Walkable Eastwood » guidelines

All together now: zoning overlays = $$$

Lonnie September 17th, 2009

A number of our neighbors are revisiting the James Street Overlay District guidelines, put in place as part of our zoning laws to prevent runaway suburban-style development such as the Dunkin Donuts and the Wilson Farms businesses that were allowed in before the guidelines were written.

Turns out, despite our needing a little time to get used to the idea, having just such an overlay helps to keep our real estate prices in our neighborhood going strong. Continue Reading »

Done our homework

Lonnie July 20th, 2009

When it comes to approaching the Planning Commission about waiver requests, we hear a lot of conflicting messages about the role and power of the residents:

The PC likes to hear from “just plain folks,” the kind who show up in their paint-spattered work clothes, heavy work boots, medical uniforms and office attire. Let’s call them the “JPF” for short.
The more of these JPF, the more powerful the message.
The PC cannot make decisions based on the popularity, or lack thereof, of a waiver request. So actually, numbers of JPF at the meetings can’t count.
The JPF actually don’t understand all the legalities, so while their interest is much appreciated, it doesn’t stand a chance against a legal technicality.
How the PC votes on a waiver request is very much affected by what the JPF say.
If the JPF haven’t come in with new information for the PC to use in figuring out how to vote, or if their information is ill-informed, then the hours they spend at these meetings is all for naught.

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The sign is not the hold-up

Lonnie July 20th, 2009

The sign being voted on at the Planning Commission meeting tonight (City Hall, 6:00 pm) is not, I repeat, is not the hold-up on the store opening.

Sean Kirst reported on this fact a month ago (Post-Standard, Friday, June 19, 2009 – bolding mine):

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My Letter to Zoning by Jessica Hemingway

Jessica July 19th, 2009

RE: Application No. AS-09-17, Sign Exception , Five Point Development

Dear Ms. Lamendola,

I am writing in regards to application number AS-09-17 submitted by Five Point Development. As an Upstate New York native and urban planner I strongly oppose a waiver for the projecting sign with LED sign. The design does not coincide with the pedestrian oriented design of Eastwood; it’s distracting for drivers and therefore dangerous. Further waivers to the James Street Overlay will weaken the ability to enforce guidelines in the future.

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W.E. Co-hosts mayoral candidate forum

Lonnie June 9th, 2009

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR OF SYRACUSE

Join the discussion with mayoral candidates focusing on
“HOW DO WE BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, LIVABLE SYRACUSE THROUGH CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND PLANNING?”

Wednesday, June 17
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: refreshments
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: program

SUNY Oswego Metro Center
Corner of N. Salina and W. Washington Streets MAP

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR – all agreed to attend:
Alfonso Davis, Carmen Harlow, Otis Jennings, Steven Kimatian, Stephanie Miner, Joe Nicoletti

Candidates will be asked to respond briefly to the following three questions, followed by an open forum.

QUESTIONS:
1) A key contributor to making a city sustainable and livable is good urban design and planning. As mayor, what principles and policies will you use to ensure that the city of Syracuse will safeguard and strengthen the elements of good urban design it already has, add more wherever possible and make Syracuse the national model for sustainability?

2) Numerous documents containing plans for sustainable development of all or parts of our city, created by citizen groups or consultants, already exist at City Hall. James Street Overlay District Guidelines and a proposal for a Director of Sustainability are examples. What will you do to recover, implement, and, most of all, enforce, what is still valuable in these documents?

3) Considering any future planning for a sustainable and livable city that might occur during your administration, how will you ensure that Syracuse residents will have ample opportunity to contribute, and that their opportunity to react and give input continues as those plans are carried out and enforced?

Sponsored by
WALKABLE EASTWOOD, GREENING USA,
URBAN DESIGN CENTER, F.O.C.U.S. GREATER SYRACUSE

Proposed POMCO signs and parking lot

Lonnie June 5th, 2009

This letter was sent to me by James Creveling, who has been vitally interested in development in Eastwood for many years. James has a BS in Environmental Studies and has completed coursework, with a focus on land use and design issues, for a Masters of Regional Planning (MRP), University at Albany.

