Town Boards & Committees

***The Conservation Board is currently seeking new members. Please contact conservationboard@town.ithaca.ny.us for more information.***

Conservation Board Mission Statement:
Safeguarding and promoting natural and scenic resources for all Ithacans and our visitors.

The Conservation Board is a group of Town of Ithaca residents who volunteer their time and energy towards the preservation and protection of the Town’s natural and scenic resources. The Board is composed of a diverse group, including retired, working, business, and professional people. The Board acts in an advisory capacity to the other Town Boards on environmental matters.

The Conservation Board consists of the following committees:

• Environmental Review Committee
• Scenic Resources Committee
• Communications Committee
  • The Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award

Board Publications

Public Meetings

Conservation Board meets the 1^st Thursday of the month at 5:30p.m.  Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.

Meetings are in the Aurora Conference Room of Town Hall.  Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.

For more information on the Conservation Board, please contact the Planning Department at conservationboard@town.ithaca.ny.us | (607) 273-1747. 

The Planning Board is responsible for:

• Considering application requests for the subdivision of land, site plans, and special use permits
• Conducting environmental reviews and making determinations on the significance of the above listed application requests, per NY State Environmental Quality Review Act
• Making recommendations to the Town Board on proposed legislation, plans or other initiatives involving land use and/or planning.

Planning Board Members

• Fred Wilcox, Chair
• Ariel Casper, Vice Chair
• Cindy Kaufman
• William Arms
• Elizabeth Bageant
• Caitlin Cameron
• Alternate member, Kelda McGurk
• Vacancy

Members are appointed by the Town Board for 7-year terms and consist of 7 regular and 1 alternate member.  Members must be residents of the Town of Ithaca and are required to obtain 4 hours of annual training.

More information about the Planning Board can be found in the Town Code at https://ecode360.com/8662978.

Public Meetings

Planning Board meets the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays of the month at 6:30pm.  Periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.

Meetings are in the Board Room of Town Hall.  Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.

For more information on the Planning Board, please contact the Planning Department at planning@town.ithaca.ny.us | (607) 273-1747. 

The Zoning Board is a quasi-judicial board that is charged with hearing requests for variance(s), interpretations made by a Town Official, or a special permit for projects or actions they are planning or conducting which was found to be outside of the allowed Town of Ithaca Code, Zoning Chapters 270 & 271.  The Board weighs requests for variances, special permits and interpretations by using a balancing test of criteria established by the State and the Town Code. 

Zoning Board Members

• Stuart Friedman
• Chris Jung
• David Squires, Chair
• Connor Terry
• Matthew Minnig, Alternate
• Kim Ritter, Alternate

The Zoning Board of Appeals consists of seven members appointed by the Town Board; 5 regular and 2 alternates and members must be a resident of the Town.  

Members receive a small stipend.  Terms are 5-years for regular members and 1 year for alternates.     

Some knowledge of the application of municipal law or other rules and regulations is helpful but not required.  

Public Meetings

Zoning Board of Appeals meets the 3rd Monday of the month at 6pm. Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.

Meetings are in the Board Room of Town Hall.  Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents. 2023 ZBA Meeting Schedule with deadlines for applications

For more information on the Zoning Committee, please contact the Code Enforcement & Zoning Department at codes@town.ithaca.ny.us | (607) 273-1783.