Monday, March 18, 2024

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

This week we will likely learn the difference between the first day of spring and the first spring day. Some may feel we've already had our first spring day, but Tuesday, which is the first day of spring, is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high temperature of 44 degrees. Meanwhile, here are some other things that are happening.
  • On Monday, March 18, at 4:00 p.m., Center for the Living City presents "A City Cannot Be a Work of Art: Learning Economics and Social Theory from Jane Jacobs." The event is a conversation between Sanford Ikeda and Roberta Brandes Gratz. To register for the virtual event, go to centerforthelivingcity.org.
  • At 6:00, p.m. on Monday, March 18, another reinstated Common Council committee, the Finance Committee, meets for the first time. The committee is made up of five councilmembers: Lola Roberts (Third Ward), Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward), Shershah Mizan (Third Ward), Margaret Morris (First Ward), and Rich Volo (Fourth Ward). The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.
  • Also on Monday, March 18, at 6:00 p.m., the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its monthly meeting. As always with this meeting, there is the chance more information will be revealed about HHA's development plans. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
  • On Tuesday, March 19, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. New on the agenda for the meeting is a resolution authorizing the submission of a Home Rule request to raise the lodging tax in Hudson from 4 percent to 5 percent. Council president Tom DePietro has twice mentioned in public meetings the intention to increase the lodging tax by 1 percent, proposing that the revenue from that 1 percent increase be dedicated to the Housing Trust Fund. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.  
  • On Wednesday, March 20, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting indicates there are two projects before the ZBA, both requiring area variances. The first is a proposal to build a two-story residential structure behind 456 Union Street; the second is the proposal to construct two attached houses at 309 and 311 State Street. The meeting takes place in person only at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.
  • On Thursday, March 21, The Olana Partnership holds its monthly free Third Thursday event from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Olana State Historic Site. This month's event includes, at 11:00 a.m., a free Lunch & Learn talk entitled "Women of Olana," exploring the untold histories of Olana's female residents, their social circles, and their artistic contributions. Beginning at 1:00 p.m., there is a free drop-in printmaking workshop that allows participants to experiment with technologies used in the late 19th century: letter press, engraving, woodcut, and lithography. For more information, visit olana.org/ThirdThursdays/.    
  • On Friday, March 22, the Historic Preservation Commission holds its second meeting of the month at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.
COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Population Change Since the Last Census

Last week, the Albany Business Review had an article about population loss in New York State: "New Census data show NY's population decline mostly coming from downstate." Between 2020 and 2023, the population of New York State dropped by 631,104. The chart below, taken from the article, shows the population change since the 2020 Census in the counties of the Capital Region. According this information, Columbia County's population decreased by 1,090 between 2020 and 2023.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Art and Commerce: Then and Now

The Olana Partnership and Carrie Haddad Gallery collaborate for a closing conversation marking the end of the exhibition SPECTACLE: Frederic Church and the Business of Art. During this special panel conversation, which takes place on Thursday, March 28, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., Carrie Haddad will speak about her more than thirty years as a gallerist in Hudson.


"I have always been so drawn to artists for their ability to see things differently. And an a gallerist I feel so lucky to be a supporter and a collaborator to help them bring that vision to the public," said Haddad.

Inspired by Frederic Church's own relationship with the art market, this informal conversation will examine how art and commerce shape the way artists relate to their work and their environments. Hear insights about the contemporary state of the market with gallerists Lena Petersen and Linden Scheff and artists Carl Grauer (Poughkeepsie) and Jane Bloodgood-Abrams (Kingston). 

"Olana's SPECTACLE exhibition, highlighting Frederic Church's own business acumen, provides the perfect occasion to highlight longtime Hudson gallerist Carrie Haddad," said Carolyn Keogh, director of education and public programs for The Olana Partnership. "This lively program will examine the contemporary state of the market and highlight Carrie's important work with artists of the Hudson Valley for more than thirty years."

The event will take place at 127 Union Street in Hudson. Further details will be sent upon registration. Participants will be invited to share their own questions for panelists during a moderated question-and-answer session. The program will be followed by a reception with light refreshments.

Space is very limited, and registration is required. To register to the event, visit www.olana.org/programs-events/.

Friday, March 15, 2024

News of the Comprehensive Plan

It's been six months since Gossips reported anything about the comprehensive plan, but apparently that doesn't mean there was nothing to report. It only means that City Hall has been releasing no information about the work that is going on. 