As you may know, the Planning Commission is holding a public hearing at their June 8 meeting about a new POMCO development. It includes a resubdivision, a project site review, and sign waivers.

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Walgreens will work with communities

Lonnie May 20th, 2009

Maybe it’s the developer who doesn’t want to work with the community. Look at these beautiful ways to have a Walgreens in your neighborhood! Don’t think for a minute that they did this because these neighborhoods are somehow more special than Eastwood. These neighborhoods are special only because they have design guidelines that prevent them from looking un-special. Let’s get that horse before the cart!

Design guidelines accommodate older drivers

Lonnie May 14th, 2009

The other day I was driving behind a senior driver who was clearly not the sprightly driver he used to be. His driving was excessively slow and his positioning of the car in lanes was not accurate. As I waited behind him at an intersection, I watched him turn left in front of oncoming traffic. Thank goodness things were moving slowly and the driver of the other car was not distracted by unnecessary signage. There could have been an accident, and his wife, sitting in the passenger’s seat, would have been hit directly.

When the community met with Guy Hart, Jr. at the Palace (he’s the developer of the Walgreens), I had one point to make: older drivers are only increasing in number as boomers age. We need to keep our intersections as free of distractions as possible. It’s a safety issue.

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The true cost of big box/franchise retail

Lonnie May 12th, 2009

Since the early 1980’s, our city forefathers in their flawed thinking have foregone long-term stable housing property tax revenue for larger, short-term tax revenue gains by approving franchise type drive-thru land uses (KFC, Burger King, Eckerds, Rite Aid, Jreck Subs, etc.) over the past ten to twenty years. What has resulted in places like Butternut St. is a high crime corridor and declining real property values. Was this trade-off worth it in the end?

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We’re supposed to knuckle under

Lonnie May 1st, 2009

Any of this sound familiar?

From debates heard in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons:

3 Feb 2009 : Column 194WH
…over Fowgay hall—admittedly, it was an unlovely property—on the site of which now stand 14 flats. It is a 0.17 acre plot, every inch of which has been built on, with the car park having to go underground. It is so out of kilter with the area that it beggars belief that it was approved on appeal. Builders wear down local communities by persistently reapplying. They make an application knowing that it will not be accepted. They then re-submit and re-submit, causing tremendous stress and worry in local communities, and in the end they slip in just under the bar. And that is the end of a happy residential area and, often, of its character.

We need properly planned communities. The Government should consider strengthening legislation to facilitate a much more holistic approach to our planning system. As my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives said, local communities need a much greater say in decisions affecting the character of their area.

I have three suggestions that I hope the Government will consider. On the ability of developers to continue re-submitting applications, should we not have a “three strikes and you’re out” system to prevent the constant worry?

Mr. Hoyle: Two!

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What happened at April 27 PC meeting

Lonnie April 29th, 2009

This is what happened at the April 27, 2009 Planning Commission meeting:

1. The Planning Commission just barely had a quorum. However, they said that they would act on right then on the submission of the modified ground sign (even though they had not had sufficient time to review it since it was just handed in today) if the applicant wanted, (which they did). Then, however, the PC decided that because it had been just handed in, they had not had time to review it and suggested that they close the hearing on the “old” application and resubmit an amended application. As a result, another public hearing will be noticed to the public and held on May 18, 2009 at 6:00 PM.

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Walgreens sign survey results

Lonnie April 25th, 2009

Since March 30, 2009, I have been running a survey to gather public opinion on the Walgreens sign. Granted, “the public” is whoever views this site. But given that this site been mentioned on page 2 of the Sunday Post-Standard twice (now three times – 04/26/09), I think the public has had a good chance to weigh in.

So here are the results at a glance. The bold font is created by the survey software to indicate the choice getting the greatest number of votes.

