The City, HCSD, and Charles Williams Park

On September 15, the Register-Star published an article and an editorial about Hudson's urgent need for affordable housing and the need for the Hudson City School District to "OK" the use of a portion of the former Charles Williams playground as the site of a proposed affordable housing project. On September 18, Gossips published a post on the subject, which clarified what the actual issue was between the City and HCSD.   

Today, HCSD issued a press release meant to bring more clarity to the issue.

New stories and social media posts have mentioned the City of Hudson's intent in using vacant land for affordable housing. The property being considered is a portion of the former Charles S. Williams Memorial School. The Hudson City School District Board of Education would like the community to be updated about the full story and latest developments.

In late August, the Board of Education's attorney notified the Board about the City's intent to use this land for affordable housing. The Board immediately instructed its attorney to learn more about the situation and investigate the ownership and history of the property.

Land records showed that the City of Hudson owns the land, which was given to the City by the School District in 1983. That transaction included a restriction that the land be used for "park and recreational purposes only"--and that any other use would return ownership of the property to the School District. The land, while not an official park, has been used by the community for informal recreation. Softball fields once on the property no longer exist.

The Hudson City School District Board of Education certainly agrees that the City of Hudson needs additional housing. The Board has told the City Administration that it would welcome an official outline of the City's plans for the land, as well as an official request to remove or change the "park and recreational purposes only" restriction. To date, however, the City has not provided an outline or issued that official request.

These details are required so the Board of Education can determine what legal steps are needed for the property to be considered for other uses, including housing. The Board of Education cannot simply "OK" a City request, and the Board and/or the City cannot simply withdraw or ignore the "park and recreational purposes" clause. That restriction in the 1983 deed must be legally addressed before a housing plan can move forward.

Another fact to consider is that the New York State Constitution forbids public entities from giving gifts unless there is a public benefit. In this case, the City plans to sell the property to a developer, The Kearney Group, which would build the housing. Such a sale to a developer does not qualify as a public benefit, so the land must be sold for a fair market price.

Other issues that would require attention:

• The land is in a flood zone, meaning that there is a high risk of flooding during heavy rain.
• What costs would the School District potentially have if families move into the additional housing and increase enrollment in our schools?

The Board of Education looks forward to communicating with the City and is committed to weighing options in the best interest of the community and the children of the City of Hudson.

HCSD need not be concerned about parcel being sold for a fair market price. The resolution passed by the Common Council in January 2023 indicates that the combined appraised value of this parcel and the lot at the corner of North Fourth and State streets is $419,000, and the two properties are to be sold to Kearney for $420,000.

The question of the impact the development could have on school district enrollments and costs is quite another thing. One wonders if the school district, which recently "right-sized" itself into just two buildings, has any idea of how much affordable housing is being considered for Hudson--138 units proposed for the "Depot District," more than 300 units being contemplated by the Hudson Housing Authority, and an untold number of units in the buildings being proposed by Kearney for this site and the lot at Fourth and State. How many of these units, all of which will be receiving some level of tax subsidy, will be inhabited by families with children needing to be educated in the Hudson City School District? What impact will that have on the school district's capacity and budget?

Update: Mayor Kamal Johnson has taken issue with the press release from the HCSD Board of Education and published a statement responding to it on the City of Hudson website. That statement can be found here.