Some Ithaca news

[Ex-Ithacan]

Maybe the Common Council will compromise and let some midrise development continue in Collegetown (from the Ithaca Journal):




Board approves Collegetown revisions
Taller buildings, less on-site parking included
• By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • May 13, 2009


As plans for major development in post-moratorium Collegetown proceed, Ithaca's Planning and Development Board recommended Tuesday the city change its ordinances governing building height, parking requirements and design review.

The board voted Tuesday night 6-1 to recommend their revised version of the Collegetown Urban Plan and Design Guidelines to Common Council, which would have to approve zoning changes or a plan.

The plan calls for decreasing allowable building heights on the edges of Collegetown and increasing heights in the core, including allowing buildings up to 75 feet at the corner of College Avenue and Dryden Road through incentive zoning. Big-development items such as hotels or office space, rather than student housing, could go above the current 60-foot limit.

It also allows developers to build less on-site parking. Developers could still fulfill parking requirements with on-site parking, as is done now, or they could fulfill them by paying a fee to the city or by building public facilities for mass or alternative transit.

If adopted, the plan would also require all developers in Collegetown to submit to binding design review.

The Planning Board's recommendation comes after five special meetings on the topic and multiple, often packed, public hearings. An 18-month development moratorium ended in April.

Chairman John Schroeder said the building height changes are meant as a compromise between the strong opinions expressed by students and developers, who want taller buildings, and many permanent residents, who do not.

The original plan presented by city consultants Goody Clancy recommended increasing building heights throughout Collegetown, including to as much as 90 feet in the core.

The board disputed the underlying economic analysis upon which that recommendation was made. In their analysis, Goody Clancy said that land in Collegetown is so expensive that under existing zoning, developers can't build there without a subsidy.

The reality of new development in Collegetown over the past few decades indicates that's not the case, Schroeder argued.

Just to the south of the Collegetown study area, developer John Novarr has proposed the Collegetown Terrace Apartment project, which will demolish all but three buildings on a 16-acre parcel between State Street and Six Mile Creek and replace them with 1,100 new rental beds, a net gain of 625 bedrooms over what currently exists.

Properties have also changed hands on lower Linden Avenue, indicating the possibility of new development there, Planning Director JoAnn Cornish said. Current property owners are also talking about development in the core, she said.

The Planning Board recommended Common Council first: establish mandatory design review, wherein a city review board could require architectural and aesthetic changes in design plans; set up the parking in-lieu system; and determine ideal transit stop locations and sidewalk widths.

The Collegetown plan will come before Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee next Wednesday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, 108 E. Green St.

[Ex-Ithacan]

What a place.

From the Ithaca Journal.


Town of Ithaca considers status of moratoriums
Carrowmoor spurs debate
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 15, 2009

Ithaca's Town planning committee considered extending one development moratorium and implementing another Thursday.

Roughly a dozen people came to the committee's meeting, primarily to speak in favor of a moratorium on development on West Hill. The idea came in response to Carrowmoor, the proposed 400-unit, zero-carbon development on Route 79, and the Route 96 corridor study, which calls for a high-density development node within a half-mile of Cayuga Medical Center.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend extending the Northeast-area moratorium past its scheduled June end by six months. Both neighbors opposed to the Briarwood II development and the project's engineer supported the extension in hopes that an amicable solution can be achieved.

Reasons for a West Hill moratorium included traffic, noise and quality of life impacts on existing residents from new development. Reasons against included Tompkins County's need for 4,000 new non-student housing units in the next 10 years.

The two-year Route 96 study included the City of Ithaca, Towns of Ithaca and Ulysses, Tompkins County, the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council and Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit. In addition to the hospital, the study calls for a clustered, village-like node in Jacksonville and more development in Trumansburg, County Planning Commissioner Ed Marx said.

Nodal development is not expected to reduce traffic but to reduce increases compared to traditional suburban sprawl, Marx said.

Neighbors in favor of a moratorium emphasized that they don't oppose development or even nodal development. Many stated their support for Cornell's proposed nodal development at East Hill plaza. But they said West Hill is inappropriate for more development, largely because of the bottleneck at the bottom of Cayuga Lake through which all traffic must pass.

West Hill resident Marie Harkins and Board member Peter Stein said they were skeptical that people wouldn't still drive down the hill to grocery shop.

Nodal developments are meant to include a small amount of commercial development like a bank, a convenience store, or a hairdresser, not a grocery store, Marx said.

"We're not talking about the weekly trip to the grocery store," Marx said. "Everybody drives to the grocery store. I don't care if you live next door."

"You don't just go to a hairdresser, you go to your hairdresser," Stein responded.

Committee Chairman Rich DePaolo questioned the underlying assumption that growth and development in general will or should happen.

Town Supervisor Herb Engman argued that to make housing more affordable, the town and county need more of it. "We don't have enough housing. That's why the housing prices are so high and why 10,500 people a day commute into the Town of Ithaca because they can't afford to live here," Engman said.

The committee planned to continue the discussion at their June meeting.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Big stuff for the old hood.

From the Ithaca Journal:



Photo provided

A site plan of the proposed Collegetown Terrace Apartment complex shows in yellow the footprint of the new buildings that will replace all the buildings in the area bounded by South Quarry Street, East State Street and Valentine Place. The three buildings in gray €" Quarry Arms, Boiler Works and Casa Roma €" are part of Ithaca's East Hill Historic District.





Collegetown developer plans 2011 opening
Project would rise over creek
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 19, 2009

The proposed Collegetown Terrace Apartments are scheduled to break ground in summer 2010, open in summer 2011 and house primarily graduate students.

On traffic and parking - a major concern for Collegetown residents - the project would provide more parking spaces than required by city zoning, as well as amenities intended to reduce car dependence, such as a shuttle to Cornell and Wegmans.

Ithaca developer John Novarr submitted his full review application report to the city's Planning and Development Board last week, and he provided a copy to the Journal. Site plan review is scheduled to begin at the city's Planning Board meeting at 6 p.m. May 26.

Ed Strong, a graduate student representative on the Cornell University Assembly, said graduate student housing is sorely needed and the apartments will be well-received among students.

