Ear to the Ground

Gossips has learned that the CGS Group collaborated with the mayor's office on the grant application for NY SWIMS, and the plan is that the municipal/community swimming pool will be located on the northern part of the Dunn Warehouse site. 

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Governor Hochul Announces NY SWIMS

The news has already been reported on WAMC and on Facebook, but following is quoted from Governor Kathy Hochul's website:

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced nearly $150 million in capital grants have been awarded to fund 37 projects in underserved communities across the State as part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative . . . .

The historic $150 million NY SWIMS investment to support pools in underserved communities is New York's biggest investment in swimming since the New Deal. The program provides grants between $50,000 and $10 million to help municipalities design, construct, rehabilitate, or modernize public swimming facilities, with a focus on supporting disadvantaged and underserved communities that lack access to safe swimming and outdoor recreation opportunities. Applications were evaluated on characteristics of project need, impact and viability. In addition to various costs to develop swimming areas, a portion of NY SWIMS grants can be used to add amenities, including splash pads, concession stands, picnic areas and playgrounds. . . .

Hudson is one of the grant recipients. This information, too, is quoted from the governor's website.

City of Hudson – ($792,649) Waterfront Public Pool: The City of Hudson will construct a municipal public pool at the scenic Hudson River waterfront. The pool will be designed to be fully accessible to persons of limited mobility and adjacent to a concentration of public housing projects in the city.

Although apparently the City had to apply for this grant, the announcement of the award is the first the public has heard of it. The idea of a pool raises a few questions. Where at the waterfront will a pool be built? The plans for the Dunn Warehouse presented by the CGS Group almost a year ago included an outdoor pool. Will this $792,649 be used for that, or are we talking about a different plan for an outdoor pool?  

Given the sad fate of the splash pad in the newly refurbished playground at Promenade Hill, which was brutally vandalized, there is another question: How and by whom will the pool be staffed and maintained?

Hudson in the Times Union

A story that Gossips reported on June 5, "Hudson's 'New, Exciting Commercial District,'" was picked up by Roger Hannigan Gilson and made the front page of today's Times Union: "Developer scraps affordable units after losing state tax credits."

There's not much in the article that Gossips hasn't already reported, but there is this. There's been some speculation about the vote on Galvan's application to the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) for tax breaks for the market rate building given that two of the seven members of the IDA board--Mayor Kamal Johnson and Randall Martin, who serves as proxy for Theresa Joyner, chair of the Planning Board--are tenants of the Galvan Foundation and thus appear to have a conflict of interest and should recuse themselves. Gilson's article addresses that, at least as it relates to Johnson. The following is quoted from the article:

Mayor Johnson is a member of the IDA and will be voting on the tax breaks despite being a Galvan tenant. Though he recused himself from the IDA vote for tax breaks on the first apartment block, Johnson said he had consulted with the city attorney and will most likely not recuse himself this time, since there is no financial benefit from his participation, he said.

Mark Your Calendars

Friends of the Hudson Area Library are having a Book & Bake Sale two weekends from now--from Friday through Sunday, September 13 through 15.

The following is quoted from the press release announcing the event.

New and gently used books of all genres, as well as clothing patterns, puzzles, CDs, and DVDs, will be available at reasonable prices. Back by popular demand, the sale will also feature chocolate bars from Vasilow's Confectionary and a selection of delectable home-baked goods. . . . 

Both the Kinderhook and Hudson Friends are holding book sales the same weekend. Visitors to either book sale will receive a coupon for a free book at the other book sale site. . . . Cash, checks, or credit cards will be accepted at both library sales. All proceeds will benefit programs and services at both libraries.

Another Project from The Spark of Hudson

Another project of The Spark of Hudson was announced today on Facebook: HudsonNest, communal housing for healthcare students. 

Some sleuthing in the tax rolls found that in July 2021, The Spark of Hudson acquired the building at 548 Warren Street for $1.75 million. The retail space in the building had for years been occupied by Theron Ware Antiques. In recent years, the second and third floors had been operated as an inn or guest house. Now the upper two floors have been redeveloped as communal housing for students enrolled in local healthcare programs.

