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Thread: Studying Niagara Falls Blvd

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    Studying Niagara Falls Blvd

    So Amherst and Tonawanda are going to study Niagara Falls Blvd. Given the job Kulpa did screwing up Wiiliamville this promises to be a cluster **** of epic proportions. By the way someone please notify the Tonawanda highway superintendent that from at least Sheridan Drive northbound NFB is a state road and Tonawanda and Amherst have no duty, in fact no authority to manage their half of the road. Democratic idiocy in full flower.

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    Out of the loop Grump. What did Kulpa do that messed up the village? It's not like NFB is great right now. What do you suggest doing to make it better?

    I will say it's pretty obvious on the disconnect between the two towns. Tonawanda wants to slow things down because it has more single-story retail. They quoted a business owner who wants bicycle lanes on the Blvd. That's absurd. On the other hand, the guy from the Amherst Chamber wants to leverage light rail to bring more people through. Complete disconnect.

    I think Amherst is in a unique position right now that requires some action. The Boulevard Mall is not going to come back. It's just a matter of time before something else is put there. I think there is a play to be hand in moulding this area via a tax break in exchange for land. Land to extend Alberta.

    If I were calling the shots, and looking at this over 20 years, I would look at creating a 2nd main 'Blvd' on Alberta between Maple and Sheridan. Then focus zoning to have mixed use buildings front Alberta. Either a mix of office and retail/residential or complete mix use. It's all going to get redeveloped but right now, with the ownership situation at the mall, Amherst has a chace to form what goes there.

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    Quote Originally Posted by leftWNYbecauseofBS View Post
    Out of the loop Grump. What did Kulpa do that messed up the village? It's not like NFB is great right now. What do you suggest doing to make it better?

    I will say it's pretty obvious on the disconnect between the two towns. Tonawanda wants to slow things down because it has more single-story retail. They quoted a business owner who wants bicycle lanes on the Blvd. That's absurd. On the other hand, the guy from the Amherst Chamber wants to leverage light rail to bring more people through. Complete disconnect.

    I think Amherst is in a unique position right now that requires some action. The Boulevard Mall is not going to come back. It's just a matter of time before something else is put there. I think there is a play to be hand in moulding this area via a tax break in exchange for land. Land to extend Alberta.

    If I were calling the shots, and looking at this over 20 years, I would look at creating a 2nd main 'Blvd' on Alberta between Maple and Sheridan. Then focus zoning to have mixed use buildings front Alberta. Either a mix of office and retail/residential or complete mix use. It's all going to get redeveloped but right now, with the ownership situation at the mall, Amherst has a chace to form what goes there.
    I read Mr. Skinner's comment differently. If he means bicycle lanes on the (now) roadway, yeah, that's a bit far fetched. However, if he means fashioning the sidewalks to best accommodate bicycles, then I think that's a worthy consideration.

    The Alberta Drive proposal is a worthy consideration, too. Though it would only address a fraction of the 'Kenmore-Avenue-to-Niagara-County-line' study and overall issue(s).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Member 2358 View Post
    I read Mr. Skinner's comment differently. If he means bicycle lanes on the (now) roadway, yeah, that's a bit far fetched. However, if he means fashioning the sidewalks to best accommodate bicycles, then I think that's a worthy consideration.

    The Alberta Drive proposal is a worthy consideration, too. Though it would only address a fraction of the 'Kenmore-Avenue-to-Niagara-County-line' study and overall issue(s).
    Bikes are not to go on sidewalks. Bikes are always supposed to be on the road. What he is talking about is calming the nature of the street and having bike lanes I think.

    That is the disconnect here. I think Kenmore and Tonawanda would like this to be a 'Main Street' type experience. Amherst needs to to be a major thoroughfare.

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    When a study is conducted what happens?

    Do a group of people just sit down with road maps, traffic flow information and property maps to review? Who are the people who do the study? Randomly picked people or people with experience with roads/development?

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    I don't have the slightest clue about who'll be "studying" this.

    But it just occurred to me that a Tonawanda-Amherst Niagara Falls Boulevard study was proposed by Guy Marlette a couple (maybe three?) years ago. And, I think Grelick promised something similar back in her day, too.

    It's really kind of funny watching these people regurgitate stuff. I guess they make money off of it... so there's that.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Member 2358 View Post
    I don't have the slightest clue about who'll be "studying" this.

    But it just occurred to me that a Tonawanda-Amherst Niagara Falls Boulevard study was proposed by Guy Marlette a couple (maybe three?) years ago. And, I think Grelick promised something similar back in her day, too.

