Category: Uncategorized

Judd Falls Road is open again, with the speed humps back to their original spec.

Pine Tree Rd between NY 366 and Honness Road (near East Hill Plaza) will be milled starting Tues. June 23.

Repaving of Fairway Drive and Crest Lane is scheduled for this summer. See Town of Ithaca June Newsletter

Since June 2nd, the pedestrian section of the downstream bridge (aka lower bridge) has been closed for repairs. The closure is due to the condition of the steel beams and bolts supporting the walkway. Since the bridge was rebuilt 3 decades ago, rust has weakened the steel to the point that safety is now of concern, and repairs are urgently needed.

The Town has indicated that they are highly aware of the safety concerns for walkers and bikers, and that repairs and reopening the walkway have taken on a high priority for our DPW.

The following alert via Tompkins SIREN was issued on June 4 at 2:11pm:
Due to safety concern identified during a recent NYSDOT inspection, the pedestrian walkway on the Forest Home Lower Bridge is closed effective immediately pending further evaluation and repair.
Pedestrians are prohibited from using the vehicle travel lane to cross the bridge and must use an alternate route.
Questions: Town of Ithaca DPW 607-273-1656 or publicworks@townithacany.gov

The Stewart Avenue bridge over Fall Creek is closed for a major rehabilitation. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-November. See Detour Plan at – https://www.cityofithacany.gov/ImageRepository/Document?documentID=21105

The work at the intersection of State Route 13 and North Triphammer Rd is part of a state project to improve both safety and traffic flow at several highway intersections across 5 counties. Unfortunately, there do not appear to be any detailed plans or schedules available to the public.

A new water main is to be installed along the 300-600 Blocks of North Meadow Street, between Esty Street and Hancock Street, scheduled for June 14 through August 15. One or two lanes on Meadow Street will be closed much of the time. Most of the work will be done at night (7pm-6am), but several streets, particularly Esty and Cascadilla streets, will be closed for some periods. For details, see https://www.cityofithacany.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/1431

The current work at the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and Cradit Farm Drive is intended to construct an attractive, visible entrance to the Cornell Campus. Here is the design that was presented last year and approved.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works department will be starting to vacuum leaves on Nov 10. Leaves may be raked to the shoulder of the road or bagged in biodegradable paper bags. The crew will go once round the Town vacuuming. Bagged leaves will be picked up at the same time as the vacuuming AND in subsequent weeks in November.

2025 Leaf Pickup. Week beginning Nov. 10

In the fall, leaves are vacuumed throughout the town, so leaves may be raked to the shoulder of the road or bagged in biodegradable paper bags. In 2025, vacuuming will start on Monday November 10th. Leaves should be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the first day of collection. There will be no second collection and no callbacks for leaf vacuuming. For subsequent weeks in November, weather permitting, crews will be collecting bagged leaves only.

Pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, grass clippings, and similar debris cannot be vacuumed and should be bagged.

You may also drop your yard waste off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office.

The FHIA Annual Meeting will be on Wed. Oct. 22 at 7:00 PM in the Forest Home Chapel. Residents should watch for emails with more details.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works department will be hard at work between late October and mid-November to help you get your yard ready for winter. Fall Brush pickup will be the week beginning Oct 20. Starting on Nov 10, the crew will go once round the Town vacuuming leaves. Bagged leaves will be picked up on both weeks. Details are below.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works Department will pick up yard waste (brush, leaves, pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, and grass clippings) starting Monday, Oct 20, 2025 and will continue throughout the Town that week until finished. All yard waste must be at the roadside by 7 a.m. on the first day of collection.

THERE WILL BE NO SECOND COLLECTION AND NO CALL BACKS FOR BRUSH. See separate section below on Fall Leaf Pickup, which will start on Nov. 10.

The intention of the Town’s roadside collection service is for Town residents, excluding the Village of Cayuga Heights and the City of Ithaca, to put a reasonable amount of yard waste (as generated during a normal year) out at the roadside for pick up by the Town’s crews. Clearing of building lots and hedgerows is beyond a normal amount of material. Roadside collection crews reserve the right not to pick up excessively large volumes of brush and improperly piled materials.

