60634 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement;

Crossroads Arena Project/Buffalo

Inner Harbor Development Project

Buffalo, New York

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Crossroads Arena Project/Buffalo Inner

Harbor Development Project.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, as

implemented by the Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508)

and Federal Transit Administration

(FTA) regulations under 23 CFR part

771, the FTA and the Niagara Frontier

Transportation Authority (NFTA)

intends to prepare an environmental

impact statement (EIS) to study the

reconfiguration and redevelopment of a

portion of the Buffalo Inner Harbor

located in the City of Buffalo, New York.

The proposed project would be financed

through funding from the Intermodal

Surface Transportation Efficiency Act

(ISTEA), the New York State Thruway

Authority, the City of Buffalo and Erie

County. The project is being

administered by the Empire State

Development Corporation (ESDC) in

cooperation with NFTA.

I. Project Description

The proposed action (Inner Harbor

Development Project) consists of

reconfiguration and redeveloping

approximately 6 acres of land in

downtown Buffalo, located along the

Buffalo River near the southern

terminus of the Niagara Frontier

Transportation Authority’s (NFTA’s)

light rail rapid transit (LRRT) system at

the foot of Main Street. A conceptual

plan for redevelopment of the project

site was prepared by the City of Buffalo

in 1996 and sets the basis for the

project. The principal elements of this

plan included the construction of a new

Naval and Military Museum, which

currently occupies a portion of the

project site; the reconfiguration of the

Buffalo River shoreline to create two

new inlets with direct access to Main

Street to accommodate existing naval

vessels that are part of the museum’s

collection, transient boats, water taxis,

and tour boats; a visitor’s center; a

waterfront promenade to provide

continuous pedestrian/bicycle access; a

new or enhanced intermodal LRRT

station to serve the project area; and the

creation of Greenway Plaza, a new

public space serving as a hub for all

bicycle and pedestrian trail systems,

with areas for new development of

commercial/entertainment facilities.

The Inner Harbor Development

Project is intended to enhance public

access to the water’s edge; enhance

ridership on the LRRT system; and

encourage intermodal opportunities

between waterborne, transit,

automobile, pedestrian and bicycle

route systems. Additionally, the project

is also expected to facilitate and

promote private investment by further

capitalizing on intermodal opportunities

offered in the project area.

The EIS will analyze reasonable

alternatives that will assist in achieving

the objectives of the Inner Harbor

Development Project. Three alternatives

will be formulated through a series of

workshops with major stakeholders,

agencies, and the general public.

Although still being formulated, the

alternatives will include consideration

of a new/enhanced intermodal LRRT

station; reconfiguration of the Buffalo

River shoreline to increase access;

identification of new private

development sites in the project area;

and establishment of new pedestrian/

bicycle/automobile circulation routes

through the project area. In addition, the

EIS will assess the No-Action alternative

to serve as a basis for comparison with

the other alternatives and proposed

action.

The EIS will evaluate all potential

significant social, economic, and

environmental effects of the

alternatives. These would include issues

involving land use/zoning/development

policies; coastal zone management

policies and navigable waterways;

coordination with other projects

planned in the study area and

cumulative impacts from these projects;

traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian

circulation; transit ridership; parking;

historic/archaeological resources and

parklands; aesthetics; water quality; air

quality; hazardous materials; and effects

to minority and low income populations

in accordance with federal guidelines

concerning environmental justice. Both

positive and negative impacts will be

evaluated for the construction period

and for the long-term period of

operation. Significant potential adverse

impacts resulting from analysis of the

proposed action and alternatives will be

discussed in terms of avoidance

measures or minimized through the

implementation of mitigation measures,

where reasonable and appropriate.

II. Scoping Process/Public Scoping

Meeting

The FTA is initiating a scoping

process for the purpose of determining

the scope of issues to be addressed in

the EIS. All interested individuals and

organizations as well as Federal, state,

and local agencies, are invited to

participate in identifying any significant

social, economic, and environmental

concerns related to the Inner Harbor

Development Project. A draft Scoping

Document describing the purpose of the

project and impact issues is being

mailed to affected Federal, State and

local agencies as well as interested

parties. Copies of the draft Scoping

Document may be obtained by

contacting Ms. Ruta Dzenis, Project

Director, Empire State Development

Corporation at (716) 856–8111. A Public

Scoping Meeting concerning the Inner

Harbor Development Project will be

held on: November 24, 1997, 6:30 p.m.,

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library,

Lafayette Square, Main Auditorium

(Clinton Street Entrance), Buffalo, New

York 14203.

Following a presentation on the

project, comments on the scope of the

EIS will be received and transcribed at

this meeting.

Scoping comments may be submitted

at the public scoping meeting and/ or

submitted in writing at the address

listed below. It is important that

interested parties and Federal, State,

and local agencies take this opportunity

to identify environmental concerns that

should be addressed in the EIS. Further,

because the preliminary design

components of the Inner Harbor

Development Project are currently being

formulated and refined, the scoping

process offers an opportunity to

incorporate public environmental

concerns into the urban design and

engineering processes of the project.

Written comments on the scope of

alternatives and impacts to be

considered must be received by 5:00 pm

January 16, 1998. Written comments

should clearly describe the specific

social, economic, and environmental

issues and concerns that the commentor

believes that the EIS should address.

Written comments should be sent to:

Ms. Ruta Dzenis, Project Director,

Empire State Development Corporation,

Western New York Region, 420 Main

Street, Suite 717 Liberty Building,

Buffalo, New York 14202.

III. FTA and State Procedures

The EIS process will be conducted in

accordance with NEPA, CEQ, and FTA

regulations under 23 CFR part 771.

Following the completion of the scoping
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 1997 / Notices 60635

process, a draft EIS will be prepared and

made available for public review.

Following a 45-day public comment

period and public hearing on the draft

EIS, a final EIS will be prepared with

appropriate revisions and additions

responding to all substantive comments

received. The final EIS will serve as the

basis for a Record of Decision issued on

the proposed action.

Because the proposed action also

includes actions/funding by New York

State, county and local agencies, it is

required to be assessed in accordance

with the New York State Environmental

Quality Review Act (SEQRA). ESDC will

serve as the lead agency for SEQRA

documentation. The content and format

of the EIS will be designed to also serve

as the SEQRA documentation for the

action. All time frames, public notices,

public hearings, and comment periods

will be coordinated in accordance with

both NEPA and SEQRA requirements.

IV. Contacts

For further information on this

project, please contact: Anthony G. Carr,

Director, Office of Planning and

Program Development, Federal Transit

Administration at (212) 264–8162.

Issued on November 7, 1997.

Thomas J. Ryan,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–29831 Filed 11–7–97; 10:53

a.m.]

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