Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Site Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Breeze Apartments site plan altered after bedrock and utility easement discoveries
Summary
Developers told the board that deeper‑than‑expected bedrock cuts and new utility transformer pole requirements forced shifts to parking, the addition of retaining walls and a request to reduce loading bays from four to two; the board asked for elevations, planting details and fire‑department sign‑off.
The Breeze Apartments redevelopment at 121–125 Lake Street was revised after the project team encountered different bedrock and utility constraints during on‑site brownfield cleanup, project architect Eric Reynolds told the Planning and Development Board on Feb. 25.
Key changes the team presented included shifting the surface parking area north to accommodate a NYSEG pole and transformer, inserting retaining walls where soil — not competent bedrock — was exposed, regrading a steep northeast corner and asking the board for guidance on reducing the number of loading zones from four to two. The developers and architects said the total parking count will remain the same but the location of spaces and loading access changed as a result of subsurface conditions and utility clearance requirements.
Why it matters: The site required brownfield soil removal and exposed the underlying bedrock and variable soil depths. The new plan retains exposed bedrock faces where structurally sound, but adds concrete retaining walls where the cleanup left substantial soil cuts. The changes affect landscaping, tree retention and the location of loading and service areas.
Technical changes explained - Bedrock and retaining walls: Project team members said bedrock at the center of the site is competent and will remain exposed as a bedrock face; at the north and south ends removed soil required new retaining walls — the largest around the transformer location could approach 15 feet tall in places. The team proposed seeded meadow plantings on regraded slopes to stabilize soil where fill is brought in. - NYSEG transformer and pole: After NYSEG design review, the utility requested a pole adjacent to the transformer, which required shifting the parking area north to meet clearance requirements. The team said total parking spaces are unchanged, but accessible stalls sit farther from Lake Street than originally shown. - Loading‑zone reduction and variance: Because the site lost area at the rear turnaround, the applicant asked the board to accept a plan that provides two loading zones instead of the four originally provided and to allow a variance to zoning standards; the project team said furnished apartments typically need fewer large loading operations than typical retail or commercial uses.
Board questions and next steps Board members requested additional elevations and sections showing the new retaining walls, the exposed bedrock face and exact tree/planting replacements. Andy Roman and other members asked for assurances about small rock fall and ongoing maintenance of the exposed bedrock, and for coordination with the Ithaca Fire Department to confirm the emergency vehicle turnaround geometry.
No final approvals were taken at the hearing. The applicant said it will present additional drawings and pursue a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for the reduced number of loading zones; the fire department will be asked to review the revised turnaround geometry before final approvals.
