[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6192605,"mediaKeyId","4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233","parentId",4067996,"title","Applicant for 416 Waller says building serves mosque; council member schedules community meeting before special-use decision","audioSeconds",71,"startMs",505000,"endMs",576000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233&start=505&end=576","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233/thumbnail_505000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6192605/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Applicant-for-416-Waller-says-building-serves-mosque-council-member-schedules-community-meeting-before-special-use-decision","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192605-79d2b59b6f7c74831702d8311de8d4e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198860&Signature=OIXOBpcXdU37s5Bc0R~qhF7MwcniT8lSfUU0EO47fyhBlsoGrA6kkepD60qiEyoVEZek-ObrPiO9f0hH20LoHgE6N2BfAlMTUMz2BcD3OjaHNfE8RuCka2x70DMtYjldlOg7Xec11jH8488KzVJA8blHMFS9qH0qixOHhdjg71U1RjPYdF1hgA5H8XWvfG0OogYw0~MMCGPzosnAVI4-CwbrpeRjOtzkGNnrXcyexLbj1Gd1jPn9px74uKIESw0vxE1~wNmQD6apkX6ws9qg29s5w3KqOyyHvKzvpWpdRHfksLO5n6zwFPNxPO0H5KGinfbu2GpPH9KpYL8Rzj0kOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buffalo City","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Legislation opened a public hearing on a special-use permit for assembly at 416 Waller on Tuesday and heard from the applicant’s architect that the building is used as a mosque and the owners want an interior redesign to provide an open, flexible prayer area for the neighborhood.

The issue matters because a special-use permit is required for assembly uses in the parcel’s N3R zone and neighbors have raised concerns; Council Member Everhart said she planned to convene a community meeting with residents, block clubs and the owners before the council moves forward.

Architect Thomaso Briatico told the committee the building has long been used by community members for prayer and that the owners had asked him to redesign the interior to make it more open and flexible for the congregation. “They play five times a day, and they live in the community, and they would like to have an area that would be used for prayer,” Briatico said.

Council Member Everhart said she had not yet met the owners and that residents had expressed concerns; she said she would schedule a community meeting with the owners, block clubs and residents.

The committee opened the hearing, heard the architect’s description and then tabled the item pending community engagement and further discussion. No vote to approve or deny the special-use permit was taken at the meeting.

Discussion only: applicant presented architectural intent and use information; Council Member Everhart requested community outreach. Direction: schedule community meeting and gather neighborhood input. Decision: item tabled for later consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Buffalo Legislation Committee 6/3/25","oneSentenceSummary","An architect for 416 Waller told the committee the building is used as a mosque and the owners request an interior redesign to create a flexible prayer space; Council Member Everhart said she would schedule a community meeting and the committee tabled the item.","taxTitle","Buffalo City, Erie County, New York","taxId",7516,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192608,"Public opposition centers on school proximity as council weighs Elmwood cannabis special-use permit",3112,865000,3977000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233&start=865&end=3977","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233/thumbnail_865000.jpg","/articles/6192608/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Public-opposition-centers-on-school-proximity-as-council-weighs-Elmwood-cannabis-special-use-permit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192608-e5d9515ddd64edf1feea3e0626c861de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198860&Signature=XlTCVu6p3MclJ6EN9aAB48DcZubrrlMBrl2qkgue6T7KNDJ9acoRcBmKMaB64D4yv4pUMbHNa1D0MH7~q~Umt1QqNbQo9jT6ypIEZ6LfyGoBfAH74O0LJYcFHa78GHLbK9iW5Qffu4npVpC4PnAXw2vIDAQUvwb8CVS63wrS3Aex6bp2UYE76CDspMtorAHaBAL-grdEihMMWmCJEJYohwZ~YcP2VnJ7z8sgYuyC8avh1YVcI3PtP-Xv3DcoNuAnMy2xXHsMh3cdEKGPodPPByqYXriuaNyQbqm0ht7hZUAXgfRDHOpjZUGNQ~aHy8wi3P1okjLCv3wJ9fualP4WlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Legislation reopened a public hearing on a special-use permit for a retail cannabis dispensary at 758 Elmwood Avenue on Tuesday, where dozens of residents, school officials and business owners testified for and against the proposal and the applicant’s attorney said state licensing and a unanimous planning-board recommendation weigh in the applicant’s favor.

The hearing matters because the site is within blocks of several schools and a small public micro-park, prompting neighborhood groups and school representatives to argue the location poses risks to children; supporters and the applicant say the license-holder meets state proximity and security requirements and that a compliant, regulated dispensary can benefit the neighborhood economically.

Applicant Kevin Kane said he had met with Council Member David Rivera, held public meetings and spoken with the Elmwood Village Association and nearby businesses since the committee’s prior meeting. “My goal with this project is to be a good neighbor,” Kane said, adding his team intends to be engaged with the Elmwood Village community.

