The Planning Board held what was described as an organizational meeting tonight. For those who witnessed painful Planning Board meetings in the past, when one member of the Planning Board was rebuked by the chair and fellow members for doing her own research and not blindly accepting the opinion of the board's legal counsel, the statement made tonight by Ron Bogle, the new chair of the Planning Board, was a welcome change. It was similarly heartening for those who wonder where the planning part of the board's function is, when it seems their task is solely to grant or deny site plan approval to whatever projects come before them.
Bogle's statement made at tonight's meeting follows:
I believe that our Board will be at its best when members bring independent thinking, informed opinions, and a willingness to do their homework. It is entirely appropriate and encouraged for Board members to conduct independent research, ask hard questions, and hold differing views.
At the same time, order and professionalism matter. Clear procedures allow independence to flourish without meetings becoming inefficient or unfair. There is no artificial time limit on Board member discussion; our responsibility is to be thorough, but also disciplined and respectful of one another’s time.
Too often, planning conversations default to someone winning and someone losing. I believe this shows a lack of imagination--we can do better. We can be an attractive destination for visitors and at the same time address affordable housing. We can support legacy industries and at the same time create a welcoming environment for new businesses. We can protect neighborhood character and at the same time allow thoughtful, well-designed growth.
Good planning does sometimes require choosing sides. But it can also be about seeking alternative solutions, forging thoughtful compromise, and always about advancing the long-term well-being of the city.
I also see the Planning Board as more than a body that simply reacts to applications as they come before us.
Where appropriate, we should help shape a shared vision for the city; understand and support implementation of the Comprehensive Plan; coordinate with other boards and commissions, including the Conservation Advisory Council, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Historic Preservation Commission. We should also be a thoughtful and supportive partner to institutions like Bard College as they begin to integrate into the life of our community.
Ultimately, the reason we are here is straightforward. Our work should help build a city that supports a better quality of life for the people who live here.
That purpose is reflected in Hudson’s Comprehensive Plan, which represents the community’s collective vision for how the city should grow, change, and sustain itself over time. Our role as a Planning Board is to help translate that vision into fair, thoughtful, and well-reasoned decisions.
Through our actions—and through the physical form and design of the city that result from them—we have an opportunity to elevate, enrich, and strengthen daily life for our neighbors, and to support a sense of dignity, belonging, and worth for everyone. If we keep that purpose in mind, the individual decisions before us become clearer, and the public is better served.
Bogle also addressed the issue of public participation in Planning Board meetings.
Public input is not an obstacle to good planning; it is a core part of it. Members of the public bring lived experience, local knowledge, technical expertise, and information that may not otherwise be part of the record. Our job is not to judge the worthiness of public input based on perceived motives, but to ensure that all community voices are heard, treated with respect, and appropriately considered.
We are here to serve the public. Listening carefully and respectfully is essential to doing that well.
The Planning Board will resume its work of reviewing site plan applications--according to a report presented at tonight's meeting, there are nine projects before the board--at its next meeting, which will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10. That meeting and all subsequent meetings will be hybrid, as was tonight's meeting.
The Planning Board still has one vacancy. It was not revealed tonight who will be legal counsel to the Planning Board or who will be the engineering consultant.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
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