Planning Board Meeting
The meeting of the
Hickey then opened the Public Comment period.
As there was no one present who wished to speak, Dankert moved to close the Public Comment period. Seconded by Stycos. All aye.
Public
Hearing: Special Permit No. 1910 –
Construction of
The first item on the agenda was a Public Hearing for
Special Permit No. 1910, Congregation Tikkun v’Or to construct a 3600 sf temple
on the lot on the northwest corner of Burdick Hill Road and North Triphammer
Road in the Low Density Residential District, Tax Parcel No. 42.1-1-53.21.
Bob Libby, Chairman of the Congregation’s Building
Committee, introduced Peter Trowbridge of Trowbridge and Wolf who would make
the presentation. Trowbridge stated the
proposed facility is located in both the Medium Density Residential District as
well as the Low Density Residential District.
Trowbridge stated the religious facility is a permitted use in both
zoning districts. The proposed building is 3600 sf. and 30 ft. in height and
the lot is approximately 4.31 acres. The
building is situated lengthwise parallel to
Hickey then opened the Public Hearing.
John O’Neill,
As there was no one else who wished to speak, Brown moved
to close the Public Hearing. Seconded by
Dankert. All aye.
Hickey asked about the Lighting Plan and whether there
would be security lights provided since the building is isolated and the
Village does not have its own police force.
Libby stated they had not planned to have them. Hickey stated it would be wise to consider
them at the onset rather than to come back later for an amended lighting plan.
Hickey also reflected on the church built across from his
residence which had a small congregation.
Parking was provided in two lots on the site but on occasion parking is
also required on both sides of the driveway leading up to the building. Hickey wanted to know the size of the
congregation for this site and whether additional parking needs had been
considered and where would it be located if it was needed. Libby stated there are approximately 110
families in the congregation with seating for 60 people but additional seats
may be required for high holidays.
Dankert asked about the number of parking spaces. Hickey noted that the Zoning Law requires 1
parking space for 4 seats. Libby stated
the need for parking for Friday services is for about 1 person per parking
space. Hickey asked if parking could be
moved to the north. Trowbridge stated
that is not possible without encroaching on the stream setback. Hickey stated additional parking could be
provided to the west across the stream.
Trowbridge stated the parking is pretty tight to meet all setback
requirements from the lot lines as well as the stream.
Brown asked about the chosen vegetation. Trowbridge stated the plants are local and
hopefully are deer resistant.
Stycos asked about the viewshed. Trowbridge stated the best views are from the
corner of
Hickey asked about the concern of the Village Engineer
regarding the location of a dumpster.
Libby stated there would not be a dumpster; garbage would be placed at
the curb. Hickey then reviewed other
comments by the Engineer who was not present.
The Engineer felt the driveway and parking areas were very clean and
should work well. The drainage scheme
seems to be a reasonable strategy although it has not been fully engineered at
this point in time. The Engineer noted
he did not see a photo of a site light pole or its location but this will be a condition for approval of
a Light Plan. Although the Engineer did
not care for the idea of having the sanitary sewer cross the stream, there were
limited options due to the 100’ required setback from the steam course.
Hickey also noted the County Dept. of Planning has
provided a 239 Review dated 4-8-04. The
County has reviewed the proposal and has determined it has no negative
inter-community or county-wide impacts.
Comments offered by the County reference the fact that the parking
setback should be at least 25 feet from the front property line. The County is also pleased to see that the
impact of this locally recognized view has been minimized due to modifications
to the building and parking elevation.
The County also supports the decision to locate the entrance driveway on
Burdick Hill Road to minimize additional curb cuts on N. Triphammer Road.
Dubow made it a part of the record that his firm
represented the Congregation in their acquisition for this property and this
has been the extent of their involvement.
Curtis expressed concerns about the parking and wanted to
know if the applicant could address overflow parking if needed so that parking
would not overflow onto Burdick Hill Road and North Triphammer. Libby felt that this would seldom occur. Hickey stated this would be a big safety
concern if parking were to overflow the site near the intersection of Burdick
Hill and North Triphammer Roads as this
is already a dangerous intersection. A condition for approval would be a plan
to accommodate overflow parking on site or off, with valet parking if
necessary. Hickey stated the Board needs
to be certain that there be no parking on Burdick Hill Road or N. Triphammer
Road under any circumstances. Trowbridge
stated the detention basin could be moved to accommodate this and will be
considered and an amended site plan prepared.
Hickey noted that a SEQRA is not required because this is
a Type II exempt action. The Planning
Board then reviewed the General Conditions for all Special Permits in Section
304.05 of the Zoning Law. Item D has
been addressed through either valet parking or additional on-site parking.
Dankert moved that the applicant has met all the
conditions for a Special Permit under Section 304.05 of the Zoning Law. Seconded by Brown. All aye.
Brown moved the following resolution to approve Special Permit 1910:
VILLAGE OF LANSING PLANNING BOARD RESOLUTION FOR SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL ADOPTED ON APRIL 12, 2004
WHEREAS:
A.
