INHS revises West State Street plan to raise entrances, remove rear parking amid floodplain constraints

Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services told the Planning and Development Board Project Review Committee on May 9 that it has reworked the proposed 205–217 West State Street development to respond to floodplain constraints and passive-house requirements, shifting elevation work to the exterior of the building, removing rear parking, and preserving separate street entrances for senior housing and a day care center.

The changes matter because the project sits in a flood-prone area and the design choices affect how residents, visitors and emergency responders will access the building. Chair Emily Petrina said she viewed the changes as “really positive” and asked the applicant to make site access and the ramps front-and-center at the public hearing in two weeks.

Project representatives said a conflict emerged between wet floodproofing measures for residential units and the passive-house standards the developer is pursuing. “As we furthered our research along, we recognized that there was gonna be a conflict between some of the flood proofing measures with wet flood proofing for residential and, the passive house…