Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
“Save Our Village” lawn signs popping up in Village
March 2,2014
Boyd A. Loving
4:57 PM
Ridgewood NJ, “Save Our Village” signs are now popping up in the Village. Most have been spotted in the Ridge Elementary School area, presumably because that school’s receiving area encompasses the Central Business District, where the high density housing is proposed to be located.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Its great to see residents involved in our town future. Someone has to reel this Council and their builder friends in. Good Luck to them and the CRR. Come election in 2016 they should not forget who pandered to these builders and their Chamber friends.
The participation is very impressive. I heard the planning board is going to delay the Valley decision until after the election in May. Can that be verified?
Once Ridgewood adopts high density zoning throughout the CBD, there will be no end in sight to the number of applicants who will start lining up before the board asking for the same. Stop and Shop will be next. They have ample parking, close to train station and walking distance to shops in town! This site would be great for the next high density development! What about the Jenny Banta building? This sits on well over an acre, coupled with the parking behind the Lax shop, they too could argue their case for high density housing as well. Again, they can provide ample parking and are close to the train station. Here is the best part….Our Village will not be able to argue against these requests. Why? Because once the Village of Ridgewood has adopted high density into their Master Plan, justifying this decision by citing overwhelming benefits to the community, they will basically be setting up the argument for other applicants to come in and request the same. Why not just allow development at a more reasonable density and height? Is there not some middle ground where the applicants / the community and the local government can come to a decision?
How about not changing any zoning.
Spot zoning benefits the property owner who ‘speculated’ on the purchase that he/she could change the zoning, thus awarding themselves a financial windfall.
They made a bet they could change it. Lets see them LOSE that bet.
Maximize your profit by cutting up the space into smaller retail units or whatever is permitted by current zoning.
If you want a variance, ask for it but zoning should not be changed.
Isn’t ‘spot zoning’ illegal?
It is ironic that the first picture is an obnoxious McMansion that seems hardly in the spirit of our residential zoning. It appears in the photo to fill 99% of the lot from side to side.
Are these signs to protest valley and the high density housing?
The house was built in the 1930’s. Give it a rest Bozo.
The signs are in protest to plans for high density housing in the Central Business District.
Nice try #5 You can’t tell how much property they have by any of the above pictures.
Nice way to try to compare residential zoning to high density. It would work if that house were 5 stories high with ground level shops.
“United we stated. Divided we fall. ” Keep up the good work and you too CRR.
Im ok with big houses that comply with current zoning.
I wish all my neibhors would put in addtions so they can pay more in taxes.
And even if these homes are built from property line to property line, I’m guessing these residents didn’t go for Master Plan amendments for their variances. They went through the zoning board….like they should.