Readers debate Urbanization of the Village
Editors note : History has shown us the problem is the Village simply has “ZERO” credibility in its ability to plan ,manage and implement large projects and too many seem to have their vision clouded by personal gain.
No one wants to see empty lots in the CBD , nor do most want to live in the “next, next ” Hoboken .
Like the Train Station renovation before , there is a way for everyone to get something positive, add housing , improve infrastructure , take into account schools and of coarse parking.
Whats lacking is a vision for the future of the Village. A vision uniquely by Ridewood ,for Ridgewood. Not about people getting elected or speculators getting rich off government connections .
This Vision must include Valley Hospital, CBD housing ,retail and parking , traffic and the Ridgewood School district.
The Village with its excellent schools , parks ,CBD, cultural institutions and easy access to transportation offers a very unique opportunity .
If we chose to destroy the character of the town , the very character that has attracted so many to the Village over the years , we will lose the very thing that makes us who we are….
The people advocating for high density buildings (and for Valley Hospital over expansion for that matter) do not care about our town. They care about making money. Once they make their money, if they don’t like what the town is like they will be able to leave. There is no middle ground we can get to right now because they want maximum $$. They will first try for maximum $$ via high density, and only if we defeat them will they come down a notch and try for slightly less (see Valley Hospital). Maybe after several defeats we might get to a middle ground, but even that will be temporary. People like this do not give up. 10 years after we reach a middle ground solution (if we do) they will be right back at it (or their children will take the helm) seeking to make $$ by ruining our Village…..
I think that is what has to be discussed. But to right away jump to conclusion and think over night or even years Ridgewood would turn into any of your examples is foolish and not forward thinking.
You think modernization and growth and you assume that means higher crime, noise, traffic and every negative thing you can imagine… But it doesn’t have to be that way if you develop a sustainable plan for growth through a thoughtful process.
The contextual makeup of Ridgewood is not sustainable. Look every town around us…. Minus glen rock… We are a old folks home… And it’s sad because we have an opportunity to be an example of a modern town that still remains true to its roots.
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. What i am really saying is that we are going to expand… No way around it it will happen eventually, just being honest. I rather the people that do care about this towns and it’s history be the ones making the plans and not the (as number one stated) money Hungary investors that can up and leave if it fails.
What rather you have?…..
We don’t want to follow the path of Hoboken, Paterson, Hackensack or NYC. Is there a suitable model out there?….
Look at Bronxville NY in westchester.
if i wanted to linve in bronxville i would have moved there
#2 that is not the point.
Good example jjj.
that is the point
I have never been to Bronxville. Is it utopia?
Do they have a large regional hospital and high density housing?
Bronxville – population density 2,506/sq mile
Ridgewood – population density 4,339/sq mile
Bronxville – campus of Concordia College and Sarah Lawrence College
Ridgewood – none
Bronxville – Lawrence Hospital Center – 195 beds, 11,328 admissions, 1,956 inpatient and 3,003 outpatient surgeries. 41,814 emergency room visits.
Ridgewood – Valley Hospital – 446 beds. 30,971 admissions. 8,295 inpatient and 9,979 outpatient surgeries. 73,932 emergency room visits.
For the poster who likes Bronxville,, the direction the developers and Valley want us to go doesn’t get us closer to Bronxville.
He was sighting a model …. Not saying we should become it. People need to read the article. It was a response to the last section.
How will the average resident benefit from this development? The benefits are not obvious to me.
If it were obvious, those in favor would have told us by now. Instead they have put forth studies that say that traffic will improve as a result of the construction and that no additional children will enter the school system as a result of hundreds of additional apartments being built.
You really can’t make it up….
New Jersey is the most densely populated state. We have more population concentration than Bronxville. It goes back to open spaces. You can’t develop a town that has no space. Maybe we can annex a nearby town.