ITHACA, N.Y.—It was a comparatively quick however eventful assembly for the Metropolis of Ithaca Planning Board. One venture obtained modified Web site Plan Approval, a couple of others superior, and this month served as a reminder that there few issues that stir the passions of this board like critiquing constructing signage. All that and extra after the bounce.
As at all times, for many who like to have a look at the agenda as they learn alongside, that pretty quick 96-page doc will be discovered right here. Fast topical notice, as two seats are presently vacant, there have been 5 planning board members current.
Web site Plan Evaluate
With no subdivisions or Particular Permits this month, after the customary public remark to begin the assembly, the Planning Board jumped proper into Web site Plan Evaluate (SPR). Web site Plan Evaluate is the assembly section the place evaluate of latest and up to date constructing proposals happens. Relatively than give the identical spiel about procedural particulars each month, if you would like an in-depth description of the steps concerned within the venture approval course of, the “Web site Plan Evaluate Primer” will be discovered right here.
Briefly, the SPR course of the Planning Board seems at sketch plans, declares itself lead company for state environmental high quality evaluate (SEQR), conducts a evaluate and declares destructive (opposed results mitigated) or constructive (probably dangerous impacts, and due to this fact wants an Environmental Affect Assertion), whereas concurrently performing design evaluate for initiatives in sure, extra delicate neighborhoods for aesthetic impacts. As soon as these are all concluded to the board’s satisfaction, they vote on preliminary web site plan approval and, after reviewing a couple of remaining particulars and remaining paperwork, remaining web site plan approval.

Stately Residences (510 W. State / W. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue)
The primary merchandise on the Planning Board’s agenda was Visum’s “Stately Residences” reasonably priced housing proposal for 510 West State/West Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Ithaca’s West Finish. Visum and its companions suggest eradicating the one‐story business constructing fronting on State Avenue and a two‐story wood-frame home fronting on West Seneca, changing them with a 60,953 SF constructing that’s 4 tales on the again (West Seneca) and 5 tales on the entrance (West State). Plans name for 58 dwelling items reasonably priced to households making 50‐ to 80‐% space median revenue, neighborhood areas, indoor bike parking and 876 sq. ft of retail area fronting State Avenue.
The $30 million venture obtained a significant grant from the state this previous spring. Authorized filings present that “Stately Residences LLC,” doubtless the limited-liability firm by which Visum and its companions will personal the Stately Residences, was arrange in simply the previous few weeks. Plans name for development to begin this fall.
Nevertheless, this brings us to the rationale why it’s earlier than the Planning Board once more – Web site Plan Approval within the metropolis of Ithaca is simply legitimate for 2 years. The venture obtained Web site Plan Approval in August 2021. They’ll’t begin development within the fall if the Web site Plan approval expires a month prior, so right here we’re.
Aspect notice, sure, we’re all conscious that “Stately” sounds extra just like the identify of an annoying cellphone app than a intelligent constructing moniker. If the Planning Board had been to vote with naming as a SEQR affect, half of those initiatives would by no means get approval.
Dialogue of re-approval lasted all of 5 minutes and handed 4-1, with the board’s Daniel Correa opposed, citing the massing and eviction of present tenants for redevelopment. Correa was not on the board when the venture was authorized, and related issues had been expressed on the time, although most members got here round to supporting the venture. Planning Board members aren’t a bloc, they’ll have their very own opinions and votes don’t should be unanimous. Anyway, the Stately Residences has its re-approval and leaves one fewer impediment to its fall development begin.

