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Buffalo Waterfront Conference Analysis of Citizen Discussion and Priorities

A key element in the work of the Buffalo Waterfront Corridor Initiative is an ongoing program of citizen outreach, education, and participation. The 2003 Buffalo Waterfront Conference held May 17 at the Pier on Buffalo's Outer Harbor was the latest step in that effort.

More than 150 people participated in the day-long conference, including two rounds of small group discussions and a waterfront-ride ranking of priority projects at the end of the session. The results of those discussions reflect only the views of those who took part, but the comments and their rankings of those citizens provide an interesting look at what some Buffalonians think is important.

The small group discussions were divided by geographic group (Outer Harbor/ South Buffalo; Buffalo River; Inner Harbor/ Downtown; Peace Bridge/ Porter Avenue; Black Rock/ Riverside; and Transportation Connections).

Participants heard an overview of project proposals for each area then talked about what they would like most to see happen in each area. Facilitators captured these comments on newsprint and, in some cases, participants ranked projects and issues according to what they considered most important.

At the end of the day, the most important items from each geographic area were arrayed on newsprint on the wall and the remaining participants – still some 90 strong – ranked those project proposals.

Presented here are five different "slices" of the recorded conversation:

A list of the top ten priority items overall as determined during the final ranking at the end of the conference;
A tabulation of the total number of priority votes – dots – allocated to each of the six geographic areas of the Buffalo waterfront;
An analysis of the ranking by themes that were common to or cut across the different geographic areas;
A transcription of the final ranking exercise "right off the newsprint" including all items "nominated" by the small group discussions;
A consolidated report on 24 different small group discussions – including some ranking – that were held throughout the day;

Final Ranking – Top Ten Individual Items

Participants in the final ranking exercise put priority emphasis on the following ten items:

Developing heritage centers and attractions especially in the Canal and Cobblestone Districts.............35
Working to make access to the waterfront more multi-modal, less auto-dependent..............................31
Developing sites on the North Outer Harbor for mixed uses and making sure these are well-connected to downtown. ......................... 27
Making improvements to transit services, including expansions of Metro Rail to the airport and Outer Harbor.................................... 25
Improving access to the Outer Harbor Point or Lighthouse area...............................24
Making sure Outer Harbor developments provide green, clean, open space...............23
Developing the Cobblestone District.......................22
Improving links between the Inner Harbor and Outer Harbor links, for example, via a replaced Michigan St. Bridge or Outer Harbor tram 21
Preserving and Interpreting Buffalo's grain elevators........................... 20
Cleaning up Buffalo River sediments..................... 18

Final Ranking – Emphasis by geographic area

Transportation Connections...... 114
Outer Harbor............105
Inner Harbor/ Downtown........ 90
Buffalo River............. 58
Porter Avenue/ Peace Bridge..... 47
Black Rock/ Riverside ......32

Final Ranking – Cross cutting themes and issues

Transportation Improvements & Connections..................................................... 205

With an emphasis on making connections between downtown and the outer harbor; improving public transit and multi-modal transportation; making connections through the barrier of the Thruway; and calming traffic on major streets.

Heritage......................................................................................................109

With an emphasis on preserving and interpreting industrial heritage such as grain elevators; historic districts such as the Cobblestone; and promoting access to the historic Buffalo lighthouse.

Economic development................................................................................... 92

With an emphasis on key North Outer Harbor sites; the Cobblestone District; and mid-Niagara Street for water-enhanced uses including commercial and residential mixed use.

Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space.......................................................... 82

With an emphasis on green space that promotes direct public access to the waterfront through parks development and restoration or trails development, including heritage trails.

