Landmark Status For All Of Cobbs Hill Park

This page describes UMNA's efforts to enhance the future of Cobbs Hill Park including extending historic landmark site status in the Park and the potential of developing a Cobbs Hill Park master plan.

UPDATE AS OF JULY 15, 2025

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Staff Report L-001-24-25 Cobbs Hill Landmarking - Rehearing Posted 2025 July 15.pdf

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UPDATE AS OF JUNE 25, 2025

On June 23, 2025 the City Planning Commission (CPC) voted to hold the application to extend Landmark site status (to those areas of Cobbs Hill Park not already covered) to allow relevant city departments more time to review certain implications and submit comments to the CPC. This despite city departments having been fully aware of the application for approximately a year; after city department representatives had met with the applicants on more than one occasion and after the Rochester Preservation Board held two public hearings and approved the application unanimously earlier this year.

Since the Rochester Preservation Board approved the application unanimously, the City Planning Commission was/is considering only three criteria:

The proposed designation will be in harmony with the City's Comprehensive Plan and overall planning program of the City;
The proposed designation will not adversely impact the growth and development of the City; and
The proposed designation will not adversely impact any scheduled public improvement or renewal project.

In their "Hold" notice members of the CPC indicated their satisfaction with the first two items during their deliberations after the first public hearing on June 23rd. They focused their attention on item #3 in allowing city departments more time.

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L-001-24-25 Cobbs Hill Landmarking HOLD.pdf

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A new hearing date has been set for Monday, July 21 at 6:00 pm in City Hall. Details Below.

Members of the public are STRONGLY encouraged to submit their personal thoughts, observations and opinions to the City Planning Commission by Friday, July 18th at 5:00 pm by email and/or attend the public hearing on July 21st in City Hall at 6:00 pm.

How to comment on a current CPC case

Submit written comments by email, mail, or deliver them to City Hall.
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: Zoning Office c/o Planning Commission, 30 Church St. Rm. 125B, Rochester, NY 14614
- Written comment submission deadline: close-of-business, the business day before the hearing by 5:00 P.M.
- Written comments must include the project address and the commentor's, first name, last name, address, and contact information.
Speak at the public hearing.
- Location: City Hall, City Council Chamber, 30 Church St. Rm. 302-A, Rochester, NY 14614.
- Comments may not exceed 3 minutes in length or 10 minutes for neighborhood associations.

UPDATE AS OF JUNE 17, 2025

The Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association submitted the following letter of support for the application now pending before the City Planning Commission. A hearing has been scheduled to decide this issue on Monday, June 23, 2025.

Information about the hearing and instructions on how to submit a letter to the City Planning Commission is below the embedded letter.

UPDATE AS OF MAY 23, 2025

The coalition prepared an application information package in support of extending Landmark Site Status was delivered to the City Planning Commission on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The public hearing before the City Planning Commission has been scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025. A copy of the application, hearing agenda and a list of instructions on how to comment on this application are all listed below.

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CPC application information package 050525.pdf

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June 23 2025 CPC Agenda.pdf

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UPDATE AS OF MAY 8, 2025

On May 7, 2025 the Rochester Preservation Board (RPB) approved the application to extend Landmark Site status to those portions of Cobbs Hill Park that are not currently covered with a unanimous vote.

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Decision Rochester Preservation Board A-058-24-25 80 Culver Road and 105 Hillside Avenue.pdf

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What's next...

The City Planning Commission will hear public comments and review the application at it's meeting on June 23, 2025.

The Landmark designation standards that the City Planning Commission will consider are as follows:

The proposed designation will be in harmony with the City's Comprehensive Plan and overall planning program of the City.
The proposed designation will not adversely impact the growth and development of the City.
The proposed designation will not adversely impact any scheduled public improvement or renewal project.

UPDATE AS OF MARCH 6, 2025

On March 5, 2025 the Rochester Preservation Board (RPB) held a public hearing on the application to extend Landmark Site status to those portions of Cobbs Hill Park that are not currently covered. (Application and staff report are below.)

At the public hearing the Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association, the ABC Streets Neighborhood Association, the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee, the Rochester Olmsted Parks Alliance, the Cobbs Hill Historic District Committee, the Park Meigs Neighborhood Association, the Landmark Society of Western New York all spoke in favor of the application. Each speaker addressed a different element of the application. One individual resident of Rochester spoke in opposition to the application. A city employee charged with overseeing the management of Cobbs Hill Park also spoke at the hearing.

RPB members asked questions. One or another of the co-applicants rose to respond to those questions. Staff for the RPB offered guidance on various elements of the exchange.

Following the public hearing the RPB deliberated in open session but without participation with the public. The RPB took two votes following their deliberations.

In the first instance the board voted unanimously to sponsor the application in accordance with zoning code section 120-193A(4)(a)[2]. This approval allows the applicant to make the landmark designation proposal, despite the applicant not being the City Council, the Planning Commission, the Preservation Board, or the property owner. Although this was more of a technical matter the board could have quashed the application with that vote.

In the second instance, the Board voted to "hold" the landmark designation for further review. They requested a set of relevant characteristics that would more specifically define what was to be protected so future Rochester Preservation Board members would have a clearer guidance.

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Rochester Preservation Board March 5, 2025 Decision Grid.pdf

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BACKGROUND AND UPDATES

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.

After over a year of discussion, exploration, research, outreach and collaboration the six organizations exploring the extension of landmark site status to all of Cobbs Hill Park have completed and submitted an application to the City of Rochester.

A copy of the application may be found on this page.

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?

STATEMENT OF INTENTION

To explore landmark site status for all of Cobbs Hill Park in collaboration with and under the auspices of City government. If the exploration reveals expansion of landmark site status to all of Cobbs Hill Park is desirable, to collaborate in the development of an application.

EXPRESSION OF VALUES

Supporting public engagement throughout these explorations and during any formal processes is essential and warmly welcomed.

Supporting appreciation of Cobbs Hill Park's long history covering all time periods beginning with the geological formation of what is know known as Cobbs Hill Park, covering all aspects of the natural environment as well as certain worthy elements of the built environment and all interactions between humans and the area across the epochs up to the present moment.
- Expanded public engagement through Interpretive programs, wayfinding & related components

Supporting passive Park experiences & the appreciation of natural beauty and wildlife
- Expanding public engagement through Interpretive programs, wayfinding & related components

Supporting Park care and maintenance activities performed by City employees and performed by caring citizens in collaboration with City government

Respecting residents and property owners living adjacent to and in proximity to the Park

Supporting organized and casual physical activities including: running; walking; playing frisbee; fishing; hiking; basketball; tennis; softball; volleyball; yoga; tai-chi; photowalks; bird watching; working out on fitness equipment; kite-flying; biking; playing on the playground equipment, and other additional active recreational activities and programs that may be presented or take place in the Park from time to time.