Town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel is negotiating with Winston Farm concert promoters for a direct donation to pay down the town’s deficit, something Village Mayor William Murphy isn’t entirely pleased with.
“This is news to me,” said Murphy.
Helsmoortel said he is negotiating the donation for the town only, but village taxpayers would also benefit. Village officials had hoped for a direct donation as well to cover any costs associated with the festival.
“If this is what’s going to happen,” Murphy said, “I would be very disappointed.”
The three-day Hudson Project Music and Arts Festival at Winston Farm, the site of Woodstock ’94, is scheduled for July 11-13. Attendance of 20,000 to 30,000 is expected. It has not yet been approved.
Much of the discussion of the concert at the Feb. 19 Town Board meeting focused on traffic. State Police, who will be responsible for handling all traffic to the site, said concertgoers driving from out of the area would be shunted off the Thruway via exits 19 and 21; up Rt. 9W and down Rt. 32 or 9W, respectively. Back roads would then be used to move traffic around the outskirts of the village, though some traffic would also pass through the village center.
Most of the parking would be onsite. Sullivan Farm on Lauren Tice Rd. would be used for overflow.
John Fordin of promoter MCP Presents assured Saugerties officials that the local business community would benefit from the concert. To that end, a shuttle to the village will be provided for concertgoers to allow them to shop in local stores and sample the local cuisine. At the concert site, there will be a food village, where promoters plan to include booths from local restaurants.
The lineup has not been announced. Fordin said it would include rock, hip-hop, indie, electronic, and jam bands.
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