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| Photo: Hudson Common Sense |
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| Photo: Rachel Careau |
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| Photo: Rachel Careau |
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| Photo: Kim Bach |
The best time to plant trees in New York is late winter/early spring before buds open or late fall after the tree goes dormant but before the ground freezes. This allows the tree to establish its roots before the heat of summer or the harshness of winter.
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| Photo: Sarah Sterling |
In a world where Gaby Hoffmann joins the Hudson Planning Board, she thinks she's signing up for a mundane and wholesome small town volunteer position. Instead, she's thrown into a Kafkaesque saga involving one gravel company, grassroots activists, and a never-ending Conditional Use Permit review. As trucks rumble through wetlands and attorneys drone on for hours, Gaby must confront her deepest fear: a public comment period with no end in sight.
The latest petition sponsored by Our Hudson Waterfront was launched on May 20th, less than two months ago, and has garnered 517 signatures from people who agree with its statement: “We urge the Planning Board to either reject the dock permit application or impose strict, enforceable conditions.” Our 2019-2020 petition drew 1,200 signatures. The 1998-2005 petition opposing St. Lawrence Cement, 14,000 signatures. And another 3,000 signatures in 2011 submitted during the LWRP process.
That adds up to 18,717 signatures of people who want to protect the waterfront.
Specifically, our most recent petition demands that the Planning Board
Imagine a banner of these faces. At a foot per face, it would run 3.5 miles. Or a video which allots 20 seconds per person; this adds up to 4 days and 33 minutes. A video of 18,717 people saying NO, 24 hours a day, for 4 days.
If you were forced to watch this video, say for 8 hours a day, it would take you 12 days to get through it.
But I’m assuming you would relent before the first hour was over. That would eat into only a third of the almost 3-hour-long set of the most recent petition signers. After less than an hour, you would have understood the magnitude of the public opposition, your duty to side with it and enforce the City Zoning Code to the full extent of the law.
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| Photo: Sarah Sterling |
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| Photo: Sarah Sterling |
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| Photo: Rachel Careau |
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| Photo: Rachel Careau |
The Board of Directors of Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House is thrilled to announce the appointment of Adam Weinert as its new Executive Director. Weinert succeeds Executive Director Tambra Dillon, who announced her plans to step down earlier this year after thirteen years of transformative leadership. Based in Hudson, Weinert is a respected cultural leader and accomplished choreographer with a longstanding relationship with Hudson Hall and deep ties to the local community. Weinert will step into the role full-time in the fall, following a transition period over the summer.
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| Photo: Zach Gross |
"My relationship with Hudson Hall began over ten years ago, and it's remained a creative home ever since," said Weinert. "Stepping into this role is deeply meaningful, and I'm grateful to the board and staff for their trust as we begin this next chapter together."
Weinert first came to Hudson Hall in 2014 as an artist-in-residence, developing Monument, a work that later premiered at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and toured internationally. From 2017 to 2019, he conceived and directed Rip the Nut, a family-friendly mashup of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle story, commissioned by Hudson Hall as part of the city's beloved Winter Walk festival. He also co-founded Waterfront Wednesdays, a free weekly community summer series at Hudson's riverfront park offering performance, family activities, local food and craft vendors.
In addition to his artistic accomplishments, Weinert has held key leadership positions at arts and civic organizations across the region. He served as Artistic Associate at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, where he programmed residencies and public events, cultivated artist relationships, and supported strategic development efforts. He is the Executive Director of the Hudson Sloop Club, has served as Chair of the Hudson Arts Coalition, and previously served as COO of the Tiger House boutique hotel in Hudson. In 2020, he founded Jacob's Garden, a working farm and public art project on the grounds of Jacob's Pillow.
"Adam brings a rare combination of visionary artistry and demonstrated leadership," said Paul Barrett, President of Hudson Hall's Board of Directors. "He has a proven ability to connect with community members, support fellow artists, and manage complex programs with creativity and care. We're so pleased to welcome him into this role and excited for the future of Hudson Hall under his direction."
Weinert brings both academic rigor and hands-on experience as an artist to the role. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and holds an M.A. from New York University's Gallatin School. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. As an artist, Weinert's choreography has been presented at venues including the Museum of Modern Art New York, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, and the Palais Garnier. A Bessie Award Honoree, Weinert has received numerous accolades for his work exploring the intersection of performance, place, and community.
"This building has long stood at the heart of Hudson's civic and cultural life," said Weinert. "I'm excited to keep that spirit alive by supporting work that reflects the community, welcomes new perspectives, and invites participation at every level."
