What's Coming

An estimated two hundred people turned out on Sunday morning to hear about Marina Abramovic's plans for creating an institute for the preservation of performance art in Hudson. Nathan Mayberg has the story in today's Register-Star: "Public introduced to Marina Abramovic Institute." Two highlights from her comments made at the presentation and in an interview on WGXC are that Hudson needs more hotel rooms to support the work she wants to do here and she has no problem with the idea of a homeless shelter being located half a block from the institute.  

The event provided the opportunity to see the model of the building's future and the ghosts of the building's past.

An Aside for a Sunday Morning

At some point in the discussion of 67-71 North Fifth Street on Friday morning, Ward Hamilton commented that the house "looks like a farmhouse in Red Hook." The description of the house as a farmhouse reminded me of a little fact I discovered while researching 109 North Fifth, just up the street, for a Historic Hudson house tour a couple of years ago. 

It is generally recognized that the section of Fifth Street north of State was developed later than the area of Hudson bounded by State, Allen, and Fifth streets and the Hudson River. The width of the street and the generous setbacks give the feeling of what was probably the 19th-century equivalent of suburbia. The house I was researching--109 North Fifth Street--had been built around 1870 for its first owner, Alfred Van Deusen. A year before Van Deusen bought the property, the lot was sold to Ezra Byrne, the owner of a brick yard, with the deed stipulation that the seller was "reserving the crops growing thereon."

The Release of Gossips

Ward Hamilton contacted me this morning to offer, as he called it, an "olive branch." He informed me that, although he apparently still owns the domain name gossipsofrivertown.com, it now links to my blog, gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com. His email continues: "No harm was meant--you've got 12,000+ hits per week from people interested in Hudson and historic preservation. It seemed like smart marketing but not at the price of being called a thief."

Boys Will Be Boys

Remember back in 2003 when Rick Scalera stole the Bottom Line Party from Linda Mussmann? 

Well, Ward Hamilton seems to have done something similar to me. He has commandeered the title The Gossips of Rivertown. He registered the domain name gossipsofrivertown.com, so if you try to reach Gossips using gossipsofrivertown.com, it takes you to his website! So, remember, the real URL for Gossips is: gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com.

The Twilight Zone of Historic Preservation

Ward Hamilton has published on his blog his own account of what happened at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting on Friday: "On common ground: A successful proposal at the Historic Preservation Commission." As the title suggests, his account differs from mine and Tom Casey's. In a comment on my post about the meeting, Hamilton accuses me of misrepresenting the facts to promote my agenda. I admit to having an agenda. I believe that Eric Galloway is destroying the authentic architectural fabric of Hudson, but I don't need to misrepresent facts to get that point across to my readers. I just have to report what's happening. Tom Casey, reporter for the Register-Star, has no agenda. He's just doing his job. Strange that we should both get what transpired at the HPC meeting wrong, and Hamilton got it right.

What Happened at Friday's HPC Meeting

A new design for the larger of the two houses on North Fifth Street commonly know as the "Armory houses" came before the Historic Preservation Commission on Friday morning, and, as Tom Casey reported in today's Register-Star, the new application was deemed incomplete: "Armory houses app deemed incomplete again." When you read Casey's article, scroll down to the comments to read the one from Ward Hamilton, who presented the project to the HPC on behalf of Galvan Partners. Hamilton calls the article "factually inaccurate," claims that the HPC granted a conditional approval to the plan, and demands that the Register-Star print a correction in tomorrow's online edition.

Admittedly, it is often hard to follow what's going on at Historic Preservation Commission meetings, and yesterday was no exception. The interruptions and cross talk that went on during the discussion of the Armory house proposal prompted Victor Mendolia to raise a point of order from the audience, asking that HPC members speak one at a time. Rick Rector, who was chairing the meeting, had to ask his colleagues more than once if they considered the application complete, but when they did get around to making a motion and voting on it, the outcome was clear. There was only one motion: to deem the application incomplete. Five of the six members of the HPC present (Rector, Phil Forman, Scott Baldinger, Jack Avarez, and Tony Thompson) voted aye; one (Peggy Polenberg) voted nay. The plan going forward is that Alvarez, the architect member of the HPC, will send Hamilton an email summarizing what would make the new design appropriate, and the HPC will have a workshop meeting with Hamilton and the project architect at 9 a.m. prior to their next meeting on August 24.

In June, the design proposed for the building featured a pediment and a Greek Revival portico at the center of the building. In the new design, this feature has disappeared, replaced by three smaller Greek Revival porticoes, one over each doorway of what will be three town houses.