WHAT TO DO

  • Bag leaves, garden, and other yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. Fill bags and place on road shoulder. Fold over openings of bags to close. Do not staple or tape. 30-gallon bags are available at Agway, Home Depot, Lowes, WalMart, and Wegman’s, and other stores in the area.
  • Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so that the chipping trucks can feed the cut ends first. See diagram at https://lfweb.tompkins-co.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=316976&dbid=9&repo=TownOfIthaca
  • Brush piles should be no larger than a pickup truck load (approximately 2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L in size). It is not necessary to cut limbs into small pieces.
  • Put out limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter.
  • Place brush and filled bags of yard waste along road shoulder or at the end of the driveway if no shoulder exists.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Do not tie bundles of brush. Do not place any materials in a ditch. Do not put out metal, rocks, glass, roots, stumps, or lumber scraps. Do not put brush and leaf bags out until the week before collection.

You may also drop your yard waste off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office.

2025 Leaf Pickup. Week beginning Nov. 10

In the fall, leaves are vacuumed throughout the town, so leaves may be raked to the shoulder of the road or bagged in biodegradable paper bags. In 2025, vacuuming will start on Monday November 10th. Leaves should be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the first day of collection. There will be no second collection and no callbacks for leaf vacuuming. For subsequent weeks in November, weather permitting, crews will be collecting bagged leaves only.

Pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, grass clippings, and similar debris cannot be vacuumed and should be bagged.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works department will be hard at work between late October and mid-November to help you get your yard ready for winter. Fall Brush pickup will be the week beginning Oct 20. Starting on Nov 10, the crew will go once round the Town vacuuming leaves. Bagged leaves will be picked up on both weeks. Details are below.

But before that, there are two special events on the morning of Sept 13 hosted by the Town of Ithaca. The Public Works Department is having an Open House aimed at the whole family. More information is below. The same day, the Town Conservation Board is offering a chance to explore the new ethnobotanic trail in Tutelo Park at 151 Bostwick Rd — Sat Sept 13, 10am-noon. Conservation Board members and others involved in the project will be available to answer questions and provide guided walks of the new trail. Look for them near the park pavilion at the new kiosk.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE
Sat, Sept 13, 2025, 9am to 12 PM,
114 Seven Mile Drive, Ithaca NY

=== FUN FOR ALL AGES-FAMILIES WELCOME! ===

Explore, Learn and Climb Aboard. See and sit in real trucks and equipment:
  • Dump trucks with snow plows
  • Excavators
  • And more!
Tour the Facility and meet the crews who keep the Town running. Special Appearances by:
  • Tompkins County Sheriffs Department
  • Ithaca Fire Department
  • Bolton Point Water
=== COME RAIN OR SHINE, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! ===

2025 Fall Brush Pickup. Week beginning Oct 20.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works Department will pick up yard waste (brush, leaves, pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, and grass clippings) starting Monday, Oct 20, 2025 and will continue throughout the Town that week until finished. All yard waste must be at the roadside by 7 a.m. on the first day of collection.

THERE WILL BE NO SECOND COLLECTION AND NO CALL BACKS FOR BRUSH. See separate section below on Fall Leaf Pickup, which will start on Nov. 10.

The intention of the Town’s roadside collection service is for Town residents, excluding the Village of Cayuga Heights and the City of Ithaca, to put a reasonable amount of yard waste (as generated during a normal year) out at the roadside for pick up by the Town’s crews. Clearing of building lots and hedgerows is beyond a normal amount of material. Roadside collection crews reserve the right not to pick up excessively large volumes of brush and improperly piled materials.

WHAT TO DO

  • Bag leaves, garden, and other yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. Fill bags and place on road shoulder. Fold over openings of bags to close. Do not staple or tape. 30-gallon bags are available at Agway, Home Depot, Lowes, WalMart, and Wegman’s, and other stores in the area.
  • Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so that the chipping trucks can feed the cut ends first. See diagram at https://lfweb.tompkins-co.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=316976&dbid=9&repo=TownOfIthaca
  • Brush piles should be no larger than a pickup truck load (approximately 2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L in size). It is not necessary to cut limbs into small pieces.
  • Put out limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter.
  • Place brush and filled bags of yard waste along road shoulder or at the end of the driveway if no shoulder exists.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Do not tie bundles of brush. Do not place any materials in a ditch. Do not put out metal, rocks, glass, roots, stumps, or lumber scraps. Do not put brush and leaf bags out until the week before collection.

For more information, please call 273-1656 between 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You may also drop your yard waste off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office.

2025 Leaf Pickup. Week beginning Nov. 10

In the fall, leaves are vacuumed throughout the town, so leaves may be raked to the shoulder of the road or bagged in biodegradable paper bags. In 2025, vacuuming will start on Monday November 10th. Leaves should be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the first day of collection. There will be no second collection and no callbacks for leaf vacuuming. For subsequent weeks in November, weather permitting, crews will be collecting bagged leaves only.

Pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, grass clippings, and similar debris cannot be vacuumed and should be bagged.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS NOT FAR FROM FOREST HOME:
2025 Tompkins County Airport Day & Preparedness Expo on Sat Sept 13
Free Rabies Clinic for Dogs, Cats & Ferrets, Sat Sept 27, 11am to 2pm.
43rd Annual Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival, downtown Sept 26-28.

Saturday, September 6, 2025, 3PM – 6PM, at the Forest Home Park.  Rain date is September 7.

Volunteers still needed: one more to help with grilling and one or two for lifting and transporting the grill from 122 Judd Falls Rd. The lifting needs strong backs. Four people make this task safe and trouble-free.

WE WILL PROVIDE:
Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, ice cream, non-alcoholic beverages, flatware, cups, and plates.

PLEASE BRING IF YOU CAN:
A side dish, salad, or pie; chairs; croquet, balls, outdoor toys. Please no alcohol.

VOLUNTEER TO:
Be a cooker or a server, set up, clean up, or help with garbage and recycling. We are hoping for 10 volunteers. Send email to foresthomenews@gmail.com to volunteer.

Thanks for your help. We look forward to seeing you!
Forest Home Fall Picnic Committee

TO OUR NEW NEIGHBORS:
Residents who would like to be added to the Forest Home Improvement Association e-mail list, please write to us at: foresthomenews@gmail.com

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS NOT FAR AWAY:
2025 Tompkins County Airport Day & Preparedness Expo on Sat Sept 13
43rd Annual Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival, downtown Sept 26-28.

The Town has planned a milling and repaving project for Judd Falls Rd, Forest Home Dr from Judd Falls Rd to the upper bridge, and recently added McIntyre Pl to the activity. Their current plan is to mill off the surfaces the week of July 21, with repaving done the following week. During this construction period, please plan for partial street closures within the community. Note: paving plans are always weather-dependent.

Streets and crosswalks will be re-striped afterwards.

Forest Home will probably see a lot of Cornell guests driving through the hamlet between Friday May 23 and Sunday May 25.

Friday is generally a travel day, when many families arrive in town. However, many Colleges and/or Departments have events planned for Friday and on Friday evening there will be a PhD Recognition Ceremony Ceremony for all PhD candidates (6pm – 8pm) and a choral concert in Bailey Hall (8pm – 9:45pm).

Saturday is graduation day. University Commencement Ceremonies are held at 10 am and 2:30 pm in Schoellkopf Stadium for all degree candidates.
More College events may be on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

To see what graduating students and their guests have been told about parking and the schedule of official events, see:

* https://commencement.cornell.edu/may/plan/park/ — you may want to take a look at the map, which shows routes (not through Forest Home) for shuttle buses.

* https://commencement.cornell.edu/may/events/

A public budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday May 13, 5:30 p.m. in York Hall in Ithaca High School.

The polling place for Forest Home residents for the School Board Election is at Northeast Elementary School, 425 Winthrop Drive, Ithaca.

There is extensive information from the Ithaca City School District available at
* https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/budget-vote-election
Includes information on candidates for the School Board.
* https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/budget-development
Includes extensive information about the budget, including presentations in several levels of detail.

If you are not registered, the voter registration deadline for the school district election is May 6, 2025.

