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March 6, 2003
"THE LIFE
AND TIMES" OF THE WPA
As stated in our most recent press release, and as
you probably know, on 1/18/03 an application for nomination to America's
11 Most Endangered Places was submitted to the National Trust in
Washington DC, with the list to be announced in late May.
Up to that point, the WPA, who has an active contributing
membership of about 50, with many more quiet supporters, played by all of
the rules which included the submission of petitions, letters, and
comments regarding the zoning changes, and acceptance of plans by the Town
of Bethel for the Performing Arts District.
The WPA now, along with nominating the site to the Endangered List
would like to attempt completing the application to have the site placed
on the National Register as an Historic Landmark. You ask why the WPA is
doing this now? We say,
"why not now?" The
WPA has come a long way from being viewed as a group of enthusiastic
Woodstockers, to a new core group of preservationists and activists. The
Gerry Foundation brushed off the WPA founders as hippies and
“enthusiasts” and dismissed the WPA as
"insignificant." This
has been the perception by many, and we believe, have precluded the
efforts of the WPA since the beginning, and has followed us to the
present. The current primary advocates for the site are not enthusiasts,
but activists who are attempting to use the system to get the tough
questions answered.
You are also aware that we (the WPA) have attempted
to speak one on one with the Gerry Foundation for over the past two years
with little success or impact. We
are now seeking accountability on the part of GF, as we feel that Bethel,
Sullivan County and NY State have been railroaded by the well calculated
plans of the Gerry Foundation to "do what they will" to the site
with little serious concern for outside input. We know that the Woodstock
site was investigated by GF and deemed eligible for Registration.
It is documented in the SEQRA that GF plans to move towards
registration of the Woodstock site with the NRHP in 10 or more years, and
by that time, most or all of the development on the site will be complete.
In the EIS, GF states that should National Registration be pursued, all
interested stakeholders (which would include the WPA) would be brought to
the table to discuss plans prior to any modifications to the site. If
GF begins the process in 10 years, there will be no need for anyone to go
to the table, as the damage will have been done. We assume that this is
GF’s plan, as they will have completed their development plus added a
veil of legitimacy to their development by placing the site, in its
developed state, on the National Register. We
are aware that GF was awarded $15+ million from the state for the project.
The WPA finds it interesting that following a significant
contribution made by Alan Gerry to the State Republicans, GF received $7
million from Republican Governor George Pataki, and $7 million from NY
State Republican Senator Bonacic. Sounds
a bit like one hand washing the other.
Currently, the WPA's focus has been on this funding. We are
interested in any information that would lead us to federal agencies
responsible for contributing money. We
have been in contact with Rep. Hinchey and Sen. Bonacic, and we also sent
letters out to Assemblyman Gunther and Governor Pataki.
Our initial request for disclosure was delivered to Glenn Pontier,
GF Director of Communications. As
of this date, we are aware of $180,000 of federal money that will be used
for this project, and we are awaiting replies from all other government
officials contacted on this matter. Since
federal funds are being used, a Section 106 review must be initiated.
The WPA has notified SHPO that we will be involved in the Section
106 process, as consultants. The
WPA truly believes that the GF does not want any agencies at the State or
National level to be questioning their motives. We hope through our
efforts that this indeed will happen.
The WPA as of 2/10, submitted in writing, a request
to Jonathon Drapkin, Executive Director of GF, to allow us to proceed with
the application for the National Register. We wish to file this
application regardless of permission. - "During
the time the proposed nomination is reviewed by the SHPO, property owners
and local officials are notified of the intent to nominate. Local
officials and property owners are given the opportunity to comment on the
nomination and owners of private property are given an opportunity to
object to or concur with the nomination." - This statement is
taken from NRHP website. The
Gerry Foundation has never thought highly of the WPA, and as we said
before, we are looked at as "insignificant", so we may never
receive an answer to our request, for or against.
But if we completed that application, and as it so states - SHPO
would then notify the owners of this nomination.