Rector called the design "a significant change from the earlier design and a significant change from the house as it is now." In June, the HPC had objected that the elements of history on the house were being eliminated and urged that the house is kept closer to what it was before it had been allowed to fall into disrepair. The addition of the two-story columned portico, a signature of houses built by Eric Galloway's various LLCs in Hudson, presented a problem for the HPC in the first design. In the new design, the dramatic change in the roof--replacing the pitched roof with a flat roof and eliminating the front gable--was the HPC's major concern. 

The house probably in the 1930s

The house in April 2012

The HPC considers the roof to be an important element of the house's historic character and wants to see it retained in its current form, not simply commemorated in the pediment of a new pseudo Greek Revival portico. Hamilton said the roof framework was 70 percent rotted and has to come off, but when Thompson suggested building a flat roof was less expensive than reproducing what had been there, Hamilton denied that cost was a factor in his client's preference for a flat roof.

Hamilton read a statement he had prepared which started out with an apparent appeal to the HPC to relax their standards because his client was "saving buildings that nobody else has raised a finger to help." He went on to lecture the HPC about historic preservation, quoting extensively from various preservationists to make the points that historic preservation was also cultural preservation and the greenest building is the one that's already there. He made reference to the "broken windows theory," said that this proposal was one that "would be welcomed in other communities where I have worked," and suggested the HPC was driven by "personal agendas and politics."

When Baldinger pointed out that the quote Hamilton read about cultural history supported the HPC's position that the evidence of the house's evolution over time needed to be preserved, Hamilton conceded that the quote he had read "could go either way." 

After telling how difficult it was to show properties in that neighborhood because when people saw the Armory houses they wanted to get back in the car, Polenberg said she liked the new design and thought the design proposed in June was attractive. Thompson reminded her that "we're not talking about personal taste," explaining the HPC needed to find a solution that "maintains the historic presence of the building." 

When Rector made the point that "what we are being asked to review is a new structure" on the foundation of the old structure and reusing some of the original materials, Hamilton asked if the HPC would consider it as new construction, stating that he believed the proposed design "satisfies the criteria for compatibility" for new construction. Alvarez took issue with this, saying that many of the buildings in the neighborhood that had been used to support the case for the appropriateness of the new design were not Greek Revival but Italianate. He also added, "There's a building there. Why can't we work with it?" 

Forman talked about the importance of authenticity in Hudson's historic architecture, saying that it was something that "doesn't exist in other places." He then suggested that historic preservation may have "missed the window" on this building, saying, "I'm not sure there is a lot of choice," although he did express the opinion that the proposed design "looks like something that got too many face-lifts."  

In the end, as reported at the beginning, the HPC voted 5 to 1 to deem the application incomplete. Alvarez agreed to send an email to Hamilton "stating what would make this a workable plan," and Hamilton and the project architect, who is rumored to be Kevin Walker, will bring a revised design to a workshop with the HPC on August 24 at 9 a.m.

TCI Intends to Rebuild

It's been reported that the TCI site is now like a military compound, guarded by private security hired by the company, while the question of what was actually in the building when it burned remains without a definitive answer. Still, John Mason reports in today's Register-Star, TCI is planning to rise from its own possibly toxic ashes: "TCI: We will rebuild."

"You got to know when to hold 'em . . ."

Columbia County is about the start a $9 million expansion and renovation of the courthouse, and the fee to the City of Hudson for the building permit is reported to be $38,728. Public Works Commissioner David Robinson has asked the City to waive the fee, but Mayor Bill Hallenbeck isn't willing to do that. Nathan Mayberg has the story in today's Register-Star: "Courthouse building permit: $38K." 

According to Mayberg, Board of Supervisors chair Pat Grattan and county attorney Rob Fitzsimmons plan to come to the Common Council meeting on Monday to ask the Council to waive the fee. Hallenbeck wants Fitzsimmons to address his suit to city attorney Cheryl Roberts and is quoted as saying, "I will leave it to the attorneys to work that out."

Hudson at the Movies

Jamie Larson and Sam Pratt have been leaking the news for weeks. Imagine my frustration, as a member of the Historic Hudson Board of Directors, knowing the whole story but not being able to tell it because Universal Pictures didn't want the news out there until the movie was released. But now, at the stroke of midnight on the day The Bourne Legacy is opening in theaters everywhere, I can tell the world that the Dr. Oliver Bronson House, also known as the Plumb-Bronson House, Hudson's only National Historic Landmark, plays a featured role in the movie. What follows is the official press release prepared by Historic Hudson.

