Category: Uncategorized

Yes, Ridgewood must remain a Village with as little traffic as possible. I love the small town feel. My detractors tell me that Ridgewood is no longer a village, so they say why not let it just get bigger.

My answer, and to use my favorite metaphor. Yes, Ridgewood is a little overweight, but does that justify letting our lovely Village become morbidly obese.

My dream: Put the village on a diet. Since ordinances and changes to our Master Plan are now allowed GALORE, let us have an ordinance restricting the number of restaurants.

Some years ago there was a lovely article in the real estate section of the NYTimes stating that according to some village residents Ridgewood was becoming RESTAURANT ROW , with accompanying traffic congestion, parking problems, and pollution and that should not be allowed.

I agree. One more point. There was recently an article in NYT about BUTTE COLORADO. A really small village, that Budweiser wanted to develop for commercials and give the residents jobs and more MONEY.

And guess what? Residents lacking full jobs vehemently rejected the idea. One man said, “I would much rather eat beans all of my life, rather than have my village developed. Money and development is not what counts.”

Is that too subtle and elusive to be understood?

Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack.

I am sorry, but I really can’t listen to folks like this letter writer. I try to be objective, but the stupidity is overwhelming.

Since when does the prospect of adding 500 new families to our downtown do ‘something” as to the “pressing needs” of our Village. Excuse my harshness, but this fellow presents himself as a complete moron. What exactly is he thinking? Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack. There’s nothing wrong with Hackensack. Plenty of multifamily housing, plenty of space and housing stock for developers to develop. But, it is not Ridgewood. The two towns are something different — equally unique and special in their own way. The question folks like this don’t address honestly is why should those of us who chose to live in a town like Ridgewood now be forced to live in a town like Hackensack? Both lovely options, but those of us who chose Ridgewood did so for a purpose.

This whole debate has really gotten beyond the pale. The developers want to make money — period and end of story. They don’t want to engage in conversation about what’s right for the Village, they simply want to talk about how much money they can make by cramming in as many units as they can. Please, let’s have no more false allegations about the developers only wanting to figure out what’s right and the best thing to move Ridgewood “forward”. Let’s have no more false talk about how the projects will “revitalize” our downtown. And while we are on the subject, why the hell does our downtown need revitalizing? If no one want to shop there anymore, let’s turn it back into single family homes or parkland. Again, it is simply shear stupidity to make the argument that “if no one who lives here wants to shop downtown, then let’s bring in 500 new families who may want to do so.” Such ill-logic does not improve our schools or our standard of living and certainly doesn’t lower our taxes.

These false proponents of “modernization” contend that “We need to turn Valley into a super-regional hospital — we need to start turning our downtown into housing projects.” My answer to that is “no, we don’t need these things at all.” If you feel you need to live next to a regional hospital — if you feel you need to live in a multi – family environment, then move your butt to Hackensack or one of the many other very nice options available to you.

Personally, we have paid taxes for the last fifty years to be just where we are — and I would thank you very much to leave me and my family where we are and not make choices about my community simply to put money in the pockets of the developers and satisfy the desires of 500 new families who may want to move into Ridgewood. We have a healthy diverse housing stock and we don’t need new projects. Our Master Plan does not need amendment simply to suit the whims and profit desires of the developers who speculated on land purchases in the hope and game plan that they will pull the wool over the eyes of the misguided.

Leave Ridgewood alone. And if you feel you can’t, then leave Ridgewood — period and end of story.