Park on the Even Side Tonight

The suspension of alternate side of the street parking applied only to Christmas Eve. Tonight until tomorrow cars must be parked on the even side of the street.

Christmas Eve in Hudson

Overnight parking is permitted tonight on either side of the street. Parking on rooftops, however, and anywhere that blocks access to dwellings for "a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer" is strictly prohibited.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" 

The image is an illustration for A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Moore, from a drawing by F. O. C. Darley.

The March Continues

This report on the progress of Rosalie Jones's suffragist "army" appeared in the Hudson Evening Register on Tuesday, December 24, 1912.

MAY GET TO THIS CITY BY TONIGHT.

Suffragette "Troopers" at Blue Store at Noon and Intend to Press On.

The "on to Albany" suffragettes were at Blue Store at noon today where they dined at the Washburn hotel. Besides the five "regulars" there were seven "volunteers," making an even dozen who marched along. They said that they would press on, owing to the storm, and hoped to reach Hudson by tonight.

Last night was spent at Upper Red Hook. Here it turned out there were accommodations only for General [Rosalie Gardiner Jones] and Col. [Ida] Craft in the hotel. When Gen. Jones learned this she refused to stop in the hotel, saying, "If the troops must bivouac by the wayside it would be unbecoming in me to occupy a bed. I'll sleep wrapped up in my army blanket with my feet to the camp fire and my soldiers around me." But Mrs. Alvin Hamm took pity on the army and took the whole outfit in.

A lady interested in the movement informed this office this afternoon that the Pilgrims will probably enter this city by the way of the South Bay road. They are being escorted to this city from Germantown by the Misses Lillian Rockefeller, of Germantown, and L. Holsapple of this city.

Those desirous of asking any questions pertaining to the subject tomorrow may do so. Printed literature can also be had for the asking, and the Woman's Journal, a magazine devoted to the work of Woman Suffragettes will be sold along the streets by members of the delegation.

Sharing the Vision

The City of Hudson is seeking a buyer for the former Dunn warehouse building across from riverfront park. The expected proceeds from the sale have been included as "anticipated revenue" in the 2013 city budget. The City is also looking for people to develop the City-owned land adjacent to the Dunn warehouse, extending between Water Street and the railroad tracks, from Broad Street to Ferry Street. The possibility of issuing an RFP (request for proposals) to solicit ideas from potential developers is often mentioned.

The City has enlisted the aid of the Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) in marketing its waterfront property, and at a recent HDC meeting, when the question of the community's vision for these parcels arose, reference was made to a seventeen-year-old document, the Hudson Vision Plan, which, if memory serves, was still a work in progress when it passed out of the community's control. It was never officially adopted by the Common Council, yet it informed the now ten-year-old Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by the Common Council, and 2011 Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). 

Since many people now in Hudson weren't here in 1996 when the Vision Plan was developed, it may be useful to share what was proposed for this part of the waterfront.

This rendering of the Hudson waterfront, which was part of the 1996 Hudson Vision Plan document, appears on page 78 of the New York State Department of State guidebook Making the Most of Your Waterfront, published in 2009.

"On to Albany!"

On Monday, December 23, 1912, the Hudson Evening Register published this report on the progress of the suffrage hikers.

SUFFRAGETTES TO GET HERE TOMORROW.

"Army" of Five Continued Their Walk on Sunday, and Got to Rhinebeck.

RHINEBECK, Dec. 22--With its marching forces augmented by another private, General Rosalie Jones's little army of suffragists continued the march Albanyward Sunday morning and reached Rhinebeck shortly before 6 o'clock Sunday night, after a sixteen-mile march. The new member of the army is Miss Gladys Coursen of Poughkeepsie, who will "stick through," she says until the State capitol is reached. 

The suffragists, now numbering five, left Poughkeepsie escorted by a number of local suffragists until the pedestrians were well out of the city.

The start from Poughkeepsie was made at 9:30 o'clock and a crowd of people saw the walkers off. The air was bracing and the party walked fast to keep warm. The suffragists stopped at Staatsburg for luncheon. Upon reaching the Rhinebeck Hotel, addresses were made in front of the hostelry and in the evening the suffragists attended church.