The following information about the program can be found here, as can the application form for the program. 

HudsonNest is a communal housing program for people enrolled in local healthcare programs. This program takes place in a two floor residential space on Warren Street in Hudson with seven suites and en suite bathrooms. There is a communal kitchen and living space, and there is a resident’s assistant who lives in the space who graduated from Columbia Greene and currently works as a Registered Nurse in Hudson. 

This program is offered by The Spark of Hudson to provide significantly subsidized housing for students aiming to work in these critical healthcare positions locally. In addition to the below market rent--just $150 per month which includes utilities and high speed internet--our hope is that we can relieve the financial burden on local students so that they may thrive.

We also hope that providing a communal housing situation for people enrolled in a similar program at the same place will promote collaborative support in terms of academics, transportation, meal sharing, etc.

Selected applicants will have the opportunity to live in a newly renovated suite for up to two years while they are enrolled in a healthcare program. We welcome applications from both full-time and part-time students; but maintaining enrollment in at least two courses is required for this housing program.

The Promise of More Food in Hudson

Last November, the Albany Business Review published an article about the plans for the former Kaz site behind The Wick Hotel: "'Dream project' would transform site near Hudson train station." At that time, there were thoughts of bringing the Hudson Farmers' Market to the site to "build a space around them," but the Hudson Farmers' Market was happy with the spaces they currently occupied—the parking lot at the corner of Columbia and Sixth streets for most of the year and the Elks Lodge on Harry Howard Avenue in the winter months.

Today, a different partnership was announced that would bring food--a new retail grocery store--to the location. What follows is the press release that made that announcement:

Hawthorne Valley Farm Store and Nice and Weird LLC (N&W LLC) are thrilled to announce their partnership to explore the potential of bringing a new retail grocery store to the South Bay of Hudson. The envisioned project involves transforming the Kaz site, at 14 Montgomery Street, into a vibrant 16,000 square foot retail and community space complete with a dedicated parking area to support nearby businesses.

Transforming Spaces, Enriching Communities

Under the leadership of Ben Fain, Nice and Weird LLC boasts a remarkable record of accomplishment of revitalizing derelict sites and turning them into bustling community hubs, including the well-known Kitty’s Market and Restaurant, Grapefruit Wines, and recently opened The Caboose Hudson, as well as additional properties in Catskill, NY. 

A Vision for Sustainable Community Growth

Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, a beloved part of Hawthorne Valley Association since the 1980s, has flourished in Harlemville as a natural foods retailer. Committed to serving and enhancing the community socially, ecologically, and economically, this new venture aligns perfectly with its mission. 

Innovative Plans for a Net Zero Building

While still in the initial planning stages, the proposed project aims to construct a Net Zero building featuring a 12,000 square foot retail space with an additional 4,000 square foot community space. This initiative will also bring many new jobs to the City of Hudson. 

Voices of Enthusiasm for the Project

“This project will transform these formerly underused buildings into a vibrant community resource and a year-round destination for our community,” said Fain, President and CEO of N&W LLC / owner of the nearby sister businesses (Kitty’s Market and Restaurant, the Caboose, and Grapefruit Wines). “We are so excited to expand this little corner of Hudson, to bring new businesses and opportunities to the historic waterfront and DRI BRIDGE District, and to fulfill the promise of expanded food access in the neighborhood, bringing the incredible, farm-fresh offerings of Hawthorne Valley to enrich and nourish our community. We couldn’t have done it without generous support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) and the New York State Department of State (DOS), and we are so grateful to have received NYSERDA support through the Carbon Neutral Community Economic Development program, now known as the Building Cleaner Communities Competition, in 2023; an ESDC Restore NY Communities Initiative Round 7 award in 2022; and funding from DOS through Hudson's Downtown Revitalization Initiative to help us reimagine and rehabilitate this incredible site,” he added.