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| Photo: Zach Gross |
As Weinert prepares to step into the role full-time, current Executive Director Tambra Dillon is working closely with him and the Board to ensure a smooth transition. "It's been my honor to serve this extraordinary institution and community," said Dillon. "I've known Adam as both an artist and a collaborator for many years, and I'm confident that under his leadership Hudson Hall will continue to thrive as a beacon for the arts in the Hudson Valley. I'm excited to pass the baton to a new generation and especially to someone who brings fresh energy, deep local knowledge, and a heartfelt commitment to Hudson Hall's mission as a civic partner and creative hub for our community."
After two and a half hours, the last twenty minutes spent in an attorney-client session, the Planning Board decided, as they did in May, to keep the public hearing open for written comments only until July 31.
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Here's something for the Columbia County Board of Supervisors to ponder as they continue their efforts to quash a ballot proposition that would create an elected county executive: Their secrecy, negativity and suppression of public input in denying citizens the right to vote on the proposal might be exactly the reason why many residents want a county executive in the first place.
If you signed the petition and are curious to know if your signature was one of many that were challenged, you can find out here, in one of the exhibits that accompanied the lawsuit filed in July 2. Lots of familiar names appear on the list of rejected signatures, many of which it seems were rejected simply because the word Street was omitted or abbreviated by the person signing.
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| Photo: Peter Jung |
Dear Hudson Planning Board,
I lead a data science team for UNICEF, and as part of our activities we design air quality monitoring programs at children's schools. I have been monitoring the air quality at the Hudson waterfront since early June using a new factory calibrated particulate matter sensor from the same reputable manufacturer we use for monitoring air quality at children's schools. The below graph shows the air quality levels over the last month. It indicates chronic exposure to unsafe air quality for residents in the area with an average that is triple the level considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many days show PM2.5 levels above 25 μg/m³ which is extremely high. Only a handful of days fall below the WHO guidelines, suggesting that safe air quality is the exception at the Hudson waterfront, not the norm.
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 at this level is linked to cardiovascular disease, asthma, and reduced lung development in children. Considering that the industrial dock at Hudson's waterfront is adjacent to recreational park land designated for the public and for children's activities, this level of pollution is ethically and legally troubling for the city.
These preliminary findings merit a full assessment by an independent environmental monitoring company at applicant's expense before a permit for any industrial activity at the waterfront can even be considered. We need to understand why the air is already unsafe at the waterfront, and what impacts the suggested increase in mining operations will create. Your legacy and reputation as a planning board entrusted with the task of keeping Hudson residents safe and healthy is on the line. In the absence of such a study your course of action is crystal clear, you must deny any industrial use of the waterfront. To put the profits of a private sector company over our own children's health without even attempting to measure the impacts is morally bankrupt and puts the city in legal jeopardy.
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| Photo: Sarah Sterling |
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| Photo: Sarah Sterling |
GOAL #1: MAKE STREETS SAFE & ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL The streets should be developed as a multi-modal network that provides a safe and enjoyable experience for all users regardless of age or ability.
GOAL #2: RECONNECT THE WATERFRONT The streets should enhance and reinforce visual and physical connections to the waterfront.
GOAL #3: CELEBRATE THE HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE OF HUDSON The form, furniture and materiality of the streetscape should respect and reinforce the historic architecture and urban fabric of the city.
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| Photo: Peter Meyer |
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| Photo: Peter Meyer |
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| Photo: Peter Meyer |
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1 The Planning Board has not yet discussed the public's comments in an open forum. They were to do this at their July 8th monthly meeting the public could respond on July 15th.
When will the Board discuss public comments received thus far in an open forum? The public should be allowed to respond afterwards.
2 The Planning Board has yet to begin their review of the dock C.U.P. application against the City Zoning Code or discuss/determine "conditions."
When will the Board commence its review? The public should not be shut out from being able to ask questions or provide input during this process.
3 We had concerns about the Mayor initiated "work group" meeting that was supposed to take place June 13th. Colarusso's attorney wrote to the Board on June 12th declining participation, but subsequently the meeting did take place on June 25th.
Who attended meeting, what transpired, and what was the outcome? Development of conditions should not be based on a negotiation with the applicant.
4 Colarusso attorney's June 12th letter to the Board:
In our opinion, this claim is incorrect. The Board made clear at their June meeting that its review would not be delayed or influenced by the Mayor's initiative. OWH's letter to the board addressed this issue.
5 The Planning Board should require a response from the applicant on the public comments received thus far, and the applicant should be required to respond to the Board's requests and concerns when raised.
The applicant should not be dictating to the Board when it will provide comments. The public should have an opportunity to ask questions and raise issues and concerns after the applicant responds. The applicant has shown time and time again to provide misinformation to the Board. The most recent case in point is their attorney's June 12th letter to the Board.
6 In our opinion, Chair Joyner and Gene Shetsky have exhibited bias against the public from the beginning of this year, when they opposed reopening (or closing) of the public hearing on votes taken on Feb. 11th, May 6th and June 11th. It appears this is based on their assumption that the "comments are the same" and they won't hear anything new.
