Ear to the Ground

At its January meeting, the Common Council tabled for more investigation and discussion a budget amendment to pay $10,801 to the Galvan Foundation for four years of the senior center's share of the utilities at the Galvan Armory. The story was reported last week in the Register-Star: "Hudson to pay back $10k in utility expenses for senior center." In the article, Dominic Merante, councilmember for the Fifth Ward, expressed concern about lack of oversight at the senior center, noting that Nea McKinney, Commissioner of Senior Services, did not regularly report to the Common Council. Mayor Kamal Johnson explained that the utilities had not been paid since 2021 because the invoices had been sent to the personal email address of a former senior center employee. The identity of that employee was not revealed. He defended McKinney's failure to report to the Common Council by saying that commissioner was a volunteer position and McKinney had a full-time job.

Yesterday, McKinney resigned her position as Commissioner of Senior Services, maintaining that she was unaware when she accepted the position that it involved anything more than programming and publicity.    

The powers and duties of the Commissioner of Senior Services are defined in § C27A of the City Charter. Commissioners are appointed by the mayor and receive an annual stipend of $1,000.

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Another Public Meeting about Charter Change

The Citizens' Initiative for Charter Change will hold a second community gathering on Wednesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at Saint Florian, 342 Warren Street.

Those who missed the previous meeting and those who have more questions or comments are encouraged to attend. The petition will be available for signing that evening. Anyone who wishes to sign the petition but cannot make the meeting on February 12 can request "home delivery" at hudsoncharterchange.com, and a volunteer will contact you.

How It Was Meant to Look

Today, Mikey Williams posted this historic picture on the Facebook page "Hudson NY Historical Society." It shows 617-619 Warren Street as it was originally intended to be, back when it was a F. W. Woolworth's.

Compare its original symmetrical design, with two entrances, to the building we have today.

Fortunately, the Art Deco wall above the ground floor survived the alterations made to the storefront.

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The City's Final DRI Project

In the spring, it is expected that Hudson Connects, the City's biggest, most expensive DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) project will be completed. 

Attention is now turned to the final DRI project, the one that has been neglected thus far because no one thought enough money had been allocated to accomplish it: Repurpose Historic Fishing Village as a City Park. 

In 2024, Starr Whitehouse, the landscape architecture firm tasked with the design of the new park, made two presentations to the Common Council about what's being proposed for the area known alternatively as the Furgary Boat Club, Shantytown, and the Shacks. (Starr Whitehouse is the same firm that designed the new entrance to Promenade Hill and is working on the restoration of Seventh Street Park.) 

Today, the "Furgary-Shantytown Park Vision Plan" was made available on the City of Hudson website. Click here to access the document.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Here we are in the second month of 2025. Elon Musk has access to the Treasury Department's payment system, and the country is in a trade war with Canada. Meanwhile, here is what's happening in Hudson.

• On Tuesday, February 4, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 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.
• On Wednesday, February 5, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency meets at 9:30 a.m. No agenda for the meeting is available, but two possible topics of discussion are the Galvan building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street and the adaptive reuse of the Crescent Garage at Warren and Eighth streets. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  

• If you're free in the middle of the day on Wednesday, February 5--2.5.25--and can get to Albany, you can join the march at our state capitol. More information about the march can be found here.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, the Common Council Legal Committee has a meeting. At the last meeting of the Council, it was decided that, rather than vote to enact the proposed law regarding harassment of City officers and employees, it would be tabled. The law is likely to be a topic of discussion at the Legal Committee 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 Thursday, February 6, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on the law raising the lodging tax in Hudson from 4 percent to 5 percent. The hearing takes place in person only at City Hall.
• Also on Thursday, February 6, the Columbia County Housing Task Force meets at 4:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, the Public Works Board holds its monthly meeting. At its last meeting, the board discussed how property owners will get credit for repair or replacement work already done on their sidewalks. No decisions were made, so it is expected the discussion will continue at this 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. 

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Who You Gonna Trust?

Yesterday, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. Meanwhile, in Michigan, Woody the Woodchuck made the opposite prediction: "Bye-bye, winter blues. Michigan's official groundhog predicts an early spring."

Photo: Santino Mattioli | MLive 

Unlike Punxsutawney Phil, who had to be plucked from his burrow by his handler, Woody emerged from her den voluntarily. Woody, who has been forecasting the weather on Groundhog Day since 1999, has an accuracy rate of 65 percent. By comparison, in the past ten years, Phil has been right only 30 percent of the time. 

I'm goin' with Woody.

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Whatever Can Go Wrong . . .

It's 5 degrees out. About an hour ago, Punxsutawney Phil, reluctant to leave his burrow but doing so anyway, saw his shadow, thus dashing our hope for an early spring.

That's the least of the bad news we've heard so far this year. And we're only on the thirty-third day.

More Attention to Mill Street Lofts

Gossips has been posting about the bad idea that is Mill Street Lofts for several months now, but it seems only recently to have gotten on the radar of the Register-Star. Today, the paper published an article on the subject by Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon: "Mill Street residents speak out against planned housing project." 

The article is made up primarily of information provided by two Mill Street residents: Jack Hornickel and Lakia Walker. One bit of information contained in the article that has not already been shared on Gossips is this, brought to the reporter's attention by Hornickel:

In the Affordable Housing Development Plan report, prepared for the city by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress in 2021, the land was found to be good for single-family or two-family housing developments.

The report suggested that five to 10 single- or two-family homes would work on the site. . . .

The report referenced can be found here. The specific information is found on page 53. It is of interest that the Affordable Housing Development Plan mentions Mill Street as a possible site for developing "owner-occupied homes for first time buyers."  

Because Lakia Walker is on the Hudson City School District Board of Education, she might have been able to shed some light on the process by which HCSD and the City came to the agreement that HCSD would drop the "reverter clause" in the 1983 deed to the property in exchange for half the proceeds from the sale of property to Kearney Realty & Development Group, but apparently she wasn't asked about this. The first step in foiling this bad idea would have been keeping the reverter clause in force.

The residents of Mill Street aren't the only ones speaking out about this proposal. Recently, Jason Foster, who served as Public Works Commissioner from January to September 2024, submitted a letter to the Planning Board. Foster resigned as Commissioner of Public Works at about the same name as his wife, Susan Vernovage Foster, resigned from the Planning Board. Vernovage Foster was the only person on the Planning Board to vote against making a negative declaration in the SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) process for this project--a negative declaration signifying that there is no substantial evidence that the project could result in significant adverse environmental impacts.

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

The following is quoted from Foster's letter which was sent to the Planning Board last week: 

[T]he Mill Street affordable housing project . . . is a City of Hudson initiated project. However, the City's partner Kearney Real Estate and Development Group is the only party that appears at your meetings. I think that it would be responsible for City of Hudson representatives, who are proponents for this project, to answer some questions about issues that go beyond the borders of the lot.

I wonder why this proposed design covers so much of the site footprint. I believe that the answer lies in the funding. The concept called for 100 scattered housing units within the City. Hudson bundled three properties in their affordable housing plan/application, Rossman Ave., State and Fourth St., and the Mill Street parcel. The effort would require Mill Street to fit 70 units on this site. This is a backward means of determining what to build on a lot.

The current design cuts into the hillside, placing portions of each building below grade. This is not an insignificant detail. The retaining walls required to accomplish this would be tall, expensive and susceptible to water infiltration. I have seen floor plans which seem to represent higher floors above the retaining walls, not the subgrade floors. Windows are shown in areas that would be underground on lower floors. Requirements for natural light, ventilation and emergency egress will be harder to achieve if living floors are on the same level as retaining walls.

You have discussed the flood plain on and adjacent to this parcel, and it sees understood that the field will be filled in to raise the grade above the flood plain level. The developer appears to have chosen to cut soil from the hillside and use it to help fill the low parts of the field. The sitework for this project will be intensive. Retaining walls appear to be quite tall, and will need to be over-excavated to install waterproofing and drainage. Many more trees will need to be cut down than are implied on the renderings.

