Hudson Sunday Morning . . . and Afternoon
According to Gossips research, Oakdale Lake was created in the summer of 1915, but others have declared this year to be the artificial lake's 100th anniversary. Gossips won't quibble. Whether 100 or 101 years old, it needs some TLC. And this weekend, it will be getting it.
This Sunday, May 22, Hudson FORWARD, Village Dodge, and Columbia-Greene Media are sponsoring the Oakdale Lake Community Cleanup, to get the lake "spiffed up" for the summer, and volunteers are needed. Everyone willing to lend a hand is asked to meet at the beach house at 10 a.m. (Parking is available next to the beach house.) Bring work gloves and sturdy trash bags. Kids 8 years old and older are welcome to help, if they are accompanied by an adult. Click here to let folks know that you are ready and able to help out.
Later on Sunday, another of Hudson's open space resources will be getting some attention when Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton hosts a public conversation--an "outdoor open house"--about North Bay.
This is the meeting that was supposed to take place on May 1 but had to be rescheduled because of rain. The plan for the meeting is to bring together various community groups for an exchange of ideas about North Bay and the surrounding area. The discussion will include how to utilize the former Furgary Boat Club, ways to open access to the river for kayaking and fishing, the Columbia Land Conservancy's plan for the North Bay Recreation and Natural Area, and other concerns and proposals for this part of the city.
The mayor is expected to make a brief presentation, after which those attending can circulate and speak informally with representatives of the Columbia Land Conservancy, the Waterfront Advisory Steering Committee, and other groups.
The meeting takes place at 1 p.m., outdoors, at what was once the Furgary Boat Club, where North Front Street meets Dock Street.
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Columbia Land Conservancy's plan:
ReplyDeleteQuestion; when the lady has the whim to get real high, and river access is cut off, who will do rescue up in the bay?
Even when the river doesn't rise, there are other feasibility issues in the land conservancy's 2011 plan which the public has never had a formal opportunity to comment on.
ReplyDeleteFor years I've argued against a proposed, wooden observation tower at the base of the landfill, but my only opportunity to broadcast a warranted caution was in comment threads at Gossips.
The conservancy never stopped to think that the structure will be vandalized, just like the trailhead kiosk and bench midway between the landfill and the high school. These charming objects are now nearly destroyed, and the observation tower will suffer an identical fate by a thousand cuts.
As a likely spot for all sorts of illicit activities, graffiti and vandalism to the proposed tower will steadily rob it of all its innocence, until it's a comfortable hangout for the crime element only.
Now you've got an ugly and scary place which repels the general public, which also adds to the general headaches of the HPD.
About a decade ago, just outside of Troy, in Lansingburgh, a riverside recreation and conservation trail was established. It started out as a very nice idea, but eventually the trail was dominated by a frightening element, and the public stopped using it. As a result, a run-down area which was actually used by the public got a face-lift, and then became a no-go area.
So even though what happened in Lansingburgh could never happen in Hudson (eye roll), for my first opportunity to comment on the conservancy plan since 2011, albeit informally, I'll say the same thing to City and conservancy alike. When trying to anticipate the unintended negative consequences of wonderful-sounding plans, LESS IS FREQUENTLY MORE.
In their efforts to promote access, our servants have restricted the DEC's prescribed end uses, fishing, recreation and commerce.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, they separated old friends to do so. There is no way to make new old friends and some of us will never again gather at North Dock but our kids and grandkids should not be replaced by tourists.
Or in the parlance of the State's Coastal Policies, "Water dependent activities shall not be considered a private nuisance, provided such activities were commenced prior to the surrounding activities and have not been determined to be the cause of conditions dangerous to life or health and any disturbance to enjoyment of land and water has not materially increased" (Policy 2).
ReplyDeleteThe WASC should learn the Coastal Policies by heart. Everything issues from the 44 Coastal Policies, and all planning must satisfy them in the end.