Category: Village of Ridgewood

>Empty stores in region on rise
Thursday, December 4, 2008
THE RECORD
BY ANDREW TANGEL
STAFF WRITER

The number of vacant stores along major corridors in North Jersey increased to 5.7 percent in November, from 3.6 percent earlier this year, according to a recent survey, another sign of the steep drop in consumer spending.

The vacancy rate along a 15-mile stretch of Route 17 experienced the most dramatic increase in North Jersey. In a survey of 141 properties, |R.J. Brunelli & Co., a real estate brokerage in Old Bridge, found a vacancy rate of 7.3 percent in November, up from 4.5 percent in the weeks following New Year’s 2007. It was the highest vacancy rate found in the ­survey for Route 17 since at least 1999.

The survey also found the vacancy rate along Route 4 was 10 percent, a 0.1 percent drop from early this year. The retail hub has been hard hit by closures of stores specializing in home furnishings, said Richard Brunelli, the firm’s president.

Increased retail vacancies are further evidence of a recession and do not bode well for the holiday shopping season, when consumer spending – which accounts for 70 percent of the American economy — is highest.

Brunelli expects vacancy rates to increase a percentage point early next year, as more stores go bankrupt because of sales shortfalls. Typically, he said, stores have filed for bankruptcy in January and vacated properties in February and March.

He said Routes 4 and 17 may be hit particularly hard because of their high concentration of stores selling home furnishings and decorations. Those stores, he predicted, will fold because of the downturn in the housing market.
“I hate to be the bearer of projected bad news, but I think Routes 4 and 17 may feel a disproportionate amount of pain that we’re going to feel in 2009,” he said.

While the increase in vacancies may be bad news for landlords and their mortgage lenders, they will likely be a boon to businesses that can afford to expand. An increased supply of space will likely push down already depressed rental rates. In February, the average rent for retail space at shopping centers in northern New Jersey was $21 to $22 a square foot, according to a report by NAI Global, a commercial real estate services firm. (The figure excludes malls and downtowns.)

“They’re going to make some great deals in the next six months,” he said. “Landlords are just caving in and making deals they never would have made before.”

North Jersey has fared better than central Jersey, according to Brunelli’s survey, and better than the national average. The vacancy rate for retail space in central Jersey ticked up to 6.6 percent in November, from 4.7 percent earlier this year. The survey does not include enclosed malls.

A national report in September by Marcus & Millichap, a real estate brokerage and investment firm based in California, said the average retail vacancy rate for 2008 nationwide is expected to be 11.1 percent.

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>Village of Ridgewood CFO Dorothy Stikna disclosed during Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session that the Village’s AAA Bond Rating could be at risk because of the increasing percentage of debt service as compared to the Village’s overall budget.

During a discussion about financing the controversial North Walnut Street parking garage/retail complex, Village Manager James Ten Hoeve had informed Village Council members that municipal AAA Bond Ratings generally become subject to scrutiny when the debt service percentage approaches 10% of total budget.

Following Ten Hoeve’s comments, Ms. Stikna was called to the meeting room podium where she confirmed that the Village is now approaching the 10% debt service/total budget ratio. A loss of our AAA Bond Rating would definitely result in higher costs for borrowing money.

Despite the startling revelations regarding upcoming Village Hall layoffs and a possible increase in interest rates, Village Council members voted to:

1) purchase the Schedler property on West Saddle River Road for an as yet undisclosed amount (“to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood” – Village Mayor David T. Pfund)

2) proceed with plans to construct $10 million parking garage (preliminary cost estimates) and retail complex on North Walnut Street

Surprisingly, Deputy Mayor Keith D. Killion and Councilwoman Anne Zusy both voted “yes” to continue funding the controversial parking garage project. Killion and Zusy had both opposed this project prior to May’s Village Council election.

>Hi,
Just got detoured in town. Ridgewood Ave @ Oak is ‘taped off ‘ with the yellow crime scene tape, a car is within it, and a towel or blanket on the road, along with a few RPD cars, but significantly the Prosecuters office has 2 ‘FAIU” trucks…which I would interpret to be ‘fatal accident investigation unit’. Cops taking pictures etc..see what your sources have to say… then I saw oak by the YMCA all full of fire trucks/ambulances..must be something else…busy day in town i guess.

