The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Montvale NJ, Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali comments on recent court decision on court mandated over development in New Jersey .
STATEMENT FROM MONTVALE MAYOR GHASSALI ON TRIAL COURT DECISION:
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Ridgewood NJ, from a new performing arts center to a decades-old tax issue, the Village of Ridgewood, NJ, has been busy working on a number of significant projects. Village Manager Keith Kazmark recently provided an update on five key initiatives that will shape the community for years to come.
Continue reading The Valley Hospital Tax Saga and More: An Update on Ridgewood’s Top Projects
photos courtesy of Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo and Russo Developement
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Wood cliff Lake NJ, A massive redevelopment project is on the horizon for Woodcliff Lake. The former BMW North America headquarters on Chestnut Ridge Road is being eyed for a mixed-use community that could bring hundreds of new residential units, retail space, and a public park to the borough.
Continue reading Major Development Proposed for Former BMW Site in Woodcliff Lake
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Ridgewood NJ, The American dream of homeownership is slipping away for middle-income families in 2025. With home prices skyrocketing and affordable housing options dwindling, households earning around $75,000 annually can afford just 21% of listings—less than half of what was available pre-pandemic, according to the National Association of Realtors. This alarming trend, coupled with declining construction and rising costs, is reshaping the U.S. housing market. A new report from Construction Coverage highlights where affordable housing is being built and what it means for buyers. Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 housing affordability crisis and the areas fighting back with lower-cost homes.
Continue reading 2025 Housing Crisis: Middle-Income Buyers Locked Out as Prices Soar
“Dear Montvale residents, this is what we are up against and why we are fighting.
Developers, Fair Share Housing, and their lobbyists are forcing massive overdevelopment on our small towns — ignoring our schools, traffic, water, sewer, floodings and infrastructure pressure.
Continue reading Montvale: Fair Share Housing vs Fair Share Farming
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SADDLE RIVER, NJ — Saddle River officials are considering the purchase of a 0.6-acre property at 22 E. Allendale Road for affordable housing, with the price set at $860,000. The proposal, introduced at the Aug. 18 Borough Council meeting, is set for a public hearing and vote on Sept. 15.
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RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The Ridgewood Village Council has voted down a proposed zoning overlay that would have allowed a 125-bed assisted living facility on three adjoining lots along North Maple Avenue, a move that stirred heated debate among residents and leaves questions about the Village’s affordable housing plan.
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PARK RIDGE, NJ — A major affordable housing development in Park Ridge has become the center of a high-stakes legal battle, with the developer accusing the borough and its Board of Public Works of deliberately delaying construction and causing millions in damages.
Continue reading Park Ridge Accused of Stalling $30M Affordable Housing Project in New Lawsuit
Continue reading Linda T. Barba and Armen Azarnia Announce Candidacy for Bergen County Commissioner
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Montvale NJ, Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali has written a compelling letter to Trenton, addressing the complex challenges of affordable housing and the need for a more comprehensive solution to housing insecurity. While acknowledging the importance of affordable housing initiatives, Mayor Ghassali emphasizes that these efforts alone will not resolve the underlying systemic issues driving housing instability in New Jersey and beyond.
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Montvale Park NJ, Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali welcomes the Borough of Woodland Park in Passaic County, joining our affordable housing coalition and bringing the number of towns to 29 in seven counties, representing over 300,000 residents. The addition of Woodland Park shoots down the whole “wealthy towns” are trying to selfishly block “affordable housing” argument.
Thank you Woodland Park Mayor Tracy Bennett-Kallert and borough council members for taking a stand against high density housing. Our next court date is on December 20, 2024.
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Montvale NJ, according to Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, more towns joining our coalition and ACTUALLY fighting for their residents to bring fairness to the “affordable housing” “Program”. Each town committed $20,000 over two years.
Other towns will be listed once they complete the internal approval and signing on process. Towns already committed to join us with resolutions and joint defense agreements:
Continue reading Coalition to Fight New Jersey Bogus “Affordable Housing Program” Continues to Grow
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Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood moves forward with The Green Amendment, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would give all New Jersey citizens the basic environmental rights to clear air, clean water, a stable climate and a healthy environment. Exclusion if you live in the Schedler neighborhood. Not to mention Ridgewood Water. @everyone Please listen to this and help the Friends of the Schedler Neighborhood
Continue reading Schedler neighborhood in the Eye of the Storm of the “The Green Amendment”
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Trenton NJ, A proposed “Affordable Housing” law aims to establish the required amount of affordable housing for towns to protect against developers bypassing municipal approval processes. The law suggests using a formula outlined in a 2018 court opinion by Judge Mary Jacobson, which initially applied to Princeton and West Windsor. The Department of Community Affairs would calculate the town’s affordable housing number by Dec. 1, 2024, or seven months within the bill’s effective date, avoiding the need for three regional court-appointed special masters, as proposed in the previous session’s draft.
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Englewood NJ, after the city council of Englewood passed plan to provide affordable housing through overlay zones Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes vetoed the ordinance writing that the plan was inconsistent with the master plan , failed to properly respect residential zoning , failed to incorporate redevelopment study areas and the plan, “fails to preserve our goal of maintaining neighborhood character, fails to target development to blighted areas of the city, and was conducted in a fashion that has alienated our citizenry.”
