A Gathering to Talk About Parks
Last month, Gossips announced an initiative to morph the small informal group calling itself the Mrs. Greenthumbs Hedge Fund into a full-blown Hudson Parks Conservancy to support the preservation and enhancement of Hudson's parks.
Since then, a Facebook group has been formed, which now has ninety-two members, and an inaugural meeting has been scheduled to talk about a long-term vision and to explore what immediate projects might be undertaken. That meeting will take place on Friday, October 20, at 6 p.m., in the conference room at the Chamber of Commerce, 1 North Front Street. All those who care about Hudson's parks and want to help maintain, preserve, and improve them are invited to attend.
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I hope that this nascent Conservancy had the wherewithal to submit a public comment on Amtrak's Shotcrete proposal beneath what is likely the nation's 11th oldest park (and the only park I can find which is owned, technically, by a municipal legislature).
ReplyDeleteTo plan is wonderful and fun, but considering the seriously deregulatory climate nationwide, to be worth the effort at all any preservation-minded organization had better be ready for defensive maneuvers straight away. The government to whom it will make its appeals may act slowly, if at all.
Before the October 19th comment deadline for the DEC's Freshwater Wetlands Permit, residents are requesting the City's intervention for an 11th-hour appeal. We seek a pause in a permitting process which is inextricably linked to the applicant's ongoing lawsuit against the City. Moreover, the link was created by the demonstrable negligence (or worse!) of the individual to whom we're meant to send our comments.
Two civic groups have sought the necessary help of City government, but will the City act? Where's the mayor on this? Where's the Common Council? What does the Conservation Advisory Council have to say?
The City has one week in which to challenge the entire permitting process, the tempo of which is driven by the corporate applicant.
When the sh*t flies from every direction, as it's doing right now, we need to stop dreaming and take a defensive stance.
But if the still-forming Parks Conservancy did write a comment about Amtrak's Shotcrete proposal, then I offer my congratulations for a propitious beginning.