[{"_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",6151023,"mediaKeyId","5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620","parentId",5505439,"title","Council committee sends cannabis permit for 1923 Seneca without recommendation after public hearing; neighbor raises proximity concerns","audioSeconds",316,"startMs",664000,"endMs",980000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620&start=664&end=980","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620/thumbnail_664000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6151023/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Council-committee-sends-cannabis-permit-for-1923-Seneca-without-recommendation-after-public-hearing-neighbor-raises-proximity-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151023-78d556287946f751dbd6faf59fa52de0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178925&Signature=X4E~xfzA5ARnUcn4YeWiit9qs6AIh20CyTzFG1~3kMnrWbuL7vJ6l5CxbPbHRxWY13mZOK6zfXfiCZcT6IZd~-wmwt6~vmN4cP8ZyhgbEv7qzM6jjeEs6m-QoX2uOf4lsx1lRzMKZ1kVhsb8aKWrA9klSb8HxG55k8nIzW16VZs-R~QqTKnuqBZsAir8U75C1mpzeHcIGL90MlJpl3NyRD0a245pyqCwCKgnUftyZU-t-UAjWlTyRsGXv8ulfbpG-7pAQXBNrkDUG9iOjhDiSqhl0IPrGqipeJ~qP5KSkS1odzyd9PzIHRo7CA1046fdNNjw4emjxKPMLU8bBDwpwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buffalo City","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Legislation held a public hearing on July 1 for a special use permit for a cannabis establishment at 1923 Seneca Street. The applicant identified himself as Lee Saenz and said he aims to provide a licensed, locally grown and tested product and create jobs. “The best thing is all the taxes are going to help a lot of different things like your schools, your playgrounds,” the applicant said, and he told the committee he would hire about 10 people at this location and that he has state approval for the address.

A nearby property owner, Jared Honacki, owner of J Elliot and Company LLC, told the committee he owns about 100 apartments in South Buffalo and said he was not opposed to cannabis businesses in principle but raised concerns about adding another point of access in a high-density residential area and near bus routes. He noted a prior cannabis establishment in the South District had been shut down because of licensure issues and said the location on Seneca raised “particular proximity problems” in his view.

Committee members said they would consult with the South District council office and the acting mayor’s office before taking a final vote. The transcript records that the committee will not vote on the item that day and that it would be sent without recommendation; a motion to send without recommendation was seconded by Council Member Rivera and recorded in the transcript.

The applicant confirmed he had state approval for the address when asked. The committee encouraged applicants and concerned neighbors to meet with the South District council office to discuss the proposal. The transcript does not include a roll-call vote or a final approval; the item was forwarded without recommendation for further review and communication with district offices.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Buffalo City Legislation Committee 7/1/ 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After a public hearing, the Committee on Legislation voted to send a special use permit for a cannabis establishment at 1923 Seneca Street without recommendation. The applicant said state approval for the address exists; a nearby property owner objected to additional access in a dense residential area.","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},6151028,"Committee recommends approval for adaptive reuse of Richardson-Olmsted kitchen as Lipsey Architecture Center visitor space",69,590000,659000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620&start=590&end=659","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620/thumbnail_590000.jpg","/articles/6151028/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Committee-recommends-approval-for-adaptive-reuse-of-Richardson-Olmsted-kitchen-as-Lipsey-Architecture-Center-visitor-space","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151028-6aaa18760c6919371ccf94fea7122e27/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178925&Signature=DLpZERyiMs~2rShCODnzmygRcDAo6qPWa~KWavyqj3WnY0TtB4SSHLSRLPHMjohN9pFnbu2K7knESgXvVfYluGBZDhbRrSiTCyzIC8C0vcx7QHwmgEu9WSXJRAS87mPHv2TSj2pnFy3kPID7ndOJbkR0rd54bXVgpEo9hd1v~XHS9RR-gk6GcTkf6q9-LsNtjNTY82jSzsr2n7zjFf-OqclTN2hmlqf5WRUEBbGoDzd854UaUqafgxR6Q58NYtWZ86W9u7k-Qda4mEmRzCvt5YqW1S6ayksY6a-0Cjcnv8NJj66u9VFnpCVaj0ZEObRLuQP7h1L7sTfi640a2tf6wQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paris Roselli, executive director of the Lipsey Architecture Center, told the Committee on Legislation on July 1 that the center seeks to adaptively reuse the Richardson-designed kitchen on the Richardson-Olmsted campus as a visitor center and add a glass addition.

