HomeMy WebLinkAboutAG Minutes 2016-07-26
Agriculture Committee Members and Associates (*)
A.J. Teeter Farm (Debbie Teeter, Chair), Devon Van Noble*, Forest Family Farm (Claire Forest), Ithaca Equestrian
Center (Russ Wedemeyer, Vice-Chair), Lance Ebel*, Laughing Goat Fiber Farm (Lisa Ferguson), Steep Hollow
Farm (Christianne White), Sweyolakan Farm (Jamie Baker), Tree Gate Farm (Sharon Tregaskis)
TOWN OF ITHACA
AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Aurora Street Conference Room
215 N. Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
(The rear entrance is handicapped accessible)
607-273-1747
AGENDA
7:00 pm 1. Persons to be heard
7:05 pm 2. Member Announcements / Concerns
7:15 pm 3. Chair and Coordinator Reports / Updates
7:25 pm 4. Ithaca Town Board Report / Update
7:35 pm 5. Approval of Minutes – March 22, 2016
7:45 pm 6. Plan for Town Board Farm Tour – Fall 2016
- review feedback from last year’s farm tour, timing for this year’s
tour, ideas of potential farms to participate
8:15 pm 7. Continue reviewing selected goals/recommendations from the Town’s
Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan
- “Review and revise the Town’s Commercial, Light Industrial, and
Agricultural Zones to ensure that the necessary agriculture-related
businesses would be permitted, and to encourage those types of
businesses to locate in the Town of Ithaca” (Recommendation 2-o)
- “Identify under-utilized farming and forestry resources in the Town”
(Recommendation 2-h)
- “Enhance zoning as a tool to control non-agricultural development
on or adjacent to agricultural land” (Recommendation 3-a)
8:55 pm 8. Other Business
9:00 pm 9. Adjourn
Please call (607-273-1747) or email
(msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us) if you cannot attend
Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting
Tuesday,July 26,2016, 7:00 pm
Final Minutes
Members Present: Debbie Teeter, Devon Van Noble, Claire Forest, Christianne White, Sharon Tregaskis,
Dean Koyanagi
Town Representatives: Bill Goodman (Town Supervisor), Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
1. Persons to be heard: none
2. Member announcements: Devon mentioned that the Groundswell incubator farm has 3 farmers that
finished last year, and 3 more this year. Sharon announced that she has meet with several members of
the Town's Conservation Board on their effort of developing a deer management program for the Town.
3. Chair and Coordinator reports: Mike described 2 larger projects coming before the Planning Board,
the Sleep Inn Hotel on Elmira Road and the Cornell University Maplewood redevelopment project.
4. Ithaca Town Board report: Bill explained that the Town has received funding for an economic
development study for the Inlet Valley Corridor(Elmira Rd). Christianne asked about wildlife in that
corridor and if any road reconstruction is involved could there be under or over passes for wildlife?
Bill mentioned that the Town's Codes and Ordinances Committee has decided to only address chickens
in the Medium Density Residential Zone at the moment. The Eddy's have applied to the Town's PDR
program for their two properties on Seven Mile Drive.
5. Approval of minutes: none available
6. Plan for 2016 Town Board Farm Tour: Debbie said that she would like to host one stop at her farm and
have a wagon ride to their northern fields. Debbie will also ask Jamie Baker and Steve Eddy to see if
either of them have any interest in hosting a stop. Maybe a date in mid-October after the Apple Harvest
Festival.
7. Review selected goals and recommendations from Town's Ag Plan: During discussion of
recommendation 2-h, it was suggested that we try to get a forester or other forest related guest speaker
for the November meeting. Some names mentioned include Ken Mudge, Brett Chedzoy, Peter
Smallidge, Mark Whitmore, Bernd Blossey.
For recommendation 3-a, slaughter facility was mentioned as something needed in the area. Thought
other business ideas might come out of the economic study for Elmira Road.
8. Other Business: Christianne mentioned that she has had 4 solar companies contact her about using
her property. Bill explained a little about the proposed new solar law which would permit the larger
sized facilities. Dean mentioned that stormwater is an issue with the larger solar farms and that they
usually need to be within 1 mile of a substation.
9. Ad00ourn: 8:42 pm