Agriculture/Planning/Environmental Committee
April 6, 7:30 am
DRAFT MINUTES
Members: Danny Ross, Chairman; Merwin Armstrong, Vice Chairman; Kay Breed, Tom Hartnett, John Steger, John Troy and Carol Tytler
Others Present: Marilyn Brown, Chairman of the Legislature; Scott Schrader, County Administrator; Richard Van Donsel, County Attorney; Katrina Spicer, Secretary to County Administration; Dan Dineen, Director of Planning Department; Amanda Barber, Soil & Water Conservation; Linda Hartsock; BDC/IDA; Jeremy Boylan, Cortland Standard; Eric Mulvihill
Absent:
Mr. Ross called the meeting to order at 7:39 a.m.
Mr. Troy moved adoption of the minutes of the March 9, 2006 meeting;
seconded by Ms. Tytler. All members
voting in favor, minutes approved as printed.
RESOLUTIONS:
1.
Convey a Right of Way to Lime Hollow
Nature Center – Ms. Tytler moved adoption; seconded by Mr. Troy. Mr. Van Donsel explained that this is to extend a clearance
to assist in grant/funding. All
members present voting in favor; none opposed; resolution approved.
2.
Authorize Agreement – Cortland County
and Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board
– Ms. Tytler moved adoption; seconded by Mr. Hartnett.
Mr. Dineen explained that STERP Development Board.
He further explained that in past funding Cortland County received $11
for every $1 paid and it was used for BOCES, Cortland Hospital and J. M. Murray
Center. He further explained that the next meeting is April 13.
Chairman Brown inquired about any increase in funding.
Mr. Ross explained that there is no increase it is the same amount.
All members present voting in
favor; none opposed; resolution approved.
3.
Authorize Agreement for Construction of
Fence on County Property - Cortland County and Gutchess Lumber, Inc.–
Mr. Troy moved adoption; seconded
by Mr. Steger. Mr. Dineen
distributed maps related to the area being discussed.
He further discussed that this is an old Railroad Right of Way to run a
fence, which will block off an area parallel to the fence. Mr. Dineen further discussed that this is a linear park used
primarily for walking and it is not large.
He further added that it is in the contract to keep this area
non-developed. All members present voting in favor; none opposed; resolution approved.
DISCUSSIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
1.
Brief update from Linda Hartsock, BDC regarding Build Now New York –
Ms. Hartsock distributed and discussed the following documents:
LEGISLATIVE
BRIEFING
Finger
Lakes East – Build Now NY Business Park
Quick
Q&A’s by the Cortland County IDA
Cortland's
Build Now-NY site was one of 26 sites in New York State to receive matching
grants under the second round of New York State's Build Now-NY program.
The project, which is called Finger Lakes East Business Park, includes
260 acres, comprised of three existing parcels located on Route 13 surrounding
Monarch Machine Tool in the Town of Cortlandville.
Monarch’s 40-acre site is also included, making the project
approximately 300 acres.
The project is being developed as part of New York State’s Build Now-NY
initiative. The Build Now-NY
program is a state initiative to attract businesses by making available
pre-approved” and shovel-ready” sites, and streamlining local approvals.
What is the master
plan?
The master plan for the site calls for the creation of a business park
that could include a variety of uses, ranging from professional offices to light
industrial, R&D, data and call centers, and back office operations.
It could also support other related activities such as banks, hotels,
health clubs, day care centers and community amenities.
The project is designed to have more sophisticated land use planning,
higher quality architectural and landscape design, and additional design,
environmental and land use controls.
What work has been completed?
The Cortland
County IDA just completed the SEQR process for the project, working in
partnership with O'Brien and Gere Engineers, the Town of Cortlandville and the
Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNYRPDB) on the
comprehensive environmental review process.
The IDA served as lead agency for SEQR through a coordinated review
involving more than two dozen agencies, with O'Brien and Gere overseeing that
process.
O’Brien and Gere, working with the IDA, completed the following scope of
work in 2005:
·
Identified, compiled and reviewed detailed project
information and data collection, and created a comprehensive data book on the
site
·
Completed a utility assessment to match Build Now-NY
Development Profile requirements
·
Completed a code review to identify requirements such as site
plan review/zoning, aquifer protection and variances
·
Completed an environmental data review to compile information
to prepare a generic environmental impact statement, such as wetlands, soils,
floodplains, cultural resources, traffic, ecology, critical habitats, etc.
·
Completed a constructability review to develop geotechnical
and topographic information
·
Completed a survey of the entire site
·
Completed a traffic impact study as part of the Generic
Environmental Impact Statement
·
Conducted project coordination meetings with the Town to
discuss project data
·
Prepared five alternative development profiles based on site
analysis, topography and boundary surveys; profiles considered an upscale
multi-user business/technology park campus)
·
Prepared a site plan for the business park, identifying
access roads, detention basins or retention ponds, schematic plans for
buildings, parking area and service years, common areas and wetland areas tied
to adjacent nature area, landscaping and signage.
