Some Ithaca news

[Ex-Ithacan]

Yeah Vis, I was awestruck by it.

btw, I think "thingy" is the technical term for a grand opening.

[Visiteur]

Well, this should help with the "4,000 units" goal...

It takes a village: Dryden development aimed at families, empty-nesters
By Timothy Cama
Special to The Journal

DRYDEN — A new residential community is taking shape in the Village of Dryden, and if everything goes as planned the first homes will be finished before winter, said Paul Simonet, the project's developer.

Simonet has been working with engineers and contractors for about a year to build the infrastructure for Maple Ridge, a development on the eastern edge of the village, across Route 392 from the new Town Hall.

Infrastructure such as electricity and a road will be finished in the coming months, Simonet said, at which point the first two-unit building will be constructed.

That building will be part of what Simonet, president of Three Sixty Enterprises, the project's developer, calls phase one. Eight buildings are planned for phase one, seven of which will contain two homes, and one building will contain just one home.
All homes at Maple Ridge, except for the first two-unit building, will be built for specific buyers, who will “influence a lot of the design of their homes,” Simonet said. But Three Sixty will work with future homeowners and a single engineering and construction team to ensure that the homes fit into the rest of the community and the plan for Maple Ridge.

Phase One homes will start at 1,300 square feet, and will be aimed at “empty nesters,” families, or anyone who desires a small living space, Simonet said. Pricing will likely start around $189,000 for these homes, but Simonet said that any number of specifications can increase a unit's price.

Phase Two will consist of eight to 10 larger, unattached homes designed for single families. Simonet still needs approval from the Village of Dryden, including a public hearing, before construction can start on these homes. This may happen within the next 60 days or so, he said, at which point homeowners will be allowed to buy lots and the construction on their homes can start.

The first building in Phase One is being built so that potential homeowners will be able to see an example of a Maple Ridge home, said Simonet. If construction starts soon, it could take as little as 90 to 120 days, and be finished before winter.

Maple Ridge will feature “the best road in Dryden,” said Simonet, featuring a sidewalk and accent lighting. The community will also contain a fair amount of green space and trees.

Simonet wants to encourage a community atmosphere at Maple Ridge, one he said that is already active in the Village of Dryden.

Simonet is a long-time Dryden resident and works at Park Outdoor Advertising.

About two years ago, Simonet noticed that in Tompkins County, there is a niche market for empty nesters and single families who either want to stay in a village or move to a village, he said, so he came up with the idea for Maple Ridge.

He purchased 31 acres of farmland in Dryden from Paul Cook, who grew up there, after Cook's father died, Simonet said. Cook had moved, so the farm wasn't being used.

At the time, about three acres of the land was in the Town of Dryden, while the bulk of it was in the village. Simonet asked the village board to annex the land, to minimize what he said could be an “administrative nightmare,” when, for example, a resident would have to pay multiple tax bills. The village and town agreed to the annex request.

Along with his close friend Corey Bihr, of California, Simonet founded Three Sixty Enterprises, for the purpose of building Maple Ridge. He and Bihr chose the name to reflect their belief that “what goes around comes around,” and that it's right to do good things, he said.

Though Three Sixty was founded with Maple Ridge in mind, Simonet leaves the possibility open of future projects.

Simonet's cousin, along with Bihr, provided the main sources of funding for Maple Ridge, but Simonet said that the investments were rooted in strong, close relationships, not in business.

The Village of Dryden has been very helpful, Simonet said. “I can't say enough good things about the village.”

They treated him well throughout the process, and also offered him guidance with issues such as safety and traffic concerns.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Yep, it's a baby step toward the 4,000, but more of those will do it.

[whit_x]

Not too bad. A subdivision with a street network that kind of works. Imagine that.

Originally Posted by Visiteur

Well, this should help with the "4,000 units" goal...

It takes a village: Dryden development aimed at families, empty-nesters
By Timothy Cama
Special to The Journal

DRYDEN — A new residential community is taking shape in the Village of Dryden, and if everything goes as planned the first homes will be finished before winter, said Paul Simonet, the project's developer.

Simonet has been working with engineers and contractors for about a year to build the infrastructure for Maple Ridge, a development on the eastern edge of the village, across Route 392 from the new Town Hall.

Infrastructure such as electricity and a road will be finished in the coming months, Simonet said, at which point the first two-unit building will be constructed.

That building will be part of what Simonet, president of Three Sixty Enterprises, the project's developer, calls phase one. Eight buildings are planned for phase one, seven of which will contain two homes, and one building will contain just one home.
All homes at Maple Ridge, except for the first two-unit building, will be built for specific buyers, who will “influence a lot of the design of their homes,” Simonet said. But Three Sixty will work with future homeowners and a single engineering and construction team to ensure that the homes fit into the rest of the community and the plan for Maple Ridge.

Phase One homes will start at 1,300 square feet, and will be aimed at “empty nesters,” families, or anyone who desires a small living space, Simonet said. Pricing will likely start around $189,000 for these homes, but Simonet said that any number of specifications can increase a unit's price.

