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CITY OF BUFFALO SEQRA PUBLIC NOTICE BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS - NORTH END DEVELOPMENT

Project Description

The City of Buffalo has deemed complete the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (“FGEIS”) for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – North End Development.

 The Projects are located in the City of Buffalo in an area bounded by Main Street, Maple Avenue, East North Street, and High Street. The Projects include development of approximately 1.2M square feet of medical facilities including: (1) construction of an ~600,000 square foot Global Vascular Institute (“GVI”); (2) construction of an ~200,000 square foot skilled nursing facility (“SNF”); (3) construction of an ~300,000 square foot medical office building (“MOB”); and (4) construction of a 1,200 – 1,600 space multi-mode transportation parking structure (“MMTS”). The Projects also include the abandonment of a portion of Goodrich Street between Ellicott and Michigan and certain limited air rights associated with pedestrian walkways between the buildings.  Lastly, certain parcels along Maple Avenue may be required to be rezoned to accommodate the SNF should it be located on that block.

Environmental Review (SEQRA)

See the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website for more information on SEQRA – available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/357.html.

 On August 19, 2008, the City of Buffalo Planning Board pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) issued its Notice of Intent to Act as Lead Agency for purposes of review of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – North End Development. After serving this Notice of Intent on all Interested and Involved Agencies, and no objections being received thereto, the City of Buffalo Planning Board became Lead Agency for the Projects.  

At the City of Buffalo Planning Board meeting on September 23, 2008, the City of Buffalo Planning Board issued a Positive Declaration. The Positive Declaration (document available below) identifies potential significant impacts to traffic, parking and infrastructure/utility services. At the same meeting, the Planning Board determined that a public scoping process was not necessary.  The Planning Board reached this determination because of the public outreach by the Project Sponsors and the significant coordination between the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning and the Project sponsors in developing a scope for the DGEIS.

 On October 3, 2008, the Project sponsor submitted a DGEIS to the City of Buffalo Planning Board which was consistent with the scope of the DGEIS previously presented to Planning Board staff and the Lead Agent.  As a result, on October 7, 2008, the City of Buffalo Planning Board deemed the DGEIS complete and officially opened the public comment period on the document. The City of Buffalo Planning Board also issued a Notice of Completeness and Public Hearing and provided copies of the DGEIS to all Interested and Involved Agencies.

 The Project Sponsor submitted the Final Generic Impact Statement (“FGEIS”) to Planning Board in mid-December and on January 13, 2009, the Planning Board deemed the Final Generic Impact Statement (“FGEIS”) complete.

The City of Buffalo Planning Board and Project sponsors have made the FGEIS available for public comment and the document can be found at the following locations:

• City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning
  Room 901
  City Hall
  Buffalo, NY 14202
  
• Buffalo & Erie County Public Library: Central Library
  1 Lafayette Square
  Buffalo, NY 14201
  
• Buffalo & Erie County Public Library: Frank E Merriweather Jr-Branch
  1324 Jefferson Ave
  Buffalo, NY 14208
  
• Allentown Association
  14 Allen Street
  Buffalo, NY 14203
  
• NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences
  701 Ellicott Street
  Buffalo, NY 14203
  
• Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  701 Ellicott Street
  Buffalo, NY 14203

You may come to any of the above-referenced locations during normal business hours to review the FGEIS.  The FGEIS is also available by a link below. 

The City of Buffalo Planning Board will accept written comments on the FGEIS through January 26, 2009.  Comments sent via mail should be posted no later than January 23, 2009.  Methods for public comment are discussed below.
After public input is received, the City of Buffalo Planning Board will issue a written Findings Statement.

Project Documents

• Notice of Intent to Act as Lead Agency
• Positive Declaration
• Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement
  • Appendix A - Department of Health Memo Regarding Deaconess
  • Appendix B - Existing Facility Permits
  • Appendix C - Transportation Impact Study
  • Appendix D - Utility Information
  • Appendix E - Visual Analysis Photographs
  • Appendix F - Historic Properties Information
  • Appendix G - Air Quality Information
  • Appendix H - Solid Waste Management Plan
  • Appendix I - Best Practices for Construction Plan
  • Figures
    
• Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement
  • Appendix A - Comments on the DGEIS
  • Appendix B - Positive Declaration and Notice of DGEIS Completion and Public Hearing
  • Appendix C - Parking Report Addendum
  • Appendix D - Revised Proposed Project Locations Map
  • Appendix E - Water Service Analysis
  • Appendix F - Supplemental Correspondence

Upcoming Events

• January 27, 2009 - Planning Board Issuance of Written Findings Statement 

Public Comment

Individuals can submit comments on the FGEIS by:

1. mailing or personally delivering comments or documents to the City of Buffalo Planning Department, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York 14202; or
2. e-mailing comments or documents to bmehaffy@city-buffalo.com.

Comments received by the City of Buffalo anonymously or by any other means than those mentioned above shall be disregarded.