Council reviews South Side form-district draft, issues recommendations on parking, roof pitch and height

Ithaca Common Council members on June 11 debated a proposed ordinance to establish South Side form districts and then voted a package of recommendations for planning staff rather than adopting the ordinance in final form.

The measure as drafted would amend chapter 325 of the city code to create four form districts (traditional residential, residential transition, medium‑density mixed use and urban mixed use) for portions of the Greater South Side neighborhood. Planning staff briefed council members and answered questions about parking, setbacks, green‑space requirements and the draft form standards that implement the 2019 neighborhood plan.

Planning department staff told the council the team kept minimum parking requirements in the “traditional residential” category to maintain consistency across the city and because parking rules will be reviewed as part of the comprehensive zoning rewrite. “Parking requirements are something that we plan on addressing over the next 2 years as we draft our zoning rewrite,” said Jared, planning department staff. He added staff is open to changes if council prefers removing requirements for the South Side now.

During public comment, Teresa Alt of 206 Eddy Street urged eliminating minimum off‑street parking in neighborhood zones, saying the requirement “is a lost opportunity to allow more housing for people rather than requiring it for cars.” Resident Scott McCasland described how the size and shape of newer additions near his block affect neighborhood livability and raised noise concerns from dumpster pickups.

Council members pressed staff on specific tradeoffs: how parking requirements interact with floodplain construction (one staffer noted ground floors in parts of the neighborhood may need to be raised about seven feet, forcing design tradeoffs), how form standards interact with the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission review, and whether some parcels would become nonconforming under the draft map.

Rather than adopt the ordinance in committee, councilors approved a series of specific recommendations and amendments to the draft and then voted to send the item back to staff for a revised draft reflecting council direction. Key outcomes from the meeting:

- Parcel carve‑outs: Council voted to remove two parcels from the rezoning map (the Hotel Ithaca parcel and an adjacent convenience/gas parcel commonly referred to as the 7‑11). The motion to remove those parcels carried unanimously, 10–0. The parcels will remain in their existing B‑4/CBD designation rather than being rezoned into the South Side form districts.

- Off‑street parking recommendation: Council recommended that staff remove the minimum off‑street parking requirements for the South Side draft. That recommendation passed 8–2 as a directive to staff ahead of the citywide zoning rewrite.

- Pitched‑roof requirement: After debate and a procedural reconsideration, council recommended removing the pitched‑roof (sloped‑roof) requirement from the form‑based provisions, by a 6–4 vote.

- Meadow Street height: Council recommended increasing the allowed height in the urban mixed‑use designation along South Meadow Street from the proposed five stories to seven stories, by a 7–3 vote; staff warned that raising the allowed envelope can trigger recirculation and additional public review and that geotechnical and construction‑type constraints could limit what developers actually build.

- Failed proposals: Two motions to make broader zoning changes failed. A motion to raise maximum lot coverage in the urban mixed‑use zones from 70% to 90% failed on a 5–5 tie; a motion to eliminate minimum lot‑size requirements in the draft also failed, 4–6.

- Tabling for staff revision: After receiving the package of recommendations, council voted 9–1 to table the ordinance and asked planning staff to return a substantively revised South Side form‑district draft that incorporates the council’s directions and to schedule the item for future public hearings as required.

Planning staff repeatedly urged that some of the changes are best handled as part of the forthcoming comprehensive zoning rewrite (staff estimated a citywide rewrite timeline of roughly 12–24 months), but accepted council direction to prepare a South Side draft that reflects the committee’s recommendations.

Where the process goes next: Staff will prepare a revised ordinance and maps incorporating the changes council recommended. Council members asked staff to note where any amendments would require recirculation or additional public hearings (for example, changes that materially alter allowed heights or uses). The committee did not adopt the form district ordinance on June 11; it directed staff to return with a revised draft for further committee and council action.

Votes at a glance

- Remove Hotel Ithaca and adjacent convenience/gas parcel from South Side rezoning: motion carried 10–0 (outcome: approved; notes: parcels to remain in existing zoning; mover/second not specified on record).

- Recommend staff remove minimum off‑street parking requirements in South Side draft: recommendation carried 8–2 (mover: Alderperson Keel; seconder: Alderperson Letterman; outcome: recommendation to staff).

- Recommend removing pitched‑roof requirement from form code: carried 6–4 (mover: Alderperson Keel; outcome: recommendation to staff after reconsideration).

- Recommend increasing urban mixed‑use height along South Meadow Street to 7 stories: carried 7–3 (mover: Alderperson Keel; seconder: Alderperson Saint Perez; outcome: recommendation to staff; staff noted possible need for recirculation and geotechnical constraints).

- Motion to raise maximum lot coverage in urban mixed‑use from 70% to 90%: failed 5–5 (mover: Alderperson Keel; outcome: failed).

- Motion to remove minimum lot‑size requirements from the South Side draft: failed 4–6 (mover: Alderperson Keel; outcome: failed).

- Motion to table the ordinance until staff returns with a substanively revised draft reflecting council recommendations: carried 9–1 (outcome: tabled; staff directed to return revised language and maps).

Why it matters: The South Side form‑district proposal implements the 2019 Greater South Side neighborhood plan and would change allowed building form, uses and development rules across a swath of the city that includes residential and mixed‑use parcels. The council’s amendments and recommendations clarify policy direction on parking, form elements and height, and will shape the staff’s revision and any subsequent public hearings.

What council and staff said: Planning staff emphasized the draft implements a neighborhood plan and recommended some issues be handled citywide through the upcoming zoning rewrite; councilors pressed staff for specific answers on floodplain design, nonconforming uses, and how changes would affect existing businesses and lots. “Parking requirements are something that we plan on addressing over the next 2 years as we draft our zoning rewrite,” Jared said.

The committee did not finalize the ordinance; staff will prepare a revised draft that incorporates council direction and return it for further review and required public noticing.