Pursuit of the Truck Route Issue

At the special Common Council meeting last week, it was decided that an ad hoc committee would be created to pursue the issue of getting trucks off the streets of Hudson. At the Council meeting last night, Council president Tom DePietro announced who would serve on that committee. Nine people have been identified: five members of the Common Council--Margaret Morris (First Ward), Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward), Mohammed Rony (Second Ward), Amber Harris (Third Ward), and Ryan Wallace (Third Ward); two county supervisors--Abdus Miah (Second Ward) and Linda Mussmann (Fourth Ward); one member of the public--Donna Streitz from Our Hudson Waterfront; and Mayor Kamal Johnson.  

Who will chair the ad hoc committee has not been announced, and the committee's first meeting has not been scheduled.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 11 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 10 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 21 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 July 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 6 new cases of COVID-19, after a two-day weekend. The total number of cases was 4,289, and the number of active cases was 11. There were 16 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 0 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 96.

Preserving Community Character

At the end of 2017, the Common Council voted to enact Local Law No. 6 of 2017, which became Article XIV of the city code: "Community Character Preservation." The law, meant to "preserve community character, local business ownership, and local wealth," prohibits chain businesses, or "formula retail uses," in Hudson. Given recent developments, it's interesting to review the evolution of the law.

The law was initiated by the Economic Development Committee of the Common Council, a committee that was created in 2010 by Don Moore, then Council president, and abolished, along with all the other standing committees, in 2021 by Council president Tom DePietro. In 2017, when the law was being developed, former mayor Rick Rector, who was then First Ward alderman, chaired the Economic Development Committee. 

The original version of the law, which was placed on the aldermen's desks in October 2017, defined a chain or "formula retail use" as "a type of retail sales or service activity or retail sales or service establishment that has three or more other retail sales establishments in operation." It was that version of the law that was submitted, as required, to the Columbia County Planning Board for a recommendation. In its comments, the CCPB expressed concern about "the potential impact on locally owned and operated businesses . . . that have three or more locations," citing Bagel Tyme, then with three locations, and Steiner's as examples. 

As a consequence of the CCPB's concerns, the definition of a formula retail use was changed from "three or more locations" to "four or more locations." Had that change not been made, Savona's Trattoria, which is expected to open soon at Warren and Second streets, formerly the location of Vico, could not have located in Hudson. Savona's already has locations in Red Hook, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie. 

Gossips recently learned of another business planning to open its fourth location in Hudson: Westerlind. 

An upscale outdoor outfitter, Westerlind currently has stores in Manhattan, at 29 Spring Street, in Great Barrington, and in Millerton. According to Gossips intel, the Hudson location is expected to open in September.

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Mark Your Calendars

Gossips first reported about the proposed changes to the Hudson State Boat Launch back in March. The renovation of the boat launch is part of the Hudson Eagles Recreation Area initiative.

Although earlier this year the plans were shared with a few stakeholders, they have never been presented to the public for feedback. That is soon going to change.

On Wednesday, August 3, at 6:00 p.m., NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is doing a Zoom presentation of the plans for the renovation of the Hudson State Boat Launch and inviting comment from the public. Gossips will provide the link to that presentation as soon as it is available.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been 27 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 fewer than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 32 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same as on Friday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Tuesday, July 5.

A year ago, July 18 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous Friday, July 16, the CCDOH reported 1 new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 4,283, and the number of active cases was 6. There were 10 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 0 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 96. 

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

We are officially a month into summer, a designated number of parking spaces on Warren and upper Columbia streets have been converted into outdoor dining areas, and this is what is happening in Hudson.

