Planning Board - public_hearing

Welcome. Before we call the meeting to order, I want to make a personal comment. I've had a cold for about three weeks. I'm no longer contagious, but my ears are so plugged up that I'm really having a hard time hearing. So if I lean in and I go, what did you say? It's because I couldn't hear. So I will call the meeting to order and Board Clerk will call the roll, please.

Michael.

Here.

Woodhull.

Here.

Black. Here. Vogel.

Here.

Shetsky.

Here.

Spear. Here. Conker. Here.

We are present in the quorum. This is a special meeting of the board for the purpose of convening a public hearing for the 41 North 2nd Street. We do have one bit of business that we need to conduct before starting the public hearing, and that is a new application from Basilica Hudson, 110 South Front Street. I believe we have representatives here that are going to make a presentation.

Hey there. My name is David Slaza. I'm the owner's rep for Basilica Hudson.

As some of you may know, the Basilica went under pretty significant renovation of the building itself down on Front Street. It won awards for its historic preservation property.

It's now running all electric.

We retired all the combustion on site. And the final piece of that project that we're trying to do, that we're here tonight for, is to install a solar carport on the parking lot that's just south of the building. That'll tie into the main panel at the silica itself. And once it's up and going, it's designed to offset, hopefully, 100% of the electrical demand on site that's not already being offset by the existing solar canopy that's to the north of the building. I'll let Jeff, his engineer, talk to you more about the details on that. Good evening. My name's Jeff Irish. I'm the owner of a company called Hudson Solar and Battery Solutions.

We've been contracted by Hudson to design and install a carport.

I'm a licensed professional engineer in New York State, but I'm not on the engineering record on the project because I own a contractor, a contracting company that's going to install it. I submitted or uploaded

dated site plan, very slight changes to what you already have.

Also, some drawings showing you a little bit of what the carport's going to look like. I don't know if you need printed copies. I have printed copies if you'd like to distribute those now so you can look at those. It's the same as what I uploaded this afternoon.

Anybody want to print a copy? OK. If you have them available, that'd be great. And I think we've seen them also. They were on our portal. So submitted prior to the last meeting. I think before we ask any questions from the board, we see Peter is representing our engineering firm tonight. If you would introduce yourself, and if you have any comments, you're welcome.

Oh, yeah. Peter Sander from Renea Engineering. I'm an AICP certified planner.

and we just got this application so i'm not super familiar with it but i'm happy to answer any questions you may have or the board may have okay any questions from the board i don't think we are obligated to take any action tonight we could choose to waive the public hearing for this project and allow it to move along at pace or we can deal with it at our august 11th Meeting. Is anyone inclined to move that we waive the public hearing? Peter moves that we waive the public hearing. A second? Second. Kelly? Kaylee?

Linda, would you call the roll? Michael? Yes. Woodhull? Yes. Black? Yes. Bogle? Yes. Shetsky? Yes. Veronica?

Yes.

And Spears?

Yes. So I don't know whether we're going to wrap the project up in the August 11th meeting, but it certainly does facilitate moving along. And if you have any questions of us.

One thing I did want to point out that was in the application is that the construction of a solar carport on an existing parking lot is an automatic type two action under seeker.

uh in the application so uh the states are determined that no environmental further and that is accurate mr chairman just wanted to point that out all right is there anything more that we need to so just just for perks is a clear record i think the board could take up motions that classify this as a type 2 action exemption for the review under seeker

Gene makes that motion. Is there a second? Nathan seconds. Let Nicole roll.

Michael.

Yes.

Woodhull. Yes. Black. I actually missed the motion. Thanks. I'm sorry.

I'll repeat. It's just to classify it as type 2 exemption for review on your seat here. Yes. Vogel. Yes.

Shetsky. Yes. Spear. Yes. Conqueror. Yes.

