Woodstock National has changed its name, but opposition to the large development in the towns of Woodstock and Ulster remains active — and distrustful.
The new name is Zena Development LLC. The principals are mum on their latest plans.
“We do know that they intend to plan first in the Town of Ulster because they think they’re going to have an easier time getting it through the Town of Ulster, and this really kind of proves them wrong,” said Laura Hartmann of the Town of Ulster Citizens after about 25 concerned residents attended a February 26 meeting at the Russell Brott Senior Center and another 25 participated online.
Zena Development LLC was on the agenda of Ulster’s town planning board for March 12, but was pulled. The town building department has not received all the paperwork. Hartmann’s group is keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Zena Development purchased the 624-acre property, of which 104 acres is in Ulster. The site is adjacent to the Israel Whitman wildlife sanctuary and the Bluestone wild forest, and within the Zena Woods Critical Environmental Area, in which development must face extra scrutiny.
The only access is from Eastwoods Drive in Woodstock. The Ulster side is landlocked by 400 acres owned by the Ruby Rod and Gun Club, which says it has no intention of granting access.
“I brought it back to our club,” gun club vice-president Brian Murphy said. “I told them what was being proposed, and our stance is we would not give any access to any developers or anyone since it’s our property.”
The original plan was for 191 units of housing and an 18-hole golf course, said Woodstock Land Conservancy executive director Andy Mossey. “We believe that the developers have abandoned this plan and are going to be putting forward additional plans.”
The developers have indicated the golf course may be off the table.
“We met with them just a couple of weeks ago,” reported Mossey at the meeting at the Ulster senior center. “And during that meeting, they mentioned how integral to their overall plan the Town of Ulster property is. So that’s why we’re here. That’s why we want to meet with you all so that you can understand just how much of their overall project means to them here in the Town of Ulster.”
WLC and the opposition group Stop Woodstock National believe the developers plan to propose 77 townhomes, as well as water and wastewater treatment plants, on the Ulster acreage.
“Alternatively, the other plan that we expect to see from them, which we have yet to see, is anywhere from 23 to 27 single-family homes, The sales price of those we expect to see between $1.5 to $7 million per house,” Mossey said. “So we’re not talking about affordable housing.”
Part of the Ulster portion of the property contains an existing FAA-approved landing strip labeled on navigational charts as Strip in the Woods.
The developers, former WeWork executive Evan Kleinberg and real-estate developer Eddie Greenberg, have indicated they will leave it up to Ulster’s planning board to determine the appropriate plan.
Originally, the developers had planned around 20 units of affordable housing in the Woodstock portion, which will be a requirement if Woodstock zoning revisions are approved.
The property had been on the market for quite some time. In 2020, the WLC worked with the Open Space Institute to make an offer, but it was too low, “even though it was still quite a lot of money,” Mossey said.
“Because we had such a major reaction of people showing up and putting up signs and saying, ‘Stop Woodstock National,’ they’ve backed off, and they’re focusing on Ulster,” said WLC board president Patti Goodwin. “They’re not saying what they’re gonna do with [the Woodstock portion] or when they’re going to do it. And I think what it shows is that when people stand up and make noise, and push back, they react. We’ve seen them back off on the whole Woodstock part.”
Woodstock and Ulster officials will need to coordinate since the land is in both towns and access is presently only through Woodstock.
Woodstock town supervisor Bill McKenna and Ulster supervisor Jim Quigley have met to discuss the project. “At least as far as we’re aware of,” said Mossey, “both supervisors are actually in opposition of it. And they will have to work together through whatever SEQRA process that is.”
Woodstock and Ulster are not particularly known in planning circles for a common attitude toward proposed developments in their jurisdictions.
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