“We are excited to partner with Ben and N&W LLC on this project to bring a grocery store to Hudson,” says Jeremy Laurange, Hawthorne Valley Director of Retail & Enterprise Development. “Ben is passionate about reducing our environmental impact and bringing beauty into living spaces, both of which are values that we hold dear at Hawthorne Valley. We are equally enthusiastic about the potential this project has for us to support our community partners in Hudson more fully, including Rolling Grocer which plays a crucial role in supporting food access and promoting local agriculture.” 

For more information, please contact Uzay from Nice and Weird LCC or Sushannah from Hawthorne Valley.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Here we are, at the beginning of the final week of August. The heavy meeting week of the month is over, and there's very little happening in the week ahead.

• On Monday, August 26, there was a special Planning Board meeting scheduled, but it's been canceled.
• On Tuesday, August 27, the Common Council ad hoc Parking Study Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. It's possible the meeting will yield more information about the plan to implement paid parking on all of Warren Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.  

• On Wednesday, August 28, the final Waterfront Wednesdays for 2024 takes place at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. The historic racing sloop Eleanor will be there for an evening that spotlights local artists. The events at the waterfront begin at 5:00 p.m. and continue until dusk.

• Also on Wednesday, August 28, the Common Council ad hoc Truck Route Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The committee hasn't met for a while, so it's hard to predict what topics might be discussed. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The meeting of the ad hoc Truck Route Committee meeting has been postponed. When it will be rescheduled is not known at this time.
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The Other Kearney Project

On Wednesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals held public hearings on Mill Street Lofts and State Street Lofts--both projects being proposed by Kearney Realty & Development. There were many people present at the hearing to comment about the buildings proposed for Mill Street, and Gossips has reported what they had to say. No one was there, however, to comment about the building proposed for the lot at the corner of North Fourth and State streets. Since I was there, and I have serious concerns about this building, I decided to share my concerns with the ZBA. I will try to recall what I said off the cuff on Wednesday night and repeat it here.

I expressed my concern about density and all the variances needed, having to do with lot coverage. In order to accommodate 24 apartments, the building needs to take up nearly all of the lot. According to the Schedule of Bulk and Area Regulations for Residential Districts, the project requires 7,200 square feet of useable outdoor space--300 square feet for every unit. Kearney wants to reduce that to 1,200 square feet. The useable outdoor space apparently is the little trapezoid in the lower right corner of the site plan (below) labeled "Outdoor Seating Area with Benches." 

What may be most disturbing about the design for this building is that the "front" of the building is not on State Street or on Fourth Street but rather on Long Alley. The entrance to the apartment building and the entrance to the commercial space are both from Long Alley and are located behind a row of ten angle parking spaces—one reserved for the building manager and four designated as handicapped parking spaces.

Unfortunately, although this building will be across the street from the historic Hudson Almshouse, which is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a locally designated landmark, is half a block away from the locally designated North Fourth Street Extension to the Warren Street Historic District, will be visible from Warren Street and the Warren Street Historic District, and is on the Fourth Street Transept, a important feature of the city's original urban design, the site is not actually in a historic district. As a consequence, the Historic Preservation Commission, whose input regularly helps proposed buildings evolve into something more in keeping with Hudson's authentic historic architecture, will not be called upon to opine on the design or the orientation of this building.  

The Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board are the only regulatory boards that will be weighing in on this building.

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DePietro on The Gossips of Rivertown

In the same interview on WGXC on Thursday in which he disparaged Mark Allen's satiric video about the sidewalks of Hudson (he later retracted his statements, saying he was thinking of a different video), Tom DePietro, Common Council president, gratuitously attacked The Gossips of Rivertown, while trying to avoid actually mentioning its name. The same guest who spoke of Allen's video brought up the subject of the haul road and referenced a piece of misinformation that he hadn't read on Gossips. He didn't cite his source. Nevertheless, DePietro responded by saying: "The most frustrating thing about being involved in local politics is it runs on rumor, and if you read that disgraceful blog … you'll see that it's full of rumor, especially the comments, the people who comment on it … just like they'll say anything, and there's no correction. It's not … look, it's called Gossip, and it is gossip because it's not verified … and it's not factual." 