The latest installment in The Bourne Identity movie franchise includes a star of a different kind: the Dr. Oliver Bronson House. A portion of The Bourne Legacy, directed by Academy Award‐nominated director Tony Gilroy and starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Joan Allen, and Albert Finney, was filmed onsite at the Dr. Oliver Bronson House last November. The film opens in cinemas nationwide on August 10.

Universal Pictures looked all over New York State for a suitable location for the home of the film’s Marta character (played by Rachel Weisz), a scientist and avid old house restorer. As Universal Pictures Location Manager Joe Guest noted in an email to Historic Hudson, “You know all too well what a special house it is . . . but I am compelled to tell you that we have looked at over a hundred other properties and we have still found nothing that is as captivating.” But even with Universal’s interest, and the promise of a substantial fee for the nonprofit Historic Hudson, putting a workable plan together was not an easy task.

Originally, Universal wanted to shoot major action sequences inside the house including a fight/chase scene and a character pouring “kerosene” (water) over the walls and furniture as part of an eleven‐week shooting schedule at the house. Historic Hudson carefully reviewed the filming request and organized a walk‐through with representatives from Universal and Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, the firm leading the restoration of the house, to identify key areas of concern to the historic fabric. Engineers looked at the structural loads posed by having the large crew/equipment in and out of the house. In the end, Historic Hudson decided that filming simply posed too many risks to the fragile interior of the National Historic Landmark property and had the potential of delaying the ongoing Phase I restoration work. (The Phase I project was completed on schedule.)

A compromise was reached whereby the interior of the Bronson house was replicated at the Kaufman Astoria Soundstage (built in 1921 and itself in the National Historic Register) and the onsite filming limited to two days of exterior filming. Even with the more limited scope, this resulted in an eight‐day total shoot, during which the 150‐person Universal crew made a substantial contribution to the Columbia County economy. As part of the filming process, the entire façade of the Dr. Oliver Bronson House was digitally mapped using 3D LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) camera technology. The set crew took copious photos of the interior of the house as well, allowing the house to be meticulously re-created on the soundstage (down to the peeling wallpaper). Bronson house fans and architectural aficionados can compare the fidelity of Universal’s rendition of the house, created by production designer Kevin Thompson, to the glorious original. Spoiler alert: While The Bourne Legacy shows a certain building in flames at the end of a movie scene, said building is not a National Historic Landmark but merely a replica built in Staten Island.

And Hudson Shall Have a Hotel

At Wednesday night's Planning Commission meeting, Duncan Calhoun and Russell Gibson waited with anticipation--and their architect and their realtor--to continue the process of attaining site plan approval for the hotel they want to create at 542 Warren Street--a process that was interrupted when the owner of the building had second thoughts about selling it. But, before the Planning Commission could get to that, they had to re-vote approval for the Hudson Arcade Project, the future home of Filli's Fresh Market. 

It seems that Planning Commission member Cleveland Samuels, who participated in the vote to approve the project on July 11, had a "potential conflict of interest." As it happens, Samuels does various kinds of work for Eric Galloway or Galvan Partners or Galvan Initiatives or whatever. 

On the re-vote, the project was approved again, but not before a woman, whose house on Union Street backs up on the alley directly behind the site of the market, expressed concern about trucks making deliveries from the alley before 7 a.m. (Maybe the Planning Commission shouldn't have waived the public hearing after all.) She was assured that any tractor-trailers making deliveries to the store in the wee hours of the morning could not navigate the alley and would be making deliveries from Warren Street. The smaller trucks that would use the alley to access the store would do so only during the hours when the store was open.  

Then it was the hotel's turn. The one sticking point for the hotel has been parking. Calhoun and Gibson want to lease sixteen parking spaces--one for each of the sixteen rooms in the hotel--in the municipal lot behind the building. According to Don Moore, Common Council president, who was at the meeting, current law allows the City to sell an annual parking permit to the owner of a specific car but not to an entity for use by unspecified cars. Moore predicted, however, that the necessary amendment to the law would come before the Council within the next month. 

The newest member of the Planning Commission, Gail Grandinetti pointed out that the county has parking spaces designated for its use in municipal lots, as does Columbia Opportunities, which suggests that the City already has agreements with "entities." Planning Commission member Glenn Martin, the former chief of police who lost to Ellen Thurston in his bid to become county supervisor from the Third Ward, wanted to know why the Council has wasted time amending the law and suggested that a vote on site plan approval be postponed until the law is changed. 

Declaring that "it's new ground we're doing," Cappy Pierro, acting chair of the Planning Commission, called for a vote to grant site plan approval contingent on "sixteen parking spaces being worked out." The Planning Commission voted aye, apparently unanimously.  

