Water, Water, and Mill Street Lofts

At the April meeting of the Planning Board, concerns about flooding were the major topic of discussion. What happened at that meeting is recounted in this post: "Return to Mill Street." At the end of that meeting, Chris Bertram, consulting engineer for the Planning Board, told Andy Learn, the engineer for Kearney, "You need to prove to us and prove to me that that amount of water is not going to negatively impact the downstream neighbors on Mill Street."

On May 2, Learn submitted a flood analysis to Theresa Joyner, chair of the Planning Board. The analysis concludes:

The results of this drainage analysis confirm that the existing City owned drainage system is undersized, resulting in overflow on to the subject property. The proposed design attempts to compensate for the lack of capacity in the City drainage system by providing a new conveyance system that exceeds the capacity of the existing drainage system by over 300%.The proposed drainage channel has been designed to match the performance of the existing undeveloped site without further impacting downstream properties. This analysis confirms that the flow rate entering and exiting the site remains unchanged from current (existing) conditions to developed (proposed) conditions. It also confirms that the drainage channel has adequate capacity to safely convey flow from the upstream watershed through the site without impacting the proposed development. The parking lot and buildings will remain safely above the BFE [base flood elevation] as well as the maximum water level in the drainage channel. As described in the SWPPP [Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan], the project will not result in an increase in runoff leaving the site. Finally, given that the analysis shows that the flow rate in the stream before and after construction remains unchanged, the project will not contribute to or worsen existing flooding conditions in the surrounding area.

It appears the flood analysis provides no information that has not already been provided to the Planning Board, so it is not clear if it will be sufficient to convince Bertram that the project will have no negative impact on the downstream neighbors when it comes to flooding.  

The issue of Mill Street Lofts and flooding was taken up this morning on Instagram by Hudson Common Sense. 

What this observer of Hudson has to say about the situation can be found here.

The Planning Board meeting takes place tonight at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. It will not be a hybrid meeting, but the notice of the meeting provides this information: "The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube at Hudson City Zoom Meetings for those who choose to listen but not participate." Click here to access the livestream.

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Galvan in the Times Union

Roger Hannigan Gilson has an article in the Times Union today about 76 North Seventh Street: "Hudson Depot Lofts accepting applications for mixed-income apartments." 

Photo: Will Waldron | Times Union

The article is an assembly of information already reported by Gossips and the Register-Star, but there is one new, intriguing bit of information. This paragraph is quoted from the article:

The apartments will initially be marketed and rented to people in the AMI brackets, Baxter Vice President Eric Baxter said. He called renting to these people the “priority,” but said the rentals will be opened up to people of any income level if they are not snatched up by the intended groups.

Twelve of the 63 apartments are priced to be affordable to households with incomes up to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), and the rest are priced to be affordable for households with incomes up to 130 percent of the AMI. (It is not known in which category the 64th apartment, being created in an unused space in the building, will be.) 

In 2021, the building was granted a twenty-year PILOT and other tax abatements based on the idea that it was to be "workforce housing," affordable to households with incomes between 80 and 130 percent of the AMI. Baxter's statement raises a number of questions: If the rentals are "opened up to people of any income level," does that violate the terms of the PILOT agreement? If so, what penalty would there be? How does the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) monitor what is actually happening with the rentals and pricing in the building to determine if it is in compliance with terms of the PILOT agreement?

The actualization of what started out as Mayor Kamal Johnson's "huge plan for housing" seems to be getting more disappointing every day. 

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If at First You Don't Succeed . . .

One of the reasons Council president Tom DePietro gave for not putting the resolution opposing the Mill Street Lofts project on the agenda for tonight's informal Common Council meeting was that "it is a matter before the Planning Board and the Common Council should not opine on such matters." Mayor Kamal Johnson clearly has no such compunctions. Earlier tonight, Johnson posted the following on Facebook.

This post is reminiscent of how Johnson used Facebook to rally the troops to show up and try to influence a decision before the Common Council about awarding the contract for building the Ferry Street Bridge. 

Johnson's reference to the Depot District in this post conveniently overlooks the fact that the Deport District was his "huge plan for housing" touted in 2019 before he took office as mayor.

As a close observer of the Common Council and the machinations of city government for more than twenty years, I am at a loss to know what Johnson is talking about when he mentions a proposal for affordable housing that was rejected by the "City" Council years ago. My guess is he may be alluding to something that happened in 2006, when the Common Council did not support a PILOT for Crosswinds. The development was built without a PILOT, and, thanks to the efforts of many involved at the time, in particular Linda Mussmann, who brokered a meeting between the developer and members of the Common Council, it was redesigned to be architecturally compatible with its environment. Since 2010, Crosswinds has provided seventy units of affordable housing in Hudson. Recently, Galvan Housing Resources took ownership of the complex, so the future of those seventy units is uncertain.

Needless to say, tomorrow's Planning Board meeting may be a bit of a circus.

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Concerning Mill Street Lofts

Mill Street Lofts is on the agenda for tomorrow night's Planning Board meeting. The word is the Planning Board will be closing the public hearing on the project at tomorrow night's meeting and starting the clock on reaching a decision about site plan approval.

This morning, three members of the Common Council--Rich Volo (Fourth Ward), Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward), and Margaret Morris (First Ward)--submitted the following resolution to be added to the agenda for tonight's informal Common Council meeting. 

RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE MILL STREET LOFTS HOUSING PROJECT

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is in a flood plain with insufficient drainage and will increase flooding risk for existing homes on Mill Street; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project does not offer its residents at least one parking space per unit, which will cause an overflow of on-street parking, making access for emergency vehicles and the Empire State Trail more difficult; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is located on land originally deeded for park and recreation, and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is located on the habitat of a Threatened bat species; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project does not fit the character of the other houses on Mill Street; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project concentrates low-income housing within a few blocks of the City of Hudson which is not recommended by the City of Hudson’s approved 2018 Strategic Housing Action Plan prepared by the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby disapproves of the construction of The Mill Street Lofts project.

According to the Common Council Rules of Order, adopted by the Common Council at its organizational meeting in January 2025, proposed resolutions and laws can be put before the full Council for consideration if they are presented by three councilmembers. The following is Rule #4 Local Laws and Resolutions:

All Resolutions and Laws shall be submitted in writing at the Informal Session for discussion before submission to the Formal Session. This rule may be waived by the President of the Council when deemed necessary. Any matter, motion, proposed resolution or law introduced at the Informal or Formal Session, the President, at his sole discretion, may assign it to the appropriate ad hoc Committee(s), or place it on the Agenda for consideration by the Council. A petition by three members of the Council to the full Council will be sufficient to discharge a draft law or resolution and bring it up for consideration by the Council.

Despite this rule, when Volo, Belton, and Morris submitted the resolution this morning to Council president Tom DePietro for inclusion in the agenda for tonight's meeting, he refused to add it to the agenda, giving three reasons: it was due on Friday; it is full of misinformation; and it is a matter before the Planning Board and the Common Council should not opine on such matters.

Although the resolution is not on the agenda for tonight's meeting, it is very likely Mill Street Lofts will be a topic of discussion. The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

Of related interest, mayoral candidate Peter Spear explains his opposition to Mill Street Lofts on Instagram today. Click here to listen to that statement.

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Contemplating ADUs

At tonight's informal Common Council meeting, amendments to Chapter 325 of the city code to facilitate the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) will be introduced. The amendments being proposed can be found here. The primary goal of the amendments is to make Hudson residents eligible for the grant program administered by RUPCO should that program be funded and offered again.

The amendments were discussed at the Common Council Legal Committee meeting last week, and some changes were made based on the discussion during the committee meeting. The amendments originally specified that an ADU could only exist as an accessory to an owner occupied principal dwelling. Councilmember Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward) objected to that, imagining a scenario in which a homeowner had to relocate temporarily, with the intention of returning, but during that time rented out the principal dwelling. If owner occupancy of the principal dwelling was a requirement for the ADU, the ADU could not have a tenant during the time the owner was away. 

Council president Tom DePietro also questioned the owner occupancy requirement, asking, "Why can't someone who owns a rental property build an ADU on the property?" He argued that allowing owners of investment properties to build ADUs addressed the same issue of creating more housing.

Councilmember Margaret Morris, who chairs the Legal Committee, suggested that Belton's concern could be addressed by allowing the property owner a two-year absence. This is the language currently in the proposed amendments:

At the time of application for a Building Permit, the parcel on which the ADU is proposed to be located must be the primary domicile of the property owner. The property owner shall maintain their primary domicile in either the principal dwelling or the ADU for at least continuous 12 months from the time the certificate of occupancy is issued for the ADU.

Laws governing ADUs typically specify that ADUs—either as freestanding structures or as additions to existing structures—must be located behind or beside the building. Belton insisted that building an ADU in front of the principal building should be allowed, arguing that there were several places in the Fourth Ward where building an ADU in front of an existing building would be appropriate.   

I could think of only one such example, on North Fifth Street, where a carriage house located at the back of the lot was rehabbed as a residence by the artist Frank Faulkner in 2008. 

Photo: Rural Intelligence

The Beers Atlas maps for 1873 and 1888 both show a house on the lot, situated at the front of the lot. In 1873, the property belonged to Mrs. Folger.

At sometime between 1888 and the late 20th century, the house disappeared, possibly destroyed by fire. If anything were to be built on this property today, it should not be an ADU but rather a proper house compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. Fortunately, this location is part of the Armory Historic District, and the Historic Preservation Commission would have something to say about what is built.

Strangely, this site is not one of the locations Belton had in mind. Rather, in a conversation with Gossips, she cited locations on State Street. Gossips found two buildings on State Street set far enough back from the street to allow an ADU to be constructed in front of them—one in the 500 block and another in the 400 block. One of the buildings appears already to an accessory building, since it does not have its own address.

The amendments currently being proposed make no specifications about where ADUs can be located in relation to the principal house.

It is expected that the amendments will be discussed by the full Council at tonight's informal meeting. The meeting, which begins at 6:00 p.m., is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

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Follow-up: When the amendments regarding ADUs were introduced at the informal Common Council meeting on Monday, May 12, Councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward) said it was important that an ADU be located behind or at the side of the existing house. Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) suggested that this statement in the proposed amendments covered that: "Alteration to the principal residence to accommodate an ADU shall be designed to retain its exterior appearance as a single-family dwelling as viewed from the street." Crystal Peck, counsel to the Council, said this was not sufficient and agreed to add language to the amendments specifying that an ADU must be located behind or at the side of the principal building.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

We are now well into May, it's not expected to rain again until Tuesday afternoon, and here is what's happening.

• On Monday, May 12, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. It is expected that, among other things on the agenda, the Council will be discussing the proposed amendments to the zoning code to facilitate the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Tuesday, May 13, the Planning Board holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda includes a number of projects that have been before the Planning Board for a while, and one new and intriguing item: "Amended site plan application from the Galvan Initiatives Foundation to convert a co-working space [at 76 North Seventh Street] into a two-bedroom apartment for a total of 64 units instead of 63 in the Depot District." According to the city calendar, the meeting takes place in person only at City Hall, but it is very likely it will also be livestreamed on Zoom. Click here to view the meeting remotely.

• On Wednesday, May 14, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Thursday, May 15, at 6:00 p.m., it is the Hudson City School District's "Meet the Board of Education Candidates" night. The event takes place in the Hudson Junior/Senior High School auditorium and will be moderated by the Hudson Senior High School Student Council. It is likely the event will also be livestreamed on the HCSD YouTube channel. 

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Preservation News

Last week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its 2025 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. That list can be found here. A building not very far from here, across the river in Ulster County, is one of the eleven: The Wellington Hotel in Pine Hill.

