GTC PLANNING COMMITTEE

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GENESEE TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING

Ontario County Municipal Building

Canandaigua, New York

April 8, 2010

 

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT

James Fletcher, Monroe County At Large

Erik Frisch, City of Rochester At Large

Tom Goodwin, Monroe County Planning Board

Andrea Guzzetta, Rochester City Council

Daniel Hallowell, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Region 4

Kristen Mark Hughes, Ontario County (Chairperson)

Scott Leathersich, Monroe County At Large (Vice Chairperson)

Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County

Kevin Rooney, Wayne County

C. Mitchell Rowe, Seneca County

Chuck Thomas, Rochester City Planning Commission

David Zorn, Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council (G/FLRPC)

 

ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT

Don Higgins, Livingston County, representing Angela Ellis

James McIntosh, City of Rochester, representing Paul Holahan

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED

Mark Aesch, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA)

Robert Colby, Monroe County

Todd Gadd, Wyoming County

Robert Griffith, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Timothy Hens, Genesee County

Peter McCann, Monroe County Supervisors Association

Edward Muszynski, Empire State Development Corporation

Henry Smith, Jr., Orleans County

Douglas Tokarczyk, New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA)

Steven Urlass, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

(Vacant), Federal Transportation Administration (FTA)

(Vacant), NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)

(Vacant), Yates County

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE

Jayme Breschard, G/FLRPC

Tom Lichtenthal, Town of Batavia

Richard Perrin, GTC staff

Marvin Kleinberg, NYSDOT Region 4

Jody Pollot, GTC staff

James Stack, GTC staff

 

1. Call to Order & Introductions

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. Kris Hughes welcomed everyone and Members, Alternates, and others present introduced themselves.

2. Public Forum

No one from the public spoke during the Public Forum.

3. Approval of Minutes

Jim Fletcher moved for approval of the minutes from the January 7, 2010 Planning Committee meeting; Scott Leathersich seconded the motion. The minutes were approved as submitted.

4. Reports and Action on Old Business

a. Reports on UPWP Projects and Other Activities

GTC

Richard Perrin reported:

          Regarding the Supplemental Professional Services Database Programming project, the test version of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) database has been completed and the transition from existing version is expected within the next week.

          As part of GTC Strategic Planning, GTC staff reviewed and provided comments on the American Public Transportation Association metropolitan planning proposal for the next authorization, the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate change bill that is currently in the Senate, and the Advance Notice and Request for Comments on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program that will be discussed later in the meeting as agenda item 6.a.

          As part of Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Update/Implementation, GTC staff is preparing a memo that discusses the process for developing the LRTP; existing conditions; future conditions for two plausible scenarios; identification of needs; development of alternatives and selection of recommendations; financial plan; and system performance monitoring and measurement for LRTP Development Committee (LDC) review and discussion later this month.

          With regard to the Air Quality Planning and Outreach task, GTC staff have been working with the Interagency Consultation Group to begin preparing the conformity statement for the recommended TIP that the Planning Committee recommends later in the meeting as agenda item 5.a. A joint American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials/Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations Working Group (that GTC served on) submitted comments to EPA on March 22 on the recently proposed ground-level ozone standard.

          The GTC Household Travel Survey Phase 1 is a new task. A project Scope of work will be developed.

          The draft report for the ITS Strategic Plan is expected to be provided for Steering Committee review by the end of next week.

          There is no progress to report for the Diversion Route Planning Initiative.

          The 2008-2009 Priority Trails Advancement Program consists of two projects. With regard to the Pultneyville to Marion Trail, a Steering Committee meeting scheduled for April 26 is being rescheduled at the request of the Marion Town Supervisor. The contract for the Route 104 Ontario to Sodus Trail is being finalized with the preferred consultant.

         The Circulation, Accessibility, and Parking (CAP) Program consists of two projects. The draft report for the Browns Square Neighborhood project was provided on March 26 with comments from the Steering Committee due April 12. The Village of Fairport Central Business District project has been completed and will be presented for Planning Committee consideration at the May meeting.

           With regard to the Congestion Management Process (CMP), GTC staff have included a discussion of the CMP in the memo being developed for review by the LDC. The intention is to fully incorporate the CMP in the LRTP and emphasize travel demand management activities and cost-effective operational improvements.

