The Williamsville Planning Board on Monday postponed making a final decision on whether or not to approve a plan to convert a senior housing complex at 135 Evans St. into mixed-income apartments.
The Planning Board agreed to hold off on making that decision until Sept. 8.
A representative for People Inc., which seeks to take over the century-old Blocher Homes property and create 95 apartment units, said the developer would prefer that a vote be taken by the full seven-member board. Only six members were available for a remote meeting held Monday.
"We want to note for the record we are not asking for a decision on either of those pending applications from the board this evening," said Sean W. Hopkins, a partner with Hopkins Sorgi & Romanowski.
Hopkins said that, given that the company submitted an updated site plan for the project – for which People Inc. also seeks approval from the Planning Board – it made sense to solicit additional input from the board at Monday night's meeting, which focused on a review of updated site and architectural plans for the project.
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People Inc., a nonprofit agency, has said that mixed-income housing is badly needed in the part of Williamsville where Blocher Homes is located, and Blocher's owner, Beechwood Continuing Care, has said it can't afford to continue to operate the senior residence as it currently exists.
The proposal has stirred up fierce opposition not only from residents who don't want to leave, but Blocher employees, who aren't assured of a job elsewhere with Beechwood Continuing Care, and Blocher neighbors, who say the project is a poor fit for the area.
The proposed project has been reviewed by the Planning Board over the course of several meetings dating back to over a year ago. On May 18, the Planning Board issued a negative declaration on the project, pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
