HomeMy WebLinkAboutPWC Agenda 2025-03-18 and PacketAGENDA
PUBLIC WORKS
COMMITTEE
March 18, 2025, 9:00a.m.
ZOOM Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81695207215
1. Approval of
Minutes
a. February 25, 2025
2. Member Comments/Concerns
a. Consider Modifications to Agenda
3. Cornell Sewer Exemption Request -Game Farm Rd – O’Shea
4. 118 King Road W Drainage Project – O’Shea
5. Winthrop Drive School Speed Zone – Slater
6. Project Updates
a. Streetlights
b. PWF MEP
c. TH Court Clerks/Mezzanine
d. Town Hall Weatherization
e. Site Design Manual
March 7, 2025
David O’Shea
Director of Engineering
Town of Ithaca
114 Seven Mile Drive
Ithaca, NY 14850
Re: Sanitary Sewer Exemption for New Field Hockey Field
Dear David,
I am writing to request that Cornell University’s New Field Hockey Field project at the Game
Farm Road location be granted an exemption from the Town of Ithaca’s sanitary sewer
connection requirements. Under Town Code §214-5(a), the owner of a property “abutting on any
street, thoroughfare, or right-of-way in which there is located a municipal public sewer or if such
municipal public sewer is otherwise available or accessible to such house, building, or property,
is hereby required at his expense to connect with the municipal public sewer.” However, Section
214-6 authorizes the Town Board to exempt a property owner from this requirement “where
there are unusual and extreme practical difficulties in requiring a house or building to be
connected with a public sewer,” upon the filing of an application “setting forth the
circumstances, the practical difficulties encountered, and such other pertinent information as the
Board may require” and the consent of the County Department of Health (§214-6(a) & (b)).
The Ne w Field Hockey Field will be primarily located on Tax Parcel 62.-2-6, with some
stormwater and transportation infrastructure site work on Tax Parcels 62.-2-5 and 62.-2-4. This
project considered the extensive resear ch completed for the dev elopment of Booth Baseball
Field in 2021 that evaluated a connection to the Town’s sanitary sewer main that runs east along
Ellis Hollow Road from its intersection with Pine Tree Road. That main terminates at Ellis
Hollow Apartments and Summerhill Townhouses - before it reaches any Cornell University
land. The Booth Baseball project considered purchasing an easement from that adjacent
property owner and installing over 2,400 linear feet of sanitary piping. However, in
August 2021, Cornell was informed by the Town of Ithaca that certain segments of the
downstream sewer main from Pine Tree Road to the City/Town interceptor had minimal to no
capacity to accept new demand and that in order to connect to connect to that main, Cornell
would either be required to construct upgrades to the existing downstream sewer main (west
of Pine Tree Road) or install additional demand management devices on-site to reduce
demand to no more than 5 GPM. It is our understanding that the capacity limitations of these
downstream sewer mains have not changed.
As discussed below, these options as well as other connection points suggested for consideration
by the Town in connection with Booth Baseball Field would have required Cornell to expend
amounts well in excess of that which the Town Board has previously considered sufficient to
justify an exemption from the Town’s sanitary sewer connection requirement. In early 2022, the
Town of Ithaca Town Board concurred with the project's assessment of the situation and granted a
sewer exemption for the baseball field.
2
Now, Cornell proposes a new Field Hockey field that is located even further from the Town’s
existing sewer infrastructure than Booth Baseball Field. The project site is suitable for
installation of a septic system at a cost of $265,000 to handle the minimal, seasonal demand
from this new facility, as was the case for McGovern Soccer Fields project (which was not
required to obtain this exemption) and Booth Field (which obtained an exemption from the
Town in 2022). Accordingly, Cornell requests that the Town Board grant this
project an exemption from the connection requirement. Two options were evaluated to
determine feasibility of sewer connection for this project:
Option #1: Connection to Summerhill Apartments or connection to Summerhill
Apartments via Ellis Hollow Road
Option #1A. Connecting to the sanitary sewer main on the Summerhill Apartments site via
Ellis Hollow Road was the original connection point considered by Cornell. In order to
connect to the Summerhill Apartments at that point, or by running west from the field
hockey project site location across Cornell’s adjacent parcels, a permanent easement would
need to be obtained from the neighboring property owner. Connecting at either location would
require the installation of approximately 3,700lf of sanitary piping along with clean outs,
manholes, tie-ins, and other supporting facilities. If the Town’s sewer main had available
capacity for additional demand, this option would cost approximately $346,000, exclusive of
easement costs.
