Buffalo City Hall

[Update: At its February 8, 2021 public meeting, the City Planning Board tabled the application of RCR Yachts, Inc., to rezone 9 & 11 City Ship Canal the site of RCRs marina and boat sales, storage an dockage business from N-3E to D-IL. In response to questions from Planning Director Nadine Marrero, RCR agreed to the tabling of its requested zoning... map amendment while it seeks variances on February 17, 2021 from the Citys Zoning Board of Appeals. RCRs pending application at the ZBA requests area variances from N-3Es building setback and transparency requirements to allow construction of a 4,300-square-foot boat storage and display building. At the 2/8/2021 meeting, the Planning Board did approve, with no substantive discussion, RCRs Coastal Consistency Application. Note: Dont quote me, but I presume that RCRs rezoning application will not be considered at the Common Councils February 9, 2021 Legislation Committee.] An application currently pending at Buffalo City Hall to rezone a 14-acre site at 9 & 11 City Ship Canal has highlighted an issue that I believe needs to be addressed by Buffalos legislative body: The Common Council must comprehensively consider and publicly express its long-term vision for the Outer Harbor, with and without the Skyway. By necessity, the Common Councils analysis should include reconsideration of what I believe is an arbitrary limitation in the UDO/Green Codes definition of the Outer Harbor boundaries. As currently delineated, the Outer Harbor Review Area [OHRA] abruptly ends at the southern boundary of the former NFTA Terminal buildings. As a result, the current zoning/development ordinance precludes from the protections provided by the OHRA standards all the shoreline properties extending southerly from the former Freezer Queen site (where the 23-story Queen City Landing tower was proposed) to the Lackawanna city line. The rezoning application for 9 & 11 City Ship Canal was filed by RCR Yachts, Inc. , which describes itself as an active business providing sales, storage, dockage ...Read More