Voices on Canal Side ring largely positive
Nearly 400 attend hearing about $300 million project
Nearly 400 people attended the Canal Side public hearing Tuesday, with a majority of speakers during the first hour of comment expressing strong support for the proposed $300 million project.
Some speakers who packed the Albright-Knox Art Gallery auditorium, including Mark Carey of East Aurora, were generous in their praise for the job being done by Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., the project's overseer, and Canal Side's proposed mix of public, retail and entertainment space that uses the Erie Canal as its unifying theme.
"You guys have done a wonderful job. You've taken Buffalo from the mistake on the lake to the masterpiece on the lake," Carey said.
Paul Brown, president of the Buffalo Building Trades, said he was anxious for the project to get started, even though he assumed that some work will be non-union.
"For the good of Buffalo, for the good of Erie County, this project has got to move forward. These guys have busted their butts on this project, and it's time to move on," Brown said.
The loudest objections came from residents of Marine Drive, who are opposing a proposed six-story, 1,280-vehicle parking ramp.
One of them, Elizabeth Harris, held up petitions with the signatures of 400 people opposed to the parking garage because of potential air pollution, noise and crime.
"We are a community of 1,000 Buffalo residents who are not a structural impediment to the project area. The project area needs to integrate into the Marine Drive community, not the other way around," Harris said.
Joseph Makowski, attorney for the Marine Drive tenants, suggested that an additional supplemental environmental review may be necessary to further study the issue.
Sixty speakers from the public were scheduled to offer comments, but the first speaker didn't have an opportunity until 90 minutes after the scheduled start following opening presentations and speeches by several politicians.
Tim Tielman of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo offered the most impassioned criticism, warning of a provision in the generic draft environmental-impact statement that he said would supersede all local land-use regulations and undermine the city's 2004 master plan.
"No one in this room had any opportunity to comment on this. ... We are sitting here talking about spending $300 million, and forfeiting our right — when we give this property to Empire State Development Corp. — to even comment [in the future]," Tielman warned.
John Glose, a self-described boating enthusiast, praised the project but said more facilities for boaters were needed.
Sam Magavern of the Partnership for the Public Good called for a binding community benefit agreement that would require Canal Side businesses to provide living wage jobs; mandate green building and operations; and reserve 75 percent of commercial space, excluding Bass Pro, for locally owned, independent businesses.
Jonathan Dandes of Buffalo Niagara Partnership expressed the business group's "complete support" for the project." Bill Kanthar wondered whether it was too late to incorporate a beach into the plan.
John Finster of Orchard Park was one of two people to raise concerns about the sewer system, wondering whether storm water and sanitary sewage were separated.
Stanton Eckstut, the New York City-based lead architect, began with an 18-minute PowerPoint presentation, highlighting the project's variety of experiences and environments.
"Most of all, it's an extraordinary, must-be place not just for your families visiting," he said, "but for you to keep coming back."
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