Some Background: Last summer CRCDS signed a lease with the American Cancer Society to renovate the Trevor-Eaton dorm for hotel like rooms with laundry and kitchen facilities for cancer patients/familys and also apparently 8000 sq ft of office space. Tom Golisano put up 4 million.

Initial thoughts:

I think it's great that CRCDS has a tenant for the dorm but must question why they need this location for parking.

Although I am not a parking engineer (and have been warned not to be proposing designs so am not sharing my Photoshop efforts), it appears a simple alternative to the proposal would be easily executed. Nearly level space exists at the back of the existing high parking lot and along the very top of the access road to accommodate an additional 35 spaces. The spaces could be arranged like the other large lots on the site with directional north south lanes and a lane at the South end which would likely fully conceal the parked cars currently visible from Highland Ave and Summit. This would make the space more inviting to the many people we see standing up there to take in the view. While this would add maybe 70 feet to the distance the ACS workers would need to get into the building's main entrance perhaps a sidewalk - stairway could be built down to the side entrance as a shortcut for the office workers which could help the pedestrians traffic as well. My thumbnail estimates indicate that this would save the need for 400 cubic yards of fill material, 9000 sq yards of asphalt, and all the associated construction, landscaping, plowing, salting and potential drainage issues.

Finding an alternative option would retain the unique relatively flat open green space with a fabulous view next to a significant historical building which is the most eastern part of a continuous stretch of the grass and tree covered southern slope of glacial moraine Pinnacle Hill formation that continues from the adjacent historic Olmsted's Highland Park. A site regularly used by pedestrians, picnickers, children, sunbathers, dog walkers, sledders, skiers, joggers, family, commuters, deer, foxes, groundhogs and occasionally a wild turkey. A big value add imho.

CRCDS Expansion

There are some documents posted here and Documents here
CITY OF ROCHESTER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION mtg info:
LOCATION: CITY HALL, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 302-A
HEARING DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009
TIME: BEGINNING AT 6:30 P.M. CASE NO. 7
APPLICANT: STEPHEN THOMPSON, BERGMANN ASSOCIATES
ADDRESS: 1100 S. GOODMAN STREET
FILE NO.: E-041-08-09

Before image:

After:

Before: