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December 22, 2023 Town of West Seneca 1250 Union Road West Seneca, New York 14224 Re: TWS Historic Commission 2025 Review & 2026 Support Requests Town Supervisor Dickson & Members of the Town Board; Over the past year, the Town of West Seneca Historic Preservation Commission has made meaningful progress in advancing the Town’s preservation goals, strengthening public awareness of our shared heritage, and laying the groundwork for long-term cultural and economic benefits related to Historic Preservation. As one of New York State’s newest Certified Local Governments (certified in 2023), the Commission has focused on building a strong foundation aligned with State and National best practices. Most notably this year the Commission successfully completed the State-funded Reconnaissance-Level Survey of the historic Ebenezer buildings, in partnership with Preservation Studios. This survey, our first major initiative as an established Commission, identified two potential historic districts, Middle Ebenezer and Lower Ebenezer, encompassing approximately 300 properties. These areas now stand as strong candidates for advancement as National Register Historic Districts, Local Historic Districts, or both, pending continued public discourse and coordination with the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Full copies of survey can be made available to any who are interested. Building on this momentum, the Commission submitted a subsequent Certified Local Government (CLG) grant application to New York State in October seeking funding to advance the next phase of work: Intensive-Level Survey documentation, necessary to support formal National Register and/or Local District nominations, a critical step to unlocking financial benefits associated with preservation. While this application requests funding for a portion of the work, it represents only part of the total scope recommended by our consultant to comprehensively document and advance both districts. A copy of the grant application is enclosed in this packet for reference. Recently we’ve also received our first formal feedback from New York State as SHPO completed its required CLG Performance Evaluation of the Town of West Seneca. In short SHPO’s findings were highly positive. The evaluation noted no deficiencies, commended the Town’s ordinance and Commission structure as closely aligned with the State model law, and specifically cited the Ebenezer survey as an “important survey which has spearheaded other survey and designation efforts.” SHPO further encouraged the Town to advance local landmark and historic district designations prior to the next evaluation cycle, reinforcing the importance of continued progress at the local level. Similar to above the a copy of SHPO’s CLG Performance Review is enclosed in this packet for full transparency. As the Commission looks ahead, we respectfully request the Town Board’s consideration of the following actions, each of which directly supports SHPO guidance, protects community character, and positions West Seneca to leverage outside investment: 1. Formal adoption of the previously submitted modifications to the Town’s Demolition Ordinance. Establishing a clear and consistent review process for potentially historic resources is an essential interim protection tool, particularly as surveying and designation work continues. This measure does not prohibit demolition, but ensures informed decision-making and alignment with best practices across New York State. 2. Formal opt-in to New York State General Municipal Law §§96-a and 119-dd, enabling an optional Historic Property Tax Abatement program. This is a voluntary, property-owner-initiated incentive that has been successfully utilized statewide to encourage reinvestment in historic buildings. Opting in positions West Seneca to support private rehabilitation without mandating participation or imposing new regulatory burdens, further enhancing financial incentives beyond customary tax credits.