The meeting of the Village of Lansing Planning Board was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Hickey. Present at the meeting were Planning Board Members Brown, Klepack, Halevy, Waterman, Village Attorney Marcus, Code Enforcement Officer Curtis, Village Engineer Cross, and Trustee Liaison Buck.

Chairman Hickey opened Public Comment and introduced Dan Winch from the Tompkins County Board of Representatives in his capacity as Chairman of the Health and Human Service Committee had requested time to bring an issue to the Board's attention. He read a memo regarding signage for the Cayuga Medical Convenient Care Center on Warren Road into the record:

"It has been brought to my attention as Chairman of the Health and Human Service Committee and suggested as a Committee goal to seek a change in the signage of the Medical Community Center on Warren Road. Clearly this is not the County's responsibility, but as a Board member that looks into complaints when received, when I was in the area I drove by the facility. While driving by the facility I could not read the sign or recognize the logo, so I turned around and drove back. I was again unable to quickly read the sign and pay attention to traffic. This is not an emergency room facility but it is a medical facility. Clients are usually emotionally concerned when going to a doctor. We need to assist them in that pursuit, not confuse them. Your Sign Ordinance may be waived for purposes of medical facilities making signage very visible and readable. I do not wish to see a sign as large as the CMC Hospital. I do not wish to see a monument such as at Warren and Brown Roads. There is a large segment of middle ground that will meet the needs of your signage ordinance and meet the needs of our constituents, Convenient Care's clients. By copy of this letter I am notifying Bonnie Howell, CEO for the Cayuga Medical Center of this request and I hope that an acceptable solution that will benefit the citizens will be the outcome of your negotiations. During an unrelated topic discussion I had with Ms. Howell I brought up this item and we discussed it briefly. I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Hickey said that he called Joe Fitzgerald and told him about that, and whatever adjustments the Cayuga Medical Center wants to make can be made within the requirements of the Planned Sign Area.

Jon Reis also spoke during the Public Comment period. He proposed that the Village of Lansing incorporate sidewalks into the two proposals that are coming up for review at this meeting as neither the Thornwood Road extension nor the Courtyard at Marriott have sidewalks that parallel Thornwood Road in their proposals. He felt that any pedestrian coming out of the airport that would want to walk to the Marriott should be able to do so on a sidewalk rather than on a recreation path.

Waterman moved to close the Public Comment period. Seconded by Halevy. All in favor.

Thornwood Road Extension Preliminary plat approval of the Thornwood Drive Extension, a major subdivision of one lot into seven commercial lots and residual land, in the Southeast quadrant of the Cornell Business and Technology Park in the Business and Technology District, Tax Parcel Number 45.1-1-55.2.

John Caruso, representing Cornell University Real Estate, reviewed the plat. The intent is to complete Thornwood Drive Extension to Brown Road to provide a few more development lots in this area. The road will be lighted, and will extend sewage, water and drainage all the way to Brown Road. The plat shows conceptual buildings on each lot with associated parking lots. There will be an extension of the trail system, and a master plan will be put together showing the trail system. They are also designing a water feature - two detention ponds which are designed by proximity to the road to create the illusion that one is driving over water. They are also working with Tompkins County Transit Authority to bring bus transit to the area. They will have at least two bus stops for now, and would like them to be centrally located. They do not see this as a high volume road. The Village requires the road to be 20 ft. wide with a 6 ft. right-of-way. The road is going to be 24 ft. wide with a 66-ft. right-of-way. The buffer along Route 13 can be one big berm or an undulating berm.

Hickey's major criticism of the conceptual plan is that there are too many parking lots. He asked John Majeroni to consider consolidating parking lots and using a shared parking concept instead. In that way they could reduce the parking lots and curb cuts from 6 to 3, and keep just one curb cut on Brown Road. They'll also save on landscaping and blacktop, have more open space, and the area will be more attractive. Majeroni said that they feel it's an attractive development and they go to great lengths to berm and landscape the parking lots to break them up. They want smaller parking lots that are blended into the landscape. From a market point of view developers like their own parking lots, and to some extent having a driveway going into each building helps people find their way.

Klepack noted that access from Brown Road to the B&T Park is currently impossible by sidewalk. A pedestrian is either walking on the road or in a driveway. Majeroni responded that they think there is a need to get people into the center of the park but they have tried to do it in a more comfortable recreational way and it's not their desire to have the sidewalk run along Brown Road. The recreational path is a paved, 5 to 6-foot-wide walk. It's part of a building expansion plan they worked out to keep a wooded edge along the path. They recognize the need to get from Brown Road to the hotel. Majeroni said that they would be delighted to sit down and come up with a plan to get from point A to point B. Hickey will bring to that meeting one of the representatives from the Green Space Advisory Council

Klepack brought up the issue of winter maintenance. Majeroni said that the biggest use of the trails is recreational; there is very little use of the trails to get from point A to point B. Hickey asked if his office would take responsibility for plowing and Majeroni said that they do not plow the recreational path because the wind would blow the snow back over the path and it's a curved path which would make it impossible to plow. He added that the bus drops people off right at the driveway and confirmed that the hotel will have some kind of shuttle service.

