"I Wish They Would Just Sell It"

Has the city ever attempted to sell this property?

This vacant lot is known as 514-516 Columbia Street.  Assessed last year for $20,500, it is owned by the City of Hudson.  Of course, it is wholly tax-exempt.

Why does the city own this property?

I have not been closely following the recent discussions about the sales of at least two city properties, but I am almost certain that 514-516 was not part of any recent discussions.  I have never heard this property mentioned at any Council meetings.

 According to County tax records, the City of Hudson has owned this property since 1995.  The question is:  WHY?

This past summer I spoke with a veteran DPW worker who had just finished maintaining the property along with another worker.  He complained that the property was essentially a garbage dump and that mowing it was wrecking his mower regularly.  He also told me that there has never been a house on the property during his DPW tenure and that he had no idea why the city owned the property, concluding with "I just wish they would sell it." The two workers spent at least an hour maintaining the property that day - mowing, weed-whacking and blowing the debris, as well as picking up the trash.

514-516 Columbia's sidewalk has the worst tripping hazard in that block and one of the worst in the entire city -- ON CITY PROPERTY!  How can City Hall justify ignoring the horrible sidewalk in front of their own property for so long?  Should City Hall (or anyone, really) be surprised with the condition of our sidewalks when the City Hall can't keep its own sidewalks in decent shape?  

Oh, the hypocrisy!

The "tripping" hazard in front is not of the toe-stubbing and stumbling type.  If you hit that 3-inch separation just right, you will destroy your ankle and probably more as your body impacts the sidewalk.  In front of property owned by the City of Hudson.