the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Purchase of the former Town Garage property by the Village of Ridgewood was announced publicly for the first time on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (coincidentally, the same day news of the Village’s December 2022 legal petition to condemn the property was posted on The Ridgewood Blog).
Legal documents posted on the Internet this week reveal that 120 Franklin Avenue (site of the former Town Garage) actually became the Village’s property on February 28, 2024, a full 2+ months before taxpayers were informed.
Purchase price listed in public records indicate the Village paid $1,106,000 for the property. The parcel is assessed for $978,600.
120 Franklin Avenue had previously generated $27,429.94 in annual tax revenue to the Village.
Village Council members met this week in closed session to discuss: “Legal – The Town Garage.”
So, the questions now at hand are: What the heck is going on? and, What’s all the secrecy about?
Taxpayers forked over $1 million for a piece of property that now generates ZERO DOLLARS in annual tax revenue, and still we’re being kept in total darkness about everything to do with it?
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Remember in November. VOTE VAGIANOS OUT.
Sneaky but expect nothing less from this crew
The property looks like shit. Ridgewood has owned it for months and hasn’t even taken a broom to it yet. Disgraceful.
The building there is a disaster. If owned privately, the town would’ve issued hundreds of property maintenance tickets by now. Get a bulldozer and knock the friggin’ thing down. The surface of the parking lot is a lawsuit waiting to happen. What’s the matter with these people!
It’s been privately owned for decades and the Village did not issue a single code violation. The Village allowed this to go on for decades…ever wonder why?
Not one finger lifted since the end of February? Wow! Not even a sign saying who owns the property. What a joke.
It’s the cost of cleanup you should be worrying about.
I remember The subject of cleanup costs being discussed a VC meeting several years ago. It was said that those responsible for contaminating the property would be held responsible to pay for the cleanup. Sounds like the intent is to sue the oil companies that owned the gas stations. Good luck with that. We still haven’t gotten a single dime from those companies that contaminated our drinking water with PFAS.
Sorry, but $1m for a prime commercial spot in Ridgewood is by no means excessive. It is pretty obvious that the cost reflects the environmental remediation.
This is good for Ridgewood…as long as they don’t do something stupid with the property.
They will. Stupid is as stupid does.
You ARE an optimist!!!
IF there were a need for a parking garage, this Town Garage space and the adjoining parking lot is where it should have been built. In the heart of the Village, not up and away from where shoppers need to park. Coulda been, shoulda been. Now we just spent a million dollars for what, 30 more parking spaces? Seems pricy.
Yup I would likely bet a town owned parking garage. Makes the most sense and they should put that sign up at the entrance to it.
This is because thihs Mayor, Vagianos, the council majority, Perron, Weitz and Whinograd, plus the Village Attorney, Rogers and the newest phony baloney wannabe employed as Village Manager, Kazmark who is busy calling balls and strikes, are all liars and sneaky AF. They talk about transparency but this is the worst bunch of dare I say, humans, to pretend that have their special agendas. When are people going to realize this. Northing would surprise me at this point. They suck and are a detriment to this village.
Ridgewood sucks with Self entitled agendas run by self entitled committees with many self feeling entitled volunteers who “grew up” stayed on here, think they know everything only to bloat their own egos. Its run like a dictatorship game. Be in it or get out.
New people buy here because of the over rated schools, sports recreation – its all about the kids. They move out after H.S. graduation.
We all know this guy has been running the Ridgewood politics behind the scenes to benefit his downtown priorities for two decades now. What’s the surprise here?
Ridgewood residents are destined for this as they are clueless or they only care about 10-15 years when their child is going to school and then they plan to move to Florida.
I mean seriously how do a couple of housewives and some dads aka council have the power to decide the entire villages outcome???? This town should be run like a well oiled machine…not by self entitled folk
Makes no sense. We really need to wake up ridgewood and claim back our town
You complain when no one does anything about that eyesore and environmental disaster, then complain when they take action. Which is it?
If Knudsen had led the effort to purchase the property, you’d be singing her praises. So hypocritical.
Wake up asshole. Efforts to purchase the property did begin during the Knudsen administration. Legal document is dated December 2022. Vagianos and his wrecking crew didn’t take over until January of 2023.
Get them all out in November!!
People people don’t blame this administration. This has been going on for an extremely Long time, everyone knew the villagers going to buy this. Everyone knew that the land from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream going all the way down to Maple Avenue on both sides. The ground is contaminated so deep you have no idea. What do you think the property on Broad Street, where all the car dealers used to be and just nut Street the third is clean. Please those dealerships car lots repair shops been there for 100 years. How far down do you think they cleaned up? Remember Franklin Avenue used to be called gasoline Alley nothing but gas stations and repair shops and everything went into the ground, and It went real deep. What about 35 years ago? Anyone remember the big diesel leakage from Chestnut Street to Oak Street. How many basements filled up with fuel how many homes were pumped out the village had to buy homes and pay people off what do you think all that fuel is out of the ground OK dream on dream on. I knew the owners of that garage 30 years ago. I was told that the town approached them and they wanted to buy that land because they wanted to expand on parking lots and what do you think that’s the only thing on record please they have drawings blueprints on so much more you have no idea.
I recall a few gas stations there on franklin… beginning at broad st:
amoco, phillips 66, mobil, chevron, texaco, sinclair, arco. getty. esso
What about farm equipment and rot at the stable in Habernickel They admitted to an infestation yet kids play there.
They do not care. Knock it down and put up a parking lot ( or a pavilion)
Paul Vagianos has a back door reputation as a slumlord, who chases landlords on their death beds to acquire RW properties. He’s extending his practice to RW politics and Town Garage. VOTE HIM OUT
Will some unselfish, independent people please run for Council?
Any friends you can talk to about this?
Otherwise we can’t get back on track.
That’s like asking a vegetarian to eat a steak dinner.
The Mayor’s claim to fame is running a mediocre, 10 table, gyro shop. With the expectation of Mrs. Reynolds, no one on the Council has real administrative experience. Our Village deserves better, they are running us like a chop shop.
Thank you, Ridgewood Blog! You gain nothing and constantly provide information to the Public.
Meanwhile…
Village Manager + New Comms Person = 500k tax burden, provide no valuable information and can’t do 1/10 of what you do.
100%
Screw it let them spend all the money.
Where is all this money to buy, cleanup, develop coming from? Worried about furloughs after November election