THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 18, 2001
Big Change Is Bearing Down on Small Town
By DAN BARRY
AURORA, N.Y., May 15 — The rumors spread like one of those morning fogs coming off Cayuga Lake, creeping into the conversations outside the post office. Before long, some of the hushed discussions about this woman called Pleasant were anything but.
She's buying the candy store called Mack's, came the word. And the Old Post Office building; and the Abbott House, that spectacular home on the lake; and the rambling and empty Leffingwell House; and two farms up on Sherwood Road. She's also bidding on MacKenzie- Childs Ltd., a local home-furnishings business that has filed for bankruptcy protection.
There came the sense that people should not linger too long in one place, lest they be bought up, too.
Of course, rumors thrive in information vacuums. All that residents here knew for sure was that Pleasant T. Rowland, the extremely wealthy founder of the American Girl doll business, and Wells College, a major local employer and her alma mater, were concocting ambitious plans to spruce up this inviting but frayed village. Change was coming fast, it seemed, like one of those 18- wheelers that barrel through the village, shaking foundations.
Most residents knew that Aurora was slowly succumbing to the economic coma that has overtaken so many upstate towns; after all, the Aurora Inn, the linchpin to the community, was closed — again. But there was something unsettling about having a benefactor emerge to shore up the village with her money. The thought chafed against the community's sense of democracy and independence, and it raised the obvious question: At what cost?
The answer, they hoped, would come on Monday night, when Pleasant Rowland herself was to speak at a public meeting that she and Wells had called to explain plans that were already in motion. It would be in the Morgan Opera House, just above the public library, and there would be refreshments afterward. The meeting would clearly be the hottest event here since the fire that took most of the business district in 1919.
"Pleasant Rowland could revitalize the village," said George Peter, a resident and retired researcher at Cornell University. "But there are legitimate concerns that she may make this village into what she would like this village to be, and not what the residents of the village want it to be."
Aurora was once a port town, the place where farmers in this stretch of the Finger Lakes region would bring their goods to be shipped up to the Erie Canal. But that way of life vanished, and over the last half-century the shrinking village became more reliant on Wells, one of the country's oldest liberal arts colleges for women.
"The success of the village and of the college are so intertwined that you can't hit one without hurting the other," said the mayor, Tom Gunderson.
The mayor reflects that symbiotic relationship; he is a Wells employee, as are three of the village's four trustees. The village has maybe 800 residents, and roughly half are Wells students. Wells also owns much of the property here, including the Fargo Building — with the only bar — and the Aurora Inn, which traditionally brought money-spending visitors to town.
In recent years, though, the 168- year-old inn provided less charm than poor service and uncomfortable rooms. So last fall, Wells closed the inn and set out to find help.
Lisa Marsh Ryerson, the exuberant college president, sought out Ms. Rowland, Class of '62, who had earned a fortune with her American Girl dolls. Sold mostly through catalogs, Addy ("a courageous girl" who escaped slavery in the Civil War), Kit ("a clever, resourceful girl" of the Depression) and the other dolls came with stories, accouterments and even matching clothes for their young owners.
Admirers said the dolls evoked American history and stressed independence; critics said that at nearly $90 each, the dolls were meant for the affluent and some were just a tad creepy. But no one could dispute their profitability. In 1998, Ms. Rowland sold her business to Mattel Inc. for $700 million.
Ms. Rowland, 60, lives with her husband, W. Jerome Frautschi, in Madison, Wis., where they have donated tens of millions of dollars. She had also spent $2 million in 1995 to renovate the Wells campus's public spaces; that gift reflected her belief in the importance of presentation in marketing.
In late March, Wells College and Ms. Rowland announced plans to create the Aurora Foundation, a limited liability company intended to "bolster economic activity in the heart of the village." The announcement came as post office rumors were spreading about a red-hot real estate market being generated by a single buyer with a singular name. Those rumors brought a meeting of "concerned citizens," which brought more rumors.
Some residents were flattered by the attention. Others thoroughly distrusted the process and feared that Aurora would become "Pleasantville": a cutesy tourist destination anchored by some doll museum. As Sheila Edmunds, the village historian, put it, "I'm not a doll person."
So when signs went up this month trumpeting a town meeting at the opera house, people cleared their calendars. The village seemed split between those who were enthusiastic and those who didn't even trust the offer of post-meeting refreshments.
"People are excited about buildings being saved," Joe DeForest, the owner of the Shakelton Hardware store, said Monday morning. "But the scary thing for people is one person, one entity, having control of so much."
Across the street, Doris Reynolds sat behind the dusty counter of her Mack's variety store, surrounded by jars of Tootsie Rolls and Smarties. For decades she has been the town's gentle heart, serving ice cream in the summer to children still glistening with lake water. But she is 68 now and fighting an illness, she said, and Ms. Rowland paid her asking price for the store.
"I sold her the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel," Mrs. Reynolds said, as a regular named Bill helped himself to some maple walnut ice cream. "I'd always asked this price, which was high because I really didn't want to sell it. But right now I've got to get well."
At 7 Monday night, Mrs. Reynolds and others — the hardware-store owner, the historian, the mayor — were sitting on the edges of their opera house seats as Ms. Ryerson began the evening's carefully orchestrated presentation, complete with slides.
She said the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation would contribute at least $4 million in cash, as well as $800,000 worth of property, to the new foundation, and incur all losses. Wells College would contribute the inn — which would be redesigned and renovated — and a few other properties, and collect the revenue. The new foundation would also pay real estate taxes on all its properties.
A short while later, Pleasant Rowland, stocky with short-cropped white hair, approached the lectern to read her speech. " She said she wanted to answer questions raised by a village poll, including "Why is she in Aurora?" and "What property has she bought and why?"
She began by saying that many of the seeds for the American Girl dolls were planted in the village, and that she wanted to repay Aurora. "I need no return on my investment," she said. "I want no return. I will take no return."
She also warned that the Aurora Foundation "can't help in an environment of distrust, suspicion and confrontation." She asked that the village give the foundation "a chance to earn your trust as we help execute this vision."
These remarks elicited no response, but when she said she had indeed signed an agreement to buy the Leffingwell House and planned to use it "as my personal home in the village," the room resounded.
She addressed other rumors. No, she had not bought any farms. Yes, she had bought the Abbott House but had no plans to turn it into a doll museum. As for Mack's, she hoped to have the store refurbished in time for the summer crush of children.
And yes, it was true about MacKenzie-Childs. She said that when she heard some prospective bidders were proposing to move the business, which employs roughly 240 people, she submitted her own bid to keep it in the village. (Its founders, Richard and Victoria MacKenzie-Childs, are also planning to bid.)
Ms. Rowland got a final round of applause for expressing the hope that everyone in the room will witness "a new day for Aurora, a second sunrise for this dear place."
The meeting ended a few minutes later. There was no question-and- answer session; instead, Ms. Rowland and Ms. Ryerson mingled with the people munching on the free cookies. Each woman declined to talk to a reporter, and then they left.
The next day, residents and merchants pondered what they had heard. Ms. Rowland seemed sincere, many said, and her loving but sharp view of the village was on target.