I do have one question, which is the Amtrak folks park much of the vehicles, I think, roughly where this is currently in that parking lot. I don't know who owns this. I assume you all own the actual underlying ground. But that was my only question. The Amtrak parking lot is to the southeast. Yeah, so they own the property. It's separate. It's not right where they park. It's kind of adjacent to where they park. to the river a little bit yeah okay yeah cool i just don't yet just trying to compare this that way any additional discussion questions one question for the applicant uh is this based off an actual survey of the property yeah okay very good yeah all right i guess just to clarify what the next steps are so do we come back in august for a formal approval or

Is there... Not to put the cart ahead of the horse, I think we're going to wait for some more detailed engineering comments, and those will be provided to you via the portal ahead of time, and we would anticipate those comments being addressed prior to the submission date, which I don't know offhand about when I was on the board does what our cutoff date is for the next meeting. So we would get comments...

I'm not sure if they've been uploaded already. They might have been uploaded to the portal already, but if not, we'll make sure you get them this week. Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. So then we're back. We'll get schedules for the August meeting to address comments.

It looks like your deadline for materials would be the 27th, which is a week from yesterday.

Thank you.

Before we move into the public hearing, I want to have a comfort discussion. We've got people scattered all over the place. We do have extra seats. We have extra space. There's some empty seats up here. So I want to make sure everybody's comfortable and in a place where you can hear. So let's just take a minute to kind of shuffle about in our seating. There are three or four seats up in the front. Are we ready to go? So first, I want to make sure that anyone who hopes to, plans to speak tonight, that you've signed up with Linda. Her sign-in sheet is over on the table there, and you'll be called in the order that you've signed up. I want to make a few general comments before we get underway. This is a very important process for the planning board. Whereas many commissions and boards in town have public hearings or public comments in every meeting, our public comments are reserved as the last phase of the, in most cases, a multi-month process. And so rather than having public comments in the midst of that process, we conclude the process with public comments. So it gives the community the last voice in this process. And it's an important part, not just for philosophical reasons, but also often it brings content, information, and experiences that helps the board through the planning process and through the decision making. Our role tonight is to listen. This is not a Q&A. This is not a back and forth. But really, we're here just to listen. And that can feel a little bit cold to the presenter if you're not getting any reaction. But that's really our place tonight is not to exchange ideas or to answer questions, but it is to listen. Not to exchange ideas or to answer questions, but it is to listen to your shared information and your lived experiences to help enrich our understanding of this important project. And it is an important project to the community. It's important in practical ways. It's brick and mortar, it's solid, but it also is a part of the dialogue that we're having in our community that I hope can help us strengthen our civic infrastructure, our ability to work together as a community to process difficult decisions and to find solutions that really are in the best interest of the community and our residents. A few guidelines that will help guide our conversations tonight. We do have a three-minute time limit for speakers, and our official timekeeper, Gene, is going to be monitoring the clock. It's a volunteer position. Okay. He will notify you, I think this is right, Gene, at 30 seconds. So that means you need to begin to start wrapping it up, and then at 10 seconds, you maybe have time for one or two more sentences. We're not doing this to limit any one person's speaking time, but A, to make sure everybody has an opportunity to speak, and B, to have fairness across not only this meeting, but some people are getting 10 minutes, and other people are getting two, but also all of our meetings, so that when citizens come, they know they're getting the same fair treatment that they're getting in any planning board public hearing. We ask you to introduce yourself, your name and your street, your ward or your town would be sufficient. We ask you to address the planning board for your comments, not the applicant or not other members of the audience, but really you're speaking to us and we ask you to stay on the agenda. This is a single purpose public hearing. It's about the HHA project and the replacement of Bliss Tower. And so your comments should really be focused on those issues. If you have documents or reports or other kinds of written information you think might be helpful in enriching the public record, provide those to Linda and she can mount them or post them on our portal. Finally, as I said, this is an important project. There are a lot of strong feelings about it. And if we can conduct ourselves in a way that shows respect for each other as citizens and as neighbors, that gets us to the best possible outcome in tonight's conversation. The subject matters that might be most useful are focused around your observations as a neighbor or of the neighborhood, comments about traffic, safety, design, environmental issues, or other matters that you believe are relevant for our review. Tonight, after our public comments are done, we will adjourn the public hearing, not conclude, but adjourn. And it will remain open until our next, at least, until our next regular meeting, which is August the 11th. And we will continue to accept written public comments during that period between now and August 11th. And those written comments will be posted on our portal as well. If you want to make written comments, you can do both public comments tonight and written comments if you'd like. You can send them to our board clerk, Linda Fenoff. And you mind if I give your email address, Linda? L Fenoff, that's F-E-N-O-F-F, L Fenoff at cityofhudson.org. So at the conclusion of tonight's hearing, as I said, we will adjourn the public hearing. And the board will be identifying those questions, issues, and comments that you all have made that we believe warrant written response from the applicant. So I'm asking the board members during the presentations tonight, make note of those comments that you think warrant the written response from the applicant. And then when we meet in August, August 11th, we will review the written comments and go through the same process of identifying those written comments that we believe warrant a written response from the applicant. So that's kind of the step by step, but I wanted to mention it to you. Sometimes when we make comments, we wonder, well, where did these comments go? How do they affect the outcome? So the board will really scrutinize and listen carefully to your comments and make note of those that we think really drive forward the community discussion in an effective, constructive way. So I just want to say thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for being an active part of our community. and bringing your point of view to this conversation. The board is listening and ready to hear your comments. Has everyone signed up that wants to speak? OK. Jean, is the clock ready? Yes. Good. I didn't get a chance to visit with Jeff before the Knox meeting. Jeff, do you want to make comments now, or do you want to make comments later, or does your team So are we ready to go? Again, I understand what you're saying. It's not the best arrangement. And I see a space up here. Chairs could be brought up, but let's go ahead and get underway. The chair would entertain a motion to convene the public hearing. Open the public hearing. Thank you. I'll make the motion. Gene moves. Nathan seconds. Linda?

