Amherst & Tonawanda, NY; Willow Ridge & Parkview Action Plan

Niagara Falls Blvd (photo by Dover Kohl & Partners)

Niagara Falls Boulevard (US Route 62) was a death trap. The road dividing the towns of Amherst and Tonawanda was deadly for cyclists and pedestrians for whom signals did not give enough time to cross the 5+ lanes. Recent fatalities brought the towns together to identify potential solutions and attracted the attention of the New York State Department of Transportation for support. Where road safely is a function not only of the cartway design, the adjacent land uses needed to be considered. The joint jurisdiction plan not only made traffic and transportation design improvements, but addressed land use and zoning, economic revitalization and planned for new community amenities.

Working with the Dover Kohl & Partners consulting team, G Kellogg & Co described the obstacles facing new retail along the corridor, projected demand for housing and identified conditions that would support new development. We analyzed several typical site configurations as well as catalyst sites, providing pro forma analysis of proposed development under existing and alternative regulations. This demonstrated the financial impact for the developer of alternative regulations that made redevelopment feasible. Applying the analysis constraints to a GIS model of the study area Kellogg demonstrated the extent of underutilized land and quantified the extent that proposed regulations would promote feasible development. The impact of new tax revenues was compared between the old and alternative zoning regulations to demonstrate the benefits to the municipalities.