The announcement from the National Trust provides this information about the Wellington:

Built in 1882, The Wellington Hotel (first known as The Ulster House Hotel) is one of few surviving examples of the large-scale wood-frame resorts built in the Catskills region of New York in the late 1880s and early 1900s. Hotels like the Wellington were significant to the development of tourism as a major resort industry in the Catskills. At one time, the Wellington was one of fourteen hotels in the hamlet of Pine Hill.

Today, Pine Hill still relies on tourism as its economic driver, but the Wellington's condition has undermined its ability to serve visitors or the community. It has been deteriorating for years, and the foundation is in danger of collapse. Temporary stabilization measures are not projected to last more than a few years. Saving the Wellington will require foundation replacement, flood mitigation measures, and a fire suppression system, as well as major rehabilitation of the interior and exterior. Full restoration costs are estimated at around $7 million--an amount hard to reach for a small community of 339 people.

In 2022, the Wellington went up for sale. Twenty community members concerned about the building's future banded together to raise funds to purchase the hotel, clean up the property, and begin investigating feasible reuses. A community-based multimember LLC now called Wellington Blueberry is pursuing plans to rehabilitate the Wellington using Federal and State Historic Tax Credits. Based upon community needs, the Wellington will house a grocery store and cafe, with 10 workforce apartments. The project is supported by the Town of Shandaken, Ulster County, Restore NY, and nonprofit housing developer RUPCO, Inc. However, the coalition requires significant additional funding towards the $7 million needed not only to save an important historic property but also to activate the Wellington Hotel to serve its community while providing a model for other projects in rural areas.

For more information about the Wellington and the plans for its rehabilitation, click here.

Local Election Season Has Begun

This year, Kamal Johnson, who has been the mayor of Hudson for nearly six years, running unopposed in the last two elections, has three challengers. Six years ago, Johnson launched his campaign promising to halt gentrification and bring those displaced by gentrification back to Hudson. In 2019, after he had won the Democratic primary, Johnson said in an interview on Channel 10 News he had a "huge plan for housing" that he had been working on "for about a year now." 

That "huge plan for housing" turned out to be the Galvan Foundation's plan for two apartment buildings on North Seventh Street. One of those buildings, 76 North Seventh Street, is now nearing completion. Development of the second building, 75 North Seventh Street, was recently suspended "due to macroeconomic uncertainties." Based on the marketing of 76 North Seventh and the advertised rents (this building is the more affordable of the two), this project will do nothing to bring back those displaced by gentrification.

The question is, given his failure in six years to deliver on his most basic stated goals, can Johnson withstand the challenges that await him? 

The first challenge comes next month, when he faces Joe Ferris in the Democratic Primary on June 24. Ferris kicked off his campaign on Friday, at Union Street Brewing Company. Prior to that event, Ferris, who is identifying himself as "the Practical Progressive," distributed this information to the media:

Who Is Joe Ferris?

Joe Ferris grew up in a family that believed deeply in public service. His father was a five-term Assemblyman who worked with Rep. Shirley Chisholm, a civil rights pioneer. His mother successfully led tobacco cessation efforts at a high school in Vermont. This action-oriented upbringing informed his life’s work. Whether working in city government, as an anti-hunger advocate, or in public affairs advocacy, Joe has always been committed to enhancing quality of life in his community. He has seen firsthand how competent leadership can improve quality of life for people in places like Hudson, NY, now his chosen home. Joe is seizing an opportunity to put his decades of experience in government and administration to work for the people of this city. 

Why Is Joe Running? 

As a Fifth Ward homeowner, a Hudson Area Library Board Trustee, and active member of the Hudson City and Columbia County Democratic committees, Joe has witnessed the numerous inefficiencies and shortcomings of the current administration over the last 6 years. Those include: 

• An endemic mismanagement of the City that includes: 
• A failure to collect $2.5 million in property taxes (with an annual budget of approx. $20 million), 
• $11,000 in unpaid utility bills at the senior center that went unnoticed for a year 
• A more than one million dollar shortfall in the city budget 
• An affordable housing crisis that impacts homeowners and renters with Hudson lacking much-needed affordable housing 
• Crumbling infrastructure that is being ignored by the current administration 
• Hudson’s “Crosswalk Crisis” - intersections across the city that are dangerous for both pedestrians and drivers 
• Perpetual radio silence from City Hall 
• The last City of Hudson Instagram post was in April of 2024 
• Businesses are consistently left in the dark about street closures and are not at the table when it comes to promoting the city 
• Poor, and sometimes non-existent communication from City Hall, including the city website domain name going up for sale 

What Are Joe’s Solutions?