Itemized: $3,013 Sanitary Tie-in
Clean Outs $2,471
Sanitary Piping approx. 3,700LF $286,090
Manholes, Frames & Covers $54,400
Total $345,975
Option #1B: Capacity Upgrades. During the municipal approvals process for Booth Baseball
Field, the Town informed Cornell that portions of the Town’s Mitchell Street sewer main are
already at 80% of calculated flows. The attached map, created by the Town with a date of
October 26, 2021 and annotated by Cornell, shows 10 segments of pipe with less than 50 GPM
of 80% capacity remaining, the threshold at which sewer mains are deemed at capacity. These
segments extend for ±1,856 linear feet. Cornell also learned at that time that the Town expected
Cornell to pay for some undetermined portion of the cost to expand the main’s capacity to
accommodate the new field hockey field’s marginal demand, plus any anticipated demand from
the speculative future buildout of Cornell’s Game Farm Road property. Similar to Booth
Baseball Field, Cornell does not support expending project funds for extensive Town
infrastructure upgrades for the connection of a facility that will host approximately 11 games per
year with a peak output of 13 GPM. Fu rther, in any event the cost and timelines for such
upgrades is prohibitive and unreasonable.
Cornell was previously engaged in upgrades to the City/Town Thurston Avenue sewer
interceptor in connection with the North Campus Residential Expansion project. The cost of such
upgrades in 2020/2021 was $758 per linear f oot. Extrapolating those prices to current dollars
to apply to the new Field Hockey Field project and adding in 30% for soft costs as customary
on such a project, the anticipated Town infrastructure replacement on Mitchell Str eet would
cost an additional $2.5 million, nearly 23% of the cost of the entire field hockey field project.
3
Sanitary sewer connection (from above) $345,975
Upgrade at capacity pipes (1,856 lf at $903@ plus soft costs) $2,180,000
Total $2,525,975
Option #1C: On-Site Demand Management. Town staff also asked Cornell to consider other
options during Booth Baseball project development that would retain any sanitary sewer
discharge on site and reduce the output to the sewer main to no more than 5 GPM, due to the
Town’s unusually limited sanitary sewer main capacity. These options consisted of either i) an
inline weir, valve, or other device that would hold or buffer the peak flow or ii) an offline device
to hold effluent and discharge it during off-peak hours. At that time, Cornell’s engineers
estimated the cost of these options to be between $40,000 and $60,000 to design and build
(exclusive of the sanitary sewer connection costs from above), not including additional
maintenance costs for the life of the facility. Both offered only limited project-specific
infrastructure for a sanitary sewer connection that could not be used for any eventual additional
development at the Game Farm Road site, when the same result can be accomplished by
installing a project-specific septic system. The Field Hockey project findings regarding this
option are the same, and a septic system for this project would cost $265,000. Also, there is the
risk that if either of these options is implemented and new development requiring sanitary
connections downpipe from this project site is authorized prior to Town infrastructure
enhancement, this project’s access to sanitary capacity would be jeopardized.
Sanitary sewer connection (from above) $345,975
Peak flow reduction device (including cost escalation) $48,000 to $72,000
Total $394,000 to $418,000
Option #2: Connection to existing Cornell sewer to the North across Cascadilla Creek
In connection with Booth Baseball Field, the Town also asked Cornell to address the feasibility
and cost of connecting to Cornell’s sewer main on the north side of Cascadilla Creek, which
eventually ties into the City/Town jointly-owned sewer interceptors. Theoretically, this
connection could be done by running a sanitary pipe under the County-owned bridge on Game
Farm Road or by drilling underneath Cascadilla Creek.
Option #2A: Bridge crossing. First, it is unclear whether this is even possible. Running a sanitary
pipe under the Game Farm Road bridge would require Cornell to negotiate a permanent
easement from the County. Cornell negotiated for its right to do so to be included in the
agreement between Cornell, the County, and the Town pursuant to which Cornell provided some
funding for the construction of the bridge, but that provision was removed from the final
agreement. It is uncertain whether the County’s position on this topic has changed in the
intervening time period. Potential concerns may include the support of such a line and whether a
sufficient right-of-way exists underneath the bridge. Assuming that such an agreement could be
reached, the effluent would also need to be pumped from the low point of the bridge crossing up
Game Farm Road. In all, this connection method would require the installation of ±2,200lf of
sanitary piping along with clean outs, manholes, tie-ins, clearing and grubbing, a pump station,
forcemains, steel casings, lawn restoration, and other supporting work. The estimated cost of this
work is ±$651,000, in addition to costs associated with obtaining an easement from the County.
4
Itemized:
Sanitary Tie-in $4,000
Clean Outs $4,000
Sanitary Piping appr. 2,200LF $220,000
Manholes, Frames & Covers $79,000
Clearing & Grubbing $23,000
Sand Bed Conduit Excavation $87,000
Pump Stations $92,000
Forcemains $92,000
Steel Casings $20,000
Lawn Restoration $30,000
Total $651,000
Option #2B: Tunnel underneath Cascadilla Creek. Finally, the Town requested that Cornell
assess whether it would be possible to connect by means of a tunnel under Cascadilla Creek.
This option is not possible. Approximately 13 years ago, Cornell assessed whether it would be
possible to tunnel under the Creek to install a potable water line. Cornell’s contractor provided a
quote of approximately $471,000 (including $275,000 for the drilling alone) in 2009 dollars. In
addition to the prohibitive cost for this project, the contractor was not able to complete the work
because the rock formations under the creek were not amenable to drilling. This option would
also involve obtaining additional permits and work in a potentially archaeologically sensitive
area and DEC approvals. The figures below include an annual escalation of 4% from the 2009
quote, and 30% soft costs.
