Grand Island advisors discuss proposed Whitehaven/West River PDD, raise erosion and HOA funding concerns

Members of the Grand Island Economic Development Advisory Board on Tuesday reviewed a concept plan from a developer seeking a planned development district (PDD) for the Whitehaven/East River area and discussed changes requested by the planning board and advisory comments from EDAB.

Advisors said the planning board’s recommendations included moving responsibility for a ravine area between new lots into the homeowners association (HOA) rather than relying on deed restrictions on private rear yards, and increasing lot depths for several riverfront lots by roughly 10 feet — changes that would reduce the number of buildable lots in that section.

Those recommendations matter because the ravine already has drainage and erosion problems, speakers said. Board members and the town’s consulting engineer told the group that the existing cross-pipe at the site is a twin 12-inch culvert, and that leaving long-term responsibility for erosion control to a small, newly formed HOA could create a heavy financial obligation for residents who “have no money,” as one advisory member observed. EDAB members and the planning board discussed asking the developer to address erosion, drainage capacity and long-term repair funding during the engineering review and SEQR/environmental review stages.

Speakers described the submission as a concept plan that will require engineering, environmental review and redesign before final approvals. Several advisors emphasized that PDDs are negotiated, site-specific overlays: if an overlay is approved but the developer does not build under the agreed plan, the property reverts to its underlying zoning rather than permanently changing townwide zoning. That led members to raise the idea of including a sunset or performance clause in any PDD approval— for example, a requirement that a specified minimum percent of the project be built within a set timeframe, or that the PDD expire if development stalls for a long period.

Advisors also urged design changes to better integrate new buildings with the hamlet character: rotate some building footprints toward the street to create a stronger streetscape, add landscaping and buffering, and ensure commercial uses front the hamlet area rather than exposing parking or service areas to the road. EDAB referenced the town’s comprehensive plan, the board’s market analysis and the draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) as supporting documents that identify the site as a hamlet area suitable for carefully designed mixed-use or commercial activity.

Town staff and board members described the likely next steps: planning-board engineering review, potential re-submission by the developer that incorporates recommended changes, and then additional referrals and public hearings if revisions are significant. Until environmental and engineering reviews are complete, speakers cautioned that specifics such as lot counts, stormwater designs and reserve funding for HOA obligations remain preliminary.

The discussion concluded with members agreeing that EDAB’s comments should emphasize shoreline and ravine stabilization, landscaping and streetscape standards, and a recommendation that the town consider a time-limited or performance-based condition on any PDD overlay approval so the overlay cannot remain indefinitely without substantial development.