Still, not all concerns were allayed. The new foundation's board of managers would have five members, three appointed by Ms. Rowland and two by the college. And Ms. Rowland had said that one of her longtime employees would be her choice for executive director. What voice the village would have in the foundation was not clear.
"I do think that she's acting out of a certain benevolence; I don't doubt that," Mr. DeForest said as he stood behind his hardware store's counter. "But I do believe that she has some kind of vision. And if you see that, and like that, it's wonderful."
As he spoke, a representative of Pleasant Rowland walked into Mack's variety store across the street. There were matters of renovation to tend to.
Aurora - The village planning board and the village community preservation panel helped clear the path Wednesday night for the Aurora Foundation to renovate the landmark Aurora Inn.
At back-to-back meetings in the village fire department, the two panels heard from several residents concerned about maintaining the historical character of the village. There were also comments about dirt and noise caused by the planned construction, the need for a right-of-way between the Aurora Market and the Gratitude shop.
The inn, previously owned by Wells College, was recently turned over to the Aurora Foundation, a partnership between the college and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. The partnership joins the commercial properties of the college and the resources of multi-millionaire Pleasant Rowland, a Wells alumna.
Plate glass nixed
First the four-member community preservation panel, chaired by Avery Ayers, voted in favor of renovations to the inn, which was originally built in 1833 by E.B. Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times. After discussion of shutters, the flat roof, windows, a canvas awning, and high quality brick, the panel’s sole stipulation was that HOLT & C Architects of Ithaca abandon plans for a plate glass window.
On June 5, the community preservation panel approved the foundation’s plan to demolish inn additions that house the dining room and bar, and also approved the demolition of the Vanderipe Building, also known as the Aurora Market.
Aurora question sparks heated debate
Immediately after the preservation panel adjourned Wednesday, the village planning board convened, chaired by member Ken Kabelac filling in for vacationing Chairwoman Nancy Gil.
Like the preservation panel, the planning board had some reservations, but after much discussion, voted unanimously to support the reconstruction of the inn and the demolition of the market.
“Earlier in this meeting we approved the construction of a new house in this village,” said board member Jim Orman. “I believe this effort (to renovate the Aurora Inn) will continue to improve the village. There are sill some concerns, but hopefully those will be cleared up.”
The concerns Orman referred to were written into the approved motion. They included resolution of the right-of-way issue, and clarification from the county planning board about the state environmental review that could include all of the inn’s adjacent properties. Kabelac also worried about possible future parking lot and dock plans at the inn.
Archeology questioned
An exchange between several of the 20 or so residents in attendance and Jay Woolford, a Wells College trustee and project consultant to the Aurora Foundation, became heated after Kabelac asked Woolford if archeologists would be consulted when the market is demolished. Woolford reported that archeologists from the State University at Binghamton has toured the site last week, and would probe the location once the building is down. Some residents said the village should hire its own archeologist, suggesting that the foundation’s representatives would be biased against delaying the reconstruction project instead of thoroughly exploring the site for historical artifacts.
Woolford staid state Historic Preservationist Rick Lord had examined a project overview and issued a “no comment,” meaning the state would not require any archeological investigation. “If he’d have wanted a dig, he would've said so,” Woolford said.
He also displayed a design sowing a newly proposed solution to the right-of-way problem, which includes deeding over land south of the inn that would link two village-owned properties. Surveys have been conducted, Woolford said, and foundation lawyers are drawing up paperwork for consideration by village trustees.
The right-of-way provides emergency access to the market. Plans to rebuild the market will close off that area.
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THE CITIZEN, Thursday, July 5
Approval of Aurora Inn Renovations Deemed Invalid
State agencies say environmental reviews needed before approval
Jennifer Miller. Staff Writer
AURORA - State agencies told the Aurora Community Preservation panel Tuesday that plans the village planning board approved last month to renovate the historic Aurora Inn and neighboring Vanderipe Building are invalid.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation both told the village in written statements that it needs to wait for environmental reviews before it approves alterations to historic properties. All properties within the village are part of a historic district. Community Preservation panel members said village residents contacted the state agencies with concern that the village was moving too fast and approving plan before the state Environmental Quality Review was complete. State agencies agreed.
Architects had hoped to begin renovations to the Aurora Market which is the Vanderipe Building, this month. Those plans will have to wait.
The Aurora Inn is the first in a series of projects expected to come in front of the planning board thanks to the Aurora Foundation, a partnership between the college and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. The partnership joins the commercial properties of the college and the resources of multi-millionaire Pleasant Rowland, a Wells alumna.
The DEC has not received proposed changes to the Aurora Inn or related projects, said Ralph Manna, regional permit administrator for the DEC in Syracuse.
Manna says the village needs to name a lead agency, which will likely be the planning board. No action can be “undertaken, funded or approved” without the lead agency’s involvement.
At the June Planning Board meeting, Jay Woolford, project consultant to the Aurora Foundation, said plans were sent to Richard Lord, state historical sites restoration coordinator, who examined them and issued no comment.
The planning board that to mean it could approve proposed plans.
In his letter to the village, Lord said he had received preliminary project information in February and received a complete plan on April 16. However, on April 25 he was told by Thomas Hoard of HOLT Architects to put the review on hold because the project had been revised.
Lord said his agency would like to comment as an “interested party” under SEQRA on the historic environment of the Aurora Inn.
“...Our lack of formal comments is being misconstrued as a lack of interest, lack of historical resources, or lack of project impacts relating to this undertaking. Each of these assumptions would be incorrect,” said Lord.
“Even when agencies do not respond to a Lead Agency’s request for comments, the Lead Agency is not relieved from its responsibility to take a ‘hard look’ at environmental impacts under SEQRA,” he said.
No action on the Inn or other related projects was taken at Tuesday’s meeting, which was cut short because of the absence of panel chairman Avery Ayers.
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The Citizen, Sunday, July 8, 2001
From Mount Kisco to Aurora:
Rowland's welcome in Westchester County turned less than Pleasant
Jennifer Miller — Staff Writer
AURORA -- Pleasant T. Rowland assured the residents of Aurora two months ago that she had only the best intentions for the village she fell in love with as a student at Wells College from 1958 to 1962. "Aurora became part of me like no other place ever has," she said at a May meeting. "Like you, I remember an Aurora of the past."
To a village, 270 miles away, the scenario is familiar. In the early 1990s, Mount Kisco, just north of New York City in Westchester County, began an effort to revitalize its downtown. Rowland went to Mount Kisco in 1994 with her eye on a Victorian mansion, hoping to open a museum dedicated to the dolls she made famous.
The mansion was the fictional home to 10-year-old Samantha Parkington, one of Rowland's American Girl dolls. The doll collection, created by Rowland in 1986 and sold to Mattel in 1998 for $770 million, is marketed to girls ages 7 to 12 and aims to teach them about history and American traditions. Each doll comes with an introductory book and costs about $90.
Samantha's adventures are set in the Mount Kisco house in 1904. Rowland said she wanted to restore it to that era. The museum, "Samantha's House," would have featured daily tours and a tea house that would also serve food. A separate visitor's center would be in the village's commercial district. Rowland bid $750,000 for the mansion.
She petitioned the village board for a zoning change that would let the museum to operate in a residential district. Neighbors fought the attempt, citing worries that increased traffic and food services would destroy the neighborhood.
The debate dragged on for a year and eventually the village board approved the museum but would not allow the tea house. Local residents filed a lawsuit contesting the village's decision to grant Rowland a special-use permit for the museum.
The lawsuit proved unnecessary because the deal died. Rowland backed out because the entire package was not approved, said Dan Hollis, the attorney in Mount Kisco who represented Rowland. She notified the village she was pulling out of the deal by placing an ad in the village's newspaper, The Patent Trader.
With Neighborhood Against Her, Rowland Gave up in Mount Kisco
"I came to Mount Kisco a year ago with a vision of creating a educational experience that would enrich the lives of American girls and their families, preserve a Mount Kisco landmark and benefit the entire village. It was never our intention to cause disruption to the community," she wrote.
Rowland cited the lawsuit, which would have delayed the museum's opening at least a year, as the major reason for her withdrawal. "There was a mixed reaction," says current Mayor Patricia Reilly, who served on the village board in 1995. "The residents in the area closest to the house objected, but the rest of the village was in favor of the project." Reilly supported Rowland's proposal because she had faith Rowland would restore the house in an elegant manner and felt the museum would add to the downtown revitalization effort.
And, she predicts, Rowland will do good in Aurora. While she may have been disappointed the deal didn't go through, Reilly says she wasn't surprised Rowland backed out. "We knew it was costing her a lot, it just got too expensive," she said. It isn't known just how much Rowland spent on the Mount Kisco project, but it was well over the $750,000 bid she made on the house. "[Rowland] did everything to make it happen," Reilly said. "They did traffic studies . . . they were very cooperative."
The house and property sold in 1997 to Carol F. Rose for $560,000, according to village records. So far, Rowland's entry in Aurora hasn't sparked the fury it did in Mount Kisco. Numerous village meetings, have centered on Rowland since the February announcement of the creation of the Aurora Foundation, a partnership that brings together the commercial properties of Wells College and the megabucks of the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
At a meeting of the Aurora Community Preservation Panel Tuesday, village officials were informed their approval of renovation projects to the Aurora Inn and Vanderipe Building, known as the Aurora Market, were invalid because the village failed to secure reviews from the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
But village attorney Andy Fusco says the village has acted in a legal and proper manner and its previous decisions should stand. The inn project is an unlisted action under the DEC and does not require the DEC to be involved. Catharine Waller, a Rowland representative who will head the Aurora Foundation, did not return several phone calls. Officials at Wells College were also unavailable for comment.
Residents in Aurora, like residents in Mount Kisco, are divided on the issue. They are grateful to Rowland for bringing money to revitalize the village but are concerned that Rowland and others with the foundation are making too many changes too quickly.
In light of Tuesday's meeting, renovation projects may have new hurdles to clear. One of the old stumbling blocks, the right-of-way between the market and the Gratitude Shop, is unresolved. Plans to raze and rebuild the market would close off the existing right-of-way, and architects must devise an alternate route before plans can be approved. ...
Some residents are frustrated about the lack of information available about the projects. "I don't even know where to send my rent," said Deborah Brooks, owner of Debbie's Corner Gift Shop, located in the Aurora Place, recently bought by Wells College. The building will eventually go to the foundation.
Work has begun on Mack's drug store, which Rowland purchased from Dorie Reynolds for $100,000 in mid-June. Waller has said she hoped to have Mack's open this month, but now it looks like the opening must wait until August, said Doug Woods, the contractor handling the project
.
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The Auburn Citizen, July 12, 2001
Jennifer Miller, Staff Writer
Aurora Inn renovation project returns to 'square zero'
State agencies will have their say about planned renovations
AURORA -- A 168-year-old inn, a multimillionaire developer and a group of state and local bureaucrats continue to fuel the flames of controversy in this otherwise idyllic Finger Lakes college town. Having raised the concern of some residents and state officials by not dotting the i's and crossing the Ts on necessary historic and environmental reviews, village officials have decided to completely restart the State Environmental Quality Review Act process for the Aurora Inn project.
The village will begin a new Environmental Assessment Form and will proceed with the project as a Type I, or a more involved review, under SEQRA. "We're basically starting over from square zero," Nancy Gil, planning board chairwoman, said at a planning board meeting Wednesday night. About 40 people attended.
State puts damper on Aurora Inn renovations
At its June meeting, the planning board did not approve plans to demolish and renovate the Aurora Inn and Vanderipe Building, which houses the Aurora Market, but said it supported the project. Since that meeting, concerned citizens contacted the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation. At last week's Community Preservation Panel meeting, letters from those offices were read into the minutes. Both agencies asked for an opportunity to comment on the project.
A number of concerns
Village officials had perceived the project to be an unlisted action under SEQRA, or a project that did not need review by the DEC, but had completed the long Environmental Assessment Form as required for a Type I action.
Now, the planning board will complete a new form, classifying the project as a Type I. The Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Wells College and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, is handling the project and has hired a lawyer to assist in the SEQRA process. That lawyer, Wendy Marsh of Hancock and Estabrook in Syracuse, attended Wednesday's meeting to answer questions.
Marsh and the village will work with the DEC and the OPRHP, she said, but their approval isn't required because they are interested agencies, not involved agencies. But Gil said she'll consult with the DEC throughout the process. An archeological survey is also planned for the properties.
If, after a new EAF is completed, and determines the renovations will significantly impact the environment or historical value of the inn or Vanderipe Building, the planning board will then have to file an environmental impact statement with the DEC.
In a written statement to Gil, Richard Lord, the state's historic sites restoration coordinator, said the planned renovations will have an impact on the inn's historic character. Gil has invited Lord to tour the inn and give comments, but is unsure if he's planning to do so.
"The Aurora Inn is an extremely rare and intact surviving example of an early 19th century inn in New York state," Lord said. Although the inn has been renovated several times, he said, it has maintained much of its original style. The inn was built in 1833 by E.B. Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times.
"Gut restoration" planned
Lord said the inn is "extremely significant and its integrity very high." He's concerned that, at the June 6 CPP meeting, the panel determined the inn was not historically significant. Plans for the inn indicate a "gut restoration" of the interior and renovations bear no resemblance to the historical condition of the building, Lord said. Such plans, he said, cannot be considered a "preservation project," and will have an adverse impact on the inn.
The Aurora Foundation wants to demolish two of the inn's rear additions, reducing the number of guest rooms from 14 to 10, add two sitting rooms and a conference room, and downsize the dining room to a 60-seat capacity. HOLT Architects, which is handling the project, plans to demolish the Vanderipe Building and rebuild a new and larger market. A temporary market is planned in the Aurora Place, where asbestos abatement and remodeling is underway
Ed Brockner, village building inspector, issued a stop work order for the inn Monday because HOLT had failed to secure a building permit. Brockner lifted the order Wednesday after receiving plans from HOLT. Work on the interior of the inn has started but is limited to asbestos removal.