Phase Two will consist of eight to 10 larger, unattached homes designed for single families. Simonet still needs approval from the Village of Dryden, including a public hearing, before construction can start on these homes. This may happen within the next 60 days or so, he said, at which point homeowners will be allowed to buy lots and the construction on their homes can start.

The first building in Phase One is being built so that potential homeowners will be able to see an example of a Maple Ridge home, said Simonet. If construction starts soon, it could take as little as 90 to 120 days, and be finished before winter.

Maple Ridge will feature “the best road in Dryden,” said Simonet, featuring a sidewalk and accent lighting. The community will also contain a fair amount of green space and trees.

Simonet wants to encourage a community atmosphere at Maple Ridge, one he said that is already active in the Village of Dryden.

Simonet is a long-time Dryden resident and works at Park Outdoor Advertising.

About two years ago, Simonet noticed that in Tompkins County, there is a niche market for empty nesters and single families who either want to stay in a village or move to a village, he said, so he came up with the idea for Maple Ridge.

He purchased 31 acres of farmland in Dryden from Paul Cook, who grew up there, after Cook's father died, Simonet said. Cook had moved, so the farm wasn't being used.

At the time, about three acres of the land was in the Town of Dryden, while the bulk of it was in the village. Simonet asked the village board to annex the land, to minimize what he said could be an “administrative nightmare,” when, for example, a resident would have to pay multiple tax bills. The village and town agreed to the annex request.

Along with his close friend Corey Bihr, of California, Simonet founded Three Sixty Enterprises, for the purpose of building Maple Ridge. He and Bihr chose the name to reflect their belief that “what goes around comes around,” and that it's right to do good things, he said.

Though Three Sixty was founded with Maple Ridge in mind, Simonet leaves the possibility open of future projects.

Simonet's cousin, along with Bihr, provided the main sources of funding for Maple Ridge, but Simonet said that the investments were rooted in strong, close relationships, not in business.

The Village of Dryden has been very helpful, Simonet said. “I can't say enough good things about the village.”

They treated him well throughout the process, and also offered him guidance with issues such as safety and traffic concerns.

[Ex-Ithacan]

One of the few neighborhoods that's seen strong development is getting the brakes put on it. Gotta love the comments from the readers too. Ithacans are not afraid to express their opinions.



City looking at construction moratorium in Collegetown
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — The city of Ithaca is considering an 18-month moratorium on new construction in Collegetown.

At a meeting tonight of the Common Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee, council members will review a plan to restrict virtually all new construction in the area. Alterations to existing structures that would increase occupancy by more than two unrelated adults would also be prohibited.

The area impacted by the moratorium is roughly bounded by Stewart Avenue on the west, Mitchell Street and East State Street on the south, Linden Avenue on the East and Cascadilla Creek on the north.

The purpose of the moratorium is to allow the city time to implement its Collegetown Vision Statement, completed in April, according to Jennifer Kusznir, a senior planner for the city of Ithaca.
“It's in the best interest of the city not to have developments start that don't fit with the plan,” Kusznir said.

The vision statement calls for, among other things, greater attention to “design and quality of the Collegetown environment,” better infrastructure for bike and pedestrian traffic, more public gathering space and more parking.

Stephen Golding, executive vice president for finance and administration at Cornell, represented Cornell on the Collegetown Vision Task Force. He said the biggest challenge is finding a balance between the needs of “the various constituencies that enjoy Collegetown.”

“I think there are some people who would like to see it a little less oriented toward bars and restaurants and provide some other amenities: grocery stores and drug stores and book stores and so forth,” Golding said.

Golding also said that because Collegetown is interdependent with The Commons and the East Hill shopping plaza, changes to one will impact the others.

Robert Cohen, owner of Stella's restaurant and cafe in Collegetown, was also on the Vision Task Force.

While he applauds the city's plan to consider more careful planning in Collegetown, he called the proposed moratorium “pretty drastic.”

“In principle I don't think it's good to discourage development,” Cohen said. “I'd be very careful to stop people from developing; that's what we want. But I think we want to move toward better development.”

To implement the vision statement, the city plans to hold an “ideas competition,” with input from the Cornell Council for the Arts. The city also plans to hire a consultant to create an urban plan for the neighborhood.

Kusznir estimated that it will take 12-14 months for the city to hold the ideas competition and receive the consultant's urban plan.

The proposed moratorium would prohibit property owners from splitting a single-family home into multiple rental apartments. It would also prohibit owners from demolishing a single-family dwelling and building another single-family dwelling in its place.

Kusznir said she is not aware of any pending developments in Collegetown that will be immediately impacted by the proposed moratorium.

“If anything was under way or had already gotten approval before this happens then they would be O.K.,” she said.


kgashler@ithacajournal.com




Originally published July 18, 2007

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Ithaca was already liberal; never knew it would turn Communist! The city has NO right to enact such a draconian law; it amounts to institutionalized looting. Today the authorities are asking us to stop construction on our own property (private property, America- the land of the free... does it ring a bell somewhere?); tomorrow they will use a similar law to drive us out of our homes.

