Village of Lansing
Planning Board Meeting
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 Phil Dankert, Carol Klepack, and Maria
Stycos; Village Attorney David Dubow; Trustee Liaison Lynn Leopold; and Code
Enforcement Officer Ben Curtis.
Hickey
opened the Public Comment period.
As there was no one present who wished to speak, Stycos moved to close the Public Comment Period. Seconded by Dankert. Ayes by Dankert, Hickey, Klepack, and Stycos. Motion carried.
Special Permit No. 2237 – 8
Brentwood Dr. Addition – Public Hearing continuation:
The next item on the agenda was a continuation of the Public Hearing for Special Permit No. 2237, Integrated Acquisition and Development to construct a 2000 sf addition on the existing medical office building at 8 Brentwood Drive in the Human Health Services District, Tax Parcel No. 45.1-1-57.6.
Hickey stated the Board needs to first address the County 239 Review which was received by the Village. Dubow stated the County Planning Department has reviewed the project. The Village normally gets a response within 30 days. If the County makes a negative determination, the Board can override it with a majority plus one vote. The County has responded that a variance is required because the addition is too close to a lot line. Dubow stated the County may not be aware the lines shown on the plan are tax parcel lines and not lot lines in the sense of individual subdivided parcels. They also may be unaware that the Village views this arrangement as a campus with multiple buildings on a single commercial parcel. The County is now requesting to see the variance application as well as the Special Permit application for the project. Dubow stated the letter from the County is non-responsive, but the Board could probably approve the project anyway with a three plus one majority. The County has not run out the clock on the thirty days they have to respond to the original referral.
Curtis has spoken with the County both before and after this letter was written, and explained the situation. The Board can wait until the 30 days and see if they County sends a real response, and, if not, then the Board can act. Hickey recommended this sit until the meeting of November 27th upon which time the 30 days will have elapsed.
Stycos moved to re-adjourn this Public Hearing until Nov. 27th. Seconded by Klepack. Ayes by Dankert, Hickey, Klepack and Stycos. Motion carried.
Regarding stormwater drainage, the Board has received communication from TG Millers Engineer David Herrick that no further stormwater management is required as the present infrastructure can handle it. Cross will review this and make his comments.
Cayuga Medical Associates,
New Building:
Hickey stated the next item is for the Cayuga Medical Associates new building. This is an initial discussion. No action is required tonight.
Herman
Sieverding from Integrated Acquisition & Development, gave a quick
presentation. Following the Board of
Trustees’ recent vote to re-zone a parcel at the southeast corner of the
intersection of Rt. 13 and Warren Road from Business and Technology to Human
Health Services, Integrated is making a concept plan for the 9.4 acre parcel. Architect
Scott Powell and TG Miller Engineer David Herrick have been assisting with
development of the concept plan. The
site is laid out with the 17000 sf Cayuga Medical Associates building located
on the corner of the lot nearest Route 13 and Warren Road. The building and parking constitutes about
5.1 acres of the 9.4 acre lot. The
access to the site is from Brentwood Drive and there will be a new driveway to
a 92 space parking lot for patients and staff.
The parking is located on the east and southern side of the
building. There will be a turnaround
drop-off area in the front. There will
be lighting along the driveway and the parking area as well as bollards in the
front. The driveway will also be
extended towards the Convenient Care building providing access to Arrowwood
Drive. There will be sidewalks to
connect to the parking lots and to Convenient Care.
Hickey
asked how this building fits into the scheme of the three building master plan the Board previously reviewed. Sieverding responded that this building is
slightly bigger than originally presented, but is in the same location. The parking would be expanded as the other
buildings are built. Hickey suggested
there could be a fitness trail for the employees in this area. This has been discussed and showers are
proposed within the buildings.
Klepack
expressed concerns about there only being one access from Warren Road into this
large and growing medical complex.
Sieverding responded that a second entrance from Sapsucker Woods and
Brown Road was not feasible, nor was it likely access could be provided from
Route 13. In the long run, the plan has
been to connect the road system in the complex to the residential development
to the south, but that would not be for some time. Sieverding did state that
the Warren Road entrance to the health complex is 3 lanes wide and there is a
traffic light at Warren Road. A helicopter pad would not be appropriate as this
is not an emergency facility. Seiverding suggested it might be feasible to
build an emergency access road from Warren Road to where the new building was being
proposed. Hickey stated that originally during the tenure of John Majeroni at
Cornell Real Estate, the main road, Arrowwood Drive, was proposed to extend
east to a north/south connection to the residential area to the south for a
second means of egress. The Planning
Board might need to discuss this further and speak with Cornell Real Estate’s
interim director Tom LiVigne or the newly hired permanent director. Sieverding agreed to discuss this with
Cornell. Hickey noted there an unpaved
entrance onto Route 13 was recently installed further east near the lights for
the airport runway and there did not seem to be much controversy. Dubow stated this will go to the County for a
239 Review and they may also be concerned about a second means of egress.
Sieverding
stated the stormwater management system is similar to other proposals and will
not be underground as that is too costly.
There will be a water quality detention pond on the west side of the
lot. Long-term retention would be an
expansion on the pond on the east side.
Sieverding stated there would not be open ditches.
Hickey
stated the Board has received comments in the past that it is difficult to
locate specific buildings within the complex.