·
Identified the path toward SEQR process and prepared generic
environmental impact statement
·
Prepared a traffic impact student using Highway Capacity
Software (HCS) and obtained roadway geometics, and worked with the NYSDOT to
identify traffic improvements to accommodate additional traffic.
·
Presented data report, development profile, site plan and
draft GEIS to local community groups, including representatives from the Town of
Cortlandville and Cortland County
·
Conducted public hearing and integrated comments into a FEIS
·
Completed the SEQR process, working with the IDA, including
final notice of completion
With the
environmental review complete, the IDA will now move ahead in 2006 on plans to
develop the property as part of New York State’s Build Now NY program, which
is a joint effort between by Empire State Development (ESD) and the Governor's
Office of Regulatory Reform (GORR).
What are next steps?
O’Brien and Gere has just completed an Engineering Report for the site.
Under proposed new Town of Cortlandville zoning, the three parcels will
be re-zoned as an I-1 District, which allows for light industrial, office and
business park uses. Currently, the property is zone part Industrial and part
Agriculture. The Cortland County
IDA has been discussing the possibility of a zoning overlay with the County
Planning Department, to help build in some extra site control.
If the IDA acquires the site, there is also the possibility of utilizing
deed restrictions to ensure a high quality of development.
Currently, there are no measures to restrict design standards or impose
other quality controls, except through local site plan review.
These steps will be taken, concurrently with the process of preparing
funding applications.
O’Brien and Gere is proposing:
·
Resubdivision of the site
into developable parcels, ranging in size from 2.5 acres to 10.8 acres.
·
Extension of infrastructure
to and within the site to support proposed development
·
Future build out of the site,
consistent with proposed zoning designation
·
Utilization of a business
park design that is sensitive to the site’s proximity to the recreational and
environmental amenities provided on adjacent lands maintained by the Lime Hollow
Center for Environment and Culture.
Where will funding
come?
New York State provided a matching grant of $75,000 to the Cortland County
IDA for the initial engineering and environmental review work.
The IDA provided the local match. Those
funds have been expended to complete the scope of work described above.
The IDA is proposing that improvements to the business park will be funded
by grants/loans obtained from New York State and federal government,
supplemented by local matching funds. The
IDA is beginning the process of assembling funding.
A strategy session has been set for April 18, 2006, to begin this
process.
How is the site being
marketed?
Now that the SEQR process has been completed, New York State
will be working actively with the IDA to market the shovel-ready sites to
companies in search of new business locations.
A
sophisticated web site has already been developed by the Cortland County
Industrial Development Agency. The
web site, www.fingerlakeseast.com,
features comprehensive site information, data on population and market access,
links to R&D, education, training and workforce development, as well as
details on financing. A section on
quality of life describes regional amenities.
Site plans, aerial photos, and interactive features are on the site,
which has been described by corporate realtors as “very cutting edge.”
Among the
key selling points on the web site are Cortland’s assets such as:
·
Location at the gateway to the beautiful Finger Lakes Region
·
Market access within a day's drive of 130 million people
·
Next to world class universities and academic research
centers, including Cornell, Syracuse University, SUNY Cortland and the nation's
'Top Digital Community College' - TC3
·
A deep talent pool of educated, available workers, including
130,000 regional college students
·
New York State 'Investment Zone' incentives through the
Empire Zone
·
Award-winning entrepreneurial local development team
·
Aggressive financing packages
·
EASI Quality of Life ranking
For
more information:
LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING
March
– April 2006 report
The
following are projects that the BDC-IDA is involved with this Spring, through
technical assistance or help with financing.
Also included are some company updates:
Finger Lakes East Business
Park
·
After completing the extensive SEQR
process and master plan for the proposed 300-acre Build Now New York business
park, O’Brien and Gere Engineers has just completed a comprehensive
engineering report for the IDA, in order to begin assembling the funding to
bring water, sewer and road to the site. The
IDA met with National Grid to also begin the process of creating an engineering
plan and budget for utilities to serve the site.
A meeting with the town, property owners, and steering committee is set
this month. The IDA and the Central
New York Regional Planning and Development Board will begin the process of
applying for funding for infrastructure. National
Grid will work with the IDA to begin actively marketing the park.
Learn more at the website that the BDC has created for the project:
www.fingerlakeseast.com
Bestway
·
The Cortland County IDA and the NYS&W
Railroad are working with Bestway to build two rail projects -- a new $1 million
intermodal rail center at its Luker Road operation, and a rail spur at the
former E-One site. The IDA has
applied to the DEC for the environmental permits necessary for the projects, and
working with the company and the railroad on engineering and storm water
management plans.
Greek
Peak
·
The Cortland
County IDA continues to work with Greek Peak on its master plan and pre-sales
for the condo hotel resort, which are going very well.
Ground-breaking is expected in April.