This
matter involves consideration of the following proposed action: Special Permit No. 1910, Congregation Tikkun
V’Or to construct a 3600 sf temple on the lot on the northwest corner of
Burdick Hill Road and North Triphammer Road in the Low Density Residential
District, Tax parcel No. 42.1-1-53.21.
B. The Village of
Lansing Planning Board, in accordance with Article 8 of the New York State
Environmental Conservation Law - the State Environmental Quality Review Act
(“SEQR), and 6 NYCRR Section 617.5, hereby determines that the approval of the
proposed special permit is a Type II action, constituting under subsection “c
(7)” of said 6 NYCRR Section 617.5 “construction or expansion of a primary or
accessory/appurtenant, non-residential structure or facility involving less
than 4000 square feet of gross floor area and not involving a change in zoning
or a use variance and consistent with local land use controls, but not radio communication
or microwave transmission facilities,” and thus may be processed without
further regard to SEQR; and
C.
On
April 12, 2004, the Village of Lansing Planning Board held a public hearing
regarding this proposed action, and thereafter thoroughly reviewed and analyzed
(i) the materials and information presented by and on behalf of the
applicant(s) in support of this proposed action, (ii) all other information and
materials rightfully before the Board, and (iii) all issues raised during the
public hearing and/or otherwise raised in the course of the Board’s
deliberations; and
D.
On
April 12, 2004, in accordance with Section 725-b of the Village Law of the
State of New York and Sections 304, 305 and 306 of the Village of Lansing
Zoning Law, the Village of Lansing Planning Board, in the course of its further
deliberations, reviewed and took into consideration (i) the general conditions
required for all special permits (Village of Lansing Zoning Law Section
304.05), (ii) any applicable conditions required for certain special permit
uses (Village of Lansing Zoning Law Section 304.06), and (iii) any applicable
conditions required for uses within a Combining District (Village of Lansing
Zoning Law Section 305);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOW:
1. The Village of Lansing Planning Board hereby finds that the proposed action meets (i) all general conditions required for all special permits (Village of Lansing Zoning Law Section 304.05), (ii) any applicable conditions required for certain special permit uses (Village of Lansing Zoning Law Section 304.06), and (iii) any applicable conditions required for uses within a Combining District (Village of Lansing Zoning Law Section 305); and
2. It is hereby determined by the Village of Lansing Planning Board that Special Permit No. 1910 is hereby granted and approved, subject to the following additional conditions and requirements:
1. Approval by the Village Engineer of storm
water management plan, erosion control, parking and site work.
2. Approval of exterior lighting plan by the
Village of Lansing Lighting Commission.
3. Approval by the Village of Lansing Planning
Board of a detailed off street parking plan –
on-site, valet, or other.
4. Approval by the Tompkins County Health
Department of a septic construction permit.
5. Provision of required parking set back and
parking lot buffer.
Seconded by Piscopo
The
vote on the foregoing motion was as follows:
AYES: John
Piscopo, Doris Brown, Phil Dankert, Edward Hickey and Maria Stycos
NAYS: none
The motion was declared to be carried.
Amendment to
Small Mall PSA for Cooke Cadillac Chevrolet:
Hickey stated the next item on the agenda was a proposed
amendment to the Small Mall Planned Sign Area for Cooke Cadillac
Chevrolet.
Will Cooke, made the presentation by giving a brief
history of the business. The present
proposal is to retain one free standing sign and to add four new building
mounted signs totaling 349.65 sf. In
order to satisfy both entities, Cooke is requesting four signs equaling 250.65
sf and one free standing General Motors sign of 99 sf for a total of 349.65
sf. Previously approved was 243 sf so an
additional 106.65 sf is being requested. One of the four building mounted signs
would be the light bar discussed at a previous meeting. Cooke stated the light
bar would not be located on the eastern and southern sides of the building.
Cooke feels this amount of signage including the light bar is necessary to
provide visibility for his business, particularly as the trees and bushes along
Rt. 13 have grown over the years and there is little prospect that they will be
cut back or trimmed.
Dubow stated the Planning Board would be making a
recommendation to the Board of Trustees and must determine whether allowing the
additional 106.65 sf is a minor or major amendment to the Planned Sign
Area. Hickey noted that the PSA covers
both Cookes and the Small Mall and the Board has received a letter dated 2-6-04
from I. Stanley Goldberg, President of Bishops of Ithaca, indicating support
for the proposed action. Piscopo asked
when the lights would go out. Curtis
explained that lit signs must either be turned off by10:00PM or when the
business is closed whichever is later and that many businesses have their signs
on timers. Cooke stated this sign
proposal is being strongly pushed by General Motors and Cooke’s ability to
provide the required signage impacts the
evaluation of his business. Board
members were concerned about corporations dictating what the Village allows and
about setting precedents. Leopold
questioned the banners at Cooke presently and Curtis stated they would come
down when the new signs were installed.
Stycos felt this was not so much a matter of corporate dictation as that
of a small businessman trying to survive.
Hickey felt this would be a minor amendment especially as
no one had spoken in opposition to the proposal.
