A Lot Of Parking?
After receiving an email from two of the neighbors, I took a ride over to the corner lot of contention to see what the hoopla was all about. The night before I had attended some sort of gospel gathering on a nearby lot, so it was funny to be right back there again talking about lots. This time I was asked by Mike Sawicz and Eric Bockstahler to take in the lay of the land. While I looked around at the sprawling pavement, they each told me a story about how their recent property investments and improvements.
They pointed out Eric’s side yard that he had cultivated into a well-kept yard – it was the site of a former dilapidated house. They showed me their houses… two of the nicest residences on the entire street. They talked about all of the battles that they had fought with drugs and prostitutes since they had moved into the neighborhood. They also talked about the recent success stories involving a few of the surrounding properties.
“So why is it,” Mike asked me. “That The City is fast-tracking the corner residential property (366 W. Ferry - formerly a heroin house, now a grass-filled lot) in order to hand it over to La Nova for a parking lot? It’s not like this is a fair process… we agree that the house needed to come down, but the last thing that this neighborhood needs is more parking.” I continued to look around at the surrounding properties. It appeared to me that The City could be working closer with the neighborhood and La Nova to come up with a solution that would make both parties happy. Often times, when I see residents trying to reclaim a neighborhood for all of the right reasons, there is usually a solution that nobody has considered.
After talking with Eric and Mike I decided to bike around the La Nova property. On the backside of the building is an unused gravel lot (owned by La Nova). To the west of the building is a sea of parking, mostly owned by The Plaza Group. On the North West corner is a vacant market surrounded by parking. And then there is a pizza pick-up and drop-off parking-island to the east of La Nova. Granted La Nova does not own all of the parking lots surrounding them, but when your entire corner is one solid paved lot, it does make one wonder.
“What makes us most concerned about this proposed 10-car parking lot is that the City-owned property is not going out to bid,” Eric said. “How is that possible? In other words, it is being handed over to La Nova, and the nearby residents are going to be stuck with loud music and commercial activity right outside their windows until 2am. Where is the process? If this was being handled in a legal manner, then we would not be as upset as we are. We don’t think that our corner should be rezoned for parking. People don’t even use the side streets to park their cars. Our street is always empty because the people who live in this neighborhood walk. We’re willing to bid on the corner to maintain it as a yard or community garden… anything but more parking.”
The corner lot goes in front of Common Council tomorrow. At that time it will be decided whether or not La Nova will be able to make the purchase for what some are saying will be $2700. When you have a super successful business like La Nova in your neighborhood that employs a bunch of people, of course you want them to be happy. At the same time, how does a corner lot get fast-tracked when there is a residential neighborhood worried about traffic, safety, excess parking, and noise issues that will ultimately lower the values of their homes?
Mike and Eric want to know if there is a mutually beneficial solution that would make both parties happy. If anyone out there has one, let’s hear it before this goes before Common Council tomorrow.
What Others Have To Say
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Comment Options
GDC
Gawd, enough with the surface lots. Start BUILDING Businesses instead of seas of parking. If I wanted to look at this much empty space, I'd move to the burbs, urrrr
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Aloha
At the very least, perhaps they could include some landscaping in the parking lot "design" (if there is a design at all, that is.) The parking lot at the corner of Delarare Ave and Edward St for the Mansion is a good example of a non-offensive parking lot. Also, in North Buffalo, parking lots are making a better name for themselves than in the past. Big Lots, next to the site where Kohl's is being constructed is getting paved walkways installed for pedestrians and trees planted, as I am typing this. It doesn't sound like much, admittedly, but anyone who has been to that store in the past few weeks can attest to the fact that the lot is going to be MUCH IMPROVED. Target is in for a major renovation and expansion, and they have the same enhancements in mind for that lot as well. It may not be the ideal solution, but parking lots can be made to blend in and do less damage to the landscape with some thought and planning. (Good taste doesn't hurt either.)
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blackrocklifer
This lot is much to small for parking and should be offered to the adjoining homeowner. Once again the residents of poor neighborhoods are asked to accept situations that would never be tolerated in more affluent areas.
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SALA
Like normal people are ignoring the 800 pound gorilla sitting in the corner of the room. Not that I'm attempting to down play the significance of this particular debate, as I am a regular at LaNova for lunch and have always found ample parking but I can also see La Nova's point of wanting designated parking for their patrons.
The more frustrating point is this is the same argument that goes on with every project from big to small through out the city. One always hears where is the parking ? or They need to move the parking ! or If there has to be parking at least put it in the back or make it pretty. The larger issue at play here, at least in my opinion, is the question of why we need so much parking in the first place. No body likes searching for a parking spot or likes looking at an empty lot and these demands are created because people have to come in order to support business. If there was a better more efficient public transportation system, demand for these lots would gradually decline. But like normal we'll fight the battle, winning some and losing some refusing to address the larger war. If the same amount of time effort and attention were dedicated to the larger issue perhaps these smaller issues would go away.
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PaulBuffalo
Has this business thought about moving to another location nearby that would offer them parking and room for growth?
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nb3004
I'm going to guess that this location gets a lot of walk in traffic.
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nb3004
I'm going to guess that this location gets a lot of walk in traffic.
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RaChaCha
I like La Nova's za, and I enjoy seeing them get the occasional shout out from Jay Leno, but I've also heard a "lot" about their "powerful connections" - looks like they're pulling some strings to get a sweetheart deal.
On a tour of that neighborhood last year, we were invited into one of the homes across the street from La Nova (it may have been Eric's or Mike's) and saw firsthand all the great work that the owners have been doing to fix it up. There are good folks all over that neighborhood investing their resources and sweat equity, and City Hall should be backing them up and supporting them at every turn, instead of throwing a surprise monkey wrench like this into their efforts.
This also seems completely unnecessary - as Newell's photos show so clearly, La Nova is already like an island adrift in a Lake Erie of surface parking - if anything, it looks like the area could benefit from a parking *diet*.
If this was happening in my neighborhood, several responses come immediately to mind: 1) getting a check from a sympathetic foundation or other "angel" for $2701, and presenting it - large format - to Council to buy the lot for a community garden 2) perhaps with the help of a sympathetic contractor, getting folks in the neighborhood to turn the lot into a community garden - then even if La Nova is able to gain title, in order to convert it to parking they would be forced to play the heavy by destroying something the neighborhood created.
Yesterday, at the site of White Bros. Livery was a celebration of a case of the "good guys" prevailing. I hope that neighborhood good guys - and gals - will prevail here, as well.
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GraphicRage
I own a house a few down from La Nova's. La Nova's has more than enough property in this area, in addition to the houses they owned and already tore down. They have more that are in the worst condition in the neighborhood. (besides the ones the city owns, of course) I've made complaint after complaint to the city about the houses La Nova's owns and each time, they fall on deaf ears. I can tell you, all those lots, there is NEVERRRRRR any cars in it, unless someone happens to be having a party. The only other time I recall in the last three years when cars parked on it was when Hampshire (running along the opposite side of La Nova across from West Ferry) was getting repaved. Then people parked there too.
People park in front of La Nova's and illegally double park in the road even though there is that huge vacant lot. THEY DON'T NEED ANY MORE DAMN PAVEMENT!
And they need to fix their houses that they do own! And the city needs to stop kissing their ass, because they are NOT making this neighborhood better by being there. Picking up the 5 la nova's boxes/plates/etc. on my front lawn every morning proves this.
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mpowers
It seems a little unnecessary. I like LaNova's wares and have never had a problem parking anywhere to pick up an order. The biggest peril seems to be the delivery SUVS, but given all the concrete in the area, dedicated parking seems kind of silly. Kudos to the residents though for caring about an area that city hall seems to have forgotten about.
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Assaroni
Id be careful where u throw stones...
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AvaRouge
I'm officially stay 'off the record' on this one. I wish the LaNova folks all the best. Don't want to cross that crew! Toodles.
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sbrof
Do they own the other lots already? If so maybe it is time for them to get some reinvestment and bring them up to city code and ordinances before the city hands over any more land to them to let fall into disrepair like the rest of the block. If they do not own the other lots maybe the city should take them to court for maintenance, when they do nothing they can take the properties and sell them to La Nova.
