EAST AURORA
New village design guidelines to give developers clearer view
Published: July 09, 2009, 12:30 am
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East Aurora will be sporting a new look next spring with the completed reconstruction of Main Street.
Also new are village design guidelines expected to emerge about the same time as the new Main Street — giving developers a much clearer idea of what the village wants to see in restorations and new builds.
For a village some view as fussy or tough to do business in because of numerous reviews and restrictions, the new design guidelines are expected to simplify what is expected of new projects. At the same time, they will force the village to fine-tune its zoning code to mirror design standards.
“I think this is East Aurora’s attempt to become more organized,” Village Administrator Kimberly Reichert said Wednesday. “Everybody comes to the board with a different idea of what East Aurora should look like.”
Case in point: Over the last few years, village officials have pushed developers to build close to the street — including the new CVS drugstore being built at the site of the old NAPA store on upper Main. But technically, the village code does not stipulate that buildings should be close to the curb.
“I think developers will welcome this and will be able to go right to our village Web site and see what we’re asking for,” Reichert said. “They’ll have a pretty good idea of what we want before they walk into the Building Department. I think it will streamline everything.”
An ad hoc committee made up of representatives from the Village Board, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals has been drafting design guidelines expected to be ready in September. And by the time zoning codes are modified to reflect the guidelines, it will likely be spring.
East Aurora is closely studying the Village of Hamburg’s guidelines, which are considered more stringent than what East Aurora is considering.
Mayor Clark Crook said East Aurora is looking to use “a common sense approach” in developing its guidelines.
“Don’t be afraid to be tough, but be organized,” said Lowell Dewey, a Planning Commission member and former East Aurora village trustee.
“We’re not looking to develop an architectural board, but develop design guidelines to be used by the Planning Commission and Village Board,” Crook added. “There is nothing about this process for every building to look the same. This is not what this is about. I can’t stress that enough.”
The village will likely have specific standards for its historic district. But Crook said the village does not want one common theme.
“The last thing we want to do is say that every sign in the village should have a Roycroft font,” he said. “We’ve been asking for buildings close to the street. It’s not color, shape or size.”
krobinson@buffnews.com
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