Michael. Yes. Woodhull. Yes. Ogle. Yes. Speer. Yes.

chefski black yes conqueror yes and linda you're going to call the speakers yes okay mary decker good afternoon my name is mary decker and i live at 41 north sector street i lived there 36 years out of 47 years of my life there has been different Director's been there, done that. And Mr. Dawson has done a great job, as far as now, since he's been here. We definitely do need a new building, do get a back alley. There's breaking down and other things happening in our building. I raised my kids in this building and we don't know, a lot of us parents don't know where we're gonna go or what we're gonna do if this building is not done in time. Thank you.

Thank you, Barry.

Lori Moreland. Good evening. I am Lori Moreland. I moved here in November.

I live on Richardson, I mean Robinson Street. As for the housing authority, for us as a housing authority, it is a very initiative program that we need to do everything.

I don't care if it's a because not everybody can afford housing outside of that.

And what I'm looking at with the project itself is not only building something fresh and new, but it also has open spaces on the bottom floor, whereas they can have different training programs in it, they can have different monitor systems in it. So it's something not only just to live, but to learn. And the only thing I'm asking is that this board give them the opportunity to actually do the project itself. I've been in the building. I went from floor to floor. Michael, the director, not the director, but he's the manager as far as maintenance is concerned. And he gave me a great tour. I looked at it and I looked at the floors and I saw what was going on. And before he said anything, I said, wait a minute, what's happening? And he asked me, what do you mean? I said, the floors themselves is on levels. which lets me know that the ground needs help. They're asking something from you, and that is to live in Hudson continuously, raise their children continuously right here in Hudson. So all I'm asking of you is to grant them the opportunity to do that and give them the chance to live comfortably and not struggling. Yes, they would love to have different jobs. pays the price that needs to be to live in Hudson. But I've been here since November. The pay raise here is not that great if you don't own the building itself or you don't own the company itself. So please grant it. Thank you. Thank you.

Alan Weaver.

Hello, Alan Weaver, 4th Board, a former member of the Hudson House Concordia Board.

I was the chairman of the board when we went through this process last time of trying to develop the property. It didn't work out because basically the report I just gave to Linda is

extensive, huge, major foundation work that may cost prohibitive to build the structure. And our structure was smaller than what they're proposing.

I am not against the goal, but I am against the vision. Basically, what you're looking at is adding four Providence Halls to the second board, which is out of scale with the current neighborhood. Also, the need of the residents, there's definitely a need to replace that housing. but you've got 84 tenants, last I heard, that actually live in the complex. That number seems to bounce around. We also don't have an exact number of the cost what the size is going to be, and they're coming for you and asking you to understand it, basically.