• Build a two-way line of communication between City Hall and residents: Joe will facilitate that dialogue by releasing a regular newsletter from the mayor’s office, holding a monthly town hall in each ward, staying up-to-date with the city’s digital presence, and hosting routine “Meet the Mayor” hours at City Hall 

• Hire a City Manager: This role will help to manage the completion of day-to-day tasks of city management - filling potholes, repairing broken street lights - and long-term work that will help Hudson address its housing crisis and roadway safety, to sustain a city that can be home to all

• Appoint a planning board that brings the subject matter expertise to address issues of infrastructure and public spaces 

What Sets Joe Apart from “Politics as Usual”?

While civic engagement is etched into his DNA, Joe Ferris lacks the baggage that comes along with “politics as usual.” There is no malice, no ethical compromise, and no hidden agenda. As mayor, Joe Ferris will be the Practical Progressive Hudson needs now.

If Johnson survives the challenge from Ferris in the primary, he faces further challenges in the general election on November 4, from Peter Spear, who is running on his own Future Hudson line, and Republican candidate Lloyd Koedding.

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Not Taking No for an Answer

Ben Rinzler, the current owner of 251 Allen Street, now being operated as a hotel called The Hudson Navigator, is determined to put an internally illuminated sign on the east side of the building. 

This original proposal, presented to the Historic Preservation Commission in September 2024, was for a 7 x 7 foot sign. 

In November 2024, after a public hearing, the HPC denied the sign a certificate of appropriateness. The opinion of the HPC was that sign of the size proposed was inappropriate in a historic district.

In January 2025, Rinzler returned to the HPC with a new proposal. Instead of being 7 feet in diameter, the sign would be 82 inches--a reduction of 2 inches.

Once again, the HPC denied a certificate of appropriateness for the same reason. The sign was not appropriate in a historic district. 

Today, Rinzler was back with a new proposal. This time, the diameter of the sign would be 69.75 inches--a reduction of 12.25 inches.

Saying she was "not a fan of an internally illuminated sign," HPC member Kim Wood expressed concern about the quality and brightness of the light emanating from the sign. She seemed to be satisfied when it was agreed that the brightness of the light would not exceed 3,000 lumens.

Miranda Barry brought the discussion back to what should be of central importance to the Historic Preservation Commission: "The issue is not the brightness of the light," Barry told her colleagues, "it is whether it looks like something that belongs in a historic district and not in a shopping mall. The issue is historic appropriateness."

Defending the historic nature of the sign, Rinzler said it was in "a style from the 1950s." Barry countered, "But the building it's attached to is from the 1880s."

Phil Forman, who chairs the HPC, said, "The issue is the degree to which [the sign] 'pollutes' the environment," concluding, "I can't see the problem." He went on the say, "I don't want to go another round on this," and called for a vote on granting a certificate of appropriateness. Of the five members present at the meeting, three--Wood, Forman, and Hugh Biber--voted to grant the certificate of appropriateness, and two--Barry and Paul Barrett--voted against it. Granting a certificate of appropriateness requires an affirmative vote from at least four members of the seven-member commission, so once again the attempt to get a certificate of appropriateness failed.

It was decided that the HPC will vote again on the proposal when the full board could be present. It was not clear exactly when that might be, since it was pointed out that the next HPC meeting is scheduled to take place on May 23, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Absent from today's meeting were John Schobel and Jeremy Stynes.

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Ear to the Ground

The Town of Greenport is unique in Columbia County for having no zoning laws. That, it seems, is about to change. According to a Gossips source, on Wednesday, May 7, the Greenport Town Board passed a resolution to appoint a Zoning Commission tasked with creating a zoning plan. The commission is to have five members, three of which have already been named: Ed Stiffler, chair of the Greenport Planning Board; Peter Tenerowicz and Michael Grisham, both members of the Planning Board.

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News of the Lighthouse

This afternoon, Van Calhoun, chair of the Lighthouse Restoration Committee of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society, shared this information about the current situation of the lighthouse.

A Legacy of Care: Community Rallies to Keep Lighthouse Project Afloat After Barge Collision

When a barge collided with the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse last week, damaging its stairway and access dock, the future of a long-planned restoration project hung in the balance. But within hours, phone calls were being made--not just out of obligation, but also from the heart.

Keith Flinton of KTF Dock Worx (a.k.a. Keith Welding and Dock) felt a chill when he heard the news. His father, decades ago, had built and provided the original dock to the lighthouse. "The moment I heard what happened, I knew I had to do something," Flinton said. He immediately contacted the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS) and offered to donate a temporary replacement dock--free of charge--in honor of his father's legacy.

Earlier this week Carver Companies hauled the wrecked dock, which they had retrieved from the Hudson River last Friday, to Keith, as a pattern for assembling the temporary dock he is configuring at his shop.

It will arrive in Hudson around noon today, where a dedicated team--comprised of KTF Dock Worx, Hudson Power Boat Association, AG Construction, and HALPS--will assemble and float it to the lighthouse. Once secured, it will restore critical access to the structure so preservation work can continue.

Divers have also completed an underwater inspection to assess foundation damage, and temporary stairs will be installed by Monday to ensure roof repairs--delayed only by rain--can proceed.

"This isn't just a project--it's a living story of care, community, and continuity," said Van Calhoun of Lighthouse Restoration Committee. "Thanks to Keith, and everyone pitching in, we're still on course."

Glenn Wheeler provided Gossips with these pictures of the work that went on today.

Photo: Glenn Wheeler Drone

Photo: Glenn Wheeler Drone

Photo: Glenn Wheeler Drone

Photo: Glenn Wheeler Drone

Happening This Weekend

On Saturday, May 10, the town historians of Columbia County and the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are hosting an open house at the historic Robert Jenkins House, 113 Warren Street, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Remarks by the historians will be followed at 2:00 p.m. by a docent-led tour of the house and its collections.

May 10 is an important date in Revolutionary War history. It marks 250 years since delegates from our area were first elected to the Albany County Committee of Correspondence. Such committees, located throughout the thirteen colonies, were key to organizing local patriotic efforts during the early years of the Revolutionary War. May 10 is also the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga. The two events are connected. The minutes from the meeting of the Committee of Correspondence reveal that the committee had been asked to supply arms for the action at Ticonderoga.

In 1775, what is now Columbia County, was part of Albany County. It was not established as a separate county until 1786. Among the committee delegates are names familiar to us in Columbia County and in Hudson: Ten Broeck, Livingston, Rockefeller, Van Ness, Van Rensselaer, Esselstyn, Hogeboom, Van Aelstyn, Vosburgh, Staats. The committee, established in 1774, initially met every few weeks. After the April 1775 battles at Lexington and Concord, the frequency of the meetings accelerated dramatically. At times, the committee met every few days--which seems remarkable given that communication and travel were considerably more difficult in the 18th century.

For those attending the open house on Saturday, a donation of $20 is suggested to support the ongoing restoration efforts at the Robert Jenkins House.

Happening in June at Olana

The Olana Partnership and Olana State Historic Site announced today the upcoming exhibition What's Missing? Artworks in the Olana Landscape, featuring site-specific installations that respond to missing structures in Olana's historic landscape. Artist Ellen Harvey will respond to Olana's mysterious summer house with an interacive installation titled Winter in the Summer House, and artist Gabriela Salazar will highlight Olana's icehouse and woodshed with two interrelated pieces titled A Measure of Comfort (Cake and Cord). This outdoor exhibition will open on Saturday, June 14.

The following is quoted from the press release received today.

