A new development could be coming to the City of Erie. That’s usually good news, but there are some concerns.
We went to West Second Street with a look at what developers have planned and how the community is reacting.
Right now there is a vacant lot, but what developers want to do is build a three story apartment building.
The concern is where will the people who live here park along with how will this impact the view?
A New York developer with Erie ties is looking to bring in new apartment complexes to the West Bayfront, specifically in the 800 and 900 block of West Second Street.
This is something that those who live close by are concerned about.
“Mainly the needs of the people in this neighborhood are not being met by this project. It’s almost like an invasion and if the project doesn’t fit the property, maybe the property isn’t right for the project,” said Lori Edwards, City Resident.
During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, motions were made in order to waive the rules to bring the projects on the agenda.
This was to help bring the ideas to fruition. Each motion however was denied on a four to three vote.
“We need to make a difference that if we are going to do something, everyone has to follow the rules. the agenda was set last Thursday. So somebody dropped a whole bunch of liquid because the last word that Lori and I received was the developer was gone,” said Ed Brzezinski, President of Erie City Council.
One council member said even though there was confusion, council needs to remember LERTA was passed for a reason.
“There are going to be some citizens and some parties that may not want or approve of the development, but those are decisions council has to make when moving forward. If we are going to ever help build up our tax base, we have to utilize the LERTA we have in help in that development,” said Jim Winarski, Erie County Councilman.
When the two applications go on the agenda, council members will vote on the approval of the housing complexes.
It’s expected this will appear on council’s agenda for members to vote on during the February 17th meeting.
