From Niagara This Week:
The grassroots citizens group which successfully lobbied the Niagara Parks Commission to scrap plans for a controversial gondola ride at Table Rock in 2004 has once again stepped forward, this time to fight a proposal for a hotel expansion the group says will block the final unobstructed view of the falls in the Fallsview district.
Preserve Our Parks, the group which led the fight against the gondola plans, met last week to formulate its strategy to fight the expansion plans for the Marriott Fallsview Hotel.
Mel Grunstein, a member of Preserve Our Parks, said the hotel proposal has the potential to rile up Falls residents.
“The citizens of Niagara Falls are relatively laid back,” said Mel Grunstein. “This proposal is another issue that will awaken the sleeping giant.”
The Niagara 21st Group, owners of the Marriott, asked city hall to release it from a pedestrian deck agreement in place since 1991. The pact, which restricts use of the land and air rights to only a pedestrian deck to the south and east of the current hotel building, originated in the early 1960s.
Niagara 21st made the request so it could move forward with design plans and apply for rezoning for the lands with all the required studies and reports.
Note/Update: A previous commentor had mentioned this a week ago…