- Protect critical natural areas and state forests.
- Encourage development where few soil limitations exist.
- Preserve current agricultural lands that are not suitable for development.
- Consider water availability for development areas.
- Concentrate growth in areas of existing development.
- Concentrate growth on transportation corridors.
- Preserve and promote recreational areas in the county's northeast area.

Summary of Discussion

Agricultural Lands
Agricultural lands should be saved through good planning. There will probably be a loss of agricultural lands in the county unless a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program is established. The decision to locate utilities should take into account the impact on agricultural lands.

Land Suitability
A countywide vision of land use should start with the land itself; its water, slopes, and soil. The physical limitations to development should be a principal determinant in the location of future development. Existing high intensity areas should be examined to identify development patterns, infrastructure availability, conservation areas, housing, and life styles. Will the future residents of the county want to continue to live in the same types of areas?

Factors Influencing Growth
· Sewer availability - In areas where there are no sewer services available, the potential for growth is stymied. High intensity areas already have infrastructure so they should be the first to expand.

· Topography - The county's unique topography will be a significant factor in determining future development.

· Institutional Growth - Future land use patterns will depend, in part, on the expansion of Cornell University and Ithaca College and their resulting impacts, since these are basic to the county's economy and industry.

Development Factors
Future development should balance employment, recreation, topography, and environmental sensitivity. Local governments need to establish controls to determine where future growth should go, and to allow it to spread "in" and not "out".

In addition, future development should consider where the community wants growth, where people want to live, and where jobs are, so as to reduce vehicle trips. Future traffic patterns should be designed to minimize traffic congestion so as not to impact any one area too greatly.

Mapping Details
The future land use map was drawn as follows:

· Future development was shown in areas with slight to moderate soil limitations for development.

· Agricultural lands were shown in areas with the best agricultural soils that were not well suited for development.

· Areas with severe topography were identified as not suitable for development.

· Moderate intensity corridors and areas were identified as follows: Areas with water or sewer services were noted as areas more likely to be developed. Potential growth was designated around existing developed areas and "growth rings" mapped.

· Most of the current State Forests, State Parks and county Reforestry Lands should remain protected.

· High Intensity development should continue to expand in the City of Ithaca and the city should become even higher intensity by building "up."

· A large low intensity development area will exist west of the Village of Groton.

· Large portions of the county were identified as "Undecided." Due to time constraints, these areas were not discussed at all.

· The Village of Lansing has no room for further growth and is in a holding pattern. The northeast area of the county is congested with no room for growth.

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