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Consultant outlines year‑long zoning code rewrite tied to state grant and public outreach
Summary
CPL consultant Justin Steinbach briefed the council on a schedule and approach to update Tonawanda's zoning code, saying the work will translate planning documents into code revisions with public outreach and an analysis wrapped by fall and code updates next year.
Justin Steinbach, a bank file manager with CPL, presented a condensed overview of a zoning code update project the firm is doing for the city, telling council members June 17 the work will translate existing planning documents into an updated zoning ordinance.
Steinbach said the team has interviewed multiple department heads — the mayor’s office, engineering, code enforcement and the DDA — and plans roundtable discussions with external users such as the Chamber of Commerce, realtors and developers. He described the objective as “taking those plan‑level policy documents and translating them into an updated zoning tool.”
The schedule Steinbach presented shows an analysis phase through about October, with a goal of completing ordinance drafting for the council to review by mid‑2026. He said the project is funded by New York State Department of State (DOS) funding and that DOS project manager Ben Bedell is coordinating timing to keep the work on schedule.
Why it matters: City officials and business leaders have repeatedly flagged the current code as outdated; council members said a modernized zoning ordinance could help shape Main Street redevelopment, constrain undesirable uses that are currently “grandfathered,” and support DRI‑funded downtown projects.
Steinbach outlined several substantive priorities the team will examine: code structure and procedures, use‑ and district‑specific rules, and measures to ensure conformance with existing planning documents and downtown objectives. He said the consultant expects to wrap the analysis by fall and pursue ordinance drafting in the months that follow, with public outreach events and hearings built into the timetable.
Council members asked whether the rewrite can address long‑standing issues such as automotive or industrial uses inside the downtown footprint that are currently grandfathered; Steinbach said the code rewrite can create mechanisms to discourage or regulate undesirable uses, but changes affecting legally nonconforming uses will be constrained by the timing and status of existing rights.
Ending: Steinbach invited council members and stakeholders to submit questions and attend upcoming outreach sessions; the consultant’s timetable ties the code updates to DOS funding milestones and anticipates draft code language for council consideration in 2026.