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Mayor does/doesn’t support design guidelines

Lonnie April 20th, 2009

If we do a reading of the numerous ways in which Mayor Driscoll has supported the concept of design guidelines, which are necessary to sustainable development, then we get one picture:

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Planning Commission meeting re: sign waiver

Lonnie April 17th, 2009

FOR PUBLICATION FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009

PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF SYRACUSE
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public hearing will be held Monday, April 27, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall, Syracuse, New York to consider in full or in part the following applications:
. . . . . .
7) Application No. AS-08-33, for a Sign Waiver of area, type, and number, on property situated at 2327 James Street, owned by Five Point Development Grant, zoned Local Business, Class A, pursuant to Part C, Section X, of the City of Syracuse Zoning Rules and Regulations, as amended.

(See notification of complete meeting HERE.)

Look familiar?

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ESF Eastwood Neighborhood Study

Lonnie April 11th, 2009

It’s important to understand where we’ve come from to have a better grasp on where we’re going. The James Street Overlay District Guidelines have become very important because of the many challenges we face in maintaining their enforcement. Understanding the process that went into their creation and their adoption as an ordinance in the City of Syracuse may shed some light on why they are so important. Here I reproduce the words from this brief description of the ESF study that got things rolling (bolding mine).

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Letter from Joe Nastri

Lonnie April 8th, 2009

Joe Nastri is a long-time Eastwood businessman who was involved in the original Eastwood Review Board that was disbanded by the City.

I too hope that the city does the right thing and upholds the zoning Overlay standards. Assertions have been made time and again that Eastwood looks the way it does because of neighbors and or the Zoning Overlay Guidelines. This is false. The reason why Eastwood has some problems with appearance is firstly because property owners, such as the owner of the old Steak and Sundae building and Byrne Dairy properties have made a conscious decision to allow these properties to fall into disrepair. The plan is for neighbors to get so fed up that we will accept what ever they decide is appropriate.

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Post by Councilor Kathleen Joy

Lonnie April 5th, 2009

For many years, Kathleen Joy has supported smart, sustainable development in Eastwood. She has been a tireless researcher, an effective communicator, and a source of information that might otherwise have been difficult for the average resident. Some time ago, she started her own blog. As is her habit, when she has something of import to let the city know, she uses her blog as well as other means of communication to get her thoughts across.

So, without further ado, I take you to her thoughts, written on March 24, 2009:

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Letter from Councilor Stephanie Miner

Lonnie April 5th, 2009

Last week I contacted every mayoral candidate via whatever means the public at large might do so: their published email addresses or, when that was not available, their contact forms in their mayoral candidate websites. I asked them to comment on any of the posts on this website and/or join the Walkable Eastwood email group to talk to Eastwood residents directly. Only Stephanie Miner responded, and she did so quickly, joining the group, introducing herself, and sending the following letter to the 100+ residents in that group. It is the letter she sent to members of the planning commission (bolding mine):

I am writing to respectfully request that the Planning Commission does not grant a waiver for the proposed Walgreens sign on James Street in Eastwood.

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Letter from Councilor Lance Denno

Lonnie April 4th, 2009

[Published with permission, bolding mine]

April 4, 2009

RE: Appl no. AS-08-33
City Planning Commission
201 East Washington Street
Syracuse, New York, 13202

Chairman Cowart and Members of the City Planning Commission,

My name is Lance Denno and I am the 5th District Councilor for the City of Syracuse. As such it is my duty to represent the interests and the will of the citizens of Eastwood. As their elected voice, I sincerely regret that due to other commitments I cannot personally appear before you to most forcefully express my objection to this application for a Sign Waiver.

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The meaning of “animated” is…

Lonnie April 1st, 2009

What is a sign? What is an animated sign? What is an “indoors” sign? And what is an “outdoors” sign? When I look at the kinds of signs the planning commission will be deciding on this coming Monday, I have to wonder if they’re going to have to figure out what the meaning of “is” is.

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