>Committee: Private funds needed to develop Schedler property in Ridgewood
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
BY KELLY EBBELS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The village’s last remaining major undeveloped open space area, the Schedler property east of Route 17, can only be renovated with a private fund-raising initiative, according to Ridgewood’s Open Space Committee.
The revelation came from Ralph Currey, chair of the committee, during a presentation at Wednesday’s Village Council meeting. He recommended that the village support the formation of a non-profit foundation to oversee a fund-raising effort.
“In the opinion of the open space committee, only a significant private fund-raising initiative will enable the property to be developed in the foreseeable future,” Currey said.
Local funding was inaccessible due to dwindling funding available from county open space fund reserves. Open space taxes were cut last year, and there are tight restrictions on the village’s finances, he said.