ITHACA, N.Y. -- The New York State Supreme Court has ruled that the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) must issue a "Certificate of Appropriateness" for Cornell University's proposed West Campus parking lot within 30 days.

In response to the ruling, Cornell President Jeffrey S. Lehman said, "We are, of course, gratified by the court's determination that the final design, which emerged through a process of communitywide conversation, is appropriate to its context. I am hopeful that the court's decision will serve as a guidepost to help the city and the university work out future differences in a spirit of cooperation and without the need for judicial intervention."

In a strongly worded decision, the Hon. Robert C. Mulvey ruled June 9 that the ILPC's action constituted "a significant barrier to the petitioner's furtherance of its educational purposes." The parking lot proposed for a site on University Avenue is an integral component of Cornell's residential housing plan for West Campus. During the design phase of the West Campus project, Cornell architects and designers responded to community concerns by reducing the size of the proposed lot and adding additional landscaping to screen the lot.

"Cornell deeply values its relationships with our surrounding community. Because of those relationships, we will continue to welcome input and feedback from the city boards with which we regularly work and from members of the community," Lehman said.