- New growth should be interspersed within, and connected to, higher intensity areas.
- Protect agricultural land, open spaces, and wetlands.
- Encourage cluster development on existing infrastructure.
- Use in-fill development to promote greater intensity in the City of Ithaca, in the northeast, in areas with existing infrastructure, and behind housing located along rural roads.
- Protect and keep low intensity areas.
- Maintain a balance of choices in living experiences to accommodate a variety of preferences.
- Enhance access to Cayuga Lake and protect its water quality.
- Maintain the city's downtown area as the urban center of the county.
- Housing and jobs should be located in close proximity to one another.

Summary of Discussion

Infrastructure
In-fill development should be encouraged where water and sewer services currently exist. Growth should be directed to the areas north and east of the city because there is currently a proposal to provide municipal sewer services in those areas.

Housing
Provide housing options throughout the county. In order to find affordable housing, people now have to live outside the county, which promotes more vehicular travel. Affordable housing that is safe and healthy should be promoted throughout the county, from high intensity urban neighborhoods to low intensity rural areas.

Major employers greatly influence where housing will be built, which is one of the reasons current development is centered in the area northeast of the city. Future commercial and industrial development should be located near where workers live in order to reduce automobile trips.

Sprawl
Cluster development should be encouraged in the future, both for residential and commercial development. Development on one- to five-acre lots requires more roads, places more stress on other services, and costs more to taxpayers, than more concentrated development. There needs to be a balance between providing housing options and providing effective services.

Neighborhoods
Villages that have retained their neighborhood feeling should be expanded while preserving the neighborhood. Development should re-create models of walk-able neighborhoods, like the Village of Groton. Neighborhoods should be convenient to shopping, provide privacy, have access to trails and recreation facilities, and incorporate attractive views.

Transportation
The pattern of development greatly influences the transportation choices available to residents. Transit ridership should be increased in order to avoid having to build a limited access ring road around the city to alleviate traffic problems. There was disagreement about the desirability of such a ring road. All agreed that transportation services should be provided where housing already exists.

Mapping Details
· The topography and road systems to the south and west of the city make it expensive and difficult to develop there, particularly in the southern portion of the county.

· There should be moderate growth in Varna and Eastern Heights, but only with the provision of transit.

· Agricultural lands should be preserved in Groton, east of the Village; in northern Lansing; in western Ulysses, and in western Ithaca.

· Development in northern Lansing and western Ulysses should be low intensity because of physical limitations to the land, such as sensitivity of the slopes. This development should not be individual houses on one-acre lots along the road, but cluster developments.

· High intensity areas to the east and north of the city should incorporate bicycle and pedestrian trails to reduce automobile traffic.

· Development in Enfield Center, West Danby, Danby, Brooktondale, and Slaterville should take the form of walk-able neighborhoods.

Key Principles

- Preserve open space, agricultural areas, and historic resources.
- Encourage nodal development and limit sprawl.
- Preserve and enhance development corridors.
- The road network and water and sewer utilities should be planned to support desired development patterns.

Summary of Discussion

Preservation
Members of the group agreed that certain features of the natural environment and certain characteristics of the community should be preserved when providing for future growth. Important natural features to preserve are quality agricultural lands, unique natural areas, gorges, Cayuga Lake, wetlands, and state forest lands. Community characteristics that should be preserved are historic buildings; historic uses of land; the quality of life in built areas; and green corridors connecting parks, recreation areas, and community centers.

Development Patterns
The group emphasized the importance of building on existing development. New development should occur in areas that already have infrastructure and other development. The approach is to build in these areas rather than developing in undeveloped areas. Growing in this manner will help to preserve agricultural lands and other open space.

The group agreed that high intensity development should be increased in the urban core of the county (City of Ithaca), building up, rather than out. However, there was some disagreement on the type of building that should occur. Some advocated high rise development (over six stories), others thought that the effect of this type of development would detract from the character of the community.

Moderate intensity development should be encouraged in villages and hamlets. Future development areas should incorporate open space areas interspersed with developed lands. The group termed this approach 'pocket preservation.'

Other future development should occur in nodes along existing and future transportation corridors. These nodes should place a high value on quality of life through design, the provision of amenities, nearby shopping, and open spaces. This approach should be followed to limit sprawl along highways, having high intensity development at nodes and low intensity development between nodes.

Political Will
The group also discussed the importance of political will to support the investments needed to direct future growth into hamlets and villages. These areas need to be provided with water and sewer services to promote increased intensity of development. However, the 'returns' on these investments will take time to be realized. It is difficult for current board members to take on expenses now when the benefits may not be seen during their terms of office.

Mapping Details
· The group agreed on the importance of the limitations imposed on development by the physical characteristics of the land, particularly soil characteristics.

· West Dryden should include agricultural land preservation with some low intensity development.

· Portions of Lansing, particularly the Pyramid Mall area and the airport area should include high intensity development.

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