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Community News: Save 900 Columbia Avenue, Hudson
Posted by: Marilyn Bethany
Posted on: Monday, March 07, 2011
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MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION PERSPECTIVE ON 900 COLUMBIA STREET
There have lately been a few letters to the editor in the Register Star and a petition campaign regarding the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties’ (MHA) plans for the property it owns on 900 Columbia Street in Hudson. Although a couple of the letters were needlessly provocative and misinformed, we do appreciate the tone of the letter from the Board of Directors of Historic Hudson. Although the building in question is not in an historic district, nor on the Local or National Historic Registry, nor ever part of a tour of Historic houses in the 20 plus years we owned the property, we respect their passion for saving older buildings and would expect nothing less in their response to our plans. We would like to take this opportunity to present our side of the issue.
The mission of our agency is to assist people affected by mental illness in gaining skills and supports so they may live productive lives in the community with dignity and hope. We have been doing this since 1958, growing steadily such that we now serve over 1,000 children and adults in Columbia and Greene Counties. In addition, we provide preventive services to many youth and adults who may be at risk. We assist people in the areas of work, school, socialization, housing, goal setting, advocacy, peer support, strengthening families, crime victims support, managing symptoms, and crisis management, among other areas.
In the area of housing, we operate three 24 hour supervised residences and over 100 scattered site apartments. One of the supervised residences is located on 900 Columbia Street. It serves 10 adults who are learning skills that will enable them to live successfully in the community as they transition to more independent living. In this home, all 10 residents share common living space and one kitchen, with most in shared bedroom situations. Funding is primarily through the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH). The current philosophy of the OMH is that whenever feasible, these large community residences should be replaced with clustered one or two bedroom apartments that are more in keeping with the way most people live. It is easier to learn skill building, allow for needed privacy, and is overall a more effective model than sharing space with 9 other people. The OMH has spent quite a bit of money over the years on the current building. At this point, however, given the state of disrepair and the enormous amount of money needed to return it to a functional living space, the OMH has indicated to us that they will no longer fund the building. In addition, even if this were possible, retrofitting the current building to fit the needs of the residents is not fiscally feasible, and it would displace them during renovation.
We have been searching well over a year for an ideal place for these clustered apartments, and have endured significant hostility from potential neighbors in alternate sites for which we expressed interest. In that process, we have come to the conclusion that the current property is wonderfully suited for our purposes. It is near Warren Street, within walking distance to markets, and close to doctors’ offices. We have not found a better site to meet the needs of the residents, which must be our utmost concern. Besides, at this time, there is no longer funding to purchase an alternate site. The MHA plan is to build clustered apartments in the back portion of the property while the residents continue to live in the current structure. Once the clustered apartments are ready for occupancy, the residents would move in and we would remove the current building, replacing that area with an attractive lawn, gardens, perhaps benches, and an area for our vehicles. The new facility will be wheelchair accessible, attractive, comfortable, affordable, and of greater benefit to the people we serve. The OMH and the MHA can simply no longer take responsibility for the current house as it is not in keeping with the mission of the organizations.
That being said, if Historic Hudson would like to initiate a conversation that includes well-thought out, practical ideas that go beyond simply suggesting we relocate or somehow save the building on our own, and most importantly takes into consideration the best interests of our clients, we would be pleased to participate. We feel ultimately this priority by our agency is in the best interest of the citizens of Columbia County.
Jeffrey Rovitz, Executive Director
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Full Article
The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties is planning to demolish this important very early 19th-century house in Hudson, unless they can be persuaded to rethink their plans. 900 Columbia Street near Columbia Memorial Hospital, sits at an important historic crossroads at Prospect Street, Columbia Street and Union Turnpike, leading from Hudson (once called Claverack Landing) to the hamlet of Claverack. An on-line petition has been organized.
While sympathetic to the Association’s need for a new facility, community activists, including Carole Osterink, whose blog, The Gossips of Rivertown is a Hudson must-read, and Ellen Thurston, who writes a popular .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) about goings-on, mostly in Hudson, are urging the Mental Health Association to reconsider and come up with another plan for another site. One need look no further than the dreary methadone clinic that irreparably scars the 100 block of Warren Street to see the long-term consequences of the current plan.
Anyone who cares about historic architecture and recognizes its critical role in Hudson’s revitalization and economic future, will want to read and sign the online petition. The deadline for signing the petition is Thursday, March 10.
