Supervisor raises concerns over 70-unit Hudson housing project on parkland and in flood zone

Supervisor Muspin, a member of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, told the board she has been following a multi-year planning-board review for a proposed subsidized 70-unit housing project in Hudson that she said is sited on parkland and in a flood zone. "It's 70 units of housing subsidized housing for Hudson residents. And the issue is Hudson is only 2 and a little square miles big, and we bear the burden and then the pleasure of home of helping many people have an opportunity to have a house or a home in Hudson," Muspin said.

Why it matters: Muspin said Hudson’s small size and ongoing gentrification mean the city is shouldering much of the county’s affordable-housing demand, affecting hospital workers, service-sector employees and residents at the lowest income levels.

Discussion and concerns: Muspin described the planning-board meeting as "very upsetting" and said the project occupies parkland and a flood-prone area; she urged cooperative action among local governments, saying, "My hope is that maybe Hudson and Greenport ... could actually work on this project together." She also criticized reliance on outside developers and private contractors and asked why the county could not take a larger role in producing housing and related tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians.

No formal board action: The remarks were delivered during supervisors’ reports; no county vote, referral, or staff directive to intervene in the Hudson planning process was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Ending: Muspin concluded by pointing to existing vacant sites in Greenport as potential near-term options and said county staff and supervisors should consider more active local involvement in housing production.