Gossips Note: It's nice to think that the hotel General Rosalie Jones's little army stopped at in Rhinebeck was the Beekman Arms. One can readily imagine people gathered in front of the Beekman Arms to hear the suffragists' addresses. The problem is that, aside from a brief time in the latter part of the 18th century when it was called the Bogardus Tavern, the country's oldest continuously operated hotel seems always to have been called the Beekman Arms.

Hudson Valley Lost

Rob Yasinsac has published, on Hudson Valley Ruins, a list of historic structures in the Hudson Valley that were demolished in the past year: "2012--The Demolition Year in Review." Happily, nothing in Hudson is on the list, but who knows what 2013 might bring.

Thanks to Lisa Durfee for bringing attention to Yasinsac's post.

"Votes for Women! Albany! Albany!"

A hundred years ago, a stalwart band of suffragettes marched from New York City to Albany to deliver a message to Governor William ("Plain Bill") Sulzer on his inauguration day. (Historic aside: William Sulzer was the first and only governor of New York to be impeached.) The women left Manhattan on December 16, and their itinerary, which called for walking ten miles a day, was designed to bring them to Albany on December 31. 

In the days before Christmas 1912, the suffragettes were approaching Hudson, where they planned a stopover to celebrate the holiday. In the days before Christmas 2012, Gossips, with the aid of old newspaper accounts, will be tracking their progress. 

This account of the beginning of the march is from an article that appeared in the Rochester Democrat Chronicle on December 16, 1912.

About twenty-five woman answered the call of the suffragette leaders to rally at the headquarters of the New York state Woman Suffrage Association [on December 15] and gave final answer as to whether they would undertake the 140-mile December pilgrimage.

Each woman received a knapsack and a birch rod staff and was advised to start with "light marching equipment"--sweaters instead of fur coats, short skirts and stout walking boots. The knapsacks will be used for carrying suffragette literature to be distributed on the way, for in every town en route a vigorous demonstration in favor of votes for women is planned.

Martial inspiration for the marchers will be furnished, it was announced, by one of their number who will carry a drum, while the pangs of hunger will be relieved by supplies of peanuts, sweet chocolate, and sandwiches, to be carried in an automobile, which will also carry baggage and medical supplies.

To signify, however, that the spirit of the expedition is not militant, Mrs. Olive Schultze, riding ahead in a second automobile, will act as "peace scout" and by releasing doves will herald the approach of the pilgrims as they near each town.

Mrs. Rosalie Gardiner Jones, a wealthy Long Island young woman, will act as commander-in-chief of the expedition, and with at least six other women will march the entire distance. The message [to Governor Sulzer], which is scrolled on parchment, will be signed by suffrage leaders in the various towns visited.

Gossips Note: Rosalie Gardiner Jones organized a second suffrage hike from New York to Washington, D.C., in February 1913. It is not clear if the photograph used with this post shows the suffragettes on their way to Albany in December 1912 or on their way, two months later, to Washington.

Christmas Approaches . . . a Hundred Years Ago

More About Those Zoning Changes

At the Legal Committee meeting on Wednesday night, it was decided that some of the specifics of the proposed zoning amendment to permit retail shops in the Core Riverfront District should be referred to Bill Roehr, of TGW Consultants, because he had experience with waterfront zoning in Troy.  So, at the Economic Development Committee on Thursday night, that's what happened. The specifics in question were these bulk and area regulations:

Minimum Required:
Lot area (square feet)
Lot width (feet)
Lot depth (feet)
Front yard (feet)
Side yard (feet)
Side yard for lots within 25 feet of residence district boundary (feet)
Rear yard (feet)
Rear yard for lots within 25 feet of residence district boundary (feet)
Off-street parking spaces per 300 square feet of floor area

Maximum Permitted:
Lot coverage
Building height (feet)
Number of stories

When presented with the question of determining these "metrics" should be, Roehr's response was: "One of the easier answers is form-based code," which addresses "how the buildings frame the street." 