You can hear the entire exchange here. It begins at 1:05:38. You'll know when it's over.

Mill Street Residents Speak Out

On Wednesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on the proposed Mill Street Lofts. The project requires three variances: to build four-story buildings in the R-4 District, where three stories is the maximum permitted; to reduce the size of parking spaces from 10 x 20 feet to 9 x 18 feet; and (this was a new variance requested at Wednesday's meeting) to have less than the required amount of "useful open space" on the site.

At Wednesday's ZBA meeting, the available seating in the Council Chamber at City Hall was filled with residents of Mill Street. They expressed concerns about flooding, describing the flooding that already occurs on the street and sharing their fears that development on what is now a grassy field would exacerbate the problem. Pauline Kelsey, who said she has lived in her house at the corner of Mill Street and Second for fifty years, said the excavation involved in creating Charles Williams Park in 2008-2011 made the flooding on her property worse. Joel Funk said water in his basement had ruined the furnace and predicted that "trying to divert water [from the proposed site] will destroy the property of the people already there." Lisa Johnson said in heavy rain events a river formed along the street, large enough for kids to tube on. Lakia Walker explained that the field currently absorbs water in heavy rain events. A commenter who said he was a volunteer fireman who had pumped out the basements of houses on Mill Street many times declared, "I don't want to see this street destroyed." 

Mill Street on December 18, 2023--Photo courtesy Lance Wheeler

Traffic on Second Street and Mill Street was also something that was mentioned by several commenters. Kelsey talked about the increased traffic on Second Street since the dog park opened in 2019, although she said she liked the dogs and welcomed the presence of the dog park. She also mentioned the tractor-trailers that, ignoring the designated truck route, regularly roll past her house, bound for Harney Tea. She also talked about how in winter, when the City is doing snow removal, dump trucks loaded with snow come barreling down the hill, headed for the spot on North Second Street where DPW dumps the snow. Speaking of the traffic on Mill Street itself, Funk predicted it would triple if the project were built.

The residents also talked about parking, indicating that parking is already a challenge for the current residents, who often own more than one vehicle. Because of the narrowness of the street, parking is currently allowed on only one side of the street. The proposed building would have 70 units and only 56 offstreet parking spaces. As a consequence it is feared there will be more people seeking to park on the street, not to mention the anticipated traffic to Charles Williams Park when the improvements proposed by The Spark of Hudson are realized.

Residents expressed concern about emergency vehicles accessing the street, saying that trucks now coming onto the street have to back up to get off the street because it is not possible for them to turn around. The same is true for emergency vehicles. It was also pointed out that emergency vehicles cannot now get through when the street is flooded.

The most poignant testimony came from a young man who told the ZBA he had grown up on Mill Street, in one of the houses built by Habitat for Humanity. Putting the lie to the notion expressed by Cassondra Britton, legal counsel to the Planning Board, that the Charles Williams field had never been used for recreation during the forty years it was owned by the City of Hudson, he recalled how the only argument in the neighborhood during his childhood was over whether cricket or soccer would be played on the field. "People on the street became a family," he said, "because no one wanted to bother us." He spoke of his parents' hard work and the joy of getting the house, allowing their family, which included his grandmother, to move out of the one-bedroom apartment where they had been living. He told the board that his parents, who still live in the house, love and take pride in their home.  

The question of how the deed restriction requiring the land to be used as a park or for recreation had been lifted was raised several times, including by Linda Mussmann, who represents the Fourth Ward on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. One commenter suggested "they pulled some shenanigans" to make that happen. (How it happened is explained in this post: "Nothing Is Forever.")

