Letters to the editor
The Winston Farm property in Saugerties — all 840 acres — is being considered for rezoning. The second of two public hearings will be held on July 16, and Saugerties residents should attend, listen, and comment.
The approval process so far has been fractured. The owners proposed a Planned Development District that would contain housing, retail, business, hospitality, and open space sections. The New York State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) that the owners submitted was deemed incomplete by the Town Board. The town consultants detailed the problems, and the owners were welcome to make corrections and additions and resubmit it.
Which is sort of what they did. But mostly not. Instead, they opted to just ask that 840 acres be rezoned into a Planned Development District. But with no plan. The whole SEQR process was based on their conceptual plan of what should go there. But no more. So, where does that leave us? I am sympathetic to the idea of a planned development there. But I want to see the plans first!
If the Town Board decides to approve the rezoning, it should be after we have seen and the Town Board has approved a Master Development Plan.
-Kathy Gordon
Saugerties
Originally Published: July 11, 2025 at 12:06 PM EDT