While Cornell has recently added undergraduate housing on West Campus, on-campus graduate student housing is still inadequate, Strong said. The Maplewood complex is made of modular buildings that are already past their life expectancy, he said.

The Collegetown Terrace project calls for removing all but three buildings in the 16.4-acre area bounded by Quarry Street, East State Street, Valentine Place and Six Mile Creek. The historically designated Quarry Arms, Casa Roma and Boiler Works Apartments buildings would remain.

Seven buildings would be built on the site. The full site, including the three historic buildings, would contain 1,260 bedrooms and 860 parking spots.

The area currently contains 635 bedrooms and 430 spots.

On East State Street, plans call for four-story buildings that meet height restrictions imposed by city zoning.

As the topography slopes downhill toward Six Mile Creek, buildings are proposed to increase to five and then six stories, which would require a zoning variance.

Parking is housed in one or two stories underground and at ground level to minimize surface parking lots. In the initial presentation before the planning board, Novarr said his upper-floor apartments always rent out before ground-floor apartments, because students find them safer and more private.

Novarr plans to charge tenants separate rent for parking spaces and apartments, a measure intended to force people to consider the cost of having a car.

At the Casa Roma complex, parking is rolled into the rent.

Novarr told the planning board rent would be similar to the buildings to remain on-site.

They average between $1,500 and $1,800 for a two-bedroom apartment, according to listings available online.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I hope someone can come up with a solution to the west end traffic problem. (from the Ithaca Journal)



File photo

Rush hour traffic comes to a stand still on Route 96 in Ithaca. The A recent study of Route 96 is leading to larger questions about how to handle new housing in the area.



Planner urges countywide assessment
Route 96 study leads to larger questions about handling new housing
By Stacey Shackford • sshackford@ithaca.gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 20, 2009


Tompkins County is going to need at least 4,000 new non-student housing units in the next 10 years, but is at odds about where to put them.

Facing objections from residents of Ithaca's West Hill area who recently called for a moratorium on future development along Route 96, County Planning Commissioner Ed Marx believes it is now time to draft a countywide map identifying potential sites for new or expanded development.

Speaking at a meeting of the county legislature's Planning, Development and Environmental Quality Committee last week, Marx said recent studies of Routes 13, 366 and 96 have identified several areas where future development could be consolidated, but that a wider perspective is needed.

"The two studies that have been done really capture the areas outside existing villages or hamlets. Other than that, there aren't really any other areas that make sense from an infrastructure point of view," he said.

"We need to take this to another level. We need to show why these areas are logical places for nodal or hamlet development. I think it's difficult to make sense of this concept in isolation. It's easy for anybody to reject a piece of it on its own. But if not any of these places, then where?"

The comments came on the heels of a presentation of a final draft of the Route 96 Corridor Management Study, which was a joint venture with the City of Ithaca, towns of Ithaca and Ulysses, Tompkins County, the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council and Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit.

Planner Leslie Schill said the study was not an attempt to add development to any particular areas, but rather to help shape development that has already been projected.

Responsible long-term planning could have the benefit of creating new neighborhood-oriented and affordable housing, providing more choices and services, and revitalizing historic areas, she said. It could also provide a compelling case to convince the state to fund infrastructure improvements.

The study recommends using areas with existing infrastructure and a base of housing, services and employment, such as Cayuga Medical Center or the hamlet of Jacksonville, and supports the concept of "nodal development," which aims to create walkable communities near work destinations and transit stops, and to restrict suburban sprawl in other areas.


"The end goal of this is to have resolutions of support from the municipalities involved and other agencies," Schill said.

Although its scope is long-term, she said municipalities should start implementing some of the study's recommendations. This could involve incorporating zoning and design guidelines into local laws or comprehensive plans, and planning for road work and capital projects.

For instance, five major intersections were identified in the study for improvement, some of which are set to undergo maintenance in the near future. Schill suggested any scheduled work take the long-term strategy into account in order to maximize efficiency.

Other infrastructure projects marked as priority recommendations include: developing an internal pedestrian/bikeway parallel to Route 96, connected to the City of Ithaca sidewalk system and Black Diamond Trail; adding sidewalks along Route 96 as opportunities arise; and applying for grants for better pedestrian amenities in Jacksonville such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting.

The report was well received by committee members, but legislator Will Burbank, D-Dist. 12, warned that the public might not be so enthusiastic.

"I think there's a lot of education that needs to be done," he said.

For more information about the study, including technical reports and maps, www. tompkins-co.org/planning/transportation_choices/Route96ifno.htm.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I figured this was gonna happen (from the Ithaca Journal):



Housing project opposed by some
Neighbors voice traffic concerns
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 27, 2009

A handful of Collegetown neighbors spoke in opposition to the Collegetown Terrace Apartments project Tuesday as the city of Ithaca Planning Board voted to begin environmental review on the 1,260-bedroom proposal.

The proposal calls for demolishing all but three buildings in the 16.4-acre area bounded by Quarry Street, State Street, Valentine Place and Six Mile Creek and replace them with seven buildings that will house approximately 1,270 people. The site currently houses about 635.

State Street neighbor Nancy Ramage said the project is too big, would worsen traffic on small roads, and will threaten historic buildings. The historically designated Quarry Arms, Casa Roma and Boiler Works Apartments buildings are scheduled to remain on site, but Ramage said at least seven other buildings should be protected.

Developer John Novarr said many of the houses in the area are run-down or uninhabitable and that newer apartments will be safer and more comfortable for students. Novarr is also proposing to rebuild Valentine Place, a city street, at his cost, to improve fire safety access.

In other matters, Collegetown resident and developer Josh Lower presented initial plans to build a five-story building at 121 Oak Ave. that would house 20-25 apartment units covering 90 percent of the lot with no on-site parking.

In 2007, Lower received Planning Board approval to construct a six-unit apartment building with 10 parking spaces on the site. Lower was a member of the Collegetown Vision Implementation Committee and extensively cited the vision for higher-density, sustainable development that prioritizes pedestrians over vehicles in his desire to switch the apartment design.

