Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Town Board unanimously authorized the creation of a Lansing Town Center Committee Wednesday.  The new advisory board will take on responsibilities similar to the old Town Center Committee that came up with a plan for the Town Center lands including the Town Hall campus, town ball fields, and the 153 acres of land north of the ball fields, as well as the commercial areas near Rogues Harbor Inn at its western boarder, and Crossroads Bar & Grill and Lansing market at the eastern end.  The resolution also appointed the committee's first five members.

The former committee, chaired by Kathy Miller, received a large amount of public input on what Lansingites wanted in a town center, then worked with architects to create a conceptual plan that included new recreation areas including a town walking green (shown above) that would replace much of the parking lot near the Town Hall and the Lansing library, a small commercial area along Route 34B, and housing and recreation areas as well as a possible technology and light manufacturing park toward the north where the property abuts the boys juvenile detention center.

That committee dissolved, to be replaced by a Town of Lansing Town Center RFP Review Committee, which asked for RFP responses in 2013.While there was interest in the property, nothing was done until a new RFP was distributed in 2017, resulting in a handful of potential projects.  To date two projects have been built on the town land.  The Milton Meadows housing project 's first phase is now completed and rented, and walls are going up on the new Salt Point Brewing Company's new brewery/restaurant.  These roughly align with the work the committee did in 2010, with Milton Meadows in the portion of the land that had been envisioned for housing, and the brewery close to the space that had been identified as a small retail/professional building area.

The resolution says the committee will:

1. expand the operating performance and potential of other established uses in the Town,such as existing businesses, existing recreational areas,and existing municipal infrastructure. The goal is to create a 'small town downtown' that uses open and public spaces, such as an area for art shows and farmers markets, while supporting sustainable development;
2. create new jobs, expand the existing tax base, and support investment in the Town. This includes review of the existing development incentive zone created by the Town and Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, intended to support and facilitate the development of the site to implement these objectives, and recommendation to the Town Board on updates to that policy, which expires on December 31, 2021;
3. reach a mutually beneficial public / private partnership with the goal of developing needed infrastructure and creating productive and self-sustaining uses at the site.

Town Board member Andra Benson, Town Engineer David Herrick, Town Attorney Guy Krogh, and Lansing Director of Planning C.J. Randall were appointed to the new committee, which is expected to meet once a month.  The committee may expand to up to 15 members.

Town Councilwoman Bronwyn Losey asked how members were being appointed.  The earlier committee consisted of a mix of residents and experts.  Krogh said that is the intention for this new committee.

"There's a range of population for this committee, and this is only a launch. I certainly agree that an assortment of citizens could and probably should sit on the board as well, which I think is where you were ultimately going, that we need to have more than just internal input," he said.

LaVigne said the committee will typically report to the Town Board once a month.

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