    It's really kind of funny watching these people regurgitate stuff. I guess they make money off of it... so there's that.
    If there’s money to be made off of it it’ll be made by the friends of the participants in the group, count on it.

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    Leftie, you asked how Kulpa messed up the Village. He applied the mantra of suburban liberal white Democrats who want to keep minorities out of their neighborhood but need to couch their policies in language that sounds liberal and politically correct. Therefore, they use words and phrases like “traffic calming”, “bicycle and pedestrian friendly” and their favorite old saw “environmentally friendly.” In essence they developed traffic and parking policies that made it difficult for visitors to shop at convenience stores and they virtually eliminated convenient parking unless you own your own driveway. So you won’t see a lot of east side residents walking the “ walkable” community to visit their cute little shops...unless they want to take three busses to get there. This is in keeping with the elitist mentality he shares with so many Amherst residents. While they frame their opposition to hotels and such like in terms of building heights and other such nonsense their real concern is with the “types of people” who work in hotels, especially the cleaning staff and so on. Opponents of the Paladino project now known as the Mosey and Iskalo’s Hyatt hotel project were quite clear about this issue in public hearings about both projects. As a matter of fact, opposition to the Hyatt was so clearly based on this type of rank white suburban liberal elitist prejudice that Paul Iskalo actually felt compelled to defend his staff against what were clearly race and status based attacks. And Alberta Drive does go straight through now thanks to modifications made to Northtown as part of Whole Paycheck project. As for the NFB study project, I just urge everyone to remember the old adage, truer now than ever, that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.

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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Leftie, you asked how Kulpa messed up the Village. He applied the mantra of suburban liberal white Democrats who want to keep minorities out of their neighborhood but need to couch their policies in language that sounds liberal and politically correct. Therefore, they use words and phrases like “traffic calming”, “bicycle and pedestrian friendly” and their favorite old saw “environmentally friendly.” In essence they developed traffic and parking policies that made it difficult for visitors to shop at convenience stores and they virtually eliminated convenient parking unless you own your own driveway. So you won’t see a lot of east side residents walking the “ walkable” community to visit their cute little shops...unless they want to take three busses to get there. This is in keeping with the elitist mentality he shares with so many Amherst residents. While they frame their opposition to hotels and such like in terms of building heights and other such nonsense their real concern is with the “types of people” who work in hotels, especially the cleaning staff and so on. Opponents of the Paladino project now known as the Mosey and Iskalo’s Hyatt hotel project were quite clear about this issue in public hearings about both projects. As a matter of fact, opposition to the Hyatt was so clearly based on this type of rank white suburban liberal elitist prejudice that Paul Iskalo actually felt compelled to defend his staff against what were clearly race and status based attacks. And Alberta Drive does go straight through now thanks to modifications made to Northtown as part of Whole Paycheck project. As for the NFB study project, I just urge everyone to remember the old adage, truer now than ever, that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.
    Here's what I lernt from dat post...

    Calm traffic is anti-minority.
    Bicycles are anti-minority.
    Pedestrians are anti-minority.
    the environment is anti-minority.
    Driveways are anti-minority.
    Walkable communities are anti-minority.
    Cute little shops are anti-minority.
    Busses are anti-minority.
    Kulpa is anti-minority.
    Amherst is anti-minority.
    Tall buildings are anti-minority.
    Short buildings are anti-minority.
    Hotels are anti-minority.
    Alberta Drive is anti-minority.
    Camels are anti-minority.

    Oh, and for the record, I live in Amherst... therefore I am elite. better than everyone. My brain is better than everyone's. My driveway is the best. My nose is spectacularly superior to anyone else's... and it is held much much higher. I have a bigger television. And am just all round much grander than others.

    lol

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Leftie, you asked how Kulpa messed up the Village. He applied the mantra of suburban liberal white Democrats who want to keep minorities out of their neighborhood but need to couch their policies in language that sounds liberal and politically correct. Therefore, they use words and phrases like “traffic calming”, “bicycle and pedestrian friendly” and their favorite old saw “environmentally friendly.” In essence they developed traffic and parking policies that made it difficult for visitors to shop at convenience stores and they virtually eliminated convenient parking unless you own your own driveway. So you won’t see a lot of east side residents walking the “ walkable” community to visit their cute little shops...unless they want to take three busses to get there. This is in keeping with the elitist mentality he shares with so many Amherst residents. While they frame their opposition to hotels and such like in terms of building heights and other such nonsense their real concern is with the “types of people” who work in hotels, especially the cleaning staff and so on. Opponents of the Paladino project now known as the Mosey and Iskalo’s Hyatt hotel project were quite clear about this issue in public hearings about both projects. As a matter of fact, opposition to the Hyatt was so clearly based on this type of rank white suburban liberal elitist prejudice that Paul Iskalo actually felt compelled to defend his staff against what were clearly race and status based attacks. And Alberta Drive does go straight through now thanks to modifications made to Northtown as part of Whole Paycheck project. As for the NFB study project, I just urge everyone to remember the old adage, truer now than ever, that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.
    WOW. On the village stuff. Not sure I agree and this is coming from an urbanist and from as far away as you can get from liberal/democrat that you can get.

