Columbus Park / Prospect Hill named to NY Preservation League

Preserve "Columbus Park-Prospect Hill" in Buffalo, NY

Target:

Mayor Byron Brown and City of Buffalo Common Council Members

Sponsored by:

http://www.movetheplaza.stirsite.com/Welcome.html

Petition to:
Preserve historically-designated "Columbus Park-Prospect Hill Community" in Buffalo, NY

(<<<< click "letter" to read entire text)

We respectfully ask the City of Buffalo to NOT ratify the DEIS or approve the proposed Peace Bridge expansion plan.

Petition to:
Preserve historically-designated "Columbus Park-Prospect Hill Community" in Buffalo, NY

(<<<< click "letter" to read entire text)

We respectfully ask the City of Buffalo to NOT ratify the DEIS or approve the proposed Peace Bridge expansion plan.

We the undersigned are resolutely opposed to the proposed Peace Bridge Plaza expansion project because it provides no sustaining economic or social benefits to the City of Buffalo and WNY, and irrevocably destroys one of the most stable, vibrant and historically intact communities in WNY.

Whereas, the Peace Bridge expansion preferred alternative, as proposed by the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (PBA), will require:

The taking of 45 acres of land, 5 city blocks of dense urban properties, demolition of 90-100 homes, the entire block occupied by the NRE Episcopal Church home and grounds, the dislocation of the historical Hutchinson Memorial Chapel, 55 historically significant structures, 15-20 locally-owned businesses, a community park, city streets and the clear cutting of hundreds of established legacy trees, within the 45 acre project.
The estimated loss of properties, businesses, streets, green space and established trees nominally exceed $25 million dollars (assessed valuations). The loss of tax revenue to the City of Buffalo is undetermined.
The PBA proposed expansion will directly dislocate a minimum of 128 households but in fact will displace hundreds of city residents and disrupt the lives of many hundreds more including 24,000 children under the age of 18 years old.
The community targeted for demolition is the only intact waterfront neighborhood left in the City of Buffalo dating back to pre-Civil War era.
Homes in the proposed expansion area date from 1840s to the 1950s, with numerous properties listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the homes have been occupied by the same families for generations.
The community is integrally connected to Lake Erie, Niagara River, a federally registered Olmsted Park system consisting of Front Park, Columbus Park and Prospect Park. It is directly adjacent to historically registered Porter Avenue and the Connecticut Street Armory and many other institutions and civic anchors that provide the rich cultural context of the West Side of Buffalo.

Whereas, The preferred expansion alternative cannot be built without The Mayor of the City of Buffalo and the Common Council's abandonment of public resources they hold in trust for the benefit of the public.

Whereas, the Mayor and the Common Council recognize that we oppose the City of Buffalo voting to abandon and sell our roads, grant permits, right-of-way access, relinquish any control over the eminent domain process or legislate any actions that would allow the PBA to move forward with any proposed expansion project.

Whereas, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The NY State Department of Environmental Protection (DEC), and The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has called the DEIS a seriously flawed and incomplete document that fails to meet the requirements of both Federal and State law.

Whereas, the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) for this expansion has been determined to be incomplete by numerous other public, private and not-for-profit organizations and hundreds of city residents and other regional citizens.

Whereas, the Federal EIS resulted in ONE "build" alternative and patently failed to adequately and fully consider any other identified viable alternatives as required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Department of Transportation Act.

Whereas, the Public Bridge Authority's refusal to consider an alternative separating truck traffic to another location, thus alleviating the need for substantial destruction of the neighborhood, and improving efficiency of commercial vehicle operations, encouraging brownfield redevelopment, reclamation of tax base, and reducing environmental and health impacts associated with clearing commercial vehicles in a residential neighborhood.

We respectfully ask the City of Buffalo to NOT ratify the DEIS or approve the proposed Peace Bridge expansion project.

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We signed the "Preserve "Columbus Park-Prospect Hill" in Buffalo, NY" petition!

# 560:

4:11 pm PDT, Jul 31, Name not displayed, New York
A friend and true lover of the City of Buffalo took me on a walk around this neighborhood today. It is beautiful! In fact, I'd like to love there someday myself. Please preserve it. Thank you.

