Town of Niagara adopts new logo

By Benjamin Joe

A new logo representing the Town of Niagara is now official, as Town Board members voted unanimously for the change at Tuesday’s regular business meeting.

Deputy Supervisor Marc Carpenter, who ran the meeting in Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso’s absence, said the image represented more of the Town of Niagara’s complete history since 1812 when it was incorporated.

“It has the 1812 flag, which had 15 stars because there were only 15 states at the time,” Carpenter said. “And it has the one-room schoolhouse, the cannon that was on sixth street and farmland.”

There is also a fighter jet on the new logo, a C-130, which was an older model once used by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Carpenter compared the new design to the old one, which he said was more representative of a certain period of time in the town’s history where power lines and an engineer’s compass were the most important. He said he preferred the new logo.

According to Councilman Charles Teixeira, the resolution officially adopting the new logo had to be passed in order to rubber stamp the image and allow it to be painted in a mural on Military Road.

Teixeira also said the board had seen several logos before settling on the one voted for during Tuesday’s meeting.

“The Town Board agreed on this one after looking at different samples,” he said.

Also in the news:

•Only one developer spoke at the public hearing regarding tax exemptions for green-build projects in the town.

Angelo Tomasello said he and other developers could benefit the town with market-rate homes for residents.

“I have a passion to want to bring less-expensive housing to the community,” he said. “All market rates. I have two children, both in their 30s. It’s too expensive for my son to buy a house. My daughter is 36 and she’s disabled. She’s in a wheelchair, she’s been in a wheelchair her whole life. I can attest to the cost of renovating an existing house. …

“I want to do market-rate housing, just try to make it a little less expensive. If you opt into this program it will, I think, not only myself, but all other developers will be incentivized to do for-sale housing.”

After the meeting, Carpenter said the tax exemption law may be changed if and when it is adopted by the town.

The main areas of possible change have to do with whether a cap should be placed on the exemption, for instance a green-built home may cost $400,000, but the tax exemption is only applied to the first $100,000. Also, the number of years the building is tax exempt may change from the original language of the bill.

The public hearing for the green-build tax exemption is still open and more comments can be received at the next Town of Niagara Town Board meeting.

•Discussion regarding e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds was tabled until more information could be gathered.

Following the death of Scott Read, who was riding an e-bike on the corner of Ontario Avenue and Lockport Street in Niagara Falls when he collided with a tow truck on Aug. 8, Carpenter brought forward concerns he felt regarding the relatively new mode of transportation.

“The residents want to know what are the rules. What are these kids doing? Are they supposed to be wearing helmets? Are they supposed to have lights on their scooters?” he said. “So, I’ve been working with (Police Chief) Craig Guiliani and (Councilman) Mike Lee, as well, and they have supplied details of what we should be able to get out to the public – and we’re probably going to have a sign or two, especially in the park, to express to the residents what they can and cannot do.”

Carpenter also supplied this reporter with a chart explaining basic questions about e-bikes, mopeds and e-scooters as it applies to state laws.

See related chart.

Carpenter said the town may be able to make tighter restrictions, but more information is needed.