    I grew up in the Village and spent my youth there. Remember going to multiple hardware stores but liked the one that gave free swedish fish to the kids. It's now a professional office I think. Used to go get hot dogs and ice cream at the place before it was a Friendly's. It's now a lawyer's office I think. Used to get breakfast with my dad at the counter at the place on the corner of Main and N. Cayuga. It's a real estate office now. Got my first suit at Fred Ronikers (I think/spelling) but I am unsure what it is now. Anyways, the Village was my world and it was all within a walk or a short bike ride away. I remember the fishing contest and raft races at Old Home Days.

    Now I moved away, as you know, but many, many people I grew up with in this time have stayed or moved back. They moved specifically back for this lifestyle. They live in smaller houses than they can afford, well mostly as there are some BIG houses in the Village. They pay high taxes for the town and then village taxes on top of it. All they want is to be able to enjoy their Main St. They want more restaurants and places to shop. They want less offices that provide little to the day to day.

    Now that may be different than what you want but you're not in the Village and they are. Because of the growth of Clarence and office spaces just outside of the Village towards Transit, Main St. became a parking lot that acted like an expressway. That's not what people want...who live there.

    So I understand why the Village would want to implement traffic calming and pedestrian friendly tools. It's because people who live there want traffic to be calmed and feel better about crossing Main. You can paint this as a liberal policy or racist but I just don't agree.

    All this comes down to is the people who live there don't care if people who do not can have easy access to park in front of their destination. If you want that, work with an insurance agent/real estate broker/financial planner/dentist who has an office in a parking lot. It's their village and they are taking it back.

    As for people from the east side going to the village...come on. Are you really suggesting someone from the east side is going to go to Williamsville to get their vacuum repaired, speak to an agent about buying a home in Buffalo or doing their laundry? It's not going to happen.

    As for employee parking, that's a 100% valid issue. Don't know the specifics of that but do know that in urban places parking in front of your job is not common.

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    Well, Leftie, as you say, you’re not here and I am. Main Street in the Village has a bunch of shops that might appeal to people of any race and place and there aren’t a lot of vacuum repairs and laundromats in the Village. I’m sure that the Village people have done what they can to exclude laundromats because of the type of people who frequent them. And as we repeatedly hear from the bleating of the Village people, the traffic is not calmed and to hear them tell it crossing Main Street is more dangerous than the landing at Normandy. All they’ve done is exclude. As for the attitude it’s been reliably reported by numerous people in attendance at the hearings on those projects. In fact it arose again recently at a hearing on another hotel project. Remember, I said they use words like “traffic calming” etc. essentially as code words and political cover for what are exclusionary land use policies.
    Last edited by grump; February 2nd, 2018 at 12:01 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Well, Leftie, as you say, you’re not here, and I am. Main Street in the Village has a bunch of shops that might appeal to people of any race and place and there aren’t a lot of vacuum repairs and laundromats in the Village. I’m sure that the Village people have done what they can to exclude laundromats because of the type of people who frequent them. And as we repeatedly hear from the bleating of the Village people, the traffic is not calmed and to hear them tell it crossing Main Street is more dangerous than the landing at Normandy. All they’ve done is exclude. As for the attitude, it’s been reliably reported by numerous people in attendance at the hearings on those projects. In fact, it arose again recently at a hearing on another hotel project. Remember, I said they use words like “traffic calming” etc. essentially as code words and political cover for what are exclusionary land use policies.
    You're in Amherst...not the Village. We both do not live in the Village or pay Village taxes or vote for Village representation. No?

    On the laundromat, there has been one at the corner of Oakgrove and Main for the last 40 years. It has front door parking as well... But yea, people especially those who can't afford a washer and dryer, are not going to drive an extended distance to use such a service. They are going to use the closest laundromat because that saves both time and money.

    As for vocal voices at Town or Village meetings, you and I both know it's always the tiny fraction of people who are most impacted that are the loudest on this. That crazy bastard FMD here is an example. He lives in a home in the shadow of the Wyndham at the corner of S. Forest IIRC. Of course, he would get his panties in a bunch when the one story Advantage building was replaced by six stories. But at the end of the day, that hotel is great for the Village overall. It pays SIGNIFICANTLY more in taxes, which funds stuff, and provides access for people to stay in the Village when they visit rather than other options. I have stayed there, and it's very nice. Was able to do an entire long weekend visit without renting a car.