# 559:

8:56 pm PDT, Jul 11, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 558:

8:49 am PDT, Jun 9, Carol s Connelly, New York
it is only common ense as kathleen mecca so cogently addressed--that we do not need a new bridge and we certainly do not need to destroy more of our architectural heritage

# 557:

8:46 pm PDT, May 25, Tony Sirianni, New York
stop destroying our comunity

# 556:

10:04 am PST, Nov 10, Name not displayed, New York

# 555:

6:51 am PST, Nov 9, Brian Mcgowan, Arizona

# 554:

4:38 pm PST, Nov 8, Beth McGowan, Pennsylvania
Beth McGowan

# 553:

6:58 pm PST, Nov 7, Joshua Hall, New York
Please HIGHLY consider moving the new Peace Bridge to another location away from highly dense areas. The Columbus PKWY/Front Park area is NOT a viable place for the new bridge.

14214

# 552:

5:53 pm PDT, Oct 27, Fred Schrock, New York
Your comment can be added here:

Your (voter address) zip code is optional:

# 551:

2:26 pm PDT, Oct 26, Alan Oberst, New York
This is a fine neighborhood populated by fine people. It has key links to the past by helping tell the story of Buffalo, as well as key links to the future by serving as the western anchor of the block-by-block revitalization strategy which is strengthening Buffalo's west side. The existing Peace Bridge plaza, and actions of the PBA, are already having a serious negative impact on this neighborhood. The neighborhood needs remedial measures to compensate for these impacts, not further incursions and negative impacts from an expanded Peace Bridge plaza.

14604

# 550:

8:30 am PDT, Oct 13, Donna Pacelli, New York

# 549:

9:19 am PDT, Aug 25, Melanie Kimball, New York
The rationale for pulling down these beautiful homes, not to mention displacing an entire neighborhood of Buffalonians is poor, to say the least. We do not need the type of plaza that the developers are espousing. This won't help Buffalo, it will line the pockets of developers who expliot cities such as ours. How about we take some pride in what we have already and not try to destroy it?

# 548:

10:14 am PDT, Aug 18, Susan Hough, New York
Don't tear down historic Buffalo.

Buffalo, NY 14222

# 547:

2:01 pm PDT, Aug 10, Name not displayed, New York

# 546:

6:42 am PDT, Aug 9, Name not displayed, California

# 545:

11:50 am PDT, Jul 31, Fereshteh Toosi, New York

# 544:

9:28 am PDT, Jul 31, Susan Janczak, New York
This expansion project brings no long-term economic benefit to Buffalo.

# 543:

8:36 am PDT, Jul 27, Kyle McGaw, Connecticut

# 542:

6:35 pm PDT, Jul 26, Corinne Colman, Connecticut

# 541:

3:09 pm PDT, Jul 26, Lorna Peterson, New York
The homes are owned by property tax paying citizens who want to live in Buffalo. They contribute to the health and well being of Buffalo-- don't destroy this beautiful, historic area populated by property tax paying lawful citizens. The economy has changed with rising oil prices and the truck plaza idea is already outdated-- the proposed Peace Bridge Plaza expansion project provides no sustaining economic or social benefits to the City of Buffalo-- stop destroying Buffalo- do something right for a change and preserve this neighborhood. lp

14209

# 540:

1:59 pm PDT, Jul 26, Cyndy Gallenthin, New Jersey
Government should not be in public-private real estate development "deals". Government should regulate only, and eminent domain should not be permitted if there is a shred of collusion (See Poletown 2). Please sign our petition which is a taxpayer funded vehicular road and bridge project for BP Oil Company aka Sinclair Oil in Paulsboro NJ, paid by taxpayers. Best wishes.URL: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/780121972

Your (voter address) zip code is optional:

# 539:

9:30 pm PDT, Jul 22, Jeff Hannon, New York
Get rid of the Peace Bridge Authority and lets do it right! Restore Front Park and Fort Porter and the historic neighborhoods surrounding the area! This area is far more important than bridge plaza. A recreated front park can bring in much needed tourism dollars into this area.

