The story of one of the most argued-over properties in Ulster County history is beginning another chapter.

The owners of Winston Farm in Saugerties have just begun an environmental review of their plans for development on the 815-acre property that, among other things, hosted the Woodstock ’94 festival. The plan currently includes public walking trails, a boutique hotel, an amphitheater, and multi- and single-family housing.

Owners and long-time Saugerties residents Anthony Montano, John Mullen and Randy Richers submitted a proposal to the Saugerties Town Board last September and met a mixture of support and concern from community members over potential environmental and economic effects. The owners, as Saugerties Farm LLC, have just begun the 12- to 18-month State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process, a necessary step in the site plan approval process.

“We're making a lot of emotional assumptions,” said Saugerties Town Supervisor Fred Costello Jr. in a recent interview. “And that's not necessarily the best support to be making a decision of this magnitude. When we have the data in front of us, we are able to make those decisions in real science that will support or disqualify parts of the project.”

Before hosting Woodstock ’94, the site was eyed by Ulster officials for a landfill and trash incinerator. The uprising that followed was a watershed moment in environmental activism, both in Saugerties and Ulster in general.

In accordance with SEQR rules, the owners’ Saugerties Farm LLC will commission studies with a variety of environmental consultants and hold a public hearing where locals can ask questions about the project and express concerns. The developers hope that the completed review will also support the rezoning request filed with the town board in September, which would change the property’s designations from General Business, Moderate Density Residential and Hamlet Residential to a Planned Development District.

Current zoning laws only permit the owners to build retail establishments and tract housing on the property. “Everyone — the developers, the current town board, the community — agrees that does not represent the highest and best use of land,” Costello said. “We all agree that we can do better.”

Over the years, Winston Farm has been the target for more than one controversial project besides the landfill, including a casino. Facing constant pushback from locals, the Schaller family, who owned the farm for over 50 years, never succeeded in getting a development proposal approved. They sold the property in 2020 to local businessmen Montano, Mullen and Richers for a discounted $4 million.

Before selling the farm, the Schallers conducted a lengthy study to determine what the community wanted. Locals expressed hopes for job opportunities, housing opportunities, and protection of natural resources in the massive property which, dating back to the Revolutionary War, remains virtually untouched.

“Many of the lessons that came out of that process, I believe, are still relevant today,” Costello said. “What the aspirational plan that developers have so far presented is their interpretation of a mix of uses, that would reflect what came out of that feasibility study.”

Local environmental activists, however, expressed displeasure with the draft proposal from September, which would cut down over 275 acres of forests filled with local wildlife. A hydrology report commissioned by the town planning board, released in January by environmental consulting firm Hydroquest, also condemned construction plans that would disrupt the protection district of the Beaver Kill Aquifer, an underground water supply. Saugerties Farm LLC has since pledged to protect the aquifer.

“This project will not move forward if there's going to be a negative impact on the aquifer,” company representative Josh Sommers said.

At this point, the project is virtually a “blank slate rich with opportunity.” The developers have substituted the drafts proposed in September for generalized plans conformable to SEQR results, but they still hope to construct walking trails, a live entertainment venue, a hotel, and multi- and single-family developments to, they say, generate jobs and provide affordable housing.

Saugerties Farm LLC has also noted that there is a water supply on the Winston property that, tapped into through the construction of another wellhead and distribution network, could provide a secondary water source for Saugerties, which currently relies on the Blue Mountain Reservoir.

“We’ve seen jobs disappear and our young people move away due to lack of opportunity and housing,” said co-owner Mullen. “We care about the air, the water, and the quality of life here, and have an opportunity with Winston Farm to make a positive difference in our community.”

Regardless of the environmental review, some remain skeptical of the project’s direction; a representative of local environmental group Beautiful Saugerties describes the new plans as “loose and subject to interpretation.” For example, Saugerties LLC’s current vision preserves 400 of Winston Farm’s over 800 acres for open space — Beautiful Saugerties wants to know whether one section of the property will remain untouched, or the acreage will be broken up around construction into pockets of land.

“The SEQR process will serve to identify traffic, noise, pollution, environmental and construction concerns while not necessarily influencing the overall direction of the project itself,” said Andrew Cowan, a Beautiful Saugerties representative. “We're concerned about the scope and fit within the context of Saugerties — a gateway to the Catskills historically centered around nature, the environment, arts and farming — whereas the development as planned looks to be best suited for a larger and more rural piece of property.”

What’s in the final plan for the Winston Farm development, which will be brought to the Town Board in another year or so, is ultimately dependent on the results of the studies and public hearings. In the meantime, the board remains in communication with Saugerties Farm LLC on the progress of the review process and project plans.

“We absolutely will not get it 100 percent right,” said Costello. “But the closer to 100 percent right we get the better, and we're going to certainly give it our best effort to make sure we achieve that as close as we can.”