Urgent Action Needed
July 2018
A Monarch Butterfly (being evaluated for the endangered species list) on a native milkweed at the Outer Harbor Bell Slip adjacent to last weekends Italian Festival. The Our Outer Harbor Coalition promotes public ownership, and appropriate stewardship of the Outer Harbor.
OUR OUTER HARBOR
July 18, 2018
Dear Friends;
As you may know the Our Outer Harbor Coalition was formed in 2016 to represent the public’s voice on Outer Harbor development planning. New York State, though the Empire Development Corporation and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) had recently unveiled a plan that proposed blocks of private condo development including at Wilkerson Point Park, across Fuhrmann Blvd from Times Beach, and throughout out much of the publicly owned outer harbor including at the Bell Slip. Since then the OOH coalition has held a number of public meetings, tours, and talks where we have invited you to speak, make presentations, and connect with other stakeholders of the Outer Harbor, one of our regions most valuable public resources.
Overwhelmingly stakeholders like you have asked that the outer harbor remain in public hands, and that the properties remain green for nature, and accessible for public recreation on and off shore.
As most of you may know, the ECHDC has begun a process of soliciting public comments for the next phases of development on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor. The organization held a public session on Wednesday July 11 at 5pm at Canalside. The event, which was publicly announced on Friday July 6 was the first opportunity for public comment on new development plans for the Outer Harbor. More info on the announced plans can be found at our coalition website: www.ourouterharbor.org
We are concerned that the issues that the Our Outer Harbor coalition has brought forth in its three previous public meetings including keeping all public properties public, green, and recreationally accessible may not be well understood or supported by the State of New York and the ECHDC. This is the time to speak up!
The following outlines some ways to connect with ECHDC:
BUFFALO’S OUTER HARBOR BELONGS TO ALL OF US
Consider a Letter to the Editor or a My View or Another Opinion to the Buffalo News.
https://buffalonews.com/corporate/how-do-i/guidelines-opinion-submissions/
COMMENTS SOLICITED BY ECHDC
Please take the ECHDC Survey NOW and include your comments:
https://outerharborbuffalo.com/accessandactivation/
Please offer comments that are important to you. In addition, we ask that you include a few of the issues below to reinforce the vision that was developed during the Our Outer Harbor Public Meetings in 2016-2017.
Together we can protect and steward the natural recovery of Buffalo’s Lake Erie coast even as we add more recreational opportunities for people. If you seek more information, please see www.OurOuterHarbor.org.
The public (you) has repeatedly called for an Outer Harbor that is:
-PUBLIC, GREEN, NATURAL PARK with
-PATHWAYS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
-PROTECTION OF THE BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY OF THE SITE
-Legally designate the entire Outer Harbor as a PARK
-Keep the entire area PUBLIC – no housing or privatization of land
-Provide opportunities for views of the water / sunsets
-Provide public transportation from city and along Outer Harbor to limit cars
-Protect and Preserve the Bell Slip – no structures or boating
-Save the Sand Dune Forest that contains rare species
-Stop mowing grasslands. Protect bird and pollinator habitat
-Follow Dark Sky/Lights Out New York Initiative to protect migrating birds
-Preserve and develop fish habitat
-Move Festivals to Terminal Building Site
-Use Terminal B to support Festivals
-Preserve historic Terminal (Ford Plant) and develop public and other commercial/retail
-Minimize new structures: i.e., use Connecting Terminal Grain Elevator for “welcome center”
-Protect Marina and boat use
-Develop Public Access along Buffalo River while protecting boats
-Minimize large scale use of Wilkeson Point;
-Stop intrusive large scale festivals, and concerts
-No fireworks
-“Naturalize” to northern edge of Wilkeson point to protect /bufferTimes Beach
-Be sure uses at Marina across from Times Beach respect integrity of Times Beach Nature Preserve. Create a natural cultural gateway at this site which is going to be the new terminus of the Bike and Pedestrian Ferry.
-Allow the Outer harbor to provide its natural ecological services to Buffalo:
-Protection from storms and high water (seiche) events
-Fresh air, clean drinking water
-Natural recovery: Mother Nature does the heavy lifting!
-Habitat for beneficial species—from pollinators to vacuum-sweeping sturgeon
-Unique accessible landscape and wildlife at Buffalo’s western door
-Gateway to the Niagara Greenway—the emerald necklace from lake to lake
July 18, 2018
Dear Friends;
As you may know the Our Outer Harbor Coalition was formed in 2016 to represent the public’s voice on Outer Harbor development planning. New York State, though the Empire Development Corporation and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) had recently unveiled a plan that proposed blocks of private condo development including at Wilkerson Point Park, across Fuhrmann Blvd from Times Beach, and throughout out much of the publicly owned outer harbor including at the Bell Slip. Since then the OOH coalition has held a number of public meetings, tours, and talks where we have invited you to speak, make presentations, and connect with other stakeholders of the Outer Harbor, one of our regions most valuable public resources.
Overwhelmingly stakeholders like you have asked that the outer harbor remain in public hands, and that the properties remain green for nature, and accessible for public recreation on and off shore.
