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Habitat for activity
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| A bulldozer continues flattening the hill behind the Habitat for Humanity homes on Mill Street in Hudson Wednesday. Work to create the Charles Williams Park is continuing virtually in the backyards of the houses.Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers |
By Jamie Larson
Concerned Mill Street residents held a curbside meeting with city officials Wednesday, to voice their displeasure with the future presence of a large park under construction directly behind their Habitat for Humanity homes. The residence say that the planned park with a playground and basketball court will bring crime, drug dealers and vandals to their backyards at night and they fear for the safety of their children and property.
About $250,000 in grant money was awarded to Hudson by the New York State Department of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation for the development of the Mill Street Park while there was only one Habitat home, and officials said Habitat knew about the park plan when they came to the city to build more homes, even asking to share bulldozing expenses at one point.
All the home owners, except one family, said they were never informed of the build when they moved in. On numerous occasions residents stated that they thought a park for the city’s Second Ward was a good idea but “just not in our backyards.”
Alderman Wanda Pertilla, D-Second Ward, said that one of her main campaign platforms when she campaigned two years ago was to push to complete the stalled park plan. She was surprised that the residents were unaware. “I think who dropped the ball was Habitat,” Pertilla said. “I understand your concerns, but they were under the agreement that this was going to be a park.”
The residents, calling themselves the Mill Street Neighborhood Committee, started the meeting by reading a letter saying that they do not agree with the park location and that the grant money should be used to build a park elsewhere in the ward. Mayor Richard Scalera informed the group that the location is stipulated in the grant and the money cannot be transferred. He was also surprised that the residents had no idea since there has been preliminary planning activity going on at the site for years.
There is also a sign on the property stating the funding of a “project” but the residents said they didn’t know it meant a park.
Scalera was not in office when the grant was obtained and has said repeatedly that it’s a poor location for a park, given its topography and placement in the city, but he has an obligation to get it done. He frequently calls the job of leveling out the area the “eighth wonder of the world.”
Scalera also said he understands the resident’s worries about safety but that they should wait to see how it looks after the bulldozing is done and then they can work with the city to redesign some aspects of the park. He said the bulldozing will be completed this year, but the actual park layout will not begin until the warm weather returns, so there is no reason for the residents to feel rushed.
Options for redesigns discussed were eliminating areas that could invite late night congregation, playgrounds, and the proposed basketball court. Pertilla said the Second Ward needs a basketball court and it is something she will fight to keep in the plans.
Other options included moving the park entrance farther from the homes, constructing fences and planting trees to protect the homes. The mayor said an order has already been put in to National Grid to install lights on the street, but the company has taken no action.
Residents did respond favorably to the news that the reshaping of the terrain behind their house and the creation of a storm water retention pond will alleviate the flooding the low lying area experiences during heavy rain.
Officials said they would continue the conversation with residents in the future as the project develops, noting it has already changed size and scope over the years.
About $250,000 in grant money was awarded to Hudson by the New York State Department of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation for the development of the Mill Street Park while there was only one Habitat home, and officials said Habitat knew about the park plan when they came to the city to build more homes, even asking to share bulldozing expenses at one point.
All the home owners, except one family, said they were never informed of the build when they moved in. On numerous occasions residents stated that they thought a park for the city’s Second Ward was a good idea but “just not in our backyards.”
Alderman Wanda Pertilla, D-Second Ward, said that one of her main campaign platforms when she campaigned two years ago was to push to complete the stalled park plan. She was surprised that the residents were unaware. “I think who dropped the ball was Habitat,” Pertilla said. “I understand your concerns, but they were under the agreement that this was going to be a park.”
The residents, calling themselves the Mill Street Neighborhood Committee, started the meeting by reading a letter saying that they do not agree with the park location and that the grant money should be used to build a park elsewhere in the ward. Mayor Richard Scalera informed the group that the location is stipulated in the grant and the money cannot be transferred. He was also surprised that the residents had no idea since there has been preliminary planning activity going on at the site for years.
There is also a sign on the property stating the funding of a “project” but the residents said they didn’t know it meant a park.
Scalera was not in office when the grant was obtained and has said repeatedly that it’s a poor location for a park, given its topography and placement in the city, but he has an obligation to get it done. He frequently calls the job of leveling out the area the “eighth wonder of the world.”
Scalera also said he understands the resident’s worries about safety but that they should wait to see how it looks after the bulldozing is done and then they can work with the city to redesign some aspects of the park. He said the bulldozing will be completed this year, but the actual park layout will not begin until the warm weather returns, so there is no reason for the residents to feel rushed.
Options for redesigns discussed were eliminating areas that could invite late night congregation, playgrounds, and the proposed basketball court. Pertilla said the Second Ward needs a basketball court and it is something she will fight to keep in the plans.
Other options included moving the park entrance farther from the homes, constructing fences and planting trees to protect the homes. The mayor said an order has already been put in to National Grid to install lights on the street, but the company has taken no action.
Residents did respond favorably to the news that the reshaping of the terrain behind their house and the creation of a storm water retention pond will alleviate the flooding the low lying area experiences during heavy rain.
Officials said they would continue the conversation with residents in the future as the project develops, noting it has already changed size and scope over the years.
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