Silent Protest

In protest of what they consider the inequity of the City of Hudson leasing a major portion of the city dock to Guy Falkenheimer and The Spirit of Hudson while refusing to lease the North Bay docks to them, members of the Furgary Boat Club tied one of their boats up to the city dock last night, where it remained during Hudson.Water.Music. concert in the park.

Tonight at 401 State Street

The resolution authorizing Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman to enter into a lease agreement with Galvan Initiatives Foundation on a building that hasn't been built and doesn't yet have an agreeed-upon plan didn't make it out of the Finance Committee last night, so that resolution will not be voted on tonight when the Board of Supervisors meets at 7:30 p.m. There may, however, be discussion of the proposed project, and another topic of interest will be taken up: the fire at TCI Industries. Bill Black, director of Columbia County Emergency Management, will be present to discuss the issues raised by the fire. The discussion of both topics--the homeless shelter and the TCI fire--is likely to be only among the supervisors and not involve the public.

More About Galvan Quarters

This morning on WGXC's @Issue, Victor Mendolia talked with Hudson supervisor Bill Hughes (Fourth Ward), who is a passionate supporter and defender of the plan to contract with the Galvan Initiatives Foundation to provide a homeless shelter in Hudson, and with Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward), a lawyer who has read the proposed lease agreements with Galvan three times and questions its wisdom. The lively discussion, which is recommended listening, can be heard here. 

Bill Hughes

John Friedman

As Promised . . .

Mayor William Hallenbeck's laundry list of projects and achievements, begun last week, continues today in the Register-Star: "MY VIEW: Mayoral rundown, part two." A couple of the items inspire comment. In item 18, the mayor says he is excited that the plan for a food market in Hudson "has passed all the committees . . . [and] is moving toward the building stages." Does the mayor know that Galvan has postponed work on the project, and the market isn't expected to open until spring or early summer 2013? Item 20 contains this somewhat unsettling news for those who value old buildings: "We have the Code Enforcement Department out . . . determining what buildings are dangers to the public and should be condemned."

More About Galvan Quarters

Nathan Mayberg reports on Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's Finance Committee meeting in today's Register-Star: "Winds shift on homeless proposal."

A reader alerted Gossips to a new fact sheet on Galvan Quarters (620 State Street) posted last Friday on the Galvan Foundation website. The fact sheet was this new rendering of the facility.  

Resolution Tabled

More than forty people--Hudson residents all--packed into the committee room at 401 State Street tonight, filling all the chairs provided and lining the ramp to the doorway. They were there to witness the Finance Committee in its consideration of the resolution to authorize Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman to enter into a lease agreement with the Galvan Initiatives Foundation for an emergency and transitional housing facility at the corner of State and Seventh streets. 

Supervisor Richard Keaveney (Canaan), who chairs the committee, left this resolution for last, and after it was introduced, there was lengthy discussion of the proposal among committee members and Mossman, until finally committee member Ray Staats (Clermont) asked the obvious question: "Why do we have to do this now?" The question elicited applause from the audience, which in turn elicited this reprimand from committee member Betty Young (Taghkanic): "Be quiet!"

The tide seemed to turn with Staats' question, and the committee ultimately voted unanimously to table the resolution, but not before members of the public were given a chance to speak. In order to get this news out as soon as possible, Gossips will report the highlights of those comments in a subsequent post. 

Meeting Reminder

Today at 5 p.m. the Finance Committee of the Board of Supervisors meets to consider the proposed lease between Columbia County and the Galvan Initiatives Foundation for a homeless shelter in Hudson. The meeting takes place at 401 State Street.

Historic Preservation: An Uphill Battle

There's a new tenant at 203 Warren Street, the storefront briefly occupied last year by the Hip Hop Chop Shop. The new business that has hung out its shingle is a general contracting firm that does, according to the signage, Renovations & Restorations. Sadly, in the middle of Hudson's national, state, and locally designated historic district, where the restoration of original wood windows should be encouraged and supported, among the few things now on display in the space are replacement windows--vinyl and wood.

From Hudson to Timbuctoo

Billy Shannon has an article in today's Register-Star about the recently published book Timbuctoo and its author, Tahir Shah, who visited Hudson recently: "Forgotten Hudson hero comes to light in Brit's new book." Timbuctoo tells the story of Robert Adams, an illiterate sailor from Hudson, who was the first person of European descent to enter the fabled city thought to be an African El Dorado.

TCI: The Ongoing Story

Sam Pratt continues to publish important information about the TCI fire and its aftermath on his blog.

