Aurora's Community Preservation Panel tonight will take up the fate of two Main Street buildings that bring into sharp focus the philosophical differences between the Aurora Foundation and a faction of village residents.
The public will have a chance to comment on the foundation's plan, on behalf of Wells College, to demolish Lyon House at 331 Main St., a now-deteriorating home built about a century ago. The college bought it in 2003. Some argue it was allowed to languish, but the college and foundation say it is in much worse shape than Holland House, the building they want to put in its place.
Known previously as Webb House, Holland House has been up on blocks about 100 feet away since 2003, waiting to be moved. Like Lyon House, it is a large single-family mansion built in the 1900s.
Holland House was scheduled to be demolished by the Holland family when the Aurora Foundation - a collaboration between Wells and its multimillionaire alumna Pleasant Rowland - purchased it.
"We asked $1 for it, but they gave us $10," Laura Holland said.
The village had previously given a demolition permit to Holland to tear down the house so her family could build a new home on its site on Cayuga Lake. After the foundation bought it, it was put up on the blocks and slid onto property the college owns.
The original plan was to knock down a nearby stucco apartment building called Lake House that also belongs to the college. But the preservation panel, prompted by protests of members of the Aurora Coalition - a group of village residents opposed to Rowland's goals for the village - twice refused to give Wells the certificate of appropriateness needed to get a sign-off from the village for demolition.
The foundation is now looking to Lyon House instead, but Karen Hindenlang, a member of the coalition, said that's as inappropriate for demolition as Lake House.
In a May 21 letter she wrote to Preservation Panel Chairman Avery Ayers, Hindenlang argued against the demolition and blamed the deterioration of the house on Wells College. She said the building did not meet the criteria to allow it to be torn down because it is in a historic area.
"In evaluating another criterion, the "pertinent historical significance of the structure," you'll find that Lyon House is listed as a contributing member of our National Register Historic District," Hindenlang wrote. "It was built 100 years ago by Sanford Lyon and has exceptionally distinguished exterior and interior architectural features."
She also said the Aurora Foundation - which wants to move Holland House and then give it to the college, which will sell it - created its own problems by moving Holland House before establishing a permanent place to put it.
She said there are other parties interested in purchasing Lyon House but did not identify them.
"Wells is searching for faculty housing, several locally owned business are looking for locations, and possible buyers are interested in Lyon House," Hindenlang wrote. "There are many potential opportunities for use of this viable and valuable building in our community."
Neither Aurora Foundation executive director Katie Waller or Ann Rollo, vice president of external relations for Wells College, could be reached for comment Tuesday. Previously, Waller said the foundation stepped in at the request of area residents who were upset the Hollands wanted to tear down their house simply to build a new one.
Holland said there was opposition to her demolition plans, but the panel gave her a certificate of appropriateness, which was why the village board had agreed to the permit.
Waller said Lake House, originally a carriage house to one of the Main Street mansions, was far more appropriate to demolish than Holland House. She said Lyon House was also in far worse condition, which was why the decision was made for the college to proceed with demolition of that property.
Meanwhile Holland is waiting to see what will happen to her old house, as well as the college's adjacent properties.
She has no strong feelings either way, she said. If Lyon House can be preserved, it should be, but if the college is right and the house has deteriorated so badly, then it should be razed.
"Our new house is finished, it's beautiful, we're living in it," Holland said. "What's going on around us is interesting, but we're just sort of watching it."
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
Known previously as Webb House, Holland House has been up on blocks about 100 feet away since 2003, waiting to be moved. Like Lyon House, it is a large single-family mansion built in the 1900s.
Holland House was scheduled to be demolished by the Holland family when the Aurora Foundation - a collaboration between Wells and its multimillionaire alumna Pleasant Rowland - purchased it.
"We asked $1 for it, but they gave us $10," Laura Holland said.
The village had previously given a demolition permit to Holland to tear down the house so her family could build a new home on its site on Cayuga Lake. After the foundation bought it, it was put up on the blocks and slid onto property the college owns.
The original plan was to knock down a nearby stucco apartment building called Lake House that also belongs to the college. But the preservation panel, prompted by protests of members of the Aurora Coalition - a group of village residents opposed to Rowland's goals for the village - twice refused to give Wells the certificate of appropriateness needed to get a sign-off from the village for demolition.
The foundation is now looking to Lyon House instead, but Karen Hindenlang, a member of the coalition, said that's as inappropriate for demolition as Lake House.
In a May 21 letter she wrote to Preservation Panel Chairman Avery Ayers, Hindenlang argued against the demolition and blamed the deterioration of the house on Wells College. She said the building did not meet the criteria to allow it to be torn down because it is in a historic area.
"In evaluating another criterion, the "pertinent historical significance of the structure," you'll find that Lyon House is listed as a contributing member of our National Register Historic District," Hindenlang wrote. "It was built 100 years ago by Sanford Lyon and has exceptionally distinguished exterior and interior architectural features."
She also said the Aurora Foundation - which wants to move Holland House and then give it to the college, which will sell it - created its own problems by moving Holland House before establishing a permanent place to put it.
She said there are other parties interested in purchasing Lyon House but did not identify them.
"Wells is searching for faculty housing, several locally owned business are looking for locations, and possible buyers are interested in Lyon House," Hindenlang wrote. "There are many potential opportunities for use of this viable and valuable building in our community."
Neither Aurora Foundation executive director Katie Waller or Ann Rollo, vice president of external relations for Wells College, could be reached for comment Tuesday. Previously, Waller said the foundation stepped in at the request of area residents who were upset the Hollands wanted to tear down their house simply to build a new one.
Holland said there was opposition to her demolition plans, but the panel gave her a certificate of appropriateness, which was why the village board had agreed to the permit.
Waller said Lake House, originally a carriage house to one of the Main Street mansions, was far more appropriate to demolish than Holland House. She said Lyon House was also in far worse condition, which was why the decision was made for the college to proceed with demolition of that property.
Meanwhile Holland is waiting to see what will happen to her old house, as well as the college's adjacent properties.
She has no strong feelings either way, she said. If Lyon House can be preserved, it should be, but if the college is right and the house has deteriorated so badly, then it should be razed.
"Our new house is finished, it's beautiful, we're living in it," Holland said. "What's going on around us is interesting, but we're just sort of watching it."
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
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