Joe the Planner

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• Commented on Symphony Circle, Looking Fine Once Again (for now)
  Huh? What an overstatement. I also live on College Street, two doors from Arlington. My wife and I are in the square every day, at all times of the day, and I've never seen it look like a hobo camp,...
• Commented on Symphony Circle, Looking Fine Once Again (for now)
  Hear, hear, Travelrrr! I entirely agree with your comment, if not the poor grammar. ;)...
• Commented on Trico Reuse Feasibility Study Released
  Finally, it's interesting that the main reason the BNMC claimed the Trico complex was too expensive to rehab was the contaminated water in the basement. Of course, these costs would be incurred whether the complex is rehabbed or demolished, so...
• Commented on Trico Reuse Feasibility Study Released
  Also: as 50-60% of the complex would be demolished, the BNMC plan would forfeit millions in historic tax credits. This doesn't sound like a preservation plan; it's a demolition plan....
• Commented on Trico Reuse Feasibility Study Released
  Interesting that the BNMC stated, "We, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, have gone through a thoughtful process with community stakeholders and members of the preservation community." Except that the "preservation community" hasn't heard a thing from the BNMC since last...
• Commented on Acropolis... no, No, NO!
  I also want to say that I recognize the difference between what I and others are saying. Many here are concerned about this specific situation, and I'm talking about how to fix a systemic problem. I'm simply attempting to provide...
• Commented on Acropolis... no, No, NO!
  For the sake of brevity, my comments were at a very high-level. Perhaps too high. Let me explain further, if you'll pardon the length: The current code micromanages use. It designates the Common Council the sole referee for most changes...
• Commented on Acropolis... no, No, NO!
  There is way too much cynicism here, which I suppose isn't surprising. An occasional dispute like this is inevitable. One example does not a trend make. How many other notable fights like this have happened in the last ten years...
• Commented on Uncovering the Trico Plant's Beauty
  TBone: It sounds like you are referring to the current dispute over Acropolis on Elmwood Ave. One example does not a trend make. How many other such fights have happened in the last ten years along Elmwood? Two? Three? When...
• Commented on Buffalo Style Gardens: An American Phenomenon
  Apparently, Allan has revised his post, removing the inaccurate references to harsh climate. Kudos to him! http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com/journal/2012/3/15/buffalo-style-gardens-an-american-phenomenon.html...
• Commented on Buffalo Style Gardens: An American Phenomenon
  It's good to see that word is getting out about Buffalo's charms, the GardenWalk among them. Allen's observations about the unique culture the city brings to its horticulture are spot-on. Yet, in the midst of such positive press, I feel...
• Commented on 149 Elmwood: From Drab to Fab
  Beautiful. One bad facade can degrade an entire block; one good facade can improve it. Little things like this are actually really important -- the bar has been noticeably raised....
• Commented on Sox Versus Cubs Versus the Parking Myth Monster
  Gosh, now that you put it that way, Wrigley field and its surrounding neighborhood sound like a real dump, what with it suffering from all of that walkability, proximity, vitality, and economic activity....
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  For those who need a primer on some of the principles behind the GreenCode zoning reform project, or who want to get involved in the project itself, go to: http://buffalosmartcode.com http://buffalogreencode.com...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  I'm certainly not a huge fan of the mayor. But when he does something worthy of praise, I'm going to praise it. The GreenCode project is certainly worthy. Mayor Brown deserves to be commended for that....
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  Nothing to do with politics. Read my other post. And then shut up or get involved....
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  Boy, I'm sick of the defeatists on this site. Instead of getting involved, it seems that many are content to simply bitch on Buffalo Rising. If you don't know what's going on, pay attention. If you don't like the way...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  From late 2010 through early 2011, the city held two kickoff meetings and nine community workshops for the Buffalo GreenCode. Your official chance to give input to the project was then. The project is ongoing, as I'm assuming you know...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  Cold winter weather has nothing to do with it. Northern cities dominate the bicycle commuter rankings. As of 2009, Buffalo is ranked #20 out of the 70 largest cities. Many cities with harsher winter climates do better than we do:...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  By the way, here's a link to a summary and PDF of Buffalo's Comp Plan. It's better than the text-heavy HTML version on the city's website: http://128.205.118.147/projects/Comp/...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  Try entering any of the relevant terms I mentioned into Google. Or maybe you've never heard of that, either?...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  You stated that Buffalo had a "transit stigma" when compared to other cities. The facts say otherwise, at least when compared to U.S. cities. Also, the fact is, in this country it is largely much easier to drive than to...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  We're not a transit-friendly nation, to be sure. Certainly, there is a stigma surrounding public transit that Buffalo shares with the rest of the country. But Buffalo's rank is quite high among the rather inauspicious group of U.S. cities. According...
• Commented on A Sustainable Transportation Agenda
  You're serious? The 2006 Buffalo Comprehensive Plan was an exhaustive decade-long effort, resulting in a pretty darn good plan. It won a CNU Charter Award in 2009. But plans, however good, aren't implementation mechanisms. That honor mainly belongs to the...
• Commented on 1040 Delaware Nears Completion, Benefits from Medical Campus Growth
  A great example of how to do a tasteful, respectful, traditional facade. The architect, therefore, will be relegated to oblivion....
• Commented on Albright-Knox to Repair Staircase Overlooking Hoyt Lake
  Tack this onto the work order: repair the original Elmwood Avenue entrance, and put that horrific parking lot underground!...
• Commented on Common Council on Merging Bridge Authorities: In Their Own Words
  Amazing how entrenched an authority can be; I've been around this issue for over 10 years. Glad to see all of the basic arguments are being forwarded by leaders like Golombek and Riviera. Kudos to them....
• Commented on New Metro Bus designed to look like a trolley.
  The nostalgia and whimsy evoked by the 'fake IRC trolley' treatment is tangible, and I understand the motivations behind it. But really, it amounts to nothing more than kitsch. I completely agree with Steel. It kinda reminds me of one...
• Commented on This is Why We're Broke
  Um, just a note: $4 billion is 3% of $130 billion, not 1%. Also, this doesn't take into account roads maintained by counties and local municipalities. Nor does it include the backlog of unfunded/deferred maintenance. To properly fund the NYSDOT...
• Commented on This is Why We're Broke
  Don't ya hate it when clicking 'back' re-posts your comment?...