Village of Lansing

Planning Board Meeting

April 30, 2002

 

 

 

The meeting of the Village of Lansing Planning Board was called to order at 7:30 P.M. by Chairman Ned Hickey.  Present at the meeting were Planning Board Members Doris Brown,  Phil Dankert, Carol Klepack and Maria Stycos; Trustee Liaison Lynn Leopold; Attorney Bill Troy; and Code Enforcement Officer Ben Curtis.

 

Public Comment:

Hickey opened the Public Comment.  No one was present who desired to address the Board.  Klepack moved to close the Public Comment Period.  Seconded by Dankert.  All aye.

 

Unique Natural Area #89, 90 & 64 – Cayuga Lake Cliffs:

The first item on the agenda was to have been a presentation from Rob Wesley and Nancy Ostman. Leopold attempted to reach them by telephone and was unsuccessful so they will be rescheduled for another meeting.

 

Pyramid Mall Planned Sign Area – Larger Sign Area:

Hickey stated additional signage is needed for Target. Although there were no plans in the packets,  Curtis displayed a large plan showing the proposed signs and building elevations.  Jim Tull, Pyramid Mall General Manager, stated they are requesting the same signage as previously proposed for the Target store.  Hickey asked if the color of the building would be as shown on the plan.  Tull stated it will be.  Tull stated there would be an entrance adjacent to the mall entrance and an exterior entrance at the same corner of the building.  Tull stated there is no sign on the north end of the building.  Tull stated that originally Target had requested another sign and bulls-eye at another location near the pharmacy but Target has been convinced that that signage was not necessary.  The requested signage is less than originally proposed for Home Depot.  Hickey contrasted the original request for 544+ SF signage for Home Depot and the fact that Target is now requesting 275 sf for signage which is a significant reduction. Hickey requested Tull pass on to Target that the Board is most appreciative of this reduction. 

 

Hickey stated it is the Board’s job tonight to consider the signage for Target as reflected in 4/25/02 updated PSA for Pyramid Mall.  Tull stated that Target signs are individually lit letters. The red band is painted on the building and it is not lit. 

 

Dankert moved to approve the signs for Target in the amount of 275 sf as submitted on 4/25/02 by Pyramid Mall.  Seconded by Brown.  All aye.        

 

Tull gave the Board a status report of the Mall.  Tull stated Dicks Sporting Goods will open May 9th and Borders will open on May 18th.   The south end of the Mall, including curbing, landscaped islands, paving, etc. will be finished in May.  At the north end of the Mall, Target is scheduled to open in October although the actual building should be completed in July.  The site work on the north end and utilities relocation is progressing now.  The entrance will be reconfigured to take the kink out of the ring road and that will start in the next couple of weeks.  Landscaping will also progress throughout the summer.  The ditch along the west side has been piped and backfilled.  Inside the existing Mall,  Ambercrombie & Fitch is under construction near Electronics Boutique.  Two women’s stores, CJ Bangs, for plus size women, will begin in mid-June and their sister store, Christopher and Bangs for regular size women, will also be coming to the Mall.  There is a slew of activity being pursued at this time.  Tull stated Linens and Things is probably not going to happen in the proposed location.  Regarding carts for Target, Tull stated there would be corrals in the parking lot and the carts would have electronically activated wheel brakes so they will be difficult to take off the property.  Tull stated there would also be a corral in the front of the store.     

 

Tree Inventory:

Hickey stated he has negotiated a contract with Lee Oplinger.  Oplinger has e-mailed Klepack and Hickey to say he has gotten in 23 hours of work and has inventoried 350 trees.  These trees are in Shannon Park, Dankert Park, and the Highgate area.  He will put this information on spreadsheets.  He will identify those needing repair or replacement and those of value.  Hickey feels he may be done by the next meeting.  Hickey has asked him to do the Janivar Drive area.  Hickey stated at the next meeting a more complete report will be given.

 

Hickey was in a meeting with Trustee Fresinki and Engineer David Herrick and a short list of possible consultants to be hired for the design of N. Triphammer Rd. has been established  This is moving along and may be done by June. 

 

Approval of Minutes – April 8:

The Board reviewed the minutes for April 8th.  Klepack moved to approve the April 8th minutes as revised.  Seconded by Brown.  All aye.