The long-debated Collegetown urban plan, which the Planning Board recommended earlier this month, calls for smaller buildings on that block. Allowing a taller building there now would be "a breach of trust," said board member David Kay, and would contradict the "hard-won compromise we just recommended to Common Council," Chairman John Schroeder said.

* MaineSource Food and Party Warehouse received final approval to build a new 25,300-square-foot building on the site formerly occupied by Wickes Lumber just off Route 13.

* Benderson Development Co. got final approval to tear down the former Bruce's building and construct two new commercial buildings in the space between Route 13 and Kmart. That site will house three commercial tenants - a Panera bakery and cafe, and two others yet to be determined, according to information presented to the board.

* Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services got approval to subdivide a 1.77-acre lot on Chestnut Street into three lots. They plan to build two for-sale duplexes. Planning Board member Jill Tripp said she was concerned by how much vegetation has been removed during construction of INHS' nearby West Village Place affordable housing units and said she hopes this construction is more careful.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Some good news about the airport (from the Ithaca Journal):



ERICA THUM / Staff Photo
County Legislature Chairman Michael Koplinka-Loehr talks to Senator Charles Schumer on Tuesday shortly after a press conference at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, where Schumer announced that Continental Airlines will maintain service between Ithaca and Newark. (Buy this photo)




Continental Airlines service to stay at airport
Decision to cancel flights to Newark reversed
By Stacey Shackford • sshackford@gannett.com • Staff Writer • May 27, 2009


Daily service to Newark will remain in place as Continental Airlines announced Tuesday it would withdraw plans to end its daily round-trip flights to the hub airport from Ithaca.

Dozens of business leaders and officials gathered at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport on Tuesday afternoon to hear the good news, delivered by U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who flew in for the occasion.

He said his personal lobbying, coupled with the efforts of local business leaders, convinced Continental to reinstate three out of the four daily round-trip Continental Connection flights operated by CommutAir.

"We are happy today to talk about a little success story that's taking place here in Tompkins County," Schumer said. "Our local residents and business leaders aren't going to have to worry anymore, because the decision has been largely reversed."

Officials at Continental blamed congestion at the New York City airports, which they said made it difficult to operate efficiently from their hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Schumer, in turn, blamed the prior administration of the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration for exacerbating the problem, and assured Continental CEO Larry Kellner that new leadership at both agencies and emerging air traffic control technology should lead to decreased air congestion and more profitable flights.

He also cited a rising demand for travel from Ithaca, even as the industry weakened elsewhere. Between February 2008 and January 2009, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport experienced a 6.3 percent increase in both arriving and departing passengers, he said. Ridership on the Newark flights rose to 2,705 in April.

"That kind of result, it shows that this is a lucrative market," Schumer said. "If we can fix congestion, why cancel a service that you really want to maintain?"

Kellner confirmed the decision in a statement Tuesday, saying: "We are delighted to work with Senator Schumer and the community to continue our flights between Ithaca and New York. We appreciate the support of travelers in Ithaca and the surrounding region."

Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce President Jean McPheeters said the Continental service has provided a tremendous boost for local businesses and that it was critical it continue.

"Our workforce is a kind of workforce that is highly educated and highly mobile," she said. "The combination of US Airways, Northwest and Continental brings connectivity to more than 200 cities across the world with one-stop service while keeping fares competitive."

McPheeters said she was proud at how well the local business community galvanized to convince Continental of the need for the services.

"They saw a situation developing with the possible loss of air services and they rapidly came together to make a lot of noise," she added. "This is a good day for Ithaca."

Her parting plea was to the residents of Tompkins County: Prove to Continental it made the right decision by continuing to use the airport and make its services viable.

"The only way our airport works is if we use it," she said. "If it's not your first choice, it could be a last chance."


Here's a TV newscast: http://www.news10now.com/content/top...-leave-ithaca/

[Ex-Ithacan]

NEWS10NOW TV report on the Collegetown Terrace apartment project:

http://www.news10now.com/content/top...w-development/

[Visiteur]

I didn't realize fourteen houses made "a neighborhood".

By the way ex, someone out there is being a creeper. I received this in my search history by visitors to my blog:

"ithaca development vis ex-ithacan".

Kepp your doors locked and your eyes peeled.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Originally Posted by Visiteur

I didn't realize fourteen houses made "a neighborhood".

By the way ex, someone out there is being a creeper. I received this in my search history by visitors to my blog:

"ithaca development vis ex-ithacan".

Kepp your doors locked and your eyes peeled.

Gotta watch out for those crazies out there.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Well it's one of those "I can live here, but I don't want anyone else to have that opportunity" situations.


From the Ithaca Journal:

West Hill moratorium debated
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • June 12, 2009

A moratorium on West Hill, as requested by some residents, is either a valid means to address community concerns or an indefensible reaction to proposed development that will get the town sued, according to various members of the Ithaca Town Board.

The board's planning committee met Thursday afternoon to continue their discussion on the request by a group of West Hill residents, let by Marie Harkins and Pat Dutt, to enact a development moratorium until the town finishes updating its comprehensive plan.

The neighborhood request came primarily in response to the Carrowmoor development, proposed for Route 79 west of Linderman Creek and north of EcoVillage. Carrowmoor is a proposed 400-unit nodal development to be powered with entirely renewable energy, including solar, hydro, wind and geothermal sources.

Plans call for most of the units to be grouped in the middle, around a community Great Hall and small-scale commercial development, such as a bank or a pub. Conservation easements around streams, barns and animal pastures, orchards and a community garden are also planned.

The price range for the units is $250 per square foot - roughly $150,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. Ten percent of the units will be affordable to someone making 80 percent of Tompkins County's median income, based on an agreement worked out over two years between a working group of the town board and the developer.

The big concern from residents has been about traffic.

"At the bottom of the hill, that's where traffic really backs up, especially when there's a train," Dutt said.

Residents want a moratorium to give time for a comprehensive traffic study of all of West Hill, city and town, she said.

Town Planning Director Jonathan Kanter estimated that such a study could cost $100,000 and take six months.

Town Supervisor Herb Engman argued the town would have no legal basis to implement a moratorium, because "legally, we have to balance the rights of developers to do what they would like to do with their properties with the neighbors, with the rest of the town," Engman said. "We can't just arbitrarily make decisions. We'll get sued in that case, and we'll lose."