AGAIN and I am sure it will draw more one stars like last time i said it - there isn't a lack of parking ANYWHERE in the city, just a mismanagement of what we already have. If roads and driving are going to be a publicly supported form of transportation then parking should be also. businesses shouldn't be allowed to create these fiefdoms of parking lots no on but their customers can use. It is a process that leads to the utter destruction of our city.
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sbrof
check out the aerial of that area... PLENTY of parking and almost no one in it.. Maybe they should just look behind them instead of in front of them before paving over another lot.
At least they are not looking to demolish a building for parking in this kind of an area... don't laugh it happens.
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JohnMarko
OK, stop me if I'm wrong, but THE question of the moment is - what to do about the parking situation.
And I thought I'd be just one of many, but so far, no-one has even come close - they're all moaning about parking lots in general, whether they like the pizza owners or not, whether the pizza owners are good stewards of the property they already own, etc.
Maybe this isn't so obvious, but here's my suggesstion: Why not allow, or arrange for the pizza place to park on one of the already existing plentiful adjacent parking lots?! Maybe they can arrange a sale or lease?
As a side note, maybe the reason the pizza place wants the ADJACENT parcel is because in some future plans they plan to expand?!
Has anybody made the effort to actually MEET and TALK with the pizza owners and really find out what their ultimate goal is?! Everybody seems to be dancing around the obvious...
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JohnMarko
OK, stop me if I'm wrong, but THE question of the moment is - what to do about the parking situation.
And I thought I'd be just one of many, but so far, no-one has even come close - they're all moaning about parking lots in general, whether they like the pizza owners or not, whether the pizza owners are good stewards of the property they already own, etc.
Maybe this isn't so obvious, but here's my suggesstion: Why not allow, or arrange for the pizza place to park on one of the already existing plentiful adjacent parking lots?! Maybe they can arrange a sale or lease?
As a side note, maybe the reason the pizza place wants the ADJACENT parcel is because in some future plans they plan to expand?!
Has anybody made the effort to actually MEET and TALK with the pizza owners and really find out what their ultimate goal is?! Everybody seems to be dancing around the obvious...
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wingking
I always love the comments on these kind of BRO articles, telling business owners what to do with their property and business: . . ."build a building" . . ."make it green" . . ."move". Get back to us when you folks get your own REAL real estate.
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GraphicRage
I do own my own REAL real estate right down the street from here. I'm tired of people with connections to city hall raping and pillaging this neighborhood just because they can. That gravel lot is THEIRS. Perhaps if they did something other than leaving their dumpsters wide open for seagulls and rats and actually paved it instead of yet more green space, they would have a usable parking lot right next to their building. I've spoken to other residents who have been on the street for 20+ years. All attribute the decline to la nova's.
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aaa
Perhaps if La Nova planned to use the lot as a B&B queenseyes wouldn't be so supportive of the neighbors having a say....after all, why shouldn't any residential lot be open to commercial use?
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blackrocklifer
LaNova has made a lotta dough in this neighborhood. They should take a little pride and improve the area as any good neighbor would do. And if they traded in those oversized macho vehicles it would free up lots of parking.
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Assaroni
I have an idea!!! Have LaNova knock down their own building, build one to the curb (so the hippies are happy) have parking behind, make sure there are bike racks out front for the hippies on their cruisers, plant tons of landscaping out front, have designated Subaru Outback Parking right in front, and sell Elmwood Village stickers through the homeless trinket man out front... What the hell, lets just turn it into an Elmwood trinket shop that will go out of business in 6 months...Hows that sound???
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Colin
Hippies, a Subaru Outback and Eric Starchild all in one comment. I'm in awe.
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MeliQ
OMG--La Nova's is so mafioso, I'm not surprised the city is just handing over the site. Good luck fighting that losing battle!
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siloman02
Then, let's put one of the new recycle containers on the corner, just like Elmwood! hmmmmmmmmm.......two peaches in a macaroni salad Peace, love and the DOORS.
Prior to gaining more property, LaNova should take care of what they have and give justification for additional property needs. The City government should require this before acting. Anything less only continues the perception of favoritism, one of the most negative aspects of this City.
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GDC
And out of the photos pictured above, we only see 2 cars in one of the lots. Most likely belonging to employees at La Nova's. So where exactly is this High Demand for parking coming from?
