Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media seven Bliss Towers apartments currently unavailable for use will not be ready by the end of January as promised, but the Hudson Housing Authority is ramping up public meetings to create a development plan. After the assessment of 25 apartments, the HHA determined at its December 9 meeting, seven Bliss Towers units would be ready for occupancy by the end of January. The renovations were delayed because an asbestos variance was needed from the state. An environmental assessment determined there are no hazards for workers and a variance has been given, so repairs can begin on the units once an abatement contractor is hired, HHA Executive Director Tim Mattice said. “It’s obviously unacceptable and finally we’ve gotten this variance from the state,” Authority Commissioner Rebecca Borrer said. The variance process took much longer than expected, Mattice said. The seven units require minimal modifications, but the other 12 units in the high rise require more significant repairs. The other six apartments are uninhabitable low-rise units that would cost about $80,000 to $100,000 to renovate, so there are no current plans to do so, Borrer said. The Board of Commissioners has formed an ad hoc affordable housing and development committee. That committee will gather weekly to plan out the organization’s next big project. Decisions will not be made at the ad hoc meetings; voting will take place during the board’s regular, monthly meetings. The public comment portion of the process continues until April 14. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.