[Ex-Ithacan]

Great news for Ithaca College (from their website):


06/12/2009


Ithaca College To Break Ground On Athletics And Events Center

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ithaca, NY — Ithaca College president Tom Rochon has announced that the college has successfully completed a down-to-the-wire fund-raising campaign for an athletics and events center that has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. With the $52.5 million fund-raising goal met, the college will soon begin construction of the complex that will include a 130,000-square-foot field house, outdoor stadium with lighted turf field, 35,000-square-foot aquatics pavilion and outdoor tennis facility with six courts.

“We had initially planned to begin construction this year and continue fund-raising until February 2010,” said vice president for institutional advancement Shelley Semmler. “But with the current state of the economy, the board of trustees decided not to move forward with construction until we had all gifts and commitments in hand. We initiated a mini-campaign to complete all fund-raising no later than June 15, when a favorable contractor’s bid would expire.”

“The energy of the Ithaca College community to make the A&E center a reality has been overwhelming, particularly on the part of trustees and alumni,” said Rochon. “The realization of this long-time dream will benefit Ithaca students for decades to come.”

“We had an amazing volunteer effort behind this campaign,” stated Mike Serventi ’72, chair of the Athletics and Events Center National Committee. “Alumni from various sports teams banded together to name portions of the center and competed to see which team could score the highest percentage of participation in the mini-campaign. A large volunteer group reached out to fellow classmates and teammates, and alumni from former fraternities challenged their brothers to make gifts.”

In all, there were more than 2,600 individual donors to the campaign.

A 5 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, with construction set to begin soon thereafter. Designed by Moody-Nolan Inc., the center should be ready for use by the fall of 2011. The total cost of the project is $65.5 million.

Ithaca College began putting plans in place for an A&E center in 1997. The College’s current athletic facilities in Hill Center date back to the 1960s, when IC enrollment was half of its current size. In addition, Ithaca does not currently have a turf field, the required standard for Division III field hockey and lacrosse competition.

To be located in the southeast quadrant of the campus, the facility will directly benefit the 50 percent of Ithaca College students who participate in varsity, intramural and club sports by providing a practice and competition facility. As the largest indoor event venue in Tompkins County, its seating and floor space will be used for campus and community events that draw large audiences, such as commencement and convocation ceremonies, conferences, concerts and major lectures. The center will also offer opportunities to form active-learning partnerships with Ithaca College’s academic programs, such as sport media, broadcasting and athletic training.

For more information on the A&E center, visit http://www.ithaca.edu/aecenter.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I hope this gets the ball rolling for the needed developments in Collegetown. Gotta love the anit-nimby responses too.

From the Ithaca Journal


Collegetown plan and guidelines get committee's approval
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • June 18, 2009

Ithaca Common Council’s planning committee voted 4-1 late Wednesday night to adopt the Collegetown Urban Plan and Design Guidelines.

The controversial and greatly debated plan calls for allowing taller buildings on a few sections of College and Linden Avenues and decreasing building heights in some areas deemed the periphery of Collegetown. It also calls for implementing a parking in-lieu fee that would allow developers to build less on-site parking in exchange for paying money that would be used for things like mass transit improvements or a remote parking garage.

Alderpersons Jennifer Dotson (I-1st), Dan Cogan (D-5th), Svante Myrick (D-4th), and Eric Rosario (I-2nd), voted in favor. Alderwoman Mary Tomlan (D-3rd), voted against.

Before the final vote, Tomlan introduced numerous amendments to further decrease allowable building height, to require a parking study before implementing the in-lieu fee, and to wait for adoption of the plan until after the city completes a revision of its city-wide comprehensive plan.

Ultimately, Tomlan said she voted against because she didn’t want the Collegetown plan to be seen as superceding the comprehensive plan.


Myrick, the most vocal advocate on Common Council for taller, denser buildings in Collegetown, said he strongly considered voting against, because so many of the height increases initially proposed by the city’s consultant were stripped from the plan. He said he voted in favor in an effort to move forward on the many positive aspects of the plan.




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iseethepacific wrote:

At the end of the day it is true that Cornell students desire most to live next to campus. That students and families clash when they share neighborhoods and that single family neighborhoods don't desire to have students move into them. So with an increasing number of students, their desire to live near the campus in their own community, and the desire of single family neighborhoods to NOT have those students mix into their neighborhoods... the only intelligent conclusion is to satisfy the housing demand where you want those students to live. AND it is fortunate for the city that the very place we want students to live is exactly where they do in fact want to live, Collegetown.
So given that we can protect the surrounding neighborhoods and the character of those single family neighborhoods by satisfying the demand in Collegetown... why on earth would people oppose increasing density in CT? Blame Tomlan and others when student sprawl increases deeper into single family neighborhoods.
6/18/2009 9:07:26 AM At the end of the day it is true that Cornell students desire most to live next to campus. That students and families clash when they share neighborhoods and that single family neighborhoods don't desire to have students move into them. So with an increasing number of students, their desire to live near the campus in their own community, and the desire of single family neighborhoods to NOT have those students mix into their neighborhoods... the only intelligent conclusion is to satisfy the housing demand where you want those students to live. AND it is fortunate for the city that the very place we want students to live is exactly where they do in fact want to live, Collegetown.<br />So given that we can protect the surrounding neighborhoods and the character of those single family neighborhoods by satisfying the demand in Collegetown... why on earth would people oppose increasing density in CT? Blame Tomlan and others when student sprawl increases deeper into single family neighborhoods. iseethepacific
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iseethepacific wrote:

Replying to Jackiecat64:

I grew up in Ithaca...What a shame this city board keeps allowing taller and taller apartment buidlings to dwarf College Avenue.


At the end of the day, it is an inescapable fact that the City of Ithaca is growing. The growth in ithaca is outpacing and beyond the capacity of "cute" little 1800's cotages and single family homes. All the wishing in the world for historic old buildings to satisfy the housing pressures across the city will not make it so... will not make it acceptable to say "well, this is cute and I know we need more beds for people... but this is cute so lets keep it".