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:17 pm

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This is the same City that wasted our tax payer's money deliberating to impeach a President on his way out. Why am I not surprised they are considering this?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:15 pm

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Well this moritorium is just plain idiotic, all the suggested thing you people have just suggested will not be allowed to happen if there is such a moratorium.

Also the taxpayers (landlords) that cobtribute 75% of the property taxes here are again being dictated to about what they can and can't do. But of course the city cant and doesn't want to deal with projects and construction on a case by case basis as they cant even keep business as usual sustained without great pains and efforts here.

People need to think about these thing, what nerve the city has to even consider such a heavy handed tactic.

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:14 pm

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So many people that go through the Collegetown area could make use of a market that specializes in organic, vegetarian foods (not necessary to be exclusively vegetarian). Green*Star is a great market--close to half of your dollar spent there goes right back into the community. If they would be willing to have a store in C-town that would be great, or go with a similar type of store.

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:39 pm

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to branc,
In this case we do disaggree and I see your point. However, i feel there are times moratoriums are needed. this is not a long morotorium. At the rate things get developed, I see no reason for concern. in the end, how big is this city going to become. Im afraid we will outdo ourselves and than we find ourseleves with traffic problems, lack of parking and more problems unforseen. look at SW park development. Its been developed in an ugly way. Its not sustainable. Sometimes you have to put things on hold and see the "bigger picture". Collegetown has "not" suffered from lack of development, by a morotorium in the past, and im confident it wont this time.

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:12 am

[Visiteur]

Note to Ithaca: You're not Phoenix. You're not Miami. You have few projects to be worried about. Why is this necessary. You plan and develop, a harmony between the two. You can't plan and halt all development, because one doesn't work well without the other.

Hey whit, you work with planners, how do you feel about this?

[Ex-Ithacan]

So true Vis. Sometimes reality is more of a concept in Ithaca than an actual fact.



City advances plans for Collegetown moratorium
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — The City of Ithaca took another step toward enacting an 18-month moratorium on construction in Collegetown Wednesday night.

Despite vocal opposition from a chamber full of business owners and property developers, the Common Council planning and economic development committee voted unanimously to send the moratorium concept memo on to the full Council for review.

Thys Van Cort, director of planning and development for the city, said that developers who already have a building permit for their projects will not be affected by the moratorium, but developments in progress but without building permits would be stopped.

The moratorium would stop all new construction in the neighborhood. Additions or alterations to existing structures that would increase legal occupancy or drastically alter the building's appearance would also be prohibited.
Public comment began the 7:30 p.m. meeting, and was dominated by developers and business owners opposed to the moratorium.

Jean McPheeters, president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, said her organization is “skeptical about the need for a moratorium” and said that an 18-month moratorium would have a “chilling effect of at least 30 months.”

Jason Burnham, owner of Jason's deli and grocery in Collegetown, said that in his 14 years in Collegetown, “I've seen my fair share of moratoriums.” Burnham said the moratorium proposal “feels anti-business to me.”

John Schroeder, chairman of the city planning board, spoke to the committee as a private citizen in favor of the proposed moratorium.

“It makes sense, it's in the public interest, to have all these ideas coordinated before any more developments start,” Schroeder said.

But Schroeder was in the clear minority at the meeting as developer after developer spoke to oppose the moratorium.

John Mares, who owns a small business in Buttermilk Falls Plaza, said his business is primarily frequented by college students.

“In order for me to survive, I need to be in Collegetown,” Mares said. “If you enact this moratorium, you will dissuade me from even considering moving to Collegetown.”

Public comment is among the first items of business on committee meeting agendas, and is normally followed immediately by response from committee members.

Wednesday night committee members chose not to respond immediately, however, choosing instead to wait until the moratorium came up in the normal meeting schedule.

The committee didn't begin discussing the proposed moratorium until 10 p.m., by which time only two developers remained in the audience.

Mary Tomlan, chairwoman of the planning and economic development committee, said she favors the moratorium.

“As we were looking at the big picture, it seemed that a moratorium would be a means of allowing time for the urban plan and the design guidelines to be developed,” Tomlan said.

The city of Ithaca established a Collegetown task force last year to study the neighborhood and meet with parties interested in the future of Collegetown: students, business owners, Cornell representatives, and Ithaca residents.

In April 2007, that task force released a Collegetown Vision Statement, which called for, among other things, greater attention to “design and quality of the Collegetown environment,” better infrastructure for bike and pedestrian traffic, more public gathering space, more green space, and more parking.

Committee member Dan Cogan expressed concern that the boundaries of the proposed moratorium extend beyond Collegetown, especially to the west. The area impacted by the moratorium is roughly bounded by Stewart Avenue on the west, Mitchell Street and East State Street on the south, Linden Avenue on the East, and Cascadilla Creek on the north.