>Wednesday, December 03, 2008
BY JOHN MOONEY
Star-Ledger Staff

https://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1228282631220180.xml&coll=1

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by New Jersey’s school administrators that sought to block new state limits on their employment contracts, ruling that the regulations are in the state’s “perfectly legitimate” interests.

But the decision by U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano appeared to leave at least some of the limits open to challenge in state court, and a lawyer representing administrators said a challenge likely would be filed within the week.

In August, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators filed suit against state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy and others to stop new regulations that gave the state unprecedented powers to review and prohibit pay and other compensation that it found excessive.

The regulations were based on a law enacted earlier in the year after public outcry over some administrators’ contracts that included six-digit severance and other payments. The most extreme was a $740,000 package last summer to outgoing Keansburg schools chief Barbara Trzeszkowski.

Executive county superintendents have since been busy reviewing the contracts, with some saying they have sent back a majority of them with at least small fixes.
But the administrators’ group contended the new regulations arbitrarily singled out superintendents, assistant superintendents and business administrators, and they in turn could lose compensation under the new system without their constitutional right to due process.
Pisano initially asked the parties to negotiate a settlement, but, failing that, he largely appeared to support the state’s position in his 18-page ruling filed Nov. 25.

“Injunctive relief would have a dramatic, negative effect on the state,” Pisano wrote in the ruling. “Any further delay in reviewing new contracts according to the regulations would interfere with the state’s legitimate legislative goal of property tax and public school funding reform.”
The ruling drew praise from Gov. Jon Corzine and legislative leaders.

“New Jersey property taxpayers are long tired of learning after-the-fact their tax dollars meant for helping children in the classroom are instead padding administrative contracts and lavish retirement payouts,” read a statement from state Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden).

Still, Pisano only ruled on the injunction and abstained on the merits of the case itself, leaving it to state courts. And the opening was immediately seized upon by the lawyer for the administrators association, Stephen Edelstein.

Edelstein cited a footnote in the decision that found the specific statutes limiting accumulated sick and vacation time could not apply to the administrators, with no further explanation.
“That was a very important point to us,” Edelstein said of the footnote. “A regulation cannot derive from an inapplicable statute, and we will next go to state court.”

In the meantime, county superintendents have proceeded with their reviews. Passaic County Superintendent Robert Gilmartin said he has completed reviews of top administrators in his 20 districts and found almost all needed small adjustments, including in mileage and other rates being paid.

In one case, Gilmartin said, he rejected a contract that called for lifetime health benefits for both the superintendent and his or her spouse. In three contracts, he said, he sent back provisions that called for separate life insurance policies.

Overall, he said, the process has been worthwhile, at least so far.
“It has accomplished some consistency across the board and probably slowed down some of the extravagance,” said Gilmartin, himself a former superintendent in West Milford. “Still, time will tell.”

John Mooney may be reached at [email protected] or (973) 392-1548.

https://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1228282631220180.xml&coll=1

>https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/lonegan_to_announce_bid_for_go.html

“We need to get back to basics,” Lonegan said, promising to “lead by example” by encouraging other Republican candidates to campaign on issues like taxes, school funding and affordable housing. He vowed to cut the size of state government by no less than 20 percent, ordering layoffs and shuttering departments.

“Jon Corzine thinks government has all the answers,” Lonegan said. “We stand on opposite sides of the spectrum. …It is time to take back New Jersey and put taxpayers first.”

Lonegan joins Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Morris) as declared contenders for the Republican nomination in 2009. Other possible GOP candidates who have yet to announce their intentions are Christie, whose last day in office is today, and Princeton biotech executive John Crowley.

Lonegan said his conservative credentials will give the party the best chance to beat Corzine, who he said has “failed” New Jersey. He praised the conviction record amassed by Christie — the likely favorite among party leaders should he choose to run — but said his background as an attorney makes him less equipped to handle the state’s economic needs.

Corzine brushed off Lonegan’s criticism and defended his record.

“I think we’ve done an outstanding job given the difficulties sweeping across this country,” the Democratic governor said following an event in Sayreville this morning.

He said he “will let the Republicans have their fight” until the primary is over, “and we’ll go from there.”