You can register to vote at the Tompkins County Board of Elections at 128 East Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Open weekdays, 9am-5pm. Use the same form as for voting in other elections. For info, see https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/Board-of-Elections/Forms

In addition, the school district has authorized continuous registration of qualified voters in the Office of the District Clerk, 400 Lake Street, Ithaca, New York between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, through May 6, 2025.

2025 Spring Brush and Leaf Pickup.

The Town of Ithaca Public Works Department will pick up yard waste (brush, leaves, pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, and grass clippings) starting Monday, April 21, 2025 and will continue throughout the Town that week until finished. All yard waste must be at the roadside by 7 a.m. on the first day of collection.

Please note that crews do not use leaf vacuum machines for spring leaf pickup; no loose leaf piles or plastic bags will be picked up.

THERE WILL BE NO SECOND COLLECTION AND NO CALL BACKS.

The intention of the Town’s roadside collection service is for Town residents, excluding the Village of Cayuga Heights and the City of Ithaca, to put a reasonable amount of yard waste (as generated during a normal year) out at the roadside for pick up by the Town’s crews. Clearing of building lots and hedgerows is beyond a normal amount of material. Roadside collection crews reserve the right not to pick up excessively large volumes of brush and improperly piled materials.

WHAT TO DO

  • Bag leaves, garden, and other yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. Fill bags and place on road shoulder. Fold over openings of bags to close. Do not staple or tape. 30-gallon bags are available at Agway, Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, and Wegman’s, and other stores in the area.
  • Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so that the chipping trucks can feed the cut ends first. See diagram at https://lfweb.tompkins-co.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=316976&dbid=9&repo=TownOfIthaca
  • Brush piles should be no larger than a pickup truck load (approximately 2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L in size). It is not necessary to cut limbs into small pieces.
  • Put out limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter.
  • Place brush and filled bags of yard waste along road shoulder or at the end of the driveway if no shoulder exists.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Do not tie bundles of brush. Do not place any materials in a ditch. Do not put out metal, rocks, glass, roots, stumps, or lumber scraps. Do not put brush and leaf bags out until the week before collection.

For more information, please call 273-1656 between 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You may also drop your yard waste off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office.

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Safe Street Tompkins Virtual Public Meeting

You may remember that Tompkins County has a project called Safe Streets Tompkins [https://safestreetstompkins.com] administered by consultants, Cambridge Systematics. During 2024, the project collected input from individuals about locations at which they had or observed accidents or felt unsafe. FHIA encouraged individuals to describe their own experiences.

Safe Streets Tompkins will hold a virtual public meeting to discuss and get input on the countywide priority locations with potential for safety improvement, particularly vulnerable road user high risk areas, on Wednesday, April 30th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.

Cambridge Systematics will present recommendations for proven safety countermeasures at priority intersections and segments; these will be included in the forthcoming Tompkins County Joint Safety Action Plan.

Note: The draft of the Tompkins Joint Safety Action Plan will be posted by Cambridge Systematics at https://safestreetstompkins.com on the day of the public meeting. The consultants intend to give a walk-through of the plan that evening, and will have a public comment box on the website for 14 days.

Join the virtual meeting at https://microsoft.com/Microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting

Meeting ID: 287 262 862 096

Passcode: Bj2bK7n9

Join by phone: 1 857-410-1629

Phone Conference ID: 904 679 980#

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Postscript: While on the topic of safe streets, it is worth noting that FHIA working groups, formed in response to last Fall’s planning effort, are working with the Town and Cornell on next steps to plan and implement additional traffic-calming measures in Forest Home. FHIA is currently working with the Town on how best to carry out its planned repaving of Forest Home Drive and Judd Falls Road in a way that supports our traffic-calming goals.

If you have questions about these FHIA traffic-related efforts, send email to foresthomenews@gmail.com with “traffic calming” in the subject line.

Stimulated by requests from FHIA Board members for easier access to some particular content on the website and the need to update pages due to changes by the Town of Ithaca, City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County, the team maintaining this website has re-organized the top level menus.

If you have comments or difficulty finding something because it has moved, feel free to send a message to foresthomenews@gmail.com.