owner. Mr. Bordoni stated that one of the building 's major problems is that it is situated directly abutting the sidewalk. Mr. Hildreth added that it would be difficult to do anything else with the building and that as it presently stood, the building would be taken off the tax rolls because it is so expensive to convert. Appeal 1149 : Renewal of appeal to permit additional non-conforming uses at 102 Adams Street, in an R-3 zone. The uses proposed are a retail bakery and storage of amusement services. Mr. Van Cort noted that this case had been returned to the Planning and Development Board as a result of having been turned down by the BZA which requested additional information on the over all planned usage of the building. The bakery would use 1600 square feet and would require four parking spaces. There are no structural changes required for the bakery' s installation. The amusement company is an existing, small operation, requiring little traffic. The building owners. do not feel this usage is detrimental to the neighborhood. The staff recommended approval with the condition that the owners consult with the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission before making any exterior changes to the building. The staff similarly recommended approval fo the amusement company request for variance. Mr. Albanese stated that there is a book club on the second floor of the building, which generates little traffic and the machine storage is also a quiet business . He said he thought he hada-a blanket variance on storage tenants. Mr. Van Cort said that he was required to have a variance for each additional enterprise. Mr. Hildreth MOVED that the Board recommend approval of the appeal. Mr. Bordoni seconded. CARRIED unanimously. P & D BOARD MINUTES -4 January 25, 1977 Appeal 1150 : Resubmission of request for expansion of non-conforming use in an R-3 zone. This is a re-application by the Ithaca Gymnastics Center. The staff recommended not delaying a decision on this case. The Center has provided the 24 parking spaces recommended but they are very tight. They are suggesting a mock-tudor exterior treatment, for the addition which would would blend better with the existing structure than their original proposed addition. Mr. Van Cort suggested that it would be better to screen parking from adjoining uses and to eliminate some of the less usable parking spaces. He added that the Center provided an important service to the community. Mr. Fuller MOVED recommending approval with more reasonable parking, and with parking screened from adjoining uses. Mr. Hildreth seconded. CARRIED unanimously. 6. Communications. None. 7. Committee reports. This topic had been covered earlier in the meeting. 8. Old Business: Zoning Study - Mr. Van Cort reported that the 20% survey of households was practically completed. The department has gotten some print-outs from the assessment office. The staff is gearing up to draft proposed revisions to the zoning ordinance. There have been two meetings of the citizens ' advisory committee and the study is proceeding on schedule. The next citizens ' meeting is schedule for Tuesday, February 8, at 9 :00 AM. School Reorganization - The School Board has held two public meetings. At the last one, opinion was almost unanimously against closing public schools. Editorials and letters to Ithe editor have been against the proposed closings. Ms. Benson and two staff members have spoken at the meetings. The Mayor and the Director of Planning and Development are scheduled to speak at the next meeting. The staff and Mayor think that joint occupancy is the most flexible and least damaging way of dealing with current financial problems. The City of Toronto has also decided to go with this solution. Flint, Michigan, Seattle, Washington and Arlington, Virginia have also decided on joint occupancy. The Board of Education seems very reluctant, however, to solve their problems in this manner, or to take joint occupancy seriously. Ms. Benson said she felt the excess space problem is temporary and that the Board would be making a great mistake by closing schools. Ms. Meyer expressed concern that the Board was treating East Hill as if it were not a neighborhood. Ms . Benson noted that the Planning Board felt strongly that East Hill is a neighborhood, but that closing East Hill school would be very damaging to that neighborhood. Mr. Fuller stated that the School Board is trying to deny the existence of other P & D BOARD MINUTES -5 January 25, 1977 neighborhoods as well. Ms. Benson encouraged Planning and Development Board members to attend the next public School Board meeting and to speak out against closings. Elmira Road - Mr. Van Cort reported that since the last Planning and Development Board meeting, the Elmira Road improvement plan has gone to the Board of Public Works. The consulting engineer has completed construction drawings without attention to urban design, street furniture, etc. At a meeting with the Board of Public Works and others, it was decided to hire a landscape architect from Syracuse to develop a landscape plan. Light poles , signs , signal poles, etc. will hopefully be designed into a uniform plan. All .City departments are in agreement that hiring a landscape architect was a good step. 9 . New Business. None. 10. Adjournment. There being no further business, Mr. Bordoni MOVED to adjourn the meeting at 9 :05. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD 1977 Committee Assignments Chairperson: Ms. LeGrace G. Benson Vice Chairperson: Mr. Stuart W. Stein EXECUTIVE & LIAISON COMMITTEE Benson (Chr. ) Stein Hildreth. Fuller Moran HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Moran (Chr. ) Bordoni Crowley Hildretk GENERAL PLAN & CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS COMMITTEE Stein (Chr. ) Fuller Benson Bordoni CODES & ORDINANCES COMMITTEE Fuller (Chr. ) Hildreth Benson Stein COMMUNITY FACILITIES & SERVICES COMMITTEE Hildreth (Chr. ) Crowley Moran