• On Monday, July 18, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. This will be the first meeting since Jeffrey Dodson has taken over as executive director of HHA. The meeting will be a hybrid—taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Tuesday, July 19, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. So far, there is not much of note on the agenda except the local law amending the ward boundaries. Because the amendments require a mandatory referendum, the law needs to be enacted before August 8 for the issue to get on the ballot in November. Click here for a presentation that explains what the proposed changes are and why and how they were arrived at. The meeting is a hybrid—taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• Also on Tuesday, July 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., there is an opportunity to meet 19th District congressional candidate Jamie Cheney. The event, hosted by Amber Harris, Christine Jones, Keith Kanaga, and Rich Volo, takes place at Feast & Floret, 13 South Third Street. To attend, RSVP to jacklyn@jamiecheney.com. 

• On Wednesday, July 20, Waterfront Wednesdays happens from 5:00 p.m. until sunset. This week, the Hudson Sloop Club offers fishing opportunities, and the schooner Apollonia will provide free sails every hour on the hour between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., there is the Ujima Drum Circle, and at 7:00 p.m., Basilica Hudson presents Being Sound + Friends, "a live electronic set rooted in the origins of ritual, layering a variety of sound sources (live, recorded, acoustic, electronic) and exploring the depths of bass sound as a full-body feeling." The performance is inspired by bass music, techno, trap, dub, and minimalism and accompanied by Sondra Loring (dance artist and musician) and O Zotique (music artist).   

• Also on Wednesday, July 20, the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

Update: The regularly scheduled meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals will not take place this month because there is currently no business before the ZBA.  

• On Friday, July 22, the Historic Preservation Commission holds its second meeting of the month at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be virtual. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

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Meet the Candidates

The next two Tuesdays offer opportunities for Hudsonians to meet the NY-19 Congressional candidates who are running in the Democratic primary on August 23: Jamie Cheney and Josh Riley.

On Tuesday, July 19, Amber Harris, Christine Jones, Keith Kanaga, and Rich "Trixie" Volo are hosting a meet and greet for Jamie Cheney. The event takes place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Feast & Floret, 13 South Third Street. To attend, RSVP to jacklyn@jamiecheney.com.

On Tuesday, July 26, Peter Frank, Kate Treacy, Hillary France, and Lucas Krump are hosting a meet and greet for Josh Riley. The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at WYLDE Hudson, 35 South Third Street. To attend, RSVP to katethedem@gmail.com.   

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is the same as yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 13 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 more county resident hospitalized 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 Tuesday, June 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 1 new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 4,282, and the number of active cases was 5. There were 11 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 0 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 96.

Happening Tomorrow

The Columbia County Climate Carnival takes place tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham.

The event includes:

• Repair Cafe  Fixing lamps, jewelry, clothing, vases, bikes, small appliances, as well as sharpening knives
• Free Store  Gently used clothing, kids' stuff, home goods, sporting goods
• Renewable Energy Education  Learn about clean energies available right here in Columbia County
• Bike Recycling  Get a bike, save on gas
• Composting  How to do it, where to do it, why to do it
• Perennial wildflowers and "biochar"  For pollinating and sequestering carbon
• Live Birds of Prey Exhibitions and a Beekeeper

There will also be children's programming provided by the Columbia County Library Association and Southern Vermont Natural History Museum. Bands will play throughout the day, and there will be food trucks and a live, interactive "quiz."

On the Topic of Trucks

Last night's special Common Council meeting about the truck routes through Hudson was encouraging not because any solutions were found but because there seems to be some acknowledgment among elected officials that the effort to get the trucks out of Hudson doesn't stop with doing a study that counts trucks and identifies alternate routes. Rather it requires a concerted and sustained effort.

Supervisors Michael Chameides (Third Ward) and Linda Mussmann (Fourth Ward) suggested that before Hudson can ask for the cooperation of other municipalities in the county--principally the towns of Greenport and Claverack--the City needs to do everything it can to relieve the burden of trucks. Neither mentioned it, since Council president Tom DePietro had declared that there could be no discussion of Colarusso trucks and the haul road at the meeting, but Chameides and Mussmann seemed to imply that the City could help itself by approving the haul road. Former councilmembers John Rosenthal and Rebecca Wolff both suggested, as they had when they were on the Council, that imposing and enforcing weight limits was a means of reducing the number of trucks traveling through Hudson. Rosenthal claimed that enforcing weight limits would reduce truck traffic in Hudson by half. DePietro said that Council attorney Crystal Peck was investigating the possibility of establishing weight limits on Columbia Street below Third. 

