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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Meeting packet 2025-09-18 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.town.ithaca.ny.us TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING COMMITTEE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 at 3:00 P.M. Meeting Location: Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street, Aurora Conference Room (Enter from the rear entrance of Town Hall, adjacent employee parking lot.) Members of the public may also join the meeting virtually via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6750593272. AGENDA 1. Persons to be heard. 2. Committee announcements and concerns. 3. Consider approval of August meeting minutes. 4. Discussion: proposed timeline for South Hill Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) SEQRA professional services procurement. 5. Discussion: Recommendation to Rescind Chapter 161 (Freshwater Wetlands). 6. Staff updates and reports. 7. Discuss next meeting date and upcoming agenda items. A quorum of the Ithaca Town Board may be present, however, no official Board business will be conducted. 1 Town of Ithaca Planning Committee Thursday, August 21, 2025 (3:00 PM Aurora Conference Room and on Zoom) Draft Minutes Committee members present: Rich DePaolo, Chair; Rod Howe & Margaret Johnson Board/Staff members: Director of Engineering David O’Shea; Director of Planning C.J. Randall; Senior Code Officer Dana Magnuson. Guests: None 1. Persons to be heard: None. 2. Committee announcements and concerns: None 3. Approval of May minutes: Rich moved the minutes for approval with two changes which were read aloud, Rod seconded. May 29, 2025, minutes were approved. 4. Proposed timeline for South Hill Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) SEQRA professional services procurement. C.J. distributed a memo that outlined the proposed process and timeline for a consultant to review the draft South Hill TND Regulating Plan for potential impacts under state environmental quality review (SEQRA). A Full EAF, along with other deliverables listed in the memo are expected at the conclusion of the contract, which will be over an 18-24-month period from the time the contract is signed. A list of criteria for consideration was listed and an RFQ will be sent out. Rich asked a few clarifying questions: Is the Regulating Plan essentially rezoning? Who would be the Lead Agency for the SEQRA review and if the regulating plan is still in line with the general landowners plans that have been loosely discussed? Rod asked about the budget for the project. C.J. replied that the plan is a rezoning and yes, the overall concept and built environment visions have been discussed with landowners and a letter to that effect was mailed to the majority landowners in June. The total cost of the project was budgeted over a two-year period 2026-2027 with the total projected cost $200,000 for the environmental assessment to include a Traffic Impact Study. The Town Board is anticipated to be the Lead Agency and the Planning Board is anticipated to be an interested agency for the rezoning. She mentioned the Executive Summary was added per the recommendation of the committee in May 2023 and the RFQ will go out on BidNet, NYS Contract Reporter, and other project reporting platforms. C.J. concluded that she will develop an initial scope with the committee, which will be a guide as the SEQRA process moves forward. The scope can be used by the consultants and then will go through the public scoping process as well. 5. Discussion on recommendation to rescind Chapter 161-Freshwater wetlands from the Town Code. C.J. followed up on the previous discussions related to the potential recommendation to rescind the town’s section on wetlands. The NYS DEC has clarified that municipalities are not responsible for reviewing projects for regulated wetlands as part of the permitting process. There is a new process for property owners to work directly with DEC for a jurisdictional determination. Tompkins County Department of Planning & Sustainability noted that the general permit for housing is still under review 2 by the state, so for that reason, C.J. recommended the town hold off on rescinding the local chapter, until the state is done reviewing the general housing permit requirements. 6. Staff updates and reports. C.J. reported that the Holmes property Agricultural easement is under attorney review and anticipated to be complete by the end of the year. Rod updated that the City of Ithaca has agreed to put the MOU and Ordinance on for an official vote for the joint Historic Preservation Commission with the town. An update will be provided after the city vote. C.J. noted that the committee may possibly see a Deconstruction Policy in the upcoming months. The beginning would be a non-binding resolution to move the town towards deconstruction to accompany historic preservation efforts. She noted that currently there are no local regulations to protect historic properties from demolition other than possible Planning Board review and building/demo permit review. The NY State and National Registers of Historic Places are honorary designations and do not place regulatory restrictions on a property. Safe Streets Tompkins is now complete with a website featuring a data viewer with crash and other data back to 2018: https://safestreetstompkins.com. Margaret noted that the Saponi Park Alienation Law was signed by NYS on August 15th. Solar Overlay Zone and Prime farmlands Based on a request to look at the town’s Large-Scale Solar Overlay Zone on a map related to soils and their agricultural significance, C.J. shared a GIS map on screen with the information requested. She explained how the solar overlay zone was determined based on factors including distance to transmission lines, avoiding heavily wooded areas, wetlands, state and town owned properties, parkland, areas encumbered by conservation easement, etc. Rich explained that the Town’s Ag Committee asked why the town does not require solar developers plans to include agrivoltaics. The town’s current solar law for large scale facilities states the applicant must utilize agrivoltaic farming where practicable when siting solar on soils classified by the USDA as prime farmland or farmlands of statewide importance (Town Code § 270-219.1G(2)(c)[5][b][ii]). That subsection also includes what must happen if the project is proposed on those designated lands and agrivoltaics’ is not proposed. C.J. noted that the new Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency Off-Site Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Policy disincentives large scale solar applicants from applying for proposed projects on active farmland and with the prime farmland designation. There were some areas in the town’s Large- Scale Solar Overlay Zone that contained prime farmland and farmlands of statewide importance, including the land being used for the Carrowmoor Solar Energy Facility, currently under construction. C.J. explained the Planning Board also has authority and flexibility to require alternate construction methods that do not disturb the soil as drastically, such as freestanding ballast or racking systems, during site plan review along with other site-specific related conditions. 3 Rich asked if there should be movement to disincentivize the solar projects on designated prime farmland within the local law or is the understanding enough knowing that there already is a financial disincentive by IDA? The new IDA policy is disincentivizing construction of large-scale solar projects on Prime Farmland, so no recommendations were made to explore any changes to the local law at this time. Margaret noted there is pending NYS legislation regarding requiring agrivoltaics that she will follow up on with the committee. 7. Review of revised draft Local Law requiring Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) and Host Community Agreements for Large scale Solar Energy Systems. The committee anticipated Tompkins County Director of Assessment Jay Franklin joining the meeting to review questions posed by the committee on the revised draft Solar PILOT and Host Community Agreement Local Law circulated. He was unable to attend therefore C.J. shared the questions on screen that the committee previously posed and initial replies from Mr. Franklin. There was discussion about the added inclusion of a Host Community Agreement and how its inclusion in the law is important as the PILOT is spread over all the taxing agencies. The town would be the host community and receive 100% of that revenue. The committee was comfortable with the revised draft of the local law (including the questions and comments for clarity) moving forward to the town board for action. C.J. noted she could put a memo together to introduce at the next meeting to start the process with the town board. A recent issue of Talk of the Towns had an article about Solar PILOT’s and C.J. noted she would share that with the committee. 8. Next meeting date and upcoming agenda items: Thursday September 18, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Authorization to circulate the South Hill TND RFQ and initial scope. The Town of Ithaca Planning Committee meeting concluded at 3:56 p.m.