Concerning Mill Street Lofts

Mill Street Lofts is on the agenda for tomorrow night's Planning Board meeting. The word is the Planning Board will be closing the public hearing on the project at tomorrow night's meeting and starting the clock on reaching a decision about site plan approval.

This morning, three members of the Common Council--Rich Volo (Fourth Ward), Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward), and Margaret Morris (First Ward)--submitted the following resolution to be added to the agenda for tonight's informal Common Council meeting. 

RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE MILL STREET LOFTS HOUSING PROJECT

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is in a flood plain with insufficient drainage and will increase flooding risk for existing homes on Mill Street; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project does not offer its residents at least one parking space per unit, which will cause an overflow of on-street parking, making access for emergency vehicles and the Empire State Trail more difficult; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is located on land originally deeded for park and recreation, and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project is located on the habitat of a Threatened bat species; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project does not fit the character of the other houses on Mill Street; and

WHEREAS The Mill Street Lofts project concentrates low-income housing within a few blocks of the City of Hudson which is not recommended by the City of Hudson’s approved 2018 Strategic Housing Action Plan prepared by the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby disapproves of the construction of The Mill Street Lofts project.

According to the Common Council Rules of Order, adopted by the Common Council at its organizational meeting in January 2025, proposed resolutions and laws can be put before the full Council for consideration if they are presented by three councilmembers. The following is Rule #4 Local Laws and Resolutions:

All Resolutions and Laws shall be submitted in writing at the Informal Session for discussion before submission to the Formal Session. This rule may be waived by the President of the Council when deemed necessary. Any matter, motion, proposed resolution or law introduced at the Informal or Formal Session, the President, at his sole discretion, may assign it to the appropriate ad hoc Committee(s), or place it on the Agenda for consideration by the Council. A petition by three members of the Council to the full Council will be sufficient to discharge a draft law or resolution and bring it up for consideration by the Council.

Despite this rule, when Volo, Belton, and Morris submitted the resolution this morning to Council president Tom DePietro for inclusion in the agenda for tonight's meeting, he refused to add it to the agenda, giving three reasons: it was due on Friday; it is full of misinformation; and it is a matter before the Planning Board and the Common Council should not opine on such matters.

Although the resolution is not on the agenda for tonight's meeting, it is very likely Mill Street Lofts will be a topic of discussion. The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

Of related interest, mayoral candidate Peter Spear explains his opposition to Mill Street Lofts on Instagram today. Click here to listen to that statement.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK