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Depew trustees open hearing and authorize notice on 17.2‑acre 0 Broadway parcel eyed for solar expansion
Summary
The Village of Depew Board of Trustees opened a public hearing July 28 and approved a resolution to advertise the proposed transfer of 17.2 acres at 0 Broadway from Erie County, a $1 conveyance the mayor said could become a third phase of the village solar farm pending remediation and later decisions about lease or sale.
The Village of Depew Board of Trustees on July 28 opened a public hearing and approved a resolution to advertise the proposed acquisition of 17.2 acres at 0 Broadway from Erie County.
Mayor Kevin J. Peterson told the board the parcel sits west of the existing solar farm and east of Twin Village Recycling and was largely former dump land that will require remediation. “It’s 17.2 acres that is being deeded to the village of Depew for a dollar,” Peterson said, adding the site could be used as a third phase of the village’s solar farm once remediation is completed.
Why this matters: Depew is a compact municipality (about 5.4 square miles) with limited developable land. The transfer, if completed and put to productive use, would increase the village’s developable acreage and could expand an existing renewable‑energy project. The mayor and staff said major questions about remediation, the precise terms of any lease or sale and timing remain unresolved.
What the board did: Trustees voted to authorize the village administrator to advertise for a public hearing on the proposed acquisition; the resolution text set a hearing date of July 28, 2025 (the meeting at which the board opened and then closed the hearing). The vote carried. No final acquisition contract or sale terms were approved at the meeting.
Details from the record: Peterson described the existing solar project as phases 1 and 2 of a National Energy Development installation, saying phase 1 is online and phase 2 is under development. He said village officials worked with state and county legislators and county environmental planning staff — including a motion from Legislator Frank Todaro and involvement by Dan Castle, Erie County’s environmental planning commissioner — to arrange the transfer of county‑owned acreage. Peterson said the county and a small portion of the land owned by the Town of Cheektowaga are involved in the conveyance.
Peterson said the village expects the party taking responsibility for development would manage DEC‑required remediation tied to the former landfill on the site. He emphasized the village had not decided whether future use would be a lease or sale, and that terms would be set after earlier phases of the solar project advance.
Public comment: No members of the public spoke during the hearing on 0 Broadway at this meeting.
Next steps: The record and any public comments from the hearing will inform follow‑up decisions. The board did not adopt a lease or sale at the July 28 meeting; staff and the board will return later with options and any required agreements once remediation and planning details are available.
