SAUGERTIES, NY — As developers of Winston Farm detailed their plans for an 840-acre residential neighborhood with hundreds of housing units and a shopping center at a town council meeting Wednesday, opponents of the project also voiced their objections.
A draft general environmental impact statement provided updated information about the project, which was discussed during a City Council meeting Wednesday. The plan called for an 840-acre project area along State Route 32 that would combine commercial, retail and residential development with quick access to the state highway.
“The sponsor’s preferred plan calls for the creation of 799 residential units from a mix of townhomes, apartments, hotels, conference centers, cottages and other residential uses,” wrote the developers, who expect the expansion to result in 1,746 new residents.
Project engineer Chris LaPorta told an audience of about 35 people that the changes to the site objectives attempt to address concerns raised in several meetings since the draft plans were released in September 2021.
“There is a commitment to … open space,” he said. “We try to maintain a significant portion of the property in its natural, undeveloped state. This is accomplished through … open recreation and buffer zones.”
Plans also call for the development of 250,000 square metres of commercial space, a 150-room boutique hotel, a conference centre with 250 hotel rooms, a 5,000-seat enclosed venue, a 250,000-square-metre laboratory or light industrial building and a 100-cabin campground.
In their environmental impact statement, the project developers emphasize that they consider the proposed project to be “compatible” with the town and village’s joint comprehensive plan.
“The goals and objectives of the Winston Farm (Planned Development District) are consistent with the following recommendations… (to) develop an economic development plan to proactively attract small businesses and other uses that serve local needs and preserve the small-town character of Saugerties,” they wrote.
In the comments of several speakers, the project was predominantly viewed as negative, as it would pose a risk to an ecologically sensitive area and would significantly impair aesthetically pleasing access to the city.
“The historic Winston Farm is much more than a site that developers can exploit for profit,” says Kate Hagerman, project manager at Catskill Mountainkeeper.
“Because this large-scale development would be located on the shores of a 7,000-acre aquifer, … the city should adhere to the feasibility study and master plan for high-tech Winston Farm, which calls for leaving 73% of the open space undeveloped,” she said. “The ecosystems that are currently intact … are difficult to quantify in dollars and cents, but they result in clean water quality and natural landscapes that we all enjoy, as well as habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species. All of this will be lost if this project, as presented tonight, is implemented without careful and clear consideration.”
Villager Sarah Lesher said it was necessary to analyse what losses would be incurred if the project went ahead.
“I also share the concern of many people about losing a sacred place and not being able to get it back,” she said.
Local resident Lauren Ruberg was the only speaker in favor of the project, saying that involving developers who are long-time residents of the city should provide a reassuring sense that the site would be protected.
“It’s not just locals,” she said. “We’re talking generations. We have their parents who are here, they’re here, their children are here, their grandchildren are here. They’re already providing different services to our community (through) businesses that are providing jobs to people in our community.”
The property was purchased on July 10, 2020 by Anthony Montano, John Mullen and Randy Richers for $4 million. Montano owns the A. Montano Equipment Co. on State Route 212 and the Montano Shoe Store on Partition Street, Mullen owns the construction company J. Mullen and Sons and Richers owns the New York Drilling Service on State Route 32.
The site hosted the 1994 Woodstock music festival, which attracted around 350,000 people from August 12 to 14, 1994.
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