Opposition coalesced around proximity to schools. Kate Hurley, leader of the Cleveland Avenue, Tudor Place and St. Catherine’s Court Neighborhood Association and a parent, said the group collected more than 50 signatures from nearby residents and more than 210 from the Norton Academy community, and that Kenesha High School and Buffalo Seminary administrations oppose the permit. “758 Elmwood is just blocks away from multiple schools serving over a thousand students. It is undeniably a school zone,” Hurley said.

Catherine Mullen, a physician and head of the Nardin Academy Parents Association, told the committee the American Academy of Pediatrics warns of potential adverse effects of adolescent cannabis exposure and urged the council to consider evidence linking proximity of dispensaries to increased youth substance use in some studies. Tom Capol, principal of Canisius High School, asked the council to “slow it down,” noting students regularly use Elmwood for lunches and errands.

Supporters said the applicant has met state vetting and security requirements. Alyona Rutherford, a cannabis business consultant who said she has worked with the applicant since 2023, described required background checks, fingerprinting and a state-reviewed security plan with 24-hour surveillance and an on-site guard. The applicant’s attorney, Corey Auerbach of Barclay Damon, told the committee that Kevin Kane had received an adult-use dispensary license from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management and that the license reflects state proximity protections. Auerbach also said the city planning board had unanimously recommended approval of the special-use permit under section 11.3.3(e) of the city code (the “green code”), which implements standards for special uses.

Multiple speakers raised concerns about the applicant’s initial community engagement. Council Member David Rivera said there had been “very little communication” between the applicant and his office and the community at the start of the process, which he said contributed to a lack of trust. Rivera asked whether the property acquisition was contingent on council approval; counsel confirmed that the proposed lease/purchase would not proceed if the council denied the permit. Rivera said he was not ready to make a recommendation to the full council and asked that opponents and supporters submit letters to council members; he asked the committee to table the decision.

Formal action at the meeting: after public testimony, Council Member Rivera moved to close the public hearing and to table the matter for further consideration; the chair closed the hearing and the item was tabled for future action before the full council. The full council will consider the matter at its next meeting and a final vote is expected there.

Discussion only: extensive public comment from parents, school officials, business owners and neighborhood groups. Direction: council requested additional submissions and community engagement materials and law-department review. Decision: committee closed the public hearing and tabled the item for later action at the full council.

Any final decision will rest with the full council; the committee record indicates strong, organized neighborhood opposition focused on school proximity and concerns about marketing and visibility, balanced by testimony that the applicant has secured state licensure and meets state proximity rules and operational requirements.","Applicant Kevin Kane, licensed by the state, asked for a special-use permit for a retail cannabis dispensary at 758 Elmwood; dozens of residents, school leaders and business owners spoke. The planning board recommended approval; Council Member Rivera asked to table and requested more community input before the full council vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192609,"Preservation group backs local landmark designation for 840 William Street Schlitz tide house",176,652000,828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233&start=652&end=828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233/thumbnail_652000.jpg","/articles/6192609/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Preservation-group-backs-local-landmark-designation-for-840-William-Street-Schlitz-tide-house","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192609-38ede58773544e3001efd82c6120df67/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198860&Signature=amVKcEGCPOpnsiNuOnAmHiFmCFA8FgRnUZMJS299DnD5zr-LxdWufHZf2ACJSTmbr1VUZlEE0TPgO28Nl~nE0nCvTLJ75dZc-4P4HvE2VdrcvaiWaR0EUPWOiUM2q7weJCXr8kawXP1EnE4dtVsGVxgrv5qw5Eqr3q6S-bEz~mpqbpXnPKa48OVdJeHHJblv6UbG8cOEDcaJLcAek8EtpC2PnpwPiaZdddspeQXpH8dhWGgNc4H8ZLHpOtC1dV8pD3Sg3~7Da~eeKEVJ4KCKpas-RC-XWMdigw23-ZVXUsJ4kjf8Vf-TK9m1geTFH7jHaND~r42F4XCz1m7AdSzvmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Preservation Buffalo Niagara urged the Committee on Legislation on Tuesday to endorse local landmark designation for 840 William Street, a former Schlitz Brewery tide house that the preservation group says is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

The nomination matters because local landmark status would give the city’s preservation process stronger tools to protect the building and would allow owners or advocates to pursue preservation funding and grants to stabilize and restore the structure.

Emily Jarnott, a preservation planner with Preservation Buffalo Niagara, told the committee the property is “a little bit complicated” because it is caught up in an estate, which has hindered maintenance. Jarnott said the organization succeeded in getting the property found eligible for the National Register in February and has worked with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on that listing. She described the building’s history: built about 1909 as a tide house for the Schlitz Brewing Company, with ground-floor retail and boarding rooms above, and said the property sits in the Broadway-Fillmore commercial hub.

“The tide house was a piece of the commercial fabric that helped make the East Side vibrant,” Jarnott said, noting the group’s recent cleanup and vegetation work around the site.