Many of the concerns about this project are just beyond the property lines. The flood plain should be shown on project plans. The Planning Board is familiar with Hudson River flooding from their review of the Colarusso Haul Road. The City is familiar with flooding from a recent study done by Scenic Hudson of rising water levels at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. The reports predict 2½ feet of rise in water levels by 2050. This will affect the project site. The intersection of 2nd and Mill Streets is approximately 8 feet above sea level. In 2024, the Mill Street neighborhood was flooded to approximately 10 feet above sea level. These numbers correlate to the analysis of the Haul Road and the rising sea level study at the waterfront park. Kearney stated that they will drain their site well but not improve the situation west of the property, as the size of the drainage pipes downstream at the intersection were smaller than those they would install onsite. This is a concern that the City should resolve. Regardless of drainage, when large regional rain combines with high tide Mill Street is still likely to flood. This issue will get worse over time as shown in the Scenic Hudson report. . . .

I ask that the Planning Board give this project the same review process of any other brought before them. We can accomplish affordable housing goals without ignoring so many issues. The City has chosen to ask you to consider the height variance for this project rather than the Zoning Board of Appeals. Variances are used to bypass defined zoning codes. Zoning codes are used to define and unify neighborhoods and are only bypassed in unique circumstances that have little impact. The responsibility was taken from the ZBA, because it was anticipated that the variance would not pass.

In the 2025 State of the State address, Governor Hochul asked that cities develop 50 affordable housing units in the next three years. Between Mill Street, State Street, Rossman Avenue and redevelopment by the HHA (Bliss Towers) Hudson is taking on a larger burden for affordable housing (possibly 200 units) than the Governor is asking. Developers don't need to be allowed to maximize construction on every site. There are economic and political forces pushing for a larger development than fits in this neighborhood. . . .

It should be noted that Kearney seems to have abandoned the plan to build on Rossman Avenue. What was proposed for that site were two attached houses, each with an additional rental unit, that were intended for affordable homeownership.

Regarding the number of rental units being proposed, Hudson has already fulfilled Governor Hochul's request for 50 new units with the 64 units soon to be ready for occupancy at Hudson Depot Lofts, 76 North Seventh Street. Intended for households with incomes of between 80 and 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), those 64 units qualify as "affordable." Add to that the 20 units with income caps in the building proposed for the other side of the street, there will be 84 affordable rental units in Galvan's Depot District. 

In addition to the 70 units Kearney is trying to get built on Mill Street, there are 24 more at State Street Lofts, the building proposed for Fourth and State streets, for a total of 94.

And then there's the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA). The total number of units being proposed by HHA is kind of a moving target. If pressed, Jeffrey Dodson, HHA executive director, would probably say, "We'll build as many as we can." Currently, their proposed Phase 1 would create 160 units, 50 more than the number of households currently residing in HHA buildings. Phase 2 would add another 100 units, but what has never been made clear is how many more units would be constructed on the parcels HHA intends to buy from HCDPA (Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency): the lot at Second and Columbia (now a community garden) and the lot at Warren and Front (now an Urban Renewal Era park). 

If everything now proposed is built, there will be 328 more "affordable" rental units in Hudson than there currently are, perhaps even a few more, and 81 new market rate units--55 at 75 North Seventh Street (the other Galvan building) and 26 on Fairview Avenue. That's a total of 409 new rental units in Hudson. Given the average size of a household in the United States is 2.5 people, that would be a population increase in Hudson of more than a thousand. None of what's planned, however, provides any new opportunities for homeownership.

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Ear to the Ground

The race for Common Council president appears to be heating up. Gossips learned today that Claire Cousin intends to run for the position of Common Council president, joining Dominic Merante and Margaret Morris.

Cousin was appointed to the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners by Mayor Kamal Johnson in 2020, and she continues to serve in that position. In 2021 and 2023, she attained the position of First Ward supervisor, each time running unopposed. Last year, she unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Didi Barrett to be the Democratic candidate for the 106th Assembly District. In December 2024, Cousin resigned as First Ward supervisor because she was moving from the First Ward, where she lived in a house owned by Galvan, to the Fifth Ward.

The news that Cousin is planning to run for Common Council president raises the question of whether Tom DePietro intends to seek a fifth term in that position.

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UPDATE: Here's the word today (Saturday, February 1, 5:10 p.m.) from the Hudson Wail. 

Five hours ago:

Forty-five minutes ago:

What's to Become of JLE?

In October, Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) announced it would not purchase the abandoned John L. Edwards School (JLE) for the purpose of redeveloping it as a community space. The press release making the announcement explained:

The outcome of their investigations of the various systems, structure, and building conditions revealed serious and extensive environmental issues. As a result of these findings, the HDC board of directors has determined that it is not financially feasible for the organization to proceed with the purchase of the property in its challenged condition. The major concerns requiring attention are mold, asbestos, and 10,000 gallons of fuel oil in a buried tank.

A letter submitted to the Hudson City School District (HCSD) Board of Education documented the problems discovered with the building during HDC's due diligence, many of which are the result of poor stewardship.

The plumbing system is very compromised as the system was shut down but not winterized to keep residual water from freezing in pipes, causing many breaks in the lines. As a result, plumbing infrastructure will have to be evaluated throughout the whole building for viability.

Over time, the heating system was compromised as parts were taken for use in other buildings, rendering the JLE system inoperable. With critical parts missing, the existing HVAC system cannot be "turned on" for testing. Engineers have evaluated it in its current state as unusable and recommend its removal.

As the building was not heated for five years, there is significant black mold on walls on the lower floors and in the stairwells and on handrails.

Given the findings of HDC's due diligence, it would seem we have a giant white elephant in the middle of our city. (JLE was built in 1964 and has been vacant and for sale since 2018.) But there may still be hope. At the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meeting last week, Mike Tucker reported that he had been contacted by three developers interested in the building. At the HDC meeting earlier this week, Chris Jones, president of the HDC Board, reported that she too had been contacted by people interested in the building. In her comments about the building, Jones indicated that the cost to demolish the building had been estimated at $8 million.

In another bit of news, which may or may not be relevant to this story, the mayor recently appointed a new Commissioner of Public Works. The previous commissioner, Jason Foster, resigned the position in September 2024. A new commissioner is Tyler Kritzman. According to a Gossips source, Kritzman has been the Facilities Director at HCSD for about five years. The HCSD website, however, gives his title as "Head Maintenance Worker."

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A Me & Mini Me Footnote

Earlier this month, architect Walter Chatham, representing the Galvan Foundation, submitted a plan to the Historic Preservation Commission to build a garage/apartment structure behind 123 Union Street that is a miniature replica of the house in front. The proposal will be the subject of a public hearing on Friday, February 14, at 10:00 a.m.

In justifying the plan to replicate the original house in the design of the accessory building, Chatham maintained that it was a common phenomenon in the South to have an outbuilding that was a miniature version of the main house. (The same argument was used to justify the two houses of different proportions Galvan built on Willard Place.) Chatham admitted he had yet to find any examples of this practice in the North.

By sheer coincidence, this photograph of an octagonal house in Homer, NY, popped up on Facebook today, on a page I follow called "Upstate New York in Pictures." Note that behind the octagonal house is an octagonal carriage house that more or less replicates the main house.

I wonder if this example will be presented as evidence that replica outbuildings were a "thing" throughout the country in the 19th century.

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The Hazards of Being "Gossips"

I have made no secret of my support for the current citizens' initiative for charter change. I have been advocating in one way or another for more professional governance of our city for quite a few years. As I noted in my post introducing the initiative back in November, "An Idea Whose Time May Have Come," in 2007, I undertook a small research project designed to test if there were advantages to having a city manager. I recall telling Michael O'Hara, who in 2007 was running for mayor, that I thought one of his goals, were he to become mayor, should be to advocate for a transition to a city manager/council form of government. I had similar discussions with Rick Rector when he was mayor.     

Despite being quite honest and upfront about my position on the issue of charter change and my support for the current initiative, I received the following email this morning from someone identifying him/herself only as "The Hauntsman" and "A Neighbor."

Good morning Ms. Osterink.

