>Village Council members were briefed last night on three separate and unrelated topics regarding the Pease Library building.
First, Councilman Patrick A. Mancuso introduced the members of his volunteer group, who for the past several months have been investigating options for restoring and using the facility. Mancuso’s committee members outlined their work, which has led to a possible long-term use interest by County of Bergen officials. The County has interest in using Pease to house the Bergen County Historical Society, which is currently homeless. Mancuso suggested the formation of a four person task team to finalize negotiations with County officials. Members of the team would be Mancuso, Mayor David T. Pfund, Village Manager James M. Ten Hoeve, and resident Frank Del Vecchio.
Next, Councilman Jacques Harlow suggested that the Village Council has waited too many years to restore Pease, and outlined his multi-phase plan to begin fixing the building immediately by using taxpayer generated revenue. It is reported that Harlow is still bitter over Mancuso’s role in calling an end to the Council’s relationship with a possible tenant, the consortium led by architect Jeff Wells. The final phase of Harlow’s proposal is directed at finding a suitable tenant.
Lastly, it was revealed that local philanthropist David Bolger has offered to fund a feasibility study focused on the design and construction of a parking structure in the front of Pease. It is believed that Mr. Bolger’s motive would be to gain parking so that the building would then be appealing to potential commercial tenants (with rental income funneled to the Library Board). Bolger is a known supporter of many Library initiatives.
>A parking structure in front of Pease would be an abomination.
>Clearly a massive parking garage in front of Pease library should be the preferred option.
>Why stop at a parking structure? Let’s put up two tall towers and we can have thousands of commercial tenants with proceeds going to the library, village council, boe, fire and police departments, parks and recreation, and all the families who make their living on public service in Ridgewood. We could even by a second Habernickel farm and add a 20 million upgrade to our new village hall–adding long promised public bathrooms for those who visit vets field. We can build not one but three new town pools and provide free health care to all Ridgewood citizens. If money is left over, we can build a gold statute to the very generous Mr. Bolger to thank him for his thoughtfulness in making such repeated and handsome contributions which have elevated our civic lives in this wonderful community.
With so much profit to be made, how can we sensibly overlook the massive amounts of cash we can rake in with such a scheme? And those who may think to complain about how those towers would “fit in,” don’t have any idea about how difficult it is to run a village on the meager scraps collected from the stingy taxpayer.
>I would promote a parking lot as well. Downtown Ridgewood is a regional downtown. It was set up that way back in the 1950s and is a CRITICAL business district for Ridgewood and the surrounding communities. Those who say silly things like “too many outsiders visit Ridgewood,” “too many banks,” “too many restaurants” have never appreciated that Ridgewood’s Downtown never WAS a community downtown. Ask our elected officials, our state officials, and our chamber of commerce just how important our business district is and how profound the need for parking is.
Frankly, it always seems amazing to me that we could have a bustling downtown of this size as as unobtrusive as it is in the middle of a residential area. They have obviously gone to great lengths to hide the influx of people from less fortunate towns as best as possible.
I’m sensitive to the concerns of neighbors, and I’m sure that Bolger will be as well. But come on, folks. You bought a house in an urban suburb and now you want to go back to the early 20th century?
>what about a parking garage where the former firehouse on hudson street was?? nice architecture as done in hoboken with their multiple garages…anyone ever propose that?
>2:12
I did not know that our downtown was set up as a “Regional Downtown”. Does this mean that we are required to grow and accomodate large crowds? If this is really a part of the plan for downtown, where can I find the rest of this plan.
I suppose that Valley was always meant to be a Regional Hospital too.
>i dont think our downtown business district would be able to sustain itself economically if it depended soley upon Ridgewood residents supporting it via shopping. Doubt there is any room for ‘growth’ per the above post(s) as the downtown is ‘built out’ and the only vacant properties are those that are now parking lots.