Tag: BCIA funding

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Please remove BCIA funding for Ridgewood garage from 2/24 meeting agenda

BCIA

file photo by Boyd Loving

February 23, 2016

To the Bergen County Freeholders:

As you may be aware, many Ridgewood residents are opposed to bonding a parking garage in our Central Business District through the county.

A petition has been circulating widely around town to make this issue a referendum on the ballot of the May 10, 2016, election.

A large number of signatures has been obtained. These will be counted and validated shortly–but not bytomorrow.

We urge the Freeholders to refrain from acting on this matter until the referendum issue has been determined. We wish to handle our own project with internal funding.

Should a judge allow the referendum, any decision that you might make tomorrow would be nullified, and you would have wasted your time.

As a Ridgewood resident for 44 years and counting, I want only the best for my town. Self-funding of the parking garage would be far preferable to bringing in the county. I am also concerned about possible ramifications in the future.

Please consider removing from tomorrow’s meeting agenda the item regarding Ridgewood parking garage bond funding.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Marcia Ringel
Ridgewood

jvoss@co.bergen.nj.us, STanelli@co.bergen.nj.us, jfelice@co.bergen.nj.us,DavidLGanz@co.bergen.nj.us, mdenicola@co.bergen.nj.us, Tracyzur@co.bergen.nj.us,tsullivan@co.bergen.nj.us

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Reader says BCIA Funding a Sad day for the Village of Ridgewood – but only a day

BCIA Meeting

photo by Boyd Loving

Sad day for the Village – but only a day.

We should neither despair nor capitulate. We can prevent the council from handing the Village over to failed developers and downtown businesses. The May 10th election really isn’t that far away, and these things can still be derailed and prevented. Thankfully there are people working on doing just that. We need to all join in. Aronsohn knows his plans can be undone – – that is why he acts like he does when you try and nail him down on specifics. What scares him beyond belief is that if he doesn’t deliver, his developer friends will drop him like a hot potato. He’s not loved in either the local or state level democratic organizations or other groups. He knows the developers are his last hope to ever winning a real election. And yes, our current debates about Village life are all about one man’s political future (or lack thereof) – – that is what makes the sell-out so despicable.

Let’s keep the pressure up. And let’s see what happens in the May election. If those of us opposed to the overdevelopment are truly in the majority, as I suspect we are, then the council votes will reveal just that. In the meantime, lets not have this fellow undo over a hundred years of village life just so he can try and advance his own failed political career.

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Reader says BCIA funding means Ridgewood gives Control of Parking Garage to NJT and the County

Village Council Meeting 1/26/2016

photo by Boyd Loving

 

The Council Majority ie 3 amigos have decided that although the proposed bond was not approved by the super majority that they would do an end run and get the money from the BCIA.

Worse than the extra fees involved in getting money from these outside place (and no way is this extra cost netting out to $2,200) is the fact that Ridgewood will lose control and be forced to open up the garage to outside commuters.
Faulty and incomplete analysis on BCIA bond. Even if the Council assumptions are correct on the bond fees being offset by lower rate (BIG if), you complete disregard the lost revenue by going through the BCIA. Ridgewood would lose out on the additional $750/pass per year ($750 residents – $1500 non-residents). Even if you only assume that 10 out of town cars use the garage for commuting we lose out on $187,500 over the life of the bond. We take the risk, the BCIA gets the reward – foolish.
While I’m all for helping our neighboring towns, Ridgewood commuters must come first. If we have unused commuter spaces fine let others park here. Bergen County as well and NJ transit has it’s own agenda and that agenda isn’t in the best interest of Ridgewood. It is a major mistake to take any money from these outside agencies