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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Member DeschTOWW OF ITHACA ITHACA, NEW YORK March 18, 1966 Mr. Noel Desch Assistant to Director Physical Plant Buildings and Properties 215 Service Cornell University Ithaca, New York Dear Noel: I am enclosing a letter which could have considerable interest to the Planning Board. As I will not be able to attend the meeting on April 12, 1 thought that perhaps one of the Planning Board might wish to do so. 1 will write Frank Elderidge and tell him 1 have contacted you. You will perhaps remember at our discussion early in the year of the feasibility of having one member of the Planning Board sit in at the Town Board's monthly meeting. Andy McElwee has raised the question several times since then and we should, perhaps, translate this idea into action. There certainly is sufficient reason for a member of the Planning Board to attend these meetings as most of our present time is devoted to forming water and sewer districts which have a great bearing on planning and the ultimate development of the areas concerned. Our next meeting would be Monday, April 11, at 4:00. 1 hope you can be there. As you perhaps know, the Town Board adopted the lighting proposal with one exception. That is that the lights on the Danby Road were lowered in priority so that the work can be coordinated with the State Highway con struction program. The rest of the program should be finished within the next month. We had initially asked you to consider: 1. The feasibility of lights on the main roads, and 2. The feasibility of extending these lights into the interior. If the latter course is ever adopted, the basic problem would be one of OEPASTMENT of BV f!:.HOLD I. ■: ••frr's 1 ATKI.iS Ci'iAEPER t-ESCH I PILLSSURYI r,:£f(C£R UILDING AWO PftOPERTIFS R E c E J V E D IWIUIAMSliONNSON,, . ^ ^ SWANSON21 1966 gfo'SsH MALL HARRIS ■ — gillespie i: K,- ; "i'- ■6 p. 0. Box 44 Ithacft, K, !• Magr II, 1966 Mr* Koel Beech, Ch&iim&n Town of Ithaca Planning BoarA 133 Updihe Boad Ithaca, IT* T. Bear Mr, Beschs Since yom did not choose to taJce vp the natters of the Belcher fill and the Village of Cayuga Heights sever plant SCMSSH landsc^ing during ay attendance at your Planning Board meeting last erening, I aa most anxious to he informed of your action in these prohleas which are of great comaninity concern* Leonard B* Liheraan LBLsS CC:Cleik, 7ovn of Ithaca -r '• K. -- .. ■ '^vy; i*i /-■ * TOWN OF ITHACA 108 East G-reen Street ITHACA, NEW YORK 14630 June 21, 1966 Mr. Anselm Soyring Zoning Officer Town of Ithaca 108 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14650 Dear Andy: There are several items which I should bring to your attention as a result of our last Planning Board meeting, if action is required I will so indicate in the particular case involved. 1. The Lake Seal Division - The half demolishedbrick building on the north side of the present plant on East Shore Drive is very unsightly and hasexisted as such for more than the one year grace period permitted under Article 73 of the Ordinance. The Planning Board requests that you approach the owners with the idea that more development is contemplated both residential and commercial inthe area. Also, other property owners are devoting considerable effort to improve the appearance of the area. I believe that the Town will begin to feel increased pressure to improve this area when the Ithaca Festival gets underway. The Town Board plans to request the Village of Gayuga Heights to comply with the 1962 Liberman proceedings which require complete screening in front of the sewage treatment plant. 2. The Drew Sub-Division - Armand Adams requested that the Planning Board change the sizeof lots 6 and 8. We gave preliminary approval of this request (see letter attached), but we must have a revised sub-division plat on file before you Can issue building permits for lots 6 and/or 8. There was some anxiety by the developer to Anselm Soyring - June 21, 1966 Page 2 sell th.e lots, but I have not seen the final plan to date. 5. Russell Heights Sub-Division (Savey) - Approval was given by both the Planning Board and the Tompkins County Health Department for you to issue building permits on 318, 324, 332 Coddington Road providing each application meets all the usual requirements. (see letter attached for Health Department approval). 4. Zoning Ordinance change - In discussing a possible expansion of the Northwest Cemetery, the Board noticed that Article IV of the ordinance does not make specific reference to a cemetery except in Section 17. I am going to write to the Town Board recommending that a new paragraph 10 be added to Section 11 under Article IV. This will read "cemetery and the building and structures incident thereto, but only upon special approval of the Board of Appeals." We believe that this was inadvertently left out of the original ordinance. If you have any questions on these items please let me know. Very truly yours, Noel Desch Chairman, Planning Board ND: ja I y' ^ Septoiiber 29# 1966 Kr» Koal Ciiair-zin, Planning Board • . Tov.li op Itihaca 132 lipd;/*-:o iioad - ' , Ztiiaca# fi» 1. - Dear Mr. Deschi ^ iUstui'blng nevra recently recoived relativeU» a lov a re-zanii^ o£ pi\>party adjacent t<^ and adjoinlnr the £af«ac.:er tocos Sanctuaiy end tlie Labc^itoiy of Ornithology. lt vo^m 'oo a catastrophe If the tdno, effort and drearris of a group of Euah as tho late Dr. ArUiur A. AUen and Dr. Potor Ks^llogg, Dr. a. laworenco I^ltion, Dr. 0. S. PettlirJ.ll. Jr. and "'tT' totionta viidlii-o areas »asenisod, because of t!.o oncrcac-ont of :c,ati or sfcslo <lw=Hins a^ailbnts. States and in nost of tho r 'J* , P^^)pert,y itsolf is unus'oal in tlat it is tad® vth areas, iiio sorvics it rcndara to ^ °i FtMaca bat it serves as a hcsae f^Jr ® ^ tho poopl© of hew Jork State, tlio Unitedand to otliors vdio llvo ovei^cas. Fp>:a our local ar.3a rajvy havo consulted staff neubors, rado cbsarvaUons in tttn th.o Labozt^torn^ Fma this h'sdecided on a career in Omitholo<ry. in «/airao;.r7- to got nis coctomUj. ard facilities rnds available through the ^ ^'opo you Mill voi^^ to rotain thepresent sonij- for tne benefit of tho p<,ople of tiiis arid future goncmUona. Thanic you. Since roly^ ISK/ocs T. Spencer Knight A ■■.■m ■ ''<ii iSna^^Sew York September 29, 1966 Kr. Noel Desch Chairman, Town Planning Board 132 ITpdyke Hoad Ithaca, New York Dear Mr. Desch: As a resident of Ktna, and one who has tramped the trails of Sapsucker Woods for over 25 years, I wish to enter my protest, and that of ra y husband Dr. Walter R. Spofford, against any change in'the present zoning of the area adjacent to the Sanctuary. This lovely wood-lot is known near and far as an example of relatively unspoiled natre. It has already suffered from the noise fif major highways nearby, increased airplane traffics overhead, and multi-family residences encroaching on one border. Apartments can be built many olaces. Sanctuaries can never be replaced, once gone. Ithaca would be extremely short-sighted to destroy, by re-zoning, one of its most widely aopreciated attractions. Sincerely, Sally Hoyt Spofford (Mrs. Walter R. Spofford) coj Mr. William Kerr, Supervisor September 29* 1966 Mr. Koel Desch Chairman, Planning Board r , Town of Ithaca • : ' ; 132 Updyke Road Ithaca, N. Y. . Dear Mr. Desch: As Advisors to the Arcadia Foundation, which has contributed over $250,000 to the construction and operation of the Laboratory of Ornithology on Sap- sucker Woods Road, To;m of Ithaca, vre are greatly concerned to learn of a p2^posed re-zoning of land adjoining Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, which would be a damaging blow to the Laboratory, Because of the elevation of this area, the particular soil conditions, the trees and other flora native to these parts and the