Olana, a New York State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark, is the most intact historic artist's environment in the United States. Its 250-acre naturalistic landscape, which includes architectural and agricultural elements, was designed by Frederic Church between 1860 and 1900. Despite Olana's remarkable state of preservation, several of its structures dating to Church's time no longer exist, or limited evidence has cast a shadow of mystery over their past existence. 

While some buildings at Olana may no longer exist, their stories remain embedded within the historic landscape. For What's Missing? The Olana Partnership commissioned artists Ellen Harvey and Gabriela Salazar to create site-specific outdoor artworks that respond to these missing pieces of Olana's history.

Harvey's project, Winter in the Summer House, will activate the site of the Church family's "summer house," which remains one of the big mysteries of Olana. The structure appears on the historic 1886 "Plan of Olana," but no evidence of its appearance or use exists. Harvey's installation will take the form of a hexagonal enclosed structure constructed entirely of gilded mirrors reflecting views of Olana's landscape and surrounding viewshed. which visitors will be invited to enter. "I want people to experience the Olana viewshed the way that Church did--as an artist, literally framing the view," said Ellen Harvey. "Olana belongs to us all, and this piece is intended to literally and symbolically reflect that. The secret engravings on the inside of the structure are a call-out both to Frederic Church's famous voyage to find icebergs to paint and also to his ecological legacy. He loved nature and the Hudson Valley landscape so much--and I think we all need to be inspired by that or there will be no icebergs left to paint."

Salazar's project, A Measure of Comfort (Cake and Cord), will consist of two interrelated sculptures activating the stone foundations that remain of Olana's nineteenth-century woodshed and icehouse, both located in the historic farm complex. Salazar explores the duality of the structures' former functions and the exploitation of natural resources they embodied, one storing ice for cooling and the other wood for heating. "A Measure of Comfort (Cake and Cord) is a reflection on the relationship of the environment and natural resources to human needs for heat and cooling," said Salazar. "Inspired by and sited on the former foundations of buildings created to store ice and wood for Olana's inhabitants, and referencing both the larger Hudson Valley watershed as well as the heating system within the walls of the historic house at Olana, the two-part sculpture asks the viewer to reflect on how our desires and needs, both for our bodies and as a society, impact and shape the environment."

Through the presentation of these site-specific artworks, The Olana Partnership aims to integrate the artists' interrogations of humankind's ecological impact within the large-scale environment that Frederic Church designed over many years. What's Missing? is free and open to all and will inspire visitors to explore Olana's landscape to discover and experience Harvey and Salazar's respective works within Olana's unique blend of art, design, and nature.

The Olana Partnership will host an opening event titled Art & Landscape at Olana: An Afternoon Conversation and Celebration on Saturday, June 14, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. This will be the first public program at the new Frederic Church Center for Art & Landscape. The afternoon will consist of a conversation between artists Ellen Harvey and Gabiela Salazar, as well as a dialogue between the Frederic Church Center's lead designers at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Architecture Research Office. A reception will follow. More information can be found at OLANA,org/artandlandscape.

Two Mayoral Candidates Weigh In on Dock

Two of the four candidates vying to be Hudson's next mayor submitted comments to the Planning Board about Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations. Joe Ferris shared his letter with supporters on Tuesday night, soon after the public hearing ended. Peter Spear published his letter on Instagram yesterday. 

Gossips shares them both here--Ferris's first; then Spear's.

Dear Chair Joyner,

My name is Joseph Ferris and I live in the Fifth Ward. I'm writing because I believe our city's waterfront is at a crossroads. The waterfront is one of Hudson's greatest assets and should be a place for all who live here and visit to enjoy.

That is why I urge the Planning Board to issue a conditional use permit that makes clear what Colarusso can and cannot do.

These conditions must be in accordance with the existing waterfront development plans and ensure that truck and dock volume do not violate the more than two dozen zoning code ordinances that apply to their operations.

At the heart of these conditions is the need for a cap on truck traffic and barge operation. A permit without an annual truck trip safeguard cap is a non-starter. Without a cap, Colarusso truck volume will continue to surge. They have consistently refused to accept annual limits and refused to provide truck volume data to the Planning Board for years.

