Category: Village of Ridgewood

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Freeholders agree to fund parking study for Ridgewood

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Freeholders agree to fund (another) parking study for Ridgewood
October 27, 2014    Last updated: Monday, October 27, 2014, 11:28 AM
By Jodi Weinberger
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News

The Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted Wednesday to fund a parking feasibility study in Ridgewood.

The resolution, passed unanimously by the seven-member board, specifically calls for the transfer of $179,160.92 from a 2002 rail network capital bond to the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA), which will lead the study.

“I’m grateful to the Freeholder board and I’m encouraged that we have their full support,” said Mayor Paul Arohnson on Thursday. “That’s important. It’s great that we’re all on the same page.”

The dollar amount is what’s left of a $500,000 bond that was issued by the county in 2002 “for the engineering and design for the creation of a multi-county regional rail network,” which went to upgrades of train stations in several different towns.

In the resolution, the money is not specifically allocated to Ridgewood and can be used toward any municipality, said BCIA executive director Rob Garrison. He estimates that the study in Ridgewood will likely cost $100,000.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/county-to-study-feasibility-of-garage-1.1118852#sthash.wKvvKz63.dpuf

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Bergen, Ridgewood target parking

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Bergen, Ridgewood target parking

OCTOBER 25, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER | 
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — The county and village could soon be partnering to address parking problems in an attempt to attract more shoppers to the downtown and ease the crunch for residents.

The Bergen County freeholders unanimously voted on a resolution earlier this week authorizing the transfer of nearly $180,000 from the county planning department’s budget to the Bergen County Improvement Authority.

Ridgewood officials have been meeting with representatives from the BCIA over the past year to discuss a partnership for a multistory parking garage, which would likely be built downtown on Hudson Street.

“I am grateful to Chairman David Ganz and the entire Freeholder Board for their leadership and partnership,” said Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn.

“Working together with BCIA Executive Director Rob Garrison and his board, I am increasingly confident that we can make a Ridgewood parking deck a reality,” Aronsohn added.

The BCIA will meet next on Nov. 6 to consider funding a study of the parking situation throughout the village, while making suggestions for improving it.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-village-target-parking-1.1117894#sthash.pWm99iBB.dpuf

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Why it’s OK to wear an Ebola costume for Halloween

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CChurch Street Studio biohazard shoothurch Street Studio biohazard shoot 

Are people preparing to wear Ebola-themed costumes being insensitive to the deaths of thousands of West Africans?

Actually, no, writes Kyle Smith, the West Africans have nothing to do with it… When we make fun of Ebola, we’re just mocking our own fears of death.

Why it’s OK to wear an Ebola costume for Halloween

By Kyle Smith

October 16, 2014 | 5:17pm

It’s unfortunate that so many deceased methamphetamine addicts had to have their condition belittled last year when “Breaking Bad” hazmat suits were a hot Halloween outfit. Three years ago, the October death of Steve Jobs was an occasion for national mourning, yet a mere three weeks later it inspired a turtleneck-wearing zombie Steveto trot around holding an iPad with a coffin labeled iDied. Wife-beaters and pedophiles aren’t funny, and yet people dress up as them for Halloween.

Today, people are dying of Ebola even as your fellow citizens try to think of ways to turn unimaginable suffering into cute costume ideas. You get the sense that people don’t have the proper serious attitude about a potentially nightmarish epidemic.

Medical professionals are objecting: the idea “definitely rubs me the wrong way,” Philadelphia physician’s assistant Maria McKenna told Associated Press. “This thing with the costumes, is it really that funny?”

https://nypost.com/2014/10/16/why-its-ok-to-wear-an-ebola-costume-for-halloween/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

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Ward’s Pumpkin Patch

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Ward’s Pumpkin Patch

Officially open for the season! Come visit Ward’s Pumpkin Patch for pumpkins, cornstalks and hay bales. Today only: get a FREE mini pumpkin when you mention that you Like us on Facebook.

