In a city that purports to value its architectural heritage and is constantly wringing its collective hands about the shortage of housing, it would seem there might be some serious effort to enact and enforce policies to protect the housing that exists from abandonment, neglect, and deterioration, but such is not the case. Maybe it's part of Hudson's DNA. After all, half a century ago, a report that found Hudson to have the worst housing stock in the State of New York inspired the policy- and decision-makers in Hudson at the time to demolish vast swaths of the city and use federal Urban Renewal money, then flowing freely, to fill the void with subsidized housing.
That rant was inspired by the demolition today of house in the 400 block of Columbia Street.
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This house was allowed to rot and be an eyesore by the owner(s) AND Code Enforcement for far too long. A red ORDER TO VACATE, DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE notice was put on the front door several years ago, which is tantamount to nothing. The sign didn't last long and Code Enforcement probably never returned or contact the owner. It didn't matter one bit that this house has been on CEO's Vacant Building List for years. Now it can be removed from the list -- progress! Great way to create a dead city with no affordable housing AND a housing shortage.
ReplyDeleteSame problem over here on Union Street! I WISH they would demolish 532 Union St!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile it's my responsibility as the homeowner to sue the person who owns the house that has caused structural damage as a result. This person has WARRENTS out for her arrest for getting so many violations. My boyfriend has been mowing and shoveling in front for years for free. Meanwhile this person who owns it lives in an apartment with a doorman in NYC. Tell me how that's fair to a tax paying citizen in the city of Hudson.
Dancer -- Yes, that "house" (along with so many others around town) represents everything that is wrong, broken and dysfunctional about how abandoned houses are handled/ignored by City Hall and Code Enforcement. It is as if the powers-that-be in City Hall don't understand that people live near and next to these eyesores and dangers. How many years ago do you think CEO's Order To Vacate DANGEROUS and UNSAFE red paper sign faded to white and was blown off the door it was stapled to 10 or 15 years ago? Was it 6 years ago? 8? Just 4? Was it two or three years ago that the front steps became a death trap?
ReplyDeleteIt's like the powers-that-be don't understand that an UNSAFE and vacant building gets more dangerous with each passing day, that it is a danger to other surrounding houses and lives, and that it makes people miserable, angry and want to leave the city. It's as if the city doesn't give a hoot about any of us or what the city looks like. Fire that destroys three houses that started in a longtime vacant and rotting house that was once attractive and lived in? WHATEVER! It was on the CEO's Vacant Buildings Registry! They knew all about it! They did their best!
I can't imagine what it must be like living next to that disgraceful DANGEROUS structure for so long. I would want to strangle someone -- it's useless talking to anyone at City Hall about it. My sympathies!
Dancer -- May i suggest that you attend an informal council meeting soon and ask anyone/everyone what the progress has been in the last 5 years regarding the arrest of the owner of 532 Union. Just for kicks, of course. You will get a whole lot of blank stares. See how dumbfounded your two council representatives are on the issue, especially the council "president". "Now which house is that?" See what the police don't have to say. See that no one from Code Enforcement is anywhere in the room and can't help you out at all.
So long as someone pays their taxes, what they do with their own house is their own business, so long as it's doesn't become a safety hazard. I believe recent changes in the law also reduce the motivation of the City to foreclose and auction houses, as the surplus after taxes are now supposed to be turned over to the original owner.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the City could create a local law to preserve the character of the city. Something like, "any residential house constructed prior to 1950, if demolished, can only be replaced with a facsimile of the original structure, using similar materials." This would negate the benefits of demolition by neglect, and demolition for development projects. Some might see such a rule to be too intrusive, but in Hudson's case, considering the history, something like that might be a good idea.