The "Latest Iteration" of the Senior Center

At Monday night's informal meeting, architect Jane Smith of the architectural firm Spacesmith presented what Common Council president Don Moore called the "latest iteration of plans" for the proposed senior center. Smith stressed that the building was still in "schematic design" and talked about the thinking behind the design. She explained that the goal was to impact the existing historic buiding as little as possible and to design "a light, airy structure that is complementary to the existing structure." She described the materials to be used as "simple, authentic Hudson materials"--clapboard, wood, clerestory windows, a standing seam metal roof--and called the design "simple, pure architecture of this time."

Smith said that a model, showing the new building in the context of existing buildings, and realistic renderings of the proposed building would be presented to the Historic Preservation Commission, but given the time constraints, that might not be possible. According to city attorney Cheryl Roberts, there must be a recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission before the State Environmental Quality Review can be done. She referred to a schedule that presumably had been worked out in February. Smith responded by saying that typically a project was presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission for approval before the final design was done, and it was the final design that was presented to the Historic Preservation Commission for approval.

Although Roberts made reference to a schedule for moving the project forward, David Voorhees, chair of the HPC, who was in the audience, was unaware that the project was expected to be presented to the HPC at its meeting this Friday, April 13. He pointed out that because there was a vacancy on the commission and two members had to be absent on Friday, there would not be a quorum and suggested that the HPC might have to schedule a special meeting on April 20 to review the project. 

There was also a question of extending the funding for the project. The funding expires at the end of August 2012, and the project obviously cannot be completed by that time. John Duchessi of The Grant Writers reported that the draft of a letter requesting an extension was now being worked on, but he was confident that the City will be granted an extension.

Karen Smith, whose house on Union Street is immediately adjacent to the Youth Center and the proposed new senior center, spoke for herself and her neighbors when she expressed concern about light from the new building flooding her backyard at night and noise from the building's mechanicals being disruptive. Jane Smith explained that the intent was that the light emanating from the building would have a much more residential feeling than the fluorescent light that now escapes from the building and pointed out that the mechanicals were positioned so that the building itself would muffle the sound.

Alderman Ohrine Stewart (Fourth Ward) was less than sympathetic. Not allowing Karen Smith to finish what she was saying, Stewart said that she lived on Columbia Street and had to deal with light pollution from the parking lots that surround the county office building at 325 Columbia Street and noise pollution from the truck route. She concluded by saying, "We all need to work together," but the implication seemed to be that Smith should stop complaining and suck it up. At which point Alderman Wanda Pertilla (Second Ward) said, of the thirty-four seniors who currently participate in senior programs, "They deserve it."

After the senior center presentation, the Common Council went into executive session to discuss the police contract and those tantalizing "real estate matters."