- Preserve unique natural areas, hiking trails, parks and selected wetlands.
- Provide more affordable housing options for low-to-moderate income residents.
- Make urban areas more attractive to live in.
- Invest in infrastructure so as to positively affect neighborhoods.
- Promote moderate and high intensity development in a manner that is well planned (i.e. preserve UNAs, enhance lake access, preserve views and vistas, create new parks and trails, enhance multi-modal transportation options).
- Individual residential choices and demand for infrastructure may be influenced by changes in technology (e.g., telecommuting, utilization of alternative modes of transportation).

Summary of Discussion

Improved Infrastructure Services
Encouraging development at higher population densities is desirable for both environmental reasons and for strengthening infrastructure services. Alternative forms of transportation should be considered when reviewing development proposals.

Economic Influences
The economic status of individuals influences growth patterns. Since where people live is largely dependent on where they can afford to live, future development patterns will be determined, in part, on the types of jobs in the community. Past changes in employment in the community, particularly the loss of blue-collar jobs, have influenced the character of communities. Lower income households are the least likely to enjoy the results of infrastructure improvements.

Improve Downtown Ithaca
Many persons would like to live in downtown Ithaca. In order to continue to attract residents to the downtown, urban amenities, including transportation and open space facilities, need to be added and enhanced.

Increased Intensity
Future population growth should be focused in areas currently used for moderate and high intensity uses. These areas can be expanded to accommodate much of the future growth of the county. New retail activities should also be located in existing moderate and high intensity areas in an attempt to curb sprawl.

Increased Intensity on East Side
The east side of the county should be the area of greatest growth and expansion. In order to preserve viewsheds and open spaces, development should be encouraged in the areas where infrastructure has already been developed. To the greatest extent possible, the lakeshore itself should not be included in future development activities.

Transportation Patterns
The group considered several alternative highway improvements including: an outer loop, a bridge across the lake, blocking off neighborhood streets/roads to through traffic, and a parkway as a connector road. Due to topographic and economic constraints, as well as public opposition, major shifts in transportation systems and infrastructure would be difficult. A new connector should be built on West Hill to link Routes 96 and 79.

Low Intensity Areas
Dense clusters of low-cost housing will continue to exist outside of towns and urban areas. The aesthetics of such areas, now and in the future, need to be improved.

Highway Corridors
Future development along highway corridors should adhere to smart growth principles and should incorporate careful site planning. Particular attention should be given to the Route 13 corridor which is already experiencing 'sprawl type' development. The Route 13 corridor will continue to be a major transportation link within the county and to surrounding communities. As such, development will continue along the corridor (particularly in the Dryden area). Given this assumption, cluster development consisting of new moderate and high intensity activities, with mass transit systems connecting nodes, should be the pattern of growth along this corridor.

Mapping Details
· The best agricultural soils should remain agricultural and be protected from future development.

· Moderate and high intensity development should be expanded in areas of the county where it already exists, especially in the City of Ithaca.

· The current State Forests, State Parks and county Reforestry Lands should remain protected. These areas should be expanded to include nearby wetlands and Unique Natural Areas.

· Attention should be given to establishing hiking trails, and to maintaining and improving public access to the lake. Trails to be preserved and developed (including the Black Diamond Trail) are identified on the future land use map.

· The future land use map shows areas within the county designated as mixed-use. This land use category would be comprised of smaller areas (less than 100 acres) of agricultural and forest/brush lands, with pockets of low intensity uses (residential areas).

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