Diving into the Issues: Developing Hudson

Well, this is a long one, so brace yourselves! However, it is worth reading all the way through because this is an incredibly important topic that will shape Hudson for years to come.

One local issue that has sparked conversation and caused tension in recent years is how to develop some of Hudson’s prime pieces of property - especially the Phase 2 area downtown and the former Youth Development Center (YDC) property on Hines Hill Road.

Everyone has opinions on how this should be done, and it has saddened me to see how it has divided our community.

I believe that most of the tension has stemmed from people not feeling listened to. 

Feeling heard and feeling listened to are two different things. When two people are having a conversation, one person can hear what someone is saying but not actually be listening to their message and trying to understand it. When someone is really listening, they are actively focusing on what is being said and making an effort to see things from the speaker’s perspective.  

This is incredibly important for our city staff and elected representatives as they make decisions that will shape the future of Hudson. 

It is not a secret that I supported Phase 2 leading up to last May’s election where the residents voted on the issue. However, I had my own concerns about the previous plan just like anyone else. No plan is perfect. There were many aspects of the plan that I supported, and it was my belief at the time that it was in the best interest of our community to move forward with a plan that offered diverse housing and Class-A office space which would broaden our tax base while still complimenting and supporting our current downtown.

I believed in my heart that support for this project was more widespread than the vote reflected, and in some ways I still do. 

It is important to note that after reviewing the history of the Phase 2 project, I do believe the people were both heard and listened to. The plan was revised over 40 times, and was the product of our Comprehensive Plan and more than a decade’s worth of work taking into account citizen input. But there is no denying that this is how some felt regardless of all of these efforts by our Council and city staff. I believe this is due to communication issues between Council/city staff and the citizens that also need to be addressed. Also important to note, communication with residents is a challenge EVERY city faces, not just Hudson.

I can recognize that because if this communication breakdown, many people had unanswered questions and felt uncomfortable with the proposed project. Many people had concerns about density, the developer, and more. MANY people did not feel listened to.

Those are all serious issues.

It’s been more than a year since the Phase 2 vote. Council held listening sessions to gain insight and understanding. Council tried to make changes to the previous plan. But, in the end, the city has severed ties with the project developer and we are now basically back to square one.

So, where does that leave us?

Everyone I have talked to agrees that SOMETHING needs to go there. It is a prime piece of real estate. The desire to develop it in some way is unanimous, however, every single person has a different idea of what should go there. Just in the past two months, I have heard the following: Class-A office space; no office space at all because COVID has changed the need for office space; apartments would be nice; NO apartments!; an orchard, park, or community garden; a community center similar to what Macedonia has; sell to the highest bidder and just let them develop it how they wish; a plan similar to what we had before, but with less density.

Wow, that’s a lot of very different opinions!

What I have come to realize is that no one is ever going to be 100% happy. 

So, where do I stand on developing Phase 2 and YDC? You should know where each of the candidates stand on these extremely important issues because it is likely the next Council member will cast a vote on the future of those two properties.

At this point, I no longer support the previous plan for Phase 2. 

Here is what I do support:

• Smart growth for Hudson – these areas can’t and won’t stay undeveloped forever. That is just the reality of this. But making sure that the right thing goes there and that the city and the citizens have input is crucial to maintaining the charm that we know and love. Growing too fast could add unmanageable traffic and too much density to areas of our city that cannot handle it, no one wants that. But understanding that growth always comes with those two things is important when deciding who to elect, because having an understanding of smart growth and how to manage it is important as the futures of these properties are decided. Only dying towns have no traffic. Following COVID-19, we can assume that some amount of damage will be done, and smart development could lead us out of this and into the future.

• Continuing to be responsible financially. Currently, Hudson has a AAA credit rating. This is proof that Hudson has invested smartly. We need to balance our long-term goals with our short-term needs. This is the core of developing the Phase 2 area and the YDC property because financing is a hugely important part of that.

• Investing in ourselves. To me, this combines my first two points and can be illustrated with the following example: First & Main and our library. I have talked to Hudsonites who have lived here their entire lives and everyone says that we saw a similar level of discourse and disagreement over both First & Main and the library back when those projects were being initiated. The thing that strikes me about both of those projects is how nearly everyone can now agree that they were done well and have benefited the city. They are both long-term investments that have served us well over the years. Whatever goes into the Phase 2 area and the YDC property need to provide the same level of value to Hudson.

• Using this property to address the demand for housing. We need to address the need for more empty-nester housing and also housing that will attract the next generation of Hudsonites who are not ready to buy a 4-bedroom home quite yet. We need to keep people invested in our community while simultaneously attracting the future of Hudson to it. 

• Diversifying our tax base. Many of the services provided to our residents are funded by income taxes. Most of those income taxes are paid by workers who do not live in Hudson. Therefore, it will be essential in the coming years to attract businesses - the right businesses - to Hudson to help diversify and expand our tax base.

I believe we need a creative solution that integrates all of the aforementioned things but also integrates citizen input and feedback. I believe that before Council makes any decisions, residents need to feel they have been listened to. This will require communication.

I would need to see proposals, plans, ideas, and financial details before I could make any decision. It is my belief that this is how it should be, because deciding the future of these two properties is not a decision that should be influenced by previous opinions or biases. Our next Council member needs to listen to residents and be open to new, unique solutions. 

How will I accomplish all these things? 

I will LEAD - Learn, Educate, Ask, and Decide. First, I will Learn about the issue at hand (in this case, development) by doing the research to fully understand the key aspects. Next, I will Educate constituents about what I have learned to ensure we're all on the same page. I will then Ask for their opinions, thoughts, and concerns. Finally, I will Decide how to proceed in a way I believe benefits Hudson the most. 

If you elect me, I promise that I will really listen, and together, we will do what is collectively best for Hudson.

Regarding the YDC property – to my knowledge, after years of discussion, there still are no concrete plans for that site. Hopefully this will change in coming years. The city and a previous Council made a smart, long-term investment in obtaining that property at the time they did and it is important not to rush into anything and to wait for the right opportunity to come along to develop it. We need to fully understand the value the property can bring, and I believe that this will be more than numbers can express. This is a topic that deserves it’s own post, which you can expect at a later date.

Have questions? Want to tell me your thoughts on how to develop these two properties? As always, I would love to have a conversation! Email me directly at nicole@kowalski4hudson.com.