Island Dispatch, 1996-12-27

              Island Dispatch 1!?% years "As the voice of "Grand Island" •amJArd " X'PRESS^^ Cleaners 2-73 Grand laland Blvd. TOWN MAUL SQUAOE i.i.r*j Ownad a Opa'ir. r CALL 77KLEAN or 773-4114 650 December 27,1996 24 Pages Vol. 53 • No. 37 (716) 773-7676 Plan may violate policy, create bottleneck by Christopher Caile The Town Center Plan recently adopted by the Grand Island Town board may violate Town policy already in place. Central to the adopted plan was the recommendation by Supervisor James Pax to coordinate all information from Island organizations, committees and groups through the Town's Planning Committee. The committee would also serve as contractual client to the State University of New York School of Architecture and Urban Design. But is this proposal in conflict with previous Town Board adopted policies set forth in the 1994 Town Of Grand Island Comprehensive Plan? The 1994 Comprehensive Plan stipulates not only projects but who is responsible for enacting and following up on them. The Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) is specifically committed to development of master plans for both the Town Center and Ferry Village. The LRPC was also charged with reviewing the comprehensive plan yearly, as well as for an in depth five year review, and twenty year comprehensive review. The State has very strict laws regulating the process and implementation of Comprehensive Plans. These laws were followed when in 1994 the Town adopted a Comprehensive plan modifying an earlier 1969 plan. Under section 272a of State Law such a Comprehensive Plan cannot be modified without prior public hearings and coordination with other planning agencies. Pax followed the policy guidelines of the Comprehensive Plan in October 1994 when he appointed a committee, including the LRPC to develop a plan for Ferry Village. The LRPC was defined by Pax at an August 1, 1994 Town Board meeting. It was to include representation from each town board, commission, and agency having jurisdiction or authority for growth management issues and community services within the Town, plus with the discretion of the Town Board, the LRPC could include representatives of neighborhoods or community groups. Exclusion of the LRPC from the new Town Center Planning process, and substitution of the Planning Committee seems to violate the adopted Comprehensive plan, a plan which Pax followed with Ferry Village. Can a vote of the Town Board override a Comprehensive Plan already enacted? If this change is considered a modification of the Comprehensive Plan, is it legal to do so without legally scheduled public hearings and coordination with other planning agencies? Since the Planning Committee and Long Range Planning Committee arc so similar sounding many do not understand the issue. The Planning Committee is small with advisory capacity limited to specific areas. It is not inclusive and would not provide direct communication and feedback between responsible groups, committees and boards. Under the present plan, UB graduate students involved in developing the first stage of the UNITING TWO COUNTRIES - Visitors to The Festival of Lights are in for a special treat this year as Canada and the United States plan a synchronized fire works display to usher in the New Year. According to Marketing Chairman Kevin Kuchta, Canada will launch their fireworks over the Falls, while the US will hold their display over E. Dent Lackey Plaza. This year marks the first that the two countries have coordinated efforts in the annual evenL Ring in with "Niagara Eve" How will you spend your New Year's Eve? How about spending it safely at an end-of-year family celebration like no other -- at "Nabisco New Niagara Eve." "Nabisco Niagara Eve" is a safe and sober New Year's Eve celebration for the whole family held at the Niagara Falls Convention, 310 Fourth Street, Niagara Falls, New York on Tuesday, Dec. 31 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Each family member can enjoy their own New Year's festivities in specially designated areas within the Convention Center. Age appropriate activities for children, teens and adults are scheduled along with music, dancing and games. Children will be entertained in the Sky Lounge. Teen activities will be held in Room 6 and feature dancing and a live DJ. Adults will enjoy themselves in the Ballroom and will be able to dance to big band sounds of Sugar and Jazz. The evening will be capped off as festivities and excitement move outside to Lackey Plaza for the traditional New Year's Eve Fireworks Display and Balldrop. It will be televised live by WKBWTV News Channel 7 and hosted by Jon Sommers. The official Festival of Lights is sponsored by Nabisco, with special thanks to AARP, Alcoholism Council in Niagara County, American Red Cross, Bccman Child Guidance Clinic, Catholic Charities, Center for Independent Living, Fabranto Unlimited, Girl Scouts, Niagara County Builders, Niagara County Department of Social Services, Niagara County Wellness Council, Niagara County Youth Bureau, Niagara Falls Board of Education, Niagara Falls City Court, Niagara Falls Youth Bureau, Niagara Falls Middle School, Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara St. Joseph's School and others. Admission for "Nabisco Niagara Eve" is adults 18 and older $5; teens 12-17 $4; children under 12 $3; groups of four (two adults and two teens/children) $12. Further information and tickets for "Nabisco Niagara Eve" can be obtained by calling A Festival of Lights office at 285-8484. POST OFFICE COLLECTS FOR NEIGHBORS FOUNDATION— The Grand Island Post Office was a depository for toys for the Grand Island Neighbors Foundation. Post Office customers dropped off the gifts there and Linda Tufillaro, representative of the foundation picked up the accumulation from Post Office Supervisor Joe I lufnagcl. (by Barbi Lare) Continued on page 14