The Board conducted a SEQRA review. The Board discussed whether there would be any significant amount of pollution that will go into the ponds due to the proximity of the road to the new ponds. Cross explained that these are wet ponds meaning that they actually hold the water. They will accumulate sediment so that it doesn't wash down stream. The B&T Park representative said that if water can be held for 6 hours or more you will have 75% removal of oil and that salt concentrations involved here would not be detrimental. He said it's really not different than a storm pipe but it is designed to create the illusion that you're passing over water. The quantity of the water will provide a dilution factor that you wouldn't get in a standard ditch. Oils, salts and sediments will concentrate in the ditch line but the water will dilute the concentrations.

Halevy moved that the proposed action would have no significant adverse impact on the environment. Brown seconded. All in favor. The comments made will be incorporated by the Engineer for his final inspection.

Waterman moved to classify this as major subdivision. Seconded by Klepack. All in favor.

The final plat will include the construction drawings and engineering requirements for the road within the right-of-way, including water and sewer utility details. It won't contain all the lot lines. Hickey said the final plat should incorporate responses to any concerns that were discussed at this meeting. Marcus said that what is being approved tonight as a preliminary plat is where the road is and how it's laid out as compared to where it ends now. The Board understands that the lot lines on the preliminary plat are just for example purposes and there are not being considered for approval.

Hickey said that walkways and sidewalks would be handled separately. Buck asked for confirmation of the understanding that the sidewalk will go in next year from Brown Road to the hotel. Majeroni said that that is what they are planning.

Klepack moved that the Board approve the preliminary plat for the Thornwood Road Extension. Seconded by Waterman. All in favor. This approval is subject to the conditions noted by the Village Engineer

Hickey will arrange a meeting to work out a master plan for trails and sidewalks. The final plat review will be scheduled for June 29th.

Special Permit #1462, E.J. Del Monte Corporation to construct a four story 58,383 s.f. 106 room Courtyard by Marriott hotel at 29 Thornwood Drive on the southwest corner of the Cornell Business and Technology Park. The property is located in the Business and Technology District, Tax Parcel Number 45.1-1-55.2

E.J. Del Monte's Site Engineer, Matt Napierala, gave proof of mailing to Curtis and reviewed the proposal. The proposed development is a 4-story, 106-room Courtyard by Marriott. The building footprint is approximately 15,000 s.f. giving a building lot coverage of 5.7% on a 6.1-acre parcel as a whole. The total gross floor area for the building is about 58,000 s.f. The parcel is situated in the B&T District which is zoned for hotel use. They meet all the zoning criteria as far as lot size, coverage, frontage, front and side yard setbacks, etc. The site plan shows the ability to provide 135 parking spaces but they are asking the Board to waive 26 spaces because previous site history shows that a similar facility of this size has no problem with providing one parking space per room. In the future if it is necessary or required there is ample room to provide those extra spaces. As 100% occupancy seldom occurs, employees park in this area as well.

The Village of Cayuga Heights has granted them 20 sewer units for this facility, which is the equivalent of 6, 500 gallons/day. They will connect to the 10" water main in Thornwood Drive. They have spoken to NYSEG regarding underground gas and electric service

Hickey opened the Public Hearing. Phil Dankert commented on the walking path which is connected to Dart Drive on the proposal. He feels that this is a dangerous street for pedestrians. Hickey said that this was done at Planning Board's request to provide easy access. The Site Engineer said that they have been working with Cornell Real Estate Office on site design and will situate walkways as the Board wishes.

Waterman moved to close public hearing. Seconded by Klepack. All in favor.

Brown moved that the Board approve the requested 20% reduction in parking spaces from the required 1.25 per room under Section 203.05 of the Zoning Law which allows the Planning Board to approve a 20% reduction in parking. Seconded by Waterman. All in favor.

The restaurant in the hotel is a service restaurant and doesn't have a separate name. It is not advertised, and it normally provides breakfast only for hotel guests. However, John Majeroni requested that they serve lunch on a trial basis if the sewer capacity allows. Cross explained that water consumption records from their other locations were used as a basis for determining the number of sewer permits needed. However, those locations don't serve lunch. If it is determined that if actual water usage does not exceed estimated usage then they will consider serving lunch. Once that is determined, and if the units are available, then they still have to figure out how many permits to apply for. That's between the Marriott and Cayuga Heights. Curtis added that hotels in the B&T Park are limited to a seating capacity of 70. However, there are only 55 seats in the restaurant.

The Board reviewed the Village Engineer's comments.

1. The existing B&T pond is presumed to have been built to accommodate the runoff downstream including this lot so there is therefore no requirement for on-site detention. However there are some storm water management drainage swales around the perimeter.

2. There is a section that talks about soil and erosion sedimentation control but Cross said that he didn't see it drawn on the plat. The Site Engineer said that would be detailed for the final construction drawing.

