Share Your Ideas for Charles Williams Park

Charles Williams Park, at the end of Mill Street, on the Empire State Trail, is Hudson's newest park, not counting the Hudson Dog Park. In 2007, the City of Hudson received a $250,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Fund to create the park. Work began on the park in 2009 and was completed in 2012. Much of what was originally planned for the park was never realized. 

Today, a decade after the grant money was spent and the park was declared complete, Charles Williams Park is Hudson's most overlooked and underutilized park.

Improvements to the park, to make it more inviting, more engaging, and more connected with the rest of the city, are now being considered. The Spark of Hudson, in a public/private partnership with the City of Hudson, has begun collaborating with landscape designers Lucy McFadden and Scott Shinton on preliminary conversation and schematics to enhance Charles Williams Park and link together the larger park system in Hudson and beyond. The intention is to have the community "take the lead in dictating the design of the park." Toward that end, people are being asked to complete a survey about possible improvements to the park. The survey, which takes only a few minutes to complete, can be found here.

Three Years Later

Three years ago, people turned out regularly, over several months, to speak out against the proposed construction of a mega gas station and convenience store at the Bell's Pond intersection in Livingston. Dan Udell's videos of the public hearings on the project can be found here and here. 

In the second video, from August 7, 2019, jazz pianist and composer Armen Donelian describes the project as "a large, ugly, and harmful gas station accompanied by a redundant convenience store," and author Jonathan Gould calls the proposed building "a standard piece of commercial roadside architecture . . . that is just an advertisement for itself."

Despite opposition from the community, the project had the support of the chair of CEDC (Columbia Economic Development Corporation) and the president and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, and after a delay caused by DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) seeking more information about interference in the fragile bald eagle habitat at Bell's Pond, the project was finally approved by the Town of Livingston Planning Board. 

Today, on its Facebook page, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce announced the official opening of Alltown Fresh Livingston, complete with ribbon cutting. Below are some of the photos that accompanied the announcement.

   

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 7 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 3 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 10 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with the virus and in the ICU remains the same as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, March 3.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County today of 4.0 percent and a seven-day average of 2.2 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 1.7 percent and the seven-day average is 2.5 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 6 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 3.631, and the number of active cases was 62. There were 252 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 15 were hospitalized, and 4 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 88.

The Perennial Issue of Parking

Anyone who follows Strong Towns knows that parking is a frequent subject of the articles published. This is yesterday's offering: "But Where Will I Park?" The article contains this paragraph, which summarizes the Strong Towns position on parking:

At Strong Towns, we've described a parking lot as virtually the worst use to which you can put a piece of urban land. We've published dozens of articles on the high costs of our cities' addiction to free parking. We've urged that every city eliminate its parking minimums, and start pricing parking at a fair market rate, so that parking can be adequately weighed against other, potentially more productive uses of land. Our oversupply of free parking is financially ruinous--it results in cities that have been eaten alive by parking lots at the expense of value-generating land. It cannot be sustained.

Once upon a time, Hudson had quite stringent offstreet parking requirements for new development. For eating and drinking establishments, one offstreet parking space was required for every three seats in the bar or restaurant. Hotels needed a parking space for every room. There was also a formula for providing offstreet parking for offices and work settings. Projects before the Planning Board for site plan review were regularly referred to the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances because they could not satisfy the offstreet parking requirements, and the ZBA regularly granted such variances.

In 2019, on the recommendation of the Planning Board, then chaired by Walter Chatham, a proponent of New Urbanism, the Common Council amended the city's zoning code to eliminate offstreet parking requirements. Even though the idea of eliminating offstreet parking requirements originated with the Planning Board, the Planning Board has remained obsessed with parking. Parking was an issue with the hotel proposed for 620 Union Street, it was an issue for the apartment buildings proposed for the "Depot District," and it is an issue for the hotel the Galvan Foundation is proposing for Fourth and Warren streets. Parking is a favorite concern not only for members of the Planning Board but also for members of the public.    