Curious to know more about form-based codes, Gossips discovered that there exists a Form-Based Codes Institute. The FBCI website provides this explanation of form-based codes:

Form-based codes address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. The regulations and standards in form-based codes are presented in both words and clearly drawn diagrams and other visuals. They are keyed to a regulating plan that designates the appropriate form and scale (and therefore, character) of development, rather than only distinctions in land-use type.

This approach contrasts with conventional zoning's focus on the micromanagement and segregation of land uses, and the control of development intensity through abstract and uncoordinated parameters (e.g., FAR [floor area ratio], dwellings per acre, setbacks, parking ratios, traffic LOS [line of site]), to the neglect of an integrated built form. Not to be confused with design guidelines or general statements of policy, form-based codes are regulatory, not advisory. They are drafted to implement a community plan. They try to achieve a community vision based on time-tested forms of urbanism. Ultimately, a form-based code is a tool; the quality of development outcomes depends on the quality and objectives of the community plan that a code implements.

The FBCI website contains other resources for anyone interested in learning more.

Friedman Asks the Question

In the interview yesterday on @Issue, Mayor William Hallenbeck said, on the subject of the City Hall break-in, "My question to the police department: Is the investigation ongoing?" Tonight at the end of a special Common Council Police Committee meeting, convened to discuss the Hudson Police Department's request for a new patrol car, Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward) asked that very question of Chief Ellis Richardson and Commissioner Gary Graziano. Graziano was the one who responded, saying that he had "personally contacted the DA's office to ask the same questions." He reported that the DA's office promised to get back to him in a couple of days. Among the questions Graziano said he had for the DA's office: "What evidence becomes whose possession?"

News from the Legal Committee

A few interesting issues were discussed at last night's Common Council Legal Committee meeting. The first was the amendment to the new LWRP zoning to allow retail stores in the Core Riverfront District. Committee chair John Friedman (Third Ward) pointed out that they were looking at San Francisco's zoning code as a model for how Hudson might prohibit big box stores and franchises at the waterfront. Council president Don Moore said that for him there were two issues with this amendment. The first was if the Core Riverfront District was really "where we want to do this." The second issue had to do with specifications about square footage of stores, what constituted a buildable lot, and what was permitted lot coverage. Committee member Cappy Pierro (Fifth Ward) suggested that the committee consult with Bill Roehr, of TGW Consultants, who "did Troy's waterfront."

The conversation about the Core Riverfront District included mentioned of the Dunn warehouse building and the question of whether or not "there are still conversations going on." The city budget for 2013 included $300,000 in anticipated revenue from the sale of the Dunn warehouse and the vacant lot at State and Fourth streets, and it seems that there is someone interested in buying the Dunn warehouse. Moore said that the interested party wants to make a presentation to the Common Council, but Moore told the committee that he had suggested that the presentation to made to him and the mayor.

As another response on the part of the City to the tragedy that occurred last week in Connecticut, the Legal Committee has begun work on a local law that would prohibit firearms on or in City property and would make it illegal, within the boundaries of the city, to "produce, sponsor, promote, attend or participate in any show or event where firearms may be sold or bought or contracts entered into for the purchase or sale of firearms." This proposed law is still being discussed and drafted, but the committee did agree to exempt guns that are considered "relics and collectibles" in the section of the law that addresses gun shows.

Reapportionment, which is a fairly volatile topic with some members of the Common Council, especially Pierro, was the last issue to be discussed. Moore reported that he is in conversation with Lee Papayanopolous, the Rutgers professor who has been calculating the Council's weighted vote since 1974, and Papayanopolous is expected to submit two or three alternative ways to calculate the weighted vote, along with his recommendation, in time for the informal meeting of the Council in February. This prompted Pierro to comment, querulously, "It's so complicated. I thought he just took the population and did it." Pierro went on to remark, "It's a good thing we're not paying him by the hour."