• "Must-see Lance TV"
• "The Eagle has landed, and it's pissed"
• "What's on the ground at TSI?"
• "TSI test results posted online (kinda/sorta)"

Opposition to Galvan Quarters

Various members of the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee said more than once that the plan for a homeless shelter at State and Seventh street was ultimately "the City of Hudson's decision," but, as the plan moved relentlessly forward, getting approval from one county committee after another, Hudson residents wondered when their turn would come to voice their concerns much less make the decision. When it was learned on July 26 that a public forum was being planned for sometime in late September even though the Board of Supervisors was scheduled to vote on the proposal on August 8, the public drew the obvious conclusion that the public forum would be more about selling a fait accompli than seeking public input. Members of the public decided to start the conversation even if their opinions had not been solicited. The public discussion started at last Thursday's Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting, and it is promised to continue at the informal Council meeting on Monday, August 13. In the meantime, the lease between the county and the Galvan Initiatives Foundation will be considered by the Board of Supervisors Finance Committee tomorrow at 5 p.m. and by the full Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, August 8.

The call is out for the people of Hudson to make their opinions known about the plan being proposed by Galvan, which seems to change with alarming regularity. Yesterday, Victor Mendolia distributed a notice, which was posted as a comment on this blog, urging everyone with concerns about the proposal to attend the Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 7, at 5 p.m., and the meeting of the full Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, August 8, at 7:30 p.m. Both meetings take place at 401 State Street. Mendolia's message ends with this appeal: "A strong showing of concerned citizens at these meetings is imperative. Please make every effort to attend."

It has also been suggested that people express their concerns, before a vote is taken on Wednesday, to Pat Grattan, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, by email or phone: (518) 784-2527 or (518) 784-2507. 

Still Not Over

Sam Pratt is staying with the still unfolding story of the TCI fire and its immediate and lingering effects. His latest report is on his blog: "Picking up the pieces from TCI."

620 State Street and the Board of Supervisors

Next week, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors is likely to vote on a proposal to make this historic building on the corner of State and Seventh streets into the centerpiece of a facility for the homeless called "Galvan Quarters." From the 1840s until 1881, this building was the Hudson Orphan Asylum.

I recently discovered this little item in the Hudson Evening Register for December 8, 1874, which reveals a different relationship between the Board of Supervisors and the building than the one that  exists today.

Visiting the Orphans  The Board of Supervisors paid the Hudson Orphan Asylum a visit, in a body, this afternoon. The occasion was a pleasant one, and was enjoyed by the children as well as the Supervisors.  

More New Signage on Warren Street

The Savoia has a whole new batch of signs along the fence separating its outdoor lounge from the sidewalk. The new signs warn against loitering.

When the bar opened its outdoor space, there were simple signs asking patrons please not to take drinks off the premises. At the beginning of this year's outdoor season, those signs were augmented by more detailed signs explaining the penalties for taking drinks off the premises, urging patrons to keep noise to a minimum, and warning against loitering. The new signs, which appeared recently, carry the warning: "No Loitering on Sidewalk--Police Take Notice."

The escalation of sign messages suggests an attempt to prevent the return of the bad old days when the Savoia, then located in the building next to LICK, was often the scene of incidents that disturbed the peace. The most recent signs seem to be a response to an incident that took place at the new Savoia at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 8, and was witnessed by a Gossips reader who lives in the vicinity. According to the reader's report, there was a brawl in front of the Savoia that involved close to a hundred people and brought out two Hudson police cars, two county sheriff's department cars, and two state police cars. But through it all, the bar never closed.

UPDATE: Galvan Quarters

Although nobody, including Galvan special adviser Rick Scalera or Register-Star reporter Tom Casey, seemed to have this information on Thursday night, Galvan supposedly issued a press release on Thursday saying they have abandoned the idea of adding seven "permanent supportive housing" units to the facility they are proposing for State and Seventh streets. Casey has that news, together with his coverage of Thursday night's Economic Development Committee meeting, in today's Register-Star: "Galvan shelter plan changes again."

A Meeting in Two Acts

Act I  On Thursday night, the Common Council Economic Development Committee met to learn about Conservation Advisory Councils from Karen Strong, Hudson River Estuary Program, and Ellen Jouret-Epstein, Columbia Land Conservancy. The basic information provided by Strong and Jouret-Epstein is pretty much all contained in the brochure about CACs published by the Columbia Land Conservancy. Briefly defined, a CAC is a group of from three to nine people appointed by the Common Council for their relevant knowledge and expertise to help balance natural resource issues with development issues. The role of a CAC is to educate and advise the Common Council on natural resource issues and, if it is so decided, to assist the Planning Commission with environmental reviews. What gave the presentation local interest were the questions raised by the members of the committee and the audience. 


