Developers of the proposed mixed-use “live, work, play” project on 840 acres of the Winston Farm in Saugerties are touting the results of comprehensive testing of two wells on the property. They claim the project will be self-sufficient with regard to water.
But not everyone is convinced.
Kathy Nolan is senior research director with Catskill Mountainkeeper, a non-profit environmental group keeping a close eye on the Winston Farm proposal. She said that at the very least the developers’ claims lack nuance.
“It is believable that they had results from their well-testing that make them feel satisfied,” said Nolan, also a county legislator. “The difference is that we don’t have the full reports on those well tests. They haven’t been shared. Many of the appendices are missing from the draft environmental impact statement. So there’s still a situation where we’re being asked to feel good about information that is only coming from the people with a vested interest in the project going forward.”
In a press release dated September 4, the developers claimed that the testing of two wells drawing from underground sources yielded a combined 270 gallons per minute, with no evidence of water being drawn from neighboring wells or other sources. The developers claim the water was deemed either satisfactory or readily treatable, with no contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) compounds.
Two separate wells with six-inch diameters were simultaneously tested, one on the Winston Farm and another on the Montano well on a neighboring property. The Winston Farm well had a net groundwater withdrawal capacity of 220 gallons a minute, while the Montano well’s withdrawal capacity was 50 gallons per minute.
The developers said both wells consistently refreshed their water capacity, making them ideal for daily use by the proposed project. The Winston Farm well drew water from the sand and gravel aquifer, Neither drew from nor influenced the Beaverkill stream, said the report. The well was tested from February 6, 2023 to May 16, 2023, including a 31-day post-test recovery observation period.
According to the press release, the testing and analysis were performed by LaBella Associates, a Rochester-based engineering firm, with the data provided to the Town of Saugerties on August 15.
“These scientific, highly regulated water and pumping tests, conducted by independent professionals, provide a key solution for developing Winston Farm and for the community,” said spokesperson Josh Sommers in the press release. “This is good news for Saugerties. In addition, Winston Farm is fully committed to take all steps to protect these and any other water sources during the development and operation of the proposed project.”
No small project
The current proposal includes 799 housing units with a combination of townhouses and apartments serving an estimated 1746 residents.
Also included in the plan over the 840 acres would be a quarter-million square feet of commercial space, a 150-room boutique hotel, a conference center with another 250 hotel rooms, a 5000-seat enclosed performance space, a 100-cabin campground, and another quarter-million square feet of laboratory or light industrial space.
Despite the developers’ enthusiasm, Nolan said it was too early to make definitive claims about the findings, particularly as much of the data has not been released for comprehensive review.
“So what can happen with these well tests is that it is possible that the well can show good yield, but that there can be effects on other wells in the same aquifer,” Nolan said. “The aquifer could be capable of sustaining everything that’s planned or proposed for this development and supply the water needs of the Town and Village of Saugerties. But I don’t believe there’s anything that we’ve seen that proves that. And the developers may be putting their straw in the ground first.”
Saugerties has water issues of its own which may be adversely impacted by the Winston Farm project.
“The Town and Village of Saugerties know that they have water needs,” Nolan said. “Theirs are not at the level of redundancy that would be good for them, and they have other developments proposed in both the town and the village. What I would like to see is the town and village do their studies and make sure that they have their needs satisfied.”
Nolan repeated that she would like to see the complete well report.
“Their press release claims that both wells were fresh, and if that is true, that’s a good thing,” she said. “But just providing a conclusion without showing the evidence that leads to that conclusion is not adequate for this proposal. You need to see more to be able to be sure that their conclusion is accurate.”
Other water issues
Nolan said there were other water-related issues that weren’t covered in the press release.
“They don’t address the concern about protecting the aquifer from the kinds of activities that they are in fact proposing,” she said. “The aquifer overlay zones generally try to prevent large-scale development, large amounts of impervious surfaces, and any types of activities that could lead to contamination of the aquifer. That needs to be gone through point by point, and hasn’t been.”
Even if the water issue is addressed to the satisfaction of environmental groups like Catskill Mountainkeeper, other concerns about the project remain.
“The water is one of many issues that the community has with this proposal,” Nolan said. “If they’re able to prove what they’re claiming about the water, then they may be able to move on to the next question.”
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