By Aaron Besecker
Calls for minor and major changes to the draft plan for the Niagara River Greenway were aired during a public hearing held at Conference Center Niagara Falls on Tuesday evening.
A crowd of about 100 elected officials, government and agency employees and concerned residents expressed varying levels of support as well as opposition for the plan.
Comments from government representatives from Niagara County — some of whom have the power to prevent the planning process from moving forward — took center stage among the evening’s critics.
A leading dispute focused on the controversial issue of the greenway’s eastern boundary, the determination of which many believe will affect funding of the planned system of greenspaces, parks, waterfront access points, interpretive centers and other projects.
A state law signed in 2004 calls for the creation of an interconnected system of sites along the Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
Representatives of the Niagara Power Coalition, who were already on record rejecting the current plan, reiterated their requests for the plan to permit flexibility in spending.
“As recommended throughout our critique, the greenway needs to recommend principles consistent with the legislation,” said Sam Ferraro, Niagara County commissioner of economic development and power coalition staff member. “This will allow the Niagara Power Coalition to be flexible, yet prudent when it decides to spend its funding.”
The coalition includes Niagara County, Niagara Falls, the towns of Lewiston and Niagara and the school districts of Niagara Falls, Lewiston-Porter and Niagara-Wheatfield.
The base of the funding from the greenway is set to arrive from the New York Power Authority through settlement agreements with various stakeholders, including the coalition.
Lisa Vitello of Niagara Falls said the controversy is occurring partly because Western New York is forced to be “fighting over scraps” of state funding.
David Colligan of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy called on the power authority to fix the “structural flaw” in its settlement agreements by creating a separate fund for school districts.
Historian Paul Gromosiak said the disputes are distracting attention from a bigger issue — on whether the plan will provide for the general good.
“The funding must provide for the greatest benefit,” he said.
A second public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, Buffalo.
Written comments on the plan will be accepted until Jan 17.