Tomlan said that the proposed boundaries were chosen so that developers, stopped from building in Collegetown proper, would not simply build just outside the restricted area.

“Obviously (the moratorium area is) much larger than what would be considered for any re-zoning or design guidelines, but it would protect the areas around the center of Collegetown from additional development while a moratorium was in place.”


kgashler@ithacajournal.com




Originally published July 20, 2007

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What’s next

* Ithaca Common Council will next discuss the moratorium at its meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1. No moratorium will be implemented until approved by Common Council.

[Visiteur]

On the planning board....

A. Herbert F. Johnson Museum Addition, University Avenue, Cornell University Campus, Cornell University Applicant /Owner. Declaration of Lead Agency and Public Hearing. Applicant proposes to construct a 16,100 SF addition to the Johnson Museum, 1,800 SF of which will be above ground and 14,300 SF of which will be below ground. The addition will have its own entrance from Central Avenue and will contain two lecture halls, a gallery, offices, an outdoor courtyard, storage, and a mechanical room.

B. Tim Hortons Restaurant, 339 Elmira Road, TDL Group Inc., Applicant for Tim Hortons Corporation, Owner. Applicant is proposing to construct a 2,720 SF restaurant and drive through. Proposed project includes a designated curb cut for drive through exiting, parking for 25 cars, a 6’ wooden fence along the back property line, landscaped areas, a sidewalk along Elmira Road, and other site improvements. The project will require the demolition and removal of an existing 8,802 SF concrete building, formerly the Salvation Army.


C. Cayuga Green Residences, 235 S. Cayuga Street. Bloomfield Schon + Partners, Applicant for Owner, Cayuga Green Condominiums L.L.C. Applicant is proposing to construct a six-story condominium building with a building footprint of 15,300 SF. The project will include 44 units (with a mixture of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units) all with private balconies. Also included is an enclosed courtyard, lobby, and amenity space on the ground floor. Proposed site improvements to include exterior terraces enclosed by a stacked stone wall, a stone scree garden, approximately 40 new trees, perennials, and a concrete walk with bollards and a pedestrian crossing on the library-facing side of building. The proposed project is part of the Cayuga Green at Six
Mile Creek Development, which underwent environmental review and received preliminary site plan approval on February 18, 2003.

D. Proposed Multiple Dwelling, 131 Oak Avenue, Revised Sketch Plan Presentation

Okay, so item D. is in Collegetown, and would be affected by the moratorium. How is this project to be affected. More importantly, what are the details of this project, since it was in last month's meeting as well (too bad they don't post the meeting minutes online).

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ Whoa, interesting stuff there Vis. A Tim Horton's in Ithaca? Take that my Canadian friends. And though I'm disappointed the Cayuga Green condo project is only six stories (and will be somewhat overshadowed by the parking garage) at least it's more residential units downtown, and taller than many of the buildings. It seems more and more like the downtown area will be the historic Commons buildings surrounded by newer buildings which are a bit taller. As long as the desity continues, I guess that will work.

It is a shame about that C-town project. Maybe since it was already on the agenda the city council will let it pass through.

Thanks for the info.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Not sure the theatres are the answer, but better retail would certainly help. And again, the comments are a hoot. So many folks in Ithaca want to be involved.


City told it needs downtown draw
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — For The Commons to survive and thrive, big anchor stores, a first-run movie theater or another big draw must pull shoppers to the area, said Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Ithaca Downtown Partnership in a presentation Monday in City Hall.

“Traffic-generating uses hold the key to the future of The Commons,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson addressed an audience of city officials, planners and staff, as well as downtown merchants and citizens to discuss the successes that have kept The Commons alive, and the improvements that could make it stronger.

The Commons in downtown Ithaca is one of only 30 pedestrian malls of its kind left in the country. Between 1959 and 1990, 200 pedestrian malls like The Commons were built around the country.
Ferguson said the death of pedestrian malls in downtown U.S. cities is attributable to:

1. Lack of maintenance, management and marketing.

2. Fear of crime in downtown areas.

3. Loss of retail to suburbs.

4. Poor design.

5. Parking issues.

Of these, Ferguson cited loss of retail to suburbs as the biggest factor killing pedestrian malls.

“Pedestrian malls took the blame for cities being unable to address more fundamental city/suburban issues,” Ferguson said. Communities that ignored broader community planning issues struggled to understand why they were losing business in downtown pedestrian malls. “It was like having a machine gun to fight a battle and having only one bullet.”

Broader community planning can include growth boundaries to discourage suburban sprawl and traffic patterns that force traffic through downtown.

“When you make it easy for people not to come downtown, they don't,” Ferguson said.

As the city considers possible future renovations to The Commons, citizens in the audience encouraged city leaders to avoid too much construction at once, and to work toward making The Commons less bar-centric.

John Schroeder, chairman of the city planning board, spoke as a private citizen to promote the idea of establishing “a broad-based committee” made up of city officials, downtown merchants and citizens, similar to one that existed in the late 90s.