So it would be nicer to see something more in scale with the neighborhood, as in, you know, does not need another 300 unit, 260, 276, whatever the end number is.

Project, we have the John L. Edwards project, which will add 65 low-income senior housing units to the city, so tenants 300 units. Also, the previous planning board had a market rate apartment building reduced from 23 units down to 15. And that required additional parking, so I don't see why this planning board cannot get this project to a reasonable size that will meet the needs

and not just the developer. Thank you.

Thank you.

Kaya.

Hi, my name is Kaya Weidman. I'm a resident of Fifth Ward, Glenwood. But I'm also a nonprofit leader of an organization in the second ward, which is almost adjacent to the site where the project will be built. We are probably one of the largest parcels near the site of the building project. And I am here to strongly advocate for your approval of this very deeply necessary project at its proposed size. I have worked with youth and families in the city of Hudson for nearly 20 years, and the number one issue, beyond number one issue, the most profound thing impacting the quality of life and the ability for the social fabric of this community to exist and for young people to have a future here is housing. Is housing, affordable housing. If you care about this city, If you care about children, if you care about families, and if you care about the future of this city, we need this project to be built. We need it to be built on time, and it needs to be passed so that they can achieve the state grant funding and regulatory approvals needed. Every delay increases the cost for escalation and additional fees and loss of state funding. I urge you not to delay this project any further and improve it. Thank you for getting it this far. This is the most important thing that could shape the benefit of our community going forward.

Hi, my name is Britt Zuckerman. I'm a licensed landscape architect and I live in the fourth ward. My comments are primarily about the site. The circulation in the parking should not go down Second Street. Second Street is a narrow residential street and cannot handle this traffic volume. The traffic should go through State Street to be safe. Housing along Second Street should be set back from the sidewalk, a four-story building right on top of an adjacent two-story building, will create an imposing feeling for those residents and thereby destroying their quality of life. I don't understand why the site is destroying the only shade trees in the five block radius around the second ward. The second ward is the least planted of all of the wards in Hudson. The way this project is designed, we're killing the cocks of trees adjacent to the gazebo. If you observe how the residents use those towers, they use their front courtyard quite frequently and they use the gazebo. They watch the streetscape. They enjoy watching their children get on the bus. This design creates a park with towers around the park. There's no streetscape engagement with the current design. I encourage the architects to adjust to the design to engage more of the streetscape in scale and use. This current design creates a loss of eyes on the street. It segregates the residents from engaging with the community. It creates dead zones. This encourages urban segregation. I also feel that the scale of this building is out of scale with the neighboring residential building. So there are about two and three stories maximum. This is a four-story building or more. I think we should consider bringing it to scale. I'm in favor of the project. I think it's desperately needed, but I would encourage the architecture team to consider the aesthetics of the building as well. The residents need a place of dignity, and I believe, architecturally, this could be improved significantly.

Thank you. Did you get her last name? Second. Second. Bill Hughes.

second ward.

When we're looking at this project, as someone who was born and raised in Hudson, born at 12 Warren Street, which is the second ward, I know that area of what we're talking about right now, everybody talks about the beauty and the streetscape and all this. It was a junkyard. That's what it was.

And they did a brownfield project in the 70s and turned it into what they called at the time a diamond project to

put those people that HUD had displaced when they plowed downtown down in what they believed to be new, beautiful housing. It wasn't 10 years later before that building was having problems, right? And the problems just continue to persist and persist and persist to where they come down. And I think the residents of this building absolutely deserve to have a new home that is fitting for them and their families. When I served, I served in the city of Hudson from 2000 to 2017 in various offices as an elected official. And I asked a lot of people when they moved here, what were the qualities that made them move here?

And some of the things that they kept talking about was the architecture and the diversity. Well, when you look at the diversity of the city of Hudson, a large majority of the minority population is located in that particular area. And if you look at the city as a whole, the city is being gentrified.

And some people will look at that as a negative. I look at that as a positive because that means that there's positive building going on. But that positive building shouldn't be just preserved for those neighborhoods. It should happen in this neighborhood as well. And I think these people deserve new housing.

I think you guys should move expeditiously on this since this building has been degrading for about 20 years now.

