Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chair Art Baer has again made another proposal affecting the City of Hudson without any input from Hudson's officials, residents and business community.

The proposal to turn the landmarked St. Charles Hotel into a Homeless Shelter/Transitional Housing/Department of Social Services facility is completely against the City of Hudson's zoning, its Comprehensive Plan, and the wishes of its business community and citizens at-large.

The future of Columbia County and Hudson is intrinsically tied to tourism. The county's own Strategic Plan put together by Baldwin, Bell and Green stated that the biggest impediment to increased tourism is the lack of hotel beds in the county. Yet the county is seeking to take the largest hotel in the heart of Hudson's business district and turn it into a homeless shelter, with all of the problems and issues that such a facility will bring. This is unacceptable.

The undersigned demand that Chairman Baer and the entire Board of Supervisors immediately abandon this clear violation of Hudson's zoning, and of Hudson's right to self determination.

We further demand that all future plans to address issues surrounding the Department of Social Services and Transitional Housing/Homeless Housing include Hudson's elected officials along with the opportunity for the public to be heard on these matters prior to plans being formulated.