On the morning of the Flag Day Celebration, an event sponsored, according to the banner suspended over Fairview Avenue, by A. Colarusso and Sons and Galvan Housing Resources, the Register-Star has an article about the response from Colarusso's attorney regarding recent developments involving the Planning Board: "Colarusso attorney accuses Planning Board member of bias."
There's not much in the article that regular readers of Gossips don't already know except for this. The article reports Mayor Kamal Johnson's response to Colarusso declining to participate in his proposed "working group":
Johnson said Friday the working group would not be able to happen without Colarusso's involvement.
"They're the applicant, and it needs to be fair to everyone," he said.
Johnson added that he responded to the letter from [T. J.] Ruane [Colarusso's attorney.]
"I'm going to wait and see if this will be picked up again," he said. "We have to come to a conclusion with the application, and we're hoping for the best result for everyone."
The first meeting of Johnson's proposed "working group" was supposed to take place yesterday, June 13, the day after the letter from Colarusso's attorneys was received by the Planning Board.
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Kamal is completely out of his depth. No one respects him. He can't even get people around the table, let alone lead a conversation and solve issue.
ReplyDeleteReally nice of him though to come back to Hudson from Albany for the parade and debate.
Typical Register-Star burying the lede. No mention of the mayor’s involvement in the headline or social media caption, which is only what most people see on their website or facebook posts since most people don’t get past the paywall. Don’t want the “locals” to associate their Hometown Hero with causing any trouble for the “Hometown (Greenport) Company,” even though it was mayor Johnson’s last minute election pandering tactics that caused this latest hiccup and it was him that appointed Ms. Hoffmann—the circumstances of which I find quite curious.
ReplyDeleteAs a mother, grandmother and resident of the Waterfront District I am deeply disturbed by Colarusso demanding the recusal of Gabriel Hoffman from the Planning Board dock deliberations and I am hopeful that the community, the Planning Board and the Council will stand behind Gabriel. “Big dangerous trucks, gravel dust, and loud noises butting up against the only public waterfront is hardly ideal.” This is not a derogatory or inflammatory statement. This is a compassionate, civic minded member of our community desiring and sharing with others what she and any mother wants: a safe, healthy place for children and the elderly to enjoy the peace and beauty of the river. There is nothing remotely bias about her comment. Please let’s side set aside the ‘sides’ and come together as one community to create a sustaining, healthy happy Hudson. The waterfront plays a large role in our lives here and together we can find solutions to flourish side by side.
ReplyDeleteOur Governor shares similar feelings:
“The Hudson River waterfront is one of the Capital Region’s greatest assets, and the construction of I-787 has taken away access to this natural wonder for generations,” Governor Hochul said. “This study prioritizes the New Yorkers who live and work near I-787 by seeking a more accessible waterfront for everyone and putting forward significant quality of life proposals that will transform their community for the better.”