Development and its detractors
A major change coming to the town is the proposal for low-income housing on 27 acres behind the Bradley Meadows shopping plaza. Rural Ulster Preservation Company (RUPCO), was invited to Woodstock by a town board-appointed Affordable Housing Committee to build the 53-unit Woodstock Commons. “After five years and an exhausting environmental review, the town’s own Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the plans and give environmental approvals to the project,” says RUPCO Executive Director Kevin O’Connor. “We tried to design housing for seniors, working families, and artists that is respectful of the environment and will fit into a hamlet-centered site that’s already surrounded by development on all three sides, supported by water and sewer, and is adjacent to a state highway.” Construction will begin next spring, and Woodstock Commons plans to open in the summer of 2012.
There is a vocal contingent of Woodstock residents opposed to the project, however. Robin Segal writes an anti-Woodstock Commons blog—thetroublewithrupco.blogspot.com—that details perceived problems with the development process. Segal believes that there are conflicting and misleading land measurements, faulty traffic studies, and ignored water pressure standards in the proposal. Segal also notes that the project will increase the hamlet’s population by 18 percent. She has filed 22 causes of action in an Article 78 petition (which allows residents to challenge government decisions), seeking to overturn the town’s environmental quality review findings statement. “My opposition is grounded in safety and responsible research, unlike the work of the project’s proponents,” she says. “There are alternative plans to centralized affordable housing monster projects, such as refurbishing existing buildings and converting them to affordable housing.
Friction and celebration
Councilman Jay Wenk moved to Woodstock in 1965, and mentions many challenges that have taken place over the years. “Outdoor concerts still raise the wrath of many residents about the volume. There’s also been concern about young people hanging out at night and incidents of vandalism and robbery. The furor this year about a proposed curfew for those under 16 has created an ongoing effort to provide for our youngsters.” He comments on the controversy of a corporate drugstore taking the place of the grocery store in a town where many residents don’t drive and a drugstore was already established. “When CVS opened, there was picketing for quite a while, and an ill-advised videotaping of the picketers by the Woodstock police. I was outraged by that.” Traffic in town has also become a problem. “I’ve asked and asked the police to direct traffic at the ‘ganglia’ in the center of town [the famous Village Green], and it’s still not a matter of course. Also, I’ve been saying for many years that the Mountain View parking lot should be put on a paying basis like the Rock City Road lot, and I hope to see that happen soon. We have a lot of parking available, and I don’t feel much sympathy for those who don’t want to walk more than a few feet from their vehicle. So many tourist towns require walking to get around.”
Wenk also mentions that the decade-old drumming circle in the center of town was a headache for storekeepers and local residents until an agreement was reached, limiting the drumming to Sunday afternoons after 4pm. “The reactions to the circle are as varied as the people who attend,” remarks drumming “Timekeeper” Kevin Johnson. “Some shuttle past the din as quickly as possible with hands over their ears. Some who have never experienced the joy of spontaneous rhythm have to be dragged away wanting more. Some come from South Jersey, the Adirondacks, and other distant points on a regular basis. To some, it’s a release, a spiritual experience—or a nuisance. There’s a core group of 40 or so regular drummers, and everyone from babies to musicians to tourists attend. This group is an offshoot of the full-moon gatherings, where there’s been drumming in the Magic Meadow for 40 years.”