Brown asked for clarification of the PSA. Curtis stated that PSAs vary within the
Village. For Pyramid Mall, there is a
gross amount of allowable sign area for the entire Mall. For this PSA, there is an allowable amount
per business and each is independent of the other. Curtis stated that the Board
should classify the light bar as a sign and note that additional approved sign
area would apply specifically to the light bar and would not grant the business
additional sign area for other types of signs in the future. Piscopo asked if the size of the building has
changed. Cooke stated it has remained
the same since 1978 although the signage has changed because the name of the
business has changed as the brands of cars sold there have changed over the
years.
Cooke felt the installation of the light bar would be a
100% improvement for the business as it would be attractive and the banners
could be removed.
Dankert moved that this proposal would be a minor
amendment to the Planned Sign Area.
Seconded by Piscopo. All aye.
Hickey stated the Planning Board has already determined
that a light bar is considered a sign.
Hickey moved to recommend an additional 106.65 sf of signage to William
Cooke for a total of 349.65 sf of which 137.35 sf will accommodate the light
bar on the north and west sides of his business. Seconded by Brown. All aye.
This will be sent to the Board of Trustees for final action. It was noted that in the future, the
additional sign area would only be for the
light bar.
Lansing Trails 2
Subdivision Trustees Authorization:
Hickey stated the next item on the agenda was
authorization from the Planning Board to allow Chairman Hickey to send a
recommendation to the Board of Trustees to request authorization for
clustering.
First, the Board reviewed the sketch plan SK-2R dated
02/04. Hickey noted the corrections requested by the Planning Board have been
made by Clough, Harbour & Associate engineers. Hickey noted that the lots on Ayla Way remain
incorrect and should depict 4 lots rather than 3 lots; this will be corrected
on the preliminary plat. The connection
to Craft Road through the previously dedicated parkland for Lansing Trails I is
also shown as well the delineated open space.
The site data is located on the plat and shows the gross area and then
the breakdown. Total units allowable are
194 with 75 units in Lansing Trails I and the remainder of 119 units in Lansing
Trails II. The Planning Board and developer
have agreed to lower the density to 100 units in Lansing Trails II. This now equates to a total density of 175
units rather than the 194 units.
Stycos was concerned about traffic. Hickey provided a copy of the letter he sent
to Fisher Associates asking them about traffic impacts for the
development. Hickey is awaiting their
response. Hickey is also awaiting a
traffic analysis to be done by Ivar Johnson’s engineers.
Hickey stated that in order to continue the approval
process for this subdivision proposal, the Board would need approval from the
Board of Trustees to proceed with clustering.
Dubow stated the SEQRA review would be one of the next things done by
the Board and there will be a formal review at that time.
Dankert moved to authorize Hickey to forward a request to
the Board of Trustees to authorize the Planning Board to proceed with Ivar
Johnson’s application for a cluster subdivision in Phase II of Lansing Trails
Subdivision. The Planning Board is also
requesting the Board of Trustees direct the Village Attorney to initiate the
necessary legal action that will allow the Village to alienate the existing
parkland in Lansing Trails and relocate it to a more central location so that a
road can be constructed between Leifs Way and Lansing Trails II along the
northern boundary of the subdivision.
Seconded by Brown. Hickey stated
he has written a draft explaining the history of the project since 1993. Hickey would also like to add another
paragraph to his draft letter identifying the current density of Lansing Trails
and pointing out the 88 multi-family attached residences. A vote was taken. All aye.
This will be placed on the Trustees’ agenda for April 19.
Other Business
as Time Permits:
Brown wanted to discuss the parking on Bush Lane in front
of the Bergman home occupation. Hickey
stated Curtis must be notified when there is a violation and then he can
proceed. Curtis stated he has spoken
with the Sheriff’s Office and they can ticket vehicles on Bush lane where the
“no Parking” signs are. Curtis stated
the issue is more complicated, however, because it turned out that at least one
of the cars that the neighbors were complaining about was actually parking on
Brook Way where there are no signs. In
fact, when Bergman tried to get a variance to provide parking on his property,
the BZA suggested he have his clients park on Brook Way.
Curtis has been working on the drainage problems on Ayla
Way. Curtis stated the water draining
across the field has impacted the resident on the corner of Leifs Way and
Janivar Drive. Curtis has told the
contractors that this must be remedied.
Curtis is under the impression that Ivar Johnson will be installing a
ditch with a 10 inch pipe as well as a catch basin at the bottom of the hill to
resolve the problem. Village Engineer
Cross will be required to sign off on this.
Curtis stated he was told that the resident at 38 Janivar Drive granted
approval for this remedy.
Dankert was interested in the workshop in Rochester
entitled Creating Walkable Communities scheduled for June 16 and 17. Dankert will contact them for an agenda.
Reports:
Trustees:
Hickey stated the meeting was about budget. Hickey stated the N. Triphammer Road project
will be spread over two year with utilities this year and paving next
year. This was necessitated by a last
minute requirement by the State for a second lane for the Route 13 southbound
off ramp for those traveling north on N. Triphammer Road. Hickey also mentioned that Dart Drive will be
resurfaced this year and he will be pushing for traffic calming measures.
Adjournment:
Stycos moved to adjourn at 9:05 P.M. Seconded by Dankert. All aye.