Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan

The City of Buffalo's Office of Strategic Planning is in the process of preparing a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) for the entire City of Buffalo waterfront, including the Lake Erie (Outer Harbor) waterfront and the Niagara River, Buffalo River and Scajaqauda Creek waterfront corridors. The LWRP boundaries can be viewed by clicking the link at left.

The LWRP will become a key component of the City's Comprehensive Plan and will provide long-term guidance for use and development of the City's waterfront. The LWRP will express the City's and the citizens' vision for its waterfront: public access, improved environmental quality, and an asset that will leverage our future economic prosperity

In response to the Coastal Zone Management Act that was passed by Congress in 1972, the State of New York prepared a Statewide Coastal Management Program, which was enacted into law in 1981, as the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act (also known as Article 42 of the Executive Law).

Article 42 defines the boundaries within which the Coastal Management Program (CMP) applies, and provides a set of management policies that address important waterfront issues.

Although the CMP was created to promote the wise development, use and protection of waterfront resources, the State recognized that local communities are the best qualified to determine the specific problems and opportunities that characterize their waterfront areas.

Therefore, the State offered local governments the opportunity to participate in the State Coastal Management Program through the development of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP).

The main purpose of an LWRP is to develop a comprehensive plan and vision for the waterfront to maintain and improve waterfront lands and community character, enhance economic prosperity, protect and enhance important natural resources, and improve public access to the waterfront.

With a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program the City of Buffalo has the opportunity to:

• evaluate its waterfront resources, and develop community consensus regarding the use of the waterfront and the protection of important resources;

• build and continue a solid partnership with the Department of State to secure technical assistance for the implementation of the LWRP;
• make sure that County, State and Federal permitting, funding and direct actions are consistent with the LWRP, ensuring that all levels of government work in unison to help the City of Buffalo build a stronger economy and a healthier waterfront environment; and
• develop a clear vision for the waterfront, increasing the City's chances of obtaining public and private funding for waterfront projects.

Having an LWRP affords the City of Buffalo more control over actions that are proposed along the waterfront. The LWRP strengthens the State Coastal Management Program through the use of policies that are tailored and refined to address the local needs and objectives of the City.

Since the enactment of the Statewide Coastal Management Program in 1981 many things in the City of Buffalo have changed including local zoning amendments, some waterfront uses and the preparation of the Comprehensive Plan. In order for the LWRP to effectively help guide local and state actions, it is important that it be prepared to effectively reflect current trends and conditions. The City's Office of Strategic Planning (OSP) has been working hard on the preparation of the LWRP as a framework for waterfront revitalization. To complement the efforts of the OSP, the City is encouraging the public to offer their input to help to clarify and support the vision for the waterfront.

To-date, the City has prepared a detailed inventory of access, resources and opportunities along the Waterfront and has prepared draft policies (see link at left) to guide long-term use and development of the waterfront.

The LWRP team is preparing recommended land use and development ordinances to implement the vision and policies of the LWRP. These components of the LWRP will be available for public review and comment in the late fall of 2003. Upon the completion of the public review of these LWRP components, the complete draft LWRP will be submitted to the City of Buffalo Common Council for approval.

Preparation of the LWRP is being done coincidentally with the Buffalo Waterfront Corridor Initiative by Wendel Duchsherer with assistance from the Friends of the Buffalo and Niagara Rivers and the University at Buffalo's Urban Design Project.

For more information, please contact Michel Holland, Project Manager, City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning, 901 City Hall, Buffalo, New York, 14202; (716) 851-5775; mholland@city-buffalo.com.