Woodstock planning board mulls role in Zena Homes review
- Stop Zena Development
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
by Nick Henderson November 12, 2025
The latest Woodstock planning board meeting on traffic and environmental concerns from the proposed Zena Homes development sparked discussion of what’s next and surfaced a longstanding lack of communication from the town of Ulster.
Recently, the state Department of Environmental Conservation settled a dispute between the two towns by ruling the town of Ulster is the lead agency. But all is not lost for Woodstock’s concerns, explained town planning attorney John Lyons.
“Woodstock will be an involved agency in the environmental review process because you have approval of the project,” Lyons said.
“Your role as an involved agency is to communicate to the lead agency and inform the lead agency as best you can about the concerns that Woodstock and the Woodstock community and the Woodstock planning board has with regard to the potential adverse environmental impacts which may occur in the portion of this project that lies in Woodstock,” he told the planning board.
The next step for the town of Ulster planning board, he said, is to make a determination of significance.
A negative declaration means no significant adverse environmental impacts, ending the environmental review. A positive declaration means significant potential adverse impacts were identified and requires an environmental review.
“Your job right now leading up to that decision by the [town of] Ulster planning board is to try to fill in their knowledge as best we can about the concerns that you have,” Lyons said.
The problem lies with the town of Ulster, said planning board member and former town supervisor John LaValle.
“We have a history with Ulster of non-communications, and that’s my concern,” he said.
“I have 50 years of sitting on these boards. And let me tell you, when it comes to the town of Ulster communications, it’s non-existent. We’re literally going to have to force them to participate.”
A major concern among residents of Eastwoods Drive, currently the sole access to the proposed subdivision, is the developers seeking a waiver from requiring a secondary access. Some planning board members are concerned about the environmental impact of adding a second road, even if it is for emergency access only. However, residents have pointed out multiple instances, including recently, where a tree fell across the road and blocked access.