“We started out with many, many diverse opinions on The Commons, but in the end coalesced around a vision and it was a very positive thing.”

Julie Conley Holcomb, Ithaca city clerk, said only minor, safety-related construction is planned on the Commons in 2008. “Just temporary fixes until we get to the bigger picture.”


kgashler@ithacajournal.com




Originally published July 24, 2007

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Here's my take:
Option #1:

Time to face the music Ithaca and tear up the Commons and lay down some asphalt. Not only would this area look better, be cleaner and more accessible to everyone (handicap/elderly)....the businesses would actually have a chance of surviving.

OR

Option #2:

The city could just keep it the way it is with our "diverse young adults" hanging out swearing up a storm that would make Dane Cooke blush, smoking cigarettes, littering, making cat-calls at every attractive women who might take the chance of actually spending some money and soliciting handouts or asking if you would like to buy some drugs.

For some reason I think the city will go with Option #2....after all, cigarette butts make great tree mulch and fill in the grates nicely.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:43 am

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wait a minute. where does this come from?
a first-run movie theater or another big draw must pull shoppers to the area

there's a list of 5 things here.

of those, the parking is terrible (the new garage provides some options but it's no fun that in that one and the old one the first few levels are always), people are always complaining about riff-raff on the commons (while enjoying a beautiful sunny day last week, a teenager yells out to me, got any drug money....a real charming moment), and the marketing of new businesses is quite poor. so how do we leap to the movie theater type conclusion again without any discussion about how these other issues are going to be improved?

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:48 am

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If the City could make a timely and logical decision on what to do with the commons, I guess I would have faith that something good will come of all this talk. If history is any indicator, the solution will will most likely be an expensive hodge podge of compromises, with a result that falls short of the community's expectation. Twenty years from now, I fear that we we will again be talking about the last missed opportunity and the ultimate failure of the commons. For this community's sake I sure hope I'm wrong.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:37 am

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[Ex-Ithacan]

And the beat goes on in Ithaca.







Milstein plans reveal tension between city, CU
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — When it comes to University Avenue at the edge of the Cornell University campus, the city of Ithaca and the university each want the control, and neither wants the responsibility.

The decades-long history of disagreement over the road is coming to the forefront because of Cornell's proposal to build a new building, Milstein Hall, over the top of University Avenue.

Milstein will become part of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, physically connecting Sibley and Rand halls, and jutting across University Avenue toward the Foundry.

The plans for Milstein were designed by famed architect Rem Koolhaas, and his Office of Metropolitan Architecture. The building gets its name from Paul Milstein, a New York City developer and philanthropist who donated $10 million to the school.
City attorney Dan Hoffman says the primary source of contention has been “disagreement over who is ethically responsible for paying for necessary repairs, particularly if they're expensive repairs.” And according to Hoffman, University Avenue “is in need of a lot of repair.”

According to Shirley Egan, Cornell associate university counsel, Cornell — not the city — owns the underlying title to the street.

And while Hoffman didn't go so far as to agree, he did admit, “we haven't come up with evidence to the contrary.”

But ownership is not the only legal issue to be reckoned with.

Regardless of who owns the title, the city owns a public right-of-way along the street, which guarantees the rights of pedestrians, bikes and cars to continue using it, a right that Cornell does not dispute.

“The question is how wide is the public right-of-way and how high above the road does it extend?” Hoffman said. “And does the proposed Milstein Hall encroach upon the public right-of-way?”

Bill Gray, superintendent of public works for the City of Ithaca, said his biggest initial concern upon seeing the plans for Milstein Hall was the overhead clearance between the street and the building.

Gray said he was reminded of an incident in November 2002 when the city had another structure over a highway — a sign bridge over Route 13 — and an inattentive dump truck driver ran into it with his dump body raised.

“It took the whole sign out,” Gray said.

That incident was part of the reason that Gray told members of the Board of Public Works, in a note before their July 11 meeting, “I am not happy about the idea of building a structure over a city street.”

“We're not in New York or Boston where land space is so important or valuable that you have to deal with this normally,” Gray said.

Cornell planners have argued that the particular design they want for Milstein Hall is important because it will help connect the three separate buildings that house Architecture college departments — two of which are south of University Avenue, and one of which is north of it.

“It programmatically connects the different buildings that are part of the same college and will create a very nice area back there,” Egan said. “It'll create a bus stop, a transportation hub, a bike lane, so there's a very good reason programmatically all the way around to fix up that area.”

Despite his safety concerns, Gray said he sees where Cornell is coming from: “This is not inexpensive for them. The fact that they want to go to this complication is probably an indication of how they feel about it.”

Cornell apparently feels so strongly about Milstein, it's even willing to forget its 25-year-old dispute with the city and pay to rebuild part of University Avenue.


kgashler@ithacajournal.com




Originally published July 24, 2007




A detail view looking to the southwest shows Milstein Hall extending out over University Avenue towards the Foundry Building at the lower right. The dome of Sibley Hall is visible in the background and the corner of Rand Hall is at the left.