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Auburn Citizen, 8/17/01
Jennifer Miller, Staff Writer
Rowland succeeds in Aurora
Planners approve renovations to Aurora Inn, Aurora Market
AURORA - Half of the standing-room-only crowd clapped and the other half fumed when Nancy Gil, chairwoman of the village planning board, said it would approve renovation plans for the Aurora Inn and Aurora Market.
The Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Wells College and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, will raze two rear additions at the inn, reduce the number of guest rooms and reduce the dining room size. The market next door, also known as the Vanderipe Building, will be demolished, rebuilt and expanded.
Pru Campbell-Kirkpatrick, a member of the Aurora Coalition, was angered by the decision. The coalition, which has vowed to promote responsible community change, believes the renovations are too drastic for the historic sites. The group has retained a lawyer to consider challenging the plans.
Campbell-Kirkpatrick, a Wells graduate, has fond memories of the "magical" village she called home for much of her life. She made the trip from Rochester Thursday night. Richard Lord, state historic sites restoration coordinator, said the inn is one of the very few "intact federal-style inns in the state," and any changes should be considered with proper state review.
Anger vs. delight
"It's unfortunate that the planning board didn't take advantage of the assistance and expertise of the office of historical preservation and the Department of Environmental Conservation," Lord said. He and Ralph Manna, regional permits administrator for the DEC, have written Gil and other village officials to express concern over the adverse impact of renovation plans affecting the inn's historical character. The inn was built in 1833 by E.B. Morgan, co-founder of the New York Times.
Others, however, including Wells College officials, are happy about the decision. "We're delighted," said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of college. "It's exciting to see this project move forward."
For many, the issue is far from solved. "The findings, as presented by the board, did not support the declaration made," said Karen Hindenlang, a village resident and member of the Aurora Coalition, a group of residents, college alumnae and friends to promote responsible change in the community. "This leaves the village vulnerable to challenge." Coalition members disagree with the board that renovations will have small-to-moderate impact upon the historic nature of the inn or market, although both are part of the village's historical district. The board defended its decision by saying the buildings' appearances will remain historically accurate, despite changes.
Since the project is privately funded and the buildings are privately owned, neither Lord, Manna, nor their respective state agencies, have jurisdiction over the projects and can only comment as interested parties. Not even their comments, however, were allowed during Thursday's meeting. "There will be no question-and-answer," Gil said. "You've had four months for questions. I'll have silence or you'll be asked to leave."
Foundation vs. coalition
Lord traveled to Aurora Thursday for the meeting and for a chance to tour the inn but was unable to get in the building. The coalition doesn't oppose change but its members question the methods and motives of foundation and village officials.
"Where is the objectivity?" Campbell-Kirkpatrick asked. She believes village officials cannot be objective when many retain close ties to the college. The mayor and three of the four village trustees work for the college, as does Gil, and planning board member Ken Kabelac. Jim Orman, another planning board member, pays rent to the college for his restaurant, The Fargo, housed in the Fargo Building.
"I'm not against change, but we need to work together," Campbell-Kirkpatrick said. "I'm here to present another view." With the approved plans, access to the village park will change. The right of way which lies between the market and the Gratitude store, will close. Wednesday, village trustees considered two easements, a footpath north of the village postoffice to provide pedestrian access and a driveway that runs behind Gratitude for vehicular access. Those plans remain in the hands of village and foundation attorneys, but will likely be approved.
The foundation can move ahead with its plans when the right of way easements are filed, Gil said, provided plans stick to the Aug. 10 blueprints submitted to the board by HOLT Architects.
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The Citizen, Thursday, September 19
Coalition files suit against Aurora
Plaintiffs claim conflict of interest on preservation plans
Jennifer Miller, Staff Writer
AURORA - Elizabeth Knight and Alan Ominsky want careful preservation of village historical sites. On Sept. 14, the couple and other members of the Aurora Coalition filed a lawsuit against the village, including its community preservation panel and planning board. The coalition wants to reverse the village's decision allowing renovation of the Aurora Inn and neighboring Vanderipe Building, which houses the Aurora Market. Wells College, owner of the properties, has also been named a defendant in the lawsuit.
But other village residents just want the inn open again, which has been closed for nearly one year. They want a place to go out to dinner without having to drive to Auburn, Ithaca, or Seneca Falls. Village shop owners see reopening the inn as a way to boost business.
"Not a day goes by that I don't apologize to customers that the inn is closed," said Randi Zabriskie, owner of Jane Morgan's Little House. Zabriskie often has customers who travel from Rochester and Syracuse specifically to shop at Jane Morgan's and have lunch at the inn. The inn's renovation has sparked months of debate over what is best for the village. Plans include demolishing two inn additions, reducing the size of the dining room, reducing the number of guest rooms and demolishing and rebuilding the market.
But Richard Lord, state historic sites restoration coordinator, said the planned renovations amount to a "gut rehab in which...character-defining elements such as fireplace mantles, will be removed." Despite Lord's urging, village officials approved the renovation plans earlier this summer.
That's when the coalition stepped in, an organization of Wells alumnae and village residents dedicated to responsible change and preserving the inn, which is at the center of the village's historic district.
Coalition wants village to start over
"We're asking how the village arrived at giving the college approval to the work on the inn," Knight said.
Supreme Court Justice Robert Contiguglia will hear arguments Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m., at the Cayuga County Courthouse in Auburn. The coalition is asking the judge to reverse decisions approving work on the inn.
The plaintiffs want the process to begin again to be handled properly by village government, said Daniel Hoffman, an attorney with LoPinto, Schlather, Solomon and Salk, counsel for the coalition.
"There were a number of procedural and substantive errors," made by the village, Hoffman said. The college may have violated a municipal law by failing to disclose possible conflicts of interest because it employs many village officials, he said. The suit also claims the community preservation panel violated the state Environmental Quality Review Act by issuing a certificate of appropriateness before completing the environmental assessment form. The planning board issued a conditional negative declaration on its environmental assessment form, also a violation, Hoffman said, because a lead agency cannot issue a conditional declaration for a Type I action, such as the inn project.
Right of way
The conditional declaration was based on the unresolved right of way dispute. The right of way lies between the market and the
Gratitude Shop and provides access to the village park from Main Street. Construction plans for the market would close off that area. The college has offered two easements, a driveway from the parking lot between Gratitude and the post office for vehicular traffic, and a foot path north of the post office for pedestrians. "We're coming out better off than we were before," said Mayor Tom Gunderson.
Ownership of the current right of way is unclear and in a legal notice, Wells asked any possible descendants of previous owners to step forward to claim it. If it remains unclaimed by Thursday, the college can establish ownership.
The coalition wants the village to claim the land, since it's been in use by the village for more than 50 years, said coalition member Karen Hindenlang. She worries that the proposed easements could be closed off if someone were to come along an build on the parking lot.
But the village isn't interested making a claim for the old right of way and isn't worried about the proposed easements, Gunderson said. "The village board's position is, 'We don't care as long as we have a right of way,'" he said. And with the new agreement, the village is getting two rights of way. The new rights of way are connected to Main Street and cannot be closed off by future construction. The only provision in the agreement for the new easements is one that will allow the driveway to be moved, but not blocked, to accommodate changes in the landscape, Gunderson said.
