Bearsville Center owner Lizzie Vann’s plan to redevelop multiple parcels, including the former site of the Woodstock Library, cleared a key bureaucratic hurdle last week as the town’s planning board endorsed a proposal to redraw a zoning line so that the entire project falls within the Hamlet Commercial District.
Vann’s Project Regeneration aims to convert six buildings at 100 and 106 Tinker Street and 5 Library Lane into at least 12 green, low-cost apartments, a business-incubator coworking hub, rooms for medical and wellness practitioners, and an expanded public park. Property records show that 100 Tinker St., the former Lasher Funeral Home, last changed hands in 2023 for $1.6 million, while the longtime library sold for $805,000 in 2024.
“I am very optimistic that Project Regeneration is going to create something the whole town will love and be proud of,” Vann said.
The plan needed planning board approval because the zoning line ran directly through some of the buildings, splitting them between Hamlet Residential and Hamlet Commercial zones. In a Nov. 21 memo, the Planning Board said it “unanimously agrees” with the requested zoning amendment and encouraged the Town Board to approve it and file the necessary documentation.
The Town Board must now schedule a public hearing, publish notice at least 10 days in advance, and refer the zoning change to the Ulster County Planning Board for review. The board must also complete an environmental determination before it can vote. A simple majority can approve the amendment, unless the county recommends against it or a valid protest petition is filed, in which case a supermajority is required.
The project aims to help address soaring Hudson Valley home prices as rents rise faster than wages and homeowners convert properties into short-term rentals. Regional planners said at a housing conference last month that Ulster County needs more than 3,300 additional units to meet demand even as zoning barriers, capital gaps, and construction costs stall development.
Vann said her team has spent two years gathering input from residents, the town government, and local groups.
“We all agree that working towards better housing, more jobs, and a sustainability center located right in the heart of the town would be a good fit,” she said. “I’m so pleased that we are finally off the starting blocks with the beginning of the formal consultation through the planning process.”
Still ahead is a site plan review during which details including affordability, design, traffic and green-building features would be evaluated. Vann said she can’t yet provide a price range for the rental apartments, saying that costs depend on materials and labor.
The units would use insulation-heavy passive-house techniques to keep heating costs down. The project’s construction methods and energy-efficiency data will be made public so other developers can understand how low-energy, highly insulated buildings can help offset the cost of creating affordable housing.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.