Questions marked with two asterisks were sourced or paraphrased from Planning and Development Board members at the 3/23/2022 meeting. Questions marked with one asterisk were obtained from public comments read aloud at the same meeting, albeit for a neighboring project with similar environmental concerns. Please note that these answers reflect the positions of the project team, but that City of Ithaca staff will produce its own analysis as well, and the Planning Board will issue the ultimate approval decisions.

Questions are organized into the following categories:

• Procedural

• Design and Landscape

• Transportation

• Environmental

• The Smokestack

We have also prepared an image- and timeline-rich background presentation to familiarize members of the public with the site.

Last updated 5/24/2022

Procedural

• What is the anticipated planning/application/SEQR process timeline?*

  • We anticipate that the City will declare itself the lead review agency in late April 2022, followed by a few months of design review and site plan review. The project team is hoping for project approvals in summer 2022.

• What opportunities are there for neighbors and stakeholders to communicate with the City and project team?*

  • This project will appear on Planning and Development Board agendas. PDB meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The project is likely to appear, then, on:

    • April 26, 2022

    • May 24, 2022

    • June 28, 2022

    • July 26, 2022

    • August 23, 2022

  • The project will also go before the Planning Board’s Project Review Committee (every second Friday morning) and the Board of Zoning Appeals at some point in the process.

  • Neighbors and other stakeholders are encouraged and welcome to contact the project manager, Patrick Braga (patrick@visumdevelopment.com or 607-269-7300 ext 1)

• Is there a record of decision-making to go with this project?**

  • Yes. Members of the public can access project materials, planning board agendas, and recorded meeting videos on the City of Ithaca website and YouTube.

• What are this project’s zoning district and comprehensive plan designation?

  • The land is zoned R-3a “Residential” and permits up to 77 units, with 1 parking space per unit, 4 stories above grade, and covering no more than 35% of the parcel.

  • The comprehensive plan’s future land use designation for the site is Medium-Density Residential. The stated purpose is “Medium-density residential areas acknowledge existing residential development within the city that averages between 10 and 20 dwelling units per acre. Usually made up on single-lot one- and two-family homes, these areas also contain a diverse mix of apartment buildings and complexes. Many of these areas are within walking distance to Urban Mixed-Use areas. No significant changes to the character of medium-density residential areas are proposed; however, it is desirable to continue to provide a variety of housing types in these areas and there are opportunities for infill development on vacant or underutilized sites. Such development should be sensitive to the character and setting of the existing neighborhood.”

  • Please note that the comprehensive plan states that the “average existing density is approximately 10-20 dwelling units per acre” (emphasis added), but the zoning code implements densities around 55 units per acre by right. Taken together, though, this balances out with the lower-density zones that comprise the rest of this future land use area, mostly in the downtown “flats” neighborhoods.  Standard urban planning practice has it that the adopted zoning regulations supersede a comprehensive plan in a “zoning enclave” situation where the adopted zoning law differs from an advisory comprehensive plan. (In some states, such as Florida, municipalities are required to ensure that zoning laws are updated after the adoption of a comprehensive plan; in New York, there is no requirement for a comprehensive plan, so that they become advisory rather than binding). The “Gun Shop Hill”/Lake St neighborhood is already an established multifamily- and rental-oriented district of Ithaca, and the Breeze Apartments continues this prevailing pattern of the neighborhood.

• Will this project require a zoning variance?

  • Yes, we will pursue variances to encompass:

    • a rear setback (the building will still be very far from the gorge edge and will not impact the gorge ecosystem)

    • having one primary loading space rather than the four spaces required by the zoning code

    • and building height (we are still going to be at 4 stories, but we’re capped at 40' feet, which is very difficult to achieve with contemporary building practices and standard dimensions. Plus, because of the super steep grade, height as measured from average grade plane will be numerically larger, but the building will still read as 4 stories plus an underground parking garage).

Design and Landscape

• Is this student housing?

