BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Neighbors are asking of more control as new development gets underway at Gates Circle.
The Planning Board gave Canterbury Woods the ghttps://lintvwivb.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpo-ahead to build a retirement community on part of the former Millard Fillmore Hospital site. Construction is set to start in February.
People living near Gates Circle have now turned their attention to the rest of the property. They’ve asked the Common Council for more restrictions on how the land can be used.
“We’re not opposed to development, we’re not opposed to have that site be a vibrant addition to the neighborhood,” said Gretchen Cercone, the president of the Lancaster Ave. Block Club. “We just want a say in what goes on there.”
There are signs up and down Lancaster Ave. that make it clear residents do not want a big box store on the property.
T.M. Montante Development plans to build a grocery store, a health and wellness center, and apartments but someone could buy from Montante and create a new plan for a piece of the property.
Neighbors want the land re-zoned to prevent that.
“For the next 20, 50, 100 years, that zoning protection would stay in place regardless of who the title holder was,” said Cercone.
Cercone told News 4 they’ve been working with Council Member Joel Feroleto and Council President Darius Pridgen to create special zoning.
Pridgen said they’re still coming up with a draft. The re-zoning could mean that any buildings proposed over a certain size would have to get Common Council approval in addition to approval from the Zoning Board.
The goal is to give neighbors like Cercone more of a say in the process.
“Some people in the neighborhood would like to see no retail at all, some would like to see smaller scale retail,” said Cercone. “Where we do have consensus is to make sure the community has input along the road and that singular blanket zoning will never happen on Gates Circle.”
We reached out to developer Tom Montante to hear his reaction but when we called his offices were already closed for the day.
His website says we could see more buildings go up on the site as soon as later this year.
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