Points of concern

At its July 11 meeting, the Ithaca Board of Public Works voted to delay approval on Cornell’s plan to build Milstein Hall out over University Avenue. Board members listed various issues that prevented them from making a decision, including:


* Concern that approval would set a precedent allowing other property owners to build over city streets.


City attorney Dan Hoffman said this would only apply to streets the city doesn’t own. “The area of concern is limited. And it doesn’t include the downtown area. In my opinion it’s not a worry.”


* Concern that approval would be seen as a “gift” of the air above the street from the city to Cornell.


Shirley Egan, Cornell associate university counsel, and Hoffman both said that because Cornell owns the underlying title to the street, it also owns the air rights. Beyond the traditional area owned by the city as a public right-of-way, “anything above that up to the clouds is owned by Cornell,” Hoffman said.


* Concern that approval would diminish the public right-of-way.


In its plans to construct Milstein Hall, Cornell also plans to add a bus stop, a bike lane and an additional sidewalk, all of which will become part of the city’s public right-of-way. “The public right of way will actually be widened in the area, so that’s something that the city gets from Cornell,” Hoffman said.


The height of the public right-of-way would be diminished, stopping where Milstein Hall begins, at about 15 feet.

[Visiteur]

I'm taking a guess that is the condo portion on the left?

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ Yep, that's it. Here's the article.



Planning board OKs Cayuga Green condos
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — Cayuga Green Condominiums received final approval from the Ithaca Planning Board at its meeting Tuesday night.

Site plans call for a six-story building holding 44 units, directly behind the Tompkins County Library. The project is part of the larger Cayuga Green at Six Mile Creek Development, which also includes an apartment building, a parking garage and the Six Mile Creek Walk, which is already completed.

Board questions centered on parking, construction impact and aesthetics.

Ken Schon, who represented the development group Bloomfield Schon + Partners at the meeting, said that parking for condo residents would be guaranteed.
“We won't build this building without this right,” Schon said. “You can get people to come out of the burbs, but only if they have suburban amenities.”

The plans call for condo owners to rent, not own, zero to two parking spaces per unit.

The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will all have private balconies. The ground floor will house an enclosed courtyard, lobby and amenity space.

Vehicle access to the Cayuga Green at Six Mile Creek Development will come off Cayuga Street.

The development has been in the making for several years; environmental review and preliminary site plan approval occurred in February 2003.

Schon told the board that residents are eager to see the condos finally go up.

“Everybody's been saying, ‘When are you gonna cover that ugly concrete block wall?'”

Schon said construction for the condos is still a long way off, but groundbreaking for the apartment building in the Cayuga Green development will start in the next few weeks. The next step is to secure a building permit.

The board also granted preliminary site approval to TDL Group Inc. for construction of a Tim Horton's restaurant and drive-through at 339 Elmira Road. The location is the site of a former Salvation Army building, which would be demolished to make way for the new business.

Tim Horton's is a Canada-based drive-through with an emphasis on coffee and baked goods, but they also offer sandwiches. There are 2,723 restaurants in Canada, and 339 in the United States, and most locations are open 24 hours a day, according to its corporate Web site.

Lou Terragnoli, the developer building the restaurant, said he first sought approval from the board in April 2007, and has made site changes based on their recommendations.

The board also moved forward on Cornell's proposal for the Herbert F. Johnson Museum addition, voting to make the city the lead agency for environmental review of the project.

JoAnn Cornish, deputy director of planning for the city, said the primary concerns in the environmental review are with “grading, drainage and erosion control plans,” as well as information about tree removal and bike rack locations.

Planning Board chairman John Schroeder said he was impressed with the aesthetics of the Johnson Museum addition.

“I've heard nothing but positive impressions of this proposed building,” he said.


kgashler@ithacajournal.com


Originally published July 25, 2007


Here's a little bigger pic (the new apartment building{not the condos} is the 5 story bldg toward the center - ground to be broken soon):

[Tymel]

Woah, I thaught Ithaca was just a small town. Didnt know there where this much stuff going on.

[whit_x]

You'd be surprised, especially considering how anti-growth the place seems to be at times. Remember that this is one of the few areas in Upstate that is gaining population (not much, but still at least people are coming or staying.)

[Ex-Ithacan]

^^ It's still a small city (only 30,000), but it does have a bigger city feel. Downtown is starting to dense up, but as whit pointed out, development has always been an uphill battle in Ithaca.

[Visiteur]

I know the Empire Zone Tax Plan is a huge disaster, but the temptation of good jobs makes for good news fodder.

http://ithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.d...707280315/1002

Empire Zone Companies
Tompkins County companies included in the Empire Zone:

* Incodema: The company, which was one of two companies to receive Empire Zone certification in 2006, is a high-powered sheet-metal stamping company. It invested $774,786 in the community in 2006.