Environment..................................................................................................42

With a special emphasis on water quality

Outer Harbor/ South Buffalo
Themes and Issues
Green, clean, open space (23)
Connectivity to waterfront: visual, physical, historical (13)
Make decisions/ move forward (3)
Focus/ concentrate developments (2)
Low scale, mixed use inland (0)

Projects
North outer harbor: mixed use, downtown connection (27)
Bell Slip Developments (13)
Develop Seaway Piers (12)
More Gallagher Beach (7)
New golf course on landfill/ Hopkins St. improvements (5)
Inner Harbor/ Downtown
Transportation Connections
Buffalo River
Preserve and Interpret Grain Elevators (20)
Clean up river sediments (18)
Fix combined sewer overflow (11)
Buffalo R. Greenway and Industrial Heritage Trail (8)
Restore Cazenovia and South Parks (1)
Porter Avenue/ Peace Bridge
Black Rock/ Riverside
(7 groups)
Outer Harbor/ South Buffalo Redevelopment Area
A North Outer Harbor mixed-use development (33)
A Seaway Piers development (20)
A Bell Slip development (17)
Expansion of the Tifft Farm Nature Preserve (13)
"Phase II" Gallagher Beach (11)
Redevelopment along Hopkins Street (11)
An Outer Harbor Point tourist development (10)
A new golf course on the land fill (9)
New commercial development at Independent Cement (5)
A City Ship Canal mixed-use development (3)
People, boats, restaurants
Don't lose access to protected harbor Ideal spot for marine uses
Is it too isolated?
Connect to rest of Outer Harbor A beautiful, world class golf course
Sealing the landfill would improve water quality
Why not just open space?
Connect to South Park Improve access
Promote and market the lighthouse Get rid of junk – it's a big image issue Swimming beach would change Buffalo image
Protect hard won windsurfing access
Deal with security, broken glass, dog feces
Make it year-round with ice boating, fishing Protect wetlands, habitat
Remediate surface conditions
Connect to other natural resources Expand direct public access
Good spot for windsurfing, boat launch
Deal fairly with current occupants
Clubhouse location?
Deal with boulders, strong winds Put the ice boom somewhere else
Many other better uses
Good place for a sailing school
Inner Harbor/ Downtown Make it authentic, relevant
Make this a center
Support with mixed use
Make the parking ramp fit the district Create a mixed use district
Build on historic building fabric, story
Provide residential amenities
Link with downtown via street scape, trolley, signage
Needs an anchor?Transportation Connections
Expand Metro Rail to Airport, elsewhere (12)
Limit impact of highways on city (10)
Improve access to trails, waterfront (9)
Better signage and way-finding (5)
Waterfront Mixed-Use/Dense (4)
NFTA give way on waterfront (2)
Make city more walkable (2)
Relocate Amtrak to ITC (2)
Integrate parking in development (1)
Waterfront parking should be hidden
Use business parking for recreation parking
Don't start thinking with parking Create a mixed use waterfront
Make it more like Canada
No amusement parks on the waterfront An overall plan
Show what we have, connect places
Directions to Niagara Falls, roadways, etc.Public access – 100 feet wide
Greenway system: connect inner, outer harbor, Canada, industrial heritage
North Buffalo Greenway—Rails to Trails
Use paper streets, grid, existing points Provide access through I-190
Bury/ eliminate Thruway
Don't waste the money; other ways to connect
Use different treatments in different locations
Limit truck traffic – what's the benefit to city?
Make waterfront parkway; use Olmsted philosophy
Slow Scajaquada Expressway, under/ overpass Transit in all directions – airport, waterfront, neighborhoods
Park and Ride MetroRail stop
Think multi-modal/ less auto dependent
Transit in all plans Michigan Street bridge would be easy
Water taxis or ferry to bar-hop
Tram to outer harbor(4 groups)We have a story to tell; this is the place
Celebrate Erie Canal, veterans, naval, railway, grain elevators
DL & W terminal is a great site
Also Canal District, Webster Block
Link to Cobblestone, outer harbor, Old First Ward
(6 groups)
Heritage Centers (57)
Cobblestone District development (42)
Outer Harbor Point/ Coast Guard Station access and development (17)
Connect Waterfront Village to Downtown (16)
Bridge Access to Outer Harbor (9)