Freshly baked apple and pumpkin pie — just a few left!

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Since 1940, the Ward family has operated Ward’s Pumpkin Patch in Ridgewood, New Jersey. We offer the best quality and selection of pumpkins, gourds, and squash in Northern New Jersey.

We have pumpkins to make common Jack-O-Lanterns as well as giant pumpkins, tiny munchkins, and gourds in unusual shapes. We offer mums, cornstalks, haystacks as well as a rotating selection of fall decorations. One of our most popular items is our painted pumpkins featuring cartoons, sports, and Halloween themes. Take an adventure on our new barrel ride, always free for our visitors! And on weekends leading up to Halloween we offer face painting, goat feedings, and other events. Check our website often for our calendar schedule. Bring your entire family for a fall outing at Ward’s Pumpkin Patch!
General Information
Hours:
Open every day in October from 10am to sunset.

Directions:
GPS Ridgewood Park & Ride – we are directly across the highway Northbound

Directions:
We are located 45-minutes north of New York City in the Village of Ridgewood in Bergen County just off Highway Route 17. To get there, travel North on New Jersey Route 17. Just after the West Saddle River exit, round the bend, and then make a quick right-hand turn into the second driveway. The turn into the driveway is quick afterwards! The entrance to the driveway is right before the “Ward’s Farm” sign. Stay safe and alert!

Our address is 552 Route 17, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. If you have GPS, program it to Ridgewood Park & Ride. We are directly opposite of the park and ride on the northbound side of the highway.

For details about the types of pumpkins and gourds we carry, click on the “Info” page of our website.

Contact Us:
Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date info, pictures from the patch, and pumpkin carving ideas @NJ_PumpkinPatch.

Call us at 201-523-0824 or email us at [email protected].

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Bergen Freeholders to vote on funding parking study for Ridgewood

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Bergen Freeholders to vote on funding parking study for Ridgewood

OCTOBER 13, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2014, 3:41 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Bergen County Freeholders are expected to vote on a resolution at their Oct. 22 meeting that would likely fund a $100,000 parking study in the village.

MARION BROWN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Several Ridgewood business owners have claimed that the village’s metered parking lots are full by 9 a.m. Most spots are taken by commuters and employees, leaving no spaces for downtown shoppers, they said.

The village has been in talks with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) for more than a year about a partnership that would ideally result in the county building a 450-space parking garage at the site of the Hudson Street lot, where there are currently only a couple dozen 12-hour metered parking spots.

The county would own and operate the garage, which the village would pay for over the course of 20-30 years from the revenue from the garage.

To put the plan into motion, the freeholders and the county executive both need to sign off on the transferring of funds from the county’s planning department to the BCIA through the approval of the resolution.

To that end, Mayor Paul Aronsohn invited Freeholder Chairman David Ganz, who sets the agenda for the freeholder meetings, to Ridgewood last Tuesday to view the Hudson Street lot and observe the parking challenges in Ridgewood.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/freeholders-set-vote-on-funding-study-for-ridgewood-1.1108474#sthash.1PJNA6l7.dpuf

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The Central Business District :Parking well that is just part of the Problem

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The Central Business District :Parking well that is just part of the Problem 
September 28th 2014
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A Ridgewood Panel says lack of parking is the source of problems in downtown Ridgewood , but in readers offered many other ideas .

While parking is often mentioned , many felt the issue has been long over played. Readers said store hours , types of stores and restaurants , rents , taxes and Ridgewood’s over bureaucratic non responsive regulatory environment pose significant problems for businesses. It seems Ridgewood has gotten a very anti business reputation.

Readers also questioned the lack of comprehensive planning  , spot zoning, ad hoc development, and a lack of efforts by the Chamber to promote new business in town .

Readers though the panel was a bit self serving , and said “What a bunch of self serving greedy people lead by a councilman who is a narcissi . The article shows how much the Ridgewood News is on board with this. These greedy people using words such as “stigma,” “that Ridgewood is asleep.” “that Ridgewood has lost its edge.” “Some similarly jarring points were made” “When you drive into this town, I don’t want to say it the wrong way, but it looks kind of dumpy… -” Thanks.