Itemized:
Directional drilling work $669,857
Equipment mobilization $2,143
New clearing area $13,971
Leak monitors $4,381
Temporary construction fencing $31,884
Silt fencing $9,741
Temporary bypass storm piping $12,177
Temporary seeding $8,571
Slope blankets $26,299
Watercourse restoration $10,259
Permanent pavement restoration $10,259
Water main piping installation $285,221
Anti-seep collars $39,606
Site restoration $23,133
Total $1,147,502
5
Cornell truly appreciates the time and effort of Town Engineering staff in reviewing the various
plans and options for this project in the Game Farm Road area. Unfortunately, the practical and
financial implications of these options are impractical for the project, and the cost of connecting
to the Town’s sewer main is much greater than other situations where the Town Board has
granted connection exemptions in the past. Cornell respectfully requests that the Town Board
grant an exemption for this project.
Sincerely,
Leslie Schill
Director of Campus Planning
Facilities and Campus Services
LEGEND
D Tax Parcels 80% Capacity Remaining (GPM)
;:::-_:: Town of Ithaca Boundary -o
Sanitary Sewer
M Flow Meter
@ Manhole Owned by Others
@ Manhole
Pressurized Main
MAP CREATED: 10/26/2021 10:30AM
-0.01 -50.00
-50.01 -100.00
-100.01 -150.00
-150.01 -200.00
-200.01 -250.00
-250.01 -300.00
-300.01 -350.00
-350.01 -400.00
-400.01 -450.00
-Greater than 450
BY: TOWN OF ITHACA ENGINEERING DEPT
SOURCE: BOLTON POINT
TOI ENGINEERING
NYS GIS CLEARING HOUSE
20
merhill 05
NOTES:
PIPES AND FLOWS DOWNSTREAM FROM MAPLEWOOD HAVE NOT BEEN
UPDATED.
Mitchell St. Sewer Shed Existing Conditions: 2021 DISCLAIMER:
ALL LOCATIONS AND
BOUNDARIES ARE APPROXIMATE. 0 125 250 500 750 1,000 Feet
Project Location
December 2024: 10-20 Year Development Potential
TO DANBY RD (96B)
TO STONE QUARRY RDSTRUCTURE - (38)
RIM: 1021.50
NW 36" OUT:1015.10
STRUCTURE - (37)
RIM: 1019.50
NW 36" OUT:1013.48
SE 36" IN:1014.67
1015
1020
1014
1016
1017
1018
1019
1021
1022
1023
1015
1015
1014
1014
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1016
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KING RD WEST
PIPE - (24)
36" HDPE
26.12',1.67%
INLET INV:1015.10
OUTLET INV:1014.67
PIPE - (23)
36" HDPE
36.66',0.43%
INLET INV:1013.48
OUTLET INV:1013.33
STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM STORM
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C100
3/13/2025
SCALE VERTICAL:
SCALE HORIZONTAL:
DATE:
REVISIONS
C.CRANDALL
SURVEYED BY:
J.MCNEAL
DESIGNED BY:
DRAWN BY:
CHECKED BY:
VERTICAL SCALE: 1"=5'
5'10'15'20'0'
HORIZONTAL SCALE: 1"=10'
10'20'30'40'0'
D.O'SHEA
J.MCNEAL
SITE PLAN FOR 118 KING ROAD WEST1
AS NOTED
AS NOTED
EDGE OF PAVE
EXISTING CONCRETE
WALL TO BE REMOVED
EXISTING DITCHLINE
PROPOSED DITCHLINE
PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION EASEMENT
BOUNDARY OFFSET 15 FEET FROM
HIGHWAY BOUNDARY
PROPOSED CONCRETE ENDWALL
KING RD W
PROPOSED
GRADE
PROPOSED 36" HDPE
STORM PIPE
2.00%7.50%
PROPOSED 36"
HDPE STORM PIPE
EDGE OF DRIVE
PROPOSED GRADE
EXISTING GRADE
PROPOSED 36"
HDPE STORM PIPE
EXISTING
GRADE
EDGE OF DRIVE
PROPOSED
STRUCTURE 37
PROPOSED
STRUCTURE 38
SCALE: 1"=10'
10'20'30'40'0'
EDGE OF DRIVE
PROPOSED ASPHALT SWALE
EDGE OF PAVE
TO DANBY RD (96B)TO STONE QUARRY RD
RIP-RAP
6" TYPE 2 CRUSHER RUN
PROPOSED CONCRETE ENDWALLRIP RAP
DRIVEWAY
TREES TO REMAIN
EXISTING GUTTER
BEGINS TO WIDEN
AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB AHB
24.75'
CENTERLINE
APPROXIMATE
HIGHWAY
BOUNDARY
15'
UNPAVED SHOULDER5'
WATER SERVICE