In September 2023, Celeste Frye, the CEO of Public Works Partners, the consultants hired to help with the new comprehensive plan, shared this timeline in her presentation to the Common Council.


Six months in, we should be well into the public engagement phase, but that doesn't seem to be the case. 

Reporting to the Common Council at its informal meeting on Monday, Michelle Tullo, Hudson's housing justice manager, said she was "heading up" the comprehensive plan, saying there have been "internal meetings" with Public Works Partners. Questions from councilmembers elicited the information that those present at those internal meetings were Mayor Kamal Johnson, Council president Tom DePietro, mayor's aide Michael Hofmann, and Tullo. It was also revealed that a steering committee has been established, but it has not been revealed who is on that steering committee. 

In July, Gossips reported that a call for volunteers for the steering committee appeared on the app Hudson Hub and nowhere else. Whether or not the steering committee was drawn from those who volunteered is not known, but it seems unlikely given what DePietro said on Monday. According to DePietro, the steering committee is made up of twelve people "who are not involved in politics at all." He elaborated, "The idea was to reach out to a demographic that doesn't normally show up to these kinds of meetings." DePietro described the goal of the comprehensive plan by saying, "A big part of this is smart growth--how do we grow smartly rather than letting things happen randomly."

Hudson's previous comprehensive plan was adopted in 2002. That plan can be found here. The new comprehensive plan is costing $208,000, one third of which is covered by a grant. Presumably the rest of the money is coming from the general fund. 
COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK

Spring Parking News

Mayor Kamal Johnson first made the announcement last night on his Facebook page and on the "Unfiltered Hudson" Facebook page.


Now, the news also appears on the City Of Hudson website

Beginning tonight, alternate side of the street parking rules for overnight parking are suspended on weekends until further notice. 

From Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, cars parked on the street overnight can be parked on either side of the street.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Promises, Promises . . .

A listing on Zillow posted on a Facebook community board this morning raised quite a stir. It was for a one-bedroom apartment at 356 Union Street. The rent for the unit is $2,300 a month.

Photo: Zillow
What is most interesting to Gossips about this apartment in the mansion that was originally the home of Dr. H. Lyle Smith, one of Hudson's luminaries in the decades following the Civil War, is not what many would consider the exorbitant rent but the building's recent history with the Galvan Foundation and its many iterations.

Galvan acquired the building in July 2004. At that time, the building had been carved up into a rabbit warren of apartments. It is not known how many people lived there, but after Galvan acquired it, the building was emptied of tenants and would remain so for almost two decades. In 2012, ownership of the building was transferred from Galvan Partners to Galvan Initiatives Foundation, and in 2018, ownership was transferred to Galvan Civic Housing LLC.

In May 2017, at an Affordable Housing Hudson forum, Jason O'Toole, then a Galvan Foundation factotum, announced Galvan's commitment to creating 20 to 25 new units of affordable housing in the next three years. The units would be for families with incomes from 50 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), which at the time was $74,900. The next year, in March 2018, O'Toole increased the number of apartments to 29. Each time, seven two-bedroom units at 356 Union Street were part of the commitment. The following list of promised Galvan units is from Hudson's 2018 Strategic Housing Action Plan:


The first sign of any progress toward restoring the building came in March 2012 (eight years after Galvan acquired it), when the pinkish asphalt shingles that had been on the house were removed to reveal the original clapboard.


After the shingles were removed, another six years passed before any further work on the house was undertaken. 


In July 2019, when Gossips did an update on the 29 apartments Galvan had committed to providing, Dan Kent, then as now the spokesperson for Galvan, said they expected the restoration of 356 Union Street to be completed by the fall of 2019.


It is not clear exactly when the restoration was completed, but in November 2020, the house was on the market for $1.25 million. There were not seven two-bedroom apartments, as Galvan had promised, but only five apartments. And, of course, the new owner would be under no obligation to make them affordable.


According to tax records, the building was sold in March 2021 for $1.1 million. Since then, the apartments have been rented, but one of them
will be available starting April 1
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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Coming to State Street

At last night's Planning Board meeting, which went on for close to three and a half hours, the project of greatest interest (because it hasn't been before the Planning Board for several months already) came at the very end: the proposal to subdivide the lot at 309-311 State Street into two lots of equal size on which will be constructed a pair of attached houses. The person proposing the subdivision is the owner of the house at 307 State Street, which recently underwent an amazing restoration and transformation.


The plan is to build two houses of similar design to 307 State Street at 309 and 311 and re-create the streetscape close to what it once was. (The building that once stood at 309-311 State Street was destroyed by fire 25 years ago.)