Ithaca Farmers Market (545 Third Avenue)
With plans for a brand new shiny metal and glass constructing confined to the historical past books primarily resulting from prices, the Ithaca Farmer’s Market is proposing to renovate the prevailing market constructing. The market’s bodily points nonetheless stay and the cheaper renovation plan is meant to handle the largest issues—to permit for year-round commerce and programming, and to reconfigure and pave the prevailing parking space and drive lanes. The renovation plans additionally create outside amenity area for eating and gathering, set up shoreline stabilization options, and make different web site enhancements.
Whereas the wood pavilion from 1989 stays largely intact on this iteration, the venture requires the demolition of most landscaping options, relocation of the Cayuga Waterfront Path, removing of quite a few bushes, and set up of enhanced stormwater infrastructure. The venture is on Metropolis-owned land and requires approvals from Frequent Council, the Particular Joint Committee of the Ithaca Space Water Remedy Plant, NYS DEC, and the Military Corps of Engineers. The venture web site is within the Market District and is topic to Design Evaluate.
Final evening was only a presentation from the Design Workforce, with no votes deliberate. Following a public remark by Ithaca Farmers Market board member Jan Rhodes Norman expressing her help for the plans, Whitham Planning and Design’s Yamila Fournier and Yifei Yan offered the venture to the Planning Board. Part one would be the car parking zone re-do, part two is the shoreline stabilization and landscaping, and part three is the constructing enlargement and renovation.
The presentation centered totally on part one, coping with the chaos that’s the parking scenario on the market. The bus cease has been moved from the authorized 2021 plans, and vendor parking has been moved to between the constructing and permeable pavers (which is a part of the vendor-only visitors circulation). Total although, the customer parking configuration stays largely just like the 2021 plan. There are 371 complete parking areas in 2021 plan, and 362-370 proposed within the 2023 iteration.
In the meantime, the brand new landscaping will use a mixture of stone mud paths, pure turf and pavers, and the brand new constructing may have new heated loos on both finish of the lengthy axis of the constructing. The constructing may also be sprinklered, because the Ithaca Hearth Division has been actively mentioning that the constructing is less than code. Whereas final evening’s presentation usually centered on the parking, the plan is to have all three phases authorized collectively.
“I’m glad that you just’re specializing in the true points like security and entry,” stated the board’s Elisabete Godden. “I believe it is a traditional instance of ‘much less is extra,’ and I’m actually proud of the present proposal.” Her colleague Mitch Glass agreed, saying the most recent model “feels proper.”
“We’ve solely seen a fraction of phases two and three,” Correa cautioned. He appreciated the efforts, however was considerably uncomfortable with the way in which the constructing grew to become closed on the ends, the way it accessed the waterfront path (close to the loos) and with the dearth of a completely winterized facility.
“I believe you’ve gotten some good, helpful suggestions from the board,” commented Board Chair Robert Lewis (for the file, no relation to Mayor Lewis). “I believe persons are actually obsessed with part one…the one factor I’ll say about part one is that it’ll take a whole lot of work to make that fireside lane really feel like a promenade, and I don’t know should you’re there. That’s clearly a problem. As for part two and three, I simply don’t know but.”
Given the uncertainty concerning the later phases, the board pressured that subsequent month ought to concentrate on these. Fournier cautioned that these plans aren’t “totally cooked,” however that they’d have some “enjoyable and thrilling” drawings to share. The venture will make one other go to to the board subsequent month.

Cornell Chabad Middle (102 Willard Approach)
Right here’s one other venture in search of adjustments to the Web site Plan after receiving preliminary approval. The Planning Board granted Web site Plan Approval to the Chabad venture over a yr in the past, in March 2022. The applicant is now proposing adjustments to the authorized plans together with eradicating a lined ground-level parking storage, including on-site parking areas, eradicating an authorized driveway and including a round drive, and small additions to the authorized constructing which is able to happen in phases. Exterior web site enhancements and constructions nonetheless embrace a patio, an elevated courtyard, an entry drive on Lake Avenue, landscaping, and walkways.
It needs to be famous that neighbors aren’t completely happy concerning the proposal. “Whereas we proceed to help the nice work of the applicant, a ten,000 sq. foot assembly facility with no parking on a closely traveled thoroughfare is just too intensive a use for this
constrained web site,” stated neighbor Mark Quinn in an e mail to the Planning Board.
On faucet for final evening was potential approval for the modified Web site Plans. Architect Jason Demarest (Noah Demarest’s brother, who runs his personal agency) offered the adjustments. Chabad will lease parking areas from a Cornell property kitty-corner to theirs to be able to meet parking necessities, in addition to a few areas within the again, and the hope is to interrupt floor on the enlargement subsequent month.
The board was usually glad with the adjustments and the general venture. “I believe it’s going to be an awesome improve,” commented board member Mitch Glass. With an added decision by member Emily Petrina’s suggestion to ban parking from the round drive and denote it with signage, the board went forward with its vote on modified Web site Plan Approval, and handed it unanimously.
“Congratulations, we’re all excited concerning the venture,” stated Lewis.

