Town Center has new design standards

Story and photos by Karen Keefe
Grand Island Dispatch, June 22, 2007

The Town Board issued three proclamations at Monday’s regular meeting. Jim Sharpe of the Chamber of Commerce and GISBA accepted a proclamation congratulating KidBiz for its upcoming event for youth entrepreneurs on Saturday, June 30, in the Town Commons; Angelo Grande accepted a similar honor for Island Happenings, the local business expo held in conjunction with KidBiz; and licensed barbers Marion Mancuso and his daughter Arlene Clarke, along with Clarke’s son (above), accepted a proclamation honoring them for 50 continuous years of doing business as the Plaza Barber Shop in its original Grand Island Plaza location.

The Town Center has a new set of design and performance standards that planners hope will set a pleasant and welcoming tone for the growth and development of Grand Island’s central business district.

The Town Board unanimously approved the standards at its meeting on Monday.

Supervisor Peter McMahon thanked the Long Range Planning Committee for its work in drawing up the blueprints for a new, distinctive look of its own to define the heart of Grand Island’s business and retail corridor.

“Five, 10, 15, 20 years from now, the community will be much better off,” McMahon said. He noted that Grand Island is the second community in Erie County to adopt performance standards.

Guidelines for Buildings

New buildings must now conform to guidelines adopted “to establish and maintain a unified architectural character” for Grand Island’s central business district. That will mean a consistent look to the buildings, from Mom and Pop businesses to “big box” retailers and franchises. Durable, high-quality materials such as brick, natural and synthetic stone and wood are preferred to achieve the desired architectural theme. Parking is to be alongside or in back of the buildings.

The Town Center runs along Grand Island Boulevard, roughly from Webb Road north to Fantasy Island. Guidelines have also been set for two new districts created to the north and south of the town center, along the boulevard to the bridges on either end.

Tree-lined Boulevard

For the Town Center, planners envision a tree-lined boulevard that has a “streetscape” theme, with more dense business development and mixed-use buildings. Restaurants, retail and civic functions would co-exist, and the area would be more accessible to pedestrians.

In the north and south districts, the idea is to maintain a small town commercial feel, accommodating pedestrians, but allowing a presence from the street for motorists traveling at the posted speed limits.

A public hearing was held on June 4, inviting comment on the Town Center plan, the culmination of years of research, study and discussion. The Long Range Planning Committee was tasked to review and update the town’s 1994 Comprehensive Master Plan in a manner consistent with the 2004 updated zoning code. Chairman Jim Sharpe said this spring that the committee had studied the use of all the land “from bridge to bridge, and how the business use would be handled from end to end.” Members included a cross-section of the community.

Cooperation Praised

The result of the cooperative effort drew high praise on Monday from Frank Burkhart, vice chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee. “This document represents a start,” he said, calling it a consensus between town and Chamber of Commerce officials, the town Engineering Department, advisory boards and as regular citizens. “I want to take the time and congratulate everybody involved.”

In other business, the Town Board:

•Authorized the supervisor to sign a grant application for drainage improvements to Veterans Park.

•Appointed Tom Cecere as seasonal crew chief in the Parks and Recreation Department.

•Approved the Town/School Cooperation Agreement for use of each other’s facilities for recreational, educational and related programs. The agreement continues through June 30, 2009, and can be renewed for successive two-year periods. Councilwoman Mary Cooke pointed up the benefit to taxpayers of this cooperation.

•Reappointed Sam Akinbami to represent the town on the Erie County Environmental Management Council.

•Authorized the town engineer to advertise for bids on June 22 for two projects: the resurfacing of various town roads and reconstruction of the East River Road Sewage Pump Station No. 3. Bids will be received on Wednesday, July 11, at 10 a.m.

•Approved project setbacks for the Gun Creek Planned Development District.

Public Hearing Set

•Set a public hearing for Monday, July 2, at 8 p.m. on the cluster application for Country Club Cottages. In the public comment portion of the meeting, Lois Shriver of Snyder and Liz Stoklosa of Grand Island commented on statements by property owner John Stickl that he had not been asked for permission to have Watts Engineering go on his property to do a wetlands assessment for a neighborhood group. The two women said they failed to see that anyone had trespassed on the land.

•Referred to the Town Board, pending Planning Board action, the request by Raj Chopra for site plan approval of a Laundromat, car wash and storage building at 1815 Love Road.

•Gave conditional approval of the preliminary plat for Ashbrooke Court Estates on Long Road.

•Referred to the Planning Board the request by Catherine Knight for site plan approval for a tea house and gift shop at 2014 Grand Island Blvd. The proposal will be reviewed under the town’s new design and performance standards.

•Approved with conditions the site plan for a business office and contractor’s yard for Gerald T. Soto at 1730 Baseline Road. The conditions restrict the type of materials and vehicles that may be stored on the property.

•Approved an amended site plan for street names for Town Hall Terrace senior apartments and OK’d a partial building permit for construction of a model unit for the project.