Mission
The City of Niagara Falls Planning Office and the Office of Environmental Services are (organizationally) part of the Department of Planning and Economic Development. Its mission is:
- To promote and protect the health, safety and general welfare of all residents by enhancing and conserving the social, economic and environmental health of the residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas by fostering the most appropriate use of municipal land and resources.
The City of Niagara Falls Planning Office: (716) 286-4470
- Maintains the City’s comprehensive plan, including transportation, land use, housing, public service, community facilities and its other elements;
- Administers zoning, subdivision and handles amendments to these and related codes;
- Reviews special use permits such as group care, day care, some commercial recreation and other conditional uses;
- Advises on disposition of City owned property, including dedication or vacation of streets, alleys and some easements;
- Assists in capital improvements and economic development;
- Helps with site planning and design for construction, sale, lease or use agreements involving City holdings;
- Provides staff services to the City Officials, Planning Board, Board of Appeals and other boards on community development matters;
- Provides some of the staff services for code enforcement, and other regulatory activities;
- Maintains maps, aerial photography, demographics and other information related to community growth and change;
- Works with schools, businesses, institutions and special districts, and with census, housing, conservation, preservation, highway, railroad, utility and other agencies as needed to ensure compliance with city development regulations and general consistency with our development goals.
- City of Niagara Falls Comprehensive Plan 2009
- Official Copy of Niagara Falls Zoning Ordinance, amended 9.15.2021.
- 2022 Level 1 Site Plan Review Application Packet
- 2022 Level 2 Site Plan Review Application Packet
- Highland Solar Project Presentation
While our mission is focused on zoning and physical planning and largely accomplished through zoning enforcement, site plan review and land use analysis, Planning is a comprehensive field, that requires the City’s Planning Office to have access to all kinds of information. On a typical day, the Planning and Environment Offices may field calls for land use regulations, floodplain data, demographics, brownfields, recycling, economic development, municipal operations or other topic.
Mr. Kevin Forma, Director of Planning
Email: NFNY.Planning@niagarafallsny.gov
Candance Hout, Planning Clerk
Phone: 716-286-4470
Email: NFNY.Planning@niagarafallsny.gov
Edyta Chorostkowska, Environmental Planner
Email: NFNY.Planning@niagarafallsny.gov
The Office of Environmental Services
- Assists the Senior Planner and staff in all environmental and planning activities such as environmental assessments, development and site plan reviews; prepares departmental recommendations on development proposals;
- Maintains maps, aerial photography, socio-economic demographics and other information related to community growth and change;
- Coordinates the City’s Brownfield Redevelopment Initiatives, including management of Grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Grants from the New York State Department of State (NYS DOS) and Brownfields Assessment Grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA);
- Responds to queries regarding FEMA Flood Zones and the National Flood Insurance Program using highly detailed current GIS computer mapping;
- Active participant in the NFIP Community Certified Rating System, Class 8, which provides a ten percent discount on flood insurance;
- Additional information about floodplains and flooding potential can be found at floodsmart;
- Current City Floodplain Map
- Flood Hazard Newsletter
- Oversees all 6 NYCRR Part 617 State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) and Federal, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental reviews in Niagara Falls;
- Maintains and organizes United States Census Information and City Demographic Information, and performs geographic demographic analysis using the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS);
- Maintains and creates data sets for the City’s Geographic Information System;
- Provides GIS mapping support to various City Departments, including Mayor’s Office, Public Works, Building & Inspections, Engineering, Planning, and Community Development;
- Acts as a liaison for local and regional environmental groups.
- NFIP Annual Flood Mitigation Progress Report Documentation
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- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for March 29th, 2023
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for March 15th, 2023
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for February 22nd, 2023
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for February 22nd, 2023
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for February 8th, 2023
- 2022 Iron‐Workers Renovation
- The Planning Board meeting scheduled for 01/25/2023 has been cancelled.
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for December 21st, 2022
Planning Board Meeting Agenda for December 7th, 2022 - Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for November 23rd, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for November 9th, 2022
- Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes for November 3rd, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for October 12th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for October 26th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for September 28th, 2022
- Planning Board 2022-08-10 Special Meeting Agenda
- Planning Board 2022-08-04 Special Meeting Notice for 8-10-22
- Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Agenda for August 4th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for July 27th, 2022
- Planning Board Agenda Revised for July 13th 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for July 08th 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for June 29th 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for June 29th, 20222
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for June 15th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for June 1st, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for June 1st, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for May 18th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for May 18th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for May 4th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for May 4th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for April 20th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for April 20th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for April 4th, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for March 23rd, 2022
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for March 23rd, 2022
- The Planning Board Meeting Scheduled for March 9th, 2022 has been cancelled
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes for February 23rd, 2022
- The Planning Board Meeting Scheduled for January 12th, 2022 has been cancelled.
- Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice November 17th 2021
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda Sept. 22nd 2021
- Planning Board Meeting Minutes September 8th 2021
- LSNY Holdings
- Niagara Hospitality Packet - Elmwood
- Niagara Hospitality Packet
- Power City Packet
- TM Montante
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for July 14th 2021
- Planning Board Meeting Agenda for June 16th 2021
- Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2021
- Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2020
- Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2019
- Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2018
- Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2017