After the Hudson Common Council approved a Local Waterfront Development Plan in mid-January, a 60-day clock began ticking and is now about to run out for public comment to the state government.  After that, Kevin Millington, director of the New York State Department of State's Office of Coastal Resources, will make a final determination on the city's Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.

Downtown HudsonThe Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in Hudson, has, according to its Web site, "voted to support pro-business elements of the LWRP," but added that its "over-arching concern is too much of the LWRP focuses on creating massive amounts of green space while not giving enough attention to the economic importance of a working waterfront."

On the other hand, a local advocacy group, Save the South Bay, and several other individuals have posted comments criticizing the plan as too friendly to heavy industry.  One Hudson resident, for example, in comments included on the city's Web site, said the LWRP would "allow a road through South Bay, a designated Class 1 wetlands," in order to accommodate Holcim, a corporate landowner, and O&G Trucking, its lessee.  Her contention is that alternate truck routes exist but have been ignored.

The Hudson LWRP is available online at www.nyswaterfronts.com/LWRP.asp  Save the South Bay's Web site is www.hudsonwaterfront.org.