And the only benefit I see is if you guys were to vote and move this quickly so that these people can make sure that they have secure housing. And also, before I step down here, I hear people talking about the numbers. Well, yeah, the numbers are low in there because the building is worn down. A lot of families that we know have left this community and moved to Kilimanjaro, Greenport, and the surrounding areas.

They would like to come back here. They would like to come back to the group. Some of their families have been moved in this community for five generations.

They should be allowed to come back to this community. And you guys can make that happen. Thank you.

No, we don't want that. I just found out about today's meeting, so I'm not so prepared. But I do want to say that I support the project. Born and raised 215 State Street. I now live in Greenport. Just so you know, the rent in Greenport is $28.50. So I'm pretty sure many of these families can't afford to live there. But I also worked at West. I also played at West. I worked for Head Start. I saw many families grow and become something. So many new families have gone on to college. There's so much benefits there. I just recently visited again, maybe last week. I had an eye-opening experience. It actually looked okay, you know, like people say so many things, but you know, like the building friendliness. I was so surprised I walked to the office, the residents were there to say hi. This is a community that's been together for a long time. I really urge you to support this and to support these families. Thank you. Eli Deluxe.

I live on 250 State Street. These people are my neighbors. I've only lived for about three years now, but my experience of those towers has been excellent. I think other people have talked about how it kind of is a public square in a way. I feel that really hard. I feel so safe with my neighbors. I feel like I know more about them than I do my literal next-door neighbors, you know what I mean? I'm going to put some comments here today that don't really represent them, you know? I hear what I feel to be pseudo-intellectual, kind of nimby, you know, hiding behind numbers kinds of things that is just not my experience as someone who lives with these people and who 100% agrees that this project should move forward expeditiously. Um, when I hear things about aesthetics, that feels like a dog whistle to me. Um, I feel like it's kind of cowardly and sort of sad. So I would, um, encourage the board to have a, the same generous heart as that of my neighbors when thinking of them and moving this project forward.

Eli Berkowitz.

Good evening.

My name is Eli Berkowitz. I live in the fifth ward here in Wisconsin. And I'm here tonight to express my strong support for moving this project forward.

And most importantly, for the residents of Bliss Towers and the low rises who have spoken in favor of it. I think ultimately, It is their buildings and their voices that should carry the most weight in this conversation. And I also want to share, for what it's worth, my own desire to live in a community that has multiple types of housing, but prioritizes affordable housing and keeping long-term residents in our community, which, as other speakers have mentioned, we've been failing to do thus far. And I know it is not the exact purview of this board, but I would invite you to consider a holistic vision for the city of Hudson that balances, quote unquote, neighborhood aesthetics with the needs of the actual people that live in the neighborhood.

And I am particularly excited about a project that provides the needed housing and also creates green space and repurposes streets for human use that involves more than just driving cars. I think that that is a smart design for the city of Hudson to pursue, and I think that this project could stand as an example to other communities of how these redevelopments can be pursued in a way that, most importantly, prioritize the residents' needs, prioritize the preservation

truly affordable housing and balance the needs of the community. I'd like to ask a question. Just pause now that we've been listening to speakers. Is everyone able to hear okay in the back of the room? Is everybody comfortable? Do you have a place to sit? We have a few more chairs up here. Okay, back to you, Linda.

Can you increase the mic sound, please? I think that's the problem.

I've never worked it. Can someone plug it in? Claire Cousin. I live in the fifth ward. I'm on the Common Council, board member of the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition, former commissioner on HHA, and director of youth power at Heights. I would like to share my strong support for this project. I could repeat what many people have already said, but I feel like what's missing from this conversation are some of the experiences that folks are scared to share. Some of the foundation that led me to want to engage in community service came from my experiences spending birthday parties in the community rooms at the High Rise, spending Christmases and every holiday at my aunt's house, and witnessing what folks were able to do in deplorable conditions. Conditions that other folks in this community who have such an opinion on aesthetics would not subject themselves to. But there is no other option for the folks that live in Bliss. This building has been crumbling for decades. And folks have needed to remain here because it's the only place that's affordable. The housing authority is the only housing authority in this county. So a project of this scale is speaking to the fact that displacement is not just moving folks out of the city of Hudson, but they're not even able to live in Columbia County. My family, if I want to visit my family, I'm going to Albany, I'm going to Philmont, I'm going to Kingston, I'm going to Poughkeepsie, I'm going out of state because there is nowhere affordable to live.