 

Reports:

            Trustees:  Stycos attended the Trustees’ meeting and approval was given for $5,000 rather than $11,000 for audiovisual equipment for the conference room.  There was also discussion of the tax increase from $1.70 to $1.75 per thousand valuation for the 2002-2003 budget.  Stycos stated Trustee Moore had concerns about sidewalks on Cayuga Heights Road.  Hartill responded to Moore that they are very expensive.  Currently, sidewalks are being proposed for N. Triphammer Road and the village will be receiving 80% from the federal government to help cover the costs.  Hartill stated that there would probably be 4 ft. shoulders for Cayuga Heights Road.  Moore would like 5 to 6 feet for walking shoulders and he will talk with the engineer to see if they might be feasible.  Moore would also like to see the shoulders painted green.  Board members  thought rumble strips might also be a possibility for Cayuga Heights Road.  Stycos stated there was also considerable discussion on the Greenway Committee.  This Committee will consist of 2 Trustees (Leopold and Moore) and 2 Planning Board members (Hickey and possibly Klepack).  Moore would like to see more authority given to this Committee.  Hickey stated the original Greenway plan was by Jeanne Barrett from County Planning and he would hate to see it scrapped as it is a valuable tool. Stycos stated Viola Miller is not pleased with the trail being across the middle of her property.  Hickey stated it was placed where she wanted it.  Stycos further stated that another holdup is due to the 9 inch strip currently owned by Ivar Jonson.  Hickey stated the time to get a quit claim from Jonson is when Miller would like to put a road connection into Leifs Way or Craft Road.  Jonson is aware of this and Marcus has gotten the easement from him.  Stycos also mentioned that the pond on the south corner of Graham Road would be a nice site for a walkway.  Stycos stated that Cornell has withdrawn from the discussions of the expanded Intermunicipal Water Agreement.  Stycos stated that Engineer David Putnam informed the Board that there is a flow meter communication problem with the meters monitoring sewer use.  Hartill stated he would find a used computer that would solve the problem.  Stycos stated the Board also talked about Cayuga Landscape planting 6 or 8 trees on Cinema Drive.                   

            Greenway Trail:  Hickey has been working with Viola Miller on getting approval for a temporary easement that goes from Leifs Way across her land to Bush Lane to connect to Rosina Drive in Horizons.  The problem that is keeping Millers land from developing the land is the fact that there are no sewer permits available.  When the sewer moratorium is lifted, there will probably be subdivisions in a few areas of the village.    

 

Unique Natural Areas:

Hickey provided maps to Board members showing the Town of Lansing and UNAs.  Tonight the Board was to look at UNA 64 which is partially in the Town and is referred to as Lake Cliffs.  Also in the packet are site and vegetation descriptions, special land use information, physical characteristics of site, slopes, topographic positioning and significant plant species which have been inventoried by Wesley and Ostman.  Hickey stated these are part of the Comprehensive Plan and need to be reviewed as part of any review of the Comprehensive Plan. Such a review might lead to changes in the Zoning Law.  Hickey also ran copies of UNA 89 called Lake Cliffs and McKinney Point which is partially in the Village and contains the same information.  The third handout is UNA 90 which is called Esty Glen and goes up Burdick Hill Road and contains the cemetery as a separate UNA.  The final handout is the Lansing Zoning Codification pages 14586 and 14587 which have the criteria for a Special Permit for development on those lands.  The Board should review how the land is special and what is needed to protect it, how it is being protected now and whether the Village is doing an adequate job or are there some things that need to be added.  Hickey stated that on page 14586 (B ) Special Permits in Conservation Combing Districts (1) are special conditions for drainage ways and (2) is special conditions for steep slopes.  Hickey further stated that Section (2) (b) 1-8 on that page describing possible remedial measures is pretty comprehensive and includes increased lot size, increased setbacks, clustering, open space set-asides, preservation of trees, reduction of pavement widths, reduction in grading, and installation of erosion control measures.  B (3) is special conditions for Unique Natural Area Conservation Combining Districts and requires information for items 1-3.  The Board discussed the Greenberg House in regards to UNAs and the fact that the village hiring independent engineers might provide additional or better information.  Hickey stated the Zoning Law needs to be changed through time and he feels the Village has been prudent in making changes where needed.  Hickey would like to see the Board members review the handouts prior to the next meeting.  Hickey thought it might be useful to  compare a SEQR form to the list in the Zoning Law. 

 

Hickey stated visual impact is not covered and he feels it must be measured somehow.  Hickey would like to see the Twin Glens Natural Area Association identify and map out  the viewsheds in their area.  Hickey stated that for any future development in UNA 64 viewsheds might be a concern.  This topic will be placed on the next agenda. 

 

Adjournment:

Klepack moved to adjourn the meeting at  8:45 P.M.   Seconded by Dankert.  Hickey stated he will be going to Ithaca Schools on Thursday to discuss the Vietnam War.  All aye.