Ridgewood housing splits planners
JULY 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A member of the Planning Board spoke out this week against a proposed master plan amendment that would permit multifamily, high-density housing complexes downtown — calling for a moratorium on development in the village.
But she received mixed reviews from other board members, who were divided about the process or feared the village would face litigation.
“I don’t believe what is happening here is really in the best interest of the village as a whole,” said Michele Peters, after nearly three hours of testimony Tuesday night on three proposed developments.
Those developments — the Enclave, a 52-unit project on East Ridgewood Avenue; The Dayton, a 106-unit apartment building for South Broad Street; and the 52-unit Chestnut Village on Chestnut Street — are currently prohibited under the village code. And the amendment has been under consideration for nearly two years.
Peters urged the others members to “take time to stop, so we can talk about this.”
She added that she thinks the board is “dealing with a fire as it comes to us” and questioned the entire process that members are embroiled in.
Peters was also critical of the ordinance that enabled the developers’ requests for a master plan amendment, saying the village was “putting the cart before the horse.”
Urging more of an exchange with the public throughout the hearing process, Peters said, “These are major issues having to do with the way our community is planned and it should be freely discussed.”
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-housing-splits-planners-1.1052852#sthash.eHwUcaSM.dpuf
Probably one of the better discusses of an evening ……..
It was handled well I believe and valuable information was obtained and will valuable on how to proceed from this point.