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sonyactivision
It doesn't even look like real parking, just a site neutralized by vegetation-free asphalt and gravel. It's an embarrasment to anyone connected with it and more of the same deserves more of the same scorn.
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ablejack
I am a neighbor to this case. I hope that the City Council follows the established protocol concerning an issue such as this. The City of Buffalo and our fellow residents should not stand for any shameful backdoor dealings when transparency and fair laws are already enacted. I will follow this story and hopefully can be proud of my native town after the decision no matter the outcome.
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icecreamsub
its almost like the chicken and egg with La Nova's.......do you give them credit for sticking it out in a decrepid neighborhood when they could have easily packed up their business and moved it somewhere much nicer years ago?????....but then again, why should they move...what better location than Ferry / Hampshire...close to the local flavor, all poor and fatty.. being sucked in like rats to a fiddle by that intoxicating bbq chicken wing exhaust that spews all over da'hood ..... and by the way have you ever noticed that when you order a single order of wings you get 10....but a double order only gets you 18?...shouldn't a double be twice as much as a single order? I always feel like I'm being gipped by two wings
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Tiburon1724
That's an absolutely terrifying neighborhood, I'm not walking any further than from that small triangular lot directly in front of La Nova's and I'm watching my car the entire time. The houses there should be burnt to the ground.
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Assaroni
The lots you show are not even owned by LaNova Inc. Plaza Group owns the large one, and the one across W. Ferry is not theirs either. I dare u to park anything over a 1979 car in those lots and wish that its still there when ur done eating. The neighborhood has fallen into complete Gang Rule and disrepair due to the Thug Life mentality these punk ass gangbangers possess.
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mitherjoe
I understand that it was the Mayor who approached La Nova to offer the lot for sale. I offered the city $4700 for the purchase of this lot. My offer was ignored. The corruption here stems from the Mayor's office.
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ablejack
There are too many quick and shady transactions in this area as it is. If the Mayor is interested in being more involved here it should be to protect and serve the neighborhood, not to get in on the action.
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blackrocklifer
Assaroni - Do you make this stuff up? I've parked my car on Ferry many times and its always still there when I return. This neighborhood has its share of problems but "complete gang rule" is an exaggerationn.
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doc
"SOME SORT OF GOSPEL GATHERING ON A NEARBY LOT?" Sounds condescending and elitist or you probably just didn't get it, Queenie.
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jeanenne
I've managed to park my car at home home around the corner from La Nova without incident for some time now. I even make it to work unscathed on a daily basis!
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Biniszkiewicz
This is not, to me, a terrifying neighborhood. I shop here very often (use Rotundos' weekly, use Dibble's and Mr. Second a few times a month, use that HSBC regularly). I'm not afraid of the neighborhood although I used to be concerned before it became more familiar to me.
As far as the nearby parking and its relation to La Nova, however, I have to disagree with the majority. Assaroni is correct that the parking closest to La Nova is owned by Plaza Group. Plaza group is interested in selling off its development stretching to the corner of Ferry, but they are not interested in parting with any parking at all without also selling the buildings. Asking price is just under $2m. You can buy the former tanning salon separately from the corner plaza, but you can't just buy some parking unless you have a very big budget.
And the vacant lot across the street (the closed 'RT's' shown in the picture, southwest corner of Ferry and Glendale) is owned by Gary Rotundo whose dry cleaning operation a few doors away is a Buffalo institution. Gary has quietly bought up about half a block (including houses behind Ferry, facing the back street, between Glendale and Grant). His intention is to demolish his half a block (including his dry cleaner's) and to build a new plaza when the market will support it. He has no interest in selling off his land to La Nova because he wants it for his own future development.
Anyone who thinks La Nova currently possesses sufficient parking for its business doesn't drive to there during busy pizzeria hours.
I don't know anything about the process of the sale for this particular lot. I don't know if anyone got screwed so that La Nova could get a sweetheart deal. I'd like to see the city's process for disposition of surplus real estate changed to be more open and inclusive.
But La Nova's business volume warrants some dedicated parking which is currently insufficient. They should be encouraged to develop some somewhere close, whether this lot or some other.
Does anyone object to the two parking lots next to Left Bank? Does anyone doubt those parking lots help Left Bank and Prime 490 stay in business? Parking lots needn't look fugly. They can be beneficial neighborhood amenities, not just gaps in the neighborhood's smile.
