WHITE LAKE — Yasgur Road Productions proprietor Jeryl Abramson and the Bethel Town Board had a tense exchange towards the end of Wednesday's regular meeting.

“I've worked really hard on my project ... to try and comply,” Abramson maintained, referring to her application to open a permanent campground on her Bethel property (currently under review by the planning board). “In spite of all the history we have, I thought we were coming to a new stage.”

That history includes an 18-year-old injunction prohibiting her from advertising or holding a public gathering on her property without prior town approval.

On May 5, Abramson on her personal Facebook page invited “volunteers and participants ... including members of all town boards” to a drum circle potluck on May 21. Starting at 10 a.m., the gathering also included cleaning up the property (the former Max Yasgur farmstead) as Abramson prepares for the 20th anniversary of her annual Woodstock “reunions” this August 12-14.

The post prompted a letter from Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm a week later, warning Abramson that such notice and event may violate the injunction.

“Without knowing more about what you have planned,” he wrote on May 12, “it appears that this event may need site plan approval ... and may also need a noise permit.

“... To avoid notice of violation under the consent order and the possibility of another $25,000 fine and litigation,” he concluded, “I recommend that you meet with the town code enforcement officer to determine if your planned event implicates the site plan, noise and any other requirements of the town code.”

The letter grew from an email planning board attorney Jackie Ricciani sent Sturm, saying, “The issue is whether this ‘gathering' is an occasional or temporary commercial outdoor recreational use which would require site plan approval.

“Although Jeryl is probably not charging any fees for this event, the definition includes a facility that is open to the public,” Ricciani wrote on May 11. “Based upon her posting, she is making this event open to the public. Under a strict reading of the consent order, I believe that she is in violation because she has not submitted a site plan to the planning board for this event.”

Ultimately, the May 21 event went on without any involvement from town officials, said Sturm, who added that the town does not plan to take any action.

However, Abramson remains offended by his letter, which she felt was needless for what she characterized as a “house party.”

“For this, I get a nasty letter?” she angrily told Sturm Wednesday. “I'm not a criminal!”

Board members replied it was a “courtesy letter,” not a threat.

“You were advertising on Facebook, in my opinion,” replied Deputy Supervisor Vicky Vassmer-Simpson. “You used the term ‘event.' It was a public advertisement.”

Board member Lillian Hendrickson was upset with how Abramson treated her in a phone call looking for answers.

“After you yelled and screamed at me, I told you I didn't know about the letter,” Hendrickson told her. “If you were a little halfway decent, you'd get more from me!”

Abramson apologized but pressed Hendrickson to say what she was going to do about this.

“You don't have to answer that,” Sturm advised Hendrickson.

Sturm subsequently told Abramson that the town does not wish to be adversarial.

“For three years in a row, I think all has been going well,” he stated. “We're fully supportive of any new business, including yours.

“... I want to continue to always welcome people here,” he added. “... All I ask is you give us a decent plan and follow the code like everyone else.”

Abramson said she's done so, and Sturm insisted he wanted to have more collaboration and communication.

“Maybe that should've been in the letter,” Abramson shot back. “... This could have been done a lot more respectfully. ... You want to talk to me? Call me up!”

Abramson's campground application is anticipated to be on the June 6 planning board agenda.