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Comprehensive Plan 77 Recommendation 4.4 - Define Battery Storage in Local Code and Develop BESS Use Standards: Add definitions for Battery Energy Storage Systems (Tier 1 and Tier 2) to the zoning code and develop siting, safety, setback, and screening requirements. Reference NYS Unified Solar & Storage Permit model. Prohibit battery storage in residential and conservation areas; encourage placement in the Industrial Innovation future land use. Recommendation 4.5 - Permit Battery Storage in Industrial Zones as an Accessory or Standalone Use: Amend zoning to allow Tier 1 and 2 battery storage systems in the Industrial Innovation Zone. Coordinate permitting with utility and site readiness requirements. Recommendation 4.6 - Integrate Battery Storage into Emergency Preparedness and Resilience Plans: Work with emergency responders to assess the use of BESS at critical facilities (e.g., Town Hall, Senior Center). Explore microgrid feasibility to serve key community hubs. Goal 5: Improve Walkability, Connectivity, and Mobility Options This goal advances Aurora’s commitment to safe, connected, and sustainable mobility. It calls for the creation of a Town-wide Connectivity Plan that prioritizes pedestrian and bicycle routes linking neighborhoods, parks, and the Village, while addressing chronic speeding through targeted traffic-calming measures. Improved pedestrian access to recreational spaces, the designation of low-traffic neighborhood greenways, and the development of dedicated bicycle infrastructure are also key strategies for creating safer, healthier, and more active communities. Recognizing the Town’s mix of dense and rural areas, many of these improvements will be most feasible and impactful closer to the Village and in other areas with higher concentrations of residents and activity. In less dense parts of Aurora, the same investments would require far more time, resources, and maintenance. By concentrating connectivity upgrades where they are most needed, the Town can maximize impact, ensure cost efficiency, and strengthen the walkability and bikeability of core community hubs. These efforts complement other areas of the Plan that focus on conserving open space, protecting farmland, and guiding development to targeted zones. By enhancing mobility where it makes sense, the Town not only improves quality of life but also reduces reliance on cars, minimizes environmental impacts, and strengthens the connection between residents and Aurora’s natural and cultural resources. The goal is to build a transportation network that reflects Aurora’s values—safe, accessible, environmentally responsible, and aligned with its rural character—while providing residents with more ways to move around the community and connect with the landscapes and amenities that make the Town unique. Recommendation 5.1 – Create a Town-Wide Connectivity Plan Using Alternative Forms of Transportation: Develop a master plan identifying priority pedestrian and bicycling routes (e.g., potential routes include Village border to Knox Farm, Mill Rd to 20A, Olean Rd from the Village to Lapham Rd and Emery Park, and other areas where there is more dense development to the Village and connecting the Town’s resources). Additionally, the Town should work with NFTA to determine the feasibility of developing a park-and-ride lot. Recommendation 5.2 – Install Traffic Calming Measures: Explore use of roundabouts, raised crosswalks, speed humps, signals, and signage on roads such as Mill Rd, Center St, and Davis Rd where speeding is chronic and where external funding is available. Recommendation 5.3 – Improve Pedestrian Accessibility to Parks & Recreation: Provide safe crossings, ADA- compliant pathways, trails, and consistent signage to link neighborhoods and parks (i.e. Majors, Knox Farm, Emery, and JP Nicely). Recommendation 5.4 – Neighborhood Greenways / Low-Traffic Streets: Identify local roads for reduced speed limits, shared-lane markings, and traffic calming to create safe “greenway” routes for walking/biking. Recommendation 5.5 - Support the Development of Dedicated Bicycle Infrastructure: Encourage and support improvements that may include, crosswalks, bike lanes, and wayfinding signage to ensure safe, accessible routes connecting residential areas, the Village, the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail, and parks. Recommendation 5.6 – Seek Opportunities to Develop Public Parking Areas in Hamlet Centers: Identify and pursue opportunities to establish small-scale, well-landscaped public parking areas within the Town’s hamlet centers to support growing commercial and residential activity. Work in conjunction with NYSDOT and/ or the Erie County Department of Public Works (ECDPW), depending on road jurisdiction, to ensure parking improvements are designed with safe access, pedestrian connections, and minimal visual impact.