There's a ton of information in here from the June 22 Planning and Development Board meeting -
The highlights:
1. State Street Apartments (401 E. State / Martin Luther King Jr. St.)
This 350+ unit development was back on the agenda with revisions made from an earlier meeting. The main concern was about granting a 9 ft. height variance (71 ft. requested, 62 ft. permitted). The current option offers a set-back on the top floor, the removal of some balconies, and some material changes. The board requested some additional renderings, details, and information, but there doesn't seem to be any big concerns. The project goes before the Board of Zoning Appeals this month.
Source:
The Ithaca Voice
2. 510 MLK (510 W. State / W. Martin Luther King Jr. St.)
This affordable housing project has undergone a significant redesign since its initial review in 2019. The development has lots of challenges, including being built on two tax parcels, each with different zoning & height limits. Some neighbors aren't too keen on a 4 story, 58-unit development replacing a 2-story frame house and a single-story commercial structure either, with special concern noted about noise and vibrations from construction. The board is still divided, and asked to revisit the proposal next month, with additional information to be provided on vibration and noise impacts.
Source:
The Ithaca Voice
3. The Ruby (228 Dryden Rd.)
A proposed 40-unit, 5-story apartment on the eastern edge of Inner Collegetown seems to be moving through the review process smoothly, with just some minor variance required. It will be back on the agenda this month for further discussion.
Source:
The Ithaca Voice
4. Cliff Street Retreat (407 Cliff St.)
Since a PUD has been granted, this redevelopment proposal can now begin the site plan review process. The board seems to generally be in support of the mixed-use proposal.
Source:
The Ithaca Voice
5. Infill Housing (615-617 Cascadilla St.)
West End infill housing to aims to demolish an existing two‐story residential house in order to build four buildings each with two 3‐bedroom units, for a total of eight rental apartments. This one seems to be fairly straightforward and shouldn't meet with much resistance. The design seems a bit odd to me though - like an oversized house bisected into 3 parts.
Source:
The Ithaca Voice