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RFranke
The Common Council voted 7-2 in favor of transferring the property to La Nova Pizzeria for parking. Joe Golombek and David Rivera were the only ones who opposed the transfer.
Michael LoCurto and Richard Fontana secured the victory for the forces of backward thinking by agreeing/making deals/marching in lockstep with the Mayor's wishes by joining Councilmembers Brian Davis, Demone Smith and Bonnie Russell who already voiced their intention to vote for the transfer. In a remarkable display of political courage, Michael Kearns decided to vote in favor because he wanted to be on the winning side. None of these "legislators" represent the Niagara District, yet they felt no compunction about overruling the desire of the community and their elected representation.
As for whether parking is needed, an overhead map clearly shows this area is dominated by surface parking (highlighted). Rather than override the wishes of the neighbors in the immediate vicinity, 200 of them who signed petitions opposing the transfer, the proper approach would have been to work with all stakeholders, in this case Plaza Group, Gary Rotundo, Mr. Todaro, and the community to develop community parking.
Mr. Biniszkiewicz completely misses the point about parking. When retail parking is dedicated to a single business, owners tend to discourage customers from traveling anywhere elsewhere on foot (if they don't, their parking could quickly be filled by people shopping at other establishments and limit the convenience for their own customers). As a result, such shops are designed to discourage the pedestrian activity that is the lifeblood of the district. A shopping mall would never consider such an approach.
When retail parking is public, the reverse occurs. Because all customers arrive on foot, shop-owners are more likely to focus on making their establishments attractive and accessible to pedestrians. That leads to actions that contribute to the common good of the commercial district and the surrounding community, an idea that we have apparently lost here in Buffalo.
To take a path toward revitalization, the Grant-Ferry Commercial District district requires significant improvements in its external aesthetic quality. Every terrible development decision is just another hurdle in this process.
Here's a big thank you to all of you Councilmembers who've made us so proud of and confident in our leadership. Let us all hope your terms are short and your influence fleeting.
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RFranke
I almost forgot. To address JohnMarko's question about getting folks together to talk, know that Councilmember Rivera attempted to get all parties to the table, but the Todaro interests, confident in their ability to draw nearly complete obedience from the powers that be, opted not to engage in discussion.
Sometimes, the best way to encourage discussion is to at least pretend to withhold approval until it takes place.
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Assaroni
Guys, Buffalo and the rest of the US, with very few exceptions, are automobile centric cities! Its very simple... The car dominates 99.9996% of all transport modes in our world, and until that changes to even 1% nothing will be done. Parking lots are a nec evil...especially here in Buff where its 2 dgrees with 90mph winds for 5 months a year
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RFranke
That's just plain foolish, Assaroni. The car dominates, and that is true. But that has been a relatively small blip in time. And many measures indicate that it isn't a stable dominance. Healthy urban districts, even now, are pedestrian friendly. Gas prices are going way up and until personal transport changes technology, pedestrian districts will gather strength. Just because something is, doesn't mean it has to be.
The argument is not against parking per se. It's against dedicated, single-business parking. For once, I'm saying let's look at what a mall does and copy it. There's lots of parking in this area, way too much in fact, if we look at it as an evil necessary to serve the public as a whole. Make your argument against community parking if you want to take issue with my point.
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Biniszkiewicz
Mr. Franke: that's a reasonable argument. Not easy to negotiate the solution among the property owners, but I (for one) would be interested in seeing proposed solutions (though I'm not a property owner in the neighborhood and not a stakeholder).
Perhaps your group could propose a redevelopment plan for Ferry between Glendale and Grant which would include such a parking plan and also newly constructed retail. We appear to be several years from a time when Rotundo's plans will be finalized (this not being the retail climate in which to finance his idea). It's also a time prior to the transfer of the Plaza Group's holding to some other entity (through a sale), so perhaps a plan could be developed which would appeal to some future owner of that site as well. The other entity you would have to convince is the city, whose building codes require dedicated parking ratios for new builds.
It's difficult to derail plans once anyone sets a course of action for their enterprise. Once a businessman decides he wants to do 'x', then every person preventing 'x' from happening is viewed as an obstructionist. The best time to innovate is before the concrete sets on those business plans.
