An Interesting Development

On Instagram today, the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition called on the Planning Board to impose the conditions on Colarusso's dock operations that were proposed by the Hudson Riverfront Coalition, a group made up of the Hudson Sloop Club, Hudson Ferry Company, and the Schooner Apollonia.

The text accompanying HCHC's Instagram post reads:

Heavy industrial use and truck traffic on Hudson's waterfront are putting our health, safety, and future at risk, especially for residents of color who already face systemic inequalities and limited access to healthcare services.

Research shows that communities near industrial sites like Colarusso's face significantly higher levels of air pollution, increasing the risk of chronic health issues. Crumbling roads, unsafe walkways, and poor air quality are daily realities for Hudson residents. This is unacceptable.

We're calling on the Planning Commission to protect public health by adopting the Hudson Riverfront Coalition's set of conditions for Colarusso's industrial dock. Join us in the fight for a safer and healthier Hudson!

The Hudson Riverfront Coalition (HRC) submitted its recommendations for conditions to the Planning Board in May 2025. There are basically eight:

1. Limit hours of operation for truck traffic
2. Prohibit expansion of industrial material handling and processing
3. Prohibit hazardous or refuse materials
4. Secure public access or ownership of the 4.4-acre waterfront parcel
5. Permit non-operational hour access to the haul road for recreational use
6. Dust mitigation via vegetation buffer
7. Pave loading area to minimize airborne particulates
8. Replace inadequate culverts to restore tidal flow

The full proposal for the conditions submitted by HRC can be found here.

Most of the conditions suggested by HRC are the same as conditions suggested by Our Hudson Waterfront. (The conditions proposed by OHW can be found here.) One significant difference is that OHW asks for limits on the number of truck trips whereas HRC does not. 

One condition suggested by HRC that is not one of the conditions suggested by OHW is "public access or ownership of the 4.4-acre waterfront parcel." The long history of this parcel is told in this post from 2019: "Of the Planning Board and 4.4 Waterfront Acres." The relevant part begins with the fifth paragraph. Gossips reported three years ago that Paul Colarusso had acknowledged that the City owned the parcel: "About Those 4.4 Acres." Providing access to a  City-owned waterfront parcel should not be a very big deal.

The special meeting of the Planning Board to discuss Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, August 27, at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube. Click here and scroll down to find the link.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK