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SPECIAL UPDATE
August 18, 2026 Community Meeting Recap

We usually post updates here on the first of each month, but we are posting a special update for anyone who missed our Community Meeting. Here is a recap of what we learned, and how you can help Stop Zena Development at this critical moment!

At a Glance

We got disappointing news in the Town of Ulster last week, but the fight is NOT over. This is the point in the process when your participation really matters! We need folks to show up in a big way to save this 625+ acre Hudson Valley forest.

Five Ways You Can Help

  1. SHOW UP - There will be public hearings in Woodstock and Ulster soon. We need you there!

  2. WRITE TO WOODSTOCK - This is the most important thing you can do now! Click here for our letter-writing tutorial.

  3. CALL HINCHEY - Not sure if Hinchey is your NYS Senator? Click here for a tool to check, and for our call script.

  4. WRITE TO A NEWSPAPER - Click here for links to local newspapers to write a letter to the editor.

  5. DONATE - Click here to donate any amount to fund our continued legal battle!

Zena Development Basics

Zena Development owns 625+ acres of high quality forest in the Towns of Woodstock and Ulster. They are currently proposing a subdivision of 30 houses and a private rec center on their 106.6 acre parcel in Ulster. Most, if not all, of the houses would cost at least $1 million. The subdivision would be reached by extending Eastwoods Drive through Woodstock’s Critical Environmental Area. This road would measure 1.5 miles+ from the intersection with Zena Highwoods to the last house in the subdivision.

What Has Happened So Far This Year

Since October 2025, the Town of Ulster has been conducting the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) review of Zena Development’s proposed projects. The DEC designated the Town of Ulster as “lead agency” in this review process, meaning that the Town of Ulster was charged with evaluating the environmental impacts on both the Towns of Ulster and Woodstock.

How SZD & WLC Have Responded So Far

While the Town of Ulster Planning Board conducted the SEQR review, the Woodstock Land Conservancy, Stop Zena Development and the public submitted over 130 letters to the Town of Ulster. These letters are preserved in the official record as powerful arguments for a positive declaration - which would require the full Environmental Impact Statement Zena Development’s complex project deserves.

What Happened Last Week

We received two disappointing - but not surprising - pieces of news from the Town of Ulster last week, on August 11th and 12th, 2026.

Bummer News #1 - Negative Declaration

The Town of Ulster Planning Board issued a negative declaration in the SEQR process, despite their initial finding of 30+ potential significant negative impacts. Ulster claims these impacts have all been successfully mitigated. This “neg dec” ends the environmental review of Zena Development’s proposals.

Bummer News #2 - ZBA Appeal

The Town of Ulster Zoning Board of Appeals voted against the Woodstock Land Conservancy’s appeal to move the review of Zena Development from the Town of Ulster Planning Board to the Town Board. This matters because the Planning Board is not equipped to review a project this large and complex, and has NEVER issued a positive declaration.

How SZD & WLC Will Respond in Ulster...

Responding to the Negative Declaration

The Woodstock Land Conservancy will challenge the negative declaration with a special lawsuit called an Article 78. However, a recent change in NYS law has delayed when this lawsuit can be filed. The WLC must wait until the Town of Ulster Planning Board has finished the site plan review for the subdivision, which could take months.

An important note: As a part of the site plan review, the Town of Ulster is legally required to hold public hearings. There is a non-zero chance that the public could convince the Ulster Planning Board to reopen SEQR and reverse their negative declaration.

More to Come

There is a lot happening behind the scenes. Stay tuned. We can’t wait to share what we are working on!

...and What We Expect in Woodstock

The Woodstock Planning Board members are volunteers who care deeply about our Town, but we are concerned that they may approve Zena Development’s proposals. Now that the SEQR review is finished in Ulster, we expect Zena Development to appear back before the Woodstock Planning Board soon. Crucially, the Woodstock Planning Board has the discretion to approve or deny the extension of Eastwoods Drive to the subdivision; if there is no road, there is no subdivision. In order to use Eastwoods Drive as the access road for the subdivision, the Woodstock Planning would have to grant Zena Development many waivers: by our count, potentially more than a dozen.

