HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PRNR-2019-01-14
PARKS, RECREATION AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
COMMISSION MINUTES
PRESENT:
Chair - Roth
Commissioners - (8) Freyburger, George, Hoffman, Leventry, Moeller, Myers, Sanders-Jauquet,
Shelley
OTHERS PRESENT:
Common Council Liaisons – Brock, Kerslick
Financial Management Assistant - Swartz
City Forester – Grace
Deputy Youth Bureau Director – D’Alterio
EXCUSED: None
Agenda Review:
Add Park sign update under old business.
Statement from the Public: None
Commission Response: N/A
Welcome to new members:
Hannah George and Mickie Sanders-Jauquet
Old Business:
Survey review and discussion - Monika provided a summary of the survey input from all members
and reviewed the results. She also met with JoAnn Cornish to review the survey and get input
from the Planning Dept. about their priorities for our commission work. She mentioned the
following: Memorial Policy, Parks funding, natural areas/trails and Regional Parks Commission –
however, the city did not get funding to conduct a Phase II Parks Study. Other topics on the list:
Geese – State may be conducting a culling program. Deer – Town of Ithaca is moving ahead
with their culling starting on West Hill. Biophilia group is stepping back to do more outreach
before coming back with a resolution. The City Cemetery, given its large size, might be
designated as a park to qualify for specific funding. As it stands now, the City Cemetery does not
qualify for grants. The City Cemetery active friends group will present to the commission at a
future meeting. Additions to the list: Environmental reviews and energy use (part of our assigned
duties) and garden space. Drugs and homeless encampments might be something that
Community Life Commission would address. High priority topics to address based on the survey
are: Parks plan recommendations including funding and neighborhood input, deer management
and natural areas. Following that: memorials, waterfront parks commission planning and
waterfront development impacts. Athletic fields and playgrounds are medium priority and
attention should be given to funding for regular maintenance.
Date: January 14, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Common Council Chambers,
3rd Floor, City Hall
Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission
January 14, 2019
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Discussion of presentations at Decembers meeting, commissions response & possible next steps
1. STAC request to become a working group – Some recommended that we keep them as a
working group or sub group to keep them active. A suggestion was made to ask them to come
up with a couple of items they want to work on in the coming year and set specific goals. STAC
meets once every 2 months with Jeanne Grace
2. Ithaca Falls Memorial Bench Proposal – Cynthia Brock made a presentation to the Planning
Committee on this. There was a suggestion that there should be some attempt to ask the
community about what they want to see in the space. We should also have the Memorial Policy
in place before we can make a recommendation to allow a bench/park to memorialize a person.
Monika noted that it was unclear whether the group was looking for a memorial bench specifically
or just a project in memory of their friend who lived there. Ellen will pull the old files on the most
recent Memorial Policy discussion. We will discuss at the next meeting. One challenge will be
that once a new space is developed, additional maintenance funds need to be allocated and
there are no additional staff.
3. Athletic field study – The athletic field study group is proposing to create soccer fields,
specifically, but they are presenting it as athletic fields for multi-purpose use. The engineering
and planning department talked to them about the issues/problems involved with the areas of
vacant land that they chose. There is some funding in the City budget for playing field
improvements in 2019.
4. Deer Management - The Town of Ithaca is starting on West Hill with land owners (mostly
farmers) who will get nuisance permits. A large area for a possible bait and shoot culling program
is Six mile creek natural area, which is mostly in the town, but hunting is not permitted in the City
or in the Natural Area, so first there would have to be some amendment to the law to permit a
program there. Our role is to review, research and resolve to make recommendations. Do we
form a working group? A suggestion was made by Jeanne, that we first have a small group meet
to make recommendations to bring back at next month’s meeting. Jeanne, Tom, Hannah and
Monika volunteered. Monika will call a meeting.
5. Park signage update – Ellen passed around sign examples using a combination of Icons and
wording. The majority of the group likes the icon idea. Ellen will ask Iron Design to come up with
samples for future meetings.
