The proposed agreement between the City of Hudson and Columbia County for on-street parking at 11 Warren Street was a topic of discussion at Monday night's informal Common Council meeting. In introducing the agreement, Council president Margaret Morris noted the contract was being amended to include the County's agreement to make the parking lot in front of the building available to the public during off-hours. She also noted that a handicapped parking space would created on the north side of the street, on front of Shiloh Baptist Church, to compensate for moving the handicapped space now on the south side of the street into the parking lot at 11 Warren.
In the discussion that followed, Councilmember Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward) opined that all county parking lots should be available to the public in off-hours, suggesting that public use of the parking lots at 610 State Street could alleviate some of the parking issues around Pocketbook Hudson. Regarding the parking situation at 11 Warren, Merante suggested the employees should submit receipts for parking fees incurred and be reimbursed by the County.
Councilmember Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward) called the agreement "not a great solution" and promoted the solution she had proposed, which involved the County building its own parking lot for its employees at 11 Warren to be located on City-owned land on the west side of the Ferry Street Bridge. Belton maintained it would only cost the County $175,000 to build the parking lot.
The sharpest criticism of the proposed parking agreement came from Phil Forman, chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, who lives across the street from 11 Warren Street. Forman spoke of the "stealthy acquisition of 11 Warren Street" and asserted the building had been sold "for purposes that could have been housed almost anywhere, but the County chose those purposes to be housed in our historic district and in our commercial street." He asked the Council to "imagine Kathy Hochul coming to New York [City] and saying she'd like to take part of Fifth Avenue to provide support for elections and probation, and, by the way, she was going to close down the street for parking for the people working there."
Forman called the acquisition totally inappropriate for Hudson's historic district and commercial street. The site, Forman asserted, "should have been housing, which Hudson needs. It should have been paying taxes, which Hudson needs. It should have been potential storefronts, which Hudson needs. And we got nothing that Hudson needs but just stuff that the County needs that didn't have to be on Warren Street."
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| Forman addressing the Council |
Forman asked how parking for the building became Hudson's problem. "They knew very well going in their number of employees.…They knew very well the number of people who would be transient in and out of the space to do work there or provide services or pursue services there. And they knew that tiny parking lot in front was inadequate. And I would say they didn't give a damn. They made it the City's problem." Forman advised the Council, "When you get bullied once, you should try not to be bullied twice."
Forman's entire address to the Common Council and subsequent discussion can be heard here, beginning at 1:11:48 and continuing to 1:17:02.
The resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into the agreement is on the agenda for next Tuesday's regular Common Council meeting.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
Good God. Phil is exactly right. The only question is how such a duplicitous sale, using public funds, was made and renovations been allowed to continue for so long.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Foreman. Very well stated. Is anyone listening?
ReplyDeleteHe’s right, but what can we do? We either go into this contract as a harm reduction, or we put our big boy pants on and enact residential parking permits on all streets (or at least near the hot spots (downtown grid, Amtrak area, pocketbook, hospital… basically every area outside the suburban style 5th Ward streets) and force all nonresidents to either pay street parking or have their workplace provide. And we also need to enforce no parking in the alleys, because that will be next. Like that big black truck that parks 24-7 blocking half of Cherry Alley on the 500 block, behind a building with no off street parking.
ReplyDeleteA hero walks amongst us.
ReplyDeleteBalances business, historic, and social considerations, all politely and factually.
Forman: "When you get bullied once, you should try not to get bulled twice"
The County should do what other employers do: buy their employees a municipal parking pass and let them walk to the office. Warren Street should be reserved for people who live on Warren and visitors.
ReplyDeleteWell said Phil. As you are a man of some standing in this City, perhaps your voice and opinions will be heard. The thoughts and wishes of the average resident have thus far been thoroughly ignored.
ReplyDeleteNo concession to the county on parking.