Headlines for August 30, 2022

A Trumansburg committee has released a draft of its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Revision for public comment. The village adopted its Comprehensive Plan at the end of 2021 and is taking a staged approach to revising zoning to encourage feedback from residents and adapt to changes in the community. The proposed revision is based on a desire for more affordable housing, rentals, and in-fill development. The committee is encouraging all Trumansburg residents to review and comment on the proposal before it goes to the village trustees for a vote. You can learn more at trumansburg-ny.gov

The Ithaca Rotary Club has awarded a grant to fund feminine hygiene kits for school girls in Uganda. In May, a group of girls in Gulu, Uganda began training to be seamstresses at a women’s cooperative. The kits will help ensure they are able to continue to attend trainings during their menstrual periods. The project was spearheaded by local Rotarian Getrude Noden and funded by the club’s raffle dinner as well as a grant from Backyard Brands. 

It may be hot outside, but a group in Ithaca is thinking ahead in an attempt to improve local snow removal. The Coalition for Snow-Free Sidewalks and Crosswalks met last week to examine the problems and possible solutions. According to the Ithaca Voice, the group’s leader Eric Lerner cited a 2019 survey where the majority of the 800 resident respondents said the city’s snow removal efforts were insufficient. Sidewalk snow removal is the responsibility of property owners in Ithaca however, they’re not required to clear curb cuts at intersections. This leaves many–especially disabled and ederly pedestrians–struggling to get around. As a point of comparison, the city of Burlington, Vermont clears and salts all city sidewalks using city equipment and staff. Property taxes in Burlington are currently about 16.5 percent higher than in the city of Ithaca.