vret lands, this area was ideally suited for a Bird Sanctuary. You will find many nesting birds in this area that normally would seek nesting sites much farther north. The late Dr. Arthur A. Allen, world famous Ornithologist, Conservationist and Naturalist described this area as "unspoiled wilderness", at the time the Sanctuary was established. It was to be anticipated that homes vrould be built along the highways and the area vqs zoned for that purpose. The Sanctuary can endure reasonably well this kind of gradual development. However, the construction of a number of miilti or single dwelling apartments with the influx of many people that would follov/, leaves no room to doubt that the quiet retreat so necessary to attract birds and wildlife is in n jeopardy. The Laboratory of Ornithology is certairay one of the vrorld centers for bird study. It has brought thousands of visitors from all over the United States and foreign countries to Ithaca. The people of Ithaca can be justly proud of the Laboratory. The Arcadia Foundation has continued to support the work of the Laboratory to the extent of about $20,000 annually. How*ever, if this natural wildlife area is to be destroyed by the construction of apartment houses, we must question the wisdom of recommending continued grants of money to the Laboratory of Ornithology. Mr. Noel Desch Page # 2 September 29, 1966 It is our fim conviction that it is to the best interest of the people and taxiayers of the Town of Ithaca to keep this a residential area. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Respectfully, Eleanore B. Stuart ... - C. Will jam Stuaz*t T. Spencer Knight es Advisors to the Arcadia Foundation ipit, Toiv-n oi tthaca Plann5„ng Hoard Green Street -ithaca,, Nev- York 14630 fitecismber 13, i9o7 # Sear Mr„ l^esch; meeting on Tuesdfly December 12, 1967 sndheard your discussion concerning tne proposed in anS Town orfiZTc.,and also tue developments which prompted tie recon^n^tlojs. neighborhood complaints concerning the use of mv I on Snyaer Hill Rd, protvipted your recommendationi beiUve that if is quite reasonable lor me to ask the nrooe^rv appeals to examine theproperty and i^s use ht;.cre raaklng a recommendation or a^t.ng on toe reconsDendatlon, particularly siince It planning board's discusstor, that theyVisualise this use as a ''dormitory'' or ''rooo^ing house**^ Proisi such commenta it Is obvious chat neignbora and the ! lann^ng board and the board of appeals have not CKemlned the property and its use and have Imagined problems which not uniy do not exist but which have been well thought our ana planned for bafor.: building, ihe property In question is a two lamiiy home (a larce single fawllvhcmte with a smaller apt. in the basement area)^ built on an oversire lot, yith tax more parking than is pquired py the zoning ordinance, with more plumbing ffi®* requirad by the state plumbing code,rh d S k ® «<5"ai:e footage i=,Uoted per resident thanrequired by any public building code and its use has caused no problem or coraplaint in the nelghobrhood other than tne tact that the residents are students. Because of the neighborhood^ discriminatory coasplaints jg^Lgnf-tlno nd "laptaint ofher'^thaf f n«.. apartB«r.t or new home In groups greater th2 four? you must realize that such legislation will iiffltt the quality and alee of new housing which ta available to student groups. Your action could well correct^ problem which you are attempting to .V 1 c««pl«ln b«eau«« th«y do not want atodoaeanoidhborhood and yat thay hava ao aetttal *o«l^ •>• dlacrlalnatory toward acudont fo^t"o iTJint ««-" vlahUd eKr™ ?s.TrrHr,;-u, ISfV ^ V"? '•quiring off ttroot pavking for oach ro^dant: rStto!**^ *"*' a raaa^^la bathroeai'^/raaldant "»• planning board and thaappaala a) axamlna tha proparty which nr<Mibt*ai jSS'r ^ «• vary problam which you ara attaoiptlng to^corracCo Vary truly youra, ^ J . f Mtchaal J. Ptchal ■A ■.. .t. ■" ■• '<H