“Sarceno, a Ridgewood resident, said he wanted to attract anything other than a restaurant into the historic building, but he couldn’t.“It was amazing to see the lack of interest from anyone other than a restaurant,” he said.

Mr. Sarceno did you expect a Gap or a JC Penny to go in there. We all know what you did. You bought that building at a discount and then you go to your friend on the Council and push for a parking garage on Hudson St which would make the bank building more attractive for renters not to mention charging higher rent.”

Most readers would like the down town developed in a sensible fashion , but after years of Valley Hospital looking to ram their expansion down the Village’s throat and the constant barrage of over the top ridiculous claims by developers and politicians  the public has grown very suspicious and these actions and they have severely undermined Village leadership .
The fact is no one in Ridgewood wants to live in Hoboken ,other wise they would just move there . Whats needed is an honest assessment  as to whats best for the Village  and far less self aggrandizing from developers and politicians looking out for the own interests .

1-800-PetMeds Private Label

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Ridgewood in talks to allow parking at closed car dealership

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Ridgewood in talks to allow parking at closed car dealership

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Village officials announced a potential partnership with the owner of a former car dealership to provide more than 100 new parking spaces downtown — an attempt to alleviate the parking problem in town.

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld cautioned that no deal had been signed, but said at a recent meeting she was excited about the potential arrangement, which Ridgewood officials continue to negotiate.

As proposed, the deal would see the dismantling of the building on the Ken Smith Motors site on Franklin Avenue. Under the plan, the village would handle selling parking passes for the lot to employees working in the Central Business District.

That would leave more parking for visitors to downtown Ridgewood.

In addition, Sonenfeld told the council she has been exploring ways for the village to fund its own parking garage.

An $8 million loan, she said, would cost taxpayers $600,000 annually for $20 years.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/lot-could-ease-parking-woes-1.1087300#sthash.uTQbxDeo.dpuf

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Parking solutions sought as former bank building in Ridgewood gets new tenant

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Parking solutions sought as former bank building in Ridgewood gets new tenant

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014, 4:18 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

As the Village Council continues fishing for a parking garage, a big catch – FISH – has entered the discussion on Ridgewood’s parking needs.

FISH, a high-end eatery from Asbury Park, is opening a second location in Ridgewood’s long-empty Bank of America building, and bringing with it as many as 225 new diners.

“They’d like to open somewhere between December and February,” said the building’s landlord John Saraceno, who said he was contacted by FISH six months ago. “They’re a great use for the village.”

The new restaurant, expected to attract many new diners, and cars, is also adding even more urgency to the village’s ongoing search for better parking options in the Central Business District (CBD), a search being done partly with awareness that more popular chains and anchor stores could help revitalize Ridgewood’s downtown but necessitate more parking options.

But luckily, FISH’s plan to valet park its cars will provide some relief.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/solutions-sought-as-historic-building-is-leased-1.1086248#sthash.vx8INNPX.dpuf

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Ridgewood developers would add parking

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Ridgewood developers would add parking

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Print

RIDGEWOOD — The village will be getting some much-needed parking along North Walnut Street under the terms outlined in a 42-page bid soliciting potential developers for the downtown’s redevelopment zone.

A new Request for Proposal and Qualifications, or RFP, has been issued by Ridgewood officials and seeks the redevelopment of 10 properties the heart of the Central Business District.

The 2.07 acres — some of it municipally owned — was designated a “redevelopment zone” by officials in 2007, which permits mostly retail and restaurant uses.

The redevelopment zone — currently the site of an ice cream shop, an 89-space parking lot, a mechanic’s shop, restaurants and retail stores — further allows for residential developments and is already being considered by at least one developer for a future assisted-living facility for seniors.

The RFP states that all proposals and plans from interested developers must be submitted by December and must include some manner of parking garage.

While an issue for decades, the village’s lack of parking has become an increasing concern for businesses and residents.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-developers-would-add-parking-1.1084530

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Mike Sedon Election Issue

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Mike Sedon Election Issue

September 5th ,2014
Anne LaGrange Loving
Ridgewood NJ, At the Wednesday night Village Council Work Session, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld announced, in the form of “breaking news,” that she had just that afternoon received an update about the “Mike Sedon Election Issue,” as she called it.  Readers will recall that this past Spring, someone sent an anonymous e-mail to Councilman Mike Sedon’s employer.  The purpose of the e-mail was to derail Councilman Sedon’s campaign, suggesting that he could not serve in a public office and also work as a reporter for The Staten Island Advance.  After Councilman Sedon filed a complaint with the Ridgewood Police Department, the matter was referred to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office for investigation.
At the September 3 Village Council Work Session, Ms. Sonenfeld said she had called the Prosecutor’s office for an update, and has learned that the matter has been transferred to the State Board of Elections. She will be getting a name from the State Board, will be following through on this important matter, and will keep us updated.  Although Councilman Sedon was elected by a wide margin and is now serving as a member of our Ridgewood Village Council, the fact remains that someone tried to prevent him from being elected.   The victim of this malicious act was not just Councilman Sedon; it was our entire community and our clean election process.   When the coward who sent this e-mail is revealed, the stain on our Village’s reputation will be erased.

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Development of the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Area

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Bid Notice-RFP for N. Walnut St. Redevelopment Area

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level 4 Courtroom, at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, and will be opened on Monday, December 1, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. prevailing time for: 

“Request for Proposals and Qualifications

for the 

Development of the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Area

Village of Ridgewood Bergen County, New Jersey”

The Village of Ridgewood is seeking proposals from qualified firms to redevelop certain parcels in the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Area in conformance with the Village’s adopted Redevelopment Plan. 

The RFP package may be obtained from the Office of the Village Manager, Level 5, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, (201) 670-5500, extension No. 203. Proposal packages may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, Monday through Friday. Prospective respondents requesting that proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No proposal forms shall be given out after 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, 2014. 

Proposals may be submitted in person or by mail prior to the proposal opening, addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the date and time stated for receipt of proposals. 

Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the respondent thereon and endorsed, “Request for Proposals and Qualifications for the Development of the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Area, Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey”. 

All respondents shall present satisfactory evidence of being authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. All respondents shall also provide a copy of their New Jersey Business Registration Certificate with their proposal. Additional requirements for submittal are presented in the RFP. All respondents shall adhere to the requirements presented in the “Request for Proposals”. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality or to accept a proposal, which in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village.

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Flash Flood Sees Ho Ho Kus Brook Breach its Banks in Ridgewood

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

Flash Flood Sees Ho Ho Kus Brook Breach its Banks in Ridgewood 

Ridgewood NJ, The HoHoKus Brook went over its banks in Ridgewood on Friday, 08/01 causing the Village Hall/Ridgewood Public Library parking lot to flood as well as artificial turf athletic fields at Ridgewood High School, Maple Park, and Stevens Field.

Five (5) privately owned vehicles parked in the Village Hall/Ridgewood Public Library parking lot were not moved in time and heavily damaged.  One vehicle reportedly belongs to a Library employee whose first day on the job was Friday.

The turf athletic fields were bubbled up and will need to be repaired.

Several streets, including Linwood Avenue, were closed due to flood waters.

No injuries were reported.

Damage to Village Hall itself was minimal; water entered at only one point, an overhead door on the north side of the building.

FD personnel were assisting in the clean up.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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Valet parking , Trolley cars and other solutions in search of a problem

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Valet parking , Trolley cars and other solutions in search of a problem.

written by readers, edited by staff  and smiled upon by the gods 

Welcome to Mister Rogers neighborhood? i liked that trolley…especially the part about how it transported us to the land of make believe .

