TOWN OF ITHACA PLANNING BOARD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON CORNELL t-GEIS

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

By direction of the Chairperson of the Planning Board, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing, pursuant to Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law, 6 NYCRR 617, also known as the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, and Chapter 148 of the Town of Ithaca Code, will be held by the Planning Board of the Town of Ithaca, acting as Lead Agency for coordination of the environmental review of this matter, on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, at 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, N.Y., at the following time on the following matter:

7:15 P.M. The purpose of this public hearing is to consider public comments regarding the draft Cornell Transportation-focused Generic Environmental Impact Statement (t-GEIS). The t-GEIS includes an identification, examination and evaluation of transportation-related impacts of hypothetical Cornell University population growth scenarios over the next decade on transportation systems and neighborhoods. The t-GEIS addresses these impacts by evaluating and proposing mitigation measures to encourage alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle use by those traveling to and from Cornell. A major objective of the t-GEIS is to develop ways to reduce the number of trips by motor vehicles traveling through residential neighborhoods to and from Cornell, and to identify ways of getting people, not vehicles, to campus. The t-GEIS studies two independent but complementary forms of proposed actions. The first is in the form of approvals of future Cornell building and development projects that will use the t-GEIS as part of a basis for their environmental review. The t-GEIS will not be a substitute for site-specific environmental review under SEQR. This could be in the form of site plan or special permit reviews or other approval applications for future Cornell building projects. The second form of the proposed action grew out of the mitigations section of the t-GEIS. Based on the mitigations identified, Cornell University has prepared a draft ten-year strategic transportation plan, or Transportation Impact Mitigation Strategies (TIMS).

Copies of the draft t-GEIS are available for review at the Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY; at the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY; City of Ithaca Planning Department, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY; Cornell’s Olin Library; Ithaca College Library; or on Cornell’s t-GEIS website: www.tgeisproject.org. Written comments on the t-GEIS will also be accepted through September 26, 2008, and may be addressed to Jonathan Kanter, Director of Planning, at Town Hall at the address indicated above. Questions may be addressed to Jonathan Kanter at (607) 273-1747.

Said Planning Board will at said time and said place hear all persons in support of such matter or objections thereto. Persons may appear by agent or in person. Individuals with visual impairments, hearing impairments or other special needs, will be provided with assistance as necessary, upon request. Persons desiring assistance must make such a request not less than 48 hours prior to the time of the public hearing.

Jonathan Kanter, AICP

Director of Planning

273-1747

Dated: Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Publish: Friday, August 29, 2008