Not wanting to pass-the-buck, but if SHPO confronted the Gerry
Foundation to inform them of this action, we believe SHPO would not be
ignored, and whatever that answer may be, there would, at least, be an
answer. Given that GF has
already accepted NY State taxpayers’ money, and federal monies to the
amount of $15+ million, we
feel that blocking our application will amount to nothing more than the
height of hypocrisy and corporate cover-up. We have yet to receive any
correspondence from either Mr. Drapkin or Mr. Pontier. They do have a
period of time to respond, so we eagerly await word from them.
GF has done well to keep all of the stakeholders at
bay and keep the issues out of the limelight. The WPA has been working
diligently to weaken this strategic positioning of GF.
Along with the near 1000 page nomination document for the
Endangered Places list, and working towards garnering support at the State
and National levels, we have been fortunate to be provided with
consultation from Dr. Michael Doyle Ph.D. from Ball State University, who
was contracted by GF to author the Historical and Social Significance of
the Woodstock Site section of the EIS.
He has provided a great deal of guidance.
He, himself has declared that GF went back on a statement made to
him and his colleagues, that the sight would be left untouched. He has
come forward formally to state that development of the site would be
detrimental to the venture. We have also received guidance from Dr. James
Glass, former State Preservation Officer from Indiana.
Of significance to "Woodstock" itself, WPA supporter
Michael Wadleigh, who won an academy award in 1970 for the
"Woodstock" documentary, is appalled at the plans for the site
and how GF’s plans were kept away from influential and interested
parties that included himself. He,
along with prominent photographer Lisa Law lent support letters for the
Endangered Places application.
We are indeed concerned with how far Alan Gerry’s
influential tentacles spread at State and Federal levels and whether he
will use his influence to hold back our attempts to create accountability.
We feel that GF should be made accountable to ALL of
the stakeholders who are interested in the preservation of the Woodstock
site. They've made claims that the core activities buildings had to be
moved onto the Woodstock site because of bedrock and wetlands. Although the WPA, as serious preservationists, are in favor
of all environmental preservation, if you were to look at the original
site of the core buildings on the property adjacent to the site, the
wetlands are minimal. If you were to look at the rest of the acreage
available, there is plenty of available land surrounding the Woodstock
site where the buildings can be placed, without interfering with the
wetlands. As far as bedrock goes, the Catskills foothills are completely
made of bedrock no matter where you dig, so that reasoning seems thin at
best.
Having the site Registered seems to be "only a
formality". The question
is "Will GF allow it to happen?"
Do they want the state and federal preservation authorities
questioning their plans? Do
they want to take $15+ million in NY state taxpayers’ money and do what
they want to this globally significant landmark, without being accountable
to interested stakeholders; especially at a time when $1.24 billion has
been cut from the state budget in areas such as education?
You may ask what the WPA will do if we are
unsuccessful in our attempts for registration through denial of permission
from GF. Well, we will let the good people of Bethel, Sullivan County and
New York State know what is going on. The WPA also stays the course and
continues to lobby the State and National agencies to listen to us and
demand accountability from GF. We
can guarantee GF that if they want to work together with us, we will do so
openly. The efforts to
preserve the site from unnecessary development, to create a Performing
Arts Center that will attract and not detract visitors, will go on long
after the first shovel goes into the site.
We are sending out this e-mail as an attempt to
"breathe a sense of history" into the efforts of the WPA.
We want to give our members a sense of knowledge
regarding what's been currently "going on" behind the scenes
over the past few months, and give you information that is not so readily
available on the message board. We
don't feel the need to hand over information to the Gerry Foundation but
we do want you to have an understanding of all that is being done.
In these extreme times of trouble that we are facing,
and with the cloud of war, which hangs over us all, there is but one
"Monument to Peace" on this entire globe.
Let us not ignore that or let the preservation of a Historical
Landmark fall to the wayside, especially now.
We are striving for a stronger WPA and we're asking
you to join us. Please become
an involved member and help us in the 11th hour of our
continuing struggle to preserve this land.
PRAY FOR PEACE
The WPA Board of Directors
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