Over the years visitors to Cobbs Hill Park have witnessed a trend of incremental developments on Park grounds. Projects large and small have accumulated in the Park with little apparent consideration of the overall impact on the Park experience and on the Park itself. Each well intended project has had its benefits and justifications. The cumulative effects of these projects sparked a conversation among some neighbors to explore ideas in support of a long term vision for the Park.
Early in 2024 neighbors of Cobbs Hill Park became aware of applications for two pavilions proposed for construction in Cobbs Hill Park. One application required review and approval by the Preservation Board of Rochester and the other did not. Curiosity around this situation revealed a decision in the early 1970s that removed landmark site status for some of the Park. Subsequent research indicated the legal rationale for reducing the landmark boundaries in Cobbs Hill Park have since been revised and may now allow landmark site status for the entire Park, if desired. Please See The Backstory: Two Pavilions, Two Standards for more details.
Running in the background of the abovementioned pavilion applications, City property owners immediately east and northeast of the Cobbs Hill Park borderline initiated an effort to recognize their residential neighborhood in a federally recognized historic district to be known as the “Cobbs Hill Historic District”. The proposed “Cobbs Hill Historic District” application was designed to include a distinct section apart from the developed residential neighborhood covering all of Cobbs Hill Park. If the historic district application is eventually approved, it would recognize Cobbs Hill Park as historically important but without the imposition of any restrictions, rules or oversight. Said another way, any federally recognized historic district covering Cobbs Hill Park would bestow only honorific benefits. Federal recognition begs the question: If all of Cobbs Hill Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, should the Park be recognized as a landmark site at the local level?
Incidental exchanges around these topics led representatives of the ABC Streets Neighborhood Association, the Nunda Boulevard Neighborhood Association, and the Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association to gather informally at Village Bakery in The Armory on Culver Road to chat about Cobbs Hill Park and share ideas about how to help support the Park. Some of those present happened to also be active in the Olmstead Parks Alliance. Megan Klem from the Landmark Society of Western NY was engaged as a resource but did not participate in the initial informal conversations. Later, some of these neighbors and a relevant array of City representatives shared ideas and perspectives. From the outset it was clear, broad public engagement around any ideas affecting the Park would be essential and warmly welcomed.
Not long after these events, the exploration expanded to include outreach to The Friends of Washington Grove. Neighbors immediately adjacent to Cobbs Hill Park in the Highland Heights Homeowners Association and members of the Cobbs Hill Village Tenants Association also expressed a strong desire to engage and collaborate. Efforts to expand outreach even further have since been undertaken.
Some additional background and updates on this topic are located here: The Backstory: Two Pavilions, Two Standards and here: What About A Master Plan for Cobbs Hill Park?