We must respectfully request that the Woodstock Planning Board:

1. Hire an engineer to examine the safety of the road.

2. Ask Hudsonia to complete the additional environmental studies they identified as necessary to evaluate Zena Development's impact, particularly on Woodstock's Critical Environmental Area.

3. Issue an adequate traffic safety response to the serious problems with existing traffic studies.

4. Hold public hearings so our community finally has the opportunity to speak.

5. Request comments from Woodstock Fire, Police, and Highway Departments about the safety of Eastwoods Drive as it is now, and the safety of Zena Dev's proposed minimal "improvements."

6. Above all: follow Woodstock's own Town regulations! Protect the public health, safety and general welfare of our Town. Deny the many waivers requested by Zena Development for their dangerous and environmentally destructive proposals.

(Even More Reasons) Why What Happens in Woodstock Matters

Wetlands - The wetlands in the Zena Woods Critical Environmental Area not only abut Eastwoods Drive, they potentially surround the road. A DEC delineation is required to understand where the wetland boundaries lie.

Engineering & Safety - The Woodstock Planning Board has not yet hired an engineer to examine Zena Development’s proposed “improvements” to Eastwoods Drive. Can this road truly sustain years of heavy construction traffic? Could it safely support firetrucks?

Environment & Wildlife - Eastwoods Drive would have to be widened at least into the wetland buffer area, if not the wetlands themselves. We know these wetlands are used by rare salamanders and red-shouldered hawks. Studies needed to understand the biodiversity of these wetlands have not been ordered by the Woodstock Planning Board.

Traffic - SZD has identified numerous serious issues with existing traffic studies. We fear for the safety of pedestrians and drivers on Eastwoods and Zena Highwoods Drive, a narrow road with many blind curves.

Click here to get involved!

August 1, 2026 Update

Email the ZBA! The Town of Ulster ZBA Will Receive Comments Regarding the WLC’s Appeal Through their August Meeting

At their July meeting, the Town of Ulster ZBA opened and closed a public hearing, without providing proper notice to the public. (Read more about what happened in our “July Recap” below.) The ZBA  will, however, accept written comments regarding the WLC’s appeal through their August meeting on the 12th. This appeal argues that under Town of Ulster Town Code, Zena Development’s large and complex application must be reviewed by the elected officials on the Town Board, not by the volunteers on the Planning Board.

Zena Development May Appear in Woodstock & Town of Ulster

Zena Development may appear before the Town of Ulster ZBA, where a decision may be made regarding the WLC’s appeal, and the Town of Ulster Planning Board, where a SEQR declaration could be issued. Zena Development may also appear before the Woodstock Planning Board. To avoid confusion, we will announce meeting dates, times and locations when Zena Development has been finalized on meeting agendas.

Your attendance at these meetings matters! We deeply appreciate our community remaining engaged and attentive even with Zena Development’s ever-shifting meeting schedule. The developers want us to become exhausted by this process. We won’t let them succeed!

How to stay up-to-date about meetings:

1) Sign up for our mailing list below.

2) Before leaving for a meeting where Zena Development may appear, check the home page of our website! We always update the top of our website with the latest news so folks know if Zena Development has been removed from meeting agendas.

3) Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

  • A Public Hearing Was Cut Short at the Town of Ulster ZBA

    At their Monday July 13th meeting, the Town of Ulster Zoning Board of Appeals heard the Woodstock Land Conservancy’s appeal. This appeal argues that under Town of Ulster Town Code, Zena Development’s large and complex application must be reviewed by the elected officials on the Town Board, not by the volunteers on the Planning Board. The ZBA Chair opened the WLC's appeal by stating that "No general public comments are going to be taken today." After brief presentations from WLC Executive Director Andy Mossey and attorneys for the WLC and Zena Development, the ZBA appeared poised to immediately issue a decision. The WLC’s attorney protested, stating that Town of Ulster Town Code requires a public hearing. The Town of Ulster Town Attorney, Jason Kovacs, begrudgingly permitted the nine members of the public who were present to make comments. Each of commenters begged the ZBA to keep the public hearing open until next month, stating that proper notice had not been given to the public and there were many more people who would want to speak. Initially, three of the four ZBA members were prepared to pass a motion to keep the public hearing open. Kovacs interjected, stating a public hearing would be too difficult, and instead urged the ZBA members to close the public hearing and to accept written comments until their next meeting in August. Despite continued protests from the audience, the ZBA passed this motion. Click here to watch the ZBA's final deliberations on our YouTube channel.

    Zena Development Was Discussed at the Ulster Planning Board Meeting 

    The Town of Ulster Planning Board briefly discussed Zena Development at their July 14th meeting, covering updates to several SEQR forms required by changes in NYS law. However, the Planning Board did not issue a SEQR declaration. Click here to watch a recording of the conversation on SZD’s Youtube page.

    Local Artists Led a Nature Walk with Stop Zena Development

    Artist Zaneta Sykes and SZD co-chair and artist Zoe Keller led a walk with Willa Köerner, Krishna Fitzpatrick and members of Garden Party through the Israel Wittman Sanctuary to explore the Woodstock Land Conservancy’s 200+ acre wildlife sanctuary and discuss how it would be impacted by Zena Development’s neighboring subdivision.

  • NYS Supreme Court Ruling and Subsequent Appeal

    In a decision issued June 2nd, NYS Supreme Court Judge Kevin R. Bryant ruled in favor of the Woodstock Land Conservancy, temporarily blocking the review of Zena Development’s application until the Town of Ulster provided a previously requested interpretation of which municipal body has jurisdiction over the project: the Town of Ulster Planning Board, or the Town Board. On June 8th, the Town of Ulster’s Building Inspector provided the Town of Ulster’s answer: the review of Zena Development’s application will remain with the Planning Board. On June 24th, the WLC appealed this decision to the Town of Ulster Zoning Board of Appeals. The WLC argues that the decision to keep the project review with the Planning Board violates the Town of Ulster’s own Town Code, and that due to the project’s size Zena Development should be reviewed by the Town Board. This case may be discussed at the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting in July.

    Why does this matter? As Jim Quigley recently told the Daily Freeman, the Town of Ulster Planning Board has NEVER issued a positive SEQR declaration. A positive declaration would be needed for a complete review of Zena Development's potential impacts on Woodstock and Ulster. As we have seen over the past few years, the Town of Ulster Planning Board is not equipped to review a project of this size.

    Learn more:
    Click here to read the WLC press release about Judge Bryant’s ruling
    Click here to read the Town of Ulster Building Inspector’s determination
    Click here to read the WLC appeal to the Town of Ulster ZBA

    Supervisor Courtis & the Woodstock Town Board Request SEQR Cooperation from the Town of Ulster

    At the June 2nd Woodstock Town Board Meeting, Supervisor Courtis presented a letter requesting that the Ulster Planning Board "give careful consideration to potential environmental and transportation impacts affecting Eastwoods Drive and other areas within the Town of Woodstock, consistent with its obligations under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)." The Town Board members enthusiastically and unanimously agreed to send this letter to the Ulster Planning and Town Boards. This letter is comprehensive, displaying a deep understanding of this pressing issue and a deep care for our Woodstock community. Click here to read the letter.