That the proposed building will destroy the character of the street was the theme that ran through most residents' comments. Johnson lamented that their beautiful green field is already "all torn up." A young woman who had recently moved to Mill Street called it "the most neighborly place I have ever lived." One resident characterized the street, which has no sidewalks, as a "strolling street," and another called it "a safe route for bikes, pedestrians, and dog walkers." (Mill Street is part of the Empire State Trail.) It was also pointed out that the density of the proposed project was so great that there was no room for landscaping. Mussmann summed up the project as "too much, too big."

Some residents questioned the veracity of the parking and traffic study commissioned by Kearney Development, one of them attesting that the monitoring for the study had been done between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. 

The desire of all who spoke was for the ZBA to deny the variances. Whether they will or not is yet to be seen. The ZBA cannot act until the Planning Board has completed its environmental review.

At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Planning Board failed to get enough affirmative votes to issue a negative declaration on the project. Whether the Planning Board intends to hold another special meeting to consider the matter before their regularly scheduled meeting on September 10 is not known. On Wednesday, Kearney representatives asked the ZBA to hold a special meeting on September 11 or 12 to vote on the variances. The assumption seemed to be that when the full Planning Board met on September 10, the project would get its desired negative declaration, and the ZBA could vote on granting the variances. They were told, however, that the ZBA chair, its legal counsel, and other members of the board could not accommodate their request. They would have to wait until the ZBA's regular meeting, which will take place on September 18.  

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Ear to the Ground

As readers may know, Common Council president Tom DePietro does a radio show on WGXC every Thursday afternoon. On yesterday's show, a guest brought up Mark Allen's latest satiric video, Are Hudson NY's Sidewalks Safe for NYC Hipsters?--a video Gossips linked to a few weeks ago. What DePietro had to say about the video was captured in an Instagram post by Allen this morning. Click here to access that post. 

Update: This evening, Tom DePietro responded to Mark Allen's post, claiming he was thinking of a different video about Hudson's sidewalks and promising to address the complex issue of solving Hudson's sidewalk problems on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" on Thursday, August 29, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

Of Interest

The restoration of a significant building in Hudson is the subject of an article that appeared today in the Albany Business Review: "Financing the Pocketbook Factory." 

Photo: Donna Abbott-Vlahos|Albany Business Review

The article reports that the cost of the restoration has nearly doubled since 2021 when the project was first announced, going from $25 million to roughly $45 million. To meet the increased costs, the project is taking advantage of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act that President Biden signed in March 2022, which reauthorized the program for five years. The program allows qualified foreigners to invest in new commercial ventures in the United States. The investment must be at least $800,000, and it must create at least ten permanent full-time jobs. In exchange, investors can get a temporary green card for themselves and for each unmarried family member under age 21.  

The renovation of the Pocketbook Factory is expected to be completed in another year.

Dusk on the Waterfront

The picture below was taken at 8:10 p.m. yesterday. It shows diesel-powered tugboats pushing barges into place at Colarusso's dock, while Waterfront Wednesdays was winding down in the adjacent city park.

It's likely the Planning Board will soon resume its consideration of a conditional use permit for Colarusso's dock operations at the waterfront. We can only hope they bear images like this in mind and give serious consideration to the negative impacts of enabling the intensification of industrial activity on the waterfront.

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Mill Street Residents and Mill Street Lofts

Theresa Joyner, chair of the Planning Board, has on a few occasions made self-congratulatory statements about how the Planning Board listens and protects the interests of Hudson residents. It happened when Walter Brett had concerns about the boutique hotel proposed for the old Elks Lodge expanding into the space behind his house. It happened again when residents of the Boulevards expressed their opposition to the apartment building proposed for Fairview Avenue, on land abutting their homes. For some reason, she doesn't seem to be feeling the same solicitude when it comes to the residents of Mill Street who are worried about the impact of a 70-unit apartment complex on their narrow little dead-end street.

Yesterday afternoon, the Planning Board held a special meeting, the purpose of which was to discuss the eighteen questions that comprise Part 2 of the Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF) and then vote to make a negative declaration. Only five of the seven members of the Planning Board were present (Joyner, Gene Shetsky, Bettina Young, Gini Casasco, and Ben Forman), but the number was sufficient to take the action proposed. The available seats in the Council Chamber were filled, primarily with residents of Mill Street, who often found it difficult not to protest some of the statements being made.