At Tuesday's Planning Board meeting, Mark Nadolny of Creighton Manning presented the traffic and parking study done for the hotel proposed by the Galvan Foundation for corner of Warren and Fourth streets. He explained they had studied The Wick Hotel and, based on activity at The Wick, had determined that the proposed hotel would need 25 parking spaces for its 30 rooms. A five-minute walk determined the radius of the area they studied for potential parking--an area that extends to the middle of the 300 block of Allen Street to the south, somewhere in the 300 block or the 400 block of State Street to the north, the 200 block of Warren Street to the west, and Sixth Street to the east. Within this area, Nadolny reported there were 600 onstreet parking spaces, and only 211 to 226 of them were occupied between 10 p.m. and midnight on the nights they did the analysis, leaving a surplus of more than 200 spaces. Hotel would need only 25 of those.

The traffic and parking report provoked a lot of comment--from members of the Planning Board and the public. Dustin Duncan, the newest board member, noted that the parking study considered only hotel guests and not patrons of the bar and restaurant. Nadolny responded that both were small and were intended primarily as amenities for guests. First Ward Alder Margaret Morris observed, "Looking at what's available at midnight is not realistic. You need to look at when guests are parking their cars." She suggested that guests would be parking their cars in the afternoon or early evening, when they would have to compete for parking spaces with shoppers and diners along Warren Street. 

Planning Board member Valerie Wray asked if they had considered valet parking and putting cars overnight down at the train station. Bill Huston expressed the opinion that this was "the wrong location for a 30-room hotel" and asked, "What hotel guest is gonna walk five minutes to a hotel?" Second Ward Alder Mohammed Rony expressed concern about parking for Warren Street venues spilling over into the neighborhoods, particularly Columbia Street. Dan Hubbell, who was standing in for Charles Gottlieb as legal counsel for the Galvan Foundation at the meeting, reminded the Planning Board that there are no offstreet parking requirements.

The upshot of the discussion at the Planning Board meeting was that a committee of three members--Duncan, Wray, and Clark Wieman--would select a consultant to review the traffic and parking study done by Creighton Manning.

Meanwhile, the City of Hudson is pursuing its own parking study, which is being called a "Parking Improvement Feasibility Study." The RFP for this study was issued at the end of January, and responses were due on February 25. It is expected that the consulting firm chosen to undertake the study will be announced next week, on Wednesday, March 16. 

The scope of services outlined in the RFP is introduced in this way:

Hudson is in the midst of changes that impact parking. Tourism and visitors to Hudson is increasing, particularly on weekends. Residents are moving in and out, and some areas have experienced changes in the number of residents who own vehicles. In order to optimize for changes in parking patterns, we are examining opportunities to develop additional sites for accessible structured and surfaced parking as well as changes in parking policy. 

The City is requesting development of a comprehensive Parking Improvement Strategy that analyzes current and growing parking needs, identifies challenges and opportunities, and creates a framework for safer, more accessible parking capacity and highly effective way-finding in ways that complement the City’s walk-able, attractive urban environment. 

Speaking with Gossips today, Third Ward Alder Ryan Wallace, who had a role in drafting the RFP, said that parking studies done for specific projects consider only a two or three block radius and do not take into account the "wave effect" on a broader area of the city. The parking study being undertaken by the City will be holistic--looking at all of the city, at different times of day, on different days of the week, in different seasons (spring to summer), and on at least one holiday weekend (Memorial Day). It is expected the study will be completed by the end of June.

The RFP can be found here. More information about the project provided in response to questions from those considering making a proposal can be found here.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 6 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, only 1 county resident has recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, March 3.

The New York Forward dashboard has not been updated since yesterday.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 21 new cases from March 3 to March 8 and 4 new cases on March 9. The total number of cases was 3,625, and the number of active cases was 66. There were 220 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 13 were hospitalized, and 3 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 88.

News of the Public Square

On Saturday, it was noted on the Friends of the Public Square (FOPS) Facebook page that the display boards--one a business directory, the other containing tiles created by schoolchildren in the 1980s--had been removed from Seventh Street Park, restoring the view into the park from Warren Street.

Photo: FOPS|Facebook

This morning, FOPS announced that it has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for landscape architects interested in working with FOPS to create a comprehensive design for the restoration/renovation of the Public Square, a.k.a. Seventh Street Park. The RFQ can be found here. Responses to the RFQ are due on March 21, 2022.

The responses will be reviewed and a design team chosen by a panel made up of FOPS board members, Mayor Kamal Johnson, and experts on park design. The design team selected will continue to engage the community on desirable features of a rejuvenated square and prepare a design reflecting that input as well as the park's location within a locally designated historic district. The resulting comprehensive design will be used in applying for grants from public and private sources to fund the work required to make the design a reality.

