[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Ithaca 8-5-1998 by Ord. No. 98-18. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
A.
The Common Council may designate as natural areas
of the City of Ithaca those areas which are wholly or substantially
in a natural and/or undeveloped state, which have significance for
ecological and/or recreational reasons, and which are best appreciated
and maintained in a natural, relatively undisturbed state (rather
than as an active use park).
B.
The Six Mile Creek Natural Area consisting of the
City-owned parcels in the vicinity of Six Mile Creek, upstream from
Aurora Street, is a designated natural area of the City of Ithaca
as of August 5, 1998.
[Amended 2-1-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-3]
(1)
In addition to the Six Mile Creek Natural Area, the
following natural areas are hereby designated as of February 1, 2006:
(2)
The current boundaries of all of the above natural
areas are shown on the map or maps dated February 2005, and August
2005, which shall be filed and maintained in the office of the City
Clerk.
(3)
Additional natural areas may be designated in the
future, including but not limited to the Southwest Natural Area, consisting
of the municipally owned parcels constituting and in the vicinity
of the substitute parkland which replaces the original Southwest Park
in the City of Ithaca.
C.
The boundaries of any designated natural area shall
be shown on a map approved and amended as necessary from time to time
by Common Council, which map shall be filed and maintained in the
office of the City Clerk. Notwithstanding any other provision herein,
any additional parcels of land adjacent to any natural area shown
on such a map, which are acquired by the City of Ithaca after the
date of such map, shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be presumed
to be part of the adjacent natural area, unless the City makes clear,
in writing, a different intention. When such acquisition occurs, the
Common Council shall approve the amended map.
[Amended 2-1-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-3]
D.
Designation as a natural area is not intended to rescind,
supersede or otherwise affect the preexisting or future status of
an area (or any portion thereof) as public parkland, except as specified
herein. Natural area status is intended as an overlay, such that the
requirements associated with such status are added to any requirements
or conditions associated with parkland status.
[Added 2-1-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-3]
The Common Council hereby affirms the City of
Ithaca's commitment and intent to protect and maintain the natural
areas of the City of Ithaca in a generally natural, undisturbed state.
The addition of human-made elements shall be as minimal as possible,
and shall be primarily in the form of hiking trails, educational aids
and measures necessary for the public safety, and in the case of the
Six Mile Creek Natural Area, measures necessary to maintain the water
supply system.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-15]
The Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission shall
be the advisory body to the Board of Public Works (and Common Council,
when appropriate) that shall coordinate City and public concerns about
the natural areas.
A.
City boards and staff involved in any plans for construction of new facilities or rehabilitation of existing facilities in a natural area shall give vigorous and thorough consideration to the commitment in § 114-2, above, and shall inform and work with the Natural Areas Commission in the development of such plans.
B.
Except for necessary emergency repairs to the water supply system at Six Mile Creek and routine maintenance of existing facilities, no significant, permanent changes shall be made in the natural areas without prior approval from the Board of Public Works or the Common Council, acting after soliciting the advice of the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission. "Routine maintenance" refers to work carried out on a regular basis and according to standardized, general procedures set forth in the "ecologically informed guidelines" described in § 114-5 of this chapter.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-15]
C.
In the event that physical change to or change in the use of any
property adjacent to or within 100 feet of a designated natural area
is proposed and requires nonministerial City approval of any type,
the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission shall be notified,
in writing, as soon as is practical, by the involved City board or
department, and shall be notified, in advance, when action may be
taken on the proposal or if the nature or substance of the proposal
changes.
[Added 2-1-2006 by Ord.
No. 2006-3; 7-5-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-15]
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-15]
Ecologically informed general guidelines for Department of Public
Works maintenance activities within the natural areas shall be promulgated
and updated as necessary by the Department of Public Works, in consultation
with the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission, and
subject to the approval of the Board of Public Works.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-15]
Any significant disruption of a natural area by the City shall
be restored to as natural or compatible a state as practical, on the
basis of a restoration plan promulgated with the advice of the Parks,
Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission. If the Department of
Public Works and the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission
cannot agree on the plan, the Board of Public Works shall make a final
determination.
The following activities are prohibited in all
of the natural areas of the City of Ithaca, unless expressly permitted
or carried out pursuant to a duly issued permit:
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-15]
The position of Natural Area Ranger is hereby established to
advise users of regulations governing the natural areas and to demonstrate
the City's intention to protect said areas and enforce the regulations.
The Ranger(s) shall be provided with adequate equipment to communicate
readily with law enforcement agencies. The Ranger(s) shall work under
the direction of the Chief of Police and shall consult regularly with
the Public Safety and Information Commission.
The city hereby directs the Department of Works
to provide adequate and attractive signage to alert the public to
the rules and regulation covering trails and hazards in the gorge.
