CBD - Page 101 of 164 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on March 9, 2017March 9, 2017 by James — 23 Comments

Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Sedon Advances “New Hudson Street Garage Plan ” in Quiet Village Council Meeting

file photo by Boyd Loving

March 9,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, in a shocking turn of events the Village Council had almost no public comments on Wednesday night.The Village Council continued to move forward on a variety of issues.

Village Manager Heather Mailander reminded everyone about the Village budget meetings;

Thursday, March 9 Senior Lounge @ 5:30pm

Wednesday, March 15 Court Room @ 5:30pm

Monday, March 27 Court Room @ 5:30pm

Councilmen Voigt said that the Financial Advisory Committee was putting together an analysis of parking garage and how to pay for it, and working on an analysis of Village fees.

Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon in what may come as a surprise to many said the Village council has been looking to advance a Garage on Hudson street for months, the Village council will roll out a 3 story garage plan with a modified conceptual design that fits on the property and takes into account all the criticism of previous Garagezilla.

Councilmen Ramon Hache said the Central business advisory committee floated the idea of a local merchant reward card, earning credits against tax liabilities

Mayor Susan Knudsen reiterated that Village boards are for people invested in the community and to represent the Village of Ridgewood.

In what can be can only be considered a major breakthrough, in parking, the restrictions have been removed from backing into spaces.

Residents will be relieved to note that the fees will remain unchanged for Graydon Pool and Ridgewood Tennis this summer.

And finally the council also passed a new ordinance regulating the “Water Irrigation Schedule and Water Emergencies”. The new ordinance limits watering of lawns for both governmental and non-governmental properties to two days per week, year-round. Irrigation by a hand-held hose or drip/micro irrigation system is allowed any day. Defines the exceptions to this ordinance as well as the hours when watering of lawns is permitted, and enforcement policies and procedures.

Posted on March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 by James — 15 Comments

NJ marketing expert alarmed by string of retail store closures

By Dino Flammia March 8, 2017 2:19 AM

New Jersey’s retail landscape is changing in the bleakest way possible.

An array of major chains are announcing the complete or partial shutdown of brick-and-mortar stores, and New Jersey locations are included in the mix.

In just the past week, retailers American Apparel, BCBG Max Azria and HHGregg joined the list of companies who can’t financially manage to keep any or some of their operations afloat. BCBG has not specified locations, but all four American Apparel and all three HHGregg locations in New Jersey will be no more.

Decisions to close shops are typically made after the holiday shopping season, but when the list includes major names such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Sears, industry observers can’t help but be alarmed.

Read More: NJ marketing expert alarmed by string of retail store closures | https://nj1015.com/nj-marketing-expert-alarmed-by-string-of-retail-store-closures/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on March 6, 2017March 5, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD PSEG IMPROVEMENTS – MARCH 6 – 10 WORK SCHEDULE UPDATE

March 6,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

PSE&G ELECTRIC RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS

UTILITY UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE

WORK SCHEDULE UPDATE: March 6, 2017 – March 10, 2017

March 6, 2017 –March 9, 2017

Underground Pipe Installation

Franklin Ave.

(Chestnut and North Broad Street)

When working inside the intersection, access to N. Broad will be impacted. Detailed detour signs will be in place. When working on Franklin Ave. 2 lanes of traffic will be maintained,

Parking on Franklin Avenue near the intersection of Chestnut will be impacted during working hours.

March 10, 2017

Underground Pipe Installation

Intersection of

Franklin Ave. & Walnut

Traffic will be shifted, two lanes will be maintained.

Parking will be impacted during working hours.

As part of our electric reliability improvements in Bergen County, PSE&G will be performing utility underground work in the Village of Ridgewood. As of early-March 2017, PSE&G will beperforming the following activities in your area:

Excluding inclement weather delays, PSE&G anticipates working Monday – Friday, (7:00am – 5:00pm).

Safety is our primary concern. PSE&G will work with the Ridgewood Police Department to minimize any traffic concerns or inconveniences to the public. During construction, please refrain from going near our construction work zones.

The upgrades will enhance your electric capacity, system redundancy, and service reliability within the Village of Ridgewood, as well as surrounding communities. If you have questions or concerns, please call our toll free number at 1-877-678-5784

Posted on March 3, 2017March 3, 2017 by James — 3 Comments

Schepisi proposes putting the brakes on litigation while Legislature addresses affordable housing crisis.

March 3,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton, N.J. – New Jersey municipalities could get relief from building more than 200,000 low income housing units and 1,000,000 total new housing units under a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi on Tuesday. The bill (A4666) imposes a moratorium on all affordable housing litigation until the end of the year.

“If we wait any longer the transformative impact on our communities will not be reversible,” said Schepisi (R-Bergen). “Now is the time for the Legislature to act.”

Municipalities have spent millions of taxpayer dollars over the years fighting affordable housing mandates in court. After a January NJ Supreme Court ruling forced towns to consider past housing needs for the first time, municipalities statewide are struggling to compensate. The far-reaching mandate increases low-income housing need by 142 percent while forcing municipalities to permit building that would accommodate a phantom 30 percent population increase.

