BUFFALO, N.Y. – A strategic plan for Buffalo's Fruit Belt neighborhood is almost ready to move forward as residents continue to try and fight the effects of gentrification from the ever-growing medical campus next door.
In February, Fruit Belt residents and advocates launched the F.B. Community Land Trust, which transfers city-owned lots to the Land Trust so that Fruit Belt residents themselves can decide who can buy and build in their neighborhood. The autonomy gives residents a voice to try and keep housing affordable.
"If the council approves the strategic plan, then a layer of the moratorium on the land, the city-owned land in the Fruit Belt, would be lifted,” said Darius Pridgen, Ellicott District common council member.
That first “layer,” according to Pridgen, would open about 30 lots to potential developers. About 10 are already claimed from before the Trust was established, but anyone who wants to buy and build on the other 20 would have to go through residents first.
"A person who wants to purchase land in the Fruit Belt as these layers are being lifted would have to go through a community group before it even gets to the council,” Pridgen said.
The Fruit Belt strategic plan, which was worked on by members of the community, will be reviewed by the common council’s community development committee on Tuesday.
The upcoming review caused some concern from Fruit Belt advocates because if it passes and goes to a council vote, the resolution – as it's written right now – would lift the whole moratorium, suddenly making those nearly-200 lots available to whomever.
Pridgen says not to worry because he intends to make an amendment to the resolution so that only a small part of the moratorium is lifted for now.
"That is the thing that my office does not want to see happen. I think we have to be very strategic about lifting it,” Pridgen said. "I don't believe that the fruit belt is ready for a full lifting of that moratorium without seeing the other 180 lots sold to people who may not have the best interests of the Fruit Belt at heart.”
Pridgen says Tuesday's meeting is to hear from the community and that there is no vote happening then.