The time is now for this board to say enough is enough.

At the Planning Board's March meeting, an initial presentation was made about plans for Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, a green space whose southern edge will border the Colarusso property. This goes along with the park planned at the old Furgary Fishing Village.

As Hudson re-envisions our waterfront, connects it to the rest of the city, and provides our community with spectacular green space, it would be unimaginable to provide the dock owner (Colarusso now, and a new owner should the dock be sold) a blank check.

If the Planning Board approves a conditional use permit with strong conditions, you will help to ensure that the waterfront remains open to all. It will be a vibrant waterfront that will be truly public for generations to come.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this critical issue. I hope this Planning Board will take into consideration the worries of your neighbors and do what is best for all of Hudson.

Sincerely,

Joseph M. Ferris

Anyone for Tennis?

The $8.35 million capital project proposed by the Hudson City School District includes this item: "Reconstruct tennis courts." 

Credit: FreshHistory

The tennis courts at Montgomery C. Smith are an integral part of the historic Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Educational Center, the enormous park and playground built in Hudson during the dark days of the Depression. 

Wanting to remind readers of the historic significance of the site and in particular the tennis courts, I asked Ken Sheffer for help. Who better to inspire people to care about the tennis courts and their history than the man who literally wrote the book on the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Educational Center? In preparation for writing his massive history, Hudson's Heart: The Story of Hudson, New York's "Greatest Deal from the New Deal," Sheffer spent years of exhaustive research, pursuing the intriguing story of how this complex of playing fields came to be. He succeeded in getting the State Historic Preservation Office to determine Livingston Educational Center eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. He also has significant personal ties to the place. In an introduction to his book, written for Gossips, Sheffer shared this memory from this childhood:

When . . . we moved from Union Street to Joslen Place, little did I know I would fall in love with a Chancellor. Mr. Livingston would give me and my family a country club we could not otherwise afford. I often wonder what would have happened to me without those tennis courts and all that came with it.

Sheffer did not disappoint, responding to my appeal for help by writing a piece about the tennis courts called "Construction, Deconstruction, 'Reconstruction' or Destruction--What Is Actually Planned for Hudson's Tennis Center?" That piece can be found here.   

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK

An Embarrassment of Riches

Lance Wheeler's video of last night's public hearing about Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations is now available on YouTube. Click here to view.

Repaving the Way

Yesterday, City Hall announced that over the next two weeks milling and repaving projects will be happening on the following streets: 

• Worth Avenue
• 400 block of Union Street
• 200 block of State Street
• Parkwood Boulevard
• Oakwood Boulevard between Parkwood and Paddock Place
• North Third above State Street
• South Second between Allen and Warren streets

Drivers are advised to seek alternate routes whenever possible.

Last Night's Planning Board Hearing

Karl Frederick Mattson's video for 542films of the Planning Board public hearing on Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its activities at the dock can now be viewed on YouTube. Click here to watch.

Dog in the News

Wrigs, the Hudson Police Department's therapy dog, is the subject of an article in Main Street magazine: "Wrigs has a mission." 

 

Wrigs and his handler, Sergeant Larry Edleman

Breaking News

Tomorrow's meeting of the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has been canceled. The Galvan Foundation has withdrawn its application for the building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street.

Update: Dan Kent of the Galvan Foundation is quoted in an article that appeared in the Register-Star on May 8 as saying, "We are pausing development of 75 North 7th due to macroeconomic uncertainties."

News of the Planning Board Public Hearing

It may have been one of the city's best kept secrets, but tonight's public hearing was in fact livestreamed and recorded. 

The videorecording of the hearing can be viewed here. Better recordings of the meeting--by Lance Wheeler and 542films--will be available soon. 

Of interest, Veronica Concra, the most recent appointee to the Planning Board, was present at the hearing. Ashraf Chowdhury, who was appointed to the Planning Board in February and has yet to show up for a meeting, was not.

After a meeting that went on for close to two hours, the Planning Board decided to close the public hearing but to accept written comments until May 30.