Southtowns Record

Town Board minutes — March 23, 2026

Government
Town of Aurora
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Mar 23, 2026
Kind
Minutes
Topics
Zoning and land use, Budget and taxes, Public safety, Parks and recreation, Water, sewer and drainage, Roads and traffic, Energy and data center siting

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 4 of 11

Town of Aurora | Town Board Meeting | March 23, 2026
  (d) Make such documents available for public inspection during regular business hours
  at the Aurora Municipal Building, 575 Oakwood Avenue, East Aurora, New York
  14052.
  (a) Section 6. Effective Date. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon
  adoption.

Upon a vote being taken: ayes – four, noes – none. Motion carried.

  Councilmember Wrazen moved to adopt the following resolution;
  Action #93
seconded by Councilmember McCann:  2025 Comp Plan
  adopted
  RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF AURORA
  ADOPTING THE TOWN OF AURORA 2025 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Aurora (hereinafter the "Town Board") is authorized
pursuant to New York State Town Law §272-a to prepare, adopt, and amend a
comprehensive plan for the Town of Aurora, Erie County, New York; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Aurora has never formally adopted a comprehensive plan under
Town Law §272-a, although the Town participated in the Regional Comprehensive Plan for
the Towns of Aurora, Elma, Holland, and Wales and the Village of East Aurora completed in
2004, which was never officially adopted; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the limitations of a piecemeal approach to land use planning and
regulation, the Town Board committed to creating a formal comprehensive plan that
provides a cohesive framework to guide growth and preservation within the Town; and

WHEREAS, this comprehensive plan effort was prepared with funding provided by the Erie
County Municipal Planning Grant Program and with professional planning assistance from
LaBella Associates; and

WHEREAS, the Town Board established a Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee
composed of Raymond Wrazen (Town Board Member and Steering Committee Chair),
Charles Snyder (Town Supervisor), Dan Castle (Erie County Department of Environment and
Planning Commissioner), Susan Russell (Town Climate Smart Committee Member), Dale
Morris (Town Open Space Committee Member), Bob Morgan (JRS Morgan Realty), Angela
Griffis (Town Planning Board Member), and Nancy Burkhardt (Town Zoning Board of Appeals
Member); and

WHEREAS, the Steering Committee, with the assistance of LaBella Associates, undertook a
thorough and comprehensive planning process commencing in October 2024, which
included a detailed inventory and analysis of existing conditions in the Town, including
demographics, land use and zoning, housing and neighborhoods, public and municipal
services, transportation systems, recreational, historical and cultural resources, and
agricultural and natural resources; and

WHEREAS, the planning process included robust community engagement in compliance
with Town Law §272-a(5), consisting of the following public participation activities:
  (a) A community-wide public survey administered from November 2024 through March
  2025, which yielded 865 responses from Town residents, Village residents, and other
  stakeholders;
  (b) A town-wide mailer sent to every household in the Town of Aurora outside the
  Village of East Aurora introducing the planning effort and inviting participation;
  (c) A dedicated project website (https://townofauroracompplan.com) that served as
  the central hub for the comprehensive plan, drawing over 1,900 visits from
  approximately 1,500 unique visitors;
  (d) A first public open house held at East Aurora High School in February 2025,
  attended by more than 102 community members, featuring five interactive stations
  covering plan overview, vision statement development, SWOT analysis, community
  profile findings, and a mapping exercise;
  (e) A second public open house held in October 2025, attended by over 80
  community members, presenting draft materials including the Future Land Use Map
  and draft recommendations and soliciting feedback on prioritization;
  (f) Stakeholder and focus group interviews reaching 23 of 29 identified stakeholders,
  including nine individual interviews and four focus groups (Agriculture & Natural
  Resources, Housing & Neighborhoods, Village of East Aurora, and Town of Aurora
  Department Heads); and

WHEREAS, the proposed Town of Aurora 2025 Comprehensive Plan (hereinafter the "Plan")
addresses the elements set forth in Town Law §272-a(3), including but not limited to:
  (a) The general location and character of existing and proposed land uses, including
  residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and open space uses;
  (b) Consideration of regional needs and the official plans of other governmental units
  and agencies within the region, including the Erie County Agriculture and Farmland
  Protection Plan, the Erie County Multi Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Erie County Parks
  Master Plan, the Southern Tier Trail Feasibility Study, the State of the Region: Western
  New York Strategic Plan, and the 2025 New York Forward – West Falls Strategic
  Investment Plan;
  (c) Goals and recommended actions for the preservation and enhancement of the
  Town's natural and agricultural resources, transportation systems, housing and
  neighborhoods, parks and recreational facilities, infrastructure, and community
  character;
  (d) A Future Land Use Map depicting the proposed distribution and general location of
  future land uses within the Town outside the Village of East Aurora;
  (e) An Action Plan including an implementation matrix specifying timeframes,
  responsible entities, potential funding sources, and in-kind support for each
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