BETHEL — Max Yasgur would be proud. The Bethel farmer who put his alfalfa field on the map in 1969 by hosting a small concert for 400,000 of his closest friends would be happy that this year's crowd will be able to return to the original site without having to take a detour around a road construction project on Route 17B, the main thoroughfare which carries travelers from Route 17 into Bethel.

Thanks to Bethel Town Supervisor Dan Sturm, who was notified about the possibility of replacing the culvert on State Route 17B near Creamery Road at the height of the summer tourist season, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is now holding off on their plans..

The township is expecting much increased traffic this summer for the Woodstock 50th anniversary weekend on August 16-18 plus many other music festivals throughout the summer.

In 1969, Route 17B and Route 17 turned into a virtual parking lot as the massive crowd just parked their cars and walked into the Hurd Rd., Bethel concert site.

To prevent a similar situation, Sturm met with NYSDOT on May 20 at the proposed construction site, and the DOT has agreed to work together with the town.

Work will now begin the day after Labor Day instead of early summer.

“We raised the awareness of this issue, and I am grateful for the response that we got from the public, from NYSDOT, local businesses, and our elected officials,” said Sturm.

According to the NYSDOT, the reconstruction project will replace the deteriorated culvert structures that carry State Route 17B - recently renamed ‘Woodstock Way' - over the Mongaup River in Thompson and Creamery Brook in Bethel.

While the major construction will begin later on, work on the future detour route will start in late June or early July, according to Sturm.

However, Sturm said that a detour route will be built through Brother Bruno's Ristorante parking lot in order to direct traffic off of State Route 17B in Mongaup Valley. It should not affect traffic and will not open until Labor Day.

“Brother Bruno's should not lose their front spots until after Labor Day,” said Sturm. “There will be some cones and flags during the building of the detour to bring machinery in and out of the area.”

The Democrat reached out to NYSDOT but did not receive a response by press time Friday.

Sturm said that the town board would work hand-in-hand with the NYSDOT to help minimize the impact during the tourist season.

“Come to Bethel! Come celebrate the 50th with us, and it's going to be a great year,” said Sturm.

PUBLIC HEARING

Real estate developer Susan Harte requested a zone map change which the Bethel Town Board approved on May 22 in order to start the process of bringing a workforce house complex to the area.

The project, according to Harte, will be built in two phases: Phase I will be made on a 1.36-acre lot next to Bethel Town Hall. Before Harte could go to the planning board, that parcel zoning needed to change.

The new local law—Local Law No. 1 of 2019—took a parcel of land that was zoned for H-17B commercial usage and changed it to Residential Zoning (RS).

Harte can now go before the Bethel Planning Board to begin the site plan review for her housing complex.

Previously, Harte stated that she would like to build out the 1.36-acre lot first to “work out all the kinks” in the development.

Phase I will consist of one, four-unit townhouse.

Once Phase I is built, she will then set her focus on the lot across from the Phase I site for Phase II of the project. The second phase will consist of seven, four-unit townhouses on 6.9 acres.

“Just to be clear, we are voting to change the zoning map. We are not voting on the project itself,” said Sturm during the public hearing. “That has to go to the planning board. We have great faith that the planning board will do a great job. I, for one, am excited about the project and just want to say that,” said Sturm.