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Comprehensive Plan 11 Walkable Commercial Corridors, (2) Support Revitalization of Community Anchors, Waterfront Areas, and Tourism Assets, (3) Invest in Infrastructure and Resources That Connect Our Region, and (4) Foster and Promote a Regional Culture of Entrepreneurship. 2025 New York Forward – West Fall Falls Strategic Investment Plan In 2024, the Town of Aurora was awarded, on behalf of the Hamlet of West Falls, one of the two NY Forward (NYF) program grant awards for the Western New York REDC region. The $4.5 million NYF program was created with the intent of invigorating and enlivening downtown areas in New York’s smaller and rural communities by funding public and private sector development and improvement projects. In 2025, New York State awarded seven projects in West Falls with portions of the $4.5 million award, including: • Expand Programming Capacity of the West Falls Center for the Arts ($1,245,000) • Expand Capacity at the Blueberry Treehouse Farm ($784,000) • Transform Veterans Park, West Falls-Colden Library and West Falls Community Playground into Local Destinations ($758,000) • Reinvent the West Falls Depot ($725,000) • Building Access to West Falls by Converting a Rail Corridor into a Multi-Use Trail ($420,000) • Preserve the Dog Bar ($392,000) • Celebrate Local Flavor at the Florence Market ($176,000) Erie County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Plan Update The 2025 Erie County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, an update to the 2012 plan, sets new priorities and goals for land use in Erie County and its agricultural industry. Emphasized in the plan are goals to protect and preserve existing farms and farmland through a variety of means, enable and support new farm and farm-related businesses, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, improving the public’s awareness of agriculture, and developing the agricultural economy at large. Based on the Erie County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, focus areas for the Town of Aurora include: • Protecting and preserving high-value agricultural land, particularly by encouraging or allowing solar farms on non-agricultural parcels and by providing succession planning resources to existing farmers. • Encourage agricultural parcel owners to participate in the Agricultural District program. • Review zoning codes and building codes to address farm friendliness, such as policies regarding standard farm practices, on-farm businesses, additional (non-farm) businesses on agricultural parcels, etc.