Down Memory Lane

At Tuesday night's Common Council meeting, during the discussion of the resolution authorizing Councilmember Margaret Morris to send a letter to the NYS Department of Transportation requesting changes to the truck route, Councilmember Ryan Wallace (Third Ward) suggested that, since most of the trucks passing through Hudson where going from one point in Greenport to another point in Greenport, and Greenport elected officials seemed unwilling to discuss solutions to the problem, Hudson residents and public officials should "show up en masse at a Greenport Town Board meeting," to demand cooperation and change. This suggestion brought me back to my own experience on the Common Council. 

Back in 2006-2007, the Greenport Planning Board was considering a proposal from Widewaters for the retail center now known as Greenport Commons--where Walmart, Lowe's, Kohl's, and other big boxes are located. In January 2007, I, then serving as an alderman representing the First Ward, introduced a resolution urging the Greenport Planning Board to issue a positive declaration on the project, thus triggering a full SEQRA review. The full text of that resolution follows and can be found here in the minutes of the Common Council.

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A FULL SEQRA REVIEW OF THE WIDEWATERS SHOPPING MALL PROPOSED FOR THE TOWN OF GREENPORT

WHEREAS, a proposal for a 565,000 square foot shopping mall to be constructed by the Widewaters Group on Route 9 is currently before the Planning Board of the Town of Greenport; and

WHEREAS, this shopping mall expects to draw customers from a twenty-mile radius of its proposed site on Route 9 near Joslen Boulevard; and

WHEREAS, all traffic traveling to the site from the south and the west across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge must travel by way of Routes 9 and 9G and pass through the City of Hudson; and

WHEREAS, the increased traffic from the trucks making deliveries required for such a retail facility will have significant negative impacts on the quality of life in the City of Hudson, as well as on the city’s infrastructure and its historic buildings; and 

WHEREAS, the cars for shoppers and employees will also significantly impact traffic in the City of Hudson, particularly on Green Street and Harry Howard Avenue and other arteries in the City seen to be “shortcuts” to the site;

and WHEREAS, the traffic study done by The Widewaters Group is inadequate because it studies only a small area of Route 9 immediately adjacent to the proposed site and was done in late August when traffic is traditionally the lightest;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Hudson, finds that the traffic impacts from the project are likely to have a significant impact upon the City of Hudson, its infrastructure, historic buildings, and quality of life, and therefore recommends and requests that:

(1) the Planning Board of the Town of Greenport issue a Positive Declaration under SEQRA and direct the applicant to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement; and

(2) the City of Hudson be listed as an “interested agency” in the SEQRA review.

The minutes of the Common Council also record the vote on the resolution.

Ayes: President O’Brien, Aldermen Judd, Osterink, Sterling and Thurston. (908) Nays: Aldermen Donahue, Hughes and Shook. (556)

Back in the day of the weighted vote, 1,011 affirmative votes were required for a resolution to pass. Needless to say, the resolution failed, a full SEQRA review was never done, the Widewaters project was approved, and we in Hudson live with the consequences. Had the resolution passed, who knows? It probably wouldn't have made any difference at all, but then again, it might have.

COPYRIGHT 2O23 CAROLE OSTERINK