If you remember, Valley started this ambitious push in September 2006
As the June 17 Ridgewood Planning Board meeting about Valley’s proposed Master Plan changes approaches, it is worth considering what this fight is really about and what Ridgewood has already been through.
If you remember, Valley started this ambitious push in September 2006, with bold move to get what they wanted through a change to the Village’s Master Plan. It was clear then that Valley had been developing their strategy years before this 2006. Having been thwarted by the Ridgewood Council in 1983, the highly paid Valley legal team decided to do an “end-around”; by passing the elected council by using a tactic that more commonly used by developers on the Jersey Shore to push through high-rise developments.
Also in 2006 Valley believed that they had a sympathetic Major in the person on David Pfund, who had a long history of family connections with the hospital. Many members of the Council and the Planning Board chaired by David Nicholson were also tainted by Valley through, work, family or membership of the elite Valley Foundation social club. Even the members of the Ridgewood BOE seemed to be sympathetic to Valley, refusing to take a stand against Valley’s proposal on behalf school children and their teachers through their spokesperson Sheila Broga, first in 2009 and again in 2013. Instead the BOE took the attitude that the development was going to be approved so the school community needs to adapt!
All would have gone according to Valley’s plan, except for some Ridgewood Residents who noticed that there were some unusual proceedings occurring on at Council and the Planning Board.
Once Valley tactics became known, people from all over Ridgewood began to organize against the plans for mega hospital. The gang of three, that later become known as the Valley Girls (Meyers, Frazer and Goldfischer) hastily went it damage control. Do you remember the newsletter and cards we all received in the mailbox from Valley? It was a campaign that was built on a perceived personality cult centered on Audrey Meyers. In the fliers Mrs Meyers was photographed perpetually sporting a fixed smile under a thick fringe of black hair, “Its alright, trust me…trust Valley what could we possibly do to hurt the Village?”
Of course the forced folksy facade was exposed when the first public hearings started in September 2007. More and more of the monstrous facts emerged and within a short time Mrs Meyers stopped attending the public meetings. We can assume that she was advised not attend as she drew too much heat. Instead the residents of the Village sat through weeks of hearings watching the spectacle of Frazer and Goldfischer in the audience chatting and laughing during many, many sincere and heart felt speeches against the Valley’s plans.
Then there was Mr Collins the local legal hack for Valley who’s only job seemed to be to disrupt proceedings as much as possible.
Despite Valley’s attempts at intimidation, stalling, legal maneuverings and costly PR campaign the opposition to the Mega Hospital continued. All sorts of tactics were used. Valley supporters formed a front-group to try and convince Ridgewood people that there was also a grass roots organization that supported Valley. It was seen for what it was. Donations to the BOE from Valley increased and Mrs Frazer, VP of Marketing of Communications for Valley, became a director of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce; a strange situation as the chamber was formed to support Ridgewood’s small businesses.
After hearings that dragged on for years, the planning board approved the Master Plan amendment in favor of Valley at a tumultuous meeting held in August 2010 at GW middle School. Three police districts were in attendance to control the crowd that could not fit into the building and there as an attempt by a Valley supporter to prevent people parking at the adjacent church.
While the Ridgewood Council finally decided not to approve the ordinances that would be needed support the Master Plan, it still left the Master Plan in place. It then took the Concerned Residents of Ridgewood CRR to take Valley to court try and remove the time-bomb of the altered Master Plan that still remained supporting Valley’s Mega hospital.
Thanks to court proceedings won by CRR, the residents and village have had to spend more time before the Planning Board through the last 12 months.
Now 8 years from 2006 when Valley first tried to tamper with Ridgewood Master Plan, the Planning Board will again look at the Master Plan. Since 2006 Audrey Myers the CEO of the non-profit Valley Hospital has seen her salary rise by over one million dollars from $787,000 (2007) to $1,988,369 (2013). The highly paid driving force behind 8 years of turmoil in Ridgewood. Meanwhile CRR and its supporters have had to spend well over $100,000 to defend the Village against Valley.
Hopefully next week and for the last time the Ridgewood Planning Board will finally put an end to this madness.
This is a good documentation of what has happened so far and how long it has taken. Unfortunately, Valley is going to get its way with this Planning Board since it appears that they will be given two choices to vote on – both of which have been proposed by Valley.
