We thought we would share an opinion piece that was written by a resident for the “Tips From Town” website.
The recent decision by the Planning Board to approve the amendment of our master plan to allow for 35 units an acre, three times what is currently allowed, has me experiencing a flood of negative emotions, everything from sadness, to fear, to anger.
A recent article in North Jersey.com, notes all three of the builders left the vote with big smiles on their faces, and why wouldn’t they? It feels very much as if the 6 out of 9 members who voted “Yes” had exactly the builders’ satisfaction and approval in mind when they cast their careless vote. Many are arguing they may have had some more selfish motives in mind, but I won’t speculate. The four builders who originally petitioned for the change asked for 55 units/acre, probably hoping for half that, and the Town Planning Board, whose responsibility should be to the residents of Ridgewood, nodded their heads like puppets, and essentially said, “Whatever you need to turn a profit at the expense of our village.” Thank you to the three members who voted no.
I know the town needs to change with the times. I support multi-family housing development, just not at this density. There is no doubt if the Village Council supports the Planning Board’s recommendation, we Ridgewood residents are in for a helluva time. I can barely drive through town now with all the congestion. Imagine what this will do to traffic. It took months to “improve” the underpass at Garber square, what will this kind of massive construction do to the safety and usability of downtown? And, that is just in the short term.
https://ridgewood.tipsfromtown.com/2015/06/05/opinion-35-units-an-acre-is-too-many/
If you agree, please share with your neighbors and consider signing the petition to let our council know just how many residents are opposed to the proposal before them
