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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCP101006Town of Ulysses Comprehensive Plan Committee October 10, 2006 Approved 10/24/06 Present: Robert Brown, Heather Filiberto, David Kerness, Sue Poelvoorde, Elizabeth Thomas, David Tyler, John Wertis Absent: Darien Simon, Sue Ritter, Jennifer Wapinski-Moordian, Debbie Watkins, Robert Weatherby Ms. Poelvoorde called the meeting to order at 7:15pm. She presented the minutes from the October 10th meeting with corrections. Mr. Weatherby was listed as absent in the voting but not in the attendance section, she noted two other corrections. She asked if there was a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Tyler made the MOTION, seconded by Mr. Brown to APPROVE the minutes with the submitted corrections. The vote was taken as follows: AYES: Mr. Brown, Ms. Filiberto, Mr. Kerness, Ms. Poelvoorde, Ms. Thomas, Mr. Tyler, Mr. Wertis NAYS: N/A ABSTAINED: N/A ABSENT: Ms. Simon, Ms. Ritter, Ms. Wapinski-Moordian, Ms. Watkins The Minutes of October 10, 2006 were approved with corrections. Ms. Poelvoorde asked if the group would like to offer general comments of the most recent draft of the survey. Ms. Filiberto stated it is small and bold and hard to read. She would like to see the font made regular and bigger. Ms. Poelvoorde agreed the font was difficult to read especially if an ind ividual wears reading glasses. Mr. Wertis asked where they had left off at the last meeting. Ms. Poelvoorde noted they had left at the environment section. Mr. Wertis stated he noticed before you get off the first page there is a random question Ms. Poelvoorde stated they had to revisit this item. Mr. Kerness asked if they could make the decision tonight, at the last meeting they had decided to put the ranking in. Mr. Brown stated he thought the ranking (1b) was confusing. They will have professional planners and non professional planners completing this survey. If he received this survey in the mail it would end up in his shredder after reviewing the first few questions. Ms. Poelvoorde stated the suggestion was to rank the top 5 of their most important items. Ms. Thomas asked if they get rid of the 1b and ask them to rank the most important issues would these alleviate confusion. Mr. Kerness asked why are they ranking these again, isn’t that what the other categories are doing. He asked what they would do with the results if only half of the people complete the ranking. Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 2 Ms. Poelvoorde noted that would be reflected in the statistics. Mr. Tyler asked if they can have question one moved to the bottom of the document. If it is discouraging then moving it to the bottom would help prevent discouragement from the first page. Ms. Poelvoorde stated there are two rankings but this document is not finished. Ms. Filiberto stated she found it confusing in that you are asking how important, then the ranking puts one against the other. She would like to see the section removed. Mr. Tyler asked if they remove 1a, 1b and the ranking would these be less confusing. The other members agreed they thought this would be less confusing. Ms. Poelvoorde stated when they add the columns they will establish what is very important, important etc. Mr. Tyler asked if they could jump ahead and finish the categories they had not reviewed. Ms. Poelvoorde offered they rename the Public Safety & Services to Public Services and Transportation. Mr. Kerness asked if they would insert the 5 point response for all of the categories. Ms Poelvoorde stated that was the decision made as it provides a more accurate response. She noted all of the categories should be changed to reflect the 5 point response. Mr. Tyler asked why they were concerned with truck traffic on Route 89. Mr. Kerness replied it is illegal, Route 89 is designated as a collector road and unless the truck is making a delivery they should not be on the road. Ms. Poelvoorde stated Route 89 is a State Highway, it cannot be restricted. Mr. Kerness stated he reviewed the Tompkins County Highway Classification map and it is designated as a collector road. Ms. Poelvoorde replied she would check into this but it is a state highway and cannot be restricted. There might be an error on the map. Mr. Filiberto stated irregardless of the status, the point to consider is can the Comprehensive Plan do anything to change the traffic flow or congestion. Ms. Poelvoorde stated that is a good measure to use in considering all of these categories. When reviewing the questions does the Comprehensive Plan and/or the Town have any control over this area. They can recommend land use planning that does not aggravate the problem but some areas they cannot change i.e. school taxes are decided by the school board. Ms. Filiberto noted the Town may be able to put pressure on DOT to alleviate this issue but it is up to DOT. A discussion continued regarding revisions to the Public Services and Transportation section of the survey. It was noted that the Comprehensive Plan does not have any effect on the school, truck traffic on 89/96. They do appreciate the issues are relative to why people like/dislike Ulysses but they cannot change anything regarding these areas. The changes were made to this section of the survey. Mr. Wertis had asked regarding a statement Ms. Simon had provided via email to replace the current statement pertaining to question 2. Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 3 Ms. Poelvoorde offered to write the message on the board since some members did not have access to email. The statement was as follows. Please help us direct the revision of the plan by telling us if the following specific factors and/or of Ulysses need improvement (very or somewhat necessary), are ok as they are or need less attention (somewhat or very necessary). A discussion of this message ensued, the majority of the members felt it was confusing, and did not like how everything is explained in parentheses. It was felt it was self exp lanatory having the different columns. This would reduce the columns to a three point response, the members affirmed they would leave the 5 point system with the statement for section 2. Please rate the following areas as to how important/necessary these aspects of the Town of Ulysses are to you. Mr. Wertis noted that they realized they were being subjective and slipped back to not being subjective but then chose to actually use the survey in the subjective manner- what is important to you vs. important to Ulysses. Mr. Tyler stated that is the response they need, the cumulative total would give the overall response for the town as a whole. Mr. Kerness stated an example would be cluster subdivision, to him it is not important but to the town as a whole it is. Mr. Wertis stated they had that discussion at the last meeting and it kicked back to what is important to you. Ms. Thomas stated that is what she is concerned about, will they get what is important to the town vs. an individual. Ms. Filiberto stated it should be how important to you, when you ask for the greater good they evaluate and there is a right or wrong answer. What are my personal views then you get their opinions. Ms. Thomas stated another example is starter homes, it may not be important to her but it might be important to her friends. Mr. Tyler noted their opinions would be gathered when they complete a survey. Ms. Thomas stated but this is the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Brown stated this is not the plan, this is the survey that gathers the data. Mr. Tyler stated the Comprehensive Plan is a government function, the survey is not. The survey will individually and then collectively gather the data; they can determine the center of gravity and compile the Comprehensive Plan from this data. Mr. Kerness prepared a revision to section 3 through 7, he distributed copies to the members. The members discussed and after making edits to his draft changed the survey to reflect his suggestions. The decision to remove the contact information which allows the survey to remain anonymous was offered. The discussion led to asking anyone interested in volunteering for focus groups could contact the Town Hall. It was decided this would be a better option. The meeting continued to review the sections of the survey E dits were made after the discussions, the draft of October 10, 2006 is listed below. Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 4 Town of Ulysses Comprehensive Plan Survey Dear Town of Ulysses resident: The Town is currently updating its comprehensive plan for the future of our town. The plan is intended to act as a road map for guiding future growth and development, implementing planning and zoning changes, identifying important natural resources and unique features in the Town that should be preserved. We need the input of residents, 18 years and older, as this plan is being prepared. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey questions below, and return it NO LATER HAN________________. If more than one adult in the household would like to complete a survey, please call the Town Hall (387-5767) for additional copies. Thank you for your thoughtful contribution to this process. (Place a √ in one box per line.) 1. Please rate the following existing aspects of the Town of Ulysses. Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important A. Agricultural Land B. Open Space (Undeveloped) C. The Village of Trumansburg D. Historic Structures E. Outdoor Recreation F. Taughannock Park G. Shopping H. Commercial/Professional Services I. “Small Town” Atmosphere (Built environment) J. Volunteer/Community Activities K. Sense of Community (Sense of belonging) L. Zoning/Planning M. School N. Church O. Other-specify______________________ Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Please rate the following areas as to how important/necessary these aspects of the Town of Ulysses are to you. A. RESIDENTIAL Very necessary Necessary Adequate Unnecessary Very Unnecessary 1. Diverse Housing Availability 2. Starter Homes/Affordable Housing 3. Well maintained homes 4. Availability of Senior Housing 5. Planned residential subdivision 6. Cluster** Residential subdivision 7. Apartment Housing 8. Town houses / condominiums 9. Closeness to work 10. Other:_____________________ **Cluster –detached dwelling units grouped close together with land devoted to open space. 2. Please rate the following areas as to how important/necessary these aspects of the Town of Ulysses are to you. (Continued) B. COMMERCIAL Very necessary Necessary Adequate Unnecessary Very Unnecessary 1. New small-scale development (neighborhood services- e.g. gas station) 2. New large-scale development (e.g. Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 5 mall) 3. New light industrial development (e.g. technology park) 4. Businesses centered on tourism 5. National chain store development 6. “Strip” development along highways 7. “Cluster” development off highways 8. Commercial development in the Village of Trumansburg 9. Commercial development in Jacksonville 10. Other_______________________ B1. Which type of development do you prefer? Please check one: Cluster____ Strip____ both____ C. ENVIRONMENT Very Important Important No Opinion Unimportant Very Unimportant 1. Conserving scenic natural beauty 2. Preservation of historic character/structures 3. Opportunities to safely walk and bike 4. Clean lake water 5. Clean air 6. Protect natural areas and open space 7. Stream protection 8. Stormwater and erosion control 9. Renewable energy resources 10. Other____________________________ D. PUBLIC SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION Very Important Important No Opinion Unimportant Very Unimportant 1. Educational facilities/Schools 2. New recreational facilities 3 Existing recreational facilities 4. Youth Activities Services 5. Fire Protection 6. Water district 7. Sewer district 8. Public transportation 9. Library 10. Bike Paths 11. Sidewalks 12. Road Maintenance 13. Other____________________________ 2. Please rate the following areas as to how important/necessary these aspects of the Town of Ulysses are to you. (Continued) E. PRIVATE SECTOR Very Important Important No Opinion Somewhat Important Not Important 1. Quality of service from local businesses 2. Selection of stores/services 3. Professional (law, dental, etc.) services 4. Trumansburg’s Farmers Market 5. Support large scale agriculture 6. Encourage small scale agriculture 7. Other ________________________ F. ECONOMIC BASE Very Important Important No Opinion Somewhat Important Not Important 1. Job opportunity (within Ulysses) 2. Property taxes (town, village, county) Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 6 3. School taxes 4. Increase commercial development 5. Increase residential development 6. Patronizing local businesses 7. Other__________________________ Comment______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Consider the broad areas you just reviewed, which areas do feel need the greatest improvement. Please rank the categories - 1 being the greatest needing improvement and 8 being the least needing improvement. Residential ____ Commercial ____ Environment ____ Public Services/Transportation ____ Private Sector ____ Economic Base ____ Other____________________________ ____ 4. How would you suggest we accomplish these improvements? Please rank these methods 1 being the best and 6 being the worst. Re-prioritizing ____ Volunteer efforts ____ Grant Funding ____ Tax Increase ____ Tax Incentives ____ Other_________________ ____ 5. What do you love about where you live? ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. Please tell us a little about yourself, A. What is your age? Under 25 _____26 to 44 _____45 to 65 _____Over 65 _____ B. Where do you live? Village Hamlet Farm Lakeshore Rural Residential Owner Renter C. Which best describes your education level? 1. Some High School _____ 2. High School Graduate _____ 3. Technical & Vocational _____ 4. College Graduate _____ 5. Post Graduate _____ D. How long have you lived in Ulysses? 1. Less than 1 year _____ 2. 2-5 years _____ 3. 6-10 years _____ 4. 