Rural Tompkins County

Large interests play a big part in Tompkins County policy making. In fact, they’re the only interests that matter.

The “2018 Town of Lansing, NY – Comprehensive Plan” is a 312 page concoction designed to serve these interests.

And the Town of Lansing, N.Y. – Agricultural Property map is just one example of the deliberate misrepresentations that riddle this document.

The inquiry into this map, and its final disposition, is only the introduction to a multi-part examination of both the Town of Lansing’s and Tompkins County’s Comprehensive plans.

What is planned for the future of our community, and who made those decisions?

It’s all playing out in Cornithaca County.

As mentioned in the introduction to this series:

In each blog, I will focus on an actual incident or issue that raises questions about the conduct of those who have been entrusted with the welfare of the public at large.

The questions and facts of the case will be included in a letter sent to the persons responsible for regulatory oversight, as well as to our elected representatives. The body of the letter will be disclosed in each blog, and the results of these letters and the names of recipients will be posted as updates.

At the end of the series, I will summarize the findings as to whether the response of Tompkins County public officials has been consistent with their duty to the public at large.

Below is the body of the email:

I am writing you to request that you remove from all documents and files, the County map titled Town of Lansing, N.Y. – Agricultural Property with a legend purporting to display land receiving Agricultural Exemptions in the Town of Lansing for the year 2016.

This Tompkins County map misrepresents the acreage receiving Agricultural Exemptions in the following ways:

• This map misrepresents existing facts: i.e. actual acreage receiving Agricultural Exemptions in 2016.

• The Tompkins County Assessment Department admitted that they knowingly supplied a map misrepresenting the actual acreage receiving Agricultural Exemptions: “The intention of the map is to show the parcels that receive an agricultural exemption – it is not intended to show how much of each parcel receives an exemption.” This is clearly not the representation of the map. [As an example: Contrary to the 100% shown on the map, only 40% of my brother’s [Joel Baird’s] tax parcel receives an Agricultural Assessment.]

• This map was used to support preferential agricultural policies, including the creation of an Agricultural Zone, to the exclusion and detriment of the existing rural community — an intentional misrepresentation of material existing fact made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with resulting injury or damage.

A knowingly inaccurate map should neither have been created nor have been offered for inclusion in a legal document that is described in NY Town Law as follows: “Among the most important powers and duties granted by the legislature to a town government is the authority and responsibility to undertake town comprehensive planning.”

Additionally, while this map is also offered as a proof of intent by the Town of Lansing for continued agricultural land use, a different Lansing Comp Plan map shows that the Town has zoned most of the Agricultural Exemption parcels east and south of 34B and Peruville roads for residential and commercial development.

Just changing the legend and/or name of the map would only cover up the situation and retain any advantages that the misrepresentation has given to the parties involved.

I request the Tompkins County Legislature to remove this map from its files and any documents wherein it has been used, and to correct as much as possible the damage its use has caused.