Should Rochester’s Soldier’s Field Park Remain on Historic List?
The Rochester City Council will hold a public hearing Monday evening to consider an appeal of a recent decision to keep Soldiers Field Memorial Park in the city's inventory of properties that could be considered for designation as historic landmarks.
The appeal is being made by the Rochester Parks and Recreation Department in response to a recent decision by the city's Historic Preservation Commission to keep the park on the south edge of downtown Rochester in the historical inventory. The vote by members of the commission was 4-3.
The Parks Department and city staff contend that a recently completed study by a professional consultant and research conducted by city staff on the history of Soldiers Field Memorial Park determined the property does have historic significance but lacks historic integrity. The appeal to remove the park from the historical inventory argues that both significance and integrity are required to designate a property as a historic landmark.
The City Council will also be holding public hearings on designating Silver Lake Park and a private residence in Rochester's historic Pill Hill neighborhood as historic landmarks. A study conducted by the city indicates that Silver Lake Park meets two of the possible eight criteria for historical significance. Under the city’s ordinance, a property needs to only meet one of the criteria to qualify.
The private residence being considered for designation as a historic landmark is located at 617 9th Avenue Southwest. The application for the designation was submitted by the property owner. The home was built in 1920 and was designed by architects Harold Crawford and Frederick Mann.
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