# 538:

8:04 pm PDT, Jul 20, Eugene Cunningham, New York
I do not see how getting more trucks across the bridge, that do not pick up or leave goods here benefits Buffalo, only the Peace Bridge Authority benefits from this truck plaza.

# 537:

7:53 pm PDT, Jul 16, Scott Wood, New York

# 536:

2:31 pm PDT, Jul 3, Francesca Kurnick, New York
The entire under-handed manner by which this matter was handled (and continues to be handled) is a shameful representation of the decline of our political process and social intelligence. Remember, we voted them into office and we can also vote them out.

# 535:

5:55 am PDT, Jul 3, Stephen Schug, New York
14213

# 534:

2:54 pm PDT, Jul 2, Peter Kucera, New York

# 533:

12:59 pm PDT, Jul 2, Kevin Sarkisian, New York
14223

# 532:

8:28 am PDT, Jul 2, Greg Genco, New York
Your comment can be added here: Tearing down people's homes for a big parking lot for Trucks will NOT help our city and communities. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past and preserve Buffalo's historic neighborhoods, buildings, and places. Thank you, Greg

Your (voter address) zip code is optional:

# 531:

7:46 am PDT, Jul 2, Edwin Jablonski, New York

# 530:

6:43 am PDT, Jul 2, Patrick Finan, New York

# 529:

6:39 am PDT, Jul 2, Name not displayed, New York

# 528:

1:29 pm PDT, Jun 20, Christopher Lesniak, New York

# 527:

4:50 pm PDT, Jun 19, Name not displayed, New York

# 526:

6:33 am PDT, Jun 19, Jen Gutillo, Pennsylvania

# 525:

9:43 am PDT, May 31, Alicia Tuyn, New York

# 524:

5:01 pm PDT, May 25, Mike Pert, New York

# 523:

5:01 pm PDT, May 25, Howie Birnbaum, New York

# 522:

4:58 pm PDT, May 25, Frank Kunkel, New York

# 520:

4:57 pm PDT, May 25, Yariv Leers, New York

# 521:

4:56 pm PDT, May 25, Jeff Fischman, New Jersey

# 519:

4:55 pm PDT, May 25, Arline Wrecker, New York

# 518:

4:54 pm PDT, May 25, Joe Tobia, New York

# 517:

4:54 pm PDT, May 25, Eric Waxman, Pennsylvania

# 516:

4:50 pm PDT, May 25, Seth Stern, New Jersey

# 515:

4:58 am PDT, May 23, Matthew Regan, New York

# 514:

9:54 pm PDT, May 22, Michael Regan, New York
Please take our thoughts into consideration, or we will be forced to vote you out of office.

111 Carmel Road Buffalo, New York 14214

# 513:

10:20 am PDT, May 22, Joshua Hall, New York
The new Peace Bridge should NOT be built in the City of Buffalo. As a City resident, this would harm the beautiful historic Front Park and historic homes and businesses. I am proposing the the bridge be built where the I-190 and I-290 meet. The infrastructure is already built there for trucks and cars. There is NO need to increase car & truck traffic in the City, especially on the NY 198, I-190 in Buffalo, etc.. etc..