Sieverding stated this has been addressed and there are large numbers on
each building as well as signs near each building. Klepack stated for a vehicle entering from
the south off of Warren Road it is difficult to to see the entrance sign.
Hickey
asked about green roofs. Tom Colbert,
one of the owners of Integrated Acquisition, responded that the roofs would be
a white reflective surface which would keep the building much cooler.
There
will be a Public Hearing scheduled for November 27th as well as the
SEQRA review. Curtis will deliver the
proposal to the County for their 239 Review.
Pyramid Mall (Shops at
Ithaca Mall) Expansion Amendment:
Hickey
stated the next item on the agenda was a discussion for the Pyramid Mall (Shops
at Ithaca Mall) expansion. Again, no
action is required by the Board.
Managing
Director Eric Goetzmann stated the last time he came before this Board it was
for the new stadium seating theater.
This new proposal is for additional retail, but is not another huge box
store. The concept is to add additional
retail to the southeast corner of the mall as well as adding two smaller buildings with retail on the first floor and
apartments on the second.
Klepack
asked about the new concept. Goetzmann
stated the goal is to meet the demands of the stores as well as the
shoppers. Klepack asked about common
area in the new proposed outbuilding.
Goetzmann stated the new retail would be smaller shops that open
directly to the outside.
Stycos
asked about the types of stores for this addition. Goetzmann responded that they would be
upscale, boutiques and primarily clothing.
Goetzmann stated the retail would be from a few thousand sf to 5000 sf.
each for a total request of 71,000 sf.
There would be a walkway between the two outer buildings but the second
floor would be continuous. Goetzmann
stated this concept of retail below and apartments above is being developed in
other areas of the country as well.
Dankert asked about parking for the apartments. Goetzmann stated some spaces would be
reserved for them. Hickey asked if the
mall has the capabilities of assessing the impact of traffic. Goetzmann responded that engineers have
previously based the traffic studies on a buildout of the entire mall to
750,000 sf. gross leasable area (GLA) . Since then, N. Triphammer Road has been
improved to 7 lanes at the bridge, an improvement not factored into the
original traffic impact analysis.
Additionally, the mall has 70,000 sf of walkways and common areas which are
not part of the GLA and do not generate
traffic per se..
Hickey
asked about the second floor of the outbuildings. Goetzmann responded it would be for apartments
because the commercial tenants would like apartments above them. Board members were in agreement with this
concept. Klepack asked if it could be
utilized for offices. Goetzmann stated
this has been reviewed but the apartments seem to be the preference.
Hickey
asked about the time schedule. Goetzmann
responded that they would like to start construction in two months.
Stycos
asked about the residential homes in Shannon Park to the west of the proposed
buildings. Hickey stated additional
landscaping would be required. Curtis
reminded the applicant that the building has to be at least 150 ft. from the
property line. Hickey stated that there
are still 70 trees being held in reserve by the Mall to be planted where the
Planning Board thought the benefit would be greatest. Hickey stated he and the Board would like to
see a landscaping plan.
Goetzmann
stated that he needed the Board to approve a basic plan in concept and then
construction drawings could begin.
Curtis asked about the stormwater management. Goetzmann responded that there will be 1/3 of
an acre of additional impervious surface and the infrastructure to manage the
stormwater from this, such as the detention pond and swales, are currently in
place. Curtis stated the applicant would
need to apply for a building permit to construct these buildings. Then the Planning Board would need to review
and approve an amendment to the original Special Permit approval, including a
review of the environmnetal assesment with regard to any changes. Goetzmann
asked if a letter from their engineer that the original stormwater calculations
confirm that the existing stormwater practices would be sufficient for the
proposed development . Dubow noted that
Cross would review the calculations.
Hickey
stated the next meeting is November 27th and the County will need to
provide a 239 Review before the Board can act.
The Public Hearing can be scheduled for December 10th or
possibly in January after the review is received from the County. Dubow recommended that the package of
application materials be given to Curtis as soon as possible so that he can
deliver it to the County, and then the County review might possibly be done by
December 10th.
Dubow stated residential is not permitted in High Traffic Commercial so a zoning change would be required to permit the apartments. Hickey recommended extending “Mixed Use” to the Commercial High Traffic District.
Other Business as Time
Permits:
Hickey stated the packets included an article provided by Curtis on main streets once again becoming a major focus of development activity. Hickey stated he thought maybe Commercial Low Traffic regulations could require shops with sidewalks and walking paths. Hickey stated that he then reviewed the Zoning Map and realized there are only three properties of Commercial Low Traffic remaining in the Village. The areas include the area owned by Pyramid along Oakcrest Road, the area owned by Butler in front of the YMCA, and the area owned by Horowitz which is on the northwest corner of N. Triphammer and Oakcrest Road and goes behind Crystal’s Spa. Curtis stated there could also be rebuilds. Hickey suggested taking a survey on the web page asking residents to comment on future commercial development along N. Triphammer Road. Lansing Star Editor Dan Veaner recommended anther possibility would be to send a postcard to alert the residents and ask them to respond on the internet.
Stycos moved to adjourn at 8:50 P.M. Seconded by Klepack. Ayes by Dankert, Hickey, Klepack and Stycos. Motion carried.