Roselli said the project has worked with preservation architects, the National Park Service, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Buffalo Preservation Board and that plans will be respectful of the Olmsted landscape. “We are adaptively reusing 1 of the, historic buildings on the campus for an architecture center for Western New York,” Roselli said. He added the center will provide orientation, programming and work with local partners to bring tour groups to the area.

The committee opened and then closed the public hearing; Roselli was the only speaker at the microphone. After the public hearing closed the committee moved to recommend approval; the motion to approve was seconded by Council Member Rivera, per the transcript.

The motion to recommend approval appears in the committee record; the transcript does not include a roll-call vote. Implementation steps such as building permits, final preservation approvals, and construction timelines were not specified in the committee discussion and will be handled through normal permitting and preservation-review processes.","The committee held a public hearing and recommended approval of a special use permit to adaptively reuse a historic Richardson-Olmsted kitchen building for the Lipsey Architecture Center's visitor center and programming.",{"_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},6151032,"Urban Renewal director tells council grant changes boosted lead abatements but federal extension denial limits program",658,983000,1641000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620&start=983&end=1641","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620/thumbnail_983000.jpg","/articles/6151032/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Urban-Renewal-director-tells-council-grant-changes-boosted-lead-abatements-but-federal-extension-denial-limits-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151032-e11495fe65ad597be53fc40c4ad9307c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178925&Signature=NZ8EpCSwJKwlHhBu2ytSCMNsKu1YU032deHcobqnI6aTIPXR6vC0k2axXjBY6e6DAHER36Ajvx1TxaL5Kc2f5HrP0pf1PF5PB~l4y6-ATKAWVX1NX0S3QNIwZ9yRCjE5SeWyXCtUz2hnCxaU03VPylCz6M4oi-6pqwxi66pB1qy3samG5-UCQeI4ExSXPQYtiwYvDljNL2L4S6TKV1nrdRDyVnJDflFEed21OSjvttannmXFtOFjil3LHQ7YAwW0-09vYK7ku3KEIhq3sR5TQ3guu0IUu-REUrQODzkKElatP0vlIMo1VCP-KOiBGmlu5yFUtSaWsf0hbNwS~-kroA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency director updated the Committee on Legislation on July 1 about the city's LEHI lead-hazard remediation grant, saying policy changes in 2023–24 increased the program’s throughput but a federal decision blocked a second extension and curtailed future contracting.

The director said the original HUD grant began in January 2021 and that when the agency’s current leadership took office in September 2022 the program had made little progress. After hiring new staff in 2023 and requesting program adjustments from HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control, the agency received approval in January 2024 to change rules that had limited participation. The director described specific changes: allowing vacant units to be served, revising the definition of “small-scale” landlords so owners of up to five properties could qualify, replacing liens with affordability agreements, and shortening the required child-presence threshold from 20 hours to eight hours.

The director said the changes, plus an extension granted earlier, allowed the program to operate citywide rather than only in selected census tracts and to create a contractor-capacity program that certified additional lead supervisors and workers. “We got a group of 7 supervisor certifications for lead, and then laborers and workers, we got another 5,” the director said. The director reported that about 76 individuals had been served and the program was on track for roughly 96, including approximately 46 children identified as helped by the work.

The director said the original grant award was $2,000,000 and that the bureau was “very close to spending about a million” after the changes. He told the committee that a change in federal administration produced new executive-order guidance that prevented a second extension and that when the agency sought another extension in May it was denied. As a result, the director said the agency ceased taking new applications and worked with Erie County and community partners to transfer clients in the pipeline. He said July 4 was the final date the agency could enter new contracts and that any obligations had to be expended by November of the grant period; the director said he would return with a full report in December outlining numbers served and funds spent.

Council members pressed for clearer, earlier communication and asked for data on inspections, permits and the scope of work funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other city programs. Council Member Wyatt, who filed the item, asked about the timetable and how many dwellings had been addressed. Members raised concerns about policy hurdles that discouraged participation, such as paperwork requirements and liens, and emphasized the need to coordinate inspections, contractor capacity, and community outreach.

Committee action: the committee opened discussion, received the agency briefing and later voted to table the agenda item for follow-up. The transcript records motions to open and to table; the motion to table was seconded by Council Member Rivera. The director said remaining pipeline items included about 11 additional participants (eight in contract and three awaiting signature) representing roughly $135,000 and about 10 families, and that some remedies will continue through county-administered programs and city CDBG efforts.

