Meeting About Seventh Street Park
Tomorrow night, at 6:30 p.m., at 1 North Front Street, there is another meeting about the proposed "re-imagining" of Seventh Street Park, a.k.a. the Public Square. It is expected that Cathryn Dwyre, the landscape architect who is proposing some pretty dramatic revisions to the park, will be presenting her analysis of this public space and its uses.
In public discussions of the park, all that most people seem to want to see happen is the return of the original fountain and a basic editing of the park back to what it was meant to be when it was created in 1878.
Recently, a Gossips reader provided these pictures of a park in Chestertown, Maryland--a community that shares any characteristics with Hudson. The pictures show what our park, edited, might look like and offer evidence that a simple public square with a historic fountain (not surrounded by "pachyderm fencing) as its centerpiece can be a welcoming and enjoyed space in the 21st century.
Photographs from Chestertown provided by Joseph Connelly
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Apparently the funding for this park "re-imagining" would come from a block grant from the state or Feds or whatever. So I assume that will entail no cost to the city. I do wonder however, as to whether obtaining funding for this project, might compromise the ability to get funding for other projects, based on the concept that each locality only gets so much money over a given period of time, before being maxed out. Does anyone know? I ask, because to me, the park is quite satisfactory as it is. No doubt the park could be made "better," but given the other pressing needs of this city, I have trouble viewing this as a high priority project myself, unless the money is essentially "free," coming from elsewhere, with no downside aspect to it. Just my opinion.
ReplyDelete@ Steve Dunn--The grant application for this project has already been submitted, accompanied by Cathryn Dwyre's conceptual redesign. It was not a Community Development Block Grant but rather a Consolidated Funding Application in the category of Parks. Hudson's CDBG application this year was for $600,000 for "sewer separation activities" in the vicinity of North Front Street. http://gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com/2014/06/considering-grant-applications.html
DeleteThank you Joe Connelly for your photos that demonstrate quite clearly what the profound effect could be , with a few and feasible changes to 7th St.Park .The original fountain Venus statue,though in need of repair ,is in a DPW garage. There is so much talent in Hudson,I am sure she could be brought back to her fountain. Underneath cement layers,on original paths, I have seen Belgian -looking block exposed ,from time to time. We certainly have access to bricks .I would prefer starting simply with the obvious eyesores , then letting the parks growing needs dictate what needs to be provided, improved, rather than one or a few persons vision and completed design ,being imposed. Just in the last 2 weeks ,we now have a new Farmers Market in the 7th St Park...that wasn't considered ,in the Grant generated design. Not to negate all of that design.We certainly need some Professional landscape supervision in all of our Parks and Public outdoor spaces. Again ,Hudson has a wonderful pool of local talent, to hire from.
ReplyDeletePlease bring our beautiful old fountain back
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't have to become a money dumping ground to make it a simple pleasure once again. Just edit what doesn't belong, respect the big trees, replace the asphalt walks and cement benches with organic ones and restore the water feature of auditory delight. That's all it needs to polish her up again.
ReplyDeleteVincent is spot on. I agree completely.
DeleteI would like to add... the Seventh Street Park was designed in the Classical Fashion. Classical as in Classics as in time proven.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to it in the 70's was a sin. Trying to reinvent and make "fresh" only to become "stale" 50 years later.
Not unlike the present urge to plant those flowering pear trees. Pretty in the spring but dead 50 years later. Just go to Gt. Barrington to witness their removal. That town lost 50 years of growth to REAL trees that could be becoming giants of shade and comfort right now instead of replanting ... yet again.
The present proposal to reinvent the park - yet again - is the same deal.
One can be creative in all the pocket parks or other places but please let the Seventh Street Park regain her timeless honor.
imho
Again, Vincent is spot on.
DeleteThe pocket parks could be so much better and 7th could be restored.