Real housing solutions need to be found. Real rooms for beds need to be developed. Enough with Tomlan and the Bryant Park residents simply wishing students woud go away. They are not. The pressures for space are real in this city, and expecially strong in Collegetown. Open the valve, relieve some pressures in Collegetown... this is the ONLY way to prevent the sprawl of students into Bryant.
6/18/2009 8:59:55 AM <p class="replyingto">Replying to <span class="author">Jackiecat64</span>:</p><blockquote>I grew up in Ithaca...What a shame this city board keeps allowing taller and taller apartment buidlings to dwarf College Avenue.</blockquote><br /><br />At the end of the day, it is an inescapable fact that the City of Ithaca is growing. The growth in ithaca is outpacing and beyond the capacity of "cute" little 1800's cotages and single family homes. All the wishing in the world for historic old buildings to satisfy the housing pressures across the city will not make it so... will not make it acceptable to say "well, this is cute and I know we need more beds for people... but this is cute so lets keep it".<br /><br />Real housing solutions need to be found. Real rooms for beds need to be developed. Enough with Tomlan and the Bryant Park residents simply wishing students woud go away. They are not. The pressures for space are real in this city, and expecially strong in Collegetown. Open the valve, relieve some pressures in Collegetown... this is the ONLY way to prevent the sprawl of students into Bryant. iseethepacific
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Jackiecat64 wrote:

I grew up in Ithaca and remember Collegetown when it had charm. Now it looks like every other town....cookie cutter buildings and apartments. I miss when it looked unique...with buildings like the University Deli, Egan's IGA, Rebop Records...What a shame this city board keeps allowing taller and taller apartment buidlings to dwarf College Avenue.
6/18/2009 6:44:18 AM I grew up in Ithaca and remember Collegetown when it had charm. Now it looks like every other town....cookie cutter buildings and apartments. I miss when it looked unique...with buildings like the University Deli, Egan's IGA, Rebop Records...What a shame this city board keeps allowing taller and taller apartment buidlings to dwarf College Avenue. Jackiecat64

[Ex-Ithacan]

Yippee, I love their burgers.


From the Ithaca Journal


MY-LY NGUYEN / Staff Photo
Desmond Leahy of Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Vestal starts to cook some beef patties at the restaurant. The owner of the Vestal business, Bill Cleary, plans to open a Five Guys in Ithaca


Five Guys to open
Ithaca to get national chain
By My-Ly Nguyen • mnguyen@gannett.com • Staff Writer • June 18, 2009

The owner of the Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant in Vestal is expanding to Ithaca this summer and Horseheads next year.

Bill Cleary said he will open his second Five Guys restaurant - a 2,600-square-foot location at a plaza at 222 Elmira Road in Ithaca - in late August or early September. The plaza also houses businesses such as Northside Wine & Spirits and Taco Bell.

The Five Guys franchise business, based in Virginia, offers fresh, not frozen, cooked-to-order burgers and fries.

The first Five Guys restaurant opened in Arlington, Va., in 1986, according to the company's Web site. Since 2003, more than 300 Five Guys locations have opened in more than 25 states.

The burger joint received national media attention earlier this month when President Barack Obama ordered food from a Five Guys in Washington, D.C.

Cleary, of Cortland, has said he plans to open about 10 Five Guys restaurants in the next few years. He owns the rights to open them between Binghamton and Watertown.

The Syracuse area will get four from Cleary at some point, he said.

Cleary also plans to open locations in Horseheads and Watertown in the next year.

The Vestal restaurant, in University Plaza, opened in December 2008, he said.

Cleary said he has about 40 employees at his Five Guys in Vestal and will need that many workers for the Ithaca site. For the new location, he plans to fill the management positions in July and the rest of the jobs in August.

The pay will vary, but managers can make roughly $40,000 a year while other workers can receive $8 an hour, he said.

There are more than 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys, according to the company's Web site. Five Guys locations use peanut oil. The menu is trans-fat free.




In case you want to open one:

WANT TO OPEN A FIVE GUYS?

Franchise applicants must have:

* Liquid assets of about $500,000 and a net worth of roughly $1.3 million.

* The ability to buy the rights to open five or more Five Guys locations.

Costs include:
* A franchise fee of $25,000 per restaurant.

* A development fee of $30,000 per restaurant.

* Build-out costs of about $200,000 to $500,000.

* A 7.5 percent royalty fee in New York.

* A 3 percent marketing fee

Source: www.fiveguys.com

[Ex-Ithacan]

Though this place opened after I moved away from the old hood, it had become a landmark in Collegetown. Sad to see it go.

http://www.news10now.com/content/top...ionCookie=1013

[Ex-Ithacan]

I have a bad feeling this project may not make it through. I can't understand why Ithacans get so up in arms when it is one of the few upstate cities where people are willing to build new developments. I know they feel like the city gives away too much, but in the long run these projects will benefit the city.

From the Ithaca Journal



Hotel project to seek break on sales tax
Construction could cost $27M
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • June 22, 2009

Developers of the proposed Hotel Ithaca on The Commons will seek tax abatements after all.

The hotel will be the first project to seek tax breaks under the city's newly revised density policy, which takes into account a variety of community incentives beyond just downtown density. The project will not, however, seek any property tax abatement, architect Scott Whitham said. They're seeking a break on sales tax for construction materials, he said.

In receiving permission from Common Council in April 2008 to purchase a small strip of land on Aurora Street from the city, developer Jeff Rimland said he would not seek tax abatements.

But while the project's estimated cost has ballooned from $17 million in 2008 to $27 million now, the national economy has tightened.

Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Gary Ferguson said the national economic downturn, plus problems with the state Empire Zone program, contributed to the need to seek abatements.

"The financing picture has gotten more difficult than it was 24 months ago," he said. "So I think there's just been a need to re-look at the whole picture to make sure you can squeeze every last piece out you can so you can make the whole picture work."

Michael Stamm, president of Tompkins County Area Development, which manages the agency that oversees tax abatements, said the agency has the authority to abate 100 percent of state and county sales tax on construction materials, furniture, fixtures and equipment.

"It doesn't cover any kind of operating expenses, just initial expenditure," Stamm said.