The director described the agency’s substitutions of affordability agreements for liens, contractor scholarships to increase certified capacity, and revisions to eligibility that he said raised the program’s output by “about 500%” compared with the prior pace. Council members asked for a consolidated source of reporting so they could share accurate information with constituents and to understand how other city programs (proactive rental inspections, CDBG-funded rehab, vacant rental property and accessory dwelling unit programs) interface with lead remediation activities.

The committee tabled the item for follow-up and the director committed to return with a full report in December with final figures on households served and funds expended.","The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency director told the Committee on Legislation that policy changes increased lead-hazard remediation activity but a federal decision not to allow a second extension will stop local contracts; the bureau is coordinating transfers to Erie County and other funding sources.",{"_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},6151037,"Council committee adopts plan to create Juneteenth Next Gen Legacy Lab to engage young people at festivals",403,135000,538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620&start=135&end=538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505439-85c3171a9f7003ccf3d8fba7657e9620/thumbnail_135000.jpg","/articles/6151037/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Council-committee-adopts-plan-to-create-Juneteenth-Next-Gen-Legacy-Lab-to-engage-young-people-at-festivals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151037-8be0544b30a13f32e21a22eb86f19e0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178925&Signature=SlcP9TZ9hoL6CvSGbWJxgZdcsBQK877lO3IaGngrUTnPKPKv087KkTn-OdUZq209UnNVcWgMD3vSohk9DqnpXsfsSSTFTcq5uaFzft3KTJxccngawwkyXdS2zPxn8oDBmtcRH44F91FoWYCXf3ZMJ4Z5r3EkdASbbYZN-aKlTY~EpEVIwJAVj0yP2xuuubm8yNk~u-Ad7b7QlnCmdGsuZjd1zkeDysETpILsWCQywEB4IKDEwVCfEhV~OfoOu2uhZAu7lyR-ZKxA~pehXFCz0-NTsPTqo4aueHKz~v5jCvJl2B4RjDsfGwfEfbMpRnAw1-91l8DCQ3D2Kox-XnSQtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilwoman Everhart urged the Committee on Legislation on July 1 to create a Juneteenth Next Gen Legacy Lab and Special Events Advisory Board to provide age-appropriate activities for young people at the Juneteenth Festival and other city events.

Everhart said the lab is meant to give young people constructive options during festivals and throughout the year, and to bring youth organizations and young people “to the same table.” She told the committee, “Every year, we have an issue in our city where young people participate in violent activities instead of productive activities at the Juneteenth Festival. And instead of just sitting around and saying the kids are fighting, now we are gonna do something about it.”

Council Member Nalski, Council Member Wyatt and other members voiced support for the proposal as a template for other summer festivals and as a way to ensure youth have programming that reflects current interests. Council Member Wyatt said the effort must be deliberate: “You have to do things on purpose.” Several members offered to work with Everhart on the advisory board and to mentor or help recruit partners.

Committee action: a motion was made to open discussion and then to adopt the proposal; the final motion to adopt was seconded by Council Member Rivera. The committee proceeded to remove several items from the table afterward and continued the agenda.

The advisory board would be tasked with coordinating with youth organizations, involving young people directly in planning, and advising event hosts on activities appropriate for different age groups. Everhart emphasized that the board is intended to support families and to understand root causes of youth conflict by engaging youth and families earlier than the week of an event.

The committee record does not include a roll-call vote in the transcript. The committee moved to adopt the proposal and then continued with other business.

The lab is intended as a city-level advisory body to inform event organizers on youth programming for Juneteenth and other festivals; specific membership, budget, and implementation steps were not specified in the committee discussion and will require follow-up with the council office.","The Committee on Legislation voted to adopt a proposal to establish a Juneteenth Next Gen Legacy Lab and Special Events Advisory Board to create year-round, youth-focused programming for Juneteenth and other city events.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council committee sends cannabis permit for 1923 Seneca without recommendation after public hearing; neighbor raises proximity concerns

Committee recommends approval for adaptive reuse of Richardson-Olmsted kitchen as Lipsey Architecture Center visitor space

Urban Renewal director tells council grant changes boosted lead abatements but federal extension denial limits program

Council committee adopts plan to create Juneteenth Next Gen Legacy Lab to engage young people at festivals