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In April of 2010, after much discussion and public input,  Lansing's the Town Center Committee presented a vision of what a possible town center could look like.  The parts that current residents would enjoy are the business and recreational portions, neither of which are likely to materialize unless residential density can be increased.

Will Lansing ever get something like the own center so many residents said they wanted?  While adherence to that concept has become looser, Lansing Planning Consultant Michael Long says that it guided the most recent RFP (Request For Proposals) that, so far, has resulted in two projects that look likely to be constructed.  Long says many of the elements of the Committee's concept are still on the table, including an eventual retail/professional building piece.

"We took the old town center plans that were developed years ago, and tried to keep those components," he says. "We used the original RFP with some modifications.  When we proposed the original subdivision concept was to try to use the same types of development so there would be road frontage -- that's the D parcel."

Most people were happy with the Committee's vision that would transform 150 acres of largely unused land across the street from the Town ball fields into mixed residential and recreational use, a small retail/professional building area, a potential new town park, a possible small golf course or technology/light manufacturing park, and a remake of the Town/Hall/Library area that would turn relocate asphalt to make a grassy town quadrangle-style walking park that could include a permanent pavilion that would house Lansing's farmer's market (which has ceased operations) and chicken barbecues.

In the eight years since the committee's conceptual plan was proffered the town has sent two RFPs to developers.  A handful of them replied .  In 2012 there were four proposals, three of which town officials felt were respectful of the conceptual plan generated by the Town Center Committee.  Just about all the elements in the committee's conceptual plan were included.  Letters of Intent to purchase portions of the land were signed by at least two developers by October of that year.  Residential projects totaling around 200 units would be constructed in a phase one to build enough local population to support commercial enterprises in a future phase.  Those projects inexplicably faded away by the end of  2014, with the Town letting one developer out of its purchase agreement that would have netted the Town $11,000 per acre per acre.  Another would have generated $14,000 per acre.

After getting the land appraised the current administration split the property into areas according to uses they thought would be appropriate, then put out a second RFP, saying that anyone who wanted to buy the land could put whatever they wanted there, using the plan as a rough guide.  So far the new RFP has generated two solid proposals and interest from a few other developers that has not solidified into actual proposals. 




Long says the proposed retail/professional building area is still very much on the table, but concedes that actually developing it will very much depend on building up the residential neighborhood.

"It helps.  It helps dramatically," he says.  "Is it a destination, or is it just neighborhood?  Are you building a neighborhood?  With the supermarket the more bodies you have living in the area, the more people will go there.  The town highway road would be the rear access to get behind the D parcel.  The commercial stuff would then be up towards the street, with parking in the back.  So you wouldn't have a lot of spots that cut into the road."

He uses a Wegmans that was recently built in Virginia near where his daughter lives as an example of a place people would travel to. 

"She drives to Wegmans because it is Wegmans," he says. "It's a destination for her.  Do you go to this because it's your doctor that locates there?  Or is it because you're in the neighborhood?"

But he says that for the size and kinds of businesses that are likely to locate on the property, neighborhood businesses are more likely to be attracted.  And for that you need a neighborhood.

Phase one of Cornerstone's Milton Meadows project includes 72 subsidized rental units.  In early May Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that it was one of three affordable housing projects in the State to receive part of the $200 million the State is awarding for affordable homes.  A Binghamton project received $4.7 million.  A Corning project received $7 million.  And the Milton Meadows project was awarded $5.1 million, boosting the project from 'possible' to 'probable'.  Veterans will be given priority in renting the units.

Phase one of the Tiny Timbers project includes 18 small single-family homes for purchase.  That is 90 new units between the two projects, a good start on building the density of population that may attract businesses to the area.  Two significant developments south of Asbury Road that are close enough to help support town center businesses will add more than 200 more units.  One is the 102 unit Cayuga Orchids townhouse project on Triphammer Road south of Asbury Road, and the other is the 117 unit English Village (59 town homes and 58 single family homes off of East Shore Drive).

Each of these developments face challenges in locating in Lansing.  Cayuga Orchids (formerly Cayuga Farms) has spent years trying to figure out how to deal with waste water, considering everything from public sewer to a private package plant to shared septic systems.  An agreement this year  between the Town of Lansing and the Villages of Lansing and Cayuga Heights has made a new, limited sewer district possible that will serve both Cayuga Orchids and English Village, as well as the RINK and a couple of residences.


For Milton Meadows the challenge has been electricity.  With a ban on new natural gas customers the project has been considering heating and cooling with heat pumps, but NYSEG does not have the capacity needed to power the project.

"Cornerstone is having problems getting enough electric to run their heat pumps for the building because they don't have gas," Long says. "But they don't have electricity to run heat pumps either.  NYSEG is going to upgrade their distribution station so they can provide more energy.  They have to make a capital investment in order to get the power for the 72 units."

Negotiations are going forward to make that happen.  But infrastructure is also an issue if the rear of the property is to be made usable, possibly for some sort of business or light industry park.   That might make something like a golf course a more practical idea.

"The problem with turning it into an industrial park is that we really don't have much in the way of utilities back there," Long says. "There's no water, no sewer, no gas, and no electric."

Another issue for Milton meadows is the construction of a town road that will lead to the project.  The plan is to move the north end of Woodsedge Road slightly to the west so it can form a four-way intersection with the new road on the north side of Route 34/34B, essentially swapping what is now roadway with what is now parking space.  Culvert replacement may be part of the job, and other small items.

A $75,000 grant obtained by State Senator Pam Helming for Lansing to use to buy materials for road projects will pay for most of the Woodsedge Road adjustment.  The developer will build and pay for the new road, building it to town specifications and dedicated to the Town when it is complete.  Some flexibility by the Town on granting building permits before the road is finished will be necessary in order for the developer to meet State requirements for spending the grant money.

The two projects on the table right now are not outside the vision the Town Center Committee began developing almost a decade ago.  The difference is that respondents to the first RFP presented a unified plan for a good portion of the 153 town land acres that respected that vision.  The current projects are independent of any overall plan, unless the Town wants to strictly enforce one, something the current government has not been inclined to do.

One piece the Town has remained steadfast on is to insure the Town Center Trail remains viable no matter what else is constructed on the site.  The trail has become quite popular among walkers and runners, cross-country skiers, and the Lansing track & field teams.  Town officials have consistently said that even if parts of the trail need to be moved, it will continue to be maintained as a feature of the area.

Even with these challenges Long is optimistic about growth in the Town.  He says that once the new road is constructed vague interest from other developers is likely to solidify into real projects.  At that point the possibility of a commercial town center area will become more relevant.

"As you look at the census we were only three or four thousand people in the 1940s, and now we're up to 11,000 people," he says. "The Village has helped as a services area.  The question is do we create a town center, which becomes the secondary business area of the Town."

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