  • No, we are not designing this project as student housing. Rather, Breeze Apartments is a market-rate rental project open to current and incoming Ithacans at all life stages. We anticipate attracting young local professionals, childless couples, couples with one or two children, remote workers, empty-nesters, older adults, households with pets. The site’s distance from the Cornell campus and downhill location (unlike Auden, we are not providing a shuttle to any campus) will make it less appealing to Cornell students, and the availability of parking will appeal to more permanent residents. Comparable intergenerational, rental, market-rate projects in Ithaca are City Centre, Harold’s Square, Cityview, Cayuga Green, and (under construction, but similar concept) Ironworks. Residents of these buildings include retirees, scholars and academics, staff members at the local colleges, as well as students who want to live a more integrated, community-oriented life in Ithaca. 

• What is the Breeze’s relative elevation to its neighbors and to the neighborhoods downhill? What will the project look like from downhill?**

  • The Breeze will likely not be very visible from immediately downhill because our immediate neighbors to the west/downhill are building another four-story apartment project, which will likely block views of the Breeze. There is a chance that the Breeze will be visible from afar: its darker colors and wood-toned balconies will obfuscate views of the building from afar, with only the white accents likely to be more visible. We are deliberately pursuing an elegant and consistent-looking façade to prevent creating a design that feels haphazard or aberrant.

  • Our viewshed study is available in our site background presentation.

• The project is proposing using EIFS for a portion of the façade, but EIFS has met a lot of planning board resistance in the past. The board often hears the comment that “it’s not your grandfather’s EIFS,” but the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate that it is a high-quality material. What are the benefits of EIFS?**

  • The Planning and Development Board has already approved Visum using EIFS on other hillside projects – most notably, the Outlook Apartments on parts of the façade that would only be visible from the side or the interior of the site. Modern EIFS has several benefits with energy efficiency, durability, impact resistance, and moisture control, and they can be used as part of anti-mosture rainscreen systems for building envelopes. You can read more about EIFS benefits here and here.

• We’re used to this being a vacant site, but not that long ago there was a factory on the site. So it would be important for the board to have a whole history and presentation about the site and the past cleanups on the site.**

  • We agree. We’ve prepared this image- and timeline-rich presentation to communicate the site’s land use and cleanup history.

• For landscape, think about the building’s context on the hill and how it will respond to the landscape, and what the building’s inside-outside relationship will be like, especially with the public access on the site and bridge over to the “Island.”**

  • Definitely – we have landscape architects on the design team, and they will closely consider where plantings will accentuate and enhance the outdoor experience on the site.

• Will this project change the surrounding and environment and scenery of Ithaca Falls? Will the Falls become overcrowded or overused?*

  • The building is substantially set back and will not be visible from the Ithaca Falls natural area. We do not believe that the Falls will become overcrowded or overused as a result of this project; the parcel is zoned for 77 units, so the increase in residents nearby is consistent with the City’s zoning implementation of its comprehensive plan. In fact, access to the Island will give visitors a new opportunity to enjoy the Falls without having to go down into the natural area, and 2 ADA-accessible parking spaces will be reserved on the site for public use.

• Is this project in keeping with neighborhood character? What will be the impact of this building on the peacefulness of adjacent neighborhoods?

  • Yes. From a SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) perspective: the state-provided SEQR  handbook makes it clear that projects that follow adopted zoning codes and comprehensive plans are considered in keeping with neighborhood character. The R-3a zoning implements a plan vision for 4-story apartment buildings with 35% lot coverage and one parking space per unit, which is consistent with the 2015 Plan Ithaca comprehensive plan’s future land use map designation of “medium density residential.” The new building will not exceed the height of the former factory prior to demolition, and the new building will be more beautiful and engaging than the previous factory on the site was. More tangibly, the “Gun Shop Hill”/Lake St neighborhood is already an established multifamily- and rental-oriented district of Ithaca. Immediately across the street is the Auden (formerly Gun Hill) apartment complex, and just uphill on Willard Way Loop are fraternity houses, renter-occupied houses, religious facilities, and seasonally owner-occupied houses. The Ravenwood rental townhouses are located at the Lake and University intersection, where the Route 10 bus runs. This site is sufficiently removed from the Fall Creek neighborhood so that development of the Breeze will not have a direct impact (negative or otherwise) on the character (i.e. prevailing physical patterns, socioeconomic characteristics, and socio-behavioral/cultural patterns) of the Fall Creek neighborhood.

