Decades of Defending the Waterfront

At last night's Planning Board public hearing, a statement by Annick de Bellefeuille, who is part of Our Hudson Waterfront, was particularly compelling, because it very graphically--without any actual graphics--demonstrated the magnitude of concern about protecting the Hudson waterfront. Because the Planning Board was enforcing its three-minute time limit on speakers, de Bellefeuille wasn't able to complete her presentation properly. I asked her permission to share the text on Gossips, and she agreed.

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

• Limit expansion of truck trips
• Keep the public meeting open according to state law
• Conduct a review of the dock permit under City Zoning Code
• Require the applicant to address urgent public and board concerns
• Avoid undermining Hudson’s economic progress

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.  

The petition de Bellefeuille mentions now has 538 signatures--21 more than it had when she composed her presentation. It is still available for new signatures, and it can be accessed here.