Readers mentioned a Trolly car system , Valet Parking , a parking garage and even the use of County Police  new Light Armored Vehicles as commuter buses .

All the time keeping in mind “The public good”  is not feeling as if you’re in a big city when you go downtown. Not seeing guys in polo shirts with logos on them running back from parking (and probably getting hit by cars on Franklin Ave.). Not having those guys, who will probably not be from here and unfamiliar with the territory, driving like maniacs up and down that street. Not having to TIP someone after having a pizza or burger. Personally, I will stay away more than be lured by this.

But Please folks. May I have your attention please?Attention please! I can deal with this trouble, friends, with a wave of my hand, this very hand! Please observe me if you will. I’m Professor Harold Hill, and I’m here to organize the Ridgewood Trolley Plan!

I like the trolley idea., hummm we do to ,It would be an attraction and help with the parking situation….ugh yes that right a solution in search of a problem .

 

Ridgewood’s Central Business District – Open Discussion July 23, 2014

July 23, 2014 – 7:30 p.m. – Court Room of Village Hall – Join Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli for an open discussion about Ridgewood’s Central Business District. Please be prepared to offer your comments, suggestions, concerns, and ideas for improvement for the Central Business District at this meeting. All are welcome to attend.

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Reader says Mike Sedon certainly the right choice for Village Council

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Reader says Mike Sedon certainly the right choice for Village Council

Mike Sedon is a fine man with the highest of standards. His wife is very, very lucky to have found such a wonderful husband and father for their children. His judgement is outstanding – he is not going to work for an employer who tried to force him to quit a run for Village Council in another state. Mike is now freelancing and no longer commuting to Staten Island, he is around for his children. All the right choices.

And he is certainly the right choice for Village Council. I cannot wait to see him on the dais. Sanity will finally rule.

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Candidates for Ridgewood Council air views at forum

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Candidates for Ridgewood Council air views at forum

MAY 1, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014, 1:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Voters will select two new members to the Village Council in just two weeks, so they packed a forum to meet the three candidates hoping to earn their support.

It was standing room only in Village Hall for Tuesday’s event, which was organized and hosted by the League of Women Voters.

James Albano, Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon aired their individual views on a variety of village issues, ranging from Ridgewood’s decades-long parking dearth to Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion.

“I believe the idea of a stacked parking deck [as part of the plans] is very troubling and concerning,” Knudsen said of Valley’s proposal to nearly double in size, providing 454 private rooms with 12-foot-high ceilings.

“It will forever change the charm and character of the neighborhood,” said Knudsen, vice chairwoman of Board of Adjustment, who has lived in Ridgewood for 15 years.

Knudsen said the village ordinance providing “interested parties” the freedom to request changes to Ridgewood’s master plan “must be repealed.”

Sedon, a freelance journalist who once worked at the Ridgewood News, said it “is not OK to ask too much of your neighbors and overburden them, and this expansion project is doing that.”

Sedon has lived in the village with his wife and three children since 2010.

Albano, who lives in the neighborhood surrounding Valley Hospital, said hospital and village officials “need to find common ground” on the proposal, but agreed the “neighbors’ concerns need to come first.”

Albano, a 42-year Ridgewood resident, serves as board president of the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association.

Parking problems have persisted in Ridgewood since “there have been automobiles,” Sedon said, adding that he supports installing second tiers for parking above existing lots in Ridgewood rather than a large parking garage in town that “will concentrate all the cars, concentrate all the traffic, and create havoc.”

Knudsen also supports a “two-tier parking system,” but also advocated “reconfiguring existing parking to get more spots.”

Albano said he thinks a parking garage in the Central Business District would help keep downtown vibrant.

All three candidates placed an importance on stabilizing taxes while maintaining service levels, and agreed government should be both sensible and efficient.

All three also agreed that three high-density, multiple-unit housing projects before the Planning Board would negatively affect the village and fundamentally change Ridgewood’s character.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/hospital-expansion-parking-lead-forum-1.1006839#sthash.JA3mDsPS.dpuf