We are fighting as we're struggling to afford to live here.

Working at Kite's Nest with young adults and teenagers, we have a scale of programming and our youth staff are encouraged to participate in the programming, but these are young people who have found a safe space in this program that are grappling with what it means to exist in the city of Hudson. Not just live in the city of Hudson, exist in the city of Hudson. are wondering if a project like Bliss does not go through, where can they live? There's not jobs that match the cost of living. I think considering what is on the table with the redevelopment of the housing authority and hearing the testimony of tenants and community members who have built their lives in the property of Bliss, this is a project that is absolutely necessary at this moment. At this moment, not further down the line. not after other projects are built. This is where community lives, this is where community has continued to thrive, and this is where folks want to be. They're advocating to stay in their homes. Thank you.

Abduce me up.

My name is . I also 20 years in the second half. I'm strongly, strongly support this project. This has to meet the diverse community. They pushed out the diverse community over here. They have no enough job. They are high paid. They have no this. They are fighting. This is how they are getting problems. I'm pleased. I told you that this is the community we want to stay. And this is my community we want to stay. And the second one, please, I'm strongly supported. Please, I put this...

Pastor Kim Singletary.

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to present our views to the committee. I have served and serve still on the Columbia County Housing Task Force. I still serve with Columbia County Housing Advisory Board. I formerly served as the sole assessor in the city of Hudson at the time when gentrification was beginning and housing turned from multiple units to McMansions. I remember when there was a design to make Hudson that Hampton formed a Hudson. And so what we are living through and experiencing has been in the framework for this entire century. I have volunteered in my services at Bliss Towers as a pastor. So I have conversations, communications, and relationships with people in Bliss Towers. That we in this community have an opportunity to provide housing for the 21st century, housing built in the 21st century, for our community family members, our residents, that we miss this opportunity would be shameful. Our community deserves to have housing that people can afford. Affordable housing is a nationwide issue. It's not just here in Columbia County. We here in Columbia County have an opportunity to deal with that issue for our community. I brought my mother up here in 2023, and she moved into Jocelyn Commons. She was there nine months, and her rent went up $200 a month. For an 80-year-old person, that's unconscionable, but that's private property. This is a public housing development, and we certainly can make room for public housing to be improved, to be made affordable, to be what people deserve in the 21st century. So I'm looking at faith men, I'm looking for hearts that will make the right decision for the families that have grown up here that are living here that want to come back here. Thank you so much for your time. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman. There are no other names on the list.

Okay. Okay.

So we're going to conclude the public hearing. Thank you all for your comments. And a motion to adjourn the public hearing.

Yep, adjourn it to the August 11th meeting. Provided there are no further comments. Maybe just give it one last.

Oh, is that?

I'm so sorry. Of course. Is that a part of the public hearing or is that? Okay. From my perspective. There are other people who want to put their names on the list at this point. So two things. If you want to sign up to speak, we're going to open up that window again now. Sign up is on the table. So Jeffrey, would you like to go ahead and talk now, or do you want to let any other speakers speak first? I'll wait. OK. I'm also in support of the Bliss Paladin.

What I'm not in support of is what I consider at times disregarding Red flags, what I consider red flags, whether it's the soil or the management from the construction company. But I am all for the support. That's basically it. Is there sufficient information to the planning board? Does the planning board have any doubts about what's being presented to them? That's my question to have you consider. All support, the people of Bliss Towers need to have a home, and this is their home. No question. Can this be built in the timeframe? Is it set up well? Does it have the necessary infrastructure that's gonna deliver? There's too many things that have been said that have been discovered, that has been revealed, THAT LEAVES CERTAIN THINGS IN QUESTION THAT WOULD HAVE ME PERSONALLY IN QUESTION ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS PROJECT.

We're not putting you on the clock.

