A grueling NIMBY battle recently came to a close when the Rural Ulster Preservation Co. (RUPCO) broke ground on a 53-unit affordable housing development in Woodstock, N.Y., in July.
The nonprofit organization withstood an eight-year development and approval process to build Woodstock Commons, which will be the first new affordable housing in the town in 30 years.
“Right now, we just want to turn the page and move forward,” said RUPCO Executive Director Kevin O’Connor. “This project has been so long delayed that once we had all the permits in place, we wanted to get started and not lose a single day in the construction season.”
The approximately $16 million development will feature apartments for seniors and working families, with units restricted to households earning no more than 30 percent, 50 percent, and 60 percent of the area median income. RUPCO plans to set aside 12 units for artists.
A group of residents had fought the project for years, raising environmental and other concerns. The case became a cover story for Affordable Housing Finance in July 2008.