    The WLC Filed a New Appeal

    In a decision issued June 2nd, NYS Supreme Court Judge Kevin R. Bryant ruled in favor of the Woodstock Land Conservancy, temporarily blocking the review of Zena Development’s application until the Town of Ulster provided a previously requested interpretation of which municipal body has jurisdiction over the project: the Town of Ulster Planning Board, or the Town Board. On June 8th, the Town of Ulster’s Building Inspector provided the Town of Ulster’s answer: the review of Zena Development’s application will remain with the Planning Board. On June 24th, the WLC appealed this decision to the Town of Ulster Zoning Board of Appeals. The WLC correctly argues that the decision to keep the project review with the Planning Board violates the Town of Ulster’s own Town Code, and that due to the project’s size Zena Development should be reviewed by the Town Board.

    Why does this matter? As Town of Ulster Supervisor Jim Quigley told the Daily Freeman, the Town of Ulster Planning Board has NEVER issued a positive SEQR declaration. A positive declaration would be needed for a complete review of Zena Development's potential impacts on Woodstock and Ulster. As we have seen over the past few years, the Town of Ulster Planning Board is not equipped to review a project of this size.

    Zena Development Did NOT Appear Before the Woodstock and Ulster Planning Boards

    Zena Development was expected to appear before the Woodstock Planning Board and the Town of Ulster Planning Board, where we expected them to receive their SEQR declaration. However, Zena Development was not on the agenda in Woodstock or Ulster in June.

  • Ulster Plans to End Environmental Review

    At the Tuesday, 5/12 Town of Ulster Planning Board meeting Town of Ulster Town Planner Max Stach reversed his previously held stance. He explained that he no longer found the forest fragmentation caused by the subdivision to be significant enough to require a positive declaration. (A “pos dec” would require a thorough environmental review of Zena Dev’s project.) He recommended that the Planning Board take two actions at their upcoming 6/9 meeting: issue a negative declaration - ending the environmental review process - and THEN hold a public hearing. This means that the first public hearing held on Zena Development would not impact the Planning Board’s decision in the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR review) process. Click here to watch a recording of the meeting on our Youtube Page.

    Woodstock Supervisor Anula Courtis Requests Coordination With Ulster

    Woodstock Supervisor Anula Courtis attended the 5/21 Town of Ulster Town Board meeting to make a public comment requesting "direct and serious town-to-town discussion with Woodstock" before action on Zena Development moves forward. Click here to watch a recording of her statement on our Youtube Page.

    Zena Development Threatens Woodstock Residents

    Zena Development sent Woodstock police to the homes of two outspoken Stop Zena Development volunteers - Zoe and Tana - and sent a threatening letter and invoice to Tana. Click on each news outlet to read more from: Hudson Valley One, The Overlook and The Daily Freeman

    Stop Zena Development on ‘Nature Nuggets’

    Click here to listen to an interview with Stop Zena Development co-chair Zoe Keller on Radio Kingston’s Nature Nuggets radio hour.

  • No News From the Town of Ulster

    We expected Zena Development LLC to appear before the Town of Ulster Planning Board in April. We have been waiting for the Town of Ulster Planning Board to issue a “positive” or “negative” declaration in the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process. Although the Ulster website initially seemed to indicate that Zena Development would be at the April Planning Board meeting, they were not at the meeting and no decision was made.

    Sold Out Bread & Puppet Performance

    Over 300 people filled the Woodstock Playhouse on April 18th for a fundraising performance by Bread & Puppet theater! Thank you so much to everyone who attended, to our event sponsors, and our event volunteers. Funds raised will help to cover Stop Zena Development’s legal fees in our fight to protect 625+ acres of forest.

    Volunteers Record Data on Vulnerable Amphibians

    Stop Zena Development led 27 volunteers on seven volunteer nights to record data on migrating frogs, toads and salamanders on Zena Highwoods Road. Volunteers counted a total of 1289 live amphibians, and recorded 328 deceased amphibians. The overwhelming majority of amphibians were migrating into Zena Development LLC's property. Nine different species were recorded, including four-toed salamanders, a NYS High Priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Click here to read more about this work in Stop Zena Development’s 2026 Amphibian Migration report.