Ithaca planning board moves forward proposed gas station/Burger King project on East Hill

UPDATE: At a meeting Feb. 19, a resolution was approved 5-0 for the preliminary site plan special permit and subdivision related to this project.  

The Town of Ithaca Planning Board will soon host a public hearing regarding the proposed transformation of the Mirabito gas station and former Burger King on Pine Tree Road in Ithaca. The two buildings would be demolished and the businesses combined into a consolidated 6,000-square-foot footprint, rather than separate buildings.

The Burger King closed in 2022; the gas station, located at 301 Pine Tree Rd., is still operational.

The public is encouraged to attend the hearing, which will be held Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Ithaca Town Hall.

The upcoming hearing comes after Mirabito took nearly two years to revise a sketch plan that was rejected by the Ithaca Town Planning Board in the winter of 2023.

“When we first took a look at it, we said, ‘Hey, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done here, and come up with something new,’” said C.J. Randall, director of planning for the town of Ithaca, “and that is in essence what the application team did. They made lots of changes from their original proposal and sketch plan.”

Among other things, the planning board asked for a redesign of the architecture that would contain a four-sided design with no blank walls, with each view of the building containing some architectural theme that flows to each side, according to a summary of the project history included in a recent memorandum to the planning board members from Christine Balestra, town of Ithaca senior planner.

The proposed plans, developed by Delta Engineers, Architects and Surveyors, include landscaping and electric vehicle charging stations.

The planning board asked that a proposed car wash be eliminated from the plans, saying that the site acreage is inadequate and that the current sewer system lacks sufficient capacity to accommodate a car wash.

Balestra stated that Cornell University currently owns the property, and the university has not indicated a future intention for the former restaurant.

The town’s original feedback emphasized the importance of foresighted design, Randall said. Even though a combined gas station, convenience store and drive-through restaurant typically serves drivers, the board wanted to see a design at the corner of Pine Tree Road and Ellis Hollow Road that was welcoming to pedestrians, as well.

“We know that it’s challenging to have a building like that in a parking lot while also being respectful of the town’s wishes to have an anchored corner there,” Randall said.

“It really comes down to the disposition of the building,” she added.

The goal is to serve a driver-centric business model while creating a building that would still be approachable to pedestrians, which is a tricky feat, Randall explained. Typically, gas stations that are exposed on all sides can feel intimidating or hostile to pedestrians, and the town board wanted to be conscious of this, as one day there may be more people on foot in the area than there are now.

In the town of Ithaca’s 2014 Comprehensive Plan, the East Hill area is earmarked for “traditional neighborhood design.” Cornell, which identified the East Hill area as a key location for redevelopment in 2008, selected a team of developers, architects and planners to begin the process for the development of East Hill Village, a neighborhood that would incorporate the goals of the university, the town of Ithaca and the surrounding community.

Public meetings were held in 2018 in an effort to engage the community in the reenvisioning of the area. Randall said that the town has not seen progress related to the project in recent years, but she added that the planning board is mindful of how new projects could affect the development of the area down the line.

Randall, who reviewed the plans when they were recently submitted to the town, said that she believes positive changes were made.

“The design team listened and has reimagined the project,” she said. “Whether the planning board is pleased with it remains to be seen.”

Randall said that she encourages those who are interested to attend the upcoming meeting, as well as future public hearings regarding other projects. 

“Projects can be improved with more eyes on them,” she said, “and also with more local knowledge. But I have to say, I think the [Mirabito/Burger King] applicants did a good job based on directives from the planning board.”