Environmental review subcommittee report - Tom Shelley, Dan Hoffman, Scott Freyburger
1. Falls Park Apartments (near Ithaca Falls). This proposal is to build a 4-story apartment
building with 74 units, on the former Ithaca Gun site adjacent to the City's Ithaca Falls Natural
Area. In about 2007, the City and the property owner (now known as Travis Hyde Properties)
entered into an agreement that was intended to facilitate redevelopment of the site and to
enhance public access to the natural area. With the agreement, the City's intention was to
enable the public to walk to the Island (once the contamination is remediated) using an existing
bridge that served Ithaca Gun and enjoy this vista. The agreement also said the developer would
provide (on its property) at least two handicapped parking spaces for those wanting to use the
public walkway/overlook, who needed them. Another feature of the agreement committed the
developer to trying its best to save the old Ithaca Gun smokestack, an iconic landmark that's the
only remaining remnant of the old factory. At the meeting last week, Dan was disappointed to
learn that the bridge to the Island has been demolished (supposedly as part of the contamination
clean-up) thus limiting potential public access. Also, the developer now says it wants to demolish
the smokestack, calling it "an attractive nuisance" (that some people have tried to climb) and
saying there may be contamination below its base. Also, the developer now says it's impractical
Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission
January 14, 2019
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to provide two handicapped parking spaces (or maybe even one) given the constraints of
geography and the proposed design of the apartment building.
2. Infill Development, at 815-17 N. Aurora Street. This proposed project (to demolish a two-
family house and replace it with a pair of two-family houses, on a single lot) is another example of
a growing local trend, where owner/developers seek to add new rental buildings to what have
historically been single-building lots, with back yards, in residential neighborhoods. Opposition to
this trend, among South Hill residents, led to what is effectively a moratorium on such
development, in that area. There have been similar reactions (as well as some support) in other
neighborhoods, including Northside and now Fall Creek. It would be too late to affect this project,
but there is some discussion about the merit of extending this "moratorium" to other
neighborhoods, to give time to study the impacts of such development (on "neighborhood
character," etc.) or to impose some additional mitigating requirements on it. Per Cynthia Brock,
this proposal was not approved by the Planning Committee. Without a moratorium or a change in
zoning we will continue to see this type of action. Once there are multiple buildings on a parcel, it
becomes a landlord situation, not an individual single family home. Developers are buying single
family houses for big dollars and redeveloping the property with multiple structures.
Other projects discussed by the Project Review Committee this month seemed to be smaller
ones, with little if any connection to PRNRC concerns.
Dan will work on a proposal for next month to make recommendations or comments.
New Business: 2019 Budget for Parks and Rec Facilities
Jim D’Alterio – The budget for Cass Park becomes part of the Youth Bureau budget. The new
budget will sustain what is currently going on and will work within the budget guidelines from the
Mayor. Jim submitted a request that was funded for improvements of the softball fields at Union
Field. This includes a drag machine for the fields to put a clay/sand mix into the soil to improve
the fields. He also submitted a capital project to recondition the surface of the tennis courts,
which was approved. This also includes an overlay of Pickle Ball courts on the tennis courts.
The Youth Bureau also submitted a CFA Grant with NYS for the Rink enclosure, unfortunately we
did not receive this grant. Friends of the Youth Bureau will continue fundraising.
Jeanne Grace – Parks and Forestry budget becomes part of the Streets and Facilities budget.
The budget will sustain the current activity. The seasonal staffing budget is getting tighter due to
the living wage, which results in hiring fewer people. The department received Capital Project
funding for $75,000 towards the City Cemetery for vault repairs. There was also a CFA grant
awarded for the Cascadilla Boat House with a Capital Project matching grant. A new pick-up
truck is included in the budget. There is an increase in the tree budget. Looking towards 2020,
Jeanne would like to add more money in the contract line, to provide funding to contract with the
CCE Beautification Program to add a staff person who would maintain public gardening spaces,
such as the Waterfront trail and others that currently have no assigned maintenance. Will also
need to increase property maintenance and utility budget lines to maintain friends of Stewart Park
new playground.
Monika asked for a wish list from Jim and Jeanne of what is needed for 2020, so we can vote in
support of additional funding (by April or May).
Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission
January 14, 2019
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Minutes – Review and approve 12/10/18
Dan Hoffman requested some minor changes. Tom made a motion to approve with the changes
and Dan Hoffman second, abstain Mickie Sanders-Jauquet and Hannah George, all others were
in favor.
