SEQRA POSITIVE DECLARATION

gowclerk@gmail.com

SEQRA POSITIVE DECLARATION
DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANE
AND
NOTICE OF SCOPING
DATE: September 2, 2020
LEAD AGENCY: THE VILLAGE OF GOWANDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ADDRESS: 27 EAST MAIN STREET
GOWANDA, NY 14070


THIS NOTICE IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO 6 N.Y.C.R.R. PART 617, THE IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO ARTICLE 8 OF THE NEW YORK STATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW (STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT).
THE LEAD AGENCY HAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROPOSED ACTION DESCRIBED BELOW MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THAT PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED.
A COPY OF THE DRAFT SCOPE IS ATTACHED. WRITTEN COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SCOPE ARE REQUESTED AND WILL BE ACCEPTED BY THE LEAD AGENCY UNTIL OCTOBER 9, 2020.
PROJECT: Dollar General Retail Store
AGENCY: Village of Gowanda Board of Trustees
C/O Danielle Wagner, Village Clerk
ADDRESS: 27 East Main Street, Gowanda, NY 14070
ERIE COUNTY TAX MAP PARCEL #: 349.11-3-25 (248 Buffalo Street, Gowanda, NY), 349.11-3-26 (240 Buffalo Street, Gowanda, NY)
LOCATION: 240 & 248 Buffalo Street, Gowanda, NY 14070
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Demolition of existing residential home to construct new retail store with associated parking.
SEQRA CLASSIFICATION: Unlisted Action
REASONS SUPPORTING THIS DETERMINATION:

  1. Impacts to Land cannot be fully assessed; Applicant has not submitted sufficient information. Lead Agency assumes a potential for at least moderate impact until sufficient information is provided to establish there will be no or minimal impacts.
  2. The proposed Project has the potential to have an adverse impact on traffic. No traffic information has been submitted by Applicant. Degradation of levels of service will be permanent, not temporary or limited to construction period. No information has been provided on traffic during construction, the need to temporarily stop traffic during construction, or the duration of such potential impacts. Lead Agency assumes a potential for at least moderate impact until sufficient information is provided to establish there will be no or minimal impacts.
    SEQRA POSITIVE DECLARATION AND NOTICE OF SCOPING- PAGE 2
    PROJECT: Dollar General Retail Store
    REASONS SUPPORTING THIS DETERMINATION CONTINUED:
  3. The location of the proposed Project is adjacent to residential homes which will be adversely impacted by both noise levels and lighting and the Lead Agency determines that such potential impacts may be moderate to large.
  4. The proposed Project is inconsistent with the municipality’s plan to have a central business district separate from the residential areas of the Village. The proposed Project will require acquisition and demolition of existing residential homes in a predominantly residential area. The proposed Project will require a variance from the Village of Gowanda Code as it has insufficient space to provide Code-required parking spaces. A similar retail store is located less than ½ mile from the proposed Project, which has the potential to adversely impact existing local businesses and result in closures and abandoned buildings. The Project has the potential for such impacts to be moderate to large.
  5. The proposed Project is not consistent with Community Character. There is significant community opposition to the Project, particularly its location. Residents have submitted petitions in opposition to the Project signed by approx. 25% of Village residents and information to the Village Board of Trustees regarding long-term failure of the Company to maintain upkeep and cleanliness of its retail stores. The Village of Gowanda is approximately 1.6 square miles and has a population of approx. 2,200 people and is considered a small village in an otherwise rural area. The proposed Project has the potential to adversely impact the quality of the residential areas surrounding it and degrade the property values of adjacent residences, potentially creating a domino effect of homes transitioning to non-owner occupied rental units. As a result of #4 and #5 the project has a moderate to large potential for adverse impacts in these areas.
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO SUBMIT WRITTEN SCOPING COMMENTS CONTACT:
    Danielle Wagner, Village Clerk
    27 E. Main Street
    Gowanda, NY 14047
    BY ORDER OF: Mayor David Smith, Village of Gowanda
    Board of Trustees of the Village of Gowanda