The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County will move from Highland Park to Seneca Park, pending approval from the County Legislature.
The extension owns approximately 2.8 acres at 249 Highland Avenue, and the property includes its current office building. But the building needs extensive repairs and improvements, which the extension can’t afford, according to County Executive Maggie Brooks.
Under legislation proposed by Brooks, the county would take ownership of the property and add it to Highland Park; a provision of the existing deed says that if the extension isn’t using the property, ownership reverts to the county. The legislation also provides for $850,000 to fund a master plan for the south part of the park, and for demolition of the building.
A second piece of legislation would authorize the county to lease property at Seneca Park to the extension for five years at $25,000 a year (a rate of $8 per square foot, according to the referral). The 1.1 acre site includes a farmhouse, carriage house, and shed. The Legislature will hold a public hearing on the lease before approving it.
Legislature committees will take up both pieces of legislation during meetings next week. The legislation to accept the Highland Avenue property will be discussed during the Recreation and Education Committee meeting at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday and the Ways and Means Committee meeting at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The lease legislation will go before the same two committees as well as the Agenda/Charter Committee, which meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday. All of the committee meetings will be held in the Legislature Chambers at the County Office Building, 39 West Main Street.
The county’s Parks Advisory Committee will discuss the legislation when it meets at 4 p.m. Thursday in Highland Park’s Olmsted Lodge. The committee advises the Legislature on parks matters, and doesn’t have a decision-making role.
Friday afternoon, several Legislature committee meetings were rescheduled by their chairs. This post has been updated with the new times.
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2014.
It’s great to hear that the Cooperative Extension will get a new home if it needs one, although this is perhaps rather unfortunate news for that building’s smaller tenants – there are a handful besides the Extension itself, as I recall.
It’s good to hear that the county is thinking about Highland Park’s south end. It’s seemed to me that the portions of the park south of Highland – the section near Al Sigl (with the exception of the vets memorial), and especially the southeastern leg along South Goodman could be much better utilized with some further attention and investment.