Council Member Nowakowski told the committee he had reviewed the preservation material and believed the property met the criteria for local landmark designation and moved to approve the nomination. The motion was seconded and the committee moved the nomination forward for approval.

Discussion only: Preservation Buffalo Niagara described the property’s National Register eligibility, condition and the organization’s outreach and cleanup work. Direction/decision: Council Member Nowakowski moved the nomination forward; the committee voted to approve the nomination for transmittal consistent with committee practice. No funding commitment was made at the meeting.

If approved by subsequent steps in the city’s landmark process, local designation would allow additional review and make the property eligible for preservation incentives and grants that require local protection.","Preservation Buffalo Niagara asked the legislation committee to support a local landmark nomination for the former Schlitz tide house at 840 William Street; staff said the building is National Register-eligible and the organization urged landmarking to open funding opportunities for repairs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192611,"Milk-Bone plant seeks city lots for parking, proposes $750,000 developer agreement",112,85000,197000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233&start=85&end=197","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4067996-d18f6db1278b5fec96b56cad95641233/thumbnail_85000.jpg","/articles/6192611/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Milk-Bone-plant-seeks-city-lots-for-parking-proposes-750000-developer-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192611-fb2f2d7e9ad964508c8d9e01d711c84a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198860&Signature=HiMI5w3cQj4tOXon8yh4UH6aMvqhcAfdUoxC~A1vkSEplj4iM9rEODbUfxD9B8AuqPVehWlVPLdWFLSCodtZYU7rmvtiGptmmS08SdVgOT0Q17jiRK98ZzScBPGd7a-94YrjOZ7JAORicfD~IMiY05B40UajnVQza56miTiwbq4A3OnKtu9-CPXoku1fBA1ROI3D3S6nUT3GnCq-IMUgYI98EBb~t6j57XTcOEIqr~ansVNYXCQWyDfDwx-yC0u5prxLVcquQLePDaBCzFY9dG23vkNOwVEIchp9zJj6f7PH9LwwNweRFfLpLqRth5PgCD2j-nPIRMq0nb3mf5Wmeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Plant manager Ryan McGinnis told the Committee on Legislation on Tuesday that the Milk-Bone dog-biscuit facility on Urban Street seeks to buy three vacant city-owned parcels to expand employee parking and plan dock improvements.

The request matters because the facility says current on-site parking has reached capacity and additional secured parking and incremental dock doors would improve site safety and delivery efficiency.

Ryan McGinnis, plant manager of the Milk-Bone facility, said the J.M. Smucker brand has produced dog treats in Buffalo since the mid-1950s and that the plant currently owns seven adjacent lots within the CSX viaduct/Urban/Fuzron (transcribed) block except for three city parcels and one privately owned home at 192 Fuzron Street. He said his team has pursued the parcels since submitting an application in July 2024 and has met with City economic development and planning staff while negotiating acquisition of the privately owned lot.

“We respectfully request to enter into a designated developer agreement in which we will spend approximately $750,000 over its term to increase employee parking and begin planning for enhancements to trailer flow, which includes the dock door expansion,” McGinnis said. He told the committee the parcels would allow all employee parking to be housed within the secured lot, improve site security and accommodate additional staff.

Committee members asked about past labor disputes. Council Member Halton Pope asked whether a previous labor issue had been resolved; McGinnis replied that the labor issue had been resolved in May 2024 and that the affected employees had returned to work in December 2023. Halton Pope said she had met with the company and that she was not opposed to a designated developer agreement but wanted to ensure ongoing constructive relations between management and labor.

On a motion by Council Member Halton Pope, seconded by Council Member Gallumbach, the committee voted to send the item to the full council without recommendation. The committee record shows that the motion was made after public discussion and questions; no formal vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

Discussion only: committee members raised labor-relations and community engagement questions and requested continued compliance and constructive labor relations. Direction: Council Member Halton Pope said she would send the item without recommendation. Decision: the committee sent the file to the full council without recommendation.

The committee did not adopt any ordinance or binding condition at the meeting; final approval of any property sale or developer agreement would rest with subsequent council or administrative approvals.

Acknowledgements: McGinnis said the company had met with Economic Development Coordinator Trevor Griffiths, Deputy Director Yvonne Bailey and Nadine Marrero, executive director of the Office of Strategic Planning, as part of its outreach.

Next steps: The item will proceed to the full council for further consideration.","J.M. Smucker-owned Milk-Bone operator asked the Committee on Legislation to enter a designated developer agreement to buy three vacant city lots and spend about $750,000 to expand employee parking and plan dock improvements; the committee voted to send the file without recommendation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Applicant for 416 Waller says building serves mosque; council member schedules community meeting before special-use decision

Public opposition centers on school proximity as council weighs Elmwood cannabis special-use permit

Preservation group backs local landmark designation for 840 William Street Schlitz tide house

Milk-Bone plant seeks city lots for parking, proposes $750,000 developer agreement