* e2e: The company makes petroleum free, biodegradable composites as substitutes for particleboard. It was awarded $100,000 dollars in the first EssentialConnections.org Emerging Business Competition. E2e plans on adding 19 jobs and investing nearly $3.5 million in the community.

* Novomer: Makes polymers and plastics out of renewable resources such as carbon dioxide. It expects to add 15 jobs over the next four years and invest $850,000 to the county.

* Ithaca Coffee Company: A specialty foods store that just opened its second store in the Gateway Plaza. It expects to add eight jobs over the next four years and invest $159,000 into the community.

* Vanguard Printing: Formerly Wilcox Press. Vanguard President Tom Parziale was unavailable for comment.

* NovaSpeech: A high-tech software company engaged primarily in research and development of next-generation speech technologies and related educational materials. It expects to invest $30,000 in the community and add four new jobs.

* South Hill Business Campus: Was once home to a major light manufacturer and is being renovated for multi-tenant light manufacturing and high-tech companies. Major investments are anticipated for brownfield remediation. It expects to produce three new jobs and invest $5.1 million in the community.

* Kensa Group: The company uses proprietary processes to identify, evaluate and develop business strategies for university-based intellectual property and inventions. It then creates the necessary scientific, institutional and financial bridges that can help lead firms from discovery to commercialization. It expects to add 11 new jobs in four years and invest $33,000 in Tompkins County.

* Therm: The third-generation company that was started in Ithaca in 1935 supplies custom-machined turbine components. It expects to add 13 jobs to their 179 existing jobs and invest over $1.5 million in the community.

* Primet Precision Materials: This company specializes in molecular materials development. Primet's core capability is precision materials refinement into designer nano-particles. The company has not yet began production, but expects to in the next two years. It also expects to add 42 new jobs and invest more than $3 million in the county.

* Concept Systems: The business provides consulting and facilitation services in areas of organizational planning, project design, development and evaluation. Concept Systems expects to move to the Commons this year to enable expansion. It plans to add eight new jobs and invest $341,000 in the county.

* Global Phoenix Computer Technology Solutions: The company is an electronic warehousing and Internet sales company that developes and uses its own proprietary software. Global Phoenix expects to make a major expansion at their Lansing location. It plans to add 23 jobs and invest $1 million in Tompkins County.

* Momentum Media: The company is a sports publishing firm that puts out three magazines and maintains a collection of online resources that service professionals working with competitive athletes and their sports programs. It plans on adding 10 new jobs and investing $207,000 in the community.

* IMR Test Labs: An independent testing lab that offers a complete scope of materials, research and testing services including failure analysis, expert testimony, lab management, product testing and training. IMR expects to add 11 new jobs and invest $1.75 million in the community.

* Class Act Kitchen & Bath Design Center: Specializes in retail, design and installation of new kitchens and bathrooms, as well as ceramic and hardwood floors. The company moved to Ithaca last year after 14 years in Cortland. It expects to add six jobs and invest $105,000 in Tompkins County.

* Home Green Home: The company started on The Commons specializing in sustainable home furnishings and floor and wall coverings. The store is scheduled to open in August and plans on adding three new jobs and investing $76,000 in Tompkins County.

— Source: Heather Filiberto, Tompkins County Area Development

I think that totals...179 jobs? So tempting to believe, but I reserve my enthusiasm until I see concrete evidence of growth. I do notice that e2e, the company that won the CNY business competition, is adding 19 jobs. Good for them.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ Thanks for the info Vis. And I think you're right, the jury is still out on this one.

[Visiteur]

Plan for city’s southwest envisions up to 600 housing units in a mixed development
From Journal staff reports

A city of Ithaca Committee will recommend on Wednesday that Common Council endorse a proposal that could lead to construction of as many as 600 new housing units in the city’s southwestern area.

The city announced this afternoon that the Southwest Selection Committee will recommend that McCormack Baron Salazar, a St. Louis-based firm, be named as the preferred master planner and developer for the proposed Southwest Area Neighborhood.

The area being considered for the new neighborhood is west of Lowe’s and Wal-Mart and south of Nate’s Floral Estates trailer park.

The Southwest Selection Committee was appointed by the mayor to conduct the selection process, which began in December 2006 when the city issued a request for qualifications for the project from prospective developers. The goal was to guide the future of the area, the last remaining large piece of undeveloped or lightly developed land in the city limits. Much of that corner of the city has seen large retail development in the past decade, but some city residents and officials have sought more residential development as an alternative to building more housing outside the city and to help fight sprawl.

City officials envision a neighborhood with a diverse mix of housing types, including permanently affordable housing that is centrally located, transit friendly, economically, socially and racially integrated and environmentally sustainable.
Although the size and density of the development will be based on the results of an in-depth soil analysis to be conducted late this year, the city hopes to see approximately 600 housing units, 30 percent of which will be permanently affordable. After the site capacity is determined, a community design and planning process will follow.

The recommended development team is scheduled to make a presentation to the Common Council and the Ithaca Urban renewal Agency at a special joint meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in Council Chambers.