Next meeting February 11, 2019
Monika would like to see a Vice Chair appointed – Thomas Shelley and Dan Hoffman
volunteered to run meetings in Monika’s absence. Ellen nominated Dan to be vice chair. Tom
offered to be an alternate to Dan. We will vote at the next meeting.
Adjournment:
On a motion the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted by,
Debbie Swartz
Financial Management Assistant
Memo to PRNR Commission
Jan. 7, 2019
From: Monika Roth, Chair
RE: Our Work Thus Far – Our Role: Review, Research, Resolve, Recommend!
Greetings Commissioners and Happy New Year! I look forward to launching a productive New Year!
Given our open ended task list, I think we have a solid understanding of issues that could be addressed
by our commission. To date we have reviewed the following:
-City policies on Diversity and Equity; Process for providing input on development projects
(Environmental reviews); City Parks and Open Space plan.
Items that have been brought to the commission:
-change in CEQR form used by City to be in compliance with new state SEQR form – done!
-Parks plan concerns about neighborhood park status and upgrades needed
-Stewart Park Playground and Wharton Studio plans
-Concerns about play equipment status/safety and drug issues in parks
-North side of Ithaca Falls – access improvements and memorial bench
-Athletic field improvements
-Biophilia designation
-Deer management options
-Shade tree committee ongoing work
Work in progress:
-Park signage
-Environmental reviews (ongoing)
Items to be further reviewed and researched:
-process for engaging volunteers (Adopt a park or other ways)
-memorials
-ways to raise money and increase funding for parks
-regional waterfront parks commission (longer term)
-natural areas – needs/plan (Planning Dept)
-trail connecters (longer term)
-waterfront access
-geese
Possible working groups: (defined as addressing a specific issue on a limited time basis)
Natural areas
Deer management
Shade tree
SURVEY SUMMARY – 1/14/19
Issue High
priority
Medium Low
priority
Comments
Parks Plan
recommendations
11 1 Central to our work; specific
projects/recommendations
included in list below
Funding for parks 10 2 Annual input
Natural areas
review/planning
11 1 Need a natural area manager-
funding!
Environmental Review of
City Projects
9 Part of our ongoing role
Deer management plan 9 1 1 Work with Cornell & Town
Geese management 2 5 3 State may be working on this
Neighborhood parks
input from residents
7 3 1 Getting input is identified as a
key role of commissions
Memorials & donations
policy
5 3 3 Review/complete in 2019
Volunteer engagement
policy/Adopt a Park
3 4 3 Review/complete in 2019
Play structures in parks -
improvement
9 2 inventory/assessment be
needed & timeline for
replacement
Drugs and unsavory
activities in parks
4 1 7 Could be assessed in
neighborhood outreach; assign
to Community Life
Garden Space 3 Community Life also involved
Athletic field
expansion/improvements
3 3 5 Longer term effort – need
funding for field improvements
Regional waterfront
parks commission
6 3 2 Longer term effort – no state
grant awarded; could we
advocate?
Waterfront development 5 4 2 Something to keep an eye on
Trail connectors
throughout city
3 6 2 Past study – review; get maps
of parks & nat areas
Biophilia designation 1 4 6 Group feels they need to do
more outreach; no hurry
Cemetery preservation 1 8 1 Specific role/need? Large
parklike open space
SW Park Homeless camp 1 part of Natural areas review
Energy issues/reducing
GHG emission
1 Part of enviro review
How do we best organize our commission work to make progress on the above topics?
Parks plan to drive our work
Advocate for funding increases
Designate 2-3 people to take a lead on topics
Establish 4-5 working groups (sub-committees) where commissioners serve on at least 2
Leave each meeting with action items; May need to meet in between meetings
Chunk projects into smaller bits
Designate Advisors (we can have 10)
Set goals of what to accomplish for year, deadlines, actions, outcomes
YOUR thoughts on working groups:
Should we appoint the Shade Tree Advisory committee as a PRNR working group?
4 Yes / 3 No (provide updates; if there are specific tasks/projects to complete in the year?)
Should we appoint a Deer Management working group? 6 Yes / 1 No (appoint a liaison to Town)
Should we appoint a Natural Areas working group? 5 Yes / 2 No (what specific task?)