More important to me than sharing parking is the greening of parking lots. I myself would like to see trees throughout parking lots (help reduce the carbon footprint; lighten the barren moonscape effect on the neighborhood. Plant them on islands between rows of spaces). I'd like to see green space borders between the parking lot and the sidewalk (even 5 feet or less of plantings can make a major improvement--see the parking lot at the corner of Elmwood and North, for example). I'm in favor of making parking much prettier than it generally is now. I could certainly live with reducing parking ratios in exchange for increasing green space requirements. There seems to be almost no requirements regarding parking lot aesthetics.
But it seems to me that if the community wants to develop a public parking solution for the neighborhood, the time to develop it is now, despite losing this one battle. Work with similarly minded architects to sketch out ideas and then try to sell the ideas to the stakeholders. If you wait instead until the next business proposes a development, you will be viewed as 'too late' and obstructionist.
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buffaloweiner
I have to disagree that Buffalo is auto-centric. It is auto-centric only in-so-far as people choose. You, unlike newer post war cities built in the south and west and suburbs all throught the USA (even rochester for that matter) which are filled with random fibrous streets that go nowhere, dead-ending, merging, etc......Buffalo even to the extent of many of its suburbs are connected by a radial grid that infact radiates north to Niagara Falls and Lockport, radiates to the eastern suburbs all the way to Rochester, Buffalo and Boston, MA...and radiates south and west all the way to the Cleveland, Chicago and pacific ocean.
Furthermore....Buffalo still is one of the only major cities with two intact Rail Stations (Central Terminal and DL&W), an intact Beltway, and intact rail lines stretching in as many directions as Cleveland.
OK so back to LaNova....well if Im correct in my bearings then isnt LaNova right next to all that parking for childrens hospital only a short distance away. You mean a deal cant be worked out.
Like so many in Buffalo (and LaNova is no exception) few Buffaonians have class or are good members of the community. Most are bound by the same poverty and selfishness and thrift they grew up with in Buffalos declining grity industrial past. Most people dont plant trees, mow lawns, clean gutters, paint or put the slightest effort into matching the materials that belong on their house than they do matching the clothes they wear walking the streets in public. LaNova simply follows the tradition of Panos and others....buy...expand....and suck the money out of a building and community rather than invest in it.
How wonderful it would be for laNova to plant a tree and maintain their homes and infill those empty lots with retail with 2nd floor apartments instead of a parking lot. They dont get it....but then we arent talking about college educated technology or service related business....we are talking about most likely a family of high school dropouts that make a fortune off of pizza, pasta and fried foods. They dont need to know about the bigger picture or the bigger investment opportunities as long as they count their cash from wings and slices......that unfortunately is the nature of Buffalo's business talent....the lowest possible skill level and education.
Who says Buffalo isnt gay friendly....we export uneducated hairdressers to the rest of the nation LOL. When it comes to the uneducated Buffalo is equal opportunity.
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sbrof
@Assaroni "99.9996% " but how come 40% of buffalo's households do NOT OWN one SINGLE car.. blows that make believe stat up. Maybe in the middle to rich crowd you hang out with or in the suburbs.. sure.. but to think that everyone on the WORLD is like that is ill informed at best.
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sbrof
@Assaroni "99.9996% " but how come 40% of buffalo's households do NOT OWN one SINGLE car.. blows that make believe stat up. Maybe in the middle to rich crowd you hang out with or in the suburbs.. sure.. but to think that everyone on the WORLD is like that is ill informed at best.
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truth
Anyone interested in why this truly IS a big story only need google the words Todaro and mafia.
Read the wikipedia pages devoted to them.
At issue is the corruption of the city's top official by the mafia.
A few free pizzas do not make up for labor corruption and HUD scams that drain tax payer dollars and the drug trafficing that brought the westside down.
The only reason the news dances around the issue here is out of fear of being sued.
The FBI should be looking into Brown more.
These are our tax dollars at work and when such obvious corruption is thrown in our faces, we loose faith in our institutions. I've met Brown and had high hopes for him. This is sad news.
To be glib when the top official in our local government is clearly kissing the ass of crime only shows how jaded we are.
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davvid
wow. very interesting
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