The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutPB Minutes 2026-03-03 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD Shirley A. Raffensperger Board Room, Town Hall 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Tuesday, March 3, 2026 6:30 P.M. AGENDA 1. Persons to be heard. 2. Sketch Plan for the proposed Bomber Heights Solar large-scale community solar photovoltaic system project, located on Troy Road, between Coddington Road and King Road East, in the Low Density Residential Zone and Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Energy System Overlay District. The project involves installing a 5MWac single-axis sun tracking solar array system on approximately 31+/- acres of land, along with two inverter/transformer equipment pads, battery energy storage, new utility (NYSEG) poles, eight-foot-tall fencing, stormwater management facilities, access drive, and other site elements. This is a Type I Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and is subject to environmental review. There are no decisions or approvals at this meeting, other than the Planning Board declaring their intent to be Lead Agency in the environmental review of the project. Troy Heights, LLC, Owner; Nexamp Solar, Applicant; Ryan McCune, Agent. 3. Approval of Minutes. 4. Other Business. 5. Adjournment. C.J. Randall Director of Planning 607-273-1747 Members of the public are welcome to attend meetings in person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom videoconference at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83643764382 or by calling (929) 436-2866 and entering Meeting ID: 836 4376 4382. The public will have an opportunity to see and hear the meeting live and provide comments directly to the Board during Persons to be Heard and/or Public Hearing. To watch the meeting live, please visit www.youtube.com/channel/UCC9vycXkJ6klVIibjhCy7NQ/live. Recorded meetings are viewable at YouTube.com/TownofIthacaVideo. Written comments can be addressed to the Planning Board (in-person at Town Hall; by mail; or via email at Planning@townithacany.gov) until noon the day of the meeting. Comments addressed to the Board will be distributed to all Board members and Applicant(s). Comments received after the posting of the agenda packet (five business days prior to the meeting) are distributed to the Board on the day of the meeting. Comments are public and become part of the project file. Applications and associated project materials are available on the Town’s website at https://townithacany.gov/meeting- calendar-agendas/ under the calendar meeting date. PB 2026-03-03 (Filed 3/9) Pg. 1 TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD March 3, 2026 MINUTES As a courtesy, the video recording of this meeting is available on YouTube @TownofIthacaVideo Present: Liz Bageant, Vice Chair; Vince Ferrara, Sara Reynolds, Bill Arms, and Kelda McGurk Absent: Caitlin Cameron CJ Randall, Director of Planning; Chris Balestra, Senior Planner; Dana Magnuson, Senior Code Officer; Susan Brock, Attorney for the Town; Justin McNeal, Town Engineer; Ashley Colbert, Deputy Town Clerk Ms. Bageant opened the meeting at 6:30p.m. 1. Persons to be heard – None 2. Sketch Plan for the proposed Bomber Heights Solar large-scale community solar photovoltaic system project, located on Troy Road, between Coddington Road and King Road East, in the Low Density Residential Zone and Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Energy System Overlay District. The project involves installing a 5MWac single-axis sun tracking solar array system on approximately 31+/- acres of land, along with two inverter/transformer equipment pads, battery energy storage, new utility (NYSEG) poles, eight-foot-tall fencing, stormwater management facilities, access drive, and other site elements. This is a Type I Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and is subject to environmental review. There are no decisions or approvals at this meeting, other than the Planning Board declaring their intent to be Lead Agency in the environmental review of the project. Troy Heights, LLC, Owner; Nexamp Solar, Applicant; Ryan McCune, Agent. Mr. McCune gave an overview of the Bomber Heights solar project located on Troy Road, directly north of the NYSEG transfer station on King Road. The layout includes a battery energy storage system and panels that are designed with a lower profile to accommodate the local topography with maximum heights shorter than the Carrowmoor solar project heights of closer to 12’ feet. There are wetlands on the property, but the wetlands have been determined to not be under the jurisdiction of the DEC. Continued work with the Army Corp of Engineers on that and other State and Federal permitting processes that may be necessary is underway. Mr. McCune asked the Board for any comments and questions, adding that it is helpful for them to hear concerns or requests sooner rather than later. Board discussion PB 2026-03-03 (Filed 3/9) Pg. 2 Ms. Bageant noted that this is a broad discussion on Sketch Plan with no decisions or actions other than the Planning Board declaring their intent to be the Lead Agency in the environmental review for the project. The Board asked about the construction timeline and Mr. McCune responded that it takes 3-6 months for structural and design and working with Codes, then about 2 months for pre- deployment contracting, followed by 12-18 months on the project itself. Mr. McCune responded to questions about fire safety and suppression, noting that the preliminary emergency response plan is drafted and will be shared with the Ithaca Fire Department prior to being brought back to this Board. The Board discussed potential visual impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and Mr. McCune asked for preliminary ideas on the directions they would like to see photos and renderings for a visual simulation that will be provided. A Google Earth map was shown and the intersection of NYS Route 79 and Burns Rd area is one area the Board would like to see. Mr. McCune suggested the Board first look at a viewshed analysis and use that to request the renderings