As most of you may know, the ECHDC has begun a process of soliciting public comments for the next phases of development on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor. The organization held a public session on Wednesday July 11 at 5pm at Canalside. The event, which was publicly announced on Friday July 6 was the first opportunity for public comment on new development plans for the Outer Harbor. More info on the announced plans can be found at our coalition website: www.ourouterharbor.org
We are concerned that the issues that the Our Outer Harbor coalition has brought forth in its three previous public meetings including keeping all public properties public, green, and recreationally accessible may not be well understood or supported by the State of New York and the ECHDC. This is the time to speak up!
The following outlines some ways to connect with ECHDC:
BUFFALO’S OUTER HARBOR BELONGS TO ALL OF US
Consider a Letter to the Editor or a My View or Another Opinion to the Buffalo News.
https://buffalonews.com/corporate/how-do-i/guidelines-opinion-submissions/
COMMENTS SOLICITED BY ECHDC
Please take the ECHDC Survey NOW and include your comments:
https://outerharborbuffalo.com/accessandactivation/
Please offer comments that are important to you. In addition, we ask that you include a few of the issues below to reinforce the vision that was developed during the Our Outer Harbor Public Meetings in 2016-2017.
Together we can protect and steward the natural recovery of Buffalo’s Lake Erie coast even as we add more recreational opportunities for people. If you seek more information, please see www.OurOuterHarbor.org.
The public (you) has repeatedly called for an Outer Harbor that is:
-PUBLIC, GREEN, NATURAL PARK with
-PATHWAYS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
-PROTECTION OF THE BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY OF THE SITE
-Legally designate the entire Outer Harbor as a PARK
-Keep the entire area PUBLIC – no housing or privatization of land
-Provide opportunities for views of the water / sunsets
-Provide public transportation from city and along Outer Harbor to limit cars
-Protect and Preserve the Bell Slip – no structures or boating
-Save the Sand Dune Forest that contains rare species
-Stop mowing grasslands. Protect bird and pollinator habitat
-Follow Dark Sky/Lights Out New York Initiative to protect migrating birds
-Preserve and develop fish habitat
-Move Festivals to Terminal Building Site
-Use Terminal B to support Festivals
-Preserve historic Terminal (Ford Plant) and develop public and other commercial/retail
-Minimize new structures: i.e., use Connecting Terminal Grain Elevator for “welcome center”
-Protect Marina and boat use
-Develop Public Access along Buffalo River while protecting boats
-Minimize large scale use of Wilkeson Point;
-Stop intrusive large scale festivals, and concerts
-No fireworks
-“Naturalize” to northern edge of Wilkeson point to protect /bufferTimes Beach
-Be sure uses at Marina across from Times Beach respect integrity of Times Beach Nature Preserve. Create a natural cultural gateway at this site which is going to be the new terminus of the Bike and Pedestrian Ferry.
-Allow the Outer harbor to provide its natural ecological services to Buffalo:
-Protection from storms and high water (seiche) events
-Fresh air, clean drinking water
-Natural recovery: Mother Nature does the heavy lifting!
-Habitat for beneficial species—from pollinators to vacuum-sweeping sturgeon
-Unique accessible landscape and wildlife at Buffalo’s western door
-Gateway to the Niagara Greenway—the emerald necklace from lake to lake
Project Proposals and Public Comments
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January 2018 - Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Seeks New Public and Recreational Development at the South End |
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The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation ( ECHDC)
is seeking to develop the Southern End of the state owned property located between the Bell Slip and Terminals A & B. Public Hearings before the Buffalo Common Council Legislative Committee and the Buffalo Planning Board are scheduled for Tuesday January 16. For more information on the proposed plan: GreenWatch/The Public Big Outer Harbor News 14 January 2018 Plan Links Public Hearing - Special Use - 901 Fuhrmann 7.18-49 : S. Ranalli, Agent, Special Use-Outer Harbor (901 Furhmann) to Create Bike Park in D-OG/N-1S Zone (Sou)(Hrg 1/16) Agenda Item Printout a.s rinali spec use 1-01042018162003 b.s rinali spec use 2-01042018162127 Our Outer Harbor Coalition Special Statement on Proposed South End Plan January 16, 2018 The Our Outer Harbor Coalition has been meeting with the ECHDC and the consultants (Trowbridge, Wolf, Michaels Landscape Architects) on the development of this plan. We note that this plan moves the previously announced "Mountain BIke Trail" out of the fragile Bell Slip/Seaway Piers habitat, and to the South Side of the Bell Slip. It also rebrands the trail as an Urban Bike Park. We believe that this will open up the user base to a broader public biking community, an important user group of Outer Harbor recreational facilities. The new plan also envisions something of a permanent "festival grounds" associated with existing traffic and parking infrastructure affiliated with Terminals A & B. Eventually the plan seeks to move festivals and events away from the Seaway Piers area and into a more accessible and less fragile site. This will improve access, lessen congestion, and help to conserve natural features. We thank the ECHDC for the progress made to date and for incorporating many of our recommendations into the current plan, including moving and redefining the Bike Park out of the re-naturalizing Bell Slip area; removing the Visitors Center from the Bell Slip Area; adding habitat restoration elements; shifting festivals to this portion of the Outer Harbor; repurposing one of the terminal buildings; and protecting the public from contamination. Overall, the Our Outer Harbor Coalition approves this plan with the following caveats:
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Public Comments Submitted to Buffalo Common Council and Buffalo Planning Board 16 January 2018
Another Voice, Buffalo News 21 January 2018 "No Mountain Bikes on the Outer Harbor"
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