Last week Woodstock was host to a multi-billion-dollar corporation’s pop-up restaurant to promote its wildly popular, ultra-processed Cheez-It brand. Called “Cheez-In,” the pop-up restaurant, set up for just a week, featured all kinds of branded menu items including Cheez-It flavored milkshakes, hamburgers, mac and cheese and more. There was even a Cheez-It jukebox. And of course, lots of merch and swag available for purchase.

The Cheez-In pop-up was wildly popular — it was packed the entire week with hundreds, especially younger people, waiting in long lines to be served. The irony, of course, was that it took place in Woodstock. Imagine, an ultra-processed food served up by a multi-billion-dollar corporation in the heart of crunchy granola Woodstock. It’s enough to give you a heart attack! And it all happened so fast there was no time to form a drum circle.

But the location of the pop-up was no coincidence. It was meant to be a little provocative, stir the pot and get a lot of ink. Yet Woodstock’s notoriety alone as the home of art, music and anti-establishmentarians wasn’t enough to draw the likes of Kellogg’s. It’s the rising influx of money, affluence and cultural influence. Cyndi Lauper sang it so well — money changes everything.

The Cheez-In was hosted just down the street from the newly gentrified Bearsville Theater, now reframed as the Bearsville Center. Beautifully redone, expanded (more parking!) and meticulously branded, the renewed space was done without appearing overdone. And it was jamming the same weekend as the Cheez-In event, with a bluegrass festival abundantly attended by many BMW-driving, sophisticated-looking parents with children in tow.

According to Redfin.com the average home price in Woodstock in April ’24 was $586,000, up 33 percent from last year. The median sale price per square foot in Woodstock is $393, up 64 percent since last year. And even though the volume of home sales in the area has fallen of late, prices for homes continue to go up. The demand is strong, but there are few homes to buy.

Fortunately, some proposed new housing developments may be on the way, both of the “affordable” kind, as well as housing for the more affluent. However, the later kind of housing proposal has raised the hackles of quite a few. Case in point — the Zena Homes housing development. Initially called Woodstock National, the idea floated originally was for 90 high-end homes and 77 townhouses with amenities such as an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and helipad. The developers quickly learned a few things about Woodstock in the process and made to understand their proposal was dead on arrival.

Scaled back, and now having formally submitted their plan, the Zena Homes developers now propose a 30-lot residential subdivision, still targeting an upscale market. It would be on roughly 20 acres of a 106-acre plot of land located in the Town of Ulster. An adjacent 500 acres in the Town of Woodstock owned by the developers is to be left primarily “alone and undeveloped,” except to upgrade portions of an existing access road to the development.

When it comes to local development, we can always be assured of three things. There will be those who oppose it because of the environment; those who oppose it because it represents change; and those who oppose it because they don’t want it in their back yard (NIMBY). Increasingly, we also hear voices pushing a class-based message. The “eat the rich” crowd is incensed that their Woodstock is under assault by monied interests. Some have attacked the plan as catering to the wealthy, and “tone deaf” to the plight of local residents being pushed out due to being housing burdened. However, based on recent trends, this project isn’t so off-the-mark when it comes to the “New Woodstock.”

A recent article in the Albany Times Union shows a comparison of people’s income growth by Zip code throughout all of New York State. They found that the two areas with the most income growth in the whole state between 2013 and 2021 were the Hamptons (natch!), and the Catskills — Woodstock! There is much more wealth coming into the Woodstock area than ever, and it seems to be accelerating by all indications, turbo-charged during the COVID era. This is not the same Woodstock we’ve held in our hearts for so long. It’s the “New Woodstock.” It’s Establishment now, not even bothering to wear a tie-dye.

While Woodstock is not entirely representative of Ulster County, we all see signs of growing gentrification-driven inflation in our Ulster communities. The $18 martini, the $800 UPAC ticket, the $600-a-night stay in a fancy cargo container, and the $500,000 two-bedroom “cottage” needing a full gut job. It appears there is a demand for this — and it’s not coming from natives and longtime locals.

We cannot reasonably stop the influx of affluence into Ulster County. Wealth, like water, just moves around attempts to block it. But maybe going forward, we can plan for it better, and in the process reduce class tensions.

In addition to prioritizing key environmentally sensitive areas, we can plan more aggressively for the addition of more housing of all kinds. To do so, we need to invest in our infrastructure systems like water, sewer, roads and telecom to accommodate inevitable growth and change. Regardless of the debates about “affordable vs. luxury,” we need to scale our infrastructure for growth. Many of the new arrivals to the area have more disposable income, are less troubled by corporate-type brands and have different expectations of service and amenities than what has been here before.

By proactively planning for this trend, we can be more resilient and protect what is most cherished. Instead of denying new developments, especially housing, based on class envy — a loud voice in the chorus of opposition to the Kingstonian project — citizens should be asking more of their leaders to prepare the area for its future. For money really does change everything.