Ithaca commission approves accessible ramp at First Presbyterian with engineering and materials conditions

The Ithaca City Landmark Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness on Jan. 20 for a barrier-free walkway to the northwest entrance of First Presbyterian Church at the northwest corner of DeWitt Park, subject to conditions intended to protect the building’s historic materials and structural stability. The commission’s resolution requires an engineering report documenting that proposed backfill and grading will not adversely affect the church’s stone foundation, and it directs staff to review final waterproofing details and color samples for any tinted concrete.

The church’s senior pastor, Carrie Ann Weaver, described repeated accessibility failures that motivated the project: "If the power had gone out, we would have had no way to get those individuals out of the sanctuary," she said, recounting a service with several congregants using wheelchairs. Applicant representatives argued the proposed sloping walkway—kept at 5% grade or below—avoids the need for multiple handrails and minimizes new visual elements on the primary facade.

Commissioners and staff focused on whether the proposal met the ILPC’s standards for historic districts, in particular the requirement that new work be reversible and not destroy key materials. Commissioner Cameron Olsen, who identified herself as a preservationist, said she supported accessibility but warned the main facade is “an irreversible change” and urged the board to explore alternatives before allowing removal of historic material. The applicants said they had examined north-side alternatives but found insufficient run length there; they also said the red sandstone steps are in poor condition and may not be reusable for the original configuration.

Technical questions about drainage and the “water table” around the building framed conditions the commission included in its approval. Project designers told the commission they would include a separation membrane, a perforated underdrain, and a dry well to prevent long-term moisture intrusion; the ILPC required an engineering report that staff must review before final sign‑off. The resolution also asks that any removed sandstone be kept on-site where feasible and that the record explicitly justify why material removal is necessary.

The commission read a resolution that found the work compatible with the DeWitt Park Historic District’s character under city code and the Secretary of the Interior’s standards, but it attached the conditions listed above before granting the certificate of appropriateness. The commission did not record a roll-call vote in the public transcript; the approval was presented as an action with conditions and delegated staff review for final details.

Next steps: applicants will submit the required engineering documentation and final material samples for staff review; if the engineering report indicates the proposed backfill is incompatible with the building, revised plans must return to the ILPC for further review.