The Continuing Saga of the Sidewalk Law

It has been announced that the Common Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, December 28, to pursue the sidewalk law. The meeting is to be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom, but the announcement that appears on the city website suggests most of the meeting will take place in executive session. The website provides this information about the meeting's purpose:

1) To discuss Proposed Local Law Introductory J, creating a Sidewalk Improvement District, with City Attorneys in an executive session.

2) To consider the act of laying the proposed local law on the councilmembers' desks pursuant to NYS Municipal Home Rule Law.

To join the meeting remotely, click here.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 12 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 3 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 9 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized and in the ICU is the same today as yesterday. The most recent death from COVID-19 in Columbia County was reported yesterday. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 42 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 6,928, and the number of active cases was 235. There were 430 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 26 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 111.

It's the Winter Solstice

Celebrate the return, however gradual, of the light!

Restore New York, Rounds One and Two

Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochual announced more than $102 million to be awarded in the first round of Restore New York Communities Initiative. Of the 64 projects to receive funding was the redevelopment of the Crescent Garage at Warren and Eighth streets in Hudson. 

Photo: Evelyn & Robert Monthie Slide Collection, CCHS

The project to convert the building, which started its life more than a century ago as a Packard dealership, into gallery space, office space, artists' apartments, and event space was awarded $1.3 million in Restore NY funds.

A second round of Restore NY funding is coming up, and two projects in Hudson are seeking to be considered: the Pocketbook Factory and the first phase of what is being proposed for the former Kaz site, off South Front Street, behind The Wick Hotel. Because Restore NY applications must be initiated by a municipality, and a municipality can propose only one project in each round, Sean Roland, representing the Pocketbook Factory, and Ben Fain, representing the former Kaz site, presented their projects to the Common Council last night with the hope of getting the City's support.

The Pocketbook Factory has gotten lots of attention as it made its way through a lengthy review by the Planning Board for site plan approval and by the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) for a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). The building, originally Union Mills, which stood vacant for more than fifty years, is now being restored and adapted as part hotel and wellness center and part commercial and public space.

The second presentation, by Ben Fain, provided a first glimpse into what is being contemplated for another derelict site in Hudson: the much discussed, much argued over Kaz site. 

Phase One of its redevelopment, which Fain called the "centerpiece of the site," is to be a year-round farmers' market and space for festivals. He mentioned specifically a mushroom festival, a wine festival, and a book festival. The space would have a commissary kitchen and storage space and refrigerator space for farmers. Fain shared these renderings.

Speaking of the plans for the rest of the site, Fain said he wasn't ready to reveal them yet but said it would be a "phased project, a mixed use project, with residential and other things that are art related and food related."

The applications for the second round of Restore NY grant funding are due on January 27, 2023. Before that, the Common Council will have to decide which of the two projects will get the City's support.

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What Now?

As we've reported before, the Department of Justice expects the City to come up with some plan to address the sorry state of our sidewalks before the end of the year. The legislation forwarded by the Legal Committee to the full Council was that plan. According to the legislation, all property owners, whether or not they pay property taxes, whether or not they currently have sidewalks, would be assessed an annual fee, which would go toward the repair, replacement, and construction of sidewalks throughout the city.

Tonight, when it came time to lay the proposed law on the councilmembers' desks, the first step in the process of enacting the legislation, Councilmember Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward) moved to table it. He argued that there had not been sufficient time for constituents to respond, especially in light of the fact that City Hall has not had a functioning email system since December 2. He also asserted that most of his constituents do not have sidewalks.

Councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward) concurred, reiterating that many of her constituents--the constituents she shares with Merante--do not have sidewalks.

Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) reminded her colleagues that the City has an obligation to propose a solution to the sidewalk problem to the Department of Justice before the end of the year and warned, "We need to be very careful about tabling this." Crystal Peck, counsel to the Council, reported that it was unlikely that the DOJ would grant an extension for even a month. Still, when the motion to table came to a vote, six councilmembers voted in support of tabling the legislation: Daskaloudi, Amber Harris (Third Ward), Merante, Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward), Malachi Walker (Fourth Ward), and Ryan Wallace (Third Ward). 

Council president Tom DePietro expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the vote, saying, "It speaks to me of lack of civic concern." He went on to say, "Just remember, if we bond for this, which would be beyond $5 million, everyone will have to pay." Morris clarified that if the City did a bond issue, only property owners subject to property tax would be paying off the bond, whereas with the proposed legislation tax exempt properties, properties owned by not-for-profits, would also to subject to the annual sidewalk fees.

Toward the end of the meeting, Merante told DePietro that he resented the implication that he and Daskaloudi were not civic minded. Merante continued, "To say that to Vicky and I, as representatives of the Fifth Ward, is a bully tactic. Who are you, Trump? That's wrong. That's a bully tactic, and I think you owe Vicky and I an apology." DePietro responded, "Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture, and I don't think that's what the Fifth Ward is doing at this point." By way of apology he said, "I stand corrected. I shouldn't have challenged your civic responsibility or civic attitude . . . your civic pride, but I am vastly disappointed."

Exactly how this problem will be resolved, if it will be resolved, in the next ten days remains to be seen.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there has been another death from COVID-19 and 17 new cases. The number of active cases being reported today is 4 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 20 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 more county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, and 1 of those hospitalized is in the ICU.

A year ago today, after a weekend, the CCDOH reported 63 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 6,886, and the number of active cases was 222. There were 385 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 26 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 111.

News of "Hudson Public"

"Hudson Public" is the name of the hotel proposed by the Galvan Foundation to be developed at the corner of Warren and Fourth streets. The proposed hotel was granted site plan approval by the Planning Board on September 29, but the plan has yet to receive a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.    

This past Friday, the HPC continued its review of the project which had begun on the previous Friday. At Friday's meeting, Walter Chatham, representing Galvan, provided what the HPC had requested: historic photographs, more information about the proposed new structures, and drawings that showed the buildings in context.

Chatham explained the infill building on Fourth Street would be the main entrance to the hotel. The two elevators for the hotel would be located in this new building. The mansard roof on the building was required to accommodate the elevators and the override. He cited the mansard roof that had been added to the row house at 18 North Fifth Street as a precedent to justify this design element.

Rather than re-creating the street wall, the new building would be set back. Chatham also indicated that the building would not be brick, like the historic buildings on either side, but stuccoed.

When Paul Barrett, the historian member of the HPC, questioned why, when we know what the missing townhouse looked like, they were proposing something so different, Chatham answered that they were "being frank about the fact that we are building something new." The picture below, which Chatham presented as dating from 1977 but was actually taken and appeared in the Register-Star in 2006, shows the missing building, a victim of demolition by neglect.

HPC member Miranda Barry opined, "If you are building something new, you should not copy what was there." She also commented that she liked the recess. Architect member Chip Bohl said he also liked the concept of recessing the middle section, observing that, on the other side of Warren Street, the townhouse behind the building that is now Face Stockholm is similarly set back slightly from the buildings around it.

The new building proposed for 406 Warren Street, the building that will house the hotel bar, received very little attention from the HPC.

What did inspire attention and concern was the plan to add a third floor to the pair of Greek Revival townhouses on North Fourth Street. 

HPC member John Schobel observed that it was "altering something historic to make it conform with something new." He was particularly troubled that the third floor addition as proposed created a gambrel roof, which would be matched by another on the alley facing elevation. This, he said, would be "a large transformation to the cityscape."

Bohl concurred, calling the third floor proposed for the townhouses "the least successful of everything you are proposing" and saying the "gambrel roofs on the alley does a disservice." Schobel added, speaking of the townhouses, "They are beautiful buildings and deserve to preserve their integrity."

The HPC is planning to hold a public hearing on this project, but it was decided that Chatham would work with the comments made and present to the HPC one more time before a public hearing was scheduled. It is hoped that he will in the meantime rethink those gambrel roofs.

The next meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 13, at 10:00 a.m.

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Sidewalks Tonight

The proposed sidewalk law, with the amendments discussed at the Legal Committee meeting last week, has been added to the agenda for tonight's Common Council meeting. The law can be found here. The meeting takes place at 6:00 p.m., in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

More About What Happened on October 14

In the post about Chief Ed Moore's report to the Common Council last week, Gossips quoted from the victim's deposition about an attack that occurred at Warren and Second streets on October 14. That attack was also referenced in Zachary Bayman's letter to Council president Tom DePietro, which Gossips quoted in a post yesterday.