• Will this project lower homeowner-occupied property values in Fall Creek?

  • We see no reason to believe why this would be the case. For-sale, owner-occupied housing in Ithaca has experienced a shortage for several years, with properties sitting on the market for very little time, especially in near-downtown locations such as Fall Creek. This new market-rate rental project uphill, far from many homeowner-occupied homes, and is targeting households who prefer a no-hassle rental experience. For-sale houses in Ithaca will more than likely continue to have sustained and increasing property values regardless of the construction of the Breeze.

Transportation

• Because a lot of people increasingly rely on food delivery, will there be a dedicated drop-off or pick-up point for deliveries?

  • Yes. We are proposing one loading/delivery parking space near one of the building entries facing the parking lot.

• What will be the impact of this project on traffic on Lake St and also neighboring intersections (Lincoln St and University Ave)?

  • This is a good question, and we are anticipating commissioning a traffic study. However, we are building within the city’s planned residential density (77 units on this site), so our understanding is that this project’s contribution of new residents is aligned with the city’s goals of promoting infill development on central locations in the city.

• Will there be a shuttle to Cornell?**

  • No. Because this is a market-rate project and not planned as student housing, we are anticipating that residents will likely own their own cars. We are providing  parking at a ratio of one space per unit. Residents who might work or study at Cornell can take the Route 10 bus uphill; the closest bus stop is a short walk uphill at the intersection of Lake and University. The same bus route also provides a direct connection to downtown Ithaca.

• Will bus routes be added to serve this project? Will a crosswalk be painted on Lake St? If so, where?*

  • We know that TCAT’s route planners are aware of this and other projects aimed at increasing density on Lake St, and a TCAT staff member has submitted a comment about route planning to the City for a nearby project. It sounds like TCAT would be open to adding service to the Lake St corridor, but the agency has not made firm commitments about this. The Route 10 bus has a stop just a short walk away at the intersection of Lake St and University Ave, though. If a crosswalk is painted, this would probably happen in conjunction with a new bus stop.

• Will parking be used on site? How can we avoid on-street parking in Fall Creek?*

  • This building is substantially uphill from Fall Creek, so we do not anticipate spillover street parking demand in the Fall Creek neighborhood

• This is a steep hillside on a narrow road. How will we address left/northbound turns onto the site?

  • Left turns leaving the site will have sufficient visibility both up and down the hill on Lake St. For left turns into the site, we are open to considering additional signage to warn downhill drivers of potential turning movements into the Breeze site.

• Will any roads be closed during construction?*

  • We would like to avoid closing Lake St as much as possible, but it is still fairly early in the project, so we have not yet drawn a construction staging plan. If it’s any reassurance, the majority of the work will occur deep into the site.

Environmental

• Is this a Superfund site?

  • No. Former Mayor Svante Myrick requested the EPA to consider this designation, but the site did not meet the EPA’s federal thresholds. Rather, the site is in the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program.

• What is the extent of contamination on the site?

  • Please see the Summary of Contamination on our Brownfield Cleanup Program webpage on this site.

• What were the environmental conversations in the previous development proposals?**

  • This site has been in the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) since 2013. Please see the Brownfield Cleanup Program webpage on this site for a comprehensive list of environmental documents and their contents.

• What exactly is involved in the environmental remediation underway?**

  • This is detailed in the Remedial Action Work Plan.

