On Nov. 14 the Project Review Committee heard a detailed presentation on the Citizen project at 602 West Buffalo Street focused on accessibility, floodproofing, and design details.

Presenter Bear explained the elevator and stair location is driven by under-building parking and existing parking footprint. "A lot of these buildings, of the scale generally have 1 elevator, and there is no Ground Floor unit. So the elevator is a necessity to be able to get to any of the units in the building," Bear said, adding that elevator access makes the chosen layout necessary and that ground-floor ramps would lengthen circulation distances.

Bear presented several alternatives, including a front-ramp option that would double the distance to the elevator and remove one retail entry to accommodate the ramp. He noted trade-offs: a front ramp could reduce retail frontage and public-engagement opportunities along the facade. The project is in the 100-year floodplain, and staff advised the team to be ready for an amended SEQR (neg dec) because project scope and floodplain status have changed; staff said an amended neg dec would be reworked and could proceed alongside site-plan review if the lead agency agrees.

Bear discussed floodproofing constraints: residential portions require wet floodproofing rather than dry floodproofing, which limits design options and typically relies on passive vents. "There is not many options for wet floodproofing," Bear said, and the team explained the practical limits this creates for bringing the main stair inside an enclosed lobby without creating issues for floodproofing and indoor comfort.

Design and program notes: the project will not install rooftop solar at build-out but will be designed to be rooftop-solar-ready; HVAC systems were chosen to avoid a large rooftop condenser farm so solar can be added later. The team will secure bike storage with additional fencing, screen parking with black chain-link or privacy slats as needed, and provide 18 units set aside for supportive housing serving households at 30–80% of area median income (AMI).

Board members asked for fuller building sections, elevations in context with neighboring buildings, clearer ramp/accessible-path renderings, and better screening or facade treatment for the garage entrance along Buffalo Street. Staff and the applicant agreed to prepare an amended SEQR draft schedule, updated elevations and a landscape plan for review at the next meeting.

No formal vote was taken at Nov. 14; the committee will revisit the matter with the requested materials and any amended SEQR documentation.