THE TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BYP GREEN CODE COMMENT PROPOSAL

BYP has officially submitted our final Green Code comments to the City of Buffalo Common Council. We hope to see you tomorrow at 10am at 450 Masten Ave. for the last Green Code public hearing ever before the decisions are made!

You can read our official comments here: BYP Green Code Comments 2016

THE TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR GREEN CODE COMMENT PROPOSAL INCLUDE:

1. Expressly allow the City Planning Board, as a condition of site plan approval for new projects, to require retention of buildings listed or deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
2. Authorize the Preservation Board to pause demolition permits to facilitate the local landmark nomination process
3. Require site plan approval prior to demolition of any structure in any neighborhood zone, allowing the Department of Permit and Inspection Services to waive this requirement only for demolitions necessary for public health and safety
4. Kick off the process to adopt a preservation plan and appoint a project advisory committee to guide the process
5. Undertake a comprehensive rewrite and modernization of the preservation ordinance to ensure consistency with New York State best practice
6. Incorporate a revised preservation ordinance into the Green Code after the Green Code is adopted, ensuring a truly “unified” development ordinance
7. Extend the legacy commercial provisions to all corner lots in N-@R and N-3R to encourage the creation of small scale neighborhood markets, cafés and eateries similar to Tipico, Betty’s and E.M.Tea Coffee Cup.
8. Support the elimination of the minimum parking requirement
9. Protect as-of-right zoning for multi-family, row houses, and carriage houses in the N-2R and N-3R zones, allowing neighborhoods to develop with a full set of housing choices for all ages, abilities, and incomes
10. Prohibit Dryvit on all facades that face the public right-of-way

BYP’s Official Buffalo Green Code Comments

Our official Green Code Comments can be found here: BYP Green Code Comments 2016

An open letter to the Common Council

April 1, 2016

To the Buffalo Common Council,

The Buffalo’s Young Preservationists wish to submit the following comments to the Buffalo Common Council in regard to adoption of the Buffalo Green Code.

If the Green Code were already adopted today, as is, cities across the country would look to Buffalo as a city planning leader for the 21st century. As is, the Green Code presents a progressive and forward- thinking vision for the Nickel City, informed by an unprecedented amount of public input.

Buffalo’s Young Preservationists are in full support of the Buffalo Green Code, and we believe our recommendations will make it even better. BYP submits the following four-point plan for improving the Green Code:

•  Pursue a smart approach to preservation
•  Embrace Buffalo’s historic character
• Support alternatives to the automobile
•  Promote investment and entrepreneurship

We believe the Green Code should allow for our communities to grow, while protecting our historic fabric. We encourage you to take these comments into consideration, and to feel free to reach out to us if you have questions.

Thank you,

Derik Kane, Bernice Radle, Chrissy Lincoln, Mike Puma, and Derek King

BYP Green Code Working Group

bypteam@gmail.com Facebook.com/BuffalosYoungPreservationists

BYP in 2016!

We’re a group of millennial-aged Buffalonians who love architecture and history, who want to help to save buildings from the wrecking ball every day under the advocacy group called Buffalo’s Young Preservationists.

We’ve worked to save buildings of all sizes including Trico (where the windshield was invented), Wildroot (largest hair product supplier in 1940), an administrative building for our largest steel company, and many dollar houses that patiently wait for new owners to re-love them. We do things differently – plastering hearts on buildings, creating dynamic campaigns, and pushing for policy changes to enhance preservation of our historic neighborhoods.

What’s on our agenda for this year? Here are just a few buildings we are trying to save. Follow our progress here! 

Wildroot : Thanks to Chrissy and Mark for taking the lead on this, Wildroot was listed this year as “Seven to Save” by the Preservation League of New York State. It’s at risk because the owner died and it’s in estate hell…the vacancy vortex is in full force!! We keep and eye on it by cleaning it up, painting it, and securing it from time to time.

Crosby : Essentially every major applianceof the 20th century had its parts stamped at the Crosby plant. It’s up for demolition now because the owners were not aware of its potential ….but we’ve created a fun campaign and the owners are now looking into stabilization!! We go before the common council next month to fight for it to have local landmark designation!

 North Park Library: A historic library in an area surrounded by parking lots… This is up for demolition because it has been vacant for five years and a developer wants to put a new mixed-use building in its place. The library is really loved by the community! We’ve started a petition which has hundreds of signatures and we go before the common council on April 14th to fight for it to have a local landmark designation!

The Bachelor: Buffalo’s oldest apartment building in downtown, the Bachelor was built for single working men (thus the name the bachelor!) It is in danger because a local developer wants to tear it down for a hotel and parking garage…While restoring another building in the process but removing this one. We go before the common council in April to fight for its local landmark designation.

 Other than that, we will likely do our happy hours, board and seals and other random fun things that we typically do every year!

Crosby, North Park Library & The Bachelor

Three historic gems. All up for local landmark approval on April 14th. We need your voice to let the Buffalo Common Council know how important it is to landmark these historic sites!

Sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1132194483492696/

If you cannot make the meeting, we ask you to email, call and / /or visit your common councilman directly. Information on their emails and phone numbers can be found here: http://www.city-buffalo.com/Home/Leadership/CommonCouncil

Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists

BYP is excited to be on the steering committee for RBCoYP, a group of preservationists from all around the rust belt. About 70 of us will be hanging out in PGH April 8,9,10 exploring historic sites, drinking beer and wandering the 152XX. You’re welcome to join us! For more info on the organization, events and what is going on, click here: http://rustbeltcoalitionofyoungpreservationists.com

Wild About Wildroot!

Wildroot. It is WILD!!!!! (and worth saving!)

Learn more about it here: http://broadwayfillmorealive.org/2.0/2015/12/wild-about-wildroot/