Tempest Towers, based in
California, made an expansion into Cortland.
The
company is co-locating with Priority
Fire, a company formed by employees of E-One, which is growing at the
former Graph Tex facility on Luker Road.
DB Gatti, based in Rochester, is making relocation to Cortland.
The
custom tool and die fabricator is occupying the former Cortland Glass company
building on Tompkins Street. The
relocation is being funded with assistance from the Grow Cortland Fund.
A purchase offer has been made and accepted
on the former Impact Sports building in the City of Cortland.
The IDA is working with the company on the relocation, which could bring
as many as 70 jobs to South Main Street.
Marvin Windows is moving into a
building in Preble, next to Barden, at the former E-One site, where it will
house its warehousing and distribution operations for New York State and
Pennsylvania. It is a $1 million
project.
The formal application to NYSDHCR has been made by Housing Visions
Unlimited for its $8.2 million neighborhood
restoration project in the South Main Street corridor.
The BDC worked with Housing Visions to pull together information for the
proposal to NYS to allocate credits for the project. Key Bank is financing the project.
SBA lending activity continues to be at an
all-time high in Cortland County. The BDC is working with the NYBDC to close
several SBA deals.
Labor market
statistics released in late March continue to show strong job growth. (See enclosed).
Cortland
grew 900 jobs over the previous year.
The BDC is sponsoring the first-ever
High School Career Day on April 25 at the JM McDonald Sports Complex.
The event is being organized by Leadership Cortland, in partnership with
TC3, the Chamber of Commerce, Cortland Business Network and area school
districts. (See enclosed)
The BDC worked with the Central Upstate Regional Alliance to create and
promote Project
ION, an internship program to link regional colleges and universities
with local college interns. The BDC
is actively linking local college students, or students returning home, with
local companies for this summer.
The BDC worked with the Regional Alliance to market the Grants for Growth initiative, which provides matching R&D
funding for local companies partnering with local universities on technology
development projects. There is $1
million in the grant program.
The BDC continues to host meetings for the US
SBA, SBDC, NYBDC and other funders to work with companies on financing
expansions. The BDC has sent along
a number of companies ready for financing, and there has been a great deal of
small business activity. There have
been 74 new business DBA filings in Cortland since the beginning of the year.
The BDC is continuing to work with Cortland
Repertory Theatre (CRT) and Lime
Hollow Center on public and private sector financing for capital
renovations to the historic Little York Pavilion at Dwyer Park, and new Visitor’s
Center at Lime Hollow.
The BDC is working with the Cortland-Homer Area Association on funding for
the Brockway
Museum at the former AB Brown building.
The BDC is working with SUNY
Cortland on a new Office of Economic and Community Development, and a proposed
Center for Economic Education at SUNY’s new downtown site on Main Street.
The BDC is working to help identify
funding and economic/community development programming at the site, in
conjunction with the economic’s department, Institute for Civic Engagement and
COPC program.
The BDC is working with New York State on several external attraction
leads.
The BDC is continuing to work with Thoma
Development and the
Cortland County Planning Department on a 12 community Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program, funded through a grant from the NYS Department of State
Division of Coastal Resources. The
BDC added the Brockway Museum to the state’s priority project list as part of
the LWRP project.
The BDC is awaiting the executed
2006 contract and first payment from the county, and will then commence 2006
marketing efforts. Priorities
include: complete overhaul of
architecture of web site to accommodate more electronic inquiries, as well as
updated information; production of county prospectus piece for external
marketing; development of integrated marketing support package for Finger Lakes
East business park that will be mailed to corporate real estate and site
selectors, as well as companies in targeted markets such as environmental and
energy systems, life sciences, engineering and professional services in the
high-cost Tri- State metropolitan markets.
Ms. Tytler briefed the Committee about the Planning Sub-Committee formed to deal with issues related to Storm Water and Flooding issues. She explained that a workshop was held on March 30th regarding Flooding and thanked Amanda Barber from Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation for her assistance with that workshop.
Ms. Barber discussed that Cortland County will be receiving grant money and went on to discuss that Governor Pataki is contemplating vetoing the budget and that hopefully it will not affect Soil and Water Conservation. Ms. Barber additionally informed the committee of the upcoming 60th Anniversary of the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation and that they are hosting an open house on May 1st from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.
Mr. Steger inquired about the two resolutions pertaining to American Farmland Trust that had been pulled from the agenda. Mr. Ross and Mr. Van Donsel explained that American Farmland Trust had rescinded their offer. Committee members discussed completing these in house or sending them out to be completed. Mr. Van Donsel explained that they could be completed in house. Mr. Ross asked Mr. Dineen if he had more information relating to this. Mr. Dineen explained that there is more time involved than they had planned. Ms. Barber discussed Linda Hartsock being able to assist. Mr. Van Donsel explained that there have been a few changes over the last few years. Ms. Hartsock expressed that she is willing to help.
Mr. Troy made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Mr. Hartnett. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 am.