by Local Builder
Ridgewood NJ, We have high density housing because of the author and commenters on this blog. People who know nothing about real estate law and development have dictated the conversation, and even more sadly have run the boards in Ridgewood. There are people who lead, and there are people who obstruct and impede progress. We have had the latter in leadership in Ridgewood until very recently.
The best example is High Mountain golf course in Franklin Lakes. Nobody wanted this to be developed. But it was worth far more as a development then a golf course (reality). Thanks to excellent leadership on the part of the mayor, Frank Bivona, and Kevin Boswell the town engineer; rather than stick their head in the sand and pretend that they could fight this, they negotiated the best possible deal they could with the developer while they still had leverage. Nobody is happy about it, but at least we do not have 600 units on that
property.
NJ Affordable housing regulations allow developers the loophole to be able to eventually force towns, through the legal system, to allow large multi-family developments. I am not sure if any of you obstructionists remember the constitution, but private property rights are one of our foundational legal rights (and also the right to economic liberty). The high density in Ridgewood is just a byproduct of the fact that we have nowhere left to achieve this development in town.
And you also forget that the Town was having large vacancies at that time because of the weak leadership at the board and mayor level, and most importantly from the disaster that was Tony Merlino. He cost the taxpayer tens of millions of dollars of wasted time and money through his obfuscation and the farce of protecting its citizens. No organized and intelligent developer or business owner wanted to be in Ridgewood and deal with his endless maze. Thank you to the town manager for having the courage to push Merlino out, and thanks to Tom Yotka, and Paola for resurrecting the building department.
Regarding the impact these units will have on the town and its services, you forgot to mention a thing called rateables. The non-state assisted tenants will pay Ridgewood’s onerous property taxes. What you should be complaining about is the lack of leadership from the town leaders and the apathy of its citizens, that allowed us to massively overpay for our educators and the service departments you reference since we have been out negotiated by the unions at every turn. That failure and a long list of other inefficiencies and mis-management allow us to have some of the highest taxes in the country. That tax burden is the reason for a large deterioration in property values, which should have Ridgewood residents furious and make them show up for every election.
I have worked in 40 some odd towns in my almost 30 years in the building business. Up until recently, Ridgewood had the most inefficiently run town that I encountered (no formal system for an organized builder to navigate through the approval process, no communication between departments, almost no relevant experts at the board level). We all love this town or we would not live here and pay the ridiculous property taxes. It has been great to see a revival happening downtown. While unsightly and too large, this high density will help the downtown businesses. At some point, the town (for that matter all of government) needs to start prioritizing the health and survival of small businesses because they are on life-support.
I am tired of people who do little to contribute to the economic well-being of our town being the only voice on many of the issues that need to be addressed. I really hope that those of you who pay these high property taxes start to understand the platforms of our elected officials, and show up to vote next election.
do you really think anyone is going to live in Ridgewood if its an over priced dump?
love the no it all attitude , some people would suggest because i can afford over $70 grand in property taxes , I might also know something
“economic well-being” that remains to bee seen
the utter disrespect for the resident continues
Is the economic well being of this village identical to real estate development? Granted, the village administration is sub standard, but that administration should not exist solely to facilitate high rise development
Stop high density housing!
Fight to change the nj regulations that allow for this overdevelopment, especially in light of coved 18.
Get rid of loopholes that allow developers to ruin our once beautiful towns in Bergen county.
Remember social distancing? Last thing we need is higher density.
Look what developments have done to Paramus, Hackensack and other once beautiful towns.
Taxes, over time, have increased significantly and the towns and the rest of us have to live with eyesores, traffic and yes, higher taxes.
Leaders and supporters of high density housing have and will lead only to the demise of ridgewood and the rest of Bergen county.
We should all fight to change the loopholes in the law that allow for this travesty, on us all.
Thank god I sold up and got out when I did.
Covid 18….Very good George thanks for the input.
Believe me you’re not gonna stop these people they have all the lawyers all the money all the time. Just make sure when they build it they build it nice safe End it blends in with the neighborhood.
To the poster who has said many times he/she is glad to be out of Ridgewood: why do you keep reading the Blog? Aren’t you so very happy in your new location ? Leave us alone and be part of your new community…
We are just like reminding you fools were staying in Ridgewood being those taxes for an overrated town in an overrated school system. Enjoy
” Ridgewood being those taxes” ?????????????????
COVID-18, COVID-19… Whatever it takes.
– Jack Butler
It takes a certain special type of person to move to Ridgewood.
.
Someone who is….
RICH and STUPID
.
Do you see a contradiction here: “NJ Affordable housing regulations allow developers the loophole to be able to eventually force towns, through the legal system, to allow large multi-family developments. I am not sure if any of you obstructionists remember the constitution, but private property rights are one of our foundational legal rights (and also the right to economic liberty).”
Sounds like Tony Merlino was the right man for the job.
yes NJ affordable housing rules gives us the right to force people to use private property they way we want unlike the US Constitution
If you are going to use a former golf course as an example, how come the author didn’t cite the Apple Ridge Country Club and all of the recent environmental concerns from the run off of arsenic? Also, the people he mentions in the last paragraph are one in the same. Slow on the bottle and enjoy the road.
Build them on the Schedler site
“Massively overpaid educator”? Give me a break!
all you assholes that vote dumbocrat are to blame.
the democrats appoint democrat liberals to the state supreme court
these liberals come up with the bullshit mount laurel housing rules and abbot schools ‘decisions’.
so every builder knows that they can propose whatever they want using the threat of ‘mt laurel’ affordable housing which would give even a greater density than the apartments being built.
im against these apartments, but if the town didn’t bend over and grab their ankles, the developer would do it without lube, and do the mt laurel thing and we’d have more
its sux but you libtards need to stop voting for democrats
I’m sorry, but you all are wrong.
Currently, this town is failing plain and simple.
We need to grow and become a town of the 21st century. This will never be the town of your childhoods again, and that is alright. Instead of ruining this town because of your fear of “multigenerational housing” (which is fooling nobody, meaning that you want to prevent People of Color from coming into your homogenous town), you should instead think about where you want the town to go.
I am a taxpayer, and I am happy that my tax funds are going to building up the town. NOTHING IS GOING TO LOWER THE TAXES, so we might as well have a nice town because of it.
Town looks like Berlin ..Bombed out
Abandoned …Roadways A COMPLETE
SHIT SHOW
Pseg only part of issues
They should be sued for their hot patch and hot footed approach to never remediate that sinking trench ever Again
NEW VC GET ON THIS we had ZERO SNOW AND NO FREEZE THAW excuses