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Hudson Common Council approves underwater land swap
By Jamie Larson
The Common Council held a special meeting Monday to approve the trade of land owned by the city— underwater in the Hudson River— with state-owned land, containing the sight of the current, and future, waste water treatment plant. The project to construct the new plant can not receive it’s funding, $4.4 million of which comes from the federal stimulus package, unless the city owns the land where the facility will be constructed.
When the resolution authorizing the swap came before the council at their regular meeting Aug. 18, it was decided that the language of the document needed to be revised. The issue was discussed in the privacy of executive session but according to sources, there was a disagreement between the city’s attorneys over whether the New York State Legislature had to approve the swap.
Waiting for legislative approval would slow the building of the WWTP down significantly, a concern given the fact that the project must break ground by February 14, 2010 to be eligible for stimulus funds.
The resolution passed by the council Monday approved the swap, but also included authorization for the city to purchase the 14.49 acre plot outright from the state for an amount not to exceed $50,000. The state can not simply give the land to the city, requiring by law that they be reimbursed financially or with desired land.
Earlyer this summer while conducting a title search on waterfront property in Hudson, the Columbia Land Conservancy stumbled across the fact that the city did not own the important plot, which includes the WWTP, a junkyard, a garage, and the shack filled area known as the Fugary Boat Club.
The State Office of General Services came up with the idea of the swap themselve, as the state is looking to buy up municapality-owned chunks of underwater river real estate, so they can regulate the river uniformly. The aquatic land the state wants, 9.04 acres in total, is beyond the railroad tracks in the north bay.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry said the state wants to swap, and has been extremely helpful in moving the plant plans through the system quickly, adding that no agency wants to be the one that holds up a stimulus-funded project.
City attorney Cheryl Roberts said she believes the trade will happen without the need for the drawn out process of legislative approval. “I don’t think it’s necessary but some argue that it is,” she said after the vote.
When the resolution authorizing the swap came before the council at their regular meeting Aug. 18, it was decided that the language of the document needed to be revised. The issue was discussed in the privacy of executive session but according to sources, there was a disagreement between the city’s attorneys over whether the New York State Legislature had to approve the swap.
Waiting for legislative approval would slow the building of the WWTP down significantly, a concern given the fact that the project must break ground by February 14, 2010 to be eligible for stimulus funds.
The resolution passed by the council Monday approved the swap, but also included authorization for the city to purchase the 14.49 acre plot outright from the state for an amount not to exceed $50,000. The state can not simply give the land to the city, requiring by law that they be reimbursed financially or with desired land.
Earlyer this summer while conducting a title search on waterfront property in Hudson, the Columbia Land Conservancy stumbled across the fact that the city did not own the important plot, which includes the WWTP, a junkyard, a garage, and the shack filled area known as the Fugary Boat Club.
The State Office of General Services came up with the idea of the swap themselve, as the state is looking to buy up municapality-owned chunks of underwater river real estate, so they can regulate the river uniformly. The aquatic land the state wants, 9.04 acres in total, is beyond the railroad tracks in the north bay.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry said the state wants to swap, and has been extremely helpful in moving the plant plans through the system quickly, adding that no agency wants to be the one that holds up a stimulus-funded project.
City attorney Cheryl Roberts said she believes the trade will happen without the need for the drawn out process of legislative approval. “I don’t think it’s necessary but some argue that it is,” she said after the vote.
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