|
Home>Community Planning
 Community Planning
Strong communities come in many different packages. Some can be found in clusters of houses in rural areas, others in busy urban neighborhoods, and still others in suburban subdivisions. Common characteristics of strong communities are friendly relationships between neighbors, satisfaction with the quality of the built environment, and a feeling that residents can live a safe and healthy life.
The Tompkins County Planning Department is currently actively involved in several projects addressing community planning.
County Development Focus Area Strategy
The County Planning Department is developing a strategy for Development Focus Areas. The Development Focus Area Strategy will present an analysis of established Development Focus Areas (the urban center, the villages, and rural hamlets) and assess emerging Development Focus Areas, those places where private investment in housing, jobs and services and public investment in transportation and infrastructure have already provided the basis for additional development.
Summary of Development Focus Areas
A Public Discussion was held in June 2010 to engage the community in the process.
Development Focus Area Strategy Presentation (Slides with Speaker’s Notes)
Development Focus Area Strategy Presentation (Slides Only)
Comments from the June 2010 Public Meeting
Comments are welcome until September 1, 2010. Please contact us at planning@tompkins-co.org or call 607.274.5560 with questions and comments.
Planning Department Assists Trumansburg with Zoning
The Village of Trumansburg contracted with the Tompkins County Planning Department to assist in the preparation of their Zoning Ordinance.
The Zoning Ordinance is being updated for three primary reasons. First, the Village of Trumansburg has recently updated its Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance is being updated to implement the new Comprehensive Plan. Second, the Village recently annexed a large area to the northwest of the village and zoning regulations need to be established for that area. And, third, the last time the Zoning Ordinance was revised in a comprehensive manner was 1971, and the ordinance needs to reflect changes since that time.
The staff of the Planning Department has been working with a committee of the Village to prepare a revised zoning ordinance and a draft is complete. Some of the major changes in the ordinance include establishing zoning regulations for property that has been newly annexed by the Village, including a mix of residential and commercial districts; expanding the number of zoning districts from three (Residential, Commercial and Industrial) to nine (three residential districts, three commercial districts, two mixed use districts, and an industrial district); and incorporating several other local ordinances into the draft (including the sign ordinance, site plan review, telecommunications tower ordinance, and manufactured home park ordinance).
The Village is soliciting comments on the draft ordinance through January 2010. You may pick up a copy of the proposed ordinance at the Village Hall or download a copy of the proposed ordinance.
 Trumansburg Proposed Zoning Ordinance
Ludlowville Stormwater Control Project
Ludlowville, located in northeastern Tompkins County, has experienced repeated, localized flooding associated in large storm events. Area property owners are concerned about increased flood events associated with stormwater. There is a need for a specialized study of the area’s hydrology and the development of an engineered system to assist in reducing the damage associated with these stormwater events. The Ludlowville Stormwater Control Project will be implemented in three distinct and consecutive phases over the course of approximately three years. Phase I includes the Project Feasibility Study, Phase II: Design Implementation and Phase III: Project Construction.
Walkability Studies
The Tompkins County Planning Department was awarded a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to conduct pilot projects to study the walkability of two local communities. The case studies, in the Village of Trumansburg and the Northeast area of the Town of Ithaca and the Village of Cayuga Heights, provide specific recommendations to improve and enhance pedestrian access to important destinations, such as schools, shopping, employment, and health centers. The Final Report was published on September 24, 2007.
Final Report (pdf 26mb )
Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan
To facilitate effective emergency planning and response, emergency management efforts are commonly divided into four over-lapping program areas that include: (1) emergency preparedness, (2) emergency response, (3) recovery, and (4) hazard mitigation. Though the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response leads the County’s emergency management efforts, the Tompkins County Planning Department facilitates hazard mitigation projects and planning activities throughout Tompkins County. These activities are intended to help minimize damages associated with natural hazards and emergency events that occur in the future.
In partnership with the Towns of Caroline, Danby, Enfield, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, and Ulysses, Tompkins County completed the Tompkins County Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan, which provides detailed information about the greatest hazards of concern for Tompkins County residents and strategies to address these hazards. The Towns of Newfield and Dryden and the City of Ithaca are developing or have developed hazard mitigation plans independently; and once all hazard mitigation plans are complete, the County, City, and Towns will work to coordinate the implementation of their Hazard Mitigation Plans.
Scenic Byway
The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway surrounds Cayuga Lake and features scenic views of Cayuga Lake and its shores, rural and woodland landscapes, and numerous recreational, natural, tourist, and cultural attractions. The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway offers travelers an opportunity to observe the glacial-formed Cayuga Lake, visit local wineries and farms, explore the region’s villages and hamlets, and utilize Cayuga Lake’s extensive recreational resources. The 87-mile Scenic Byway traverses three counties: Tompkins, Cayuga and Seneca, and follows several state routes: Route 89, Route 34, Route 34B, Route 90, and Routes 5/20. Visit www.cayugalake.com
New York State General Municipal Law (Article 12-B, § 239-l, m, and n)
NYS law requires that local communities refer certain development applications, proposed zoning changes, and comprehensive plans to the Tompkins County Planning Department for review, comment, and recommendations before taking final action. The purpose of this law is to encourage local decision-makers to consider the inter-community and countywide impacts of local land use changes and to add a regional perspective to local land use decisions. The process also allows communities without the benefit of professional planning staff to take advantage of the planning expertise at the County level and helps the County Planning Department follow development trends throughout the County.
 Review Criteria.doc (22 kb)
|