To further complicate the reapportionment issue, city attorney Cheryl Roberts believes that changing the weighted vote requires a referendum, even though it was not subjected to a referendum the last time, but Roberts does not know if it is a mandatory referendum or a permissive referendum. In either scenario, the process would begin with the Common Council deciding, by a two-thirds vote, what the new weighted vote numbers would be. If a mandatory referendum is required, the question of accepting or rejecting the new numbers would appear on the ballot in November 2013. In the case of a permissive referendum, the public can force a referendum by getting the required number of signatures on a petition requesting that there be a referendum. 

When committee member David Marston (First Ward) asked what would happen if the Council could not come to agreement on a scheme or if the public rejected the proposed scheme in a referendum, the answer introduced even more complication. The short answer is that the weighted vote would stay as it is now, but it can't because those numbers are in violation of the state law that requires prisoners to be counted in the communities where they lived before they were incarcerated not in the communities where they are incarcerated.

A Comment on Comments

People see The Gossips of Rivertown as a platform for sharing information and opinions, and I am thrilled by that. I love the fact that readers participate in the exploration of Hudson's past and the scrutiny and analysis of the present which is the stuff of Gossips. From time to time, however, comments cease to provide new information or further the discussion in a meaningful way and degenerate into exchanges of personal criticism among commenters. This puts Gossips between a rock and a hard place. If I don't want the comments on Gossips to deteriorate into sniping worthy of a chat board--albeit much more erudite and articulate--I have to reject comments and decide who gets the last word, and I don't like being put in that position. 

So please, if your comment only reacts to someone else's comment or prolongs an exchange of personal criticism that is never likely to reach resolution, consider that it is often OK to have an unexpressed thought.

Olana to Receive $343,000

Yesterday the distribution of $738 million in new economic development funds was announced in Albany. About $3 million were awarded to projects in Columbia and Greene counties. In Columbia County, $343,000 was awarded to The Olana Partnership for the continuing restoration of Frederic Church's 250-acre designed landscape at Olana. Nathan Mayberg reports on all the projects receiving funding in today's Register-Star: "Area getting millions in aid from state."

Hallelujah!

Everyone has something without which Christmas just isn't Christmas. If for you that's singing or hearing The Messiah, hie thee to the First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Warren and Fourth streets, this Saturday at 4 p.m.

That's where ClaverackLanding founder and conductor Gwen Gould will be directing a chorus of hundreds in singing Handel's beloved oratorio, and you can be part of it, singing with professional singers and musicians. The soloists are Amanda Boyd, soprano; Carol Curran, mezzo soprano; John Davey, tenor; and Charles Martin, bass. The ClaverackLanding Ensemble, which will be providing the accompaniment, is made up of Miriam Shapiro and Cindy Ogulnick, violins; Eric Martin, viola; Lucy Barado, cello; and Gill Lev, piano.

Strike the harp (well, there is no harp) and join the chorus! Admission is just $10 at the door. Light refreshments are included, and you don't even have to bring your own score!

An Hour with Mayor Hallenbeck

Victor Mendolia's hour-long interview with Mayor William Hallenbeck on this morning's @Issue show on WGXC can now be heard online. If you don't have an hour to spend listening, here are what Gossips considered the most interesting highlights.

The Seven Acres  Hallenbeck said "we have had discussions with Holcim" about the transfer of the seven acres to the City and about Holcim's property assessment. He then defined "we" as city attorney Cheryl Roberts. Hallenbeck reported that "Holcim is weighing all their options." Those options include selling the seven acres to some entity other than the City of Hudson. Hallenbeck also said the City was considering purchasing the seven acres or taking the parcel by eminent domain.

The Fracking Resolution  Asked to comment on last night's vote, Hallenbeck seemed to be trying very hard not to offend those aldermen who had voted against the amendment, but he said a few things that offer some insight into what he might think. He started out by saying that "every elected official has a responsibility to get all the facts" and talked about how he continued to educate himself about hydraulic fracturing. He then said he "would have liked some explanation" presumably of the reason for the opposition and finally said, "If there is validity that these things are dangerous, why would anyone vote against it?"

