WTF?

On November 18, the Planning Board concluded the SEQR process for Colarusso's applications for conditional use permits by making a positive declaration. A positive declaration means that the Planning Board found at least one significant adverse environmental impact, and the environmental scrutiny of the project will continue. Gossips reported the decision. The resolution to adopt a positive declaration, which was passed unanimously, can be found here.

Yesterday, Gossips was advised by a reader that, on its website, the Department of Environmental Conservation is listing the action as a negative declaration. Here is the statement as it appears on the website.

Columbia County - The City of Hudson Planning Board, as lead agency, has determined that the proposed Colarusso will not have a significant adverse environmental impact. The action involves an application for a conditional use permit for the transport and shipment of goods and raw materials on a 116 acre parcel of property between the railroad track to the east and the Hudson River to the west, which is located within or abuts the Core-Riverfront Zoning District, the Recreational Conservation District, the Residential Special Commerce District and the Industrial District. The project is located at 175 South Front Street in the City of Hudson, New York.   

The terms negative declaration and positive declaration always seem a bit counterintuitive. A positive declaration means that it has been determined that a project has potential negative impacts, whereas a negative declaration means that it doesn't. Still you've got to wonder how this could happen.

Update: Gossips has learned that Victoria Polidoro, counsel to the Planning Board, is aware of the DEC's error, and it will be corrected.

Further Update: Regarding the error, Planning Board chair Stephen Steim made this statement in an email to Gossips: "The language we submitted for the post clearly said positive declaration. Apparently they didn't copy and paste but rather typed it out, and the person typing it up at DEC made the error. They will re-publish as a correction on 12/15/21." 

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