           With regard to the Greater Rochester Regional Commuter Choice Program, a draft RFP has been developed and will be provided to interested parties for their review.

         With regard to the Travel Time Data Collection Program, the proposed survey design for data collection on select Minor Arterials and Collectors was approved by the Steering Committee and data collection has begun. An RFP for data collection on Principal Arterials using funds included in the current UPWP will be advertised.

          The Coordinated Public Transit/Human Services Transportation Planning task is new to the FY 2010-2011 UPWP. The scope of work will be considered as agenda item 5.e.3.

         The consultant selection team has reviewed proposals for the Regional Goods Movement Strategy. Three proposing firms have been shortlisted and the consultant selection team will interview the firms on April 15.

G/FLRPC

Dave Zorn reported:

         There is no progress to report on the 2010 Census TAZ Analysis and Revisions project.

         Surveys for the 2009 Regional Land Use Monitoring Report are being returned. G/FLRPC staff is following up with municipalities that have not yet responded and has begun data input.

         The Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Inventory of Culturally Significant Areas is a new task. The scope of work will be considered as agenda item 5.e.1.

 

Livingston County

Don Higgins reported:

         The Livingston County Safe Passing Zone Survey is a new task. A project Scope of work will be developed.

Monroe County

Tom Goodwin reported:

         Surveys for the 2009 Monroe County Land Use Monitoring Report have been distributed and responses have been received from all but two of the municipalities. Monroe County staff is following up with those two municipalities.

Terry Rice reported:

         Identification and prioritization of candidate locations for the Monroe County Audible/Tactile Pedestrian Signal Device Study is underway. Results will be reviewed with the Steering Committee and a stakeholder/public meeting will be scheduled.

         The consultant for the Monroe County Vertical Curve Safety Study is reviewing the preliminary results of the analysis with site-specific recommendations to follow.

         A consultant has been selected for the Monroe County Sign Inventory Location Upgrade and fee negotiation is underway.

         A list of locations for the Monroe County High Accident Location Program has been developed. Twenty three locations have been carried over from the previous year and 31 new locations have been identified. Two locations have been analyzed.

City of Rochester

Chuck Thomas reported:

        An internal review of the second draft of the RFP for the Center City Tourist/Visitor Circulation and Pedestrian Wayfinding Study is complete.

        There are no changes to report for the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Parking and Circulation Study. The City hopes to wrap this project up soon.

Terry Rice requested that Monroe County DOT be provided a draft of the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Parking and Circulation Study report when it is available.

Erik Frisch reported:

       With regard to the Center City Circulator Study, an on-line survey was administered in March and over 4,200 responses have been received. A public meeting was held March 22 and had approximately 50 attendees. The consultant is evaluating the survey responses and developing a report. A feasibility analysis of a circulator service is underway. The Project Advisory Committee is expected to meet in May.

       The St. Paul and North Clinton Two-Way Conversion Study is a new task. The scope of work will be developed.

RGRTA

Richard Perrin reported:

        The RGRTA Suburban Transit Station Study is a new task. The scope of work will be considered as agenda item 5.e.4.

        The consultant for the RTS Signal Prioritization Study provided a draft Concept of Operations to the Steering Committee for review in March.

        The RGRTA Energy Study is nearly complete.

        The scope of work for the RGRTA Transit-Supportive Development Guidelines will be considered as agenda item 5.e.5.

        The RGRTA Route Analysis project is ongoing.

Seneca County

Mitch Rowe reported:

         The NYS Routes 5 & 20/414 Corridor Study will be presented for closeout as agenda item 5.d.

Wayne County

Kevin Rooney reported:

         There is no progress to report for the Cluster Development Enhancement Project Feasibility Study.

         The Wayne County Safe Passing Zone Survey is a new task. The scope of work will be considered as agenda item 5.e.2.

Other Agencies

Richard Perrin reported:

         The 2008-2009 component of the Regional Traffic Count Collection Program is complete and was accepted by the GTC Board at their March 11, 2010 meeting. GTC will work with Monroe County on retaining a consultant to conduct additional counts using funds included in the current UPWP.

         Draft recommendations for the Village of Arcade Main Street Study continue to be developed.

         The Steering Committee for the Town of Macedon NYS Route 31 Corridor Study met on February 24 to review the draft recommendations and the second public meeting is being scheduled.

         The inventory of existing and projected conditions for the Genesee County Central Corridor Plan was completed and a public meeting was held on March 11.

         The Steering Committee for the City of Geneva Lakefront/Downtown Connectivity Study met on March 10 and the first public meeting was held after that meeting to present the inventory of existing and projected conditions and needs assessment.

         With regards to the Victor Transportation Systems Plan, the socioeconomic inputs to be used in the GTC Travel Demand Modeling for the project were concurred to and outputs for the various scenarios were provided to the consulting team on April 5.

Erik Frisch reported:

         The Steering Committee for the Dewey Avenue Corridor Traffic Calming Study met March 3 to review the draft report and the second public meeting is being scheduled.

b. Any Other Old Business or Announcements

1.      Update and discussion on proposed federal legislation

Richard Perrin stated that three Continuing Resolutions were passed since the federal surface transportation authorization legislation, SAFETEA-LU, expired on September 30, 2009. The last ended on February 28. Congress was unable to agree on an extension and on Monday, March 1 the federal highway aid program was shut down and a number of US Department of Transportation workers were furloughed until a 30-day extension was enacted on March 3. Each of the three resolutions and the current extension continue the federal highway aid program at the Federal Fiscal year (FFY) 2009 post-rescission level of $30 billion which is $12 billion or 30 percent less than the authorized level of $42 billion.

On December 16, 2009 the House of Representatives passed the Jobs for Main Street Act a second economic stimulus bill that included both an extension of SAFETEA-LU through FFY 2010 at the FFY 2010 Appropriation bill funding level of $42 billion for highways and $10.7 billion for public transportation (which is the FFY 2009 pre-rescission level) and provided additional highway and transit funding similar to the levels included in ARRA (the first stimulus bill). In response, GTC prepared a list of shovel-ready projects for public review in the event that the bill was passed and additional funds with short use-it-or-lose-it provisions were made available. The public review was conducted from January 20 through February 18 and resulted in over 200 candidate projects totaling more than $200 million dollars.

The Senate passed its own version of the second stimulus bill, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (or HIRE Act) on February 24. The Senate Bill did not include any additional highway and transit funding but did repeal the end of SAFETEA-LU rescission of $8.7 billion for this FFY.

On March 4, the House passed its version of the HIRE Act with minor changes and on March 17 the Senate accepted the House-amended version. The President signed the bill into law the next day. In addition to payroll tax breaks and the continued availability of Build America Bonds, the bill includes a $19.5 billion transfer from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund and Mass Transit Account to accommodate an extension of SAFETEA-LU through December 31, 2010 at the FFY 2010 rescission level of $42 billion but no additional revenues for shovel-ready projects.

The amount of federal-aid highway and bridge funding made available through the HIRE Act for FFY 2010 was accounted for in the regional allocation currently programmed in the TIP. GTC did not rely on this full FFY 2010 funding amount when programming FHWA Metropolitan Planning funds in the current UPWP. As a result, an approximately $125,000 in additional planning funds plus any savings in the GTC staff budget from the previous fiscal year will be available to program additional planning projects in the current UPWP.

During the development of the current UPWP, the UPWP Development Committee agreed to prioritize projects submitted for funding for this UPWP that were not able to be funded when it was developed should additional funding became available. GTC staff will work with the UPWP Development Committee to identify the additional projects to be programmed with these funds for Planning Committee consideration at the May meeting and consideration of that recommendation by the GTC Board at its June meeting.

5.                Action Items
 

a.      Recommendation to the GTC Board concerning adopting the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program / Proposed Council Resolution 10-38

Richard Perrin provided background on the development of the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). NYSDOT-Main Office provided revised allocations of federal highway aid by program on December 22, 2009. These allocations resulted in a slight decrease to the amount of federal highway aid compared to the allocations provided on November 19, 2009, which were significantly less than those provided on September 12, 2008.

Using the most recent allocations, the TIP Development Committee (TDC) met several times in December 2009, January 2010, and February 2010 to develop a draft TIP project list for public review that was considered and approved by this Committee on February 23 with minor modifications. The public review period began February 25 and ended on March 26.The document was made available at the GTC, NYSDOT, county planning offices in the seven-county TIP area, the central repository libraries in the Rochester Transportation Management Area, and on the GTC website.

In conjunction with the review period, four public meetings were held to present the draft TIP project list. The first was held March 9 in Rochester City Council Chambers, the second was held March 11 at the Perinton Community Center, and the third and fourth were held March 17; one in the morning at the Henrietta Town Hall and the other in the evening at the Ogden Town Hall. Comments could be submitted via mail, fax, e-mail, or at the public meetings.

The comments received during the public review period along with an associated summary developed by GTC staff are included in this Committees meeting package and were provided to the TDC on March 29. The TDC considered the comments received and agreed unanimously to recommend the program of projects provided for public review as the 2011-2014 TIP.

The 213 projects included in the TDC-recommended draft 2011-2014 TIP total approximately $510 million in federal funds and include 53 new projects totaling approximately $155 million in federal funds. Of the 53 new projects, 46 are bridge projects, three are public transportation, three are highway, and the remaining project is an Intelligent Transportation Systems project. The remaining 160 projects are existing projects with updated costs to meet the original intent and scope of the projects as proposed and revised schedules that are within the fiscal constraints of the new federal highway aid allocations.

Terry Rice commented that the TDC worked hard to come up with a balanced program. Many agencies are being forced to deal with the difficulties associated with reduced federal highway funds to the region. Monroe County has projects that are ready for construction but are being delayed to 2014 and 2015. Terry stated that he reviewed the comments submitted during the public review period, including those from the Town of Batavia and the City of Batavia. He is hopeful that a new authorization will provide certainty and additional funding to restore project schedules.

Richard Perrin added that it is not a matter of not wanting to advance the projects that are being deferred; it is a matter of not being able to due to the limited federal funds. The TDC had to make difficult choices. There is a commitment by the region to fund all the projects that have already been selected for the TIP. He is also hopeful that a new authorization will provide additional resources that will allow projects to advance on accelerated schedules than those included in the proposed TIP.

Terry Rice suggested that it would be prudent for project sponsors to continue to advance project design activities so they are in the best position to take advantage of additional funding for construction or to move up a project if another project has delays.

Kris Hughes expressed appreciation of the efforts of the TDC in developing the recommended program and considering the comments that were submitted.

Tom Lichtenthal noted that he is a relatively new Town of Batavia staff member but the Town is committed to moving the Park Road project forward. In addition to the pavement condition and drainage issues that many other municipalities have, Batavia also has a pedestrian safety issue. Many patrons of Batavia Downs are crossing mid-block and there are no sidewalks along Park Road. The Town anticipates significant development along Park Road. The project appears to meet the top criteria in the TIP development process.

Terry Rice noted that since no new highway projects were considered for the eligible fund sources, the project selection criteria were less of a factor. All the existing highway projects were already selected on their merits. He added that he would hope that developers of properties along Park Road would be approached to discuss mitigating the impacts to the transportation system.

Tom Lichtenthal responded that the Town of Batavia is looking into public/private partnerships to make improvements in the project area.

Terry Rice asked for clarification on what the HIRE Act means for FFY 2009 and FFY 2010 funding. Richard Perrin responded that FFY 2009 is closed and funding remains at the post-rescission levels. FFY 2010 is now set at the same level for which FFY 2009 was originally approved (i.e., pre-rescission levels). This is consistent with the regional allocations that NYSDOT-Main Office provided in December 2009.

Terry Rice moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 10-38; Chuck Thomas seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

b.     Action concerning approving the development of the DRAFT Transportation Conformity Statement for the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program for 30-day public review

Richard Perrin discussed the requirements for conducting a regional emissions analysis and what information is included in an air quality conformity statement. Positive action on this agenda item will allow GTC staff to prepare the draft air quality conformity statement, which is a compliance document, and then conduct the required public review. As in the past, GTC would use the less than 2002 emissions test to assess whether the recommended TIP passes conformity. The region passed this test by a wide margin in 2007. Richard also discussed the process that would be undertaken to estimate emissions in the region.

Dan Hallowell asked if there is any indication that the region can pass the build/no-build test. Richard responded that there is no indication yet as the analysis has not been conducted.

Chuck Thomas asked if there is any bias towards urban areas. Richard responded no.

Jim Fletcher moved to approve the development of the DRAFT Transportation Conformity Statement for the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program for 30-day public review; Dan Hallowell seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

c.      Action concerning classifying 2010-2011 Unified Planning Work Program tasks in accordance with the GTC Public Participation Plan

Richard Perrin provided background on the GTC Public Participation Plan, including the need to classify UPWP tasks and discussed the GTC staff recommendations for new tasks.

Terry Rice asked for clarification on Task 7211 St. Paul and North Clinton Two-Way Conversion Study. He wanted to be sure the project limits are south of East Main Street. Erik Frisch confirmed that the intention is to include areas south of East Main Street.

Erik Frisch moved to approve classifying FY 2010-2011 Unified Planning Work Program tasks, with the clarified project limits of Task 7211, in accordance with the GTC Public Participation Plan; Kevin Rooney seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

d.      Recommendation to the GTC Board concerning accepting the report, Seneca County Routes 5&20 / 414 Corridors Management Plan, as evidence of completion of UPWP Task 7573 / Proposed Council Resolution 10-9

Richard Perrin noted that the Executive Summary for the Seneca County Routes 5&20 / 414 Corridors Management Plan was provided in the February 2010 meeting package but consideration was tabled at that meeting due to a scheduling conflict for Seneca County.

Mitch Rowe expressed appreciation for the Planning Committee agreeing to postpone consideration of this study. He provided background on the consultant selection process and the study area, noting that the study area was divided into five sub-areas for the analysis.

Mitch discussed the various physical improvement opportunities and the Countys willingness to work with the municipalities in the study corridor to implement necessary regulatory changes. He added that the County has been able to improve its relationship with NYSDOT Region 3 as a result of this study process.

Terry Rice moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 10-9; Jim Fletcher seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
 

e.      Action concerning consideration of UPWP Project Scopes of Work

1.            Task 5332 Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Inventory of Culturally Significant Areas

Richard Perrin noted that the agenda and transmittal memo should read Culturally Significant not Regionally Significant.

Jayme Breschard provided an overview of the project.

Mitch Rowe asked if there are concerns with vetting all the sites that will be submitted. Jayme responded that she will need to whittle down the sites based on some criteria but intends to list all of the sites that were submitted in an appendix. Jayme will use national standards to evaluate the integrity of the sites to identify 7 10 locations in each County for further analysis.

Jim McIntosh asked if the completed Inventory would be available to those conducting the SEQRA process. Jayme responded that it would be.

Dan Hallowell expressed concerns that the Inventory could have implications for transportation projects.

Richard Perrin suggested it would be appropriate to clarify in the document what the Inventory is and is not. More specifically, this effort will provide an inventory but not a full evaluation of the sites.

Mitch Rowe moved to approve the Scope of Work for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Inventory of Culturally Significant Areas as presented; Chuck Thomas seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

2.            Task 6224 Wayne County Safe Passing Zone Survey

Kevin Rooney provided an overview of the project.

Richard Perrin asked if, in the interest of efficiency, the Planning Committee would consider approving an identical Scope of Work for Livingston County. The only changes would be the reference to the County name, the background information, and the budget. No one on the Committee objected.

Dan Hallowell moved to approve the Scope of Work for the Wayne County Safe Passing Zone Survey as presented and the Livingston County Safe Passing Zone Survey as discussed; Jim Fletcher seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

3.            Task 8150 Coordinated Public Transit/Human Services Transportation Plan Update

Richard Perrin provided an overview of the project, noting that this is essentially an update of the 2007 effort. Rich discussed the approach that would be taken to develop the Update.

Kevin Rooney moved to approve the Scope of Work for the Coordinated Public Transit/Human Services Transportation Plan Update as presented; Scott Leathersich seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

4.            Task 8301 RGRTA Suburban Transit Station Study

Richard Perrin provided an overview of the project, noting that it builds on the previous study of satellite transit centers that found most of the opportunities within the City of Rochester. This Study would focus on park and ride type routes.

Dan Hallowell asked if there are plans to project build out scenarios to estimate demand. Richard responded that he wasnt sure but the GTC regional travel demand model can be used to support that type of analysis.

5.            Task 8513 RGRTA Transit-Supportive Development Guidelines

Richard Perrin provided an overview of the project. He noted the distinction between Transit Supportive Development and the more intense Transit Oriented Development that is typical around fixed-guideway public transportation facilities.

Chuck Thomas moved to approve the Scopes of Work for the RGRTA Suburban Transit Station Study and the RGRTA Transit-Supportive Development Guidelines as presented; Jim McIntosh seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

6. New Business

a.                  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program

Richard Perrin stated that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Federal Sustainable Communities Partnership with USDOT and the Environmental Protection Agency issued an Advance Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Comment on the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program. $100 million of funding for the program was authorized in the 2010 Appropriations Act. HUD intends to issue a Notice of Funding Availability for the program on Monday, April 12 with applications due June 5. Awards would be announced in August.

The goal of the program is to support multi-jurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing economic development, and transportation decision making to improve economic development and social equity while reducing environmental impacts.

Three funding programs are under consideration:

1.      Funding to support the preparation of Regional Plans for Sustainable Development;

2.      Funding to support detailed execution plans and programs to implement these regional sustainable development plans; and

3.      Implementation funding for regions with sustainable development plans and associated execution plans.

Regions with a population of 500,000 or more such as ours would be able to apply for up to $5 million in funding for any of the three programs. The program does require a 20 percent match that could include in-kind contributions.

Members of the Greater Rochester Enterprise, including local planning and engineering firms, have contacted GTC regarding their interest in seeing the region consider applying for the program.

Given the regional focus of the GTC LRTP and TIP and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy prepared by G/FLRPC, this region has significant components that could support this type of study.

At this time, GTC staff would like to have a discussion on interest from member agencies in potentially submitting an application to the program. If we, as a region, decide to apply for funding from the program, it is envisioned that a working group would be formed to develop a coalition of interested stakeholders and designate a lead agency, identify the sources and amounts of necessary funding to provide the match, and develop the applications and obtain letters of support.

Kris Hughes noted that in many States, land use is regulated at the County level. These States are better structured for this type of study. Given that New York is a home rule State, the challenge will be engaging those that have the authority to implement land use regulations (i.e., municipalities). However, this is still a good opportunity for the region.

Tom Goodwin agreed that, given the transportation and economic development components already in place in the region, this is an opportunity to reach out to housing organizations.

Erik Frisch asked if Towns would be interested in a collaborative approach.

Jim Fletcher noted that the concern at the Town level is to encourage certain types of housing when developers are saying the people who want to live in a particular Town are interested in a particular type of housing. The private sector is driving many of the land use decisions. This may provide an educational tool for mixed-use development.

Kris Hughes noted that outside of the not-for-profit sector, there are few options in the marketplace for low- to moderate-income housing. Generally speaking, Towns do not want to deal with the policy development, zoning, and infrastructure issues to support this type of housing. The solutions require broader thinking.

Jim Fletcher noted that many younger generations are finding it difficult to afford to live where they grew up while senior generations are finding it difficult to afford to stay where they raised their children.

Richard Perrin noted that we would need to reach beyond housing organizations and include economic development organizations as well. The sustainability aspects of this grant program are focused on energy consumption and climate change.

David Zorn noted that the program calls for coordinating transportation, land use, economic development, and housing with specific recommendations. The plan can lead to funding for implementation in the future.

There was general agreement that GTC and G/FLRPC staffs should work together to develop the concept further based on the Notice of Funding Availability.

Terry Rice stated that the region needs to better track the status of TIP projects on par with the level of effort this Committee provides in tracking the status of UPWP projects. Richard Perrin responded that GTC staff can flesh out the ideas for updating the TIP Procedures Manual for discussion at the April 29 TDC meeting.

7. Public Forum

No one from the public spoke during the public forum.
 

8. Next Meeting
 

May 13, 2010 in the Rochester City Council Chambers

9. Adjournment
 

The meeting adjourned at 11:46 a.m.