Charter Revision  On the topic of charter revision, Hallenbeck said that "the whole charter should be gone through and restructured" and shared his intention to appoint a charter revision commission to do that. He outlined changes he would like to see considered in a public referendum: increasing the terms of office for the mayor, Common Council president, and city treasurer from two years to four years; reducing the number of aldermen to one for each ward; having only one supervisor represent the entire city on the Board of Supervisors. When Mendolia raised the question of the weighted vote and suggested that the weighted vote makes the Fifth Ward too powerful, Hallenbeck seemed interested in preserving the status quo. "Government has been working with these weighted votes," but he conceded, "It doesn't hurt to have these conversations."

The Hudson Correctional Facility  Hallenbeck confirmed that the Hudson Correctional Facility is once again on a list of eight prisons in the state slated for possible closure, "after everything that the last administration did to keep it open." Hallenbeck expressed the opinion that "the city needs the prison" and vowed that he will "support the prison to the bitter end."

The Hudson Police Department  Hallenbeck identified the police department and the youth department as departments that need restructuring. He recalled that when he first joined the police force in 1987, there were 23 police officers and 10,000 residents in Hudson (ratio of police officers to residents: 1 to 435); there are now 26 police officers and only 6,400 residents (ratio of police officers to residents: 1 to 246). In each case, he noted the ranks of the officers in the department to make the point that there are today a greater percentage of officers at the higher ranks than there were in 1987. "The City cannot continue trying to support this structure," said Hallenbeck. "It is not sustainable."

City Hall Break In  When asked to comment about the recent dismissal of charges against Quintin Cross and Jamont McClendon, Hallenbeck said, "We have to respect our judicial system." He went on, however, to say that if Cross and McClendon were not the people who appeared on the City Hall surveillance tape, which Hallenbeck said he had seen, he wanted to know who the people on the tape were. He wanted to know if the investigation is still ongoing and expressed the opinion that the tape should be made public. "Residents should have the opportunity to see the tape so they can help identify them."

The complete interview has been archived and can be heard online.   

More about Last Night's Common Council Meeting

It was undoubtedly Council president Don Moore's intention that the passage of the resolution calling for strategies to reduce gun violence be the most reported and remembered action of the Common Council last night, but sadly it was eclipsed--at least for this observer--by the Council's stunning rejection of an amendment to ban toxic waste from fracking from entering the city. In introducing the gun violence resolution, Moore spoke of the "people who are standing up and making an attempt to reduce violence" and of "indelible memories of my own children at the ages of 5 and 6 and 7."

While Moore clearly felt it was important for the Council to make a statement in response to unspeakable tragedy, Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward) expressed the opinion that the resolution was "rushing to say something for the sake of saying something." Friedman's objection was that "this resolution doesn't go far enough." Reminding his colleagues that "words are important," Friedman urged the Council to table the resolution and give it further consideration." "I think we are better than this," Friedman said.

Moore pointed out that the State of New York already outlaws assault weapons--a comment that inspired a discussion of the nature of the weapons Adam Lanza reportedly had in his possession and used, the size of the clips, the distinction between automatic and semiautomatic weapons. At one point, Alderman Cappy Pierro (Fifth Ward), addressing the question to Friedman, asked about semiautomatic weapons, "Have you ever fired one? I have," and went on to express, somewhat inappropriately in the context, this bit of gun safety wisdom, "Never point a gun at someone unless you intend to kill 'em."

The discussion notwithstanding, the resolution passed unanimously, with Friedman making it clear that he was voting aye "with the understanding that this doesn't go nearly far enough" and Alderman Wanda Pertilla (Second Ward) thanking Moore for taking the initiative to draft the resolution.

Other moments of interest from last night's Common Council meeting:

