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Youth Center task force asks Woodstock to put $15M revitalization bond on November ballot
Summary
The Youth Center task force presented a scaled $15 million plan for Andy Lee campus improvements — new pool, senior center addition, pavilion, trails — and asked the Town Board to vote within two weeks to place a bond referendum on the November ballot; task force reported $1.2M in private pledges so far.
Ben Schachter, presenting the Youth Center task force’s final recommendations on July 7, described a community-wide plan to revitalize the Andy Lee campus, including a new outdoor heated pool (25 yards, six lanes), senior center addition, bandstand, multipurpose pavilion for a farmers market and events, playground, and trails across six acres the town owns.
Schachter said the task force pared an original $30 million “shoot-for-the-stars” plan down to $15 million after public input, removing two of the highest-cost items (an indoor pool and an indoor gymnasium) to reduce construction and operating costs. He reported $1.2 million in private pledges to date and said the task force is pursuing grants and other fundraising; the group emphasized it will not spend town funds without public approval.
The task force recommended a public referendum this November to raise $15 million via a bond; Schachter asked the board to vote in two weeks to place the referendum on the ballot, citing election-calendar deadlines. He said the referendum would allow residents to approve or reject the project and noted that privately raised funds would reduce the net amount borne by taxpayers.
During board questions, presenters said cost contingencies were built into the spreadsheet (contingency lines and an architect estimate including about a 6% installation contingency were referenced) and indicated a likely construction start after the summer program season (September). Board members and residents asked about ADA accessibility, pool capacity (estimated 150–200 people by a supporter), how the facility would be scheduled around summer-camp hours, and whether phased construction would be considered.
Multiple residents urged the board to put the question to voters, citing needs for improved community space for children and seniors and the closure of the local elementary school in 2028 as additional reasons to invest in community infrastructure. The board did not vote on the referendum at this meeting but was asked to consider a two-week vote to enable placing the question on the November ballot.
