At its meeting on Tuesday, the Common Council approved the agreement between the City of Hudson and Columbia County regarding dedicated onstreet parking for county employees at 11 Warren Street but not before amending it. The term of the agreement was reduced from five years to two years, and a stipulation was added that the County would assume the expense of having the onstreet handicapped spot moved from the south side to the street to the north side.
Even with the amendments, two councilmembers--Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward) and Lola Roberts (Third Ward)--voted against it. Cousin, who represented the First Ward on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors in 2023 when the decision to buy 11 Warren was made and was absent from the meeting at which the vote on the acquisition was taken, told her colleagues on the Council that residents and business owners on lower Warren Street object to the plan for providing parking for county employees "because we haven't figured out how to accommodate their employees." Cousin was alluding to the recently imposed parking fees for parking below Third Street.
In more news regarding 11 Warren Street, the promised workshop session at which the public is asked to review and comment on three possible designs for exterior changes to the building has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The following statement is from Ray Jurkowski, Commissioner of Public Works for Columbia County:
You're invited! On Tuesday, June 9th between 5pm-7pm at the County offices located at 401 State Street, Columbia County is hosting its first community meeting regarding the facade improvement project for the building at 11 Warren Street in the City of Hudson. The purpose of this meeting is to gather community input on the three proposed exterior renovation options for the building.
The meeting will include a brief presentation from the project team, and an opportunity to provide input on each renovation concept and take a community survey. Visit www.columbiacountyny.gov for regular project updates and more information.
It is typical of the County's obviousness to Hudson and the concerns of its residents that the meeting overlaps with a Planning Board meeting (6:00 p.m.) and Mayor Ferris's town hall meeting for the Fifth Ward (6:30 p.m.).
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As someone who has professionally scrambled to find parking for businesses that want to develop real property in Hudson with zero assistance from City Hall, the Common Council or any branch of Hudson government, it's disappointing to see the City turn itself inside out to accommodate the county, which will never contribute to the tax base.
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