Putting a Face to a Name

This afternoon, I published a post commemorating the 100th anniversary of the raid that took place in Hudson on March 8, 1922, in the early years of Prohibition. As an outcome of the raid, along with confiscating illegal booze and arresting those who produced or sold it, the chief of police was suspended, and an officer from the state police was put in charge of the Hudson Police Department. The Columbia Republican identified the officer as "Lieut. H. J. Negell."     

This evening, Ed Moore, our current chief of police, sent me this picture, which reveals that the man put in charge of the Hudson Police Department back in 1922 was much younger than I had imagined and that the Columbia Republican misspelled his name.

Checking census records on Ancestry.com, I discovered that Lieutenant Harold James Nagell was 28 years old in 1922 when he was put in charge of the Hudson Police Department. John Cruise, the chief of police who was suspended and indicted for dereliction of duty, was 66.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 4 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 7 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 11 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 fewer county residents hospitalized with virus today than yesterday, and no one is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, March 3.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County today of 1.2 percent and a seven-day average of 2.5 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 3.5 percent and the seven-day average is 2.7 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH did not report any COVID numbers, for reasons that were not explained.

The Scandal of 1922

Back in 2015, Gossips retold, in multiple installments, the story of the scandal of 1922, when Hudson was raided by the state police, illegal booze was seized (it was the early years of Prohibition), its producers and sellers were arrested, the chief of police was suspended, and the Hudson Police Department was taken over by the state police. Because seven years have passed since Gossips told the story, and because today, March 8, 2022, is the 100th anniversary of the raid, I will share once again the account of the raid that appeared in the Columbia Republican on March 14, 1922. (The Columbia Republican was a weekly newspaper.) Bear in mind as you read the account and envision the events described, that in 1922 the Hudson police were headquartered at 327 Warren Street, then City Hall, now Hudson Hall. The police station was located in the northeast corner of the building, where the offices of Hudson Hall staff are now located.

One of the biggest prohibition raids ever staged in Hudson Thursday night was followed by the suspension of Chief of Police John Cruise, Jr., and the placing of Lieut. H. J. Negell, of the State Police, in charge of the Hudson Police Department. Lieut. Negell took charge with a sergeant and four State troopers assisting him. No other changes were made in the personnel of the department.

The events taking place with such rapidity without the slightest warning came like a bomb-shell and hundreds of persons surrounded police headquarters from 9 o'clock until the early hours of Friday morning.

It was between 8 and 9 o'clock that ten Federal prohibition inspectors and six members of the State Constabulary, as the result of arrangements entered into by the Commission of Public Safety, swooped down on Hudson. They were armed with about forty search warrants and operating with automobiles all ready for action they raced hither with their cars visiting countless places.

In a short time the cars began drawing up in front of headquarters.

The "booze" seized was placed in cars and taken to Albany. At headquarters the following appeared after the operations of the agents: Charles Curcio, Miss Ray Church, A. Feiler, Edward Dillon, Michael Fitzgerald, Benjamin Hagadorn, James Hogan, Theodore Brandow, Thomas McCue, and Henry Langlois.

It is understood that the intention of the agents is to have all persons accused summoned to appear before a United States Commissioner in New York city next Monday. . . .

The seized "wet goods" was taken to Albany after the raid, the agent saying "there was a whole lot."

The Commissioners of Public Safety were at police headquarters during all the operations. Immediately after the raids the Commission went into session, following which they gave out the following statement, relative to the suspension of Chief Cruise and the placing of a State Police official in charge:--

"The Commission of Public Safety has been aware since they assumed office last June that Hudson has been a long way from being clean from the point of view of the sale of intoxicants and prostitution. Commencing with the first meeting of the new Commission, Chief Cruise had been repeatedly requested to improve the situation. He has repeatedly reported to the Commission that no such situation existed and that if it did, neither he nor his men were able to correct it, giving as a reason that they were too well-known.

"After an opportunity of seven months had been given Chief Cruise to work out methods by which the law could be enforced, it was decided by the Commission to employ outside aid. As a result of the decision to investigate, two operatives of a private agency were brought to Hudson and in slightly less than two weeks, these agents were able to submit a report of thirty-one pages with corroborating affidavits which clearly show that absolutely no attempt was being made by the police of the city to correct a state of affairs which permitted the maintenance of twenty-four places that habitually and openly dealt in the sale of intoxicants, neither was any attempt being made to suppress a number of disorderly houses, houses of assignation or their procurers and runners, nor was any effort made to suppress the illicit manufacture of "hootch" by one or more persons who catered to the lower class of saloons, although information concerning members of these establishments had been given Chief Cruise by both the District Attorney and Public Safety Commission.

