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Home My WebLink AboutCOC Packet 2026-10-14 PLANNING DEPARTMENT 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.townithacany.gov 10/6/2026 TO: Codes and Ordinances Committee: Susie Gutenberger-Fitzpatrick, Chair Vinny Ferrara Eva Hoffmann Dave McCune Diana Sinton Connor Terry FROM: C.J. Randall, Director of Planning RE: Next Codes and Ordinances Committee Meeting – October 14, 2026 The next meeting of the Codes and Ordinances Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 5:30 pm in the Aurora Conference Room, located in Town Hall at 215 North Tioga Street. A quorum of the Town of Ithaca Town Board may be present at this meeting. However, no official Town Board business will be conducted. The following items are attached: 1. Minutes from the June 10, 2026, COC meeting. 2. Proposed draft amendments to Environmental Quality Review (Chapter 148) and Zoning (Chapter 270). If you cannot attend this meeting, please notify Abby Homer as soon as possible at (607) 273- 1747, or ahomer@townithacany.gov. cc: Abby Homer, Administrative Assistant Marty Moseley, Director of Code Enforcement Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk (email) Nathan D. VanWhy, Esq., Attorney for the Town (email) Town Administrative staff (email) Town Code Enforcement staff (email) Town Planning staff (email) Town Public Works staff (email) Media TOWN OF ITHACA CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 273-1747 PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be held in person in the Aurora Conference Room at Town Hall, 215 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY, on October 14, 2026, at 5:30 pm. Members of the public may join the meeting via Zoom: • Join Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87531393743 • Zoom meeting ID: 875 3139 3743 • Dial in phone: 929-436-2866 Meeting of October 14 – 5:30 P.M. AGENDA 1. Member comments/concerns. 2. Review minutes from June 10, 2026 COC meeting. 3. Review of proposed amendments to Chapter 148, Environmental Quality Review (Town Code § 148-6: Type II actions); Chapter 270, Zoning, Article V: Conservation Zones (Town Code § 270-20: Clustering); and Chapter 270: Zoning, Article VI. Agricultural Zones (Town Code § 270-35: Density limitations and limitations on subdivision of parent tracts and § 270-37: Additional special requirements). 4. Other business: • Next meeting agenda. Town of Ithaca Planning Department October 6, 2026 1 TOWN OF ITHACA CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE (COC) Meeting of June 10, 2026 – 5:30 p.m. Aurora Conference Room, Town Hall DRAFT Minutes Members Present: Susie Gutenberger-Fitzpatrick: Chair; Diana Sinton; Dave McCune; Connor Terry. Not Present/Excused: Vinny Ferrara & Eva Hoffmann. Staff Present: C.J. Randall, Director of Planning; Christine Balestra, Senior Planner; Dana Magnuson, Senior Code Enforcement Officer, Susan Brock, outgoing Attorney for the Town and Nate Van Why, incoming Attorney for the Town. Guests: Two students in person. The meeting was recorded on Zoom and live streamed on the Town of Ithaca YouTube channel. Susie called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. Nathan Van Why was introduced and welcomed by the committee. 1. Member comments/concerns. None 2. Review minutes from May 04, 2026, COC meeting. On a motion made by Dave, seconded by Diana, the May 04, 2026, COC minutes were unanimously approved as presented. 3. Complete amendments to Revised Draft Subdivision of Land Regulations. Chris explained that there were additional clarifications made to the regulations since they were mailed to the committee. She shared the most recent version of the regulations on the screen and explained them in detail. Some of the proposed changes were minor typos or adding in missing words. More significant changes were: • Item “B” moved from Applicability section to §234-10. General Requirements section • Definition of DWELLING added, matches Zoning Code definition • Definition of LOT LINE changed to match Zoning Code definition; committee added “public” on second line, between “of” and “a” (reads: “of a public street”) • Definition of PHASED DEVELOPMENT added • Definition of MINOR subdivision changed from “up to three” lots, to “two or three” lots • Article V- added public hearing requirements • Article VI- Major Subdivisions, §234-26. Conventional subdivisions- added unbuildable language clause to C. • Article XI- Supersession, §234-42- new section. After the word “supersede” in first sentence, end with “all contrary provisions of NYS Town Law, including, but not limited to, the following:” Conclusion: All of the final amendments proposed were accepted by the COC. 2 Next steps: C.J. stated that, as part of the law revisions, the Town’s Open Space Inventory was being digitized using ArcGIS. Staff was also developing a guide for developers to help give clarity to the town’s processes related to development and the overall goals and objectives for the built environment. Staff was updating existing and creating new submission checklists, which will be external from the code to maintain transparency and enable the ability to revise as needed. The OpenGov permitting platform for application submissions will be updated to be more efficient so applications will more accurately reflect the updated code and process. The fee schedule will be reviewed to be commensurate with the type of review being applied. C.J. then noted that the public engagement piece was anticipated to include a presentation from conservation subdivision specialist Randall Arendt. Other municipalities, possibly local real estate or developer representatives, along with the local community, could be invited to attend the presentation. C.J. briefly explained an idea to host a two-part discussion/presentation to show the built environment idea, the development review process and any known funding opportunities in one session, and a natural environment session to go into detail about conservation subdivisions. The committee liked these ideas. A large thank you was given to Chris Balestra, Nick Quilty-Koval, and Susan Brock for carrying the document forward through this point in the process. On a motion by Susie, seconded by Connor, the Codes and Ordinances committee unanimously voted to refer the Draft Revised Subdivision of Land Regulations, as amended that evening, to the Town Board for further action. The Town Board is expected to refer the law to the Conservation Board and Planning Board for their recommendations. 