I have been diligently reading the many articles you have written and links you've shared regarding the attempt at changing Hudson's charter. I understand that you have encouraged your readers to sign the petition, and vote for the change should it make the ballot. That is, of course, fully within your rights. However, there are other viewpoints being expressed--in writing--by our friends and neighbors that you have not (yet) shared. I don't know if this is simply because you are unaware of them, so here are links to two op-ed pieces; one published in the Register-Star last week, the other posted to IMBY (written by Peter Frank) just yesterday.

https://www.dailygazette.com/hv360/opinion/hudson-government-editorial/article_18c4ed88-da9f-11ef-bc59-d360d5859bf2.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIIUaZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUTjArGivQFkadQSne7V67cNmXRJKCI0FWyRbdQtJQWR_NhVTcmLrPig8A_aem_PFQUoULbLLLFG5GAmMN9_Q

https://imby.com/post/159442?fbclid=IwY2xjawIIUbBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfHfoJD2UPSQ4jldNATReo_GFKKLNheyOG4PqJIt0cRJWINV7IqUlWBJzQ_aem_-s-hhsa1Ejf8Bd6TGHJq4w

Now that you are aware of them, I wonder if they will be posted on your blog. I am increasingly confused as to whether you yourself consider Gossips to be "journalism" in the more formal sense; many of your readers seem to, or at least they do when it suits them. I have not noticed you dissuading anyone from the notion, which of course is not your responsibility, but your writing style (the third person "Gossips," suggesting that it is more or other than just you) muddies those waters. One thing that proper news sources do is provide information that they themselves may not necessarily agree with about stories they're covering, as the mandate is to inform the public. Perhaps you feel this urge, perhaps you do not. We shall see.

In the meantime, I will be letting our neighbors know that you have received these links directly. If these articles do not appear on Gossips, we will know that it was not an oversight, but a pointed decision.

Best,

A Neighbor

For everyone's information, I read the editorial in the Register-Star when it was published and saw no reason to link to it. Peter Frank sent me his opinion piece yesterday evening, and I had not yet decided what I intended to do with it when I received the anonymous email early this morning. For those who want to criticize me for not highlighting the links in the reproduced email in color as other links on Gossips are highlighted, I tried to put them in color but for some reason the platform would not allow it. I have, however, confirmed that they do work. For those unclear about the relationship of Gossips to "'journalism' in the more formal sense," I recommend you listen to my interview with Mat Zucker on Cidiot. It's Cidiot Episode 107.

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The Acquisition Continues

In November, Gossips reported on the situation with Crosswinds, which at that point was coming to the end of its 15-year period of compliance for the tax credits used to finance the construction of the development: "The Hydra in Our Midst." 

Today, Gossips learned that the legal battle surrounding the sale of the apartment complex has been settled, and ownership will be transferred to Galvan Housing Resources. Tenants received this memo informing them of the change of ownership. 

The memo assures tenants that "the Low-Income Housing [Tax] Credit Regulatory Agreement governing the property and its rent restrictions will remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the change of ownership." Gossips has learned from a reliable source that the rents for all tenants at Crosswinds was recently increased. An internet search revealed that, under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, rents can increase annually by 5 percent or two times the percentage change in the national median income, whichever is higher.

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Of Interest

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in today's Times Union that Marc Molinaro, our former congressman, is expected to be appointed by Donald Trump to a position in the federal government: "Marc Molinaro in line to lead Federal Transit Administration."

About the Other Depot District Building

The building at 76 North Seventh Street is nearing completion and is expected to be ready for occupancy in July 2025. The 64 units in the building are being marketed on the Hudson Depot Lofts website as "an exceptional portrait of living" and "a unique fusion of style and sophistication." 

In the world of affordable housing speak, this building offers "workforce housing" for households with incomes of 80 to 130 percent of the area median income (AMI).