I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Before I can start, I do want my attorney to say something. But I do want to start by saying thank you to all who have come and taken concern about our community and having this discourse. I really wouldn't have it any other way. And I'd like all my residents to please stand. they've come up some of us some of walk but these aren't residents and these are the people that live in this community um and deserve to be recognized um and and these are the people that i'm advocating for um so with that i'm going to introduce the joy and then commissioner smith and then austin hi everyone my name is jonathan joy i'm an attorney from the law firm man rider mckay representing the housing authority we appreciate the public's overwhelming

of how important this project is. As far as the status of our application, we were hoping to appear before the CBA last week, but unfortunately they did not have a quorum, so we will have to appear next month, which I think is August 17th, so it'll actually be after the planning board's next regular meeting. Since our last meeting, we made a submission with, among other things, some engineering comment responses, updated plans, updated SWPPP. In between now and the next meeting, we would be happy to answer any comments in writing that the planning board would like us to address.

Thank you.

My name is LaVonda Smith. I am the Hudson Housing Appointing Board Chair. I was also born and raised in the House and Authority. My parents still live there. My mother and family is here tonight. And, you know, I just want to really speak on the duty of the Board of Commissioners of the House and Authority and also of the Executive Director. Our duty is to continue to build. It isn't just to stop, let something squat, let something rise. It is to take care of, keep building. If we can keep building, max out. Jeff and Malcolm, it's very nice to agree to go smaller because when you're a chair, you go to conferences and they let you know that you are to build as much as you can and you do not stop there. If we're not going to stop here, you'll see us again. But that's all I want to say is thank you all for being here tonight and we're not done.

Thank you, Veronica. And lastly, I'll say these couple things. When I was hired for this position by Rev. Smith and the Board of Commissioners, one of the things I believe they took into account is the fact that not only was I a, not only am I an advocate for housing, I too was a resident. So this doesn't, and I'm not somebody that stayed in an apartment for a day or two. I lived in public housing myself for 23 years. And part of my vision is to share the fact that you can become self-sufficient if you have a decent place to live, if you have a place to think through your problems, to be built around good schools, have the opportunity to be together with your neighbors, and make us a part of the community. One of the things that the mayor's done current mayor has done that i really love is that he's had his uh ward meetings at different locations and one in particular he comes to bliss towers which other people have to come to bliss towers to actually participate in a meeting and that's important because we are part of the community we're not separate we're not asking to be separate the building is not designed to be separate it's going to have a park-like atmosphere we have folks that i see that are on the board and around the neighborhood that walk in and around our community on a regular basis and will continue to do so, I'm certain. But we want to be a part of the community. We want to be able to have an economic impact, a further economic impact on Hudson, and we will do that, as we currently do. And we just really appreciate your support. You know, physical, comprehensive physical news, that's what we've done. prior to my arrival, declared the building obsolete. I can't sit there and do nothing. The disinvestment of public housing by the federal government has been ongoing and continues, but they've given us tools to sustain and create and be better. And those are the tools that we're using. And the last thing I'll say is that I can't speak to the maintenance of the building prior to me getting there. But I've been there for four years and taken care of the building as best I could within our resources. But we had to make a decision. And there's a decision to go forward to build. And as Ravonda said, this is just the beginning. Housing is the number one problem in the world on any ballot. It's either number one or number two, along with the economy. Hudson has an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people in, for example, New York State. Thank you.

Thank you all. A motion to adjourn the public hearing until August 11. Shane? Second? Second.

Linda?

Michael?

Yes.

Woodhull?

Yes.

Ogle? Yes. Speer?

Yes.

Chesky? Yes. Black? Yes. Conklin? Yes.

Thank you all again. Any comments from the board to our citizens, to our neighbors? This was a great conversation. Thank you. It's good for the community to be able to come together like this and have a constructive, respectful conversation about such an important project. Thank you all. So I have an alternative proposal for what we do next. When previously I suggested that we look at the questions tonight, I just consulted with Andrew. And I think rather than discussing it tonight, I will send an invitation to the board to send any questions right now on the 11th to me. I'll assemble that in a package and bring it to the board in our discussion on August 11th. In the meantime, I'm expecting a fairly heavy volume of written comments. So check our portal. And then we'll also be looking at the portal to see if there are any questions. That's generally agreeable. I will send an invitation. A motion to adjourn is in order. Second. Who made the motion? I don't know why.

Oh, Dave did make the motion.