"Under the direction of the Commission, the private operatives placed the information in their possession before the United States Commissioner Hitchcock at New York yesterday and warrants were issued and search warrants obtained for premises that were strongly suspected of storing and selling intoxicants. The suspension of Chief Cruise is due to his repeated statements that he could not enforce the law; although it is admitted that his responsibilities in the premises require such enforcement and most everyone knew the possibility of obtaining the needed evidence by the most cursory inspection of the premises the Chief had on his list of suspects for months past. One of his statements is particularly ludicrous, viz, one in which he states that the men of the force visited the suspected premises twice daily for the purpose of observing violations. The private agents employed have reported on this and their statement is that almost without exception, the uniformed officers walk into the suspected premises, say "Hello" to the bartender and walk out.

"It is not possible to go into detail with regard to disorderly houses, as this is purely a matter for the District Attorney, who will be provided with the necessary information.

"Chief Cruise will, in due time, be placed on trial for dereliction of duty and in the meantime his position will be filled by an acting Chief, supplied and recommended by Major Chandler of the State Constabulary."

The Columbia Republican called the raid and takeover "the greatest shake-up ever experienced in the Hudson police department." The report went on to say that there were twenty-two warrants yet to be served, "and something further is rather looked for almost at anytime now."

For those curious about the Commission of Public Safety, it was made up of three men who had been appointed by Mayor Henry C. Galster. Galster, who was a physician and had volunteered to serve in World War I, was the mayor of Hudson for one term, from 1921 through 1922. The three men he appointed to the Commission of Public Safety were Sherwood V. Whitbeck, a fellow medical man; Charles A. Van Deusen, a bank president; and William Petry, who owned the Hudson Garage, located in the building at Columbia and Green streets which had been the Gifford-Wood Company. More about these men can be found here.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been 12 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 more than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 7 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 is the same as it was on Friday, but today 1 more of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, March 3.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County today of 4.3 percent and a seven-day average of 2.7 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 2.7 percent and the seven-day average is 2.7 percent.

A year ago today was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous Friday, March 5, the CCDOH reported 13 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 3,600, and the number of active cases was 73. There were 181 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 10 were hospitalized, and 3 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 88.

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

This week culminates with the most significant milestone along the long road to spring: the return of daylight saving time. In just another week, late afternoon visits to the dog park are back! In meantime, here are the meetings that are happening this week.

• On Monday, March 7, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is likely to be a hybrid meeting, with some of the alders at City Hall, others at their homes, and the public joining in on Zoom as well. Click here to join the meeting. 
• On Tuesday, March 8, the Planning Board meets at 6:00 p.m. New on the agenda for the meeting is a proposal to renovate 702-704 Columbia Street and expand the building's use from two residential units with one commercial space to four residential units with two commercial spaces--one for retail and the other for a restaurant.

Click here to join the meeting on Zoom. 

• On Friday, March 11, the Historic Preservation Commission holds its first meeting of the month at 10:00 a.m. The HPC had scheduled a public hearing on the buildings proposed by the Galvan Foundation for the Depot District, but Gossips learned this morning that public hearing has been postponed until March 25. Click here to join the Zoom meeting. 

• On Sunday, March 13, daylight saving time returns at 2:00 a.m., and we spring ahead.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Much Ado About 326 Allen Street

On Friday, a reader sent me the link to this article in the New York Post: "Stunning historic Hudson mansion with rare widow's walk asks just $1M." The subject of the article is 326 Allen Street.

The house, which is located on Hudson's "stately homes block," has been operated as a bed and breakfast since around 1997 by two different owners--first by Ken Jacobs, and from 2006 to the present by Barry Butterfield. If you read the Post article, you will see that the house, which comes with an accessory apartment, is being sold completely furnished. Although the article rounds the price down to $1 million, the actual asking price is $1,025,000.

