Now that the Planning Board has granted preliminary approval to the INHS proposal to build homes on the privately owned land at 46 South Street, I want to take the opportunity to thank the members of the Trumansburg Planning Board for their hard work and due diligence throughout this process. Long meetings, over hundreds of hours, spanning nearly three years, 18 months of it in the formal site plan review process, all of you volunteering to take time away from your families and other commitments to fulfill this important duty – thank you for doing yeoman’s work throughout, and thank you for your commitment and dedication to the Village!
With this project receiving approval, it is now incumbent on the Village Board, and on me as Mayor, to look for synergies with the project that will benefit the Village as a whole. The first two areas in which I will be engaging the developer are, 1) I will be asking INHS to look into the possibility of a PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) program that will bring tax revenue to the Village before the project is completed, but will not shortchange the Village in the long term; and, 2) I will also be asking INHS to explore grant funding for stormwater management, not just for the building project’s needs, but as part of a Village initiative (which has already begun) to develop a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan.
Fortunately, INHS is a local organization with deep roots in the community spanning decades, and not a disinterested out-of-state corporate entity. My hope is that what has been a somewhat controversial project marked by a sometimes contentious process, will prove to be a long term win for the Village.
Rordan Hart, Mayor
Village of Trumansburg