Cassondra Britton, legal counsel to the Planning Board, led the board through the questions on the FEAF, each time suggesting the appropriate answer. It was acknowledged there would be impacts from the proposed project on surface water (Question 3). ground water (Question 4), and on flooding (Question 5). The site is in a flood plain after all. It was also acknowledged there would be potential impacts on plants and animals (Question 7). The site is the habitat of three endangered bat species. Britton told the board that, in the interest of the bats, the applicant intended to postpone any tree removal until the bats had begun their hibernation, which is expected to happen in November. (Bats hibernate in the ground.) Gossips visited the site this morning and discovered that some kind of excavation on the site has begun, possibly relating to soil testing. Residents of the street reported that, in the process of whatever work is being carried out, trees are being knocked down.

In the review of the FEAF, most interesting were the items Britton suggested would have no impact. One that evoked a response from the audience was the determination that the proposed project would have no impact on open space and recreation (Question 11). The proposed project would fill what is now an open space--a playing field--with two apartment buildings and a 57-space parking lot. It will be remembered that when ownership of this parcel, which had been the playground for Charles Williams School, was transferred to the City of Hudson in 1983, it was done with the expressed intention that the land be used as a park and/or for recreation. If that did not happen, ownership would revert back to the school district. People who grew up in Hudson remember that the men's softball league played its games on that field. Justifying her No impact response regarding open space and recreation, Britton claimed, "There is no history of it being used by the City for recreation since the City acquired it in 1983." If that were actually the case, the school district should probably have reclaimed it long ago. 

People who live on Mill Street can attest that the lot has been and is used as a playing field. If City recognition of the lot as a recreational area is needed, here's one documented example. In 2009, when there were complaints about people playing soccer in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Mayor Rick Scalera suggested this field as an alternative site. As reported in the Council minutes for August 18, 2009: "[Scalera] stated the Charles Williams Field was maintained and could be utilized an an alternative for the waterfront park."

Another FEAF answer that provoked a reaction from the audience was No impact in response to Question 13, regarding impacts on traffic. The developer commissioned a parking and traffic study that concluded: "Thus, the Mill Street Lofts development traffic is not expected to cause any significant impact in overall operation. In addition, the 50 parking spaces proposed on the site will sufficiently accommodate the anticipated parking demand for the Project." That study can be found here. Despite what the study claims, it's hard to imagine this narrow, dead-end street accommodating 57 cars coming and going from a 70-unit apartment complex.

And what happens when the planned improvements to Charles Williams Park proposed by The Spark of Hudson are realized, bringing even more people to this quiet little street? At one point in the discussion yesterday, a resident of the street asked the Planning Board members: "Have you ever driven down there?" 

Perhaps the most insensitive No impact response was that to Question 18: Consistency with Community Character. Mill Street is a row of single-family homes--some very old, others quite new. In fact, a new house was constructed on the street within the past year. Five of the houses--houses built by Habitat for Humanity in 2006--are one-story. The others are two-story. Mill Street is unique in Hudson, part of the city but yet separate from it and quite different in character. In 2017, the residents of Mill Street opposed siting a dog park in Charles Williams Park, worried it would negatively impact their neighborhood. Among their concerns then was "increased traffic on our quiet street." 

Looking back, the dog park, which today is happily sited a block or so away from Mill Street, would have been a minor change to the neighborhood compared with having 70 new households on their quiet street of just eleven homes. A resident of the street told Gossips this morning that he valued stepping out of his house in the morning and seeing green space and trees. Replacing that with four-story buildings and a parking lot will be a huge alteration in the character of the neighborhood. At a recent meeting of the Planning Board, a Mill Street resident lamented that he had purchased his house on Mill Street believing the land around him would always be preserved for parks and recreation and now that has changed.     