Speaking of the findings of the truck study, Donna Streitz spoke of Option 12, which was one of the ways for rerouting trucks identified in the study.

Streitz reminded the group that Option 12 cost the least, detoured all trucks around the city, and was favored by 69 percent of those who responded to an online survey about alternate truck routes. She suggested that focus groups needed to be conducted in Greenport and Claverack, but when she went on to speak about Colarusso trucks in the city, DePietro muted her. 
  

Former supervisor Bill Hughes advised that if the City wanted the cooperation of other municipalities, "You're gonna have to come with a carrot, and that carrot needs to come from the state." He suggested that some of the state's ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money could be used to "incentivize things for other communities." 

Someone who identified himself as a new resident of Hudson and former resident of Huntington, Long Island, suggested that the City needed to make it harder for trucks to travel through Hudson, perhaps by enforcing the weight limit. "Let's just make it difficult," he urged the group. "Let truck drivers communicate with other truck drivers" to avoid Hudson.

Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward), who was one of the councilmembers who had requested the meeting, concluded, "We have to take action, because Greenport and Claverack are not going to step up." DePietro protested, "The Council doesn't have the wherewithal to lobby."

What was decided was that councilmembers would be part of an ad hoc committee to pursue the issue. Mussmann expressed her interest in being part of that committee, saying, "We need to argue that what's good for Hudson is good for the county."

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Meeting Prep: Hudson and the Truck Routes

This morning, Sam Pratt submitted comments to Mayor Kamal Johnson and the members of the Common Council regarding the state truck routes that pass through Hudson. Gossips also received a copy of Pratt's comments. They contain some historic information that people in Hudson today may not be aware of, and for this reason, in preparation for tonight's special Common Council meeting on the subject of the truck routes, Gossips shares the five points Pratt makes in his comments to Hudson's elected officials.

