A proposal by former Pilgrim Village owner Mark H. Trammell to buy and convert an apartment complex in the Town of Niagara into low-income housing is facing opposition within the town – including from the supervisor, town clerk, police chief and building inspector.
Trammell, a veteran of affordable and low-income housing, plans to acquire the Brookside Commons apartments at 6127 N. Whitham Drive, consisting of 15 market-rate apartments in 16,098 square feet of space.
But a public hearing on Wednesday related to tax credits Trammell is seeking elicited five comments – and all took a negative view of the project. All were centered on the “low-income” nature of the project and residents.
“This will be a gigantic hot button in our town, maybe as big a hot button as Amazon was,” said Niagara Town Supervisor Lee Wallace.
But where the Amazon project had the Town Board’s support, Wallace predicted a cooler reception for the Brookside project.
“I really have a hard time believing that my Town Board would ever support something like this,” he said. “I really think there will gigantic opposition. And it will start right here.”
Town of Niagara Police Chief Craig Guiliani voiced safety concerns.
“My only concern right now is that with some of the lower-income housing establishments that we have in the town, we’ve had a lot of crime,” he said. “If there’s another lower-income establishment coming into the town, it’s only going to exacerbate that problem,” citing a recent shooting at one location.
The News’ Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.
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