Grain Elevator development, interpretation (8)
City Ship Canal/ Kelly Island development (5)
Boating, marinas, Erie Basin management (3)
Ensure public access at Crawdaddy's site
Improve Erie Basin Marina management
Support recreational boating Poor access to Downtown
Problems with environmental cleanup
Access by boat, rail, etc.Elevators define our history, waterfront
Great backdrop to new development
Difficulties in maintenance, reuse
Include Connecting Terminal elevator in Inner Harbor plans A bridge at foot of Michigan would be easy
Erie Street, Main Street – more expensive locations Use Court, Genesee, Swan, Erie, Main to reconnect
Design our way through the Thruway
Use neighborhood retail to connect More public access to Lighthouse
Improve physical access
Move the Coast Guard
Great beauty, natural habitat
Connect Inner, Outer Harbor by bridge, tram, tunnel (19)
Buffalo River
Buffalo River Greenway/ Industrial Heritage Trail (14)
Grain Elevator Preservation/ Interpretation (12)
Buffalo River Sediment remediation (12)
Buffalo River/ Watershed Management Plan (9)
Combined sewer overflow remediation (8)
South Park redevelopment (4)
Cazenovia Park redevelopment (2)
It's in good hands Best park in the county
Casino needs attention
Light tennis courts
Improve signage (12)
Squaw Island Park development (7)
Improve access and directional signage;
Protect from bridge crossing;
Provide adequate investment, management;
Attend to safety issues.
Provide directional signage to park
Include interpretive signage
Scajaquada Creek watershed (6)
Inventory discharges
Identify remediation projects
Tie watershed plan to LWRP
Riverside Park restoration (5)
Focus on northern half;
Extend park to waterfront;
Avoid concessions;
Reinforce passive environment.
Peace Bridge/ Porter Avenue
Lower West Side Redevelopment and Traffic Calming (2)
Massachusetts Avenue Project (1)
Encourage pedestrian activity
Set back parking
Redesign Virginia Carolina interchange
Protect scale, avoid "big box"Pedestrian, cyclist safety and amenity
Calm but maintain traffic, I-190 access
Magnificent gateway
Improve, integrate Front Park Provide less structured space
Consider reopening boat launch
Improve access
Deal with cars
Attend to safety, cleanliness(2 groups)
LaSalle Park Restoration (6)
Porter Ave Street scape Improvement (4)
Mid/ Lower Niagara St. Redevelopment (2)
Eliminate toll barrier (reduce traffic on Niagara)
Narrow pavement, green the street
Encourage commercial development
Slow traffic, protect pedestrians(2 groups)
Black Rock/ Riverside
Multi-user potential ready to go
Integrate heritage trail with greenway
Connect to Tifft
Property acquisition, zoning are key
Include Native American heritage Unique ensemble of structures
Historic district is key step
Need creative uses
Do we need to save all of them?Development depends on clean up
Consider cost/ benefit
Safer to leave them there?Mechanism for responsible stewardship
Remedy, avoid problems
Need a vision and plan Clean water must be priority
CSO replacement will be costly
Construction will disrupt current projects(3 groups)Connections to Downtown – physical, visual, historical
Start at north end and work south
Concentrate/ focus development for density of attractions
Emphasize waterfront naturalization, restoration
E-zone? Casino? Protect setback, green space, access first
More boating facilities
Fuhrmann, a real boulevard; Take down Skyway?
Put office space downtown
Fishing pier near Times Beach?Mitigate the I-190 barrier (14)
Restore LaSalle Park (12)
Porter Avenue/ LWS traffic calming, pedestrianization (9)
Niagara Street Redevelopment (mid- and lower-) and traffic calming (9)
Greening (3)
Scajaquada watershed (13)
Develop Squaw Island Park (10)
Niagara Street Revitalization (7)
Implement Delaware Park Master Plan (2)
Restore Riverside Park (0)Heritage development/ heritage centers (35)
Outer Harbor Point/ Lighthouse access (24)
Develop Cobblestone District (22)
Waterfront access through Thruway (9) Multi-modal, less auto-dependent (31)
Transit improvements: airport, outer harbor, Metro Rail (25)
Inner Harbor/ Outer Harbor links, e.g. Michigan St. Bridge, tram (21)
Improved signage, way-finding (15)
Greenway, multiple access points, 100 ft. setback (11)
Fuhrman – a real boulevard (8)
Plan ahead (3)Small Group Discussions and Ranking

Final Ranking – All Items