Public information meeting and comment form - comment form closed 10/30/24. Summary coming soon!
Additional Materials:
Lead Agency Request:
RE: Erie County Department of Environment & Planning (“DEP”) on behalf of the Erie County Legislature (the “Legislature””) Notice of Coordinated Review and Intent to Act as Lead Agency pursuant to and in accordance with Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law, Chapter 43-B of the Consolidated Laws of New York, as amended, the State Environmental Quality Review Act and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, being 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617, as amended (collectively, “SEQRA”).
Dear Potentially Interested and Involved Agencies:
The Legislature is currently evaluating: the renovation of approximately 14,500 sq. ft. of existing interior space in the grow range building, and the new construction of an approximately 16,500 sq. ft. building addition that will house event spaces, classrooms, an expanded retail gift shop and reception area, and accessibility amenities and improvements (the “Expansion” or “Project”). The Expansion will connect the rear of the famed glass conservatory to the grow range building on an existing access lane and grass lawn, but otherwise will not affect the historic Lord & Burnham conservatory building or vista. A more fulsome description of the Project is included in Attachment C.
For your reference, we enclose the following documentation:
- Attachment A: Notice of Intent to Act as Lead Agency
- Attachment B: Acknowledgment of Legislature to Act as Lead Agency and Conduct a Coordinated Review Pursuant to SEQRA
- Attachment C: Detailed Project Description with Exhibits
The Legislature desires to act as lead agency for this Type I Action pursuant to and in accordance with SEQRA. Accordingly, the Legislature is providing your agency, board or department with its Notice of Intent to Act as Lead Agency for the Project, linked as Attachment A. All potentially involved and interested agencies identified to date are listed on the attached Exhibit F.
Under SEQRA, potentially involved agencies have thirty (30) days from the date the lead agency package was transmitted to contest the Legislature’s role as lead agency. We request that your agency accept and approve the designation of the Legislature as lead agency for the Project by signing the “Acknowledgment of Legislature to Act as Lead Agency and Conduct a Coordinated Review Pursuant to SEQRA” form (Attachment B). The form may be directed to the Legislature via fax (716 858-7248), via mail (Erie County Environment and Planning, Attn: Mark Rountree, Edward A Rath County Office Building, 95 Franklin Street, 10th Floor, Buffalo, New York 14202), or via e-mail (mark.rountree@erie.gov). Any involved agency that does not respond within 30 days of the date that the lead agency package was transmitted will be deemed to have consented to the Legislature acting as lead agency for the coordinated environmental review, pursuant to and in accordance with SEQRA, for the Project.
Mailed version of this letter sent to potentially interested and involved agencies