The downtown density policy has been used since 2002 to give tax breaks to the Gateway projects, Inlet Island Health and Fitness, the Cayuga Green development, and Seneca Place on The Commons, Stamm said.

Because downtown construction is more expensive than suburban or rural sprawl, the tax abatements were intended to even the playing field and encourage density downtown, Ferguson said.

The policy came under fire from critics, especially during discussion on Cayuga Green, who said the community was giving up too much money for not enough benefit, said Common Council Alderman Dan Cogan, D-5th.


Cogan chaired a subcommittee that revised the policy and created the Community Investment Incentive Program.

Now instead of just density, a project that seeks tax abatements must meet a minimum of 14 defined community benefits, out of a list of between 40 and 50 benefits.

Some of the benefits include rehabilitating historically significant buildings, hiring contractors who pay prevailing wage, promoting use of public transit and bicycles, producing permanent jobs and jobs that pay local living wage or better, achieving LEED environmental building standards, building affordable housing, making use of an underused site, generating at least $200,000 in property tax for the city and producing $100,000 in sales tax, Cogan said.

The Hotel Ithaca is a proposed 10-story, 130-room, four-star boutique hotel to be built at the southeastern edge of the Commons, at State/Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Aurora Street. The site is currently a surface parking lot.

Last April, the hotel was estimated to generate $277,245 in property taxes and $375,000 in sales tax when built.

The city will undertake its incentive program and decide whether to recommend tax abatements. The Industrial Development Agency, overseen by TCAD, makes the ultimate decision on whether to grant the tax breaks, Stamm said.

A public presentation and hearing on the hotel's tax abatement plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, 108 E. Green St.



part of Comments section
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RoyalProposition wrote:

Wow this gets me wound up!
Hey Gary, doing all you can given the circumstances, spare us the baloney about the economy and the Empire Zone. There is no real need to sugar coat the situation.
I don't want to crucify Mr. Rimland for wanting to dump $27 million into our fair city, and by all accounts he is a respectable man. Alot of downtown businesses have a difficult time keeping their own house in order and blame it eveyone and everything, so Rimland is fine by me. Make it 20 stories and blow $50 million...

On the other hand, can anyone name a single private project in the City within the last few years that didn't invlove a zoning variance, tax abatement or government contribution? You don't have to roll over for every line you are being fed. Sometimes it really does take 27 million dollars to build a 27 million dollar hotel.

Let's keep private enterprise private. Seriously.
What kind of room rebate can we all expect if these tax handouts are allowed? I thought so
6/22/2009 3:47:06 PM Wow this gets me wound up!<br />Hey Gary, doing all you can given the circumstances, spare us the baloney about the economy and the Empire Zone. There is no real need to sugar coat the situation. <br />I don't want to crucify Mr. Rimland for wanting to dump $27 million into our fair city, and by all accounts he is a respectable man. Alot of downtown businesses have a difficult time keeping their own house in order and blame it eveyone and everything, so Rimland is fine by me. Make it 20 stories and blow $50 million...<br /><br />On the other hand, can anyone name a single private project in the City within the last few years that didn't invlove a zoning variance, tax abatement or government contribution? You don't have to roll over for every line you are being fed. Sometimes it really does take 27 million dollars to build a 27 million dollar hotel.<br /><br />Let's keep private enterprise private. Seriously. <br />What kind of room rebate can we all expect if these tax handouts are allowed? I thought so RoyalProposition
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casinoroyal wrote:

Replying to hearfromalbert:

Standard BS policy hoodwinking....start with a lie then ask Carolyn and the gang to endorse it after the fact
Way to Gary !
Well played....anyone else see a problem with Carolyn being on the board for downtown Ith partnershp and being the mayor?
So we are to believe that "construction" materials have gone up 100%...seriously???

As far as I'm concerned they can have the tax breaks as long as they repay them 150% out of the first 5 years profit...
I'm not here to subsidize the fact that an accountant cant add his numbers

I call "Bu*****t!"



AGREE completely! During the time the UN-Planning Department, major and common council PLANNED the Green Street Parking re-construction it was 2 years instead of 8 months before downtown had any parking near the Commons. How about a tax abaitment for all the businesses that lost so much money and some their businesses because of the poor planning by the city.
6/22/2009 3:19:22 PM <p class="replyingto">Replying to <span class="author">hearfromalbert</span>:</p><blockquote>Standard BS policy hoodwinking....start with a lie then ask Carolyn and the gang to endorse it after the fact<br />Way to Gary !<br />Well played....anyone else see a problem with Carolyn being on the board for downtown Ith partnershp and being the mayor?<br />So we are to believe that "construction" materials have gone up 100%...seriously???<br /><br />As far as I'm concerned they can have the tax breaks as long as they repay them 150% out of the first 5 years profit...<br />I'm not here to subsidize the fact that an accountant cant add his numbers<br /><br />I call "Bu*****t!"</blockquote><br /><br /><br />AGREE completely! During the time the UN-Planning Department, major and common council PLANNED the Green Street Parking re-construction it was 2 years instead of 8 months before downtown had any parking near the Commons. How about a tax abaitment for all the businesses that lost so much money and some their businesses because of the poor planning by the city. casinoroyal
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hearfromalbert wrote:

Standard BS policy hoodwinking....start with a lie then ask Carolyn and the gang to endorse it after the fact
Way to Gary !
Well played....anyone else see a problem with Carolyn being on the board for downtown Ith partnershp and being the mayor?
So we are to believe that "construction" materials have gone up 100%...seriously???

As far as I'm concerned they can have the tax breaks as long as they repay them 150% out of the first 5 years profit...
I'm not here to subsidize the fact that an accountant cant add his numbers

I call "Bu*****t!"
6/22/2009 2:35:54 PM Standard BS policy hoodwinking....start with a lie then ask Carolyn and the gang to endorse it after the fact<br />Way to Gary !<br />Well played....anyone else see a problem with Carolyn being on the board for downtown Ith partnershp and being the mayor?<br />So we are to believe that "construction" materials have gone up 100%...seriously???<br /><br />As far as I'm concerned they can have the tax breaks as long as they repay them 150% out of the first 5 years profit...<br />I'm not here to subsidize the fact that an accountant cant add his numbers<br /><br />I call "Bu*****t!" hearfromalbert
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Andy123 wrote:

Replying to Jackiecat64:

No, we don't. Between the new hotels and Mack Travis' eyesores downtown, Ithaca is no longer the charming town it once was. I cringe everytime I drive down Green Street between the library and the Gateway buidling.