From the audience, Hudson supervisor Bill Hughes (Fourth Ward) expressed a concern about "bottlenecking" and Hudson supervisor Rick Scalera (Fifth Ward) wanted to know if the CAC would weigh in on every decision made by the Planning Commission. Later, Scalera, sounding as if he were still the mayor, wanted to know if it was "absolutely necessary to formalize this with local law." Alderman Ohrine Stewart (Fourth Ward), a member of the committee, wanted to know if a CAC would need a budget and if members of the Common Council could serve on the CAC. (Answers to Stewart's questions: No; There should be a liaison between the CAC and the Council, but members of the Council should not serve on the CAC.)


Don Moore, Common Council president and chair of the committee, wanted to know which other New York cities had adopted CACs and could serve as models for Hudson and sought lists of issues that CACs have "tackled" in other municipalities and examples of natural resource inventories developed by other CACs. Along the way, he made this intriguing comment: "If we get South Bay, South Bay remediation can go in many different directions."

Act II  The more dramatic part of the meeting happened when Moore called for a motion to adjourn. Before such a motion came, Cheryl Stuart, speaking from the audience, interrupted, saying that she wanted to talk about Galvan and the homeless housing project. Introducing herself as a business owner who had moved her business from New York City to a building at the corner of Sixth and State, Stuart protested that "the people who have made investments in Hudson are not being considered in the planning [for this facility]." She asserted that serious public discussion should happen before a vote is taken, but the county plans to vote on this proposal next week and hold a public forum about it in September.


When Scalera explained that "the only vote that may be taken is a vote on the lease," which he said is subject to all regulatory approvals, Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward), a member of the Economic Development Committee, asked, "How is the county ready to vote on something that is constantly changing?" He urged that business owners "express their unhappiness to their supervisors, to [Pat] Grattan [chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors], and to [Paul] Mossman [Commissioner for Social Services]." Friedman made the point that Hudson has the highest rate of entrepreneurialism in New York State, a status that should be acknowledged and considered, and told Stuart, "I support you 100 percent. I find the whole thing disturbing."


In response to the objections that the plans keep changing, Hughes, who has taken ownership of the project, claimed that he has kept everyone informed. He told the other two supervisors in the room, Sarah Sterling (First Ward) and Ellen Thurston (Third Ward), who obviously disagreed with his claim, "I brought everyone up to speed," and boasted, "I'm in tune with my community."

On the subject of politicians being in tune with their communities, Stuart, whose home and business is in the Fifth Ward and in close proximity to the proposed shelter, said Scalera had never approached his constituents about the project and claimed that all her neighbors--also Scalera's constituents--were opposed to it. Scalera responded by reading from the CARES report, specifically the recommendation that the county "lease or purchase one or more motels" for housing the homeless. "That," shouted Scalera, "is what the plan is doing." He then reproached Moore and Sterling who "both supported it and now they don't." Of the recent plan to add seven units of "permanent supportive housing" to the proposal facility, bringing the total to forty-four units, Scalera asserted, "The developer thought they were doing the right thing!" This comment prompted Sterling to ask if Scalera was speaking as a supervisor or as an employee of Galvan. With raised voice, Scalera declared, "I'm speaking as Rick Scalera," adding after a slight pause, "the supervisor for the Fifth Ward."


Responding to Scalera's claim that "in the end, homelessness will be addressed," Friedman said that partnering with Galvan was "giving them a business interest in the poverty of the city." He made the point that if the goal was to end homelessness and the poverty that causes it, the goal cannot be achieved by a privately run facility. "The only way for the problem to shrink is for government to solve the problem." Audience member Helen Arrott agreed, calling the proposal a business which she characterized as "pay per head per bed" and an SRO that only addressed a very specific population and does not serve homeless families or single women with children.


Moore, who initially seemed to want to avoid the discussion by saying the proposal for the homeless shelter "is not a Common Council issue until there is a SEQRA review," ended the meeting by saying that the Common Council will hold its informal meeting on Monday, August 13, and there will be a public discussion of the issue at that time. He also said that he did not think the Board of Supervisors can vote on this issue on Wednesday, August 8, and expressed the opinion that, if they do, it would be "wrong and challengeable."