Today, Gossips received a press release from the Hudson Police Department that provides information about that assault and subsequent action. The press release, which follows, is titled "Juvenile Incident."   

On Friday, October 14, 2022, at approximately 8:40 p.m., the Hudson City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight at the intersection of 2nd Street and Warren Street. 

HPD responded immediately and spoke with the complainant, a 64-year-old man, who stated he had been attacked by a group of youths. He stated that some juveniles were blocking the sidewalk as he attempted to walk past. Allegedly the verbal exchange escalated and several of the juveniles began punching and kicking the man. Despite claiming injuries to his head, the complainant refused medical treatment at the scene.

The Hudson City Police Patrol division and Detective Bureau jointly investigated the above incident. During the investigation it was discovered that the youths allegedly involved in this matter were below the age wherein children can be held criminally responsible for their conduct (Raise the Age legislation--10/01/18)

The Hudson City Police Department conducted the investigation together with the Columbia County Probation Department and the Columbia County Attorney’s Office.

On December 19, 2022, two of the children that were identified by police received referrals to Columbia County probation for a PINS petition (Persons In Need of Supervision). The parents of the children have been notified.

If you have any further information on the above incident, reach out to the Hudson City Police Detective Division 518 828 3388.

Regarding the "Raise the Age" legislation, in February 2016, the Common Council unanimously passed a resolution, initiated by then Second Ward alderman Tiffany Garriga, in support of the legislation, which has then being considered by the state legislature.

Dedicating "The Ellenvator"

Today, on her 91st birthday, staff and friends gathered to dedicate the elevator at Hudson Hall to Ellen V. Thurston.

Thurston, who had served on the Hudson Hall Board of Directors on and off since 1996 and was, for close to two decades, the principal organizer of Winter Walk, was named Hudson Hall's first Director Emerita earlier this year. She made a substantial contribution to the capital campaign that enabled the final phase of the historic building's restoration to be completed in 2017. It was her original thought that a dressing room for the newly restored performance space might bear her name, but as time passed, it seemed more appropriate to dedicate the elevator, which the staff were already affectionately calling "The Ellenvator," to her. 

Left to right: Jennifer Thurston, Ellen's grandniece; Sage Carter, Hudson Hall general manager; Ellen; Tambra Dillon, Hudson Hall executive director

With a ceremonial ribbon cutting this afternoon, the lift was officially dubbed the "Ellen V. Thurston Elevator." Gossips was honored to be present at the event.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been two deaths from COVID-19 and 28 new cases. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 more than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 21 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 fewer county residents hospitalized today than on Friday, and 2 fewer of those hospitalized are in the ICU. 

A year ago, December 19 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report report numbers. The previous Saturday, December 18, the CCDOH reported 27 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 6,823, and the number of active cases was 265. There were 384 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 18 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 111.

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

In the week leading up to Christmas, here's what is happening on the meeting front.

• On Monday, December 19, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. The HHA's request for qualifications (RFQ) for a development partner was issued on November 3. There was a site tour for interested developers on December 12, and Monday is the deadline for submitting questions. Given that, it is very likely the RFQ will be a topic of discussion. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in the Community Room at Bliss Towers and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Tuesday, December 20, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) holds a special meeting at 4:00 p.m. The regulatory agreement for the Depot District will be the topic of discussion. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 20, the Common Council holds its regular meeting for December. It is expected that the sidewalk legislation discussed by the Legal Committee last week will be on the agenda. Also on the agenda are a number of documents relating to the proposal from the Kearney Group and Hudson River Housing to develop new housing at Fourth and State streets, Mill Street, and Rossman Avenue. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• On Wednesday, December 21, the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

Update: The ZBA meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled for want of business before it.

And that is the last of the meetings until next year.

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Of Interest

Among the communications to be received at Tuesday's Common Council meeting is a letter from Zachary Bayman, CEO of The Maker Hotel and Gymnasium. It will be remembered that a window at The Maker Cafe was shattered during the shooting that occurred in the wee hours of December 10.

Bayman's letter reads in part:

We have been troubled by gangs of young people gathering, drinking and doing drugs near our business. We frequently witness drug deals occurring on Warren Street and in the alleys around our business. Carm, who funded a loved restaurant, was savagely beaten up in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon by high school age kids who filmed the entire incident and who barely received a slap on the wrist.

I am concerned for the safety of The Maker's staff, the residents of Hudson, and our visiting guests. I am concerned for the local business community which relies on hospitality, travel and retail, which will go out of business if Hudson is not deemed a safe city. I am concerned for the employees of Hudson's businesses who will be unemployed if Warren Street becomes lined with shuttered restaurants. I demand immediate and ongoing action to curb these issues.

The letter goes on to make some specific demands:

• Immediate reinstatement of monthly Police Committee meetings
• Allocation of funds to purchase and install surveillance cameras
• Allocation of funds for regular nighttime police patrols on Warren Street
• Installation of lighting in the alleys

The letter is addressed to Council president Tom DePietro and copied to Mayor Kamal Johnson, all the members of the Common Council, Chief Ed Moore, and Alexandre Petraglia of the Hudson Business Coalition. The entire letter can be read here.

Another Holiday Event This Weekend

This Sunday night would be the perfect opportunity to dine, as the judges of the Winter Walk Window Decorating Contest put it, "in a Christmas present." 

At 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 18, the Red Dot, lavishly decorated for the holiday season, presents "Bronwyn's Christmas Show," featuring Bronwyn Rucker, Alana Hauptmann, Terence Law, Miranda Moirai, John Philip, and Andrew Loren Resto. Dinner is served from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

It's a good way not only to dine in a Christmas present but also to revel in the Christmas spirit!

Hudson on the Radio

The Hudson Mural Project was the subject of The Best of Our Knowledge on WAMC this afternoon. The project is now in its third year, and a new mural is expected to be completed by June 2023. 

In 2022, the mural was accompanied by an interactive sound art piece. Hudson residents--children and adults--were asked to answer three questions: Why do you like living in Hudson? What is something you hope for Hudson's future? How can the community come together to achieve this? There are some familiar voices providing answers to the questions, among them Council president Tom DePietro, who is heard three times, and Mayor Kamal Johnson, who is heard twice. 

The entire program can be heard here. The sound art portion begins about midway through, at 13:21.

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 4 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 7 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 fewer county residents 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 December 8.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 43 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 6,739, and the number of active cases was 256. There were 317 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 15 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 111.

Holiday Observances This Weekend

On Saturday, December 17, Hudson Hall, in partnership with Operation Unite, presents a community celebration of Kwaanzaa. The event is free, open to all, and begins at 5:00 p.m. Click here for more information.

On Sunday, December 18, observe the first night of Hanukkah with the lighting of the first candle on the menorah in the Public Square. The event takes place at 5:00 p.m.

If It's Not One Virus, It's Another

A press release from Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, issued today contained this information about infectious diseases and their spread here in Columbia County:

COVID-19 positive cases remained constant for this past week but the big news is the amount of flu in the community, said Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb this morning. 

“We’re seeing positive flu cases much earlier than usual and in numbers we haven't seen in a good number of years,” Director Mabb said. He offered the example of one county school, which reported just four COVID-19 positive students this week, but 78 cases of the flu among students.

So far through three days this week the county DOH has received 50 positive [COVID-19] case reports, said Director Mabb, who added that, at the pace of the first 14 days of December, the county will see 300 positive cases by the end of December; which matches the 308 seen in November.

Ear to the Ground

Gossips has learned that Dan Grandinetti will be the new executive director of the Columbia County Youth Bureau. This was confirmed by Claire Cousin, county supervisor for the First Ward. Asked by Gossips to comment, Cousin said, "I believe it has been a long time since we have had leadership that is willing and able to grasp and address the gaps in youth programming in our county. The solution is deeper than a 'good' program, and through this position I believe we can provide more resources, support, and opportunities for the young people of Columbia County."

Before his unsuccessful run for mayor in 2005, Grandinetti was Youth Commissioner for the City of Hudson, a position for which he was initially paid an annual salary of $46,000: "Grandinetti is named city youth commissioner." There's more about that in this Gossips post from 2012: "Everyone's a Critic." 

Grandinetti was born and raised in Hudson, but he has lived in Rensselaer County since 2007. 

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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 3 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 16 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 fewer county residents 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 Thursday, December 8.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 25 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 6,696, and the number of active cases was 261. There were 255 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 15 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 111.