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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-06-02-SteeringCommittee-FINALTOWN OF ULYSSES STEERING COMMITTEE FOR ZONING UPDATES MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 2, 2016 7:00 p.m. Approved: July 7, 2016 Present: Chair Nancy Zahler, Darby Kiley, Elizabeth Thomas, and George Tselekis; C.J. Randall and David West of Randall + West. Rod Hawkes and Sue Ritter were excused. Public in Attendance: John Wertis Agenda Review; Minutes Review (5/5/16) Mr. Tselekis MADE the MOTION to accept the May 5, 2016 meeting minutes, and Ms. Kiley SECONDED the MOTION. The minutes were unanimously accepted, 4-0. Privilege of the Floor In reading through past meeting minutes, Mr. Wertis noted the Town's Ag and Farmland Protection Plan has been consistently referred to inaccurately as the "Farmland Protection Plan" He advised members to keep in mind the Plan serves two purposes: to preserve and protect Ag business and farmlands. Jacksonville Zoning Meeting Prep Ms. Zahler said members of the Jacksonville community would expect an update on Exxon Mobil -owned properties that are currently for sale. She suggested an update at the beginning of the Monday, June 6, focus group session before consultants begin their zoning presentation. Mr. West said the presentation currently does not contain any information about Exxon Mobil properties and is mostly similar to the previous focus group session. Consultants want to hone in on elements of a hamlet center, including building locations, building size and on -street parking, he said. At this time, the consultants previewed their focus -group presentation, covering various aspects of zoning, like bulk standards and allowable uses, while reviewing their vision for a user-friendly zoning document. Timeline of the draft zoning document was also discussed. Mr. West outlined the initial schedule: consultants would have a draft of ag zoning in early July and allow for community and board feedback through August; by early September, a draft of hamlet zoning would be drawn up and considered through October; in December, the final code and map would be delivered. Steering Committee for Zoning Updates 2 Ms. Thomas noted September may be problematic since it is budget season for the Town Board. She said allowing for as much time as possible to consider the draft is important. Getting word to the community about the draft and holding meetings takes significant time, she added. Ms. Zahler said November is election season as well, with the Town presenting a referendum on the topic of elected versus appointed Town officials. Ms. Randall suggested extending the timeline by a quarter, adding NYSERDA is very flexible when it comes to extensions. Ms. Kiley agreed with the suggestion. Mr. West said it might make sense to delay the release of a full draft until January. Asked for his opinion, Mr. Wertis said the more time the better, and the more firm the draft, the better. Committee members reached a consensus on an extension. After a short discussion of possible visual additions to the focus group session, Ms. Zahler said the hamlet's geographic boundary is unclear. Also, she said, the Town needs to get more feedback from focus group attendees on the option of a Park and Ride. Community members in Jacksonville have stated they would like a TCAT Park and Ride, but would the Jacksonville community be in favor of the Town acquiring property from Exxon Mobil for that purpose? she asked. Ms. Randall said where the Park and Ride parking lot would be located is an important consideration. Parking at Ulysses Square was briefly discussed. Discussion then returned to Exxon Mobil and when and how best to present the information at the focus group session. Ms. Thomas suggested making an announcement at the beginning of the meeting, followed by the zoning presentation. Ms. Zahler said she had to check with the Town Attorney to help determine what the Town could say publicly. Ms. Thomas also suggested sending information about Exxon Mobil to the Jacksonville listserv. Does the Town have grounds for a moratorium to prevent chain stores from purchasing the Exxon Mobil properties? Ms. Thomas asked. Ms. Randall said a moratorium is certainly an option. A short discussion ensued regarding additional details to highlight during the focus group presentation, like design guidelines. Ms. Zahler also noted the income survey currently being conducted in Jacksonville. The survey is important because it could prove meaningful when applying for block grants, she said. Ms. Kiley MADE the MOTION to adjourn the meeting, and Ms. Thomas SECONDED the MOTION. Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Louis A. DiPietro II on June 13, 2016.