Because the new structures are to be single-family homes, site plan approval is not required. The Planning Board only needs to approve the lot subdivision. The project also needs to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for area variances. It was decided that the project should go to the ZBA first to get the needed variances and then return to the Planning Board for approval of the subdivision. The next meeting of the ZBA is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 20, at 6:00 p.m.
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Looking Ahead to the Weekend

This weekend, the Friends of the Hudson Area Library are holding their Spring Book & Bake Sale in the Community Room at the library, 51 North Fifth Street. The sale begins on Friday and continues to Sunday. Here are the hours:
    • Friday, March 15: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
    • Saturday, March 16, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
    • Sunday, March 17, 1:00 to 3:3o p.m.

Included in the sale are new and gently used books for children and adults, homemade baked goods, and Vasilow's chocolate bars. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted. All proceeds from the sale will be used to support the Hudson Area Library and its community programming.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

What Happened at HCSD

Yesterday, the Hudson Police Department issued the following press release regarding an incident that took place last week at Hudson High School.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at approximately 5:32 p.m., the Hudson Police Department received a report from a concerned mother and her juvenile daughter regarding disturbing physical threats received on the daughter's cell phone. The unknown sender conveyed intentions to harm the 17-year-old female and her friends, referencing a recent altercation on the school bus. The 17-year-old female received text messages stating she was going be “poked” and “stab all of ur friends” and “I’ll jump u in school.” The suspect further escalated the situation by sending images of a knife and a black long rifle, threatening violence at the victim's school. 
Immediately responding to the gravity of the situation, the Hudson City School District was informed to ensure the safety of students. The HPD patrol division transferred the case to the Detective Unit, who collaborated with the New York State Police Major Crimes division to trace the origin of the threatening text messages. 
Subsequent to a coordinated effort involving the Haverhill Police Department (Haverhill, Massachusetts), New York State Police, Massachusetts State Police, and the Hudson Police Department, a search warrant was executed on March 8, 2024. The operation successfully led to the recovery of the mentioned long gun and knife at a residence in Massachusetts. A person of interest, a juvenile, was interviewed by the police, and charges are pending. 
During the investigation, it came to light that the juvenile had a history of making bomb threats to a Massachusetts school, leading to a previous investigation by the Haverhill Police Department. 
Chief Mishanda Franklin of the Hudson Police Department issued the following statement: "This incident is a stark reminder of the importance of swift and collaborative action in ensuring the safety of our community. The dedication and professionalism demonstrated by all law enforcement agencies involved exemplify our shared commitment to protecting the well-being of our residents and students." 
The New York State Police, Major Crimes, Troop K, Massachusetts State Police, JTTF (Joint Terrorist Task Force), Haverhill Police Department, and the Hudson City School District have collectively played vital roles in the ongoing investigation. 
The Hudson City Police Department encourages anyone with additional information related to this incident to contact the Detective Division at (518) 828-3388.

Acknowledging an Anniversary

This morning at the dog park, a fellow dog owner opined that there would be a heavy snowfall before spring was actually here. My response: "Bite your tongue."

When I got back home to my computer, I was reminded that the Great Blizzard of 1888 occurred on this day: March 12. It actually started on March 11 and didn't end until March 14. The picture below, showing the north side of the 400 block of Warren Street, was taken after the worst of the blizzard was over.


The following is quoted from the Hudson Evening Register for March 12, 1888.
A March Storm.
A terrible storm of wind and snow set in last evening and continued throughout most of the day. The snow was light and dry and flew through the air like smoke. The streets and highways are drifted, and the storm was the most severe of the season. Trains and mails were delayed and out-door business generally suspended. Why not let Dakota into the Union and stop all this bluster?
Accident on the Hudson River Railroad.
A dispatch to this office this morning says at 8 o'clock this morning in a blinding snowstorm the Atlantic express bound south on the Hudson River railroad, ran into the rear of another Atlantic express at Dobbs Ferry, demolishing the cars. Four persons are known to have been badly injured. Both tracks are badly obstructed. All south-bound trains are held at Tarrytown.
The snowstorm commenced yesterday afternoon is the heaviest in several years. It is still in progress with a heavy wind. The snow is between twelve and eighteen inches deep. All trains on both the West Shore and Hudson River railroad are much behind.
So today, as you go about enjoying the sunshine and the warmth, think about what was happening 136 years ago and be grateful.
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