• When the aldermen were asked, as they are every month, to vote on paying the bills, Pierro asked about a bill from Plass, Rockefeller & Nucci, wanting to know what had been surveyed. City attorney Cheryl Roberts informed him that it was the "port parcel."
• When voting on the resolution to buy a new firetruck for $501,162, Alderman Nick Haddad (First Ward) hesitated, said "I don't know," paused, and finally voted "with reservation" aye.
• Friedman was the only alderman to vote no on the resolution authorizing the issuance of serial bonds to pay for the new firetruck. When asked by Alderman "Doc" Donahue (Fifth Ward) why he had introduced the resolution and then voted against it, Friedman explained that he thought "piecemeal bonding was not the way to go" in handling the City's capital expenditures.
• At the end of the meeting, city treasurer Eileen Halloran brought up her concerns about the impact that construction activity at 900 Columbia Street would have on the homes and the residents on Green Street and wanted to know why nothing has been done about it. She noted that the project had been issued a building permit and made the point that "someone must make sure the people on Green Street don't have more water running onto their property." She offered some information, reported by Nathan Mayberg in the Register-Star, that has not previously been a part of the conversation about 900 Columbia Street: there is a 2.6-acre nationally designated wetland downslope from the project. "This new fact," said Halloran, "needs to be explored."

Bring on the Toxic Sludge!

It seemed too good to be true that the Common Council would do something so innovative as to protect Hudson residents from the potential dangers of toxic waste from hydraulic fracturing by banning its use as a de-icing agent on our streets and prohibiting it from being accepted at our waste water treatment plant. As it turns out, it was. 

There were two resolutions before the Common Council tonight having to do with toxic waste from hydrofracking. The first was a resolution to adopt a negative declaration on the proposed action to amend the city code; the second was the actual amendment that would ban this toxic waste from entering Hudson in any way, shape, or form.

Tonight, after an executive session about the City's settlement with Holcim on their assessment grievance and a couple of routine resolutions, Council president Don Moore called for a vote on the first "fracking" resolution: to adopt a negative declaration. And the roll call began:

President Moore. Aye.
Alderman Donahue. No.
Alderman Friedman. Aye.
Alderman Haddad. Aye.
Alderman Marston. Aye.
Alderman Miah. No.
Alderman Pertilla. No.
Alderman Pierro. No.
Alderman Ramsey. No.
Alderman Stewart. No.
Alderman Wagoner. Aye.

The final count was 908 aye, 1,112 no. 

When Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward) demanded to know why the majority of his fellow aldermen voted against a resolution meant to protect the residents of Hudson from being exposed to potentially hazardous toxic waste, Alderman Cappy Pierro (Fifth Ward) said that the issue of hydraulic fracturing was "still under review." "The governor," said Pierro, "still hasn't made up his mind."

When the amendment to city code came before the Council, the vote was the same. 

When the meeting was about to adjourn, Linda Mussmann, from the audience, expressed her disappointment that the "fracking resolution" didn't pass. Victor Mendolia was more comprehensive in his criticism. He said he was embarrassed for the Council. He spoke of "toxic waste spread on city streets for de-icing" and the risk it posed to everyone in the city and said he hoped "people will educate themselves about the toxicity" of the waste from hydraulic fracturing.

Promises to Keep

The people involved with the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood initiative held a meeting last night to update the community on project's mission and progress. The Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood received a $413,000 planning grant in December 2011, but, as project manager Joan Hunt explained, "the project took longer than expected to get off the ground," and as a consequence, it is currently three months behind schedule. She said they had applied for an extension to complete the needs assessment, the end result of which would be a set of proposed solutions. But even though the solutions will not be ready to present to the community for review and comment for another few months, the panel members--Sophie Becker, Tiffany Garriga, and Kamal Johnson--mentioned some programs that could be implemented in the effort to create a "culture of success'--a school district and a community where there is the expectation that all kids will succeed in school and in careers.

The model for the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood is the Harlem Children's Zone, a program in New York City created by Geoffrey Canada and celebrated by presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. HCZ's motto is "Doing whatever it takes to educate children and strengthen the community," and this statement and variations of it were repeated by panel members throughout the presentation as they talked about ways to create a "cradle to career pipeline" to encourage and support kids' academic achievement. 