4. Other business: Next meeting date: August 12th, 2026. The committee agreed to cancel the July 8th meeting to allow progress on the subdivision regulations. This was a very memorable last meeting for Susan Brock, Attorney for the Town, as she is retiring. The committee thanked her for more than 25 years of invaluable service to the Town of Ithaca. The meeting adjourned at 6:49 p.m. To: Codes and Ordinances Committee Members From: C.J. Randall, Director of Planning Christine Balestra, Senior Planner Date: October 6, 2026 RE: Complementary Town Code Revisions Related to Revised Chapter 234: Subdivision of Land Please find attached minor revisions to certain sections of the Town of Ithaca Code to complement the revised draft Town Code Chapter 234: Subdivision of Land. The Codes and Ordinances Committee reviewed the revised draft Chapter 234 at several meetings between November 2023 and June 2026, before referring the draft to the Town Board. At their June 22, 2026, meeting, the Town Board referred the draft revisions to the Planning Board and Conservation Board, respectively, for their review and recommendations. The Conservation Board completed their review, and the Planning Board is expected to complete their review and recommendations by the end of October. There are three sections of Town Code presented, revised to be consistent with the new Chapter 234 provisions. The attachment contains redlining to indicate suggested deleted or added text to the following Town Code sections (deleted text is crossed out): • Chapter 148, Environmental Quality Review • Chapter 270, Zoning, Article V: Conservation Zones • Chapter 270, Zoning, Article VI: Agricultural Zones The Committee will review these proposed revisions at the October 14, 2026, meeting. Please call me at (607) 273-1721 ext. 120 or email me at cjrandall@townithacany.gov if you have any questions. Att. ### Draft amendments to Town Code 10/6/2026 1 Proposed Modifications to Town Code (to complement revised Chapter 234-Subdivision of Land) 1. Chapter 148-Environmental Quality Review § 148-6. Type II actions. In addition to those actions listed in 6 NYCRR § 617.5, the following are hereby designated as Type II actions: A. All tree planting, landscaping, and trimming by the Town of Ithaca Highway Department. B. All signs except off-premises signs. C. Lot Line Adjustments, as defined in Town Code Chapter 234. 2. Chapter 270-Zoning, Article V. Conservation Zones § 270-20. Clustering. The Planning Board is hereby authorized to require clustering of residential units as outlined in Chapter 234, Subdivision of Land, of the Code of the Town of Ithaca, where clustering will further the purposes of the Conservation Zone, as described in Town Code 270-10. subject to the requirement with respect to the Conservation Zone along Six Mile Creek, that where feasible, on the southwestern side of Six Mile Creek (i.e., on the Coddington Road side of the Conservation Zone), dwelling units shall be clustered between the former railroad grade and Coddington Road, in order to preserve the natural characteristics and scenic views of the lands adjacent to Six Mile Creek and the city watershed properties. In such cases, the same number of dwelling units that could have been built on that portion of the parcel between the former railroad grade and Six Mile Creek under the above density requirements when feasible shall be transferred to the portion of the parcel between the former railroad grade and Coddington Road. This provision shall not apply to parcels which are situated entirely between the former railroad grade and Six Mile Creek.. 3. Chapter 270-Zoning, Article VI. Agricultural Zones § 270-35. Density limitations and limitations on subdivision of parent tracts. B. Clustering of the lots may be required by the Planning Board as a condition to granting any major subdivision approval. D. The Planning Board, as a condition of granting subdivision approval, shall require, unless good cause is shown for omission of same, the developer to encumber the larger tracts (the non-cluster lots) by deed restrictions, conservation or agricultural easements, or other mechanism satisfactory to the Planning Board, to ensure that such parcels shall remain permanently as open space or agricultural land. For this Draft amendments to Town Code 10/6/2026 2 purpose, land shall still be considered open space or agricultural land if used for the purposes set forth in § 270-26, Subsections A, B, C, D, E, H (provided the same are passive recreational areas), I and L. § 270-37. Additional special requirements. Additional special requirements include the following: A. Screening. In addition to the landscaping, screening, fencing and buffer requirements set forth elsewhere in this chapter, additional landscaping, fencing, screening, or earth berm may be required to be provided by the Planning Board in the site plan review and/or subdivision process in any area where the proposed structure or use would, in the reasonable opinion of the Planning Board, create a hazardous condition or would detract from the value of neighboring property if such landscaping, fencing, screening, or berm were not provided. Subdivision regulations update At-a-glance INITIATION Defining the project scope, objectives, and deliverables.Kicked off the project with Town Codes & Ordinances Committee. 2023 May DRAFTING Codes & Ordinances Committee and Town staff drafted new Subdivision regulations based on Rural by Design approach. 2023- 2026 OUTREACH We are here! Includes feedback from Town’s Conservation Board and Planning Board and referral to County Planning. 2026 October REVISIONS Incorporating suggested revisions from the Outreach stage. 2026 Q4 ADOPTION Potential adoption by Town Board in early 2027. 2027 January QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? CONTACT PLANNING@TOWNITHACANY.GOV