I know! Between the indoor plumbing and the wood houses, I cringe when I try to hunt for my food where there used to be wild forest and now there's human settlements! Down with taxes, down with civilization!
6/22/2009 2:32:50 PM <p class="replyingto">Replying to <span class="author">Jackiecat64</span>:</p><blockquote>No, we don't. Between the new hotels and Mack Travis' eyesores downtown, Ithaca is no longer the charming town it once was. I cringe everytime I drive down Green Street between the library and the Gateway buidling.</blockquote><br /><br />I know! Between the indoor plumbing and the wood houses, I cringe when I try to hunt for my food where there used to be wild forest and now there's human settlements! Down with taxes, down with civilization! Andy123
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RoyalProposition wrote:

Are we to believe that the original cost estimate of $17 million has increased to $27 million? Something is not right here.

Putting aside the downtown Ithaca development debate for a moment... the developer promised not to seek tax breaks. And is now looking for a tax break. Or abatement. But only on construction material sales tax, so you see, it's really not the same as NOT PAYING TAXES, it's just a small abatement. You and I will make up the difference. No worries.

Let's not buy into the notion that downtown "is more expensive than suburban or rural sprawl". Who said anything about sprawl? Who believes that this project could be successful in say, Danby? Why don't we evaluate the project on its own merits and not be scared into thinking everyone is fleeing downtown because Rt. 13 is cheaper?

The rich get richer. The rest of us get luxury hotel rooms, upscale condos or cheesy government buildings that we can't use. And we get to pay the developers taxes too.

6/22/2009 8:32:44 AM Are we to believe that the original cost estimate of $17 million has increased to $27 million? Something is not right here.<br /><br />Putting aside the downtown Ithaca development debate for a moment... the developer promised not to seek tax breaks. And is now looking for a tax break. Or abatement. But only on construction material sales tax, so you see, it's really not the same as NOT PAYING TAXES, it's just a small abatement. You and I will make up the difference. No worries.<br /><br />Let's not buy into the notion that downtown "is more expensive than suburban or rural sprawl". Who said anything about sprawl? Who believes that this project could be successful in say, Danby? Why don't we evaluate the project on its own merits and not be scared into thinking everyone is fleeing downtown because Rt. 13 is cheaper? <br /><br />The rich get richer. The rest of us get luxury hotel rooms, upscale condos or cheesy government buildings that we can't use. And we get to pay the developers taxes too. <br /> RoyalProposition

[Ex-Ithacan]

This seems a bit like; "I like living here, but I don't want anyone else to because it may inconvenience me."

from the Ithaca Journal



Most residents of West Hill oppose projects
Heavy traffic a main concern
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • June 24, 2009


The majority of West Hill residents at a joint city-town neighborhood meeting Tuesday night wanted less development on West Hill and more coordination between city and town government.

City and town leaders, for their part, engaged in what was variously described as "useful dialogue" and "finger pointing."

Roughly 60 people attended the meeting, which focused on past and future development and the idea for a West Hill development moratorium. City of Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, Town of Ithaca Supervisor Herb Engman, all but one member of the town board, two members of Common Council, two Tompkins County legislators, and city, town and county planners were among the attendees. The meeting was jointly sponsored by the West Hill Civic Association and the Ithaca West Hill Community.

Resident concerns continued to focus on traffic.

Doria Higgins lives off Route 96. She said it took her 15 minutes just to turn onto that road to get to Tuesday's meeting.

"What are you doing to improve things before making it worse with more development?" she said.

The Town of Ithaca continues to allow development without enough regard for the impact on city residents, infrastructure and traffic, some city officials and residents charged.

The City of Ithaca voted down proposals for additional bridges over the Inlet or a bridge over the train tracks, and they've just voted to remove the turning lane from the Route 96 bridge, town officials and other residents responded.

West Hill residents also asked for more or better services, such as a West Hill grocery store and quicker emergency service response.

Town residents want increased services, but those only come with increased density - that's why the town is supporting dense, nodal developments not just on West Hill, but on East and South Hills, Engman said.

Developer John Rancich, whose Carrowmoor proposal is the primary impetus of the neighbors' moratorium request, said his idea to include small-scale commercial is in part a desire to meet the needs neighbors were expressing.

Carrowmoor is a 400-unit development proposal off Route 79 just west of Linderman Creek and north of Ecovillage.

"It won't eliminate the big Wegman's trip, but it will eliminate a trip downtown for milk or eggs," Rancich said. "If they could stop at the top of the hill and use the services Carrowmoor is offering, that answers a whole bunch of these questions."

Peterson argued with the very definition of nodal development being highlighted by town and county officials and developers, likening the clustered-development concept to "linear sprawl" and said it should be kept to cities and villages.

The county defines a node as a mixed-use development of moderate density - minimum 5-10 units per acre, within a half-mile radius of a central point in the node, Tompkins County Planning Director Ed Marx said.

Peterson said dense development should be considered only where it already exists, in cities and villages, primarily to protect open space.

"I call that (nodal development) linear sprawl," she said. "That's a fundamental difference we have."

Many, though not all, of the West Hill neighbors agreed.

"It doesn't seem like nodes to me. Seems like polyps," Hector Street resident George McGonigal said.

The Town of Ithaca Planning Committee is overseeing discussion on the proposal for a West Hill moratorium. The committee would have to vote to have the full board consider it, then the Town Board would have to vote to enact it.

The Planning committee meets at 4:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month in Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga St.

[Visiteur]

You know, it seems like everywhere something is proposed, people are against it and the "m" word starts floating around. At the rate things are going, much of the town and city is heading for a moratorium.

The funny thing is, most of it revolves around traffic. So if people continue to work in Ithaca, they'll just buy homes outside of Ithaca and drive in---meaning the amount of traffic goes up anyway.

Just saying.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ Good point Vis. Short-sighted folks imo.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Good/Bad news. I think the info I highlighted says a lot (too few paying for too much).

