Lockport NY

LaGrange St Transfer Station - Lockport NY

Clinton St Transfer Station - Buffalo NY

The LUSJ is reporting on last night's DEC meeting at City Hall pertaining to NYSEG's clean-up of the old Lockport Light Heat & Power Co. manufactured gas plant: CITY OF LOCKPORT: LaGrange cleanup plan spelled out.

I was considering going to the meeting but never made it. It was great to see the "beautification" of the site brought up. I think everyone can agree that the clean-up is great. Many also would like to see the extra step taken to enclose and spruce up the site as it is one of the first views coming into DT and is located across the street from where the city is studying placing the "upper marina." This conversation was had over on the LUSJ forums preceding the meeting as also mentioned in the article. Moving the substation was also mentioned but, at least personally, seemed more of a dream than an obtainable reality.

Potential traffic snarls on Transit and the tearing up of nearly a block’s worth of LaGrange and the blight of heavy machinery at a city gateway did not seem to be on the minds of the eight or so residents who attended the hearing.

Instead asked was a question that’s popped up on a US&J Web blog about the cleanup: Why doesn’t NYSE&G relocate its substation?

In that vein, Mayor Michael Tucker met separately with NYSE&G officials Tuesday to talk about beautifying the site at least. According to Tucker, the NYSE&G representatives committed to moving a fence along Transit 20 feet back into the property, and planting shrubbery in front of it, when the cleanup project is done.“They’re not opposed to landscaping it. Not with flowers or anything they’d have to maintain, but they’re willing to put in some trees so we’re not just looking at fencing on Transit,” Tucker said. “I asked them about putting up a facade too. They said they’ve never been asked that before ... but they’re willing to look at it.”

Above are two images, one of the Lockport LaGrange Site and one of the City of Buffalo Clinton St site. I forget who owns the Buffalo site (Niagara Mohawk?) but the entire city block is surrounded by a brick wall/facade. So there is precedent, especially in urban areas. This area is amidst residential directly to the south, Trinity Lutheran to the east, residential/downtown to the north, and the canal and Tranist Rd (main south entrance to DT) to the west. The bright sun in the Lockport image hides how ugly the site actually looks.

The Buffalo image is not without its flaws as it does still create and long hard empty facade for an entire block. The 20ft set-back mentioned in the article with greenery would be great when done in conjunction with a wall. The same should be done along Saxton also. Odds are the parishioners at Trinity Lutheran would be willing to upkeep some green space across the street to beautify the view when exiting the church.

This is the sole provider of our utilities infrastructure. The city should not settle for a new chain link fence after 2 years of upheaval and clean-up. I wonder if there are any city codes for these types of sites?