Buffalo's Green Code - to control future land use and development issues - came before the Common Council's Legislation Committee Tuesday, when members were told there are serious problems to be addressed.
Council President Darius Pridgen is probably the member most familiar with development issues because of the projects his True Bethel Baptist Church has done on the East Side. However, even he was taking lots of notes as several speakers objected to the code and the way it is being pushed through.
After the meeting, Pridgen said he needs to know a lot more.
The Council is studying a draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, prepared by consultants and the city's Office of Strategic Planning. Even "environmental" has to be defined, according to Planning Director Nadine Marrero.
"Some of the topics that are covered include population: Is the population going to grow or shrink, based on the census? Esthetics: Are we going to make a more beautiful or an uglier city? Impacts on contamination: Are we more likely to remediate contaminated soils? Are we going to leave it in place and hope it doesn't get worse? Are we going to make it better or worse?" Marrero explained.
Environmental lawyer Arthur Giacalone said the EIS needs serious work, both in reaction to public comments during spring meetings to uninformative sections of the plan.
"Until you have closely read the 140 pages of 'responses to comments' that are found at pages 24 to 163 of the FGEIS, until you have done that, you have not fulfilled your obligation to know what's in that document that you are responsible for," Giacalone said.
Councilmembers are planning a lot more meetings and are looking for more explanation of what they are being asked to approve and put into effect.
