Buffalo needs all of us this Saturday.

I hope you have Saturday at 10am blocked off on your calendar. This is the first and probably only meeting that the Elmwood Village Association is holding for the public to get input on the green code. It’s being held at the Lafayette Church. You can get the info here.

Why is attending this meeting important?

If you want to make Elmwood more walkable, bikeable and transit friendly, WE NEED YOU to come and let the City officials know. Unfortunately there are lots of people who still believe every new building needs parking. The new green code can stop mandating off street requirements which means this – no more demolition of our incredible neighborhood corridors. Right now with our current code, you have to have mandatory parking and guess what? In places like Elmwood, the only way to get that is to tear down or fight it with a long, expensive process to obtain the necessary variances to build to the current neighborhood standard we see today. The result? Mandatory off street parking often stops development from happening!

To see what happens when parking is required – check this post out. Read it because it is EYE OPENING. We do not need the suburban model in our city neighborhoods… which is something the green code can fix.

Tell the City that parking woes are a sign of a sucessful city. Let them know that we need more bike parking. Show Buffalo that you don’t have to be a planner to care for the future of your city. LOVE your city by showing up and defending the grumpies who want more parking, bars closed by midnight and less noise. The mixed use buildings, bars, streetlife and neighborhood feel is why Elmwood and other corridors are as successful as they are. Let’s keep them that way.

So my friends, I cannot stress how important this meeting is. COME.

With Buffalove,

Bernice