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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 2026-03-19 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.town.ithaca.ny.us TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING COMMITTEE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 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 February meeting minutes. 4. Discuss and consider recommendation for addition (Tax Parcel No. 37.-1-27.1) to Tompkins County Agricultural District #2. 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. 1 Town of Ithaca Planning Committee Thursday, March 19, 2026 (3:00 PM Aurora Conference Room and on Zoom) Final Minutes Committee members present: Rod Howe, Chair; Diana Sinton. Dave McCune via Zoom. Board/staff members: Director of Codes Marty Moseley; Director of Planning C.J. Randall. Senior Planner Mike Smith via Zoom. Guests: Crystal Buck, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County via Zoom. 1. Persons to be heard: None 2. Committee announcements and concerns: None 3. Approval of February minutes: Diana moved February 19, 2026 minutes for approval as presented. Dave seconded, the minutes were approved. 4. Discussion and consideration of recommendation for addition of (Tax Parcel No. 37.-1-27.1) to Tompkins County Agricultural District #2. Cornell Cooperative Extension Farmland Protection Educator for Tompkins County, Crystal Buck, on behalf of the Ag & Farmland Protection Board (AFPB), presented the committee with a memo, application and maps related to an application for addition into the county Ag district. The Town Planning Committee is being asked for any comments to be included in the report to the County. This would typically fall under the Town’s Ag Committee however the timing of the meetings and application did not coincide. Key benefits for commercial farms being in the Tompkins County Agricultural District include (note: these are State laws implemented on a county level): • Protection from Nuisance Suits: The district provides protection against private nuisance lawsuits regarding farming practices, such as noise, odor, or dust, that are considered standard agricultural operations. • Limitations on Local Regulation: It offers protection against local governments enacting laws that unreasonably restrict agricultural practices. • Notification requirement: For new property owners who buy within an ag district to be notified of the typical ag uses and operations in the area. • Limited taxation in new benefit districts: The cost to the farm would be limited to the value of 1 acre surrounding the residential area of the farm. • Notice of Intent: A process when a public entity invests funds into infrastructure or property acquisition within an ag district. This is for additional review to ensure time was given for ways to limit the impact of actions within the district. Agricultural Assessment is different than the County Ag District Designation. 2 Crystal explained that a comprehensive review of the County Ag Districts is done every 8 years as well as an annual open enrollment period where this application is being considered. The process for consideration includes a recommendation by the AFPB to the Tompkins County Legislature and a public hearing will then take place. The recommendation for an application during the open enrollment period is based around whether the land to be included in the district consists of “predominantly viable agricultural land.” The application is for a 4.40 +/- acre parcel in West King Road in the Town of Ithaca that was purchased by the applicant in 2024. The application indicated the existing operations include orchard, cash crop/vegetable, goats, poultry, medicinal herbs and community education. The parcel is directly across from the existing border of existing County Ag District #2. C.J. referred to the parcel designation as natural/open/rural-ag on the Town’s Future Land Use map from the Comprehensive Plan as well as the broad support of agriculture in the town, meeting one of the Comprehensive Plan goals. The Town’s Right to Farm Law was also mentioned as well as a reference guide published by NYS for background related to the related section of Ag & Markets law and when there are conflicts with local zoning. Marty referred to the Low Density Residential zoning section of the Town Zoning Code where the property is located. Farming is listed as a permitted principal use with other area and yard restrictions within the use. He noted that any building or zoning permit for a non-permitted use or application that do not meet the district regulations would have to be denied by the town and appealed by the applicant. It was also noted that there is existing building permit activity by the current property owner. Crystal mentioned again that limiting “unreasonably restrictive” local regulations is part of what the designation entails, also noting some exclusion reference relative to the NYS Ag & Market provisions within the current Town Law. She continued to say that NYS Ag & Markets goal is for local regulations to be to be modified so they are not unreasonably restrictive relative to commercial farm operations within a State-certified, County-designated Agricultural District and intervention through an appeal to be after that is determined to not be the case per the applicant’s request. The Planning Committee was in support of the W. King Road request to be included in Tompkins County’s existing New York State Certified Agricultural District. 5. Staff updates and reports: C.J. briefly explained the town’s support for agricultural economic development in the Inlet Valley area with the enactment of an Overlay Zone which broadened potential uses. The upcoming/anticipated development of an approved self-storage facility as well as new ownership and the start of renovation of the former historic Turback’s restaurant (Sunnygables) along with the new Comfort Inn Hotel which is currently under construction were items mentioned. The town acquisition of the properties related to the Black Diamond Trail extension and other potential plans for development and transportation-related improvements was also briefly mentioned. C.J. plans to attend the Ithaca Area Economic Development annual meeting on May 7th and offered to request a member to attend a planning committee meeting if needed as well. Rod noted that the town does not have a specific economic development committee therefore economic development related issues will be brought here to the planning committee. 3 The TAP application for the Rt. 96 sidewalk was successfully submitted to NYS before the deadline. Notification of awards are anticipated in late summer / early fall. There was a recent meeting with Fisher Associates to develop a Scope of Work to go before the town board in April which will identify what work will be done by the consultants for the South Hill TND GEIS environmental review process in house and what will be done by consultants. 6. Next meeting date and upcoming agenda items: Next meeting date: 4-16-2026. Possible upcoming agenda items noted by C.J. were the sewer exemption criteria and the possible review of the draft RFP for the GIS model funded through the Homes and Community renewal grant the town received. The Town of Ithaca Planning Committee meeting concluded at 4:01 p.m.