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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Dept 2025 Yr End-2026 Priorities Town Planning Department Annual Report 1 Town of Ithaca Planning Department 2026 Priorities & 2025 Year End Report The following provides an overview of the Planning Department’s accomplishments in 2025 and proposed 2026 priorities for implementation in the following Comprehensive Plan policy areas: • Land use and development • Housing and neighborhoods • Natural resources and environment • Energy and climate protection • Agriculture • Recreation • Historical Resources • Transportation • Municipal services and infrastructure • Community services • Economic development Planning Department Proposed Priorities for 2026 • Continue work towards adoption of a South Hill TND (traditional neighborhood development) regulating plan. • Complete acquisition of 135 acres to establish new Sage Preserve on South Hill, including finalizing grant management with the Park Foundation and Tompkins County, respectively, which helped fund the acquisition. • Begin Tompkins Green Energy Network (T-GEN) community engagement process in collaboration with City of Ithaca and NYS PSC-approved Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) administrator Local Power. • Review and revise Town Code zoning and land use regulations per Codes & Ordinances Committee 202 6 Work Plan per recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan; priority is completing revisions to the Subdivision Regulations (Town Code Chapter 234). • Submit application to NYS Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for NYS-96 Pedestrian Improvements. • Continue to collaborate with Engineering, Finance, and Public Works to identify and prioritize capital projects, project management, and anticipated grant funding to further Comprehensive Plan goals. • Continue work on the Site Design and Development Criteria Manual with Engineering and Public Works. • Manage the STREETS ’27 project in collaboration with the Forest Home Improvement Association. • Participate in development of the Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Strategy updates, led by Tompkins County Department of Planning & Sustainability and Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency. • Complete the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Government Operations for the Town of Ithaca . • Manage grant administration and assist with construction (to be managed by Town Engineering Department) of a pedestrian trail and parking area for the 74-acre Babcock Ridge (portion of Culver Road Preserve) with funding awarded from a 2022 NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation grant. • Begin feasibility study for the South Hill Rec Way Extension (Burns Rd. to Banks Rd.) with funding awarded from a 2022 Tompkins County Tourism grant. • If awarded, begin work on Pro-Housing Community Technical Assistance Grant project to create a model in ArcGIS Urban that considers fiscal impacts of development in three TND Future Land Use Character Areas. • Continue to solicit applications for the Town’s Purchase of Development Rights Program. • Stay updated on regulatory and permit updates relative to recent NYS Freshwater Wetlands Regulations revisions. • Stay updated on NYS initiatives to reform the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), highlighted as a priority in the current Executive Budget, anticipated to impact housing and infrastructure projects. • Continue background research to support anticipated application to the new Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Program for removal of invasive species and restoration of forested natural areas in Town Preserves. • Participate in update to County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, led by Tompkins County Department of Planning & Sustainability. • Continue to evaluate options for establishing a Town historic preservation program. • Continue to scan and organize historic physical Planning Department records electronically. Town Planning Department Annual Report 2 Accomplishment Highlights for 2025 LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT • The Planning Department received 15 new development review applications in 2025 (e.g., Mirabito Re- Development, Ithaca College Residence Hall Renovations, Cornell Wildlife Rehabilitation Aviary , Cayuga Medical Center Emergency Generator Project, and Cornell Game Farm Road Field Hockey Field). This included seven subdivision requests (involving two or three new lots); one sketch plan review; one SEQR Lead Agency declaration (for a Type I Action); twelve site plan reviews; eight special permit approvals; and one recommendation to the Town Board. Actions associated with these applications and other Board responsibilities resulted in 30 Planning Board actions. • For comparison, board actions in recent years were as follows: 10 in 2024; 20 in 2023; 32 in 2022; and 35 in 2021. • Completed update of Flood Damage Prevention Local Law (Town Code Chapter 157) to coincide with new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (effective date 6/18/2025); hosted flood insurance informational session at Town Hall on 7/15/2025 in cooperation with the City of Ithaca. HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS • Prepared revised draft amendments to Town Code Chapter 234: Subdivision Regulations • Issued Request for Qualifications for assistance with State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process relative to adoption of the South Hill TND (traditional neighborhood development) regulating plan. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT • Managed the grant (Tompkins County) and implementation for the ethnobotanic trail at Tutelo Park. • Coordinated the purchase agreement, survey mapping, subdivision approval, and Town Board authorizations for the potential acquisition of 135 acres on South Hill. • Coordinated the purchase agreement, NYS parkland alienation approval process, survey mapping, subdivision approval, and Town Board authorizations for the relocation of Saponi Park on Seven Mile Drive. • Update to the Town Park, Recreation, and Open Space Plan continued. • Deer management plan implementation continued. • Coordinated final design drawings and grant administration for the Babcock Ridge Trail project. AGRICULTURE • Completed one new agricultural easement (Pokorney) on Hayts Road on approximately 71 acres. • Continued to progress an agricultural easement (Holmes) on Hayts/Sheffield/Bundy Rads on 84 acres. • Completed annual agricultural conservation easements inspections / monitoring: Indian Creek Farm, Laughing Goat Fiber Farm and the Mallon property were all found in compliance. • Completed annual wetland conservation easement inspections / monitoring: Ithaca College’s Raponi and Rich Road wetland mitigation sites, and the Ridgecrest Rd./Little property wetland CE were all found in compliance. ENERGY AND CLIMATE PROTECTION • Participated in the NYSERDA Stretch to Zero program quarterly meetings with other municipalities. • Updated the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement (IECS) in cooperation with the City of Ithaca. • Continued Green New Deal implementation (details in supplemental presentation and report to Town Board). • Worked with an interdepartmental team to advance greenhouse gas reduction in Town facilities: provided project management and/or other support on energy assessments, planning for implementation, and funding application. Town Planning Department Annual Report 3 • Worked with an interdepartmental team on the Town Hall Weatherization project grant application to NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; support included extensive research, preparation of detailed budget, organizational, and project narratives, as well as project management. • Applied for three grant opportunities through NYSERDA, Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), and the Preservation League of NYS to support the Town Hall Weatherization project. • Started developing an updated greenhouse gas inventory for government operations (all Town-owned buildings) in line with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan Energy and Climate Protection goals. • Joined ICLEI - Local Governments USA professional organization, which provides resources and tools to help local governments reach their climate and emissions targets. • Assisted Public Works with streetlight rebate applications. • Negotiated a new electric supply contract in partnership with Finance. • Supported Public Works in implementation of Green Fleet Policy. • Collaborated with Public Works and Finance to begin analyzing the Town’s Procurement and Green Procurement policies. • Leveraged Town efforts by working with student interns. HISTORICAL RESOURCES • Developed draft Town/City Landmarks Preservation Law; worked towards establishing a joint City/Town of Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission in cooperation with City Planning and Common Council. TRANSPORTATION • Continued progress towards construction of the East Shore Drive Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Corridor Project – anticipated to be completed in 2027 — to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists on East Shore Drive (NYS-34) between Boynton Middle School and the Ithaca Youth Bureau. • Adopted Tompkins County Joint Safety Action Plan and Vision Zero Policy to complete the Safe Streets Tompkins (Safe Streets for All) planning process. COMMUNITY SERVICES • Continued maintenance of the Planning Department’s webpages for the Town’s website. • Continued maintenance of OpenGov; Town staff continues to work with OpenGov staff to improve electronic intake of development review application process and suggest new features. • The process of scanning and organizing files electronically continues to be a department priority for records management and associated Freedom of Information act (FOIL) requests. • Continued coordination with GIS staff to develop data layers for Town staff reference within OpenGov and ArcGIS Online; collaborated on new Esri license structure for 2026. • The Planning Department continues to provide staff support and coordination for the Planning Board, Conservation Board, Planning Committee, Codes and Ordinances Committee , and Agricultural Committee, as well as providing support across departments and assistance to residents and landowners in the community. • The Planning Department continues to provide staff support and cross-coverage for the front-end Codes Department and Town Clerks. MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE • Submitted an application to Pro-Housing Community Technical Assistance Grant program (new in 2025), for funding to create accurate representations of large multi-phase development projects that are anticipated to be paced as long-term buildouts located in emerging growth areas close to major employers and activity hubs. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Completed recertification as a Pro-Housing Community and coordinated a successful grant application for $5M in Pro-Housing Supply Infrastructure funding for the SouthWorks Beacon Woods project.