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To: The Bethel Town Planning
Council
Hello Bethel, My name is Brad
Littleproud and I am a Canadian citizen, a 40 year old professional and
family man, who took up the cause to help preserve the sacred site of
the '69 Woodstock site over two years ago. I thank you for allowing
me this opportunity to voice my concerns at this public hearing.
Initially I was apprehensive about meddling in the local politics
of a county, state and country for which I am not a citizen. The more I
learned, the more I realized that the issues surrounding the
development of the Woodstock site and Bethel Woods was as much
about me, and everyone else on this planet as it was for the good people
of Bethel.
In 2002 I made a pilgrimage to
your town and the Woodstock site with a friend, following a 12 hour
drive from the suburbs of Toronto. The second time getting out of my Van
throughout that whole trip was to set foot on the Woodstock site and I
must say that I was truly moved by this precious place ...that
was until a white car sped up HURD road from the Gerry camp set up at
the bottom of the site. Yes, I stepped onto private property. Having
driven 12 hours to a small corner of the planet that represented my
values of caring, sharing, and global consciousness, it would have been
unthinkable not to place feet upon such an historic place. My quiet
reflection on 33 years past was broken by the yelling from the Gerry
employee in the car to “Get the Hell off the hill. It was private
property.” 
I was a little taken back, as in
my country a guest, even an unwelcome one, would have been greeted with
an "excuse me sir". I did the only thing that a pilgrim could
do. Snapped her picture for
posterity and made my way off of the site via a direct path down the
center of the hill towards the stage. This story is not meant to
publicly embarrass anyone, or be disrespectful to the Town Council or
the Gerry Foundation. My point is that, I was not put off by the
encounter, nor did it change my feelings for that land. It only served
to make my convictions stronger. That something wonderful happening for
Bethel and Sullivan County via the generosity of Mr. Alan Gerry was
veiled in an unnecessary ugliness. That land has history and has a soul.
I think you know that.
For 35 years, you have had this
beautiful, controversial and politically volatile gem in your hands. Yet
a town that bears the festival's name with no connection to it, has
reaped the rewards leaving Bethel to struggle. I can appreciate the
pressure that is on the Gerry Foundation to break ground and get this
project rolling from a community that is looking to this venue as a
catalyst for economic recovery. However, as one who has followed this
project and cares about it as much as any local citizen, I find myself
questioning your thought process and rationale for the choices you have
made. Especially those regarding the negative marketing impact of
buildings on the primary asset that is going to make or break Bethel
Woods. That is, the 38 acres Woodstock site.
As a professional and
businessman who specializes in the understanding of human emotion,
motivation, and behaviour, it is beyond me how you could have allowed
any consultants to tell you that people will respond positively to
seeing your logo image of the whimsical 60’s style, Jethro-Tullish
flute player at the front gate, only to come upon buildings and parking
lots initially. And on what they expect to see as unspoiled farmland and
a field. Although on one
level, such planning formats may be standard for these types of venues,
I can tell you on a professional level, that in this case, it serves
only to instill confusion and disappointment.
A major marketing mistake
creating a complete opposite effect to what you want. In preservationist
circles, it has been said, and I cannot corroborate this, that Allan
Gerry stated that when he walks on the Woodstock site, he feels nothing.
We preservationists have warned you that development on that 38 acres
will destroy the magic of the Woodstock legend.
And we promise you
preservationists and high profile supporters closest to the original
event, are going to exercise their right to free speech stating that
they no longer feel anything there. These will be the natural
consequences of your well-intentioned, yet short-sighted plans.
For the sake of Bethel Woods’ survival, patrons will need to
feel something special when they go through those gates. Whether this
community has comes to terms with its feelings towards this event or
not, the world will come to see Yasgur’s Farm of 1969 and won’t care
one bit about your mixed feelings or apathy towards what happened 35
years ago, your feelings about the gatherings each august on Roy
Howard’s property, and the pilgrims who desire to set foot on the
festival site.
The neo-hippies are one matter.
Tapping into the sentimental psyche and buying power of three
generations is another. Believe me, if this Town does not believe in or
get behind the spirit of what is in that 38 acres, no one else will. If
this Town does not do anything to put itself forward as goodwill
ambassadors for an icon and a legend that mean so much to so many, you
will have just a bunch of buildings and a hill like anywhere else.
Replicas of the shanty A-framed concessions at the top of the
bowl and music coming from a permanent stage below will go further in
instilling the desire to return than million dollar buildings featured
in architectural digest.
That’s not Woodstock. That a
turn-off. Believe me….I am an expert too.
I ask you, the Bethel Planning council to not yield to the
pressure to move forward with this project through approving the Special
Uses Permit. Not until the Gerry Foundation is requested to re-think and
present development plans that ensure the longevity of Bethel Woods. The
current plans, though appearing reasonable on the surface would have
never got this far in a larger metropolitan city. The risk of creating a
large white elephant would be obvious.
However, I’m speaking only of
my experiences within my country which would have embraced and brought
in the consulting knowledge of those closest to the event in order to
not make the costly mistakes that have been made thus far with the
Bethel Woods development plans. You are at a crossroads now. The fate of
the community is in the hands of very few, and what you decide, and what
the outcomes are, will be forever associated with you.
Far beyond your time in this world.
I know that there has been
little opposition to these plans by the community thus far. That however
does not give validation to these plans. Deprivation and desire for
change can make us agreeable to many things that in the long term are
doomed to failure. Don't destroy your dreams before they are even
realized.
If you won’t listen to the logic of an
ordinary man, maybe you will listen to the words of the man who made
your Town famous and understands what you hold there in those 38 acres.
I am proud to call that man a friend. He's also your friend. Mr. Artie
Kornfelds'
audio
/ text transcribed
statement.
Brad Littleproud, 1544 Amberlea Rd.,
Pickering, Ontario, Canada, L1V4V3
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