they would like to see. Ms. Randall explained what is possible using GIS systems, including that the Applicant can deliver a map depicting where the solar energy system might be visible, and during which seasons. The Board can use this map to determine the specific locations where they would like a deeper analysis and renderings. Mr. McCune also showed a draft view simulation map on the screen. He said he felt the solar energy project would be hard to see from Coddington Rd because of the woods and undergrowth, which is fairly substantial and mature, with trees about 50-60’ feet tall on some of the slopes. The Board asked that he consider the viewshed from residences along NYS Route 96, near the hospital, from Slaterville Road/NYS Route 79E, as well as the four locations he included in the draft simulation. Mr. McCune stated he had the information from the Board that he needed to proceed. Ms. Randall noted for new members that the Town Board adopted the Large-Scale solar overlay district on certain lands where solar installations could be appropriate by using a lot of data layers to consider existing restrictions on residential development as well as significant wetlands, forested areas, transmission and distribution lines, and more. Ms. Brock noted some number discrepancies on the SEQR form and project narrative, listing the size of the project and land disturbance figures. She recommended that those figures be corrected. Mr. McCune explained that there is a potential for additional battery storage facility on the same site. The current project includes its own battery storage, but the battery energy storage facility PB 2026-03-03 (Filed 3/9) Pg. 3 would be a separate application in the future, contingent on utility approval, so it may or may not ever happen. He said he wanted to be transparent and reduce any risk of issues with SEQR segmentation in the future. So, they have included the anticipated site disturbance for the access road, stormwater facilities, and tree removal on the current SEQR and application associated with the possible future installation of additional battery energy storage adjacent to the utility substation, to ensure the stormwater system was done in a way that includes this potential additional battery energy storage system, especially as associated with the access road, but installation of that additional battery energy storage is not included in this application. The renderings show the slightly extended access road and tree clearing that will not be completed unless the additional battery energy storage is approved. He reiterated that it is shown here to comprehensively look at the full scope of possible disturbance and they would be happy to have a condition placed on the approval that tree clearing associated with the battery energy storage system would not be completed until the additional battery energy storage adjacent to the utility substation is submitted and approved. Ms. Randall wanted to make it clear that the Town’s zoning associated with solar energy systems only permit battery energy storage systems alongside large scale solar energy facilities and prohibits standalone battery storage projects as a land use; battery energy storage systems must be co-located with solar energy systems. Ms. Brock confirmed that they would only need the site plan approval and that the letter the applicant received regarding the jurisdiction of the wetlands considered the new regulations and changes. Mr. McCune thanked the Board for their time and reiterated that if he had any questions, he would reach out to planning staff. PB Resolution 2026-003: Lead Agency – Declaration of Intent Bomber Heights Large-Scale Solar Energy System Tax Parcel 49.-1-26.2 Troy Rd, between Coddington Rd & King Rd East Whereas: 1. The Town of Ithaca Planning Board, at its meeting on March 3, 2026, considered a Sketch Plan for the proposed Bomber Heights Solar large-scale ground-mounted community solar photovoltaic system project, located on Troy Road, between Coddington Road and King Road East, in the Low Density Residential Zone and Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Energy System Overlay District. The project involves installing a 5MWac single-axis sun tracking solar energy system on a total footprint of approximately 31+/- acres of land, along with two inverter/transformer equipment pads, battery energy storage, new utility (NYSEG) poles, PB 2026-03-03 (Filed 3/9) Pg. 4 eight-foot-tall fencing, stormwater management facilities, access drive, and other site elements. Troy Heights, LLC, Owner; Nexamp Solar, Applicant; Ryan McCune, Agent; and 2. The proposed project, which requires Site Plan Approval by the Planning Board, is a Type I action pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, 6 NYCRR Part 617 (617.4 (b)(6)(i)), because the project involves the physical alteration of more than 10 acres; now, therefore be it Resolved, that the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby proposes to establish itself as Lead Agency to coordinate the environmental review of the proposed action, as described above; and be it further Resolved, that the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby requests the concurrence of all involved agencies on this proposed Lead Agency designation; said concurrence to be received by the Town of Ithaca Planning Department within thirty days from the date of notification to the involved agencies. Moved: Vinny Ferrara Seconded: Sara Reynolds Vote: ayes- Bageant, Ferrara, Reynolds, Arms and McGurk 3. Approval of minutes. Motion made by Mr. Ferrara to approve the February 3, 2026, meeting minutes as final; seconded by Mr. Arms; unanimous. 4. Other Business Motion made by Mr. Ferrara to cancel the March 17th meeting due to no agenda items, seconded by Ms. Reynolds; unanimous. Ms. Randall discussed the upcoming South Works- Beacon Woods project. Sketch plans could be coming to the board for the project in the next few months. 5. Adjournment Mr. Ferrara motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:44p.m.; unanimous. Submitted by Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk