Archive: Opinions

EditorialI have said before that I miss Lansing's grocery store.  That's why I'm a believer in planned growth.  I don't want Lansing to become a suburb, but I do believe growth happens.  If that is true, I want it to happen the way we Lansing residents want it to happen.  If it works out, it could mean I get my grocery store.

There are two basic scenarios:  growth occurs at the south of town, with new residents there shopping in the mall area of the Village of Lansing.  I think of this as 'Village North.'  The other is that growth comes to the so-called town center in the area loosely defined by Ridge/Peruville Roads from Triphammer Road in the east to Drake Road at the Western boundary.  In this scenario density in the town center is sufficient to justify my grocery store, and maybe some professional offices or a bank.

Before the sewer was tabled I would have said sewer equals town center, no sewer equals Village North.  But now I'm not so sure.  While it is true that sewer could have been a valuable tool for encouraging growth on our own terms, there are other forces at play.

• There is 170 acres of Town land across the street from the Town Hall that officials would like to see developed for affordable housing.  Not low-income housing -- affordable housing is defined by Tompkins County as homes costing approximately $150,000.

• The 500 acre Kingdom Farm, just a stone's throw north of the town center is for sale.  Even without sewer that much land can accommodate a lot of lots.

• At least 10,000 cars per day pass the four corners at the intersection of Triphammer and Peruville roads, and property owners are already working on ideas for retail or professional offices there.

• Retail space is move-in ready at the Lansing Plaza and Bentowski properties.  While there has been no action yet, these properties are well placed for when town growth justifies businesses locating here.

• Tompkins County wants affordable housing in Lansing, and the number are ambitious.

• Two Empire Zones in the Town and Village of Lansing will create significant jobs, and the new employees will have to live somewhere close.

• Cornell continues to be the largest employer in Tompkins County and Lansing is nearby with plenty of land to develop.

• While many Ithacans think that the drive to Lansing is a major day trip, the truth is that it is only a ten minute drive from downtown to Lansing.  Add five minutes to get to Lansing's town center.

• Lansing has an excellent school system, still small and nurturing with high academic standards and amazing sports, music and drama programs.

I'd say that the town land and Kingdom Farm land make growth in the Town Center a real possibility.  That could mean that my nostalgia for a Lansing grocery, or the now defunct Lansing Liquors could turn back into reality even without a sewer.  More to the point, Lansing has an opportunity to identify the kind of growth that would be acceptable to most residents, and to do something to make it happen that way.  If growth is inevitable, at least it can happen on our terms, preserving the character of the community while providing benefits we can all enjoy.

----
v3i26