What is Zena Development LLC?

Who is Zena Development? 

Little is known about Zena Development LLC (ZDLLC), originally known as Woodstock National LLC. The public faces of Zena Development are two developers: Eddie Greenberg, a developer from New Jersey, and Evan Kleinberg, who previously worked for WeWork, and now works at a New York City-based boutique commercial real estate brokerage called “Cornelia Street Partners.” Evan moved to Saugerties very recently. We do not know who their investors are.  

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Where is Zena Development?

ZDLLC’s 625 acre property is shown above. One parcel of this massive property, measuring a little over 106 acres, is located just across the town line, in the Town of Ulster. The other roughly 519 acres are located in Woodstock. This Woodstock portion of the property includes the “Strip in the Woods” airstrip, and Eastwoods Drive, a private gravel road. It also includes a segment that cuts through the City of Kingston Water Department lands to join Zena Highwoods Road. ZDLLC’s property is surrounded by protected lands. It provides a vital lowland forest wildlife corridor.
 

What is Zena Development planning?

ZDLLC has proposed a subdivision on their parcel in the Town of Ulster. Under the Town of Ulster’s permissive zoning code, there could be as many as 52 residential units on the subdivision’s 30 parcels. The subdivision’s private rec center would be located just below the Woodstock Land Conservancy’s Israel Wittman Sanctuary. The Ruby Rod and Gun Club borders the eastern side of the Ulster Parcel. Ruby Rod has declined to give ZDLLC access to the proposed subdivision through their lands. The subdivision would only be accessible by extending Eastwoods Drive in Woodstock to a length of about 7000’. A secondary access road may be required to comply with New York State Fire Code. 

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What about Zena Development's land in Woodstock? 

ZDLLC claims that they will not develop the 519 acres in Woodstock. They have given community members little reason to believe their word: ZDLLC has snuck onto the agenda of Ulster and Woodstock meetings without adequately notifying the public, and put Woodstock residents at risk by failing to maintain Eastwoods Drive in dangerous winter conditions. Once Eastwoods Drive has been extended, it would be easier to build on ZDLLC’s Woodstock lands - or to sell these lands to another developer. 
 

Our Community Concerns:

Deforestation and Harm to Wetlands: Million-dollar homes replacing unbroken forest, pond, wetland habitats, and wildlife corridors.

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Road Access through Woodstock: The Ulster section is landlocked. The only way to access the proposed subdivision would be to extend Eastwoods Drive in Woodstock to a total length of over 7000'.

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Unfair Burden on Woodstock: All of the tax revenue from the subdivision would go to the Town of Ulster. All of the burdens would fall on the Town of Woodstock. Zena Development provides NO benefit to the Town of Woodstock. 

 

Fragmenting Critical Environmental Area: Million-dollar homes in Ulster that can only be reached by crossing the municipal line and cutting roads through the Critical Environmental Area in Woodstock.

 

Barriers to Emergency Services: Accessing the subdivision down a 7000' single access road could be challenging and dangerous for both subdivision residents and first responders. 

 

Traffic Risks: Burden of increased traffic on the already heavily traveled Sawkill Road, both during the construction phase of million-dollar homes or townhouses and after, endangering existing local residents, pedestrians and cyclists.

 

This is not about benefiting the community, protecting the environment or building the types of affordable housing we need.