Elmwood by Design

Instead of waiting for City Hall to update its half-century old zoning and building codes, the Elmwood Village Association has taken matters into its own hands. The Elmwood Village Association is two steps away from having design standards approved by the city to preserve the unique, funky character of the area.

Mayor Byron Brown has said it is his mission to reform the city’s zoning code, last updated in the 1950s. In this year’s State of the City address, he said, “What we have now is an outdated and frequently conflicting system patched together over several decades.” Brown stressed the update provided “assurance to our neighborhoods that their character will be protected.”

Justin Azzarella, executive director of the Elmwood Village Association, explains that he doesn’t want to wait for City Hall. Indeed, the Elmwood Village Association has been working for 10 years already to get these design standards adopted.

“It’s hard to steer a big ship,” Azzarella says. “There are a lot of people who have been working the same way for a long time. There’s development on Elmwood every day, so we don’t want to wait.”

The Elmwood Village design standards will work not only to maintain the character of the commercial district on the Strip but to rehabilitate historic buildings, preserve and create green spaces, and commit to long-term planning to maintain the economic standard. Azzarella says the existing city guidelines are a bit muddled, but what contractors want are clear-cut rules. The guidelines will help streamline building and construction in the area while encouraging new development.

Elmwood’s commercial district, a.k.a. the Strip, roughly runs from Forest Avenue to North Street. North District Councilmember Joe Golombek, who represents about half that stretch of Elmwood, stresses that it’s not just about preserving the aesthetic feel of the street—it’s about boosting its economic value too. He says previous Councils had stalled on the idea and nothing got done.

“I felt that with this new Council, there was more of an interest and we’re at that final hurdle now,” Golombek says. “The most important aspect of this is the community effort. People always get frustrated when orders come from above. People in the neighborhood ought to know what’s best for them.”

“It’s what people in our community want: places that are walkable and beautiful,” Azzarella says. “It’s not going to inhibit growth; it’s going to promote growth.”

At February 3’s Common Council meeting, the design standards were brought up for debate. Azzarella says there was a strong showing of support in the crowd, from both Elmwood residents and merchants.

Azzarella says the most surprising support he has received has been from other Western New York communities, like Clarence, who want to implement similar guidelines to preserve the feel of their unique neighborhoods.

The final vote to approve the design standards will occur at March 3’s Common Council meeting, beginning at 2pm. Azzarella expects them to pass.

—ellen przepasniak