About the Air Around Us

At 7:28 on Friday night, the Register-Star published an update online about the quality of the air: "Officials: Air test came back with "acceptable levels." According to the report, no PCBs were found in soot samples collected at the site and "real-time air monitoring done by [EPA] for particulate and volatile compounds 'found no levels of concern.'" The article points out, however, that the results from EPA testing for PCBs has not yet been received and no testing has been done for dioxins (which is what PCBs become when burned). It concludes with comments from Ed Simonsen, a retired chemical analyst and chemistry teacher who chairs the Columbia County Environmental Management Council, and reports that Simonsen is "guardedly skeptical" about the news that the air is free of toxins.


Sam Pratt's comments on the state of things are now on his blog: "Hurry up and wait for TSI test results." See also "Releasing confusion," in which Pratt reproduces and comments on the statement released Friday by the Columbia County Emergency Management Office.

Seen on Warren Street

A new sign went up yesterday on Warren Street. This would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that it announces the real estate business of Peggy Polenberg, the newest member of the Historic Preservation Commission, appointed in May by Mayor William Hallenbeck. Polenberg got a permit to install the sign but failed to apply for and receive a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.

The law is quite clear on this point. (Underscore has been added to highlight the relevant part.)

Section 169-5. Certificate of appropriateness for alteration, demolition, or new construction. [Amended 6-15-2020 by L.L. No. 3-2010] A certificate of appropriateness is required to carry out any exterior alteration, additions, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, new construction, or moving of a landmark or property within an historic district, or to make any material change in the appearance of such a property or its windows, or install or move a satellite dish. This certificate is to be obtained prior to obtaining a building permit. A certificate of appropriateness must be obtained even if a building permit is not required. Noncontributing properties within an historic district must also follow the same procedure. An application for a certificate of appropriateness for the alteration or addition of a sign in an historic district or associated with a landmark may only be submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission after issuance by the Building Inspector of an erection permit pursuant to Chapter 244.

Is it too much to expect that the members of our regulatory boards be familiar with the laws they are expected to apply and uphold?

Consequences of the TCI Fire

Sam Pratt questions on his blog how reassured we should be by the report that there was only one small drum of PCBs in the TCI building: "T-U Expert: One PCB drum could be too many." Pratt promises more information about the situation later today: sampratt.com.

Today's Register-Star is full of stories about the fire and its aftermath.

• TCI cleanup, testing continues
• Many say they got evacuation info late
• Farmers ponder TCI fire's effect
• Some heed warning and stay inside; others ignore it
• Those nearest to fire react

Photograph from Hudson Valley YNN.

The State of the Air Now

Open the windows. Turn on the air conditioner. Walk the dog. The word from the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center, or at least what I could gather from the radio broadcast, is that the crisis is over. Apparently no PCBs were found in the air that was tested, what burned were mostly petroleum products (although there was a small drum of PSBs on the site), and the fire is now 99 percent out. In terms of health risks, the public was assured that "this fire was not all that much different from other fires," but the county took a "proactive and conservative approach" to ensure public safety.


Sam Pratt has just published on his blog: "Notes on 1:30 pm news conference about TCI." 

The State of the Air

Mayor William Hallenbeck is at the County Sheriff's Emergency Operations Center and at 9:45 a.m. reported that the situation is improving and an official update was expected at about 10 a.m. So far, there has been no such update. 

People who were out and about in Hudson early this morning--unaware of the situation--are now reporting experiencing minor eye and throat irritation. It has also been reported that the Emergency Room at Columbia Memorial Hospital has so far not been informed about the exact nature of the toxins released into the air by the fire.


UPDATE: There's no word on what happened to the 10 o'clock update, but the latest word from the Emergency Operations Center is that another update is expected between noon and 1 p.m.


UPDATE: WGXC will be broadcasting live from the press conference at the Columbia County Emergency Management Office. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Listen at 90.7 FM or online at wgxc.org. 

Photograph from Hudson Valley YNN.

Meeting of Interest Tonight

Assuming it's safe to leave home later today, there is meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall that deserves attention. It is a meeting of the Common Council Economic Development Committee, chaired by Don Moore, at which a presentation will be made by Karen Strong, the biodiversity outreach educator for the Hudson River Estuary Program, and Ellen Jouret-Epstein, community projects manager for the Columbia Land Conservancy. They will be talking about Conservation Advisory Councils and how such a council could benefit the City of Hudson by advising the city officials on issues relating to conservation. The Town of Ancram already has a CAC, as does the Town of Red Hook in Dutchess County.


Since this is a meeting of the Economic Development Committee, it might also be an appropriate place to raise questions and voice opinions about decisions being made that affect Hudson's economic development, like the latest permutation of the Galvan plan to house the homeless in Hudson.