The writer neglects to mention the very personal bias that Gail Price has brought to this proceedings. Remember that the CRR lawsuit was based on the last Planning Board’s failure to follow proper legal procedure. In other words, Ms. Price failed to do her job. This time around Ms. Price has been bent on “sticking it” to Valley’s opposition. As the attorney, she is supposed to advise the Board on procedural issues yet she has acted both as emcee and Valley’s mouthpiece for the past 18 months. She has allowed Valley’s attorney to disrupt, interrupt, shout down and otherwise muzzle everyone from little old ladies to expert witnesses to members of the Planning Board itself.
Just about the only tolerable aspect of these most recent hearings has been watching Ms. Fraser squirm as her employer commits one PR disaster after another. Valley has exposed itself for what is truly is – an organization that has nothing but contempt for our Village. Think about how disingenuous they have been with us since 2006. Their experts and representatives have committed perjury, their management has lied to us repeatedly and their supporters (including one Councilwoman) have turned a blind eye because they can’t bear to even watch the behavior of their beloved Valley.
In the end though Valley will get its way because Ridgewood was sold out years ago. The Planning Board will be instructed to give Valley whatever it wants next week. Next up – huge apartments and 2 fewer travel lanes into town.
Yes, “Pfund’s folly” has been a tremendous waste on the resources of the town for way too long. As we pay taxes each year we should pay silent tribute to him and the other buffoons who allowed this process to go on without end.
Well done ! Not that they would have the guts to print it, but it should be sent to the Ridgewood News.
I just hope the members of the PB/Council read it before they vote on what has truly become an embarrassment to this town.
well written. thanks for the great summary. hopefully the planning board will have some balls and stand up to this ridiculous plan and say NO.
Planning Board, please don’t do this to our neighborhood, our children and our town. Tell Valley “no”. Even if you think there will be no harm in the short term or long term (which I don’t understand how you could think that) there are always unintended consequences. Giving Valley what it wants is not worth the risk. The future of our village rests in the hands of our neighbors on the Planning Board:
Charles Nalbantian – Chairman
Richard Joel – Vice Chairman
Paul Aronsohn – Mayor
Albert J. Pucciarelli – Councilman
Morgan Hurley
Nancy Bigos
Kevin Reilly
Cyril Grant
Wendy Dockray
Michele Peters – Alt.1
Trisha Connors – Alt. 2
Please do the right thing.
Al Puciarelli has recused himself from these hearings
Morgan Hurley resigned
Cyril Grant resigned
Trisha Connors resigned
The remaining 7 members will be voting on Tuesday, June 17th
Ridgewood council is suppose to have 2 members and therefor 2 votes on the planning board. Al Pucciarelli has correctly recused himself from the Valley hearings as well as the downtown hearings. This has left Ridgewood with only 1 elected representative from council for approximately 90% of the planning board meetings. When the council has it’s reorganization on July 1st, I sincerely hope Al Pucciarelli does the right thing and does not remain on the planning board. The residents of Ridgewood have been denied their representation for far too long. It’s time to have 2 members from council on the planning board that do not need to recuse themselves for the majority of the issues.
I also sincerely hope the remaining council members (Paul Aronsohn, Al Pucciarelli and Gwenn Hauck) will welcome the newly elected members with open arms, fresh minds, and a new beginning, and end the last 2 years of fighting on the council. It has been very disturbing to read and see the way the 5 of them treated each other. The best way to do this is to follow protocol and have the newly elected member with the most votes be sworn in as deputy mayor. This will show everyone their willingness to work with each other. The person with the most votes would be Susan Knudsen. If Ms Knudsen declines, it would then go to Mike Sedon. I hope the Village of Ridgewood can breathe a sigh of relief after the reorganization meeting on July 1st, knowing that the next 2 years will be an open, honest dialog and a good working relationship on the council.
Does Bigos really live in Ridgewood? I thought that her street was Midland Park?
She is on the board as a staff member. Seems to me that anybody voting on this kind of thing ought to be required to live in Ridgewood as well. It has to have an impact on them personally.
Did a quick check online and as of 2011 tax records Bigos has an address in Ridgewood.
Even if it does get past the planning board, it will lose in the Council 3-1. The Mayor, Knudsen and Sedon all oppose the plan, and Pucciarelli will have to recuse himself. Not sure why the Valley proponents don’t understand this?