1. The State Truck Route was going to be removed from Hudson in the 1950s after the creation of the highway connecting the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and Bell’s Pond, which didn’t exist before then. However, due to an irrational fear by then-City leaders that the change could somehow hurt Hudson business, this was opposed, and Hudson residents have suffered an estimated 10 million truck trips in the ensuing seven decades. You as the leaders of today have a chance to correct your predecessors’ grievous error.
2. The State Truck Route was again slated to be removed at the end of the 1990s, after the Truck Route Task Force convened by the Columbia-Hudson Partnership (a combination of HDC and CEDC) identified alternate routes. The Task Force, of which I was a member, met with the State DOT and was told that they would like to move the route, and that doing so would be relatively simple—just changing some signs and sending out a bulletin. It could be done almost overnight, they told us. However, this major step forward was thwarted by the then-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Gerry Simons and several other County Republicans, who disbanded the Truck Route Task Force and ended the effort. Again, you as the leaders of today have a chance to reverse the mistakes of the past.
3. For the State Truck Route, the role of Hudson elected officials is to represent Hudson’s interests strongly to the D.O.T. as a urgent public safety issue. It should never be the role of Hudson officials to take the side of reactionary Republicans from Claverack, Stockport or Greenport, whose towns already play host to major highways which could easily absorb this additional traffic. The State needs to hear Hudson’s point of view expressed forcefully; it can then entertain the NIMBY concerns of neighboring towns, and weigh them against the urgent public safety issues posed by the current, outdated route.
4. Both truckers and residents of Hudson would prefer that the route be moved. An eye-opening discovery by the previous Task Force was that truckers themselves do not like driving through Hudson and would prefer to go around the City for non-local deliveries (which would be unaffected). By stopping and interviewing random truckers who were passing through Hudson, Assemblyman Patrick Manning and I discovered that none of them wanted to drive through Hudson—unless they absolutely had to to make a local delivery. Without exception, they would prefer a route around Hudson, even if it were longer in terms of miles, since such a route would be faster and easier. They cited the slow stop/start nature of urban traffic and the difficulty making tight radius turns as key reasons a non-urban route would be far preferable. Acting to remove the truck route is a win-win for both those in the trucking industry and Hudson residents.
5. Local elected officials can play a key role in removing the State Truck Route, but have no role in the Colarusso review, which is the sole purview of the Hudson Planning Board. Specious argument has been advanced by certain County officials that they will not discuss the State Truck Route unless Colarusso—a Greenport business which has repeatedly sued the City—gets its way on the Hudson Waterfront. This is a nonsensical and offensive form of hostage-taking, which ignores the basic mechanisms of review. Colarusso is required by City Code to obtain permits from the Planning Board. A full and proper review is underway. No elected officials have the legal right to compel an independent (quasi-judicial) agency like the Planning Board to rule one way or another on such applications. Such agencies are insulated from electoral politics, and its members must act as judges of the applicability of local and State laws. If the Planning Board were to make a decision based on political pressure, they would be acting arbitrarily and capriciously—and any decision (positive or negative) would be overturned. In short, the position advanced by certain County officials is both infeasible and illegal. Lastly, for the record: It must be noted that some of those who have most loudly and stridently supported the Colarusso applications over the past few years are the very same people who made foolish or even craven deals between 2006-2010 to make sure the Waterfront truck traffic was imposed on downtown as a form of environmental blackmail.

In the preface and conclusion to his comments, Pratt indicates that he can provide "additional background and documentation of each point" he makes.

The special Common Council meeting on the subject of trucks in the city takes place today at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be a hybrid--taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 9 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 1 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 COVID-19 and in the ICU remains the same as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Tuesday, June 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 0 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 4,281, and the number of active cases was 6. There were 8 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 1 was hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 96.

Showcasing Hudson

Last week, Gossips did a post about the videos being produced by CGI Digital to showcase Hudson: "The Current Plan to Market Hudson." That post provided a link to the CGI website, where videos created for other municipalities could be viewed.

CGI has recently created a series of seven videos for Dutchess County. Those videos, which give an idea of what the videos for Hudson will be like, can be viewed here.

Meeting Reminder

Tonight at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the recent truck study and the ongoing effort to get heavy trucks off the streets of Hudson--both the long haul trucks that are just passing through and the trucks hauling gravel from the quarry to the river. 

The special meeting was called by council members Margaret Morris (First Ward), Ryan Wallace (Third Ward), and Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward). Mayor Kamal Johnson and the five Hudson representatives on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors--Claire Cousin (First Ward), Abdus Miah (Second Ward), Michael Chameides (Third Ward), Linda Mussmann (Fourth Ward), Rick Scalera (Fifth Ward)--have been asked to attend.

The meeting will be a hybrid--taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 17 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, 14 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 6 fewer county residents hospitalized 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 Tuesday, July 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 3 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 4,281, and the number of active cases was 6. There were 7 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 1 was hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 96.

Promenade Hill Update

At the Common Council meeting on Monday, DPW superintendent Rob Perry reported on the progress at Promenade Hill. More of the landscaping has been installed, the bluestone border for the entryway into the central plaza is in place, and the stonework of the central plaza is underway.

The railings, which are being custom fabricated, continue to be the principal reason why it is not possible to predict when the work will be complete and the park can be reopened.

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Galvan's Plans for the Community Theatre

Last night, Dan Kent and other representatives of the Galvan Foundation presented what is being proposed for the old Community Theater building at Seventh and Columbia streets, which Galvan is renaming "Hudson Forum."

