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Home>FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of the Tompkins County Planning Department?
Each year Tompkins County Planning Department develops a work program that outlines the projects and action items that will be addressed for the year.
How can I obtain aerial photos?
Color infrared images are available at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us.
Historic black & white aerial photos are available from Cornell University’s Institute for Resource Information Services, (607) 255-6520. Digital black and white aerial photos are available at http://aerial-ny.library.cornell.edu:6779/ny/browse/tompkins/ .
Can I get census information for a grant application I’m writing?
Please visit the census page on this website.
Can I get maps or GIS data of Tompkins County?
Tompkins County maps and GIS data information are accessible from the Tompkins County GIS website. Included in the site are selected census, environmental, physical landscape, political, property, social issues, and transportation maps and GIS data for Tompkins County.
Is the property I want to purchase in a flood zone?
TCPD is the official repository of flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Contact our office at (607) 274-5560 with address or tax parcel information and we will provide the community panel number and effective date.
What is the zoning on this land parcel?
We refer zoning questions to the municipality in which the property is located. If you need help determining which municipality you should contact, call the Planning Department at (607) 274-5560. Contact information for the municipalities is available from the  Local Government Directory.
I want to buy my first home, and heard there is a program through the County that helps. What is it?
The Tompkins County Homeownership Program provides financial assistance to low- and moderate-income families to purchase homes in Tompkins County. In addition to down payment assistance, the program provides an educational workshop on the home buying process, maintenance workshops, and one-on-one financial counseling.
The Homeownership Program provides basic assistance of up to 30% of the purchase price plus up to $3,750 in closing costs. The maximum financial assistance to participants is $30,000. For more information or to determine if you are eligible contact Better Housing for Tompkins County at 273-2187 or visit their website at www.betterhousingtc.org
How can I get my neighbors to stop burning their trash?
Effective October 14, 2009, it is illegal to burn trash anywhere in New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation phone number to report an illegal open fire is 1-800-TIPP DEC (1-800-847-7332). Questions and Answers regarding new open burning regulations are available on the DEC Web site, at www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/58519.html
What does it mean when a property is in a Unique Natural Area?
The Environmental Management Council created the Unique Natural Areas (UNAs) Inventory as a guide for landowners, municipal governing boards, and town planning boards. It identifies areas in the county that are special and, in many respects, contain one-of-a-kind natural features. Many of these areas are privately owned, and are not accessible to the public. Anyone wishing to visit a site on private land must obtain permission from the owner. Locations of the UNAs can be viewed through use of the Natural Resources Inventory interactive map. The UNA Inventory, available at public libraries, town offices, and the Tompkins County Planning Department, contains detailed information about each UNA. Categories included in the site reports are: location, site and vegetation descriptions, reasons for selection, special land-use information, conservation information, physical characteristics, and biological characteristics. A UNA is not a regulatory designation, and it does not provide legal protection for an area. For more information, visit http://www.tompkins-co.org/emc/educational_materials.htm and scroll down to Unique Natural Areas.
What does the Environmental Management Council do?
The EMC is a citizen advisory board to the Tompkins County Legislature on environmental issues. A Planning Department staff member serves as Coordinator. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.tompkins-co.org/emc/index.htm or call (607) 274-5560.
What does the Water Resources Council do?
The WRC is a citizen advisory board to the Tompkins County Legislature on water resources management. It serves as the Water Quality Coordinating Committee for the County. A Planning Department staff member serves as Coordinator and holds a voting seat on the WRC. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.tompkins-co.org/planning/committees/WRC/index.htm or call at (607) 274-5560.
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