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Home My WebLink AboutPC Meeting Packet 2026-04-16 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.town.ithaca.ny.us TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING COMMITTEE THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026 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 March meeting minutes. 4. Discuss and consider options to develop scenario planning models for 2014 Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map Character Districts / areas. 5. Staff updates and reports. 6. 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. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.town.ithaca.ny.us TO: PLANNING COMMITTEE FROM: C.J. RANDALL, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING DATE: APRIL 9, 2026 RE: SCENARIO PLANNING MODELS FOR FUTURE LAND USE MAP CHARACTER AREAS In July 2023, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 30, creating the Pro-Housing Community Program. Municipalities that achieve the Pro-Housing Communities certification are eligible for key discretionary New York State funding programs, including technical assistance grants. In November 2025, following authorization from the Town Board, the Planning Department submitted an funding request for $243,000 to the New York State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) Technical Assistance to Grow Pro-Housing Communities (TAG-PHC) to develop ArcGIS models of large, multi-phase development projects that are anticipated to be phased as long-term buildouts located in emerging growth areas close to major employers and activity hubs. In February 2026, HCR and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) announced an award of $243,000 to the Town of Ithaca. This proposal envisions the ultimate creation of ArcGIS Urban models for one of each type of character area designated for development within the 2014 Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use Map (TND Medium Density; TND High Density; and one Area of Special Concern) based on the parameters of the Town’s New Neighborhood Code. The Town seeks to envision the structural relationship of development costs and revenue based on total new housing and supporting service floor area and cost to serve, specifically to help determine the most productive development scenarios, maximizing the value per acre and minimizing the public costs per acre over the long-term and based on realistic absorption forecasts. This project proposes building robust models within the ArcGIS Urban framework allowing for modulation in assumptions of land uses, densities, and population in these development focus areas. The land use assumptions will assist the Town in determining the need and timing of capital improvements to serve this future planned development. This project intends to build on the current work by the Town’s Engineering and Public Works departments in evaluating the City and Town Joint Sewer Interceptors and Tompkins County’s concurrent Housing Strategy update (2026-2035). The Planning Department is seeking guidance from the Planning Committee regarding preferred strategies for project initiation. Specifically, staff are requesting input on potential collaboration methods with Esri Professional Services, which provides consulting services for Esri products to public and private partners. Correspondence with Esri representatives (dated 3/26/2026) relative to the options for building this ArcGIS Urban model is included with this agenda packet. The Town is considering options of support numbers 1 and 2; both options allow the Town to engage with additional consulting firms, meaning awarded funds would not be fully exhausted by collaboration with Esri alone. A significant consideration is the technology transfer and ability of future Planning and GIS staff and/or consultants to engage with and further refine the models for maximum value to the Town. After consultation with this committee, the next step in the project’s lifecycle includes accepting the award, executing grant agreement documents with HTFC, and completing SEQR (anticipated to be classified as a Type II Action, not requiring further review). These actions require approval by the Town Board. Please contact me with any questions or concerns at 607-882-2474 or cjrandall@townithacany.gov. # # # 2 Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2026 11:03 AM To: CJ Randall <cjrandall@townithacany.gov>; Nick Quilty-Koval <nquiltykoval@townithacany.gov>; Max Villanueva <mvillanueva@townithacany.gov> Subject: Esri Support for Future Urban Deployment Hey Team, Thanks again for taking the time to meet with Sydney and I the other day. I know I speak for both of us when I say this feels like a very strong opportunity to integrate the Urban model into your current and future development and planning efforts. A very exiting one too! After debriefing internally, Sydney and I wanted to follow up on next steps and the discussion around RFP language. We understand the request was around general guidance and considerations to help inform an RFP, rather than Esri formally drafting one. While Esri Professional Services does not typically author RFPs, we are happy to offer high‑level input, answer questions, and review a draft once available to provide comments and general recommendations. Additionally, should there be a future engagement with Esri Professional Services, there would likely be an opportunity at that point to more formally shape and refine the ArcGIS Urban scope as part of that work. Based on our follow‑up conversation, below are a few viable options for how the Town could proceed. Each approach has its own benefits, depending on how you would like to structure the effort. Options of support (in no particular order) 1. Esri Professional Services to complete foundational technical work and strategy In this approach, Esri Professional Services would complete the foundational technical setup and strategic planning work associated with ArcGIS Urban, aligning with Steps 1 through 4 outlined in the attached PDF. This work could be completed before an RFP is issued for a planning firm, in parallel with that process, or while a planning firm is already engaged. Completing this foundational work upfront often helps clarify scope, expectations, and technical requirements, which can make any subsequent RFP more accurate and easier to evaluate. BENEFIT: Best for de‑risking the project early by establishing a solid technical and strategic foundation before committing to a full planning engagement. 2. Esri Professional Services to complete the full Urban engagement Esri Professional Services can support the full Urban implementation from start to finish. This approach has been successfully delivered many times and leverages Esri’s internal planning and Urban specialists, including resources like Sydney, who bring both planning expertise and deep technical knowledge of the platform. This option provides a more streamlined engagement with a single team responsible for both strategy and execution. BENEFIT: Best for a single, streamlined engagement that combines Urban technical expertise and planning knowledge under one team from start to finish. 3. ArcGIS Advantage Program The ArcGIS Advantage Program is a subscription that pairs your organization with a dedicated Esri advisor and provides flexible service credits that can be applied toward strategic guidance, training, and expert support. This option can support your ArcGIS Urban work while also extending value to other initiatives, such as utilities. While we would need to confirm how grant funding constraints apply, there may be an opportunity to position portions of the work, particularly utility‑related efforts, as aligned with the broader Urban initiative. BENEFIT: Best for ongoing flexibility, allowing the Town to apply support across Urban, utilities, and training needs over time rather than through a one‑time project. All three options are viable and would support the Town in meaningful ways. Importantly, based on the grant funding available, none of these approaches would exhaust the full allocation, leaving significant flexibility to engage an external planning firm if that ultimately makes the most sense. If it would be helpful, we would be more than happy to set up time in the coming weeks to walk through these options in more detail, including how they differ in structure, cost considerations, and outcomes. Please let me know and I can coordinate a follow‑up conversation with Sydney and myself. Thank you very much. Best Regards, [outlook.office.com] Cian Kellett | Account Manager State & Local Government Esri | 1325 Morris Dr Ste 201 | Chesterbrook, PA 19087 | USA T 909 369 8697 | M 908 721 6735 | | esri.com THE SCIENCE OF WHERE ®