ENS 696/EST 496 Fall 2006

Analysis of Open Space Functions and Parcel Ownership/Regulation in the Nine Mile Creek Corridor of Central N.Y.

Due in class 10/17

Scenario:

Assume a major environmental NGO has begun a new national program of “exemplar” Open Space Planning and Management Systems. Over the next two decades it will actively participate in the planning, funding, land acquisition, technical assistance, and collaborative management of one open space system in each region of the U.S. These systems will serve as “learning laboratories” to test and evaluate the broad set of policy approaches that are currently available.

Onondaga County’s 9 Mile Creek Corridor is a finalist to represent this region. Your consulting firm, (students may work in pairs or singly), has been hired to conduct part of the analysis that will be used to determine the selection. Other firms are doing parallel studies. Your study will have three basic phases: Corridor Scale overview of Open Space Functions (existing and potential); Site Scale analysis of a randomly selected Ownership Parcel within the corridor; and Findings: the Parcel’s Open Space Opportunities and Constraints to contribute to the system-wide open space functions.

Project Steps

Open Space Systems Context:

Based on course materials from Class 2, teams will develop a detailed Table of IUCN functions are relevant for the 9 Mile Creek environmental system.

For the 9 Mile Creek Corridor, descriptions of the natural resource systems, population and land uses, and existing open space activities will be based on class field trip, library resources, reserve materials, and internet materials.

Parcel Data:

Tax data:

Each parcel in New York State has a unique Parcel Identification Number (PIN) consisting of: Municipality, Map Section, Block and Lot. Teams/individuals will draw their study site’s PIN in class 9/19. Go to the Tax Map Unit on the 15^th floor of the John Mulroy Civic Center building, 421 Montgomery St. downtown Syracuse. In the vertical map rack take out the maps for your town. From the Cover index map, locate the Section sheet for your parcel. Using tracing paper, copy your parcel and all adjacent parcels. Fully label the map annotations. Record all legend items that relate to your site, and map scale, north, map date.

Use one of the public terminals to access your parcel by tax map number (PIN). Ask staff for help if necessary. Print out all available material for your parcel.

Deeds and Plats:

Go to the County Clerk’s Office in the “old” County Court House 401 Montgomery St. (next door to the Civic Center). One of the key items in the Parcel Tax printout above is the Deed Book (libre) and Page reference. Find the Deed Book Section of the Clerk’s office and locate the current Deed. (Note: deeds are numbered consecutively in chronological order. Deed Books after #4113 are only available as digital scans accessed from the available terminals- ask for help if needed). For your parcel only, (not the adjoining parcels), take careful notes, record: recording date, grantee/grantor, location description, Book/Page of previous deed, any restrictions, easements, covenants, which could influence use, and any “call to a plat”. Note any terms or phrases you do not understand. Repeat this for the previous 3 deeds. If a subdivision plat is “called”, locate the Map/Miscellaneous room of the Clerk’s Office, fill out a request, and review the plat. With tracing paper repeat the steps used for the Tax Map above.

Town Zoning and State regulations:

Locate your parcel on the Town Zoning Map (course web site readings link). Review all pertinent sections of the Zoning Ordinance including: allowed uses, lot size requirements, overlay zones such as Flood, and Critical Areas, and subdivision, special (floating) districts site plan approval. Assume that the owner (potential seller) wants to implement maximum allowable “build out”. Determine this value . Review the DEC regulated Wetland class map for its relevance to your property.

Report:

Develop a technical report, word processed, double spaced in a 3 ring binder which includes:

Title Page

Executive Summary: 1-2 pages including purpose of your contract, location of corridor and parcel, methods used, major open space opportunities, major constraints/challenges, and further research needed.

Table of Contents (% of grade)

Body:

(10) I. Open Space/Greenway Functions (team)

A. Brief (2-3 p.) review of the importance of a function- based approach to opens pace planning, and the IUCN and Greenway functions

(30) II. 9 Mile Creek Corridor Overview (team)

A. Regional Location

B. Natural Resource Setting

C. Population and Land Use

D. Existing Open Space Elements

E. Summary Table of IUCN/Greenway functions that are relevant to 9 Mile corridor

(40) III. Parcel Analysis Summary Descriptions (individual)

A Location in the 9 Mile Corridor

B. Ownership/Deeds

C. Taxes

D. Regulations, including “build-out”

E. Actor-Stakeholder Diagram for the Parcel

(10) IV. Findings

A. Open Space Functional Management opportunities and problems of the parcel (individual) brief narrative

B. Summary Table (team)- use the Table from IIE to ordinally rank each site (H,M,L)

C. Suggestions for further research

(10) V. Appendices (Team/individual- note authorship):

Glossary of course terms: all course web-site terms used in the body of the report should appear in bold. The appendix glossary of these terms is in alphabetic order.

All original field notes, photos, etc. signed and dated

Data from computers, library, county

Citations for all references used

Students should use photos, maps, charts and other visualizations as necessary to facilitate decision making. It is important for communications that key graphics are placed in the report body. All Appendix materials should be named in the Table of Contents and be fully cited/described in the Report body.