In defending the notion that the proposed project would have no negative impact on community character, Britton argued that the area was zoned R-4, and the zoning allows four-story buildings, if as that alone were a measure of compatibility with the neighborhood. She was actually wrong about that. The project is now before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) seeking an area variance to build four-story buildings because three stories is the maximum height permitted in the R-4 District. The ZBA is holding a public hearing on the project tonight at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. 

When it came to voting on issuing a negative declaration, three of the five members present (Joyner, Shetsky, and Casasco) voted in favor of the negative declaration, and two (Young and Forman) voted against. Four affirmative votes were needed. (A negative declaration is a determination that a project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment and does not require an Environmental Impact Report.) The developer wanted that negative declaration to happen before the end of August so they could apply for state funding for the project. It is not clear what will happen next.

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Value Engineering and HHA

The redevelopment of the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) properties as currently proposed is expected to cost $220 million. After reviewing the proposal, "the state," which probably means NYS Homes and Community Renewal, advised that the cost of the proposed project was too high and changes should be made to bring down the cost.

At last night's meeting of the HHA Board of Commissioners, Eu Ting-Zambuto of Mountco, HHA's development partner, discussed value engineering. She told the board that the current plan had two cost drivers: subsurface parking and steel and concrete construction. The subsurface parking is planned for Site B, the area on the north side of State Street. Ting-Zambuto explained that Site B, because of its topography, lends itself to subsurface parking. Abandoning the plan for subsurface parking would mean not utilizing Site B to its full potential and would also move parking onto Site A, eliminating the green space. For this reason, they were not pursuing the notion of eliminating subsurface parking as a means of reducing costs, because, as she said, people have "overwhelmingly embraced the idea of hiding the parking and overwhelmingly embraced the idea of green space--even people who have objections to the design itself."

The cost driver Mountco decided to focus on is construction materials. Steel framing and concrete is significantly more expensive than wood framing, but if a building is more than five stories, it must be constructed with steel and concrete. The buildings being proposed are of varying heights but two of them are seven stories. Were all of the buildings to be no more than five stories, they could be wood framed, and the cost could be reduced by 10 percent. (The building currently being constructed by Baxter Development and Galvan--Hudson Depot Lofts--is primarily wood framing.)  

In the original plan, Buildings B1 and B2 would be constructed in Phase 1. Building B1 is seven stories, and Building B2 is five stories. The plan was then to move the current HHA tenants into the new buildings and demolish Bliss Towers. Reducing the height of Building B1 would eliminate 28 apartments, so there wouldn't be enough room for all the tenants in the new buildings. As a consequence, Mountco is proposing that another building be included in Phase 1: Building A1. This building would stand along the western edge of Site A. Its construction would require the demolition of the "low-rise" buildings, Columbia Apartments, but it could be constructed while Bliss Towers remains standing. Reducing the size of Building A1 to five stories would result in the loss of 12 apartments.

Making all the buildings no more than five stories so they can be constructed with wood framing instead of the more costly steel and concrete would result in the loss of 40 units in these three buildings and in the overall project. (Apparently, all the other buildings are already five stories or less.) According to the new plan, the entire HHA project would create 260 units instead of 300. 

Among the advantages of the new proposal, in addition to reducing the cost, would be that Phase 1 would create 160 units instead of 138. The 110 households currently living in HHA housing could be moved into all three buildings, along with new tenants with incomes between 50 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), thus avoiding a "concentration of poverty" and also ensuring that there would be sufficient revenue from rent. The revised plan would also improve the parking ratio. With the original plan, the parking ratio was 40 percent--in other words, there would be 40 offstreet parking spaces for every 100 units. With the revised plan, the parking ratio would be 74 percent. 

It is not known if the Board of Commissioners will accept the proposed revisions or not. In the past, board members have mandated that the plan create as many units as possible, but they may be willing to reconsider that mandate given the exorbitant costs and the recommendations from the state. The board's decision regarding the value engineering proposals will likely be discussed at the next HHA meeting, which takes place on September 16.

