Virtuoso: Summer update on Town of Niagara

Guest Editorial by Sylvia Virtuoso

Town of Niagara Supervisor

Well, finally some decent weather!! Looking forward to a nice summer! Spring was tough with all the rain, delays in getting our yards and gardens ready. Thank you to everyone who takes great pride in their homes. It makes a world of difference for your neighborhood and means the world to those who appreciate your hard work. Spreading kindness in helping your neighbors if they need a little help, especially the seniors who might have some difficulty, goes a long way.

As everyone knows, we have been working diligently in the neighborhoods and business district with codes, cleanup, etc. I believe it has not gone unnoticed, because more and more residents call or stop in to let us know their concerns over some areas, knowing we will try our best to get it rectified. We are finding that there are long-time vacant homes with taxes and utilities paid, but what the owner might not realize is that the neighborhood isn’t the same with the long-time vacancy.

People want neighbors, some activity, life. We have heard the complaints from those who receive letters whether for tall grass or unkept areas. For every complaint that they don’t want to cleanup, there are full neighborhoods very happy that they do follow through.

I know it’s difficult and for some it’s not a priority – everyone chooses to live their own way and you can, but not at the cost of your neighbors. Some feel we should use our time differently, but what better way to spend the time than improving our neighborhoods and making our town a great place to live?

On the other hand, we are also working diligently on developers, business plans, etc., which have increased tremendously recently. Also, a good note to remember when work is stopped due to lack of a permit: Remember, it’s for the benefit of safety for you, your guests, your customers and everyone around you. We need to be certain that the work you do is safe for all. Pools, fencing, roofing, driveways, major remodels all have safety standards and New York state regulations. With the vacancies, high grass, unkept trash comes, rodents and unwanted visitors are something we are trying to avoid in both residential and commercial neighborhoods.

In New York, it's illegal to blow or place grass clippings onto the road. This is because the clippings can create slippery and dangerous conditions for vehicles, especially motorcycles, and can also clog storm drains. The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law prohibits placing any material on a highway that interferes with safe passage. (New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, sections 1219 and 1220). 

We will be holding a Public Hearing on July 15, at 6:30 p.m., our regularly scheduled Town Board meeting for the new and improved Zoning Ordinance. We are hoping that, by September, the new Zoning Map and Ordinance will be in place. It has taken several months to review and correct what has not been changed or corrected in many years, bringing the Zoning Map and Ordinance into the needs of 2025 and beyond.

Remember that Airbnbs are not permitted in residential neighborhoods. Those that had them the time the law was changed were given time to eliminate them, and that time is up. We have made different provisions for storage units and solar farms, as well.

The reassessment is complete. There were 152 Board of Assessment Review complaints, and all were heard – as well as many were adjusted through the regular process. With many changes in the different variation of complaints will come slight changes to the entire town. That is how the assessment works. We need to keep our assessments at 100%, so all numbers will adjust to make that happen. They will also adjust regularly as homes sell in a neighborhood. That’s how we stay on top of the values and not let them slip below 90%, so you won’t see that significant increase or decrease in your values as in this recent reassessment that hadn’t been done since 1991.

“Music Mania Mondays” start June 30. Independence Day fireworks will be held on the 6^th of July – best viewing is in Veterans Memorial Community Park, 7000 Joe Rotella Way. Come try out mini-golf (lots of fun,) bring the children to the splash pad, take pictures in our new Adirondack chair located near the mini-golf for some great memories. A good note to also remember: Dogs must be on a leash and cleaned up after.

Recreation and senior programs are more than ever. Stop in the Community Center for all the information!

Budget season is approaching; lots of thought from everyone involved. Never fun, but it is what is we all try our very best to serve our town.

The Town Hall parking lot will be repaved and striped – a long time coming – and with our own employees doing the work, it is saving the town a significant amount of money. This could not be neglected any longer for safety issues, especially in winter.

Every Saturday in June is bulk pickup day, so feel free to throw out your trash. No electronics – you can always bring them to the town garage. There will be a paint drop off again in September at the park. You can always drop off paint at Sherwin Williams, as well.

If you don’t find info in the Tribune, follow Town of Niagara NY, Niagara Recreation, Town of Niagara Police Department, “Music Mania Mondays,” Town of Niagara Senior Department on Facebook. Again, try to keep the negative comments to a minimum :).

Our new website is www.townofniagarany.gov. There, you can find meeting dates, agendas, minutes, contacts, events and more.

If you can’t find answers, feel free to call Town Hall at 716-297-2150.

Wishing you all a happy, safe summer!!