Mission

The City of Niagara Falls Planning Office and the Office of Environmental Services are (organizationally) part of the Department of Planning and Economic Development. Its mission is:

• To promote and protect the health, safety and general welfare of all residents by enhancing and conserving the social, economic and environmental health of the residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas by fostering the most appropriate use of municipal land and resources.
  

Reponsibilities

• Maintains the City’s comprehensive plan, including transportation, land use, housing, public service, community facilities and its other elements;
• Administers zoning, subdivision and handles amendments to these and related codes;
• Reviews special use permits such as group care, day care, some commercial recreation and other conditional uses;
• Advises on disposition of City owned property, including dedication or vacation of streets, alleys and some easements;
• Assists in capital improvements and economic development;
• Helps with site planning and design for construction, sale, lease or use agreements involving City holdings;
• Provides staff services to the City Officials, Planning Board, Board of Appeals and other boards on community development matters;
• Provides some of the staff services for code enforcement, and other regulatory activities;
• Maintains maps, aerial photography, demographics and other information related to community growth and change;
• Works with schools, businesses, institutions and special districts, and with census, housing, conservation, preservation, highway, railroad, utility and other agencies as needed to ensure compliance with city development regulations and general consistency with our development goals.
• City of Niagara Falls Comprehensive Plan 2009
• City of Niagara Falls Zoning Ordinance
• Level 1 Site Plan Review Application Packet
• Level 2 Site Plan Review Application Packet
• Highland Solar Project Presentation

While our mission is focused on zoning and physical planning and largely accomplished through zoning enforcement, site plan review and land use analysis, Planning is a comprehensive field, that requires the City’s Planning Office to have access to all kinds of information. On a typical day, the Planning and Environment Offices may field calls for land use regulations, floodplain data, demographics, brownfields, recycling, economic development, municipal operations or other topic.

The Office of Environmental Services

• Assists the Senior Planner and staff in all environmental and planning activities such as environmental assessments, development and site plan reviews; prepares departmental recommendations on development proposals;
• Maintains maps, aerial photography, socio-economic demographics and other information related to community growth and change;
• Coordinates the City’s Brownfield Redevelopment Initiatives, including management of Grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Grants from the New York State Department of State (NYS DOS) and Brownfields Assessment Grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA);
• Responds to queries regarding FEMA Flood Zones and the National Flood Insurance Program using highly detailed current GIS computer mapping;
• Active participant in the NFIP Community Certified Rating System, Class 8, which provides a ten percent discount on flood insurance;
• Additional information about floodplains and flooding potential can be found at floodsmart;
• Current City Floodplain Map 
• Flood Hazard Newsletter
• Oversees all 6 NYCRR Part 617 State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) and Federal, National Environmental Policy Act  (NEPA) environmental reviews in Niagara Falls;
• Maintains and organizes United States Census Information and City Demographic Information, and performs geographic demographic analysis using the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS);
• Maintains and creates data sets for the City’s Geographic Information System;
• Provides GIS mapping support to various City Departments, including Mayor’s Office, Public Works, Building & Inspections, Engineering, Planning, and Community Development;
• Acts as a liaison for local and regional environmental groups.

• Planning Board Meeting Agenda for April 20th, 2022
• Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice for April 4th, 2022
• Planning Board Meeting Agenda for March 23rd, 2022
• The Planning Board Meeting Scheduled for March 9th, 2022 has been cancelled
• The Planning Board Meeting Scheduled for January 12th, 2022 has been cancelled.
• Planning Board Meeting Cancellation Notice November 17th 2021
• Planning Board Meeting Agenda Sept. 22nd 2021
• Planning Board Meeting Minutes September 8th 2021
• LSNY Holdings
• Niagara Hospitality Packet - Elmwood
• Niagara Hospitality Packet
• Power City Packet
• TM Montante
• Planning Board Meeting Agenda for July 14th 2021
• Planning Board Meeting Agenda for June 16th 2021
• Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2021
• Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2020
• Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2019
• Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2018
• Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes from 2017