• Question received during first PDB meeting: “Since this is a remediation area, have you thought about just starting out with a positive [SEQR] declaration?**

  • A “positive SEQR declaration” means that a project poses high risk of adverse environmental impacts, and therefore warrants a months-long Environmental Impact Study. However, the brownfield cleanup will have a measurably beneficial environmental impact, while the project team holds that the residential component of the project meets the intent of adopted land use legislation and is in keeping with neighborhood character.  Therefore, in response to this question (received from a Planning Board member) – no, the project team will not request starting out with a positive SEQR declaration. Note that the State DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) does not require a separate SEQR review for brownfield cleanup projects, and environmental documentation is already extensive and thorough as part of the brownfield program.

  • We also recognize that, ultimately, the Planning Board will be responsible for deciding whether a positive or negative declaration is the appropriate resolution. Nonetheless, the project team’s position remains: we believe that a positive declaration would not be the right policy tool to apply to the Breeze, since abundant environmental documentation has already been produced for the site, and because the project is not posing a significant adverse environmental impact, but rather a markedly beneficial one.

• Will vegetation be removed?

  • This is a fairly arid side without much vegetation. The primary vegetation is young black locusts which have grown since the factory was demolished. One staff member from the NYS DOA who visited the site colloquially characterized these as “weed species.” We are working actively with a professional landscape architecture team at SWBR to create a lush and beautiful year-round landscape experience.

• What will be the impact on stormwater flow?

  • A stormwater management plan will be designed alongside the building. Those details will be shared with the planning board and the public as they become available.

• What will be the impact on wildlife?

  • The project team has seen deer on the site, but it is anticipated that the project will make this area less suitable for deer to traverse, similarly to the pre-demolition factory. Rather, we are anticipating that the landscape treatments will increase habitat opportunities for birds, small mammals, and pollinators beyond the barren and contaminated landscape that is present on the site now. Overall, any impacts on wildlife are expected to be positive.

• What will be this project’s impact on noise?

  • Construction will have its inevitable noises, but the project team will adhere to City of Ithaca rules for construction days and times to prevent construction noise discomfort outside work hours. Once the project is built, we don’t expect an adverse impact on noise on neighboring properties. The building is sufficiently uphill from Fall Creek so that any noise emitted by residents will likely only be heard by close-by neighbors. Because the building is set quite far back from the gorge edge, we also don’t expect any noise impact on the Falls itself. To ascertain noise impact from access to the Island, the Willard Way Loop Park offers a suitable comparison: as a general rule, that park is pretty quiet and many sounds are masked by the roar of Ithaca Falls. Because this building is a market-rate project open to and targeting non-students, the presence of non-student households will naturally reduce the chances of unreasonable nighttime noise.

• What will be this project’s impact on light onto neighboring properties?

  • Granted, any new housing will add some light from the interior of units. However, because of the amount of balconies on the façade, some interior lighting will be mitigated and obfuscated by the added façade depth. For exterior lighting, we are open to selecting fixtures that direct light downward rather than scattering it needlessly above.

• What will be the impact on the City’s water supply?

  • Because of the site’s history of contamination, the building will not be allowed to connect to groundwater; instead, it will connect into the municipal water/sewer system. The number of units we are proposing is consistent with the site’s zoning, so we don’t see any unusual reason to expect that the addition of this one project will overburden the City’s system. We are assuming that the City’s legally adopted land use rules are not in conflict with utility capacity.

The Smokestack

• What will happen to the smokestack?

  • Ideally, we’d like to preserve the smokestack, and there is a chance that the smokestack could become public property owned by the City of Ithaca. However, depending on rehabilitation costs, there’s a chance it could be demolished. Under a 2007  development agreement with the City of Ithaca, the developer is required to offer the City to participate 50/50 in a structural inspection of the smokestack, and after receiving results, the City could choose to purchase the stack for $1 and reimburse Visum for rehabilitation costs. If the City declines either to pay for half of the inspection or to acquire the smokestack, then Visum will have to decide how to proceed largely based on rehabilitation vs demolition costs. If you have any ideas on how to crowdsource funding to preserve or rehabilitate the smokestack, please contact us!