At last night's meeting, the board agreed, at the request of Jeffrey Dodson, HHA executive director, to create a Redevelopment Committee to meet regularly with the representatives of Mountco. The committee is limited to three members, less than a quorum of the board, to avoid having to hold their meetings in public. The members of the new Redevelopment Committee are Claire Cousin (chair), Rebecca Wolff, and Nick Zachos, with Revonda Smith as an alternate.

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No Gain Without Loss

A perusal of the schedule for the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) project now known as being called "Hudson Streetscapes" reveals that every part of the project involves tree removal.

We've been assured that new trees will be planted, but in the meantime, we are losing many mature trees. A tree near the corner of Warren and Second streets came down yesterday.

Photo: Kim Bach

It is not known how long that tree had been there. It may have been planted soon after the brick pavers on Warren Street were replaced with cement sidewalks at the beginning of the 21st century. It may have been planted as long ago as Urban Renewal, back in the early 1970s. The picture below shows the tree as it was in 2014, already then a mature tree. 

But whenever it was planted, it's gone now.

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Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

In every month, there is one week that is chockablock with meetings. For the month of August, this is that week.

• On Monday, August 19, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissions meets at 6:00 p.m. As always, the meeting may be an opportunity to learn more about HHA's development plans. At the very least, it may provide confirmation of the "Open House with Work Session on Green Space" that was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 17, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Tuesday, August 20, the Planning Board holds a special meeting at 3:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to review the Environmental Assessment Form and make a negative declaration on Mill Street Lofts, the 70-unit apartment project proposed for the land on Mill Street that used to be Charles Williams Field. The meeting will take place in person at City Hall. It is not yet known if the meeting can be accessed remotely. 

Update: The Planning Board's special meeting will be in person only at City Hall.

• Also on Tuesday, August 20, the Common Council Finance Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes a number of things of interest, including the resolution authorizing the purchase of payment stations to be used on sections of Warren Street that do not currently have parking meters. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Check here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, August 21, the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting includes public hearings regarding area variances requested for Mill Street Lofts and State Street Lofts. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

• On Thursday, August 22, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, the Public Works Board, tasked with implementing the Sidewalk Improvement District, has its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Friday, August 23, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK

Special Meeting and Public Hearing

Gossips has reported on the Planning Board's concerns about density and the effects on the health, safety, and welfare of community of traffic created by the 30-unit apartment building proposed for Fairview Avenue, adjacent to the section of the city known as "the Boulevards."  

So far, the Planning Board has not voiced similar concerns about the proposal to build a 70-unit apartment complex on former park land located on a dead-end street lined with single-family homes and across from a city park. Of course, that may change, but somehow it doesn't seem likely.

On Tuesday, August 20, the Planning Board is holding a special meeting at 3:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to review the Environmental Assessment Form and make a negative declaration, determining that the project will not significantly impact the environment, so that Kearney Realty & Development can apply for state funding. (Applications are due at the end of the month.) In discussing when the special meeting could be scheduled, Theresa Joyner, who chairs the Planning Board, said of the project, "It's very important."

On Wednesday, August 21, at 6:00 p.m., the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is holding public hearings on the 70-unit project proposed for Mill Street, known as Mill Street Lofts, and the 24-unit project proposed for the corner of State and Fourth street, known as State Street Lofts. 

Mill Street Lofts requires two variances. The first is to construct four-story buildings in the R-4 zoning district, where the maximum permitted height is three stories. The second is to reduce the dimensions of the parking spaces from 10' x 20', which is specified in the city code, to 9' x 18'. When the application for the variances was submitted to the ZBA, it was accompanied by this letter from Mayor Kamal Johnson. 

State Street Lofts requires six variances, five of them having to do with lot coverage and usable outdoor space and one to reduce the size of parking spaces from 10' x 20' to 9' x 18'. The application for each variance was accompanied by a letter from Johnson, which contains the same language and message as the letter about Mill State Lofts. 

It will be remembered that both these buildings are part of a project initiated at the beginning of 2022 by City government.

COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK