This afternoon, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) held a special meeting and approved the PILOTs and other financial benefits sought by the Galvan Foundation for 708 State Street and 75 North Seventh Street.
In each case, the vote was 4 to 2. Those voting in favor were Tiffany Garriga, Common Council majority leader; Rebecca Wolff, Common Council minority leader; Cheryl Kaszluga, city assessor; and John Cody, representative from the Planning Board. The two nay votes were cast by Heather Campbell, city treasurer, and Richard Wallace, the community representative on the IDA. Mayor Kamal Johnson recused himself from the vote, but, for those attending the meeting on Zoom, it was impossible to hear his explanation of why he was doing so.
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Because Galvan, having locked up the necessary votes to secure their cash grab from Hudson taxpayers, no longer needed his vote.
ReplyDeleteWhat is next? Does SEQR have to be approved?
ReplyDeleteNope. It's over. The Planning Board just has to grant site plan approval. And then, of course, there is the process of getting funding for 75 North Seventh Street from NYS Homes and Community Renewal, but that doesn't involve any city agencies.
DeleteWhile I’m sure I’ll feel the pinch of the additional property tax burden this will create when it comes to fruition (as everyone will, including renters), I’m glad I don’t live on that side of town. My condolences to those that do. The construction, noise, traffic, and lack of parking could be a nightmare. But, sometimes these things are sometimes a reality we must all deal with in the name of progress and the need to create more housing stock to ease demand in a market with little supply.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we’ll see any of our current government officials taking residence in this development in the future [insert thinking person emoji]
Forgot to add my main point (ha, multitasking…)
DeleteWhile development and progress are necessary and we shouldn’t be reactionary NIMBYs, I still don’t understand why they need PILOTs in order to be successful. In this local market, Just about anyone can slap something together and turn it around for a profit. This is just greed and ego, wrapped in the disguise of progressive housing policy.
Exactly.
DeleteIt is called "the Industry of Poverty", where capitalists use state funds and municipal PILOTS to make millions in profits off of the backs of the poor, all guaranteed cash flows for the rich in the guise of doing good.
Deletethis is the Urban Renewal of the 1970s rehashed. Hudson again becomes the more like the South Bronx than the Friendly City it once was.
I wonder if the Planning Board could withold approval for any more Galvan applications until they finish up some projects that were supposed to have started years ago? Seems to me that their past performance should be relevant in deciding whether to allow Galvan to begin new projects.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree, Peter. There are some highly visible Galvan properties that could be great housing - just need to be renovated. Instead, they sit empty and are deteriorating.
DeleteGreedy wins again at the cost of those paying taxes.
ReplyDeleteLet's remember that this hurts tenants who pay taxes indirectly through rent as it does landlords.
DeleteA billionaire owns Hudson .
DeleteI was on zoom and I could hear the Mayor's comments regarding his recusal. He explained that although IDA counsel and other counsel had expressed that they did not think there was any actual conflict of interest in the Mayor's being a tenant of Galvan Foundation, in that he did not in any way stand to financially benefit from the proposed development, the Mayor felt that the controversy sure to be stirred up by those who wished to cast a shadow on this process would be unwelcome. REBECCA WOLFF
ReplyDeleteIf that were the case he should have recused himself from the discussion as soon as he became Galvan's tenant, much less Galvan's tenant in a housing unit with a market value far above his published salary could reasonably afford.
Deletetax breaks for the rich! is your housing justice plan. but its the fourth estate casting the 'shadow on this process'? honk honk.
Deletegalvan 'foundation' - monopoly landlord, rentier capitalist - with some 44 million dollars of property already off the tax rolls in our city. and by the bravery and wisdom of the IDA we'll pay for more warehoused buildings and ersatz renovations rerolled at luxury prices. company town, company store, and yes, our mayors landlord.
NYS’s ethics laws for public officials are notoriously weak. Your own description of the “perceived” conflict is telling: you employ very specific language to narrowly define the scope of the inquiry (“he did not stand in any way to financially benefit FROM THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT” [emphasis added]). That’s such a cramped view of the perceived problem. The proper inquiry should be “given the existing business relationship between the mayor and Galvan viz. the latter being the former’s landlord, shouldn’t the mayor have recused himself from the start?”
DeleteI second Mr. Marston: honk honk to the Hudson “progressives” who stoop to establishment pol lows in seeking to flex their muscles before their intellects.
Chalk up yet another boondoggle from Eric Galloway. He's Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life, only we don't have a George Bailey to stop him. It'll be Galvanville soon, instead of Hudson.
ReplyDeletePeter, I’ve wondered the same. Isn’t it sensible to have a condition of first completing projects that were approved years ago, before yet new ones are added to the roster?
ReplyDeleteWhat a dark day for the taxpayers of the City of Hudson. They will now be burdened with an additional 138 units not contributing to the HSD runaway taxing process.
ReplyDeleteI took a carpetbagger to profit from the reconstruction of the little city that fought so hard to come back from the depression.
This is really depressing. What a shame.
DeleteThe low information commentariat on the usual Facebook groups are celebrating. I just wish they knew how this will effect their taxes and rent down the road. Also wish they understood that most celebrating now will still not be able to afford the market rate apartments and will have slim chances in the lottery for the affordable units.
ReplyDeleteThis is just like when poor and working class people vote for republicans who want to reduce taxes on the wealthy… just in case they become wealthy themselves. You’ve been duped.
Also, I feel the parking issue, while a legitimate concern, is just a red herring straw man distraction to cast opponents as just being NIMBYs. This is a cash grab, plain and simple
ReplyDeleteI really can't understand the Planning Board or the IDA. Can't they see what it is. Don't they pay the slightest attention to the letters? Hudson needs a real Manager and a real Planner. Not Potterville.
ReplyDeleteWhen their elected offices run unopposed, does it matter? They can use all the letters to line a bird cage for all they care. Don’t forget the astroturfing support they bring to public meetings. Only thing that matters is votes, money and lawsuits. Unfortunately
DeleteLet's be clear here. The Planning and Zoning Boards are governed by the City's Zoning Code. They are bound by the provisions of the Code. Don't like the decisions they are forced to make because the Code permits certain uses? CHANGE THE CODE! Betsy Gramkow
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, we can give away millions of dollars in tax breaks, but we can’t find the money or the political will to update the zoning code (or the LWRP or the Comprehensive Plan).
Delete