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Buffalo City Board of Appeals denies request to park semi tractor in residential driveway
Summary
On Oct. 21, 2025, the Buffalo City Board of Appeals denied a conditional use permit, by a 2-1 vote, that would have allowed the tractor of a semi to be parked at 319 W. 24th St.; the board cited neighborhood opposition and lack of support.
The Buffalo City Board of Appeals voted 2-1 on Oct. 21, 2025, to deny a conditional use permit that would have allowed the tractor portion of a semi to be parked in the driveway at 319 W. 24th Street. The meeting was held at the Buffalo City Municipal Building.
Jerilyn Baures, the board chair, presented the application filed for property owned by Mel Zastrow and explained the request. Leah Tennant attended on behalf of her husband, Shawn Tennant, and said the couple plans to move to the Zastrow property soon. "He would like to park the tractor part of his semi in the driveway when he is home," Tennant said, and she added that "the trailer would continue to be parked at the city shop parking area." Clerk Jenny Ehlenfeldt confirmed the Tennants hold a current parking permit for their residence at 32 W. 2nd Street that has been in place for several years.
Board member Hank Rollinger asked why the entire semi could not remain at the city shop; Tennant said the tractor would be kept at home so it could be plugged in during winter and to allow on-site maintenance when needed. Chair Baures read a letter from a neighbor opposing the permit, citing concerns about the block's residential character and potential effects on resale values. Ehlenfeldt said the clerk's office received no other written comments but had one anonymous complaint that a tractor had been running for long periods at the 2nd Street permitted location; the complaint was not pursued further by the city at the time.
Russ Lorenz Jr. moved to approve the conditional use parking permit; that motion received no second and did not proceed. Joe Krumrie then moved, and Rollinger seconded, to deny the permit. In a roll-call vote Krumrie and Rollinger voted yes and Lorenz voted no, and the motion carried 2-1. The board discussed the single opposing letter and a lack of broader neighbor support as factors in the denial.
After the vote Joe Krumrie moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded by Russ Lorenz Jr. and carried unanimously.
The denial closes the application as decided by the Board of Appeals; the record shows the applicant had not engaged directly with neighbors on 24th Street prior to the meeting, and one anonymous complaint remains on file regarding operations at the 2nd Street permitted location.