# 512:

9:15 am PDT, May 22, Magilla Schaus, New York
The wrongful grabbing of our community by both the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority and D'Youville College is unjust, harmful to self determination, and destructive to the lives and the community we reside in. The rights of we the citizens of the U.S.A. are being trampled upon. It is wrongful to increase smog pollution in the 14213 Zip Code Area of Buffalo. The new diesel engine standards do not eliminate nitrious oxides that in sunlight become smog. Smog does cause heart and respiratory disease. The people of Fargo Avenue where I am the Block Club President are sick and tired of our neighbor's homes being raised for parking lots and to appease the wants and desires of intitutions and authorities that were not elected by us. We on Fargo Avenue are being wronged by a dangerous plan to close our street to emergency vehicles and by the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority that is degrading and destroying the fabric of this community. We live in a densely populated city. The Fort Erie side of the Peace Bridge has a lower population density and far greater open space more appropriate for a shared border management facility. It is wrongful to the people of Buffalo to decrease green park space in the large, City of Buffalo. This is harmful development to a large population of people. It is outrageously wrong to allow any further encroachments or use of eminate domain to cause harm to the historic Olmsted Park system in Buffalo as it would be to destroy a national work of art. This neighborhood and park area should not be harmed in any way. It is time to raise the bar for justice and protection of this vibrant and significant Buffalo community. The City of Buffalo needs to be built for it's people who live here in our city and not for the trucking industry or for D'Youville College's commuting students. The City of Buffalo must stop taking away our neighborhoods and parks to build projects like the second Peace Bridge. The second Peace Bridge does wrongful harm to our city as did imposing and building Routes 190, 33, and 198 in Buffalo in the past. To say that the Peace Bridge and D'Youville College is improving our community by stomping on our communities health and democratic process through the use of eminent domain and deception is to say the British Army burning down Buffalo in the War of 1812 was an improvement to our city. This is a diverse community and it deserves protection of it's constitutional rights. Hundreds of families and buildings have occupied this community for far more generations than any bridge or college. The people of this community have paid the taxes for these historic U.S. properties and for the maintenance of these historic parks. No large population should be wrongfully be pushed off their land and out of their homes against their will by a bridge project that essentially does not require to be designed the way it is. In fact there is not really a need to build a new bridge in Buffalo. At the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge the congestion and traffic problems dwarf those of the Peace Bridge. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge should be expanded and not the Peace Bridge. The Peace Bridge should have expanded shared border inspections in Fort Erie and not in Buffalo, N.Y. No bridge authority or college institution should be placed in a position where they are allowed to subugate or dictate to the people the United States of America residing in this community. The current planning process and actions of both the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority and D'Youville College do great unjust harm to my neighbors and myself. Our opposition is united against taking any West Side home, city street or Olmsted Park land for any further development of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority and we are equally opposed to the dangerous D'Youville College proposal to blockade Fargo Avenue with a cul de sac.

14213

# 511:

4:37 am PDT, May 22, Beth De Tine, Maine
I am a native of Buffalo, with many family members still residing there. Your plan to demolish the Columbus Park neighborhood is short sighted. It is these human, historic neighborhoods that tell the story of Buffalo. They represent an important cultural, social and architectural history of the city that needs to be preserved. The scar of 1950s "development" that bisected Delaware Park is one example of short sighted planning that most Buffalo citizens regret today. Please don't do it again.

# 510:

7:52 am PDT, May 21, Carol De Tine, Maine
04102

# 509:

6:36 am PDT, May 21, Nancy DeTine, New York
14222

# 508:

11:58 pm PDT, May 18, Tom Lewis, Canada

# 507:

9:07 pm PDT, May 9, Paul Maine, New York
The ONLY problem with the present bridge is that large numbers of big trucks use it. The passage of these trucks over the bridge does not bring prosperity to Buffalo or western N.Y. With few excelptions they merely pass through this region. Why sacrifice a premium park and and a fine residential neighborhood for their benifit? We need instead Federal and State policies which will, gradually, require such long-distance hauling to use railroads, as other industrialized nations have done. If our lawmakers are too faint-hearted or ignorant to bring this about, then let them go ahead on this unnecessary new bridge, but build it north of the Peace Bridge, placing the plaza in the industrial wastlands to the south of the Black Rock area near the Railroad Bridge, or better, just let the Ambassador Bridge people carry out their project.

# 506:

1:05 pm PDT, May 6, Name not displayed, New York
Just another instance where the City of Buffalo is taking that which is good and tearing it down.

14221

# 505:

10:31 am PDT, May 6, John Aquilina, Illinois

# 504:

10:17 am PDT, May 5, Gregory Cherr, New York

# 503:

2:58 pm PDT, May 4, Deborah Piston-Hatlen, Indiana

# 502:

8:54 am PDT, May 4, James Cooper, New York

# 501:

7:38 am PDT, May 4, Robert Criowell, New York

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