From the Ithaca Journal

City values up by 3.5 percent
Belle Sherman, Fall Creek see biggest jumps
By Stacey Shackford • sshackford@gannett.com • Staff Writer • July 2, 2009

Homeowners in Ithaca's Fall Creek and Belle Sherman neighborhoods have been affected the most by this year's newly revised property assessments, with the values of some homes increasing by as much as 12 percent.

While that may be good news for those hoping to sell their homes, it doesn't bode well for those who choose to stay put as they will likely have to shoulder more of the city's tax burden.

Overall, the Tompkins County Department of Assessment calculated the city's property value at $3.9 billion, $1.48 billion of which is taxable. That represents a 3.54 percent increase from 2008.

Outside of the city, the average increase on taxable land in Tompkins County was around 2.66 percent, jumping from a total of $6.2 billion in 2008 to $6.37 billion in 2009, according to the final assessment roll published Wednesday. The total assessed value of all property in the county rose from $10.19 billion to $10.47 billion.

Although on paper the Town of Lansing saw a big jump in its overall assessed value with an increase of 7.35 percent. Much of that increase was due to the revaluation of the AES Cayuga power plant, which saw its assessment increase by $63.5 million, Assistant Assessment Director Jay Franklin said.

That reassessment was done as part of a 20-year agreement made last year between AES and the county's Industrial Development Agency that will see the plant's valuation increase 10 percent annually. In exchange, the plant was removed from the tax roll, with set payments in lieu of taxes.

Most homeowners in Lansing will see average increases of 3.03 percent. At 3.17 percent, Newfield was next behind the City of Ithaca as the two municipalities experiencing the most growth, followed by Enfield, at 3 percent. Ulysses, Dryden and Danby were all above 2 percent. The rest of the county's nine towns fell below 2 percent, with Caroline experiencing the least growth at 1.14 percent.

"Overall, this was a pretty slow year, especially when you compare it to the 10 to 15 percent increases of 2003, 2004 and 2005," Franklin said.

Franklin said there were 7,227 changes in assessments out of 34,516 parcels. Of these, around 900 were in Fall Creek and 600 were in Belle Sherman, and property owners there saw average rises of 10 to 12 percent.

These neighborhoods received special attention from assessors, who closely follow sales trends throughout the year to ensure the assessments they have on the books match fair market value. Franklin said Fall Creek and Belle Sherman continue to be very desirable neighborhoods and their sales figures have been rising accordingly every year since 2002.

New construction typically accounts for 20 percent of the increase of tax value countywide, and high-end commercial properties also saw a rise, he added.

The valuations released Wednesday were based on 100 percent fair market value of property as of July 1, 2008, so any recent downturn in the market won't be reflected until next year's assessment. Franklin said he will begin to get an idea of what to expect next year once this year's sales figures have gone through the system, in about a month.

"There may be areas that will see a reduction, there may be areas that still see an increase," Franklin said.

The specific impact on people's tax bills also remains to be seen. Property tax is calculated using two factors: home value and the tax rate. Changes in either one can increase or decrease taxes; for example, if the tax rate remains the same but your home value increases, you will pay higher taxes.

The assessment department determines how much a home is worth, but has nothing to do with setting the tax rate or total spending.

"We only divvy up the pie, the size of the pie is created by school districts, towns and the county," Franklin said.

One thing that did go down this year was the number of grievances filed by those disagreeing with their assessments. After the tentative assessment roll is released on May 1, property owners are given the chance to appear before an assessment review board made up of real estate experts. In many cases, the homeowners provide additional information to prove depreciation in home value, such as a leaking roof or old kitchen, and about one-third are successful in getting a reduction, Franklin said.

This year there were 327 grievances filed, representing 3.65 percent of total parcels. Last year that amount was 417, and 2005 saw 955 grievances.

Franklin said this may be due to the fact that the public now follows the real estate market more closely and are increasingly knowledgeable about the true value of their properties.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I hope the Council doesn't cut off the city's nose to spite the face.

From the Ithaca Journal
Common Council delays vote on Collegetown plan
By Krisy Gashler • kgashler@gannett.com • Staff Writer • July 2, 2009

ITHACA - Common Council unexpectedly decided Wednesday night to delay its vote on the controversial Collegetown Urban Plan until next month, causing confusion and "disappointment" among the roughly dozen residents who came to speak about the plan.

The vote was scheduled to be the last in a years-long planning process intended to encourage new development in Collegetown, improve parking and protect nearby permanent resident neighborhoods.

Planning committee chairwoman Jennifer Dotson, I-1st, announced at the beginning of the meeting that the Collegetown Plan would be pulled from the council's agenda because some council members still have questions about the plan.

In more than an hour of public comment, residents continued to oppose the components of the plan that would increase density and remove on-site parking requirements.

Resident and former Common Council member Susan Blumenthal also questioned the justification for delaying the vote, asking what questions council members still had after two years of intensive study. And if council members have new questions, why can't they be asked before the public, Blumenthal asked.

Dotson apologized for the last-minute change, which also came as a surprise to most council members. She said that in "many, many long conversations over the past few days," she's developed a desire to further change the plan in hopes of "coming forward with a document that we can really use."

The plan will return to the planning committee, Dotson said.

Belle Sherman resident Frances Helmstadter said the Collegetown plan on the table "would be a real leap into density and a totally different plan."

"It's a very optimistic plan assuming that we can just drop the parking regulations and students will do the right thing, like walk," she said.

Resident Betsy Darlington said the plan would allow too much student density to spread into nearby permanent resident neighborhoods.

Neighbors enjoy having "a few students around, but you get to a tipping point and then it's unlivable," she said.

Alderman Svante Myrick, D-4th, a Cornell University student and vocal proponent for more density in Collegetown, said he was "hearing a lot of contradictions."

Council members support plans that oppose sprawl and favor density in the city, for example, several members oppose development on West Hill in the Town of Ithaca, Myrick said. But when it comes time to make changes to increase density in "a neighborhood that's clamoring for density," residents and leaders say essentially "not in my neighborhood."

"I've not seen a good faith effort to compromise," Myrick said.