Last week, the plans for the second Depot District building, 75 North Seventh Street, came before the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) seeking a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other tax benefits. It will be remembered that this was to be the low-income building in this Galvan development which was originally to be "mixed income." The opportunity to finance the building with state money was lost when Galvan demolished the three houses on the site before funding had been secured for new construction. Now what is being proposed is a 75-unit building: 15 units will be reserved for households with incomes less than 80 percent of the AMI; 5 units for households with incomes less than 130 percent of the AMI; the rest of the units will be market rate.

This chart from Galvan's application to the IDA shows the proposed rents for the units in this building--those for households with incomes up to 80 percent of the AMI and market rate. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Galvan is seeking a twenty-year PILOT for this building. In presenting the proposal, Dan Kent of Galvan spoke of "urgently needed housing" and argued that the risk to investors was greater because Hudson was not a major metropolitan area and "in order to get investors to take the risk, they need to see an appropriate return." BJH Advisors, the consultants hired to do a financial review of the application, determined that the project could support a shorter PILOT and are recommending the length of the PILOT be fifteen years not twenty. (The building across the street, 76 North Seventh Street, has a twenty-year PILOT.) Charles Millar, who is the community member of the IDA, asked, "Is the project viable without the assistance of the IDA?" Kent answered simply, "No."  

Margaret Morris, who as Common Council majority leader serves ex officio on the IDA, spoke of a matrix for assessing the actual cost to the city of new development, considering the costs associated with increased population. She also noted that the building is to be more than 70 percent market rate, commenting, "It's not so clear why there needs to be public investment."

The next meeting of the IDA takes place on Wednesday, February 5, at 9:30 a.m., at One City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Surprising as it may seem, we are coming to the end of January. There is not much happening in terms of meetings this week, but here's what there is.

• On Monday, January 27, the Common Council ad hoc Truck Route Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• Also on Monday, January 27, the Town of Stuyvesant Planning Board meets at 7:00 p.m. It is expected that the Planning Board will tonight make a determination on the controversial "agritourism" project proposed for Sharptown Ridge. What the proposed project currently involves is a family residence with an attached guest residence, a horse arena, a greenhouse, garden beds, a distillery, ten accessory dwelling rental units, and 134 parking spaces. The meeting takes place in person only at Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, in Stuyvesant.
• On Tuesday, January 28, the Common Council ad hoc Parking Study Committee meets at 6:00 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. 
• On Sunday, February 2, at 2:00 p.m., the African American Archives of Columbia County and the Hudson Area Library host a presentation about the Jan Van Hoesen house by Fergus Bordewich and Ed Klingler: "If This Old House Could Talk."

It is now thought that the early 18th-century house, one of the most significant historic sites in Columbia County, located on Route 66 beside the Dutch Village Mobile Home Park, was once the home of Quaker abolitionist Charles Marriott and was a station on the Underground Railroad. The Van Hoesen house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In the nomination for the listing, respected local historian Ruth Piwonka wrote: "The Jan Van Hoesen house is one of approximately seven brick dwellings that survive from the first half of the 18th century and that represent a colonial architectural style unique to the Dutch community of old Albany County during that period.” Sunday's event examines specifically the house's ties to the Underground Railroad movement.

The event takes place in person only in the Community Room at the Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street. For more information, click here. To register for the event, click here.

Update: This event has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 9. 

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Hecate Is Back

Last year, in February, the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) denied the Hecate Energy's application for the Shepherd's Run Solar Project. In December, Hecate reapplied to the ORES, this time proposing a slightly smaller facility at the same location. The current situation is described at length here.

Photo: Deb Hall, Copake

The site of the proposed solar project is in the Taghkanic Creek Watershed, the source of Hudson's water supply. In October, the Common Council passed a resolution asking that the Hecate application be deemed incomplete "unless and until Hecate can provide evidence that the construction of Shepherd's Run, and once constructed, the presence of Shepherd's Run, will not negatively impact the Taghkanic Creek Watershed, or the water quality in the City of Hudson."

The public comment period on Hecate's current application is now underway. Public comments can be submitted here. Click on "Submit Comments" in the blue box at the upper right. Type your comment. Check both the "I'm not a robot" and "I understand the purpose of public comments . . ." boxes. Then click on "Post Comment" at the bottom of the page.

