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Home My WebLink AboutCB Minutes 2026-08-06 1 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board (CB) Meeting August 8, 2026, 4:00 p.m. (In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference) Final Minutes Members present: Lori Brewer (Chairperson), Frank Cantone (Vice Chairperson), James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Pete Loucks, and Richard Martinez. Staff: Michael Smith (Senior Planner), C.J. Randall (Director of Planning), Nick Quilty-Koval (Planner) and Max Villanueva (GIS Analyst/Engineering). Guests: Alex Thornton (potential new board member). The meeting began at 4:00 p.m. 1. Introduction and discussion of proposed revisions to Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 234: Subdivision of Land: This meeting started with a review of the proposed revisions to the Town’s subdivision regulations (see attachment Chapter 234. Subdivision of Land) led by the Director of Planning. The discussion was all about how a piece of land is subdivided into smaller pieces, and then how that land is essentially served by infrastructure, by transportation, etc. The Town's 1992 Open Space Index, as created by the Conservation Board, is the foundation for this revised document (Chapter 234). The town planners emphasized that now we can take static maps and turn them into something more dynamic, share them with people who are interested in developing in the town and to also let them know what the town's expectation is around conservation. It is a process of balancing public interest and private property rights. The Director of Planning explained we would be given a brief presentation on a GIS mapper computer program that Nick and Max have worked on indicating that this presentation is not a one-time opportunity. They see this as a longer, engagement process. She announced that Randall Arendt, who has worked in the conservation subdivision space, has offered to come to Ithaca and do a workshop with us, showing us and the public (including those in Danby and in Dryden) how this works in practice. They are considering having the event at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center either on September 30th or October 1st. The Director of Planning indicated that the town is clear on the areas that it wants to see developed at a higher density. Thus, these subdivision regulations may be applied in areas where the town is not looking to see higher densities of development. The question is, how do we develop areas where people may want to do something with their property, but that ultimately the town wants to see much of that land protected. Example sites were presented, showing the use and value of map overlays. Lands are categorized as Class1 unbuildable, which means no type of development there, or as Class 2 2, which in which at least 80% of the land is to be preserved, and then Class 3 for preserving at least 40% of the area on a parcel. There was some discussion of how the town deals with potential landowners who wish to sell their land to developers in ways that violate the class restrictions. Each of these classes really try to encompass as many parameters as possible from the open space inventory, created in 1992. There was further discussion pertaining to the GIS mapper’s current features and what it might include in the future with the goal of being easy to read, use, expand, and provide as much useful information as possible as requested by various users. The mapper developers wish to have this software tested by many different users to find any weaknesses and to obtain suggestions on how its use can be more effective and efficient. We were told prospective developers in the Town of Ithaca will receive a package along with a cover letter thanking them for their interest in the town of Ithaca and explaining the subdivision process and requirements. It will have information about conservation easements and how that process works in the town; subdividers can expect eventual easement monitoring. Proposals for major subdivisions will include a site visit by the Town to gather information for the development review process. The Site Design and Development Criteria Manual is a stand-alone public works manual to go along with this. The guide will also include information about phased developments and expected environmental review over the longer-term. So rather than the planning board trying to say the turn radius on this street should be X degrees or whatever, the Town can provide potential subdividers a palette of different thoroughfare options. 2. Persons to be heard: none 3. Members comments / concerns: none 4. Environmental Review Committee update: Lori mentioned they are looking at the material for the Bomber Heights Solar project and Southworks Woods projects. Mike added that a new sketch plan application for the Union Training Facility on Elmira Road will also be shared with ERC soon. 5. Chair and Coordinator reports: Mike stated that the town supervisor, Rod Howe, has announced he's retiring, and that September 18th will be his last day here at the town. Eric Levine, who is currently the Deputy Town Supervisor, will be appointed and moved into the supervisor position. Someone else will be temporarily appointed to fill out the rest of this year. Mike also shared with us the next stage for the two projects. One is an application to New York State DEC for an Urban and Community Forestry grant. The town has about 350 acres of preserved forest lands, scattered on all three hills right now. The grant would allow the 3 town to hire a forester to do an inventory and assessment of all of those lands. A DEC Forester would review that information and create a forest management plan for all the preserves. The plan would make recommendations of invasive species removal, how to react if there's a new insect or disease that's coming through, and address other forest management issues. These would include native planting suggestions, deer browsing issues, regeneration, all of those type of things would be put into a plan that the town could then use in the future to help manage those lands. We would expect the forester at some point towards the end of the project to come in and give a presentation to this group as part of the public education and outreach. They would also create some educational items, either brochures or signage that could go out at the preserves or at different public events and on the Town’s website. At this point, Mike is not looking for anything formal from the CB, but wants to make sure it's okay to indicate in the grant application that the CB supports the project and would hope to become part of the project as opportunities present themselves. 6. Approval of minutes from June 4, 2026: The June 4th minutes were moved by Frank and seconded by James, all in favor of approval as written. 7. Regular reports and updates: There wasn’t time remaining for these updates, so members were encouraged to email any updates to Pete to include in the minutes. The following are the email updates provided. a. Scenic Resources Committee: none b. Communications Committee: The Fischer Award page in the Town website has been updated with text and photos celebrating Robert Wesley’s tree planting party at the Culver Rd Preserve. Mike posted a link to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Native Plant Garden Tour invitation on our CB Facebook page Monday Aug 3 that has had 37 views. The tour, from 1 to 4 pm Sunday, August 30, starts at the extension office, 615 Willow Ave, where tourists can pick up a map of the pollinator pathway’s other gardens. We have 377 “followers,” with 44 “visits” in the past month. If any CB members finds an internet website on a conservation project worth sharing, let us know so we can post a link to it on our Facebook page. c. Tompkins County EMC: none d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program: 14 “long-term” established sites in Six Mile Creek were sampled in a June 24 synoptic scheduled water collection for chemical and E. coli analysis. Creek was running about half its median flow for that date, despite recent rain. The Community Science Institute’s website has published the March 25, 2026 synoptic sampling results on its Database at: https://www.database.communityscience.org/events/4529 . This was the 193rd time volunteers sampled Six Mile since September 22, 2004. CSI gave volunteers an online survey looking for feedback to “improve our volunteer experience.” A summer Benthic Macroinvertebrate sample has not yet been scheduled, but Adrianna Hirtler (A Fischer Awardee) invited MBI volunteers to help with a June 24th “Biomonitoring Fun!” event as part of CSI’s “Journey of Water Youth Education” series at Upper 4 Treman State Park, comparing BMI in Enfield and Fishkill Creeks just above their confluence in the park. CSI has had many reports of Harmful Algal Blooms on Cayuga Lake shores: 60 HABS have been reported from July 2 to August 6 this year. Communityscience.org has a public archive where you can view such reports. Water Monitors volunteers are invited to an annual lunch party on August 22 at Stewart Park. e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program: Volunteers spent two Tuesday afternoons weeding woody invasives (rose, buckthorn, honeysuckle, bittersweet, privet), wild parsnips and burdocks around Beebe Lake shores. Parsnip sap is phototoxic, so this weed needs careful attention to protect visitors by the lake: a “Parsnip Predator” spade and long sleeves kept volunteers safe. Repeated parsnip hunting has almost removed it from this campus NA. Volunteers also trimmed the Monkey Run trail on Fall Creek’s north NA, removing some buckthorn trees along that way. In Ringwood Preserve, they trimmed and blazed the red trail system of spurs and loop. Twice volunteers weeded swallow wort on South Hill, as well as a small patch of Japanese stiltgrass. Most of the swallowwort have been eradicated up there, though there’s still some inside the barbed wire fence around the Teton Court water tank above the Town’s Troy Park. Twice in the past month volunteer gigs have been cancelled—once by dangerous heat and smoke, once by intense lightning—but a noon visit to a CUBG gardener’s talk and slide show about his visits to help people of the Cofán yagé culture to plant an ethnobotanical biocultural conservation garden in a forest preserve in Putumayo, south Columbia was well attended. In Mitja Bontempo’s first visit, he helped clear and plant a garden space that didn’t thrive. On his second visit, he advised the Cofán change their garden plantings to raised beds with a charcoal soil amendment that they hope will not fail. After the talk, volunteers trimmed the nearby Morgan Smith trail in Fall Creek South NA. 8. Other Business: none 9. Works Goals / September Agenda: The September agenda should include an item for any additional comments or questions on the revised subdivision regulations, continue the parks support topic, and continue the scenic views discussion with Eva and Frank. 10. Meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm. Respectfully submitted, Pete Loucks August 13, 2026