The price being sought for the house doesn't seem out of line with other houses on the stately homes block. The house across the street, 317 Allen Street sold in 2021 for $1.8 million. Eric Galloway's house, 345 Allen Street, which he purchased in 2001 for $460,000, was sold at the end of 2020 for $1.35 million. On the adjacent once private street, 4 Willard Place sold for $1,287,500 in 2021. These houses are the grandest houses in Hudson, built in the 19th and very early 20th century for some of Hudson's wealthiest residents.   

Perhaps inspired by the article in the New York Post, an article featuring 326 Allen Street appeared in the print version of the Register-Star yesterday and in the online version today: "Advocates say historic home spotlights inequities." In it, Mayor Kamal Johnson is quoted as saying, "People are coming from major cities to pay for houses with cash. It is hard for people who were raised here, who have raised families here, who have a lineage in Hudson, to buy these houses." Housing Justice Director Michelle Tullo expressed similar concerns: "There is a major divide between the prices on the market and prices most residents of Hudson can afford." Neither expressed concern about the impact of rising real estate prices on Hudson residents who are already homeowners. Property owners only benefit from dramatic increases in the value of their homes if they sell them. If they stay put, resisting displacement and the chance to cash in on the current real estate boom, the increased value of their homes usually only means increased property taxes.

Both the article in the New York Post and the one in the Register-Star describe the architectural style of the house at 326 Allen Street as Italianate. It is not. It is textbook Second Empire.

Once upon a time, there were two houses almost identical to it, located not far away at 1 and 2 Willard Place.

Back in 1996, I was told by Ken Allen, who owned 326 Allen Street at the time and lived there with his family, that 2 Willard Place had been the mirror image of this house. 

Both houses--1 and 2 Willard Place--were acquired by St. Mary's Parish in 1916 and demolished in the 1950s to make way for the school building that now stands at the head of Willard Place.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

After the Plunge

The Oakdale Plunge, which took place at noon today, exceeded its goal of $40,000 by raising $46,086 for the Hudson Youth Department Waterfront Program and the Hudson Fire Department Water Rescue and Dive Team. Nearly 450 people donated to cause, and there were a reported 95 people who plunged into chilly waters of Oakdale Lake. 

The team whose costumes won first place on the Costume Contest and the designation "Most Aqauatic" was "Invasive Species," dressed to represent invasive species found in Oakdale Lake--species that a project funded by a grant from the Columbia Land Conservancy intends to eliminate this spring. 

 

Update: You can now watch Lance Wheeler's video of the Oakdale Plunge on YouTube. Click here.

Correction: I have been advised the grant that is funding the project to eliminate evasive species in Oakdale Lake is from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. The number of new cases is back to the double digits. Since yesterday, there have been 10 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 2 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 8 county residents have recovered from COVID-19. There are 2 more county residents hospitalized with virus today than yesterday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since yesterday, when there were 2. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County of 0.7 percent and a seven-day average of 3.2 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 2.4 percent and the seven-day average is 3.1 percent.

  

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 8 new cases of COVID-19 and 1 death. The total number of cases was 3,587, and the number of active cases was 74. There were 227 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 10 were hospitalized, and 3 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 88.

Aid and Support for Ukraine

The following is a message from the bishop of the Eparchy of Stamford, which came by way of the priest at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church here in Hudson and a Gossips reader.

How to Help Ukraine 

I propose three safe and reliable avenues of help: the first through the auspices of the Ukrainian Catholic Church Metropolia of Philadelphia and another two recommended by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

The bishops of the Metropolia of Philadelphia have created a special fund entitled: "War Victims and Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine." The fund can be accessed through the website of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia: www.ukrarcheparchy.us.

Two other avenues of providing aid have been offered by the Ukrainian Congress Committee. They can be accessed at the following websites: https://www.gofundme.com/f/humanitarian-aid-to-victims-of-war-in-ukraine and https://www.mightycause.com/story/M1wzpf.

They are safe and reliable and through them we are confident that the financial aid will be directed to where it is needed most. . . .

--Paul Chomnycky OSBM Eparch of Stamford 

Related in its demonstration of support for and solidarity with Ukraine is a vigil scheduled to take place this Sunday evening in the Public Square. 

Adjusting the Ward Boundaries

Last night, the Common Council Legal Committee took up the issue of adjusting the ward boundaries in response to the 2020 decennial census. The First Ward has gained population; the Fifth Ward has lost population. At last night's meeting, committee chair Margaret Morris announced that it had been determined modifications to the boundaries would be required because there was a more than 10 percent difference between the ward with the largest population, the First Ward with 1,162, and the ward with the smallest population, the Fifth Ward with 1,090. 

