Message from the Mayor: Building 52, Rezoning, Public Service
Posted on: August 12, 2017 - 5:22pm
Fellow Residents –
Summer doldrums can be a lovely thing – a chance to relax, to recharge. Save for a brief spate of hot days, this has been a wonderful summer to enjoy the outdoors. The pool is packed, the tennis courts open (and renewed), and people are out and about.
Building 52
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The demolition of Building 52, which is the last remaining structure on the waterfront, has been underway now for over a month with the removal of asbestos and other materials from the building interior. Things get serious early this coming week when BP Arco’s demolition contractor begins to take down the actual structure. The portion of River Street to the left of the bridge over the railroad, (the short road that terminates in the small roundabout at the base of steps to the southbound platform) will be (understandably) closed for the duration of this portion of the demolition. The bulk of the heavy demolition will happen after 9AM and conclude well before evening rush hour. They will carry out the demolition a piece of the building at a time, working from the south end up. All activity is monitored by a plan described in detail (here) Air monitoring equipment has been positioned (locations shown here) and daily results will be placed here and tracked by our engineers and building inspector. It is also overseen by the NYS Department of Health. The demolition will be largely complete within a month, and will be immediately followed by a lengthy clean-up through November. The debris will be off-loaded to barges headed south and the site will be otherwise secured ahead of the full remediation to follow within a couple of years.
Building 52 has a storied history in Hasting’s past and it is a bittersweet moment to see the building go. Though its profound pollution condemned it to demolition, it still represents a monument to our Village’s past industrial might. It’s saw-toothed roof is an icon of turn-of-century industry, the heavy crane equipment still present within, it has strong lines and stands stable a hundred years in. Building 52 has served several roles over the years, but was most known for the production of cables. These cables were produced in copious quantities, gracing naval ships, submarines, airplanes, Minuteman missile cables, and communication lines. They were, unfortunately, for several decades also sheathed with PCBs. In fact, the mass industrialized use of PCBs happened for the first time ever right here in Hastings, and chemists and materials engineers practiced for years to get the perfect blend and application. It’s a claim to fame that we would have been better off without, but it is part of our collective past and worth noting. The largest worker protests and riots that shook our waterfront exactly a hundred years ago – every window was broken in one demonstration, and workers and National Guard with bayonets mounted on their rifles clashed during another. There was a time when many residents spent some of their careers in Building 52. John Gondor, one of our old-time residents, was director of QA and testing in Building 52. He’s not particularly attached to the structure, but he acknowledges the role it had in his and many other people’s lives. It will be missed in its hulking absence.
Zoning Redefinition
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The Board of Trustees took up discussion at the last meeting on the changes to the zoning code definitions of nursing homes, accounting for the independent living and assisted living alternatives available now. The discussion came after several months of public comment, which included public sessions before the Board as well as extensive emails. The discussion ranged for a while as the Board came to agreement on an approach. There was a unanimous sentiment among the Board that the proposed lot sizes and density for the assisted living use was just too small and too dense and we agreed that it made no sense to continue with that component. Rather than move forward with any change to lot sizes, we agreed to simply modernize the nursing home definition within the current zoning bounds, and if there are any other tweaks, it is to address existing ambiguity which could allow unexpected development. We also heard, and were intrigued, by offers from a number of people to work with the Village to address the issue of aging in place more broadly. We’ll be taking those residents up on their offer, and convening a group that will help us think through any further changes, as well as look beyond the zoning code for alternatives that will help us stay here into our later years.
Public Service
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This summer also brought a couple of reminders as to the cost of public service. Two of our officers were injured a month ago in an altercation during an arrest. While full recoveries are expected, it’s a reminder that even here, our police face risks. Similarly, during the recent fire in the abandoned Pioneer boathouse at the south end of the waterfront, one of our volunteer firemen took a spill while fighting the fire and needed a couple of days to recover – no serious injuries incurred, but a reminder that this incredible group of volunteers who fill our firehouses respond without hesitation to inherently dangerous situations. Kudos to our Hastings Fire Department and those in surrounding villages who provided mutual aid to control this impressive conflagration. The old, abandoned Pioneer Boat club burned down to its pilings. The river provided the scene for another moment of drama late Thursday night as two of our Police Department sallied out in our Police launch to save the lives of two people who had been adrift for several hours after an accident on their jet ski. The rescue occurred without incident.
Enjoy the rest of this gorgeous summer.
Sincerely,
Peter Swiderski
Mayor
mayor@hastingsgov.org
Mayor
mayor@hastingsgov.org