[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Manlius 8-13-2009 by L.L. No.
1-2009.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Designation of
a Critical Environmental Area for Certain Real Property in the Town
of Manlius."
It is the intent of the Town Board to encourage productive and
enjoyable harmony between the Town residents and the environment,
to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment,
and to enhance human and community resources by designating an area
defined in the Town as a Critical Environmental Area ("CEA") pursuant
to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, 6 NYCRR 617.14(g).
The land designated as a CEA pursuant to this chapter is illustrated
on the map attached hereto as Appendix A[1] and includes all real property in the Town of Manlius
generally located east of Sweet Road, North of NYS Route 173, west
of the Village of Manlius boundary where applicable, north of the
Village of Manlius boundary where applicable, north of the residential
properties on Glencliffe Road, west of the residential properties
on Watch Hill Road, southwest of Troop K Road, and west of the properties
on Armstrong Road and south of the properties on Limberlost Lane,
said land encompassing all or parts of the following Tax Map Parcels
(the "Land"):
A.
107-01-01.1 (including approximately 100 acres of land).
B.
102-07-01.1 (including approximately 3.4 acres of land).
C.
108-02-18 (including approximately 90.97 acres of land).
D.
108-02-08.1 (including approximately 27.81 acres of land).
E.
108-02-15 (including approximately 1.35 acres of land).
F.
108-02-11.1 (including approximately 8.87 acres of land).
[1]
Editor's Note: Said map is on file in the Town offices.
A.
An application has been made by petition to the Town Board to designate
the certain real property in the Town of Manlius, part of which falls
under a covenant with the Town of Manlius, to keep said land in its
natural state as a CEA. The application and documents related thereto
have been reviewed by the Town Board, are incorporated into these
findings, and partially serve as the basis for the Board's findings
below and the adoption of this chapter
B.
The purpose of designating the real property described herein as
a CEA is to recognize the environmental sensitivity of the land so
designated and to require that any development of the land in the
CEA require a closer scrutiny by the Town in evaluating the effects
that such development would have on the unique environmental characteristics
of the land as set forth below:
(1)
Sinkholes, sinking streams and seasonal streams, which are indicative
of karst topography;
(2)
Historic kilns existing on the land;
(3)
Gorge rims including land from the top of the commonly called Three
Falls to NYS Rt. 173;
(4)
Historic stone walls running on the land of both the commonly called
Three Falls Woods and the Cavalry Club natural lands;
(5)
Numerous old-growth tree stands;
(6)
Unusual flora and fauna, including multiple moss species, state-protected
ferns and other plants, Pileated Woodpecker and other birds, federally
protected Indiana Bat, wildlife and reptiles, which flora and fauna
are indicative of a unique habitat for wildlife;
(7)
Vernal pond; and
(8)
Indian mound.
C.
The land designated herein as a CEA is part of the Onondaga Escarpment
Nature Corridor, a seven-mile long wooded corridor which forms one
of the largest, most sensitive undeveloped contiguous pieces of land
in the Town of Manlius, and has been included in the 2009 New York
State Open Space Priority List as an area that contains an exceptional
number of natural heritage elements and outstanding geological features.
D.
Pursuant to 6 NYCRR 617.14(g), by written public notice and after
a public hearing, the Town may designate a geographic area within
its boundaries as a CEA when such area has an exceptional or unique
character by meeting one or more of the following criteria:
(1)
A benefit or threat to human health;
(2)
A natural setting (e.g., fish and wildlife habitat, forest and vegetation,
open space and areas of important aesthetic or scenic quality);
(3)
Agricultural, social, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational,
or educational values; or
(4)
An inherent ecological, geographical or hydrological sensitivity
to change that may be adversely affected by change.
E.
Public hearings were held on May 13, 2009 and August 12, 2009 and
all persons wishing to express their opinions have had the opportunity
to do so.
F.
The unique features set forth in Subsection B above demonstrate that all of the criteria set forth in NYCRR 617.14(g) as exceptional or unique characteristics for the real property described herein have been met, and the Town Board of the Town of Manlius hereby designates those lands as a Critical Environmental Area pursuant to 6 NYCRR 617.14(g).