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Ear to the Ground

Gossips has gotten word of another candidate considering a run for Common Council President: Margaret Morris, who has represented the First Ward on the Common Council since 2022 and is currently Common Council Majority Leader. 

Morris is one of the hardest working and most effective councilmembers. She chairs the ad hoc Truck Route Committee, and it was her tenacity that brought to light the fact that the second truck route through Hudson, the one that enters the city on Route 9G and Third Street, is not a legal necessity. Morris has protested the County's purchase of 11 Warren Street for office space, questioned the Planning Board's seemingly preferential review of Mill Street Lofts, and is currently involved in the effort to get the powerlines for EV chargers to be installed in the parking lot at the Columbia County courthouse routed in a manner that does not deface a neighborhood that includes many of Hudson's finest historic houses.

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Report on the Public Gathering

Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon's report about Wednesday's public gathering to learn about and discuss the proposed charter change has now been published: "Citizens' group hosts meeting to present Hudson city government changes." 

Photo: HudsonCharterChange.com

Food News

The Albany Business Review reports today that Brenton Young, the owner of The Meat Hook at 322 Warren Street, has purchased the diner on Warren Street which was most recently Grazin': "Hudson diner building sold to local business owner who plans new restaurant." 

No information is provided about when the new restaurant will open or what it will be called. Young is quoted in the article as saying, "It's going to be an American restaurant, and that's the long and short of it. Hopefully we are able to make it exactly what the town wants and needs."

If comments on this blog are any indication, what Hudson needs now is a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, but given the future new restaurant's connection with a butcher shop, that's unlikely.

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Charter Change Public Gathering

Last night, I did not attend the public gathering to discuss the charter change being proposed, even though I encouraged my readers to do so. I wasn't there because my dog Freddy is suffering from old dog vestibular disease, and I needed to stay home with him. The meeting was well attended, as evidenced by the pictures below, provided to Gossips by HudsonCharterChange.com.

Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon was there, and her report on the meeting will eventually appear in the Register-Star. When it does, I will link to it. A video was made of the meeting, and when that becomes available, I will provide the link to that as well.

The County's Plan B

On January 16, Gossips reported that the powerlines to service the EV chargers planned for the parking lot at the Columbia County courthouse would not run on poles installed on the 300 block of Allen Street--a plan that entailed the extensive pruning of the silver maple at 342 Allen Street and the removal of two trees at 357 Allen Street: "Injury and Destruction Averted."  

What wasn't known at the time the post was published was that the night before, on January 15, the alternate route for the powerlines had been announced at the Board of Supervisors Public Works Committee meeting. The new plan is to route the powerlines from Third Street along Partition Street, across West Court Street, and on to the parking lot. One wonders where they plan to install the poles and how much pruning will be involved in running the powerlines.

The new route shows as little respect for Hudson and its premier architecture as the original one. Why can't the powerlines be brought up from Power Avenue along East Court Street, where they could reach the courthouse parking lot without passing in front of any houses?

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK

We've Still Got It

A reader sent me this list of "20 cities in USA you should visit before they become too popular." Hudson is No. 14.

The post appeared on Instragram. "TravelMorewithSimon" is written by a Dane named Simon Blok.

Ear to the Ground

Gossips has learned that Dominic Merante, who has represented the Fifth Ward on the Common Council since 2018, is considering a run for Common Council President. Merante is currently the Minority Leader of the Council and in that capacity serves on the boards of the Hudson Community Development & Planning Agency (HCDPA) and the Industrial Development Agency (IDA). Those observing the Council in the past seven years know that Merante's priorities are public safety and accessibility. He has spearheaded initiatives to ensure ADA compliance and to improve traffic safety with speed radar signs, crosswalk beacons, and speed reduction measures. He also frequently expresses concerns about Council meetings being conducted with respect and decorum.

Photo: Facebook

It is not known if Tom DePietro, who has held the position of Common Council President since 2018, will be seeking a fifth term in that office. Word is that he and his wife, Dorothy Heyl, have purchased a house in Missouri, near where their only child and her young family live. Could it be DePietro and Heyl are contemplating relocating to Missouri?

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK