Sea Level Rise and Riverfront Park

On Saturday, the proposed plans for adapting Henry Hudson Riverfront Park for the anticipated sea level rise brought about by climate change were on display, appropriately, in the park, and people gathered to review them and share their questions and comments about them. 

Two alternative plans have been developed. Both plans move or eliminate Water Street to make the site of the Dunn warehouse contiguous with the rest of the park, and both plans see the three parcels north of the Dunn warehouse as part of the park rather than the site of commercial or residential development.  

Kaja Kühl, who headed up the design team for the project, told Gossips in the email:

Climate change will severely impact the Hudson waterfront as sea levels rise. Without a plan for adapting, Hudson is projected to lose a significant portion of its waterfront park between 2050 and 2080, and even more by the year 2100.

This climate-adaptive design (CaD) project is developed for the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, in collaboration with the NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell, with funding from NEIWPCC.

Climate-adaptation projects are a priority of NYSDEC's 2021-2025 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda Target: By 2030, all high-risk waterfront communities have a climate adaptation plan and are implementing innovative strategies to adapt their waterfront to flooding, heat, and drought associated with rapid (medium high or high) climate change through the end of the century.

The goal of the project is to hand over to the city a design that increases community resilience to sea level rise and climate change, enhances habitat value and reduces impacts of flooding. The goal is also that the design derives from a robust community engagement process and reflects both current and future needs of the community.

On May 14th, team members of the Hudson Valley Collaborative shared drawings of different design alternatives for the park and sought input from community members to identify priorities. This event constitutes the midway point of the design process. A final design and report--essentially a roadmap for the City of Hudson to move forward--is anticipated in September with future engagement activities and presentations to be scheduled during the summer.

An online survey that seeks input on the proposed designs can be accessed here. The survey includes images and drawings of what is being proposed. Gossips encourages readers to take the time to complete the survey.

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