>from Scott Garrett

In December 2007, with the support of Pitney-Bowes, the Red Cross’s Service to the Armed Forces staff and volunteers screened, transported, and delivered over 600,000 pieces of mail to our service men and women. Due to the overwhelmingly success of the program, the American Red Cross and Pitney–Bowes are partnering again this year with the goal of collecting and distributing one million holiday greeting cards from the American public. This year, cards will not only go to wounded warriors but to all service members, their families, and veterans, in communities around the world.

If you would like to share your words of support, you can send holiday greeting cards to our service members through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. More information can be found at www.redcross.org/holidaymail.

>Dear Friends,

This week, I have the distinct honor of addressing a gathering of United Nations Ambassadors on human rights and religious freedom during the Interfaith Cooperation and the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity Conference.

As many of you know,I have long been a vocal advocate for religious freedom and protection of human rights around on the world. Simply talking about human rights is not enough; I believe the U.N. must show a stronger commitment to promoting basic human rights around the world. I have called for U.N. reform on many occasions, taking the following actions during the 110th Congress:

• Cosponsored H.R. 225, legislation to withhold United States funding from the U.N. Human Rights Council
• Cosponsored H.Res. 557, condemning the U.N. Human Rights Council
• Introduced H.R. 937, withholding funds from the U.N. Development Program
• Wrote a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon regarding support for U.N. reform
• Signed a letter to Secretary Rice regarding interface with the Taiwan U.N. referendum
• Cosponsored H.Res. 939, condemning Anti-Israel sentiment at the U.N.
• Introduced H.R. 5847, the Durban II Conference Funding Prohibition Act
• Cosponsored H.R. 2712, the U.N. Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act

Today, President-Elect Obama announced his choice of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice for the positions of Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. I hope that as the new U.S. administration assumes power in January that U.N. reform will be at the top of the agenda.

Sincerely,

Scott Garrett
Member of Congress

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When it comes to shopping on black friday ,when the going gets tough the tough go for a smoke

Tobacco Shop
10 Chestnut StRidgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 447-2204

https://www.tobaccoshop.com/

ps .for a buck you can make yourself a great Espresso

>That in early 1996, the Ridgewood Sports Council proposed construction of several athletic fields and a parking area within Grove Park. Councilman Patrick A. Mancuso was mayor at the time; he was also an active member of the Sports Council.

In March of 1996, approximately 120 residents living near Grove Park attended a heated public hearing to voice their objections to the proposal. During this hearing it was revealed that a Green Acres funding agreement signed by Village officials in 1977 prohibits Grove Park’s property for being used for any purpose other than: 1) wetlands overflow, and 2) natural wildscape. Based on public opposition and limitations imposed by the Green Acres funding agreement, Village Council members withdrew the proposal.

So the fly asks: if this Green Acres funding agreement is still in force, why are Village officials again considering constructing athletic fields at Grove Park? Has Councilman Mancuso had a convenient memory lapse?

>What’s up at the Board of Education? In a VERY, VERY unusual move, the BOE has scheduled two separate Executive Sessions during their Monday, November 27th public meeting. The first Executive Session is slotted for early in the meeting, prior to the public comment section. The fly can’t remember ever seeing an agenda like this.

Anyone have a clue as to what’s going on? Rumors are swirling that there will be changes at the BOE…

>The Ridgewood Village Council and the Board of Education jointly authorized a study of all Village Fields and Parks by Schoor DePalma Inc. This project will review all of the active recreation sites as well as conservation areas within Ridgewood. Click below for the survey form. The master plan process will also review all the athletic and recreation programs offered, as well as consider the number of participants. Recommendations about future needs, changes in use and property developments will be forthcoming. Completed survey forms should be submitted to the Parks and Recreation Office at The Stable, 259 North Maple Ave., Ridgewood by December 29, 2006.

https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/parksandrec/112106RS.pdf

>Based on its current operating schedule, the Ridgewood Municipal Court is functioning at maximum capacity. That is, the Court would be unable to process even a moderate increase in the volume of complaints and/or summonses.

To ensure that the Court’s schedule doesn’t have to be expanded as a result of an unsanctioned ticket blitz, the distribution of summons books to police officers is now being handled on a “restricted” basis.