Cross asked about where the swale drains into Warren Road. A flow direction arrow on the plat indicates that part of the drainage will be eliminated from the site through a grass swale that drains into a culvert that crosses Route 13 to the south and then goes downstream from Route 13 and discharges further to the south. There is a 24" culvert that crosses Route 13 now. Hickey noted that the law says there will be no additional runoff after development than there was before, and there is enough capacity in the ponds to include all the drainage coming off the site. But this drainage is going in another direction. Napierala said that prior to construction of Thornwood Drive and the ponds, the pre-existing drainage flowed through this area. Now with the development of Thornwood Drive and all the drainage collection systems that the B&T Park has implemented, some of that drainage has been shifted to go over to Warren Road. It's a relatively flat topography, but surveyors determined the breakpoint. So this is a pre-existing condition where you have a portion that went to the Route 13 culvert and a portion that went to Warren Road. The question is whether this creates any problems south of Route 13. Napierala explained that the division of the land by creating Thornwood Drive diverted some water that once drained to the Route 13 culvert, so even in a developed state the site has less water draining in that direction than it did prior to the development of the whole park. Cross will need to look into this and have this verified. Hickey said that the Board would put a hold on approval of the drainage issue until Cross approves it.

The Board conducted a SEQRA Review:

The hotel meets the following restrictions:

1. maximum of 110 rooms;

2. can not be more than a 60,000 s.f. building;

3. restaurant/ bar cannot exceed capacity of 70;

4. conference area cannot exceed aggregate of 1,000 s.f.

The meeting room is about 750 s.f. and the wall between the lounge and the meeting room is a solid block wall. The lounge will have chairs, couches, a fireplace, and 3 desks where people can sit and work with a laptop. It would never be set up for a gathering of any kind.

An exercise room will be available to employees in the B&T Park. The basis has not yet been established, but membership would be limited to employees and usage would be limited to the daytime. The floor plan will be revised to enlarge the exercise area and provide two small locker rooms with showers.

There is a potential problem with drainage, which the engineers will work out.

The Board then reviewed the General Conditions Required for all Special Permits:

E. natural surface drainageway - unresolved;

G. subject to approval of landscaping plan;

A construction road comes off of Warren Road and can be used for emergency access if the road is blocked. The Board would like the Lansing Fire Company to review this to confirm that the construction road is adequate for emergency access. Curtis' understanding was that the construction road would be removed after construction and would be restored to grass. The Board was concerned that construction traffic be coordinated with peak Borg Warner traffic. A condition of approval will be that in the event that there is a traffic problem, it is the responsibility of E.J. Del Monte Corporation to resolve it.

Hickey summarized:

a) the drainage issue needs to be resolved; b) a landscaping plan will be a condition for thr Certificate of Occupancy; c) before the next meeting the Board will need the Fire Chief's review and comments. When the drainage is resolved and the Board has the Fire Chief's response, the Board can go ahead and consider approval of the site plan with the understanding that the landscaping plan will be coming in at a later date; d) it is the developer's responsibility to resolve any traffic problems that occur as a result of construction traffic.

The final approval will be considered on the June 29th agenda.

Hickey reported that he, Curtis, and Walt Wietgrefe of the Green Space Advisory Council met with New Plan Realty and a representative from Monro Muffler to review the original site plan to include landscaping. Suggestions were made by the Green Space Advisory Council, which is chaired by Walt Wietgrefe, so the plan already reflects their recommendations. Hickey reviewed the changes that were made to the plan. He said that they spoke to New Plan Realty about getting the big ditch on the east side seeded to get some grass growing and about putting a fence up to catch the trash that blows out of the mall.

The Board discussed putting as a condition on the Certificate of Occupancy a requirement that New Plan Realty implement a plan to control erosion on the bank, which is New Plan Realty property, and implement some method of controlling the trash. Waterman moved that the final Certificate of Occupancy be granted to Monro Muffler only after New Plan Realty has implemented a plan approved by the Code Enforcement Officer to control trash and enhance the buffer. Klepack seconded. All in favor.

Consultant: The Board sent a Request for Qualifications to four developers. Hickey reported that he had received a call from the Environmental Design Research Corporation. They are interested and will send their response by Friday. The Board now needs to develop some kind of a plan on how to review those responses and how to choose which firms to ask for proposals. The Board agreed that they would rank the responses and narrow them down to two firms, who would then be invited to submit a proposal and make a presentation to the Board.

Trustee Meeting: Brown reported that the Trustees passed the Lighting Plan. They also heard a detailed report from Lynn Leopold on the Environmental Management Council (EMC), which is an Advisory Council for the County. Lynn feels the EMC can be helpful to local planning boards and Brown suggested that she be invited for an In-Service Training session to tell the Board how the EMC can help the Board.

Brown moved to approve the minutes of the April 27, 1999 meeting as amended, the minutes of the May 10, 1999 meeting as amended, and the minutes of the May 25, 1999 meeting as submitted. Seconded by Klepack. All in favor.

Hickey reported that McDonalds is coming in to talk to him and Curtis about moving across the street. They have been hung up in trying to get the terms of the lease resolved.

There may be a Public Information meeting regarding Pyramid Mall's expansion plans at the June 29th meeting.

At Halevy's suggestion, efforts will be made to get Cross' engineering comments to the Board sooner so that they can have an opportunity to review them before the meeting.

Waterman moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:56 p.m. Seconded by Klepack. All in favor.