    The idiots who were against the Iskalo’s Hyatt simply were too stupid to realize that they didn't own 'Mike's Pond' and that just because you back up to greenspace doen't mean you get to decide what happens to it. They were just throwing anything against the wall to see what would stick. But we do agree they are tools.

    On the traffic, calming measures on Main St are only ever going to be a part of the solution. It's the part that the Village can manage, but the real key is removing the tolls all the way to Transit Road. This is something that both Amherst, Williamsville, Cheektowaga, Clarence, and Lancaster should work together on. Long-term opening up all of that land for development or redevelopment would be a massive opportunity to grow the tax base and to offset traffic elsewhere. Including making it easier for people in the city to access the retail options along Transit that has plenty of parking.

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    Leftie, I worked in the Village for 10 years up until 2 years ago. I know there’s a 40 year old laundromat there and it’s still there only because it’s grandfathered. Actually, the Wyndham/Mosey is in the town just outside the Village, at least I think that’s the case. The same tools show up at hearings on development all over town and their concern is status related. As I said they couch it in the language of land use using the same buzz words again and again. I honestly don’t know if getting rid of the tollbooths would matter but I suspect the tollbooths will move on the same day we celebrate the triumphal arrival of the Titanic in New York. I doubt Clarence & Lancaster want the terminal toll booth moved to their corner at Transit Road. Maybe they finally go to electronic toll collection as they have on some of high speed bypass highways in Ontario.

    If the village wants traffic calming they should adopt the policy recently enacted by a town in New Jersey that forbids nonresidents from driving on local roads and makes it a traffic infraction to do so. They provide a hang tag to identify local resident vehicles. They too had to “calm traffic” headed for NYC and which used their local roads. They didn’t mean to exclude anyone, outsiders continue to be free to pass through on state roads. But this thread is about watching the “ planners” screw up NFB. What they can’t ruin NFTA will wipe out with its proposed idiotic, unnecessary, unwanted, destructive subway expansion fantasy.
    Last edited by grump; February 2nd, 2018 at 01:43 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Leftie, I worked in the Village for 10 years up until 2 years ago. I know there’s a 40-year-old laundromat there and it’s still there only because it’s grandfathered. Actually, the Wyndham/Mosey is in the town just outside the Village, at least I think that’s the case. The same tools show up at hearings on development all over town and their concern is status related. As I said they couch it in the language of land use using the same buzz words again and again. I honestly don’t know if getting rid of the tollbooths would matter but I suspect the tollbooths will move on the same day we celebrate the triumphal arrival of the Titanic in New York. I doubt Clarence & Lancaster want the terminal toll booth moved to their corner at Transit Road. Maybe they finally go to electronic toll collection as they have on some of high speed bypass highways in Ontario.

    So you worked in the Village but didn't live there? You're kinda what they want to replace. No?

    You're right on the Wyndham.

    I just don't buy the slight racism you claim. I just think you have a massive disconnect from the urban lifestyle that people want to live in the 20-40 demographic. Many, if not most, of the lots in the Village, are 8,000 s/f with small Cape homes on them. It's pretty damn compact. You don't a different school..your still in WSD and you pay another level of taxes.

    So why do people do this? Because of Main St. Because unlike almost anywhere else in the entire town you can walk to places to eat, drink and shop. Because of parks. Nowhere else in the town has the triangle of parks like Glenn, Island, and Garrison. Because of charm. Nowhere else in Amherst actually has buildings or a sense of place.

    I don't think people are being racist. I think they are being selfish but I won't fault them for wanting the Village they pay for to implement things that enhance the very aspects that make them want to live there.

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    Slight racism? Kinda like being a little pregnant, I guess? You’re right, I don’t live in the Village but I live in town and I can walk to eat breakfast lunch and dinner, walk to parks, walk to stores of all types, my kids walked to schools and the town didn’t need exclusionary planning to provide it. It wasn’t Village planning that provided the happenstance that there’s a waterfall in the Village to build parks around. And Glenn Park is managed and maintained by a joint town/village committee so your arguments about the Village people wanting to keep it to themselves support my position that they’re exclusionary in their thinking. Next time you’re in town try renting a car and take a spin around the rest of the town; there’s a sense of place elsewhere and you might find that there are some buildings elsewhere in town, too! The comments raised by the tools are absolutely status and race tinged.

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