Many still support Rowland
Many residents remain in support of the renovations and say that multimillionaire and Wells alumna Pleasant Rowland is the only person who can pull off such a massive undertaking. "The town has been going downhill. People are leaving and they're not coming back," said Cathy Orman, former owner of the Enchanted Florist, located in the Aurora Place. Orman packed up her business in May after Rowland bought the building. "The town needed this a long time ago," she said.
In February, Rowland announced that she would work in conjunction with the college to revitalize the village. The partnership the Aurora Foundation LLC, unites Rowland's fortune with the college's commercial properties, including the inn, market, Fargo building, Gratitude Shop, Walcourt Cottage, French House, and the college golf course. Rowland, who made millions by creating the American Girl dolls, sold the doll line to Mattel in 1998 for $770 million.
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Auburn, THE CITIZEN
Wednesday, October 24, 2001
Judge reserves decision on inn
Jennifer Miller, Staff Writer
AUBURN - After months of debate over the future of the Aurora Inn, village residents will wait a while longer for a resolution. On Tuesday, Acting Supreme Court Judge Robert Contiguglia reserved decision on a civil case to review the arguments and evidence presented by each side. Contiguglia has 60 days to issue a decision.
The lawsuit, filed by the Aurora Coalition, claims the village planning board and community preservation panel failed to follow proper procedure when approving renovation projects for the inn and neighboring Vanderipe building, better known as the Aurora Market. The coalition is a group of concerned residents and Wells College alumna who say they want responsible change in the community.
About 70 residents gathered in Contiguglia's courtroom, many wearing stickers bearing the slogan, "Let us Inn!" The stickers and anti-Aurora Coalition signs have cropped up along Aurora's streets to show support for the project.
The renovations have been proposed by Pleasant Rowland, multi-millionaire and Wells alumna, in an effort to re-open the inn, which has been closed for a year. Plans include demolishing two rear additions, cutting guest rooms and reducing the size of the dining room. The market will be demolished, rebuilt and joined to the inn.
The project is part of a downtown revitalization plan proposed by the Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Rowland and the college.
Coalition attorney Daniel Hoffman argued the village boards gave no rational basis for approval of the proposed renovations. For example, at its June meeting the community preservation panel declared the inn and market were not historically significant, but offered no arguments to support the claim.
"The decisions were based on no more than personal opinion," Hoffman said. In their enthusiasm to approve Rowland's plans, he said, village officials neglected to take a "hard look" at the impact the renovations would have on the historical character of the inn and the village.
The state environmental quality review completed by the village planning board is under particular scrutiny. Hoffman said the board's conditional negative declaration, which gave the project the green light, was illegal under state law. A conditional declaration implies an environmental impact and requires an impact study. The planning board did not conduct an impact study.
Andrew Fusco, attorney for the village, and Wendy Marsh, attorney for the college, argued the planning board's negative declaration was conditioned on the village right of way. They said the right of way was a mitigating factor properly dealt with in the environmental assessment form.
"The so-called right of way is the biggest red herring of this case. There is no right of way," Fusco said. The college offered two easements, in place of the old right of way, to provide public access to the village park and Cayuga Lake. The old right of way, between the market and the Gratitude Shop, was never formally owned by the village.
"Two recordable easements are better than one prescriptive right of way," he said. "The village is better off." As for the interior changes to the inn and demolition of the market, Fusco said those are necessary to make the building handicapped accessible. The foundation of the market is not stable and does not sit even with the inn. Rebuilding the market will allow the two buildings to be joined and will allow for installation of an elevator.
Those justifications were never recorded in the minutes of any village meeting, Hoffman said. The interior changes amount to a "gutting" of the building, ruining the inn's historical integrity. Marsh argued the case be dismissed because the coalition did not file a lawsuit petition with the county clerk's office by an Oct. 12 deadline. The suit was filed with the clerk of the Supreme Court, however, according to Karen Hindenlang, a coalition spokeswoman.
Contiguglia denied the Preservation League of New York's request to file as an interested party on behalf of the Aurora Coalition. The league's involvement would serve no purpose since Hoffman was already addressing the issues which concerned the league, Contiguglia decided.
R. Daniel Mackay, the preservation league's public policy director, said the agency wanted to intervene because of the case's broader implications on municipal law. The league isn't concerned with the outcome of the case as much as with the process which led up to the final decision. "There was a failure of the municipal process to address the issues," Mackay said.
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ITHACA JOURNAL, Thursday, November 29, 2001
Aurora Inn renovations postponed
By STEPHEN LANDESMAN
Journal Staff
AURORA -- Controversial reconstruction of the 168-year-old Aurora Inn was once again halted Wednesday by a temporary restraining order issued by the state's Appellate Division.
Ithaca attorney Daniel Hoffman represents the Aurora Coalition, a group of residents concerned about unhistoric changes to the inn.
He said the order was signed by Associate Justice Donald Wisner of the 4th Department of New York's Appellate Division Wednesday, one day after workmen had resumed work in the building.
The reconstruction is a joint enterprise of Wells College, which owns the building, and multi-millionaire dollmaker Pleasant T. Rowland. It calls for demolition of two later additions to the lakefront inn and their replacement with balconies and a stepped terrace leading dow from the back of the inn.
The original brick inn building itself would have much of the current interior removed and replaced with a reduced number of rooms and meeting facilities. The inn has been closed for over a year for financial reasons.
On Sept. 14, the coalition had filed a petition against the village of Aurora, its Planning Board, Preservation Panel, and Wells College, temporarily winning a stop-work order from state Supreme Court in Auburn. Hoffman and his petitioners claimed at the time of the first petition that the review process for the project was flawed and must be initiated again. Petitioners also say the college may have violated a municipal law by failing to disclose conflicts of interest, as it employs many village officials who sit on the boards that approved the initial decision.
On Nov. 5, Acting State Supreme Court Justice Robert Contiguglia lifted the initial restraining order incurred by the petition. The coalition filed a notice of appeal on Nov. 16.
Aurora resident and spokeswoman for the coalition, Karen Hindenlang, said concern about the plan has spread far beyond the village of 600 residents.
The Preservation League of New York State filed a "friend of the court" legal brief in support of the coalition's first petition, and officials of the National Trust for Historic Preservation have subsequently written in support of the coalition's cause.
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The Auburn CITIZEN, December 7, 2001
Aurora lawsuit heads to court
Appeals court decides to hear claims, continues order halting construction
Craig Fox, Staff Writer
ROCHESTER - A panel of state appeals court judges has agreed to hear a lawsuit to stop the renovation of the Aurora Inn.
Wednesday, the Appellate Court, 4th Department in Rochester, agreed that the Aurora Coalition, a citizens' group opposing the renovations, can proceed with its lawsuit to stop the project. It also agreed to continue a temporary restraining order issued last week that halted work.
The five judges ordered the coalition to post a $250,000 "undertaking" by Dec. 12, or the restraining order will be discontinued. The money would be used to pay Wells College, the developer of the project, if the group loses its court battle and the college can prove the delay cause additional expenses.
Karen Hindenlang, a coalition spokeswoman, called the $250,000 "excessive." She said the group is discussing its options with a number of state and national preservation groups that support the coalition's efforts.
The appeal can move forward without the $250,000 undertaking, but it could become moot if the work begins again and part of the building is demolished.
Hindenlang is optimistic about the group's chances with the appeal because "preliminary injunctions are usually seen as an indicator that a case has a good likelihood of success."
Diane Hutchinson, vice president and treasurer of Wells College, said she still believes the college will be able to proceed with the project. We have a lot of community support and are anxious to see the inn open again," she said. The college is working on the project with multi-millionaire Pleasant Rowland, a Wells alumna who made her fortune in the toy industry. Last month, Acting Cayuga County Supreme Court Judge Robert Contiguglia dismissed the lawsuit.
Formed in August to promote responsible community change and historic preservation, the coalition must finish filing its appeal by Jan. 7, or the preliminary injunction will be dropped, the judges ruled. If it's completed by then, the lawsuit will be added to the Appellate Division's next court term, which begins Feb. 19.
Renovation plans at the 14-room inn built in 1833 call for extensive interior remodeling and demolition of the back of the building, which consists of dining/banquet facilitie added during the 1950s. It also includes elimination of several architecturally significant features in the other portion of the building, such as a hand-carved three story staircase and a central Federal-style hallway.
Under the plans, an outdoor patio would be expanded and a kitchen would be added o the back of the adjacent Vanderipe Building, better known as the Aurora Market. All the lodging rooms would be handicapped-accessible and the inn and the market would be connected.
The renovation of the historic inn is the first remodeling project tackled by the Aurora Foundation, a partnership between the college and Rowland.
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The Citizen, December 13, 2000.
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Court lets work at inn resume
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A victory for the foundation, a setback for Aurora Coalition
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Craig Fox, Staff Writer
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AUBURN - A restraining order halting the controversial Aurora Inn project was lifted Wednesday when a citizens' group failed to produce a court-ordered $250,000 bond. Work can resume on the historic building as early as today.
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The state Supreme Court's Appellate Division had ordered the bond be posted by 5 p.m. in order for the restraining order to stay in place, as the Aurora Coalition continued its appeal to force a new review of the project.
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"Too much money was required with too little time to raise it," said Karen Hindenlang, a coalition spokeswoman.
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Wendy Marsh of Syracuse, the attorney for Wells College, a partner in the Aurora Inn makeover, said renovations will start up again as soon as possible. "I'm sure we'll get started right away," Marsh said. "We're excited to get the renovation work started since the inn has been closed for a number of months."
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Coalition members vowed to continue the court battle. "Given our commitment to the long-term protection of our historic community, we intend to move ahead with the appeal," Hindenlang said in a prepared statement.
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The $250,000 bond would have been in place to reimburse Wells College if the coalition were to lose its court battle and the college proved the lawsuit caused additional expenses because of the delay. The panel of five appeals court judges agreed last week to hear the case.
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The appeal can still move forward without the coalition putting up the $250,000 "undertaking," but it appears to be a moot point should work resume on the $4 million project before the court makes kits decision.
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The coalition asked two prominent preservation groups, the Preservation League of New York and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to help come up with the bond, but officials from both agencies said they didn't have the time or resources. Both groups became involved in efforts to stop the project shortly after the lawsuit was filed last summer.
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"We clearly support the coalition's work and would have liked to take on the full responsibility, but at this time are unable to do so," said Scott Heyl, president of the Preservation League of New York. "It's very unfortunate."
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Marilyn Fenollosa, senior program officer for the National Trust's Northeast office, said the agency couldn't help with such a large bond in such a short amount of time. It's the largest amount for an undertaking for a preservation case the National Trust has
been involved with, she said.
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"The amount is outrageous," Fenollosa said. "It's a lot of money. We would have liked to, but we weren't given a lot of time." The National Trust and the Preservation League still plan to offer legal and other assistance to the coalition if it proceeds with the appeal.
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The state group wants to stay involved in the lawsuit because the case has statewide ramifications, Heyl said. The Preservation League, which has claimed that the project didn't follow the typical State Environmental Quality Review process, wants to make sure other historic buildings across the state are protected by preservation laws, he said.
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"There's a local picture, and a larger issue here," Heyl said. Hindenlang hopes the involvement of the historic groups "might persuade the owners to modify their plans" for the inn, which has been closed since last fall.
In November, Acting Supreme Court Judge Robert Contigulia ruled the coalition's ase had no merit and dismissed the lawsuit.
Renovation plans at the inn, built in 1833, call for extensive interior remodeling and demolition of the back of the building, which consists of banquet/dining space and some lodging rooms added during the 1950s. The Vanderipe Building, known as the Aurora Market, would be torn down. An outdoor patio would be expanded and a kitchen added. It also includes elimination of several architecturally significant features in the building, including a Federal-style hallway and a three-story hand-carved staircase.
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The college and millionaire alumna Pleasant Rowland formed the Aurora Foundation to undertake the inn project and several other joint ventures in and around Aurora. The foundation purchased 14 local and downtown commercial properties.
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The Aurora Coalition formed in August to promote responsible community change and historic preservation. But some local residents, who opposed the coalition's efforts, placed signs in their yards to show support for the inn's renovation.
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Renovation: Gone in 90 minutes
Mild weather speeds up Aurora Inn remodeling
THE CITIZEN, January 22, 2002, Craig Fox, Staff Writer
AURORA – Neighbor Lou Bianconi wasn't surprised that it took construction workers less than two hours to dismantle a century-old addition of the Aurora Inn Monday morning.
With demolition starting about 9 a.m., the kitchen where thousands of meals were cooked for guests became a mere memory before lunchtime, as a large orange excavator tore chunks off the brick building and placed the debris into a nearby tractor-trailer.
"It was gone 90 minutes after they started," said Bianconi, who lives on Route 90 two doors from the landmark. A portion of the inn is being torn down as a part of a $4 million restoration project to reopen the 134-year-old building. The project was halted for several months as a roup of residents – the Aurora Coalition – filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to stop it. Their appeal is still pending.
Demolition of the back of the building was nearly completed by the end of the workday Monday, said project manager Vern Sessler Jr., whose Waterloo company is doing the work. The inn's dining room was torn down, leaving just three sides of an
exterior wall.
An adjoining structure, the Vanderipe Building, will likely meet with the same fate early next week, Sessler said. That building presently houses the Aurora Market & Pizzeria.
Porch first to go
About a week ago, Sessler Excavation & Wrecking Company was hired by general contractor Northeast Construction of Syracuse, the project manager said. Besides the kitchen and dining room, four lodging rooms will be demolished.
Although they realized the demolition work was coming, some village residents still were taken off guard when the work began last week on dismantling a front porch and by how quickly it proceeded Monday.
"This is very discouraging for the people who knew the inn as it was," said Ann Burch, a village resident for more than 50years. "People came from as far as Buffalo to stay there. I'm all for it opening again, but this is sad."
Bianconi, a member of the village's preservation panel, supports the project because the inn's importance to the village's business district. He spent part of Monday morning videotaping the demolition, joining dozens of residents who stopped by to watch the work or take photos.
Ken Zabriskie, whose family operated the inn until donating it to the college in 1943, talked to the project manager as he stood inside a construction fence at the site. "If this is the only way it's going to open, then I'm glad they're doing it," Zabriskie said. "The village really needs it to reopen."
Mild winter helps
Wells College and alumna Pleasant Rowland, who made her fortune in the national toy industry, are working together on the restoration project. To get prepared for the demolition, workers started preliminary work last month, with actual demolition to occur early this spring. But the mild winter weather speeded up the process, said Diane Hutchinson, Wells' vice president and
treasurer.
"There's no reason not to proceed with the plans, unless we're told otherwise," Hutchinson said, referring to the still pending court action.
Even with much of the back of the building already gone, Karen Hindenlang, spokeswoman for the citizens' group, said Monday that the Aurora Coalition was proceeding with the appeal. The group wants to make sure other joint projects by the college and Rowland go through state and local approval processes correctly, she said. The state Supreme Court Appellate Division in Rochester is slated to hear oral arguments Feb. 25. "This is not only about buildings. It's also about the process that brought us to this point," Hindenlang said. "We don't want it to be repeated."
Coalition still upset
Yet Hindenlang was particularly disappointed that the porch was destroyed and the building's facade was disturbed, since the owners hadn't mentioned they would be impacted.
"I guess $770 million means you can do anything you want," Burch said, referring to the money that Rowland made when she sold her American Girl doll collection to Mattel.
A new addition containing a kitchen and patio will be built at the back of the building. The Vanderipe Building will be also replaced.
Concerned with historic preservation, the Aurora Coalition filed a lawsuit last summer to stop the project, but it was dismissed by a Supreme Court judge. The project resumed after the coalition was unable to secure a $250,000 bond that could have been awarded to the two partners if the appeal was unsuccessful and the delay caused the cost of the project to increase.
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Ithaca Journal
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Court ruling supports Aurora Inn
renovations
From staff and wire reports
AURORA -- Despite objections from a residents' group, renovations
at the historic Aurora Inn may continue, a state appeals court has
ruled.
In its unanimous decision last week, the state Appellate Division in
Rochester upheld state Supreme Court Justice Robert Contiguglia's
November decision that village boards did not violate land-use laws
when they approved renovations to the inn last year.
The Aurora Coalition, a group of roughly 70 residents, professors
and alumnae, filed a lawsuit in September to stop work on the
Wells College-owned inn, arguing it would ruin the 169-year-old
building's historic character.
The renovations are being undertaken by the Aurora Foundation,
formed by Wells College and millionaire businesswoman Pleasant
Rowland last year to develop commercial properties around the
village.
Karen Hindenlang, a Wells College alumna and Aurora Coalition
spokeswoman, said that the group was disappointed by the decision.
But she thanked the residents and preservation groups -- including
the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation --
that supported it.
"The fact that so many people came together to form a coalition and
mount a legal challenge should make clear to all concerned that
Aurora's rich history belongs to the entire community, and its
precious architectural legacy is a part of the nation's heritage," she
said in a statement.
Dan Hoffman, the Ithaca attorney who represents the coalition,
said Monday that he has not yet spoken to his clients about
whether they want to pursue the case.
They could go to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, but
that court does not have to hear appeals, he said.
Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson said in a statement
Monday that she was thrilled with the decision.
"This represents a true win-win situation for the Village of Aurora
and Wells College," she said. "Wells and the people of Aurora are
working together to create a renaissance for the village.
"This decision allows us to move forward with our plans to assure
that the inn is once again the heart of this wonderful community."
The inn, which closed in fall 2000 after a decade of financial
problems, is scheduled to reopen in 2003.
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Ithaca Journal
Thursday, April 25, 2002
Three groups join to appeal Aurora Inn
ruling
By WILLIAM KATES
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE -- The Preservation League of New York State and the National
Trust for Historic Preservation have joined with a grassroots group to ask
the state's highest court to hear a dispute over the renovation of a
169-year-old inn.
If left to stand, lower court rulings regarding renovations of the Aurora Inn
could "open the door to the piecemeal dismantling of New York State's
historic districts," the three groups claimed in its motion to the New York
State Court of Appeals.
William Hurst, an attorney for the Preservation League, said Wednesday
that he expected the court to rule on the appeal request by mid-May.
"The demolition is under way ... but we think there is still a concrete
opportunity to affect changes in the alteration of the inn. We are not just
seeking precedent for future projects," Hurst said.
Attorneys for the village and Wells College said they were confident the
Court of Appeals would reject the appeal request and let the decisions by
the lower courts stand.
The Aurora Coalition -- a local group of village residents, college professors
and alumni -- filed a lawsuit last September claiming Wells College and
village officials violated local zoning and state environmental laws and
ignored the advice of historic preservation specialists by continuing with
the renovation of the landmark inn.
Built in 1833 by E.B. Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times, the
three-story brick and wood inn is on the National Register of Historic
Places as part of the Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District, which
includes more than 100 structures. The inn, owned by the college since
1943, operated until fall 2000 when it closed after a decade of financial
troubles.
Last year, Wells College and alumna Pleasant Rowland formed the Aurora
Foundation to renovate the inn and develop and operate commercial
properties in Aurora.
The village and college maintained their six-month review went further
than the law and argued the renovations would preserve the building's
character.
A state Supreme Court justice last fall dismissed the lawsuit. Last month,
the state Appellate Division in Rochester upheld the lower court decision
without comment.
Hurst said the preservationist groups are asking their appeal to be heard
on two key issues.
First, they argued that neither the village planning board nor the public
reviewed the plans for a new replacement right-of-way allowing residents
access to a lakeside village park. Such a review is required by state
environmental review laws, Hurst said. The previous right-of-way, which
had been used for 50 years, was eliminated in the development plans.
The groups also contend that the village planning board erred by not
considering the environmental impact of the inn renovations as a part of
the foundation's larger "comprehensive" development plan, which includes
up to 10 other buildings. State regulations disfavor so-called
"segmentation" of environmental reviews, Hurst said.
Since renovations started in January, additions from 1904 and 1958 have
been removed and interior work has begun. It is scheduled to be finished in
2003.
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The Auburn Citizen, Monday, May 20, 2002
Aurora Inn gets national exposure:
Preservation magazine looks at village 'All Dolled Up'
Craig Fox, Staff Writer
AURORA - The controversy over renovations at the Aurora Inn is getting nationwide attention this month in Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The nine-page story, titled "All Dolled Up," centers on Wells College alumna Pleasant Rowland's involvement in renovating the historic inn and her plans to rehabilitate several buildings in the lakeside village. The magazine is published by the national preservation group suing Rowland, the village and the college to halt the $4 million project.
The article depicts Rowland as a rich businesswoman who is using her wealth and influence to remodel the historic landmark and to make an impact on the village's future.
The developer of the American Girl Doll collection, Rowland wants the village to recapture the cozy, all-American ambiance she experienced when she attended Wells College during the late 1950s and early 1960s. She and the college have joined to form the Aurora Foundation to oversee the renovation projects.
Editor denies agenda
The magazine piece was written by Ithaca free-lance writer Brad Edmondson. Having contributed to the publication before, Edmondson suggested the Aurora story, said Preservation Editor Robert Wilson. Deciding to do the story had nothing to do with the connection with the preservation's group's involvement in the lawsuit, Wilson said.
"We thought it was a great story," Wilson said. "We liked it because it shows how this rich person comes into this little town and calls the shots with little regard to a building's rich history. It's an issue very related to preservation."
Marilyn Fenollosa, senior program officer and regional attorney for the National Trust, said the preservation group has no influence over the content of the magazine. "There's this Chinese wall between the trust and magazine for its editorial freedom," she said.
A small group of residents and college employees formed the Aurora Coalition during the summer of 2001 and filed a lawsuit to try to block the renovation of the Federal-style inn built in 1833. Renovations began in December after their lawsuit failed.
With the backing of the National Trust and the Preservation League of New York, however, the suit is now pending in the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. To express their support for Rowland and the Aurora Foundation, several other villagers have placed signs in their yards featuring a large slash across the word "Coalition."
Article raps Rowland for not being forthcoming
In the article, Rowland is criticized for not being forthcoming about her plans for the village. Except for a meeting with village residents shortly after the inn project was announced, Rowland hasn't spoken to the media.
But Edmondson managed to get the wealthy philanthropist to answer written questions through e-mail. "I deeply believe that we are all profoundly impacted by our surroundings. If the places we live and work in are cared for we will feel cared for; and if we feel cared for we will take better care of each other. It is time to care for Aurora," Rowland said in the article.
Edmondson, who has friends in Aurora, thought he'd found "a story (worthy) of national exposure, partly because of the donor." Rowland has been involved in other renovation projects, for instance donating money for some adobe houses in New Mexico.
Few residents have mentioned the national magazine article to Mayor Thomas Gunderson. He'd heard about the story and how it portrayed the village, but had not the read the piece until a reporter provided him with a copy.
"Well, I'm sure the magazine wouldn't want to hear the village's views," Gunderson said. "It's more about preservation."
Gunderson wasn't surprised that Rowland was the brunt of much criticism in the story, although he acknowledged that the toy mogul has been directly involved in the detailed decisions made about the inn.
"If I were putting that much money into something, I'd want to do the same thing," he said.
Over the course of the controversy, National Public Radio and a national educational publication have also done stories about the inn.
The college closed the Aurora Inn in October 2000, because it was losing $250,000 a year. Two additions on the back of the 169-year-old building, which included banquet facilities and the kitchen, were torn down. The building's interior will be completely remodeled.
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The Post-Standard
Wednesday, July 3, 2002
TOP STATE COURT KILLS AURORA INN CHALLENGE
THE COURT OF APPEALS DENIES A COALITION'S REQUEST TO INTERCEDE IN INN RENOVATIONS
by Beth Beer
The Aurora Coalition's fight against the renovations of a 169-year-old inn has come to an end in the court system.
Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals in Albany, the state's highest court, denied the coalition's request to hear the case regarding the Aurora Inn.
The seven-member appellate court gave no reason behind its decision.
"When the court denies the leave to appeal, that's the end of the road for the case, especially if it's a state law, which this is," said Gary Spencer, public information officer for the Court of Appeals. "The federal courts could not overturn the Court of Appeals."
The coalition - a local group of village residents, college professors and alumnae - had filed the lawsuit claiming Wells College and village officials violated local zoning and state environmental laws and ignored the advice of historic-preservation specialists by continuing with the renovation of the landmark inn.
In November, Robert Contiguglia, former acting state Supreme Court justice, ruled all of the coalition's arguments were "without merit." The state Appellate Division in Rochester upheld the lower court decision without comment last March. Lawyers for the village and the college could not be reached for comment.
In the motion filed to the Court of Appeals, the coalition had been joined by the Preservation League of New York State and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The three groups had contended that lower court rulings regarding renovations of the inn could "open the door to the piecemeal dismantling" of the state's historic districts.
Although the demolition and renovations at the inn were already under way, coalition officials said the purpose of the lawsuit was to open the process to the public.
"I'm disappointed," said Daniel Hoffman, lawyer for the coalition. "I'm sure the coalition members will be disappointed as well."
Coalition officials said the court's decision against examining the State Environmental Quality Review Act leaves the village without protection, according to a written statement.
"It seems ironic that the latest 'I Love New York' campaign highlights our historic heritage at a time when our courts do not appear to be interpreting the SEQRA in a manner which protects that very same invaluable historic heritage," the statement reads. SEQRA is the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
It is uncertain whether the coalition will take any action against future projects such as the renovation of The Fargo, a restaurant and bar on Main Street in Aurora.
Wells College owns several of the buildings in Aurora, and plans to renovate many of them, with money from alumna Pleasant Rowland. Last year, Rowland and the college formed a limited liability company called the Aurora Foundation to take on that task.
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Auburn Citizen, September 19, 2002
Only market in town closes
Aurora market is scheduled to reopen in February at new location
Craig Fox, Staff Writer
After today, residents will have to drive six miles to Union Springs to buy groceries because the villages only market is closing temporarily.
The Aurora Market and Pizzeria, a small mom-and-pop grocery in the Heary Building, has shut its doors until a new building is finished on its original site, just a few doors down on Main Street. The new market adjoining the renovated Aurora Inn, is scheduled to open in February.
Before the move in January, the market was in the historic Vanderipe Building, once the home of an A&P store.
Wells College officials decided to close the market and pizzeria because it has been losing money since January, when it moved into the Heary Building, said Diane Diane Hutchinson, the college’s vice president/treasurer. The college owns the building and was paying Sodexo-Marriot, the corporation that runs the college’s dining hall, to manage the market.
“It’s strictly financial,” Hutchinson said. “Sales have dropped dramatically since the move. It’s not financially viable to stay open.”
Blaming an unsuccessful lawsuit to block the renovations, Hutchinson said the court battle delayed the start of the the $7 million inn and market project. Had it not been for the legal wrangle, she said, the market would have been reopened by now.
But residents, construction crews working on the inn, local shopkeepers and college students are angry with the decision, especially since they were promised the market would stay open until the new one was ready.
“Many people are disappointed,” said Debbie Brooks, who runs a gift shop in the Heary Building. “It was supposed to be a remedy for tearing down the market and for the convenience of the community. They left us in the lurch.”
Wells College freshmen Linda Boukercha doesn’t own a car and will have to rely on the college’s van trips to Ithaca to shop for snacks and other items. “It was nice to have it here,” Boukercha said. “I just found out. It’s very surprising.”
The sign on the entrance’s window states customers can still eat at Dorie’s Ice-Cream and Sandwich shop and buy personal items and snacks at the college book store.
Across the street from the market, The Fargo Restaurant is also scheduled to close temporarily this fall for extensive renovations.
The Aurora Foundation, a joint venture between the college and one of its wealthiest alumnae, Pleasant Rowland, is overseeing the market project.
The market employed three full time workers, who were told about the closing last week. They’ll have to reapply for their jobs when the market reopens next winter, Hutchinson said.
Employee Katie Wood enjoyed her job at the market and would like it back. Wood, 23, a single mother of a 15 month old baby, isn’t looking forward to the commute to Auburn to a temporary job in a local factory.
“I cried for three nights,” Wood said. “Because I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
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