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Key Principles

- Protect areas that have the best agricultural soils.
- Protect open spaces, agricultural lands, areas of natural beauty, and wetlands.
- Develop housing in existing low- and moderate- intensity areas rather than in agricultural lands or green space.
- Promote cluster development and mixed land use (residential, farming, employment, services) to conserve agricultural and open space and reduce infrastructure costs (water, sewer, transportation).
- Improve public transportation to better connect outlying high intensity centers to the city and to each other.

Summary of Discussion

Overall
The primary concerns of the Agriculture group were protecting good soils, open space, farms, areas of natural beauty, and wetlands. The group focused on identifying three things: (1) the best soils for agriculture, (2) areas with good farmland as well as development potential that may need special protection, and (3) potential transportation improvements. They considered policies or mechanisms that could be used to preserve the various types of open space and support farming in the future, and identified clustered housing, mixed-use development, and consolidation of services, particularly transportation, as the keys to achieving these objectives.

Farming In the Future
The main agricultural areas are located in the northern part of the county, in the Towns of Dryden, Lansing, and Ulysses. Numerous areas have good soils and few limitations for development, and these should be designated for agricultural protection. An agricultural area below South Hill is currently proposed to be protected by the Town of Ithaca's Purchase of Development Rights program. Agricultural lands owned by Cornell will probably remain in agricultural use. Large-scale (dairy and crop) farms will need to expand to survive. Technological advances, such as in aquaculture and hydroponics, may create new opportunities by allowing some farms to operate in smaller areas, including suburbia or indoors. Small specialty farms also need good soil and water to survive.

Threats To Farms
Sale of agricultural lands and the resulting conversion to low intensity development is a primary concern; areas along major corridors are especially vulnerable. Also, many farms located on rented land would disappear if owners sold the land; this is typical of agricultural areas around Trumansburg. Another threat is locating water and sewer lines near agricultural lands, since this infrastructure directly affects the potential value and pressure to develop the land.

Protecting Farms
Economic benefits and tax breaks, countywide zoning, Purchase of Development Rights, and cluster development could aid in protecting farms.

Future Growth
Growth should occur in already developed areas: high intensity areas, particularly the City of Ithaca, should be expanded, and new development should occur in existing low- and moderate-intensity areas rather than in open space or agricultural areas. Housing, employment, green spaces, and services should be clustered in mixed-use developments to preserve open space and reduce infrastructure costs for services (water, sewer, transportation, etc.).

Transportation
Public transportation should be improved to better connect outlying high intensity areas to the city and to each other. Multi-modal corridors (identified on the future land use map), with enhanced bus service, should connect the Villages of Freeville and Dryden, Varna, South Lansing, Lansing, and areas to the south of the city. Land should be set aside for an airport expansion. A large agricultural export center should be set up in South Lansing and operate in conjunction with the expanded airport.

Mapping Details
· Agricultural areas are located primarily in the Towns of Groton, Lansing, and Ulysses; and forest areas throughout the county. The group identified the following high intensity areas: the City of Ithaca, the Village of Lansing, and various village and hamlet areas.

· The group designated various areas for preferred agricultural protection and multi-modal corridors for enhanced bus service or light rail. A high intensity area in Lansing includes an airport expansion and agricultural export center, and to the north, along Cayuga Lake extending to Rogues Harbor, is the primary moderate intensity area.

"Vital Communities Workshop Report, 2000-2001", prepared by TCPD & ITCTC, June 2001