Recently, Carl Paladino, CEO of Ellicott Development Company, who has had his fingers in the downtown "redevelopment" pie for decades, sent a "rant" to BuffaloRising that smeared all opponents of the Bass Pro "Canal Side" development as "obstructionists".

Well, guess what? Apparently, federal officials are also "obstructionists" since they are concerned about this sudden trashing of the original master plan for the development of the Buffalo River and Inner Harbor (which took several years to create) in favor of the Bass Pro/Canal Side design with absolutely no public input.


Harbor development plan could face new delays
Federal Transit Administration warns of pressing need for environmental review

By Sharon Linstedt
Updated: 05/03/07 7:35 AM

A key federal agency has warned the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. it faces a comprehensive environmental review as it continues the Canal Side/Bass Pro project.
The waterfront development plan unveiled in late March, which includes a Bass Pro Shops store on the Central Wharf site, constitutes a "substantial" departure from the existing blueprint, the Federal Transit Administration says.
"I am directing the Empire State Development Corp. [the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.’s parent agency] and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority not to proceed on any further design changes of the Erie Canal Harbor Project that are inconsistent with the current FTA-approved documents, or would prejudice the future environment review process," wrote Brigid Hynes- Cherin, regional administrator of the FTA.
The environmental assessment is a "prerequisite to construction," Hynes-Cherin reminded the development agencies.
Anthony Gioia, chairman of the harbor development panel, said he views the letter as a "reminder, not a threat."
"The FTA has a stake in the existing plan and the work that’s in progress on the waterfront, and it makes sense for them to weigh in on what’s expected of us," Gioia said. "We’ve said from Day One that we intend to follow the required environmental review processes. The letter simply reiterates the anticipated requirements."
In her letter, Hynes-Cherin also requested a meeting with Empire State Development and NFTA executives, including a formal presentation of the Canal Side/Bass Pro plans.
"Based on this presentation and our review of the written information, FTA will decide on the appropriate type of environmental and historic review that is necessary, and will guide you in the preparation of necessary documentation," Hynes- Cherin wrote.
The transit administration acted as lead agency in the 2004 redrafting of plans for the Erie Canal Harbor.
Kenneth Schoetz, administrator of the development agency’s upstate office here, said he has spoken with the FTA and signaled the agency’s willingness to comply.
A meeting is expected to take place this month.
The Federal Transit Administration has both oversight and funding roles in the $53 million harbor makeover, which includes returning water to the original Commercial Slip and uncovering foundations of canal buildings that date back to the mid- 1800s.
The development agency’s local office has direct oversight responsibility for the project, while the NFTA serves as a "pass through" agency for some $15 million in FTA funds.
The Canal Side redevelopment plan includes approximately five acres along the Buffalo River that is currently governed by an FTA-approved master plan. That plan was born out of lengthy public process.
The key difference between the Canal Side and existing plans is the construction of a Bass Pro store on the former Central Wharf site, a parcel that is currently designated as open/public space.
The Canal Side blueprint stretches beyond the Erie Canal site, with a mix of retail, residential, entertainment and office buildings on adjacent blocks where Memorial Auditorium, the Donovan State Office Building and a surface parking lot are now situated.
The plan also calls for development of a public marina near the foot of Main Street.
The harbor development agency has scheduled a board meeting Tuesday to take the first formal actions in what’s expected to be a nine- to 12-month design and approval process.

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/67344.html