The plan, as explained by Jurkowski at the time, was to cobble together the input from the workshop and from a survey to create one final design, which would be presented in a second "public charette workshop." That was on June 9. Now, on the penultimate day of August, there is no information about when that workshop might take place.
In the meantime, at its July 10 meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission weighed in, suggesting the best thing that could be done would be to use landscaping to screen the building and make it as unnoticeable as possible.
The building, a failed strip mall from the 1970s, is located on a premier block in a National Register and locally designated historic district. People must pass it to get from the city's central commercial district to Promenade Hill and the waterfront. It is, obviously, a noncontributing structure, but noncontributing structures are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission. Jurkowski has maintained that the county is exempt from Hudson's preservation ordinance. Gossips has never accepted that, and now, it seems, the City is not accepting it either.
At Friday's meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, Phil Forman, who chairs the commission, reported that he had written to the county suggesting that plans for exterior alterations to 11 Warren Street come before the HPC. He described his communication as "polite and whiny." He said that Nick Fox, our code enforcement officer, had also contacted the county requesting that the project come before the HPC. Forman described Fox's communication as "less polite and not whiny." Presumably both communications were sent to Jurkowski.
There has been no response to either of the requests--Forman's or Fox's. Forman indicated that the next step is for the city attorney to contact the county attorney. It wasn't clear if by "city attorney" Forman meant Victoria Polidoro, who is legal counsel to the HPC, or Andy Howard, who is corporation counsel. Summing up the situation, Forman said, "We shouldn't be in the position of begging. They are in violation."
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I see no reason to alter the building in any way. As it stands, it’s a monument to the era of urban renewal. Add a plaque that says as much. If the HPC gets involved, it should support the preservation of this unsightly catastrophe. A little landscaping, however, wouldn’t hurt.
ReplyDeleteSo, a cautionary tale, as it were?
Delete11 Warren Street could have been 60 housing units, more tax revenue, and a completed block.
ReplyDeleteImagine if Hudson had a pro growth posture.
Coulda, shoulda. And now the drip, drip, drip of consequences.
DeleteI think we should take a page from the Trump playbook: we need to rename 11 Warren to something appropriately snarky and cutting. I'm not smart enough to figure out how to work "Johnson" and "Cousin" and "Murrell" into that mix but I'm sure some of the talented content creators who read this blog can ;). And if the County won't plant trees, I think the City should and if the City needs a contribution to do it, give me a call. I'm sure other business owners on Warren will chip in, too.
ReplyDeleteYou mean something like the:
Delete- The Claire Cousin County Office?
- The Cousin Cautionary Tale?
- Noncontributing Claire?
How ironic that housing that could have been open to local residents did not work out... and now the City is funding lawsuits to build housing for non-residents (Mill Street, and soon Bliss).
Let’s not forget the supervisor who actually voted “yes” to the mess, Michael Chameides. Cousin was just absent—which is the norm for her unless she needs to show up to a meeting in order grandstand at the behest of her benefactors/employers, like the Tides Org or Kite’s Nest.
DeleteSo I’ll nominate:
“The Chameides-Cousin Center for Non-Contributing Excellence”
Let's also not forget Abdus Miah, the long-serving Second Ward supervisor who voted with Chameides to approve the acquisition--although I don't think he needs to be memorialized in the name.
DeleteSee?! I knew y'all could do it! I wish the Hudson Wail would get in on the act.
DeleteAnd Abdus, well, at least he's consistent: always votes the way he's told to.
The 1970's were a total disaster for Hudson.
ReplyDeleteSeems disasters are a yearly occurrence for Hudson ...
Delete