One HCZ program mentioned as something that might be implemented in Hudson is "Baby College," a program of prenatal and parenting support. Another program mentioned was the "Peacemaker" program, which involves bringing AmeriCorps volunteers into the schools and and helping HCSD youth become AmeriCorps volunteers. The Peacemakers program was mentioned as a way to address two problems that were identified as existing in the Hudson City School District: the teachers in the classrooms don't look like the students (that is, the percentage of students of color is not reflected in faculty and administration); the number of suspensions and expulsions. Speaking of the latter, Dan Udell, who with his wife, Mary, runs an after-school video program at Hudson High School, made the point that HCSD "uses suspensions to punish kids with nothing positive to bring them back." Hunt later shared the statistic that only 3 percent of all suspensions, in school districts across the country, are for violence or drug-related activity. The rest are the consequence of student behaviors judged to be unacceptable in a school setting. "How do teachers react to student behaviors?" she asked rhetorically. "What are the long-term consequences [of their reactions]?"  

Responding to a question from Linda Mussmann, co-director of Time & Space Limited, Hunt clarified that Catholic Charities of Columbia & Greene Counties was the lead agency in the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood project. HCSD was a key partner, but the school district did not receive any of the funds. When asked "how much of a voice" the school district had in the solutions, Hunt said, "They need to be on board with the solutions proposed." 

Hunt explained that only fifteen communities throughout the United States had received Promise Neighborhood planning grants in 2011, and the competition for implementation grants, which is the next step, is even greater. Implementation grants are for "millions of dollars": $5 million a year for three to five years. Last year, only five communities were awarded implementation grants; the year before, only seven grants were awarded. One of the communities that received an implementation grant in 2011 was Buffalo. 

When asked what would happen if the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood didn't get an implementation grant, Hunt took the "no excuses for failure" attitude and said there was interest in making this happen from foundations and other funding sources, and the project would be implemented on some scale.

Ask the Mayor

Mayor William Hallenbeck will be Victor Mendolia's guest on @Issue at 10 a.m. on Wednesday on WGXC 90.7 FM. The mayor will be responding to questions from the public, which are being solicited in advance of the interview. Email your questions to info@wgxc.org.

Preservation Watch

On Friday morning, four applications for certificates of appropriateness were presented to the Historic Preservation Commission. Two were unanimously approved; the approval of one was postponed pending submission of a current photograph; one was tabled until the project could be reviewed by code enforcement. 

The first application was for new signage at 624 Warren Street, the location of James Male's new real estate office, HOUSE. The proposed signage was unanimously approved.

The second application was for facade restoration of 410 Warren Street, soon to be the new location of White Whale. The proposed renovations, which for now are limited to the ground floor storefront, involve bringing the facade back to what was originally there. The plan is to remove the double hung windows to restore the symmetry. The owner of the building, Lynn Ribar, and the project contractor told the HPC that original details--including an arched window and brackets--are still intact beneath elements that had been added, probably in the second half of the 20th century. Although the application was accompanied only by a sketch of the restored facade instead of the required elevation drawings, the HPC decided to accept it as complete, since the project involved removing material to expose original material rather than constructing something new, and voted unanimously to approval it.

The third application was for the installation of an entrance in the facade at 702 Columbia Street. The proposal is to remove the last window at the left of this storefront and install double doors similar to the ones at the far right of the building, to make the left side mirror the right side. 

A concern was raised by HPC architect member Jack Alvarez that the doors proposed would not be in compliance with ADA requirements because the width of each door was less than 32 inches. Since ADA compliance is a concern of code enforcement not historic preservation, the HPC decided to table the application until the project has gotten approval from code enforcement. 

The final application was to add a portico to the main entrance of 127 Union Street. The house, which was originally built in about 1805 and is thought to be the work of master builder Barnabus Waterman, started out as a Federal style house. Over the years, Greek Revival and Victorian elements have been added to the house until today, as its owner Nick Haddad described it, the house has "no real architectural standard." 

Haddad presented a elevation drawing of the portico in position on the house and a photograph of a house in Maine whose portico had inspired the design of the one proposed. He explained that the salvaged brackets that will be used on the proposed portico are identical to those seen on the Maine house.

The HPC accepted application but put off voting on its approval because HPC member Peggy Polenberg wanted to see a current picture of the house before making a decision about the appropriateness of the design of the proposed new element. HPC chair Rick Rector said he would take the photograph himself and email it to HPC members, so they would have it in hand before the next meeting.