See more about the southwest area plan in Wednesday’s edition of The Ithaca Journal and on www.theithacajournal.com.

Site Map:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/asse...AF80291731.PDF

Some of the planner's work:

Atlanta


Pittsburgh


Of course, it will be years before they break ground, but considering the moratorium news floating around lately, it's nice to hear about some planned development.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^Thanks for the pics of other projects by this developer. Good find Vis. Here's a bit more detail in a follow up article. Of course the comments by Ithacans are nearly all negative toward this development.

The area for the new hood is the wooded section in the center left,




Developer wins approval of Southwest committee
Council to hear proposal for 600-unit residential area tonight
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — It's recycling on the grandest scale: The City of Ithaca hopes to turn a former dump behind Wal-Mart into a neighborhood that urban planners across the country will want to emulate.

Ithaca Common Council will hear a presentation at 7 tonight on a possible 600-unit residential development in the Southwest corridor of the city. The area being considered for the entirely new neighborhood is west of Lowe's and Wal-Mart and south of Nate's Floral Estates mobile home park.

“This is the largest development opportunity the city has seen since Simeon DeWitt,” said Scott Whitham, chair of the Southwest Selection Committee, referring to the 18th-century surveyor who is credited with being one of the founders of Ithaca.

The Southwest Selection Committee was formed by Mayor Carolyn Peterson in December 2006 to study the area and to send out a request for qualifications from development groups across the country.
Four development groups responded, the selection committee chose McCormack Baron Salazar, and tonight the committee will present Common Council with its official recommendation to make the St. Louis, Mo.-based development group the preferred master planner and developer for the Southwest Area Urban Neighborhood.

“It's not one's usual development site,” Whitham said. He said the challenges to making the area attractive to potential new residents include its proximity to the railroad track and to heavy commercial activity, and the site's history as a city clean-fill dump.

But city officials believe the planned neighborhood's affordability, social, racial and economic diversity, and environmental sustainability will attract residents.

Officials plan for 30 percent of the housing to be permanently affordable to low-income people, meaning heavily subsidized. Another 20-30 percent of the housing will be “workforce housing,” for residents with lower-middle class incomes and will be partially subsidized. The remaining units will be higher-end “market housing,” which will be fully self-supporting.

The number and mix of apartments, condominiums and houses has not been determined.

City Planner Lisa Nicholas said the city is still at the stage of “ideas and goals. There's no design yet.”

Common Council member Maria Coles, D-1st, who was a member of the Southwest Selection Committee, said she was drawn to McCormack Baron Salazar's commitment to mixed-income developments.

“Ghettos are not only where poor people live; ghettos are also places where rich people live,” Coles said. “We are always better off when we are integrated on every level.”

Planning Director Thys Van Cort said subsidies for the development would come from state and federal grants and not from local taxes, which he said are already “tapped out.”

“There's no way to build this kind of housing without deep subsidy,” Van Cort said.

Mayor Carolyn Peterson said the proposed neighborhood would “meet multiple needs.” The housing would help fill a county-wide shortage of affordable housing. It would create a neighborhood close to downtown and near existing public transit locations.

“It also serves the broader goals of urban density rather than sprawl,” Peterson said.

Common Council tonight will hear the Southwest Selection Committee's recommendation to make McCormack Baron Salazar the preferred developer. The developers themselves will give a presentation at a joint meeting of Common Council and the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9.

Common Council could then vote, likely in September, on whether to approve the group as preferred developers.

Van Cort estimates that the first residents in the neighborhood could potentially move in 2-4 years from now.

The council also plans tonight to vote on whether to authorize a preferred developer agreement with developer Steve Flash, who hopes to build a 100-room hotel and 15 condominiums on the west side of Inlet Island between the Route 89 bridge and The Boatyard Grill.

Flash was named as the preferred developer 10 months ago, but authorization of an agreement with him has been delayed by concerns about the size of the project, whether hotel workers will be paid a living wage, and the purchase price of the land, which is owned by the city.

The piece of property on Inlet Island requires significant environmental cleanup, which Flash has agreed to complete, provided that the cleanup cost is deducted from the price of the land.

The city's appraisal of the land puts its fair market value at approximately $500,000. Flash estimates that cleanup costs will come in “closer to $600,000.” Flash also plans to apply for a state Brownfield Program tax subsidy, which could reimburse him for 10 percent of his total project costs for cleaning up and building on the former environmental problem site. He estimates that the project will cost $17.6 million, meaning he could potentially receive $1.76 million in tax credits from the program.

Council member Shane Seger, D-1st, has been an outspoken opponent of this plan.

“It seems to be that only one entity should be providing incentives for cleaning up the land, either New York state or the city, but certainly not both,” he said by e-mail.

Flash contends that both incentives — purchasing the land at no cost and receiving the Brownfield subsidy — are necessary to complete proper environmental cleanup and to create an economically viable business. He also noted that he has not and may never receive any Brownfield money, as the grants are competitive.


kgashler@ithacajournal.com




Originally published August 1, 2007