Abatecola in 2010

One of the people presenting Galvan's vision for the building was the artistic director for Hudson Forum, August Abatecola. Abatecola grew up in Claverack and graduated from Hudson High School in 2008. As a teenager, Abatecola was involved in theater at school and also performed with local theater companies--the Mac-Haydn Theatre, Upstage Productions, and the Cohoes Music Hall. In 2010, an article in the Register-Star reported that Abatecola, then known as "Augie," was "working tirelessly to land a record deal and become the world's newest pop artist": "Aiming high: Abatecola aspires to be a pop star." Abatecola is currently the artistic director at Yorktown Stage Musical Theatre in Westchester County.

Abatecola told the Planning Board that the intention was to "go mainstream" with the productions at Hudson Forum, offering musicals and plays with popular appeal, "things the entire county will want to come to," rather than "high art," which he described as "obscure" and "exclusive." In planning the programming, he said he wanted to cater to "our people" and bring quality entertainment to Hudson and Columbia County. He also talked about classes and programs for children and young people, saying he wanted give the community what he didn't have when he was growing up here.

Michael Walch, the architect for the project, presented the floor plans for the restoration of the building. 

The restored theater will have a maximum of 405 seats, and the seating in the main space will be moveable to allow the space to be used for weddings and other gatherings.

At last night's meeting, the Planning Board adopted a resolution classifying the the project as an unlisted action under SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) and declaring itself the lead agency in the SEQR process. In the discussion preceding the vote on the resolution, it was revealed that Galvan has not made an application to the Hudson Industrial Development Agency for tax abatements for this project, perhaps because it is intended to be operated as a not-for-profit.

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An Update from HPD

On Monday, Gossips published a press release from the Hudson Police Department regarding incidents of women allegedly being flashed and groped on the streets of Hudson. Late last night, Gossips received this update from the HPD.

The person who allegedly groped two women in the City of Hudson yesterday morning has been released from Columbia Memorial Hospital. He is identified as Jamar L. Beauford, age 21, of Hudson.

Upon his release this afternoon, officers arraigned him in Hudson City Court on the following charges:

Unlawful Imprisonment 2nd (misd)

Forcible Touching (misd)

Sexual Abuse 1st (felony)

Beauford was arraigned before Hudson City Court Judge Brian J. Herman who set bail at $500.

He is scheduled to reappear in Hudson City Court Thursday, July 14. at 9:00 a.m.

Jamar L. Beauford

The press release includes this comment from Chief Ed Moore: "A shocking and disturbing series of incidents played out on our streets yesterday. So many of our residents are concerned for their safety. Every HPD member is hyperaware of this situation and will be fully responsive to stop any repeat violent conduct toward the women of our community. The investigation is still open and ongoing."

First News from the Planning Board Meeting

At its meeting on Tuesday, which ran for just short of four hours, the Planning Board granted site plan approval to Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Galvan "Depot District" project.

During the course of the meeting, Dan Kent, vice president of initiatives for the Galvan Foundation, revealed that Phase 3 of the project, 75 North Seventh Street, had been "beat out" by other projects in the Capital Region for funding from NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). He indicated they would try again in the next round.

The building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street is the building intended for households with incomes between 40 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Its financing is to come primarily from HCR. The construction of this building is Phase 3.

The building to be constructed across the street, at 76 North Seventh Street, is intended for households with incomes between 80 and 130 percent of the AMI. Private financing is being sought for this building, the construction of which is Phase 2 of the project.

The situation may raise this question: Will Galvan move ahead with the building proposed for the east side of the street, described as "workforce housing," when financing for the building on the west side, described as "low-income housing," is not assured? 

It appears now that they intend to.

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Life in Our Little City

Around the holidays, there are often cautionary posts on social media about packages disappearing from porches and stoops. What was observed on North Sixth Street this morning provides another lesson on the prudence of retrieving your packages promptly.

Credit goes to Bill Huston for providing these pictures.