|
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.
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)
Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In April 2001, Tompkins County joined the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign, a project of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives. This action recognizes the need to address the global warming problem swiftly and effectively, and the County’s unique position to play a role. The CCP Campaign is a voluntary program for municipal governments to identify sources of greenhouse gas emissions within their jurisdictions and to implement actions to combat global warming at the local level.
The links below provide information on the steps that have been taken to further the County’s efforts in reducing its contribution to global warming:
Climate Change and the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign Power Point Presentation
Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions for County Government Operations: A plan to, by 2008, reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases generated by county operations by 20 percent compared to the base year of 1998.
Tompkins County Emissions Inventory: An inventory of greenhouse gas emission for the Tompkins County Community and County Government.
You must have Acrobat® Reader™ to view the pdf files above.
|
