(File photo by Dion Ogust)
The owners of Woodstock Way Hotel are contemplating the purchase of the Lasher Funeral Home property at 100 Tinker Street in Woodstock, a short distance from the hotel, which is located in the center of town. Run by Steve Williams since the fall of 2019, following the untimely death of director Ken Peterson, Lasher is Woodstock’s only funeral parlor.
Neighbors of the funeral home received a letter from Woodstock Way Hotel owners Ryan Giuliani and Jesse Halliburton, stating that they are “considering the purchase of the Lasher property…. We invite you to our hotel on March 17 at 10 a.m., to see what we have built and to discuss our future plans with you. We would appreciate your input.”
When asked for an interview by Hudson Valley One, Giuliani and Halliburton issued a statement saying, “We’re in the exploratory phase of learning more about the several properties and opportunities and chatting with various town boards and neighbors. When we have something more specific to say, we’ll happily reach out to the press and share our thoughts and (possible) plans. But this is all premature. We have not purchased any property.”
They declined to say whether their intention is to create more hotel units or develop residential properties, commenting through a spokesperson that those decisions were, “All part of the exploration.”
After Peterson’s death in May 2019, his family stated their wish to maintain the building as a funeral home, as it has been since 1884. However, licensed funeral directors are in short supply nowadays, so they were happy when Williams, an area funeral director since 2000 who had helped Peterson in the past, agreed to take over.
Calls to the funeral home for comment were not returned.
What are they going to call it? The Rest Inn Peace?
The commercialization of Woodstock continues.
What? Literally any business that makes money is a commercial endeavor. That’s what commercial means. The funeral home is already commercialized.
Why do people think that just because they live somewhere, they have the right to stop others from making a living?
They are probably looking for property that can be turned into an event site….weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, etc. They couldn’t get the variances needed at Woodstock Way so they are trying again? Hotel, liquor license, etc.
Part of the proposed plan is to turn the meadow behind the funeral home into housing units. This would destroy one of the last peaceful, pristine open spaces in the Town of Woodstock, habitat to many plant species and local wildlife. I see other towns in the USA planning carefully about how they want to balance future “development” with maintaining green space. We are all stewards of our natural environment, and I think that permitting building in Lasher’s meadow is the wrong move.
I knew Victor Lasher, his wife Edith, his sister Elizabeth Clough, and Ken Peterson – Ken handled my father’s funeral four years ago. I think they would all be heartbroken to see a housing complex rise on what had once been their back yard. Are Giuliani and Halliburton even from Woodstock?