State of Emergency

Gossips has just learned that the Columbia County Sheriff's Department has declared a state of emergency. Until air monitoring can be done, everyone within 15 miles of the site of the fire in West Ghent--Hudson is within that area--is advised to stay indoors with all windows closed and air conditioners and other devices that bring air in from the outside turned off. 


There is more information, including a map showing the 15-mile radius, on Sam Pratt's blog: "Close your windows, central Columbia."

Toxic Fire in West Ghent

WAMC is reporting this morning about a fire last night at TCI Industries, a company in West Ghent that dismantles transformers. The fire, which started at 10:30 p.m., forced residents living within a half mile of the facility to evacuate their homes and take shelter in the Chatham Firehouse. People in the towns of Nassau, Schodack, and Stephenstown have been advised to stay indoors with all windows closed and all air conditioners and devices that draw air from the outside turned off.


John Mason has the story in the Register-Star: "Area evacuated due to TCI fire in West Ghent."


Photograph is from WAMC website. 

What They Said

This morning on Victor Mendolia's show @Issue, the topic was the current proposal for providing emergency and transitional housing in Hudson and the people discussing it were Common Council president Don Moore and Hudson supervisors Sarah Sterling (First Ward) and Ellen Thurston (Third Ward). It was a timely moment for this discussion, since only yesterday it was learned that the facility proposed by Galvan for State and Seventh streets--a proposal that was expected to be voted on by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors next Wednesday--has grown from 15 units to 37 units to now 44 units. Moore and Sterling have both stated publicly that they supported the proposal for State and Seventh streets, but, as Sterling said this morning, "It's a whole new ballgame now." Her assessment of the new plan: "By enlarging it, they've created a monster." 

Moore urged that we "all need to be very reserved about the Seventh and State proposal," calling it "a plan that needs to be better organized and better explained." 


Thurston, as she has before, called for more input from the City of Hudson--defining "the City of Hudson" not as the mayor and the Common Council president but as the residents of Hudson, particularly those who live in close proximity to the proposed facility. She alleged that Galvan is "totally out of touch with the community" and this most recent change in plans "makes them appear more mercurial than ever." Later in the discussion, Moore took up the theme, saying that Galloway "should be more involved in public discussions of projects" and pointing out that his spokespeople say contradictory things.


Moore wondered about the size of the homeless population and asked, "Why does it have to be only in Hudson?" He pointed out that "Galvan says that [Hudson is] the only place they will work," thus making it necessary, if Galvan is to be involved, that Hudson shoulder the burden for the entire county. Moore called this "unacceptable as policy." 


At some point in the discussion, Sterling made the point that Eric Galloway's pattern of buying buildings, emptying them of tenants, and leaving them stand empty for years was in part responsible for the homeless situation. Toward the end of the discussion, Thurston talked about the amount of subsidized housing that already exists in Hudson, asking rhetorically, "How much is too much?"


When time was about to run out, Moore put forth the idea that Columbia County should come up with a public works project that would put people to work--thus shifting the focus and the investment of public funds to the prevention of homelessness rather than dealing with its costly consequences. Earlier Sterling had posited that preventing a family from being evicted from their home could cost as little as $750--much less than dealing with the situation once they have lost their home.


The full hour-long discussion has now been archived on WGXC and can be heard by clicking here.

Of Interest

Mayor William Hallenbeck has a MY VIEW in today's Register-Star that purports to "keep the residents of Hudson informed of our first six months in office": "Mayoral rundown, part one." What's meant to be an attempt at transparency and accountability seems more like a laundry list of issues facing the city, without a lot of real information. Part Two is promised for next Wednesday. 

Maybe This, Maybe That

Tom Casey and Nathan Mayberg team up to get a bead on Galvan's morphing proposal to provide shelter for the homeless of Columbia County in Hudson: "Homeless housing plans change." 

The new plan proposes creating 44 units in these buildings at the corner of State and Seventh streets, which, according to the math in the Casey and Mayberg's article, adds seven units of permanent supportive housing to this building on "a third floor"--that's seven of the 34 units of permanent supportive housing that were supposed to be in the Civic Hudson at Columbia and Fourth streets. Galvan Foundation Project Coordinator Daniel Kent--a relatively new name on the Galvan team roster--seems to imply that the remaining 27 units and more could be developed in properties owned by Galvan throughout the city. Kent is quoted as saying, "There are a lot of options." 


Since the project has changed, the new proposal will have to repeat the process of review and approval by Board of Supervisors committees. The full board was expected to vote on the proposal next Wednesday, August 8. It remains to be seen if special meetings of the committees will be called to keep the vote on schedule, or if it will be postponed until September.