Developer seeks approval for two-building, 30‑unit waterfront project; neighbors raise parking, snow and affordability concerns

McGeary Partners and its design team presented a waterfront conditional-use application to Erie City Council on Nov. 19 for two three‑story multifamily buildings at 263 West Front Street, consolidating nine lots and proposing 30 apartments with 30 surface parking spaces.

Cooper Moore, secretary of the city planning commission and design review committee, told council both review bodies recommended the conditional use and that the application complied with the waterfront overlay requirements. Architect Dane Bombara (Interface Studio Architects) outlined the design: two buildings (an 11‑unit building fronting Myrtle/Front and a 19‑unit building at Myrtle/Short), attached balconies oriented toward the lake, a 30‑space surface parking lot, bike storage, and indigenous landscaping. Bombara said the design meets the 50‑foot height limit with roof heights near 35–37 feet and that lighting will include glare shields to reduce spillover into neighboring yards. He said, “So as I said, it's 2 buildings, 30 units.”

Residents and committee members raised recurring concerns. Amy Francis, the city zoning officer, explained notices are mailed when the public ad is posted—roughly two weeks in advance—and neighborhood groups receive immediate emails; several speakers said that outreach felt insufficient. Dan Dahlkemper, a design review member and neighbor, urged replanted street trees and warned that the site leaves no obvious space for snow storage; he said the parking proposal (1 space per unit) met zoning minimums but may be tight compared with nearby projects that provided greater ratios. Chanel Calgene, a nearby resident, said she worried 30 parking spaces would be inadequate on event days and urged consideration of covered parking or overhangs for winter conditions.

Other comments stressed cultural and affordability risks. Martha Wachukwu asked whether the units would be affordable to nearby long‑term residents and cautioned about displacement in historically Black neighborhoods. Gretchen Kerr of Our West Bayfront said her organization had not received outreach from the developer and asked to be included in land development review to ensure the city’s adopted West Bayfront plan is respected.

City planning staff clarified process and next steps: the waterfront conditional‑use review is an overlay‑district decision that requires design review committee and planning commission recommendations; if this conditional use is approved, the project would proceed to the land development phase with sketch, preliminary, and final reviews that address detailed engineering, parking, snow management, lighting, refuse, and other operational matters. Staff also noted state time constraints that require land development to proceed to planning commission within statutory deadlines.

Council closed the public hearing without a vote. Staff and the design review committee recommended additional outreach during the next review stages; Council will see the conditional use twice more per the ordinance process and, if approved, the project will return for land-development review where operational details such as snow removal and exact parking configurations will be required.