In our view, this indicates closed-mindedness and unwillingness to hear valid concerns from the public, and is a false assumption. One wonders if they have or will read the hundreds of public comments submitted since 2016 on the dock permit application.
7 The Planning Board should keep the public hearing open beyond July 15th, in fact throughout the entire review process.
Closing it prematurely would be a disservice to the public. The first public hearing involving the dock permit application was open for a year (July 2019-July 2020), and during that time, the applicant had NOT provided crucial data on truck volumes. Truck volume data was provided on the final day [of] the initial public hearing.
And as we've said before, all but one (the Chair) of the current Board members are new to the board and have no direct prior background on the issues/history. However, there is a very large record of correspondence, reports and public comment on the subject on the Planning Board's webpage from 2016 through current, that is available to them. Many of the public have this historical knowledge and can be a vital asset to the Board by bringing to light critical information from the past that should not be discounted or forgotten.
On application and after public notice and hearing, the Planning Board may authorize the issuance by the Building Inspector of permits for any of the conditional uses specified in this chapter. In approving such use, the Planning Board shall take into consideration the public health, safety and welfare, the comfort and convenience of the public in general and of the residents of the immediate neighborhood in particular, and may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards as may be required in order that the result of its action may, to the maximum extent possible, further the expressed intent of this chapter. . . . the nature and intensity of operations involved in or conducted in connection therewith, its site layout and its relation to access streets shall be such that both pedestrian and vehicular traffic to and from the use . . . will not be hazardous or inconvenient to, or incongruous with, or conflict with the normal traffic of the neighborhood.
K&R Preservation, a New York City-based multi-family housing development firm owned and operated by its CEO, Brian Raddock, announced today the acquisition and rehabilitation of two affordable rental properties located in the City of Hudson, Columbia County, New York.
In addition to acquiring the Providence Hall and Schuyler Court Apartments, located respectively at 119 Columbia Street and 20 Columbia Street, K&R will rehabilitate all of the properties’ 152 units, consisting of 100 senior units, 50 multifamily Section 8 units, and two manager units.
The planned 12-month rehabilitation will be approximately $45,000 per unit, or $6.75 million total. The properties will receive significant upgrades, with the repair and installation of new siding for the townhomes, new generators and compactor systems, and new common area flooring. Repairs will also include milling, striping and resurfacing the parking lots.
Individual units will be upgraded with new kitchen cabinets, appliances and sinks, countertops, new energy efficient lighting, new, energy efficient windows throughout, and new energy efficient HVAC systems. Both sites will receive significant building upgrades with new boilers, replacement of all windows, the repair and installation of new siding, new generators and compactor systems and new common area flooring.
All rehabilitation work will be completed with tenants in place. During the day contractors will have access to units and perform the needed work. Upon completion of the scheduled rehabilitation work, the project will provide comparable or better quality housing than other housing in the market area.
The apartments are located directly in downtown Hudson and benefit from easy access to shops, medical offices and parks. The community boasts excellent public transportation and nearby major highways. The Hudson Amtrak station is also within walking distance from both sites.
Mr. Raddock said, “Development in this region has increased dramatically within recent years. Many new developments are moving forward as a result of the excellent regional higher education institutions and the benefit of Hudson’s proximity to the State Capital of Albany and rapid commuter access to New York City. Both of these major advantages have helped local communities in the region in providing jobs and opportunities to their residents.”
The purchase and financing of Providence Hall and Schuyler Apartments was funded through the use of the New York State Housing Finance Agency’s Multifamily Preservation Program Direct Subsidy. In addition, both projects currently receive a Federal Section 8 subsidy through a project-based Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract, which will be renewed.
The highly complex financing solution combines the properties in a single transaction, transferring the Section 8 “mark-to-market” (MTM) use restrictions to a different property in the K&R portfolio. The project will also benefit from a renewed Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement to stabilize the developer’s payments to the municipality and ensure that these projects are not put in jeopardy due to unpredictable tax increases.
Sam Richman, K&R Director of Real Estate, said, “With a limited supply of affordable housing in Hudson and very high demand for housing in general in the region, this project will preserve affordability and provide a long-term benefit to the community.”
All 150 revenue units at Providence Hall and Schuyler Court will be set aside for tenants earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
About K&R Preservation, LLC
K&R Preservation is owned and operated by its principal, Brian Raddock. Co-founded by Mr. Raddock and Francine Kellman, the company has an 19-year record of working to acquire and rehabilitate a portfolio of almost 5,000 low-income rental units comprising 14 properties in the Tri-State region. To date, major K&R properties include North Shore Plaza, a 536-unit multifamily project in Staten Island; a 876-unit New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) portfolio scattered throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan; and a 584-unit senior and handicapped portfolio of buildings located in four cities within the Capital District of New York State.
