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Targeting Ithaca Targeting Ithaca Barbara Regenspan I am not a cynical person and I fight cyni­ cism whenever it creeps into my life. So the act of researching this article about the City of Ithaca’s communication with the public regarding its southwest development plan, and especially its relationship to the Widewaters Corporation, including the actions of Widewaters around its efforts to build a Target store on the very site the city rejected for Wal-Mart five years ago, was a disheartening experience. Hannah Arendt’s conception “the banality of evil” has repeatedly come to mind during my efforts to capture the complex of moral lapses and poor judgment that has character­ ized the city’s process, as well as that of its clear ally, Marco Marzocchi. General Counsel of the Widewaters Corporation. After a num­ ber of interviews and much research of docu­ ments, I can see that what has happened gen­ erally is a defensive closing of ranks around the principle players who insist that they truly believe that southwest development is a cure for virtually all of Ithaca's economic woes; this closing of ranks has excluded the possi­ bility of any real dialogue relative to our city’s pursuit of economic development and has pro­ duced an end-justifies-the-means approach. While that might not be evil, it’s bad. It’s especially bad because this is a city with a disproportionate number of residents who are aware of the contradictions in the current global economic system that shape the choices available to us in our pursuit of local economic viability. For instance, at present, many developers are interested only in creat­ ing so-called "big-box” stores with their high sales volumes or are only willing to invest in malls anchored by big-box stores located away from, and often in direct competition with traditional downtowns. V Many of us are actively troubled that big- Si, l*'\ box stores and the other national chain stores Planning ’ tend to drive out locally-based businesses and Board mem­ are dependent on undervalued resources as ber Ken Vineberg, raw material for cheap goods made and sold thinks that the Target bv underpaid people. store proposed for Ithaca Some would say that these issues of global will still be in existence twen­ economic inequity and how they express ty-five years from now, when the six or eight themselves at home trouble only those of us cottonwood trees he offers as a solution to the characterizes as “careless” rela­ who can afford to be troubled. Still, in the viewshed problem might be tall enough to actu­ tive to its pursuit of southwest develop­ local debates, the only folks I've heard clam­ ally block the building from anybody’s view. ment is regrettable, though understandable, able southwest develop­ oring for the minimum-wage jobs these stores Yet Vineberg believes that until the number because of the equally careless behavior of its ment, which I clearly do not. A ,create are folks who wouldn’t take them. of folks opposing such development outnumber opposition, which has slowed down the city’s major problem in effectively responding to Another piece of likewise compelling data to the ones calling for better shopping opportuni­ process and frustrated both the city and the the pattern of self-justification that continues me: In both the public hearings and the written ties and more revenues generated by sales tax in first southwest developer, namely to issue from city government is having comments on the Draft Generic Environmental Ithaca, the elected government should be Widewaters, through the incursion of extra enough background information to under­ Impact Statement (GEIS) for the city’s pro­ allowed to do “what it was elected to costs and time-consuming challenges. stand the context in which decisions are made posed southwest plan, people from a wide array do”—which he interprets as the building of a But after researching this article, I would and actions taken. Hopefully this article can of social classes made the argument that unde­ shopping center that he has the expertise to argue that the city’s own efforts to circumvent sort through some of those details. veloped land, even undeveloped land zoned make beautiful—within the Buttermilk Falls opposition, which sometimes come perilously Even city employees have been pressured commercial, and especially land visible from viewshed. This is especially the case as, accord­ close to skirting state regulations, have set us to act on incomplete background information. glorious local treasures like Buttermilk Falls, is ing to him, suggestions for smaller-scale devel­ on a course that may have dire political and Phyllis Radke, the acting building commis­ a more valuable resource for the city and its res­ opment, such as the so-called “middle-ground” economic consequences. sioner, who last October 18 (1999) issued the idents than anything we could build on such alternative plan from the Citizens' Planning The purpose of this article is to speak to the fill permit that allowed Widewaters to dump land, especially understanding that the opti­ Alliance, "are a waste of time and energy need for honesty and openness in the Ithaca 80,000 cubic yards of gravel— not only on the mistic outcomes predicted from such building because no developer would look at them." city government, and to make that appeal continued on page 11 are likely to be short lived. Nobody, including For Vineberg, the city’s behavior, which he effective even to those who believe in size­ page 2 The fiOOKPRESS November 2000 Letters Kara Hagedorn is a naturalist with a zoology Buttermilk, below a campground, and in the been under a sheet of ice, a mile thick. I talk viewing, the Watchable Wildlife Program degree from Colorado State University. Site view of the gorge. All summer I have been lis­ of the Cayuga Indians, the colonists who had serves as a nationwide cooperative effort that moved to Ithaca in 1986 and has worked as an tening to people’s concerns and there is no a grist mill at the base of the falls and of combines wildlife conservation with environmental educator at Buttermilk Falls State ignoring that this is a beloved park to thou­ Robert and Laura Treman’s generous contri­ America’s deepening interest in wildlife- Park. Because of her concern over plans for a sands of people and a development of the size bution and desire to protect this scenic gorge related outdoor recreation. A binocular logo Target store in the immediate vicinity of proposed will have permanent and irre­ for future generations. As we go up the steps on state park highway signs will soon identi­ Buttermilk Falls State Park she wrote the follow­ versible damage on the quality of this scenic alongside the main waterfall I talk of the fy Buttermilk Falls as a wildlife viewing site. ing letter addressed to city officials. Having park. Already impacts have been made that Civilian Conservation Corps’ contribution of The cornerstone of the Watchable Wildlife received no response she requested that The you are probably not even aware of. For the beautiful masonry found throughout the Program is a series of state-by-state wildlife Bookpress publish her letter. We also include a example, on gorge hikes when we stop to look park. Then we continue on the trail to the viewing guides. Available at The Bookery, in previous piece she wrote for the Town of Ithaca out over the valley and talk about glaciation overlook for a long stop looking down on the downtown Ithaca, The New York Wildlife newsletter. and watershed, the group would often be valley. It is the only appropriate place to talk Viewing Guide is beautifully presented with delighted to see a great blue heron, hawk, or about glaciation, where people can visualize numerous color photographs of animals and August 23, 2000 pileated woodpecker fly and land in the the carving of the Cayuga Valley. Will a landscapes, directions to 76 sites, viewing hedgerow that was in the view below, across shopping center down below be your contri­ hints, and other relevant information. A nice To Mayor Cohen, Common Council the floodplain. bution? There are other places in the City of introduction on New York State’s biodiversi­ Members, and the Planning Board, Now that hedgerow is gone since it was cut Ithaca to put a development of this size. ty illustrates the connection between diverse down by Widewaters. You may not be aware School groups, the Boy Scouts, the habitats and wildlife diversity. I am writing to you as a private citizen of that Buttermilk Falls State Park is listed as a Paleontological Research Institute, day On a local level. Buttermilk Falls State Ithaca who has worked for eleven years as a Watchable Wildlife Park in a national and camps, all use this trail for geological educa­ Park is a perfect example of how habitat naturalist and educator at Buttermilk Falls state system of tourism guides. One wildlife tion. Again I ask, will this be your legacy, diversity supports wildlife. Within 751 acres, State Park (BMP). More than anyone else in viewing opportunity at BMF has already been urbanizing a scenic park that people come to the park contains several gorges, a small lake, the State Park system, I interface with the lost due to the southwest plan. Now, when we from all over the world? a cat-tail marsh, Buttermilk creek, streamside public at BMF in a very personal way. It is my stop at the overlook someone always asks, This decision should weigh heavily on your habitat, mature forest, flood-plain forest, red- job to walk around the campground several “Why have they cleared that area down conscience.
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