Developers behind a proposal to transform the historic 840-acre Winston Farm property in Saugerties say they’re preparing to respond to more than 500 public comments that Town Supervisor Fred Costello said include questions about water quality and usage, protecting wildlife and preserving open space.
“Winston Farm is carefully reviewing each question and crafting responses, both of which are methodical processes, with the goal of submitting in as timely a manner as possible,” the developers said in a statement.
The plans, which have shifted in the five years since first being unveiled, would rezone the site to allow a mix of residential, commercial and light-industrial uses with room for single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, a campground, hotel, conference center and performing arts. It would cost between $274 million and $539 million, according to a report by Camoin Associates, hired by the ownership group, Saugerties Farm, LLC.
The property’s history dates back hundreds of years and came to prominence in the early years of the 20th century, when James Overton Winston, who built a 9,000-square-foot mansion and dairy farm, and his brother Thomas were hired as the chief construction contractors to oversee the building of the Ashokan Dam.
Long neglected after Winston died in 1947, Ulster County proposed 30 years later to turn the property into a landfill and an incinerator—a plan that ignited protests from local residents before being shelved. Michael Lang, the late Woodstock festival promoter, staged a 25th anniversary festival there in 1994 with acts that included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peter Gabriel, and Sheryl Crow.
The Schaller Farm, which owned the property after Winston, eventually sold it for $4 million in 2020 to three local businessmen, Saugerties residents John Mullen, Anthony Montano, and Randy Richers. They announced development plans in 2021, rejecting an offer to sell it to the Open Space Institute for $10 million in 2023.
“Winston Farm is very dear to the Saugerties community,” Costello said. “This is the biggest development proposal we’ve experienced in generations.”
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.