Public Hearing at Woodstock's Zoning Board of Appeals to Determine Whether Project Can Move Forward at All
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Tuesday, August 13 at 7PM
Town of Ulster Planning Board Meeting
Town of Ulster Town Hall, 1 Town Hall Drive, Lake Katrine, NY 12449
Thursday, August 22 at 7PM
Woodstock Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing
Town Offices, 45 Comeau, Woodstock
FULL DETAILS:
If you have to start on Eastwoods Drive in Woodstock to get to a proposed development in the Town of Ulster, which zoning rules must be followed? At a public hearing set for Aug. 22, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will answer that question, and the answer could stop Zena Development in its tracks.
The backstory is a bit complicated, but here's where we are and why public attendance at the ZBA meeting is so important. Several months ago Zena Development asked Woodstock for permission to widen and extend Eastwoods Drive to its proposed subdevelopment in Ulster. The developers argued this was a simple request that only required a permit from the town's building department, because it already owned the private driveway.
Not so fast, according to Woodstock's Zoning Enforcement Officer Francis “Butch” Hoffman. He explained in late May that the developers would need more than a building permit. They would need site plan approval from the town's Planning Board. Hoffman's letter also noted several other approvals needed from the town to comply with state laws and fire codes.
The Woodstock Land Conservancy appealed Hoffman's determination, saying that in addition to the multiple approvals needed, the Zena Development application violates Woodstock's zoning laws and is, therefore, impermissible. The Conservancy is arguing that there's no way for Zena Development to get all of the required approvals from Woodstock that Hoffman delineated because the application does not meet basic zoning requirements.
The crux of the argument is whether the developers have to meet Woodstock's R-3 zoning requirements or Ulster's R-60 zoning requirements. WLC's attorney provided case law to the ZBA saying that the zoning requirements for the area where Eastwoods Drive is located take precedence over the zoning requirements for the area in Ulster where the dozens of houses and recreation center would be built.
The appeal has received news coverage in both the Daily Freeman and Hudson Valley One. We encourage you to stay up to date on the discussion then join us Aug. 22. The agenda has not been posted on the town's calendar, but the meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the town offices.
The bottom line: If Woodstock's ZBA rules in the Conservancy's favor, the proposed development cannot move forward as it is currently envisioned. It will be back to the drawing board for Zena Development yet again, just as it was when Woodstock National dropped its name, the private 18-hole championship golf club, the helipad and 191 units of luxury housing from its immediate plans. (Who knows what the next revised plan will contain?)
Meanwhile in Ulster...Third Discussion Set with Planning Board
Remember the line "déjà vu all over again"? Zena Development is heading back to the Town of Ulster Planning Board next Tuesday, Aug. 13. Here's the agenda. Notice it says "discussion only," so this will be the third time the Planning Board members will hear from the developers without taking any action.
We shall pack the room in Ulster's Town Hall yet again to silently voice our opposition to the proposed subdevelopment. Please remember Ulster rules do not allow for signs, so we only hold them for photos outside the building. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The developers also provided new documentation to Ulster in late July. You can read it for yourself here.
Comments