116 North Meadow Avenue
The Ithaca Voice first broke information of this venture earlier this month. CSD Housing proposes to reuse a vacant lot and demolish two present two-story residential buildings to permit for the development of a brand new 60-unit reasonably priced and built-in supportive housing venture on a consolidated lot. The 5-story constructing, about 87,000 SF in measurement, can be comprised of 60 mixed-income, reasonably priced housing items, 30 of that are proposed supportive service items, all ranging in measurement from studio-, one-, two- and three-bedroom items on the highest 4 flooring and storage parking and different facilities on the primary story. Web site enhancements embrace neighborhood area, bicycle parking, workplaces, 2nd-floor playground terrace, health middle, rooftop terrace, canine park, lounges, and inexperienced partitions on the higher flooring. The venture is within the WEDZ-1a Zoning District and doesn’t require variances.
It’s much-needed reasonably priced housing and it doesn’t want variances, that are two pluses when attempting to get approval from a metropolis with “excessive obstacles to entry” in actual property parlance. Final evening was the Planning Board’s first have a look at the plan, and carried with it a possible vote to Declare Lead Company, which might formally kick off the Environmental Evaluate course of. The prolific venture sherpas from Whitham Planning and Design had been available to speak concerning the proposal with the board, with Yamila Fournier again for spherical two, and Rob Cain of CSD Housing beside her.
Fast facet notice from the offered paperwork, nevertheless it seems like CSD Housing already has a basic contractor tapped for the venture—Christa Building of Rochester. Actually, exterior Whitham and Marathon Engineering’s native workplace, many of the venture group is Rochester-based.
Cain pressured that the selection of location was pushed by entry to providers, and mass transit together with amenable zoning. 5 parcels can be consolidated to construct the venture, and the constructing can be raised three ft up on its footprint given flood plain issues. Coated ground-level parking can be accessible from West Seneca Avenue and from Route 13/North Meadow Avenue, and the constructing is pulled again a bit of from Route 13 with a buffer of greenery so that individuals don’t really feel they’re residing on high of its visitors. The constructing will use a mixture of brick, fiber cement and metallic panels, and its entrance entrance is recessed from the road nook.
“There are such a lot of thrilling issues about this venture. It’s all reasonably priced, it’s an awesome venture in an awesome spot. I wasn’t tremendous excited by the elevations, however I’m jazzed by the renderings,” stated Petrina.
She appreciated the trouble to interrupt up the constructing’s mass, although cautioned towards attempting too onerous to make it seem like a bunch of various buildings, and the venture group famous the colour palette was an effort to maintain consistency. Petrina’s colleague Godden additionally appreciated the trouble to interrupt down the massing.
Usually, the board gave the venture a heat reception. Members had been favorable to the situation and the trouble to offer reasonably priced and supportive housing. Some members, like Mitch Glass, discovered the design “overbaked” with an excessive amount of of a mixture of type themes, and Correa beneficial it complemented the brick of the West Finish Iron Works residences close by. Planning Director Lisa Nicholas recommended extra greenery on the rooftop terraces. However the architectural issues had been small potatoes in comparison with their help for the proposal general, they felt the problems might be labored out with some cooperative effort.
“I want it had been rather less grey,” commented Chair Lewis. “A pop of colour would actually allow you to, particularly should you’re attempting to determine methods to activate this entrance and make it extra [of] a factor. However nice program.”
The board handed its Declaration of Lead Company unanimously, and can start with Environmental Evaluate subsequent month.

Signal Evaluate
If you happen to’ve learn sufficient of those writeups, you realize that the Ithaca Planning Board could be very, very choosy about signage. I believe these large interstate quick meals and gasoline indicators hang-out their desires. Anyway, as a part of the Web site Plan Approval stipulations for the Squeaky Clear Automobile Wash underneath development at 501-507 South Meadow Avenue, the signage package deal must be authorized by the Planning Board. There are 4 indicators—”A,” a 50 square-foot pylon signal on the nook, “B,” 27 square-foot menu signal, “C,” a 50 square-foot wall signal, and “D,” a 32 square-foot wall signal. A number of smaller indicators for enter and exit (“E”), and different non-advertising signage are additionally proposed, in addition to a couple of window posters to promote specials.
True to type, this signage package deal made up the only most time-consuming merchandise of final evening’s agenda, about forty minutes.
“I believe there’s an excessive amount of signage, and I’ll let you know why,” stated Correa. “It’s so near a residential neighborhood that I believe you might have an extreme quantity of signage, particularly signal “C.” You’ve got home windows promoting an energetic, reside automotive wash. A few of these indicators are overkill. I promise you, you might have a tremendous web site that won’t be missed.”
“Your location is your signal. Nobody’s going to mistake that constructing for anything however a automotive wash,” added Godden. She discovered Signal “D” extreme. The board additionally needed dimmed indicators for the night and any illumination shut off after shut.
Lengthy story quick, nobody needed all of the indicators. The pylon signal “A,” which had a comfortable LED-lit pole, was a veritable lightning rod for board members’ criticism. They needed that soft-lit pole darkish after hours.
“It’s an excessive amount of,” stated Chair Lewis. “There’s a consensus on this room that it’s an excessive amount of.”
The assembly obtained a bit testy at factors. It by no means ceases to amaze that enormous buildings stir much less emotion from this board than wall indicators. Ultimately, the signage package deal was amended, to ban LED lighting on the pole for pylon signal “A,” to cut back “C” from 50 sq. ft to 32 sq. ft, to delete signal “D,” rework the visitors signage to Planning workers satisfaction, and mandate that every one signal lighting be shut off by 9 p.m. With that, the signal package deal handed unanimously 5-0.

Board of Zoning Appeals Suggestions
There have been three submissions for potential consideration this month as they head ahead to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) in July—a telecommunications tower on the West Finish, and two space variances for houses in Southside and Fall Creek respectively.
The telecommunication towers at all times get boilerplate “sees no long-term planning points” language—they solely obtained evaluate as a result of that was the Frequent Council’s response to the 5G wi-fi controversy.
As for the realm variances, the householders of 605 South Albany Avenue need to renovate their present storage to make a 540 square-foot accent dwelling unit. The board was supportive of the concept, however after variations between the Planning Board and BZA previously, they’re at all times cautious about expressing help in a approach that the Board of Zoning Appeals would truly consider. They crafted the renovation being low affect to the neighborhood, improved look, and being aligned with the targets of metropolis Complete Plan. As for 409 Willow Avenue, the householders needed to broaden their rear deck, which exacerbated lot line setbacks. The board usually helps owner-occupied investments and noticed no long-term impacts with the BZA granting a variance.
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