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Aloft Hotel's fate tabled by Town Board
A decision on a proposed eight-story hotel near Buffalo- Niagara International Airport will wait until at least Monday, as last Thursday's end-of-year Town Board meeting drew debate between local officials and the project's attorney.
John Garas, an attorney representing the project's developer- Manga LLC of Mississauga, Ontario- asked the board for more time to discuss the parameters of the Aloft Hotels chain. As a result, the board tabled a State Environmental Quality Review "positive" declaration, despite various trustees' wishes to "move ahead in the project."
A positive declaration would require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement and subsequent SEQR review before the project could be approved.
Residents from neighboring streets of the proposed project- Surfside Parkway, Bay Lane and others- had expressed concern about the size of the hotel, stating that an eightstory structure would intrude on their privacy and enjoyment of their properties.
Garas said any board action taken on the project would be premature, adding that he hoped to have several revisions to the project- proposed on Burgess Boulevard- at the town's Environmental Advisory Committee meeting on January 16.
Retiring trustee and current EAC member Tom Johnson expressed displeasure with the delay, stating that Garas spoke to both him and Town Zoning Inspector Dan Ulatowski at the December 19 EAC meeting in regard to making a decision on the crux of the issue, the project's height.
"You told me directly, 'we will not go six stories,'" Johnson said regarding a height reduction from the proposed eight stories. "Ulatowski discussed this and proposed five, and I said I was willing to work with six."
Garas said the project would not be feasible at five stories, acknowledging that EAC members suggested it was a "no-go" at six stories.
"My answer was that there is flexibility in the project with working on a revised plan," Garas told the board. "It's a complicated process. How much lower (is the number of stories)? I don't know. The town board wants a lower height. We understand that."
Garas added that he did not believe any EAC recommendations on positive action from the committee were proper.
Town Engineer William Pugh stated Manga needs to "put something in writing" in order to move ahead with the project, and retiring Town Supervisor James Jankowiak asked Garas to let the board know of any time requirements in the future.
In other action, the board appointed Frank Max Jr. as General Crew Chief of the Town Sanitation Department. Max had served as a sanitation foreman and is the chairman of the Town Democratic Committee. Jankowiak expressed confidence in the selection.
"I congratulate you," Jankowiak told Max, before humorously adding, "in the words of a former town highway supervisor, be careful what you wish for, because now you're running (the department)."
Max told the Times that he is looking forward to running sanitation duties again, having served previously as department head after David Kulik left the position.
"I'm familiar with the operation," Max said. "I feel that the town board has been very supportive of the department. I want to help eliminate complaints from residents and do a good job."
The town's sanitation supervision duties were assigned to the highway superintendent in April 1999. However, earlier in 2007, the board ex- pressed its desire to separate the duties to gain more control of the sanitation department, which Town board members say generates many public complaints.
Also last Thursday, the board approved an application submitted by the Town Office of Building Inspections for amending Zoning Law 260-A1 to extend the distance of "adult/family-use" locations- including taverns and nightclubs and other sites- from residential or "family type" locations from 500 to 1,500 feet.
The EAC participated in reviewing the ordinance.
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