11-20 years _____ 5. more than 20 years _____ 7. Would you like to participate in a focus group that will be giving input into the comprehensive plan? If so please call the Town Hall at 387-5767 and leave your name and contact information. CPC-rcp 10/10/06 Ms. Poelvoorde asked the group if they felt they had a survey ready to be reviewed. Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 7 Mr. Kerness asked how they would contact the Cornell group. Ms. Poelvoorde stated Ms. Ritter had made the initial contact so they can let her know it is ready. Mr. Tyler stated they should have friends or family test drive the survey. They can edit and provide comments if they had a problem with it. He thought one or two per member should be sufficient. A review of the timeline reflected they would like to have the survey by Thanksgiving, this does not leave much time to do this. Ms. Poelvoorde noted the regular meeting would be October 24th, they can get the labels from the county, and Ms. Ritter was discussing using BOCES to do the mailings. In two weeks they would need the stamp of approval and have it ready for the sample group. She stated they would need to pass a resolution to request the Town Board approve using the Cornell as a consultant. Ms. Carlisle Peck stated we can contact the assessment office and the company that handles the mailing, we could get them lined up so we are on their calendar. Ms. Filiberto stated the assessment office uses their data and if the there is a difference in physical address vs. owners address (i.e. rentals) it will still print a label for the occupant. Mr. Tyler suggested they meet the 24th, get Cornell to do the review, and via mail/email get their copy of the survey and have them done by friends/family. They could meet the following week. Ms. Filiberto asked what the worst case scenario is, if they cannot get it done by Thanksgiving, would it be better to wait until after Christmas. The group decided it would be better to wait until after the first of the year due to individual’s obligations during the holidays. The discussion ensued and due to unknown answers from Cornell they realized they may have to do additional work on the survey. They still have to get the survey to Ms. Ritter and contact the group to find out the procedure. Mr. Kerness offered to contact the Cornell office, he will work with Ms. Ritter and he would like to go to the meeting with her. Ms. Filiberto offered to contact the County Assessment office to request the labels. Ms. Carlisle Peck offered to contact Marsha to see who the Town has used for their mailings. She stated they should discuss with Cornell how they bill. She offered to contact Marsha on how the Town would arrange this billing and get back to the members. Ms. Poelvoorde reminded the group they need a resolution to approve using the Cornell group as the consultant for the survey, she added they would need to designate a specific amount the Town Board can review for approval. The motio n was made as follows. TOWN OF ULYSSES Comprehensive Plan Committee RESOLUTION NO. 2006-001 Cornell Research Institute Consultant for survey review and administration MOTION made by Ms. Filiberto, seconded by Mr. Brown WHEREAS: 1. The Committee has drafted the survey for gathering the data to develop the Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive Plan 10/10/2006 8 2. The Cornell Survey Research Institute has been consulted regarding tasks they can undertake to review the survey, and analyze/compile the statistics from the surveys. 3. The Committee has reviewed the cost estimates to be within their budgeted amount and would like to request $3,000.00 to hire the Cornell Survey Research Institute. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Town of Ulysses Comprehensive Plan Committee requests to the Town Board the Cornell Survey Research Institute be hired as a consultant to review, analyze and assist in survey implementation. The amount of $3,000.00 is being requested to cover said expenses. The vote on the motion resulted as follows: AYES: Mr. Brown, Ms. Filiberto, Mr. Kerness, Ms. Poelvoorde, Ms. Thomas, Mr. Tyler, Mr. Wertis NAYS: NONE ABSENT: Ms. Simon, Ms. Ritter, Ms. Watkins, Ms. Wapinski-Mooradian ABSTAINED: NONE The vote on the motion WAS CARRIED unanimously. Ms. Poelvoorde stated she was asked to divide the $30,000.00 they requested. The four categories/amounts designated she used were Clerical Support -$10,000.00), Resident Survey- $4,500.00, Public Focus Sections- $2,000.00 and Professional Planner- $13,500.00. This would include funds not used in 2006 be rolled over. The members agreed this would be a sufficient amount to request. The next meeting is scheduled for October 24th, 7:00 pm at the Town Hall. The meeting was adjourned at 9:18pm. Respectfully submitted, Robin Carlisle Peck Administrative Assistant 10/17/06