The members of the committee agreed that the changes should achieve population equity with the least alteration in ward boundaries. The following map shows Steve Dunn's proposal for how that could be accomplished.

Morris concluded the discussion by saying, "The concept is least change. Exactly how we draw the lines has not been decided." She went on to say, "It may be using what Steve Dunn did, but the object is to make the least disruptive changes." The committee must make a plan which they will present to the full Council for adoption. The adjustments to the ward boundaries must be done before July 1, 2022.

The committee also discussed the possibility of uniting Hudson Terrace Apartments. The apartment complex has traditionally been divided into two parts: the buildings south of Warren Street are part of the First Ward; the buildings north of Warren Street are part of the Second Ward. In his presentation of possible ward boundary adjustments, Dunn had suggested uniting Hudson Terrace Apartments and offsetting the shift in population from the First Ward to the Second Ward by moving the buildings on the north side of Warren Street between First and Third streets from the Second Ward to the First Ward. 

The idea of uniting the Hudson Terrace did not get much traction with the alders on the Legal Committee. Mohammed Rony (Second Ward) maintained that the residents of Hudson Terrace now have four representatives in City Hall, whereas if the apartment complex were no longer bisected, they would only have two. Theo Anthony (Fourth Ward) seemed to agree when he said, in support of boundary adjustments that were the least disruptive, "If we were to make a larger change, we would have to make a deeper study." Art Frick (First Ward) concurred, saying, "Until we tackle much larger issues, we should leave it with the minimally impacted model."

Morris had suggested that if they were to consider eliminating the bifurcation of Hudson Terrace they would have to talk with the people who live in the southern section of Hudson Terrace, which is now part of the First Ward. Presumably now, since the Legal Committee has decided not to pursue it, that won't happen, but perhaps it should. It would be interesting to know what the residents of southern part of the Terraces would have to say.

Back in 2015, Claire Cousin, a resident of the southern part of Hudson Terrace, made a bid to be First Ward alder, declaring that she was "running on behalf of people who are not represented in the First Ward." In 2021, when announcing her candidacy for First Ward supervisor, Cousin stated, "I believe that I have successfully amplified the voices of my neighbors and the issues that are important to them, and being elected can only amplify that platform." Just days before announcing her run for supervisor, Cousin accused incumbent Sarah Sterling, who had served as First Ward supervisor since 2012, of being out of touch with the residents of the First Ward who lived in Hudson Terrace. Sterling chose not to run for reelection in 2021, and Cousin, running unopposed, became First Ward supervisor in January 2022. It would be interesting to know if Cousin's sense that Hudson Terrace residents were not represented in the First Ward is generally shared by her neighbors in the Terraces today, but it seems there will not be an opportunity to learn what the residents think and what their preference might be about uniting the Terraces.

     

A related footnote: Cousin announced yesterday on Facebook that she is moving out of Hudson Terrace, after eight years of residing there.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Everyone seems to be thinking we are at the end of the pandemic, but since yesterday, there have been 2 more deaths from COVID-19 in Columbia County. There have also been 4 new cases. The number of active cases being reported today is 6 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 8 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, and 1 fewer in the ICU. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County today of 1.4 percent and a seven-day average of 3.3 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 2.1 percent and the seven-day average is 3.0 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 10 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 3,579, and the number of active cases was 88. There were 242 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 10 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 87.

Yesterday with the IDA

In announcing the meetings for the week, Gossips predicted that the hotel being proposed for North Fourth and Warren streets by the Galvan Foundation would be on the agenda for the Hudson Industrial Development Agency yesterday. That presentation didn't happen. Mike Tucker explained to the members of the IDA that Galvan had requested more time and would make its presentation at the agency's April meeting.

The Galvan hotel project is currently before the Planning Board. The initial presentation to the Planning Board was made on January 11. The application submitted to the Planning Board for site plan review can be found here. The project is on the agenda for the next Planning Board meeting, which takes place on Tuesday, March 8.

It is possible that the IDA will hear presentations from two hotels at its April meeting. Tucker told the IDA that, depending on the decision of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the group proposing to convert 601 Union Street, the former Elks Lodge, into a 30-room hotel may also present its application to the IDA at its next meeting. 

The project is seeking a variance from the ZBA, needed because the building is located in an R-3 (Residential) district. The ZBA is holding a public hearing on the project on Wednesday, March 16, and it is expected that, after the public hearing, a decision will be made on whether or not to grant the variance.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, the number of new cases has dropped back into the single digits. There were 6 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 19 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 25 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 fewer county residents hospitalized with the virus today than yesterday, but 1 more is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Monday, February 28.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County today of 6.5 percent and a seven-day average of 3.8 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 3.6 percent and the seven-day average is 3.2 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 8 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 3,569, and the number of active cases was 102. There were 257 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 9 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 87.

Changes Proposed for the Boat Launch

Last September, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $3.2 million project to revitalize the Coxsackie State Boat Launch. The announcement explained: "The project will be the first state boat launch to be renewed under the Hudson Eagles Recreation Area, an initiative to improve public access and resiliency on the wild stretch of the Hudson River between Albany and Kingston and enhance connections to the waterfront communities in the region." The following image is a rendering of the upgraded Coxsackie State Boat Launch that accompanied the announcement.

Five state boat launches will receive upgrades under the Hudson Eagles Recreation Area initiative--upgrades intended to expand access for boating, fishing, and wildlife observation. One of the five sites in the Hudson Eagles Recreation Area is the Hudson State Boat Launch. The announcement indicates that the sites will linked with shared branding, educational materials, and a website. 

The topic of the proposed upgrades to the boat launch came up at last night's meeting of the Conservation Advisory Council. Gossips was able to obtain this rendering, dated January 2022, of what is being proposed for the Hudson Boat Launch.

It is not known--at least, not by Gossips--what the status of the project in Hudson is or what the process will be of introducing the project to the public before the actual execution of the upgrades begins.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Regarding a Parks Department

The Conservation Advisory Council has been advocating for the creation of a Parks Department in Hudson. At yesterday's CAC meeting, Britt Zuckerman provided an update on the progress in trying to establish one. 

Since the February CAC meeting, three members of the CAC--Zuckerman, Hilary Hillman, and Rich Volo--have met with Mayor Kamal Johnson and mayor's aide Michael Hofmann to discuss the possibility of creating a Parks Department. The outcome is a plan to start a Parks Department in the Department of Public Works. A "parks director type role" will be created within DPW, and two people in DPW--the person in the director role and one other--will be focused exclusively on parks. The CAC has been tasked with drafting a job description for the parks director.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. The statewide mask mandate for schools ends tomorrow, but today, the CCDOH reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 since yesterday. The number of active cases being reported today is 7 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 4 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 more county resident hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since yesterday, when the 19th death in the short month of February was reported.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 1.2 percent and a seven-day average of 4.9 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 4.4 percent and the seven-day average was 3.4 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 and 1 death. The total number of cases was 3,561, and the number of active cases was 97. There were 188 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 11 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 87.

A Hundred Years Ago in Hudson

The Rip Van Winkle Bridge officially opened on July 2, 1935. Before there was the bridge, a ferry boat shuttled people and goods across the river. In winter, when the river was frozen over, people would walk across the river or take a ferry sleigh drawn by horses. 

Today, in the Columbia Republican for March 7, 1922, I discovered this account of a motoring party from Great Barrington, on their way to Windham, who decided to drive across the river. The event took place on March 3, 1922, when the ice on the river had to have been more intact than it is now.

Although there was some controversy in 2013 over whether or not Standard Oil ever had a presence in Hudson, this news item provides another bit of evidence that it did. The Standard Oil dock was located in the southern part of the Hudson waterfront, near the border with Greenport and directly across from the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. The circle on the historic image below shows its location.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Happening This Weekend

One of Hudson's favorite community events, the Oakland Plunge is happening this Saturday, March 5.

The event begins at noon with the Costume Contest, immediately followed by the plunging.  

Last year, the plunge raised $35,000 for the Hudson Youth Department Waterfront Program and the Hudson Fire Department Water Rescue and Dive Team. This year, the goal is $40,000. To make a donation in support of the plunging team of your choice, click here.

Spectators this year will once again be able to watch the festivities in person on the beach, and the weather promises to be near 40 degrees. If you're not ready for such gatherings or would just rather be elsewhere at midday on Saturday, the Oakdale Plunge can be viewed, as it happens, on YouTube. Click here to connect.