Perpetuating the Sins of the Past

It was an out-of-character eyesore when it was built in 1975, and thanks to the current leadership of Columbia County, it's likely to remain so. 

This afternoon, Ray Jurkowski, Commissioner of Public Works for Columbia County, and the team from LaBella presented three options for improvements to the facade at 11 Warren Street, soon be home to the Board of Elections, the Probation Department, the Public Defender's Office, and the Conflict Defender's Office. The three options presented are shown below, in order, from least expensive to most expensive, as if that clarification were needed.

Sadly, the options range from strip mall to economy motel to something that resembles a Stewart's. None of the proposed designs is, by any stretch of the imagination, compatible with the historic district in which the building is located. The idioms "lipstick on a pig" and "silk purse from a sow's ear" spring to mind.

Gossips was present for the first forty-five minutes of this evening's public input workshop session. After being put off once and almost dismissed a second time, I persisted to ask Jurkowski this question: Will the proposed "facade improvements" be presented to the Historic Preservation Commission for a certificate of appropriateness? Although 11 Warren Street is notably not a historic building, it is located in a locally designated historic district, and hence its alterations should go before the HPC. Jurkowski responded by saying they were soliciting public input, and members of the HPC were welcome to offer their comments. He also maintained that county projects were exempt from Hudson's laws and regulations. 

In response, I pointed out that his predecessor, David Robinson, presented the plans for the expansion and renovation of the Columbia County courthouse not only to the HPC but also to the Planning Board, and I suggested that, given the controversy surrounding this project, he might show the same courtesy. I went on to express the opinion that having people indicate with sticky notes what they liked and disliked about the options presented would not result in a good outcome. I did not, although I might have, cite the adage that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Jurkowski told me I could share my opinions in the survey.

The survey in question was available in print form to be filled out on the spot. There was also a QR code for the survey provided on a poster displayed at this evening's event.

The survey can also be accessed here. Readers are urged to use the survey to share their thoughts.

Just as a reminder, this is what the first block of Warren Street looked like at some point in the late 19th or early 20th century, before most the block was demolished in the zeal of Urban Renewal.

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