Letter to Daniel Tangherlini, Administrator of the General Services Administration, and Jeffrey Tally, Chief of Army Reserve - Helping Sonnenberg Acquire Adjacent Property for State-of-the-Art Welcome Center, Turbocharging Local Tourism

Letter

Dear GSA Administrator Daniel Tangherlini and United States Army Reserve Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Tally:

In anticipation of the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) plan to clear the 3.5 acre Lemma Whyman Army Reserve center parcel in Canandaigua, NY for disposal after consolidating its operations to a newly renovated and modernized facility in Webster, NY, I write to bring your attention to a unique win-win opportunity being sought by the Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park to acquire this property and thus enable a major expansion of this important historic and tourism-generation attraction. I support this pursuit and request that as the USAR begins the property disposal process over the coming months in conjunction with the federal General Services Administration (GSA) that you now engage with officials from Sonnenberg and the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation to facilitate this pursuit.

Sonnenberg is presently a 50-acre historic estate listed on the National Register of Historic places that is owned by the State of New York and operated by a local non-profit organization, the Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion. This is a first class destination open to the public and operated as a state park featuring an original 1887 40-room Queen Anne-style mansion, 9 formal gardens, a Lord and Burnham greenhouse arboretum complex, and a Finger Lakes Wine tasting Center.

Indeed the 3.5 acre site now occupied by the Army Reserve Center was an original part of the historic 19th century Sonnenberg estate that was established and built by the original Thompson family owners. Architectural features of the original Sonnenberg estate, such as the original mortar and stone perimeter wall, still exist on the 3.5 acre site. Thus the re-acquisition of this parcel would not only help restore the original Sonnenberg estate's lands but the existing Army Reserve building and grounds would be repurposed to resolve many of the Park's deficiencies that now limit the visitor experience and hamper the site's potential to spur economic development.

Specifically Sonnenberg currently lacks a welcoming and admissions center, a climate controlled space to curate and archive artifacts, adequate paved parking for visitors and tour buses, as well as space for administrative offices, educational/historic/horticultural programming, and areas to maintain equipment including their fleet of Tram vehicles. The acquisition of the now-Army Reserve site would enable Sonnenberg to correct all of these deficiencies, assist in fulfilling their mission and enable them to realize their vision to create a world-class tourism destination for the public's benefit and for the economic vitality of the Finger Lakes, NY region.

I understand the USAR anticipates vacating the site in the first quarter of 2015, complete tests to affirm the property is clear of environmental contaminants, and then file a Report of Excess (ROE) to the General Services Administration to dispose of the property per theFederal Property and Administrative Services Act which allows excess properties not required for use by another federal agency or for use as a homeless shelter to be offered to government entities or non-profits either through a conveyance or negotiated sale. This ensures that local communities are given the opportunity to benefit from surplus federal real property by making excess property available for a public purpose.

Therefore I respectfully request your assistance to partner with Sonnenberg officials to assist in their pursuit of this property for this major expansion. I also ask that the USAR complete its requisite environmental due diligence surveys at the earliest possible date so that the property will not sit vacant and ideal and can be made available for reuse as soon as possible.

I appreciate your consideration of these requests.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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