Buffalo Releases Draft Green Code to Ease Permit Process

Buffalo residents may not need a lawyer or architect any longer to understand the code's requirements about putting an addition or putting a sign up on a building.

The days of grappling with the city’s frustrating and hard to understand building rules and regulations could soon be coming to an end.

After nearly four years in the works, the proposed Green Code – released today in draft form for public review – comes with plainer language and user-friendly illustrations and graphics meant to reduce uncertainty. It can be found at www.buffalogreencode.com.

Want to know what changes can be made to a carriage house, for instance, or the size permitted for a commercial sign on the side of a building? The Green Code cross-references, with charts, by item and by geographic district to locate the information, often with visual aids.