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The Lansing Sewer Committee took a walking tour of the sites of two proposed senior housing developments Wednesday.  The two projects could generate 190 dwelling units, create roads and infrastructure for the town center, and jump-start the sewer project.  If approved, the projects will be constructed on about 30 acres on the eastern portion of the 156 acre town center land on 34B across the street from the Town ballfields.

The walking tour was led by Lansing Pathways Committee member Roger Hopkins.  He led the committee along the eastern portion of the Town Trail, showing members a shaded trail along the old Ithaca-Auburn Short Line railroad bed, a site proposed by NRP Group for an affordable senior cottage-style development, another proposed by Calimar for a three-story market-rate senior development, as well as a site proposed for a dog park.

In March NRP Group's Chris Dirr presented a comprehensive plan for the town center that included several projects totaling 420 dwelling units, mostly aimed at seniors.  He said the first two would be an affordable senior cottage-style dwellings and a market-rate senior apartment building.  Originally the latter project was to be located on the a western parcel, but after residents and some town board members objected to that site, Calimar agreed to move their project to a parcel north of the eastern-located NRP site.


Sewer Committee Member Andy Sciarabba says the footprint of the Calimar site will be adjusted to fit the new site.  He said that the projects will be planned to preserve the historical railroad bed, including a shaded walking path that eagle scout candidate Dave Miller has been constructing.

Sciarabba said that the resolution that starts the 70+ day process of forming the sewer district could be in two weeks if engineers can complete a Map Plan Report before the regular September Town Board meeting.  he reorted that both developers have revised their letters of intent to purchase 12.5 acres for the NRP project and around 14 acres for the Calimar project.

The developers are currently in negotiations with the Town on a price for the land.  The Town will offer a lower price in return for the developers building roads and infrastructure that will include sewer and water, sidewalks and street lighting on parts of the two main roads proposed for the town center.


Planning Consultant Jonathan Kanter accompanied the committee on the walking tour.  This was Kanter's second walk-through of the site.

The committee also discussed Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins' concern that growth may not reach the estimated 50 units per year predicted by Sciarabba based on the two proposed projects.  Sciarabba said he calculates that even if growth remains steady at the historical 30 units annually that the cost impact to property-owners within the sewer district will only be an additional $20 per year.


Sciarabba says that when the Town has sold all of the town center property it will realize about $2 million in profit.  A public information meeting on the sewer project is scheduled at the Town Hall on September 18 at 7pm.  The committee plans to present updated information on the project and talk about changes since the August 7th information meeting.  Sciarabba says that the sewer district boundaries have been definitely defined to match the boundaries presented at the August meeting.

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