Community Plan meets the public
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Residents of the Village of Williamsville were given a second opportunity on April 24 to view the progress of the Williamsville Community Plan.

Wally Pacer, Community Plan Committee chairman, emphasized that the ideas being presented were still conceptual, and the purpose of the meeting was to gain residents' suggestions and concerns so as to better shape the plan.

"We are trying to leverage the village's unique assets, which are its character and history, while being prepared to make changes that are compatible with the community values and visions," said Lawrence Bice of Behan Planning Associate, LLC, one of the village's consulting firms.

Among the concepts presented to the public were suggestions on how to make Main Street more accessible to pedestrians, including bulb-outs on the corners to make crosswalk distances shorter and a median to provide refuge for pedestrians crossing streets.

"I can guarantee it (Main Street) won't be widened," said Pacer.

The development of the Spring Street area around the water mill was also discussed. The concept proposed is to make the mill a focal point of the village, and to surround it with retail stores and pedestrian areas, according to Bice.

Another key concept presented was the connection of the retail and business areas, as well as residential neighborhoods, to the village's green space areas such as Island and Glen parks.

After hearing what the consultants and committee members had conceived, residents could visit stations that were set up to answer any questions they might have on specific aspects of the plan.

"I like that they want to take advantage of the green space and make the whole village center on the green," said Kate Maleck, a lifelong resident of the village who brought her son, Timothy, a Canisius College student, to the meeting. "I was very encouraged by the meeting."

Maleck said that as a result of the public meeting, she intends to become more active in the Community Plan process, attending more of the monthly meetings.

"I hope my sons become a part of the process, too," she said. "They're the ones who will be living here in 20 years."

Notes were taken by committee members on public input at each of the stations.

"The consultants will take the notes from tonight and present them to us at the next meeting," said Kate Waterman-Kupa, a member of the committee as well as the Village Planning Board. "We'll be steering the plan using the public input."

Waterman-Kupa noted that for the next public meeting, she hopes that the board will have more concrete ideas to present based on the input from the public and changes that are already being made in the village.

"I think that we've done a good job so far of coming to resolutions that are best for the village," she said of the progress already made by the committee.

Some members of the public wanted to know where funding will come from for the proposed projects.

Mayor Mary Lowther said that ideally, grant money would be available, but funds from private investors and public funding may also have to be used.

"Overall, the suggestions of the public are markedly similar to those of the committee members," Pacer said in closing the meeting. He noted that the committee has a diverse representation of village residents.

The next meeting of the Community Plan Committee will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 29 at Village Hall, 5565 Main St.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com