photo courtesy of google maps
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Wayne NJ, a second developer has hit Wayne township with a builder’s remedy lawsuit, this time to force a “substantial” housing project on pristine woodland off of Berdan Avenue.
Continue reading Developer Attempts to Force Development of Wayne Woodland
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Murphy Administration Pushing to Amend NJ’s Law against Discrimination to make violent offenders, including murderers and rapists a protected class.
Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi said yesterday on Facebook ,”I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. The NJ Division on Civil Rights (the arm of the Governor’s Office) is currently arguing in our Housing Committee meeting that NJ’s Law against Discrimination should be the first in the nation to be amended to make violent offenders, including murderers and rapists a protected class in the State of NJ and that if a landlord refused to rent to such a person because of their criminal background the landlord could be sued under NJ’s Law Against Discrimination , receive attorneys’ fees, penalties, etc. An interesting side note is crime victims in Nj are not provided with the same protections.”
“That’s just the point. Residents who moved to Ridgewood for the small-town feel and great schools pay a price. It’s called property taxes and incredibly high home prices. These residents work hard to get here and live here.
Having affordable housing shoved down our throats because of “privilege” is the biggest con of all time. The ones making money are the lawyers and developers. I want to live in Alpine and send my kids to private school. But I can’t. That’s life, but don’t tell me to move if I don’t like it. I worked my ass off to get here and If I wanted to live in high-density housing areas, I would have moved to Park Ridge.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Legislation sponsored by Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee Chair Senator Troy Singleton, which would require the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) to allocate a certain portion of federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) to certain high-opportunity areas, advanced from the Senate today.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ. The Murphy Administration today announced a roadmap for spending $60 million in Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) funding to advance affordable housing across the state. The funding, which was diverted in previous years, was restored as part of Governor Murphy’s FY2020 budget and is now available for pre-applications. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will administer the funds to create stronger, fairer communities in which people can afford to live.
“The question is how come Michael Kasparian, Chairman, Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority (NBCUA) is a developer on this project. I am sure Saddle River attorney Russell Huntington from Huntington Bailey LLP in Westwood checked all the legalities of this “arrangement” but did he check possible ethics violation? Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, also an attorney was representing the town of Saddle River in the past as its of counsel but she doesn’t represent Saddle River anymore. Perhaps as an Assemblywoman representing District 5 she could look into those possible ethics violations…”
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL
PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
7:30 P.M.
Continue reading THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL PUBLIC WORKSHOP AND SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, the Borough of Paramus has approved an affordable-housing agreement with Fair Share Housing Center that calls for 259 units in the borough.The Borough Council on Monday night approved the settlement agreement, which identifies 259 units of realistic development potential. Councilman Chris DiPiazza, saying he wanted to get a second opinion from another attorney, cast the lone dissenting vote.
Mayor Richard LaBarbiera said this week was the borough’s deadline, as its immunity against builder’s remedy lawsuits was about to end. Such lawsuits can result in high-density development being forced on a municipality.
Continue reading Just Beating the Deadline, Paramus Agrees to affordable-housing
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock Mayor Bruce Packer announced the settlement of Glen Rock’s Affordable Housing status.
On a Facebook post Mayor Packer said , “There will be several more public meetings scheduled in coming months where the details will continue to be discussed. With the settlement behind us, we no longer have the same restrictions with regard to what we are able to talk about. In the meantime, please visit the link below where we have composed a FAQ as I had asked our Planner to answer many of the questions that have come to us over the past few weeks and he has taken the time to do so.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Middletown NJ, Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso (both R-Monmouth) issued a statement following Middletown’s decision to withdraw from affordable housing negotiations:
“We stand behind Middletown’s decision to pull out of COAH discussions,” said O’Scanlon. “They’re tired of trying to play by the rules for years and years only to be told the hundreds of units they’ve built are never enough, and I completely understand their frustrations. For people to claim Middletown doesn’t want working-class families in their town is completely misguided.”
Continue reading More Calls For Realistic Affordable Housing Reform
I’d like to know which ones of our council members will attend this hearing and speak out against the outrage that is called “affordable housing.” Ridgewood should be out front leading this effort, not wallowing in self-pity and over-development and cowering to the developers seeking to profit from their strangulation of our town
Mayor Hache?
Deputy Mayor Knudsen?
Councilman Sedon?
Councilman Voight?
Councilwoman Walsh?
Let us know what you are doing to stop the over-development, or at least come out and say you support it and wish to see it continue.
“This is beyond ridiculous. FSH has taken hostage a whole state . The market should decide who can buy a house where. Government should not interfere here and neither should a ghost organisation such as FSH. If you can’t afford to live in RW go live in Waldwick or some other area that suits you. I would love to live in Saddle River but can’t afford so I found a place I could afford in RW. This kind of policy is destroying all the nice and beautiful suburbs in NJ. I just can’t get why FSH has so much power and why residents have no say in this but are threatened into submission. The only mayors who are vocal about this craziness are Scotch Plains and Englewood Cliffs. These guys have balls and speak for their constituents.
And yes all the new structures being built across the area are from the same exact set of drawings. They look like correction facilities.”
“I can’t believe they are going to build a whole new hospital! Wonder what the old one will become?”
Valley Health System ,”Valley will maintain a vibrant campus in Ridgewood that will be dedicated to a broad range of healthcare services. Those services may include an urgent care center, and laboratory, radiology and endoscopy services. Moving the inpatient services to Paramus also provides Valley with an opportunity to consolidate existing ambulatory and outpatient services, as well as health system business functions.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Mayor Hache fills us in on the court mandated forced over development know as Affordable Housing . According to the mayor ,this litigation started in 2015, as a result of the failure of the executive and legislative branches of state government to properly address the development of affordable housing in the state. The Village was mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court to file a Declaratory Judgement complaint in Superior Court, seeking approval of its adopted housing plan and immunity from builders remedy lawsuits while the decision by the Court was pending.
Continue reading Mayor Releases Details of Ridgewood’s Affordable Housing Settlement
Scotch Plains NJ, Scotch Plains Mayor Al Smith, a leading advocate for reforming the current court-driven affordable housing process, will speak at the February 20, 2019 Union County Young Republicans Meeting at 7:00pm at the Stage House Tavern in Scotch Plains.
Since 2015, Court-mandated affordable housing obligations have imposed high density developments on many towns in Union County causing overdevelopment and creating challenges in the areas of infrastructure, public transportation, schools, traffic, open space, and services that are not adequately addressed in the current process.
Continue reading Scotch Plains Mayor Al Smith to join Union County Young Republicans at Event on Stopping Court-Mandated Overdevelopment