“The court’s social engineering will devastate all 23 municipalities I represent and suburban municipalities throughout the entire state,” said Schepisi. “The legislature needs to stop ignoring affordable housing and instead should immediately act to fix this problem in a responsible manner. While we focus our energies to vote on the State bird and State butterfly our communities are being turned into mini Brooklyns. We cannot let the court legislate what is best for individual communities. This isn’t temporary; this is forever. I am circulating a resolution to every Mayor and Council in the State seeking their support for an immediate legislative solution.”

Schepisi also introduced a companion bill (A-4667) creating a short term commission that will study prior court decisions, the effectiveness of past affordable housing practices, and analyze projected population increases and corresponding housing need. The commission will hold public hearings and is required to publish a report of its findings at the end of the year.

The January court mandate would unnecessarily increase housing supply by as much as 30 percent in the next 9 years anticipating a population growth of 2.73 million. These projections would cost New Jersey taxpayers over $11.75 billion more in education alone. On the flip side, Rutger’s economists project a population increase of only .3 percent, or 219,000 people, per year until 2026

Posted on March 3, 2017January 21, 2019 by James — 1 Comment

Ridgewood Council Appoints Brigette Bogart as Part-time Village planner

March 3,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Village council has hired Brigette Bogart of Brigette Bogart Planning and Design Professionals to serve as the village’s part-time planner, replacing the departed Blais Brancheau.

Bogart will attend planning and zoning board meetings, as well as review development applications filed by third parties, among other duties. Compensation will be an amount not to exceed $60,000.

According to the firm’s website, Brigette Bogart Planning & Design Professionals LLC was established in May of 2012 as a full service planning and design firm that recognizes the need to incorporate sustainable planning and appropriate urban design concepts into the future development projects.

Bogart has a Master of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania, 2000 and a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture, North Carolina State University, 1997.

She has been awarded the 2008 NJPO Achievement in Planning for Borough of Park Ridge Rehabilitation Project,
2011 NJPO Achievement in Planning for the Township of Fredon Master Plan ,and the 2012 Recognized by Sustainable New Jersey as a member of a Certified Green Team.

Bogart previously worked for 12 years for the well-known Westwood-based planning firm Burgis Associates. In 2003, Bogart was named a Partner with Burgis Associates where she had been involved in all aspects of physical planning. Over a 12-year span, she has represented several municipalities in the review of subdivision and site plan development applications and the preparation of land use regulations as well as master plan elements. In 2010 She received her certification in Grant Writing.

Many residents may remember Bogart as the planner who testified on behalf of Citizens for a Better Ridgewood in 2014 during public hearings on the master plan amendments that would eventually rezone several parcels of land in downtown Ridgewood. Bogart said the rezoning requests “appear to be akin to spot zoning,”

She advised the Ridgewood Planning Board to engage in a cautious process, asking it to think about a “vision” for Ridgewood’s future as it moves forward. At the time their vision seemed more like Union City than Ridgewood .

Bogart herself took a cautious tone did not voice a stance against the developments, but she noted instead that the developments, though possibly at odds with Ridgewood’s best interests, would also help Ridgewood meet some of the current objectives in its master plan, such as enhancing aesthetics of certain areas downtown.

In the end, Bogart testimony reinforced the CBR’s contention that the problem was not development but “jumping from 12 units an acre to 50 units an acre seems reckless at best.”

At that time, the proposed amendments called for a density of 50 units per acre, which members of the grassroots organization CBR as well as most of the Ridgewood community, found unacceptable. Amendments were passed over a year later by the Planning Board reducing the density to 35 units per acre.

The Village Council also added two new members to the Planning Board, Carrie Giordano was appointed as the first alternate member of the board with a term that expires on June 30, 2018. Frances Barto was named as the second alternate, given a term of a little over two years that expires on June 30, 2019.

The village also engaged the Trenton-based Clark, Caton and Hintz planning firm for an amount not to exceed $35,000 to work on issues related to affordable housing.

Posted on February 26, 2017February 26, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

Local Author Yoojin Grace Wuertz will sign her new book, Everything Belongs to Us at Bookends in Ridgewood

February 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Local Author, YOOJIN GRACE WUERTZ, will sign her new book: Everything Belongs to Us ($27.00). Books available: February 28th.

Yoojin Grace Wuertz
Sunday, March 5th @ 2:00pm
Local Author, Yoojin Grace Wuertz will be here to sign her new book:
Everything Belongs to Us

Two young women of vastly different means each struggle to find her own way during the darkest hours of South Korea’s “economic miracle” in a striking debut novel for readers of Anthony Marra and Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.

Seoul, 1978. At South Korea’s top university, the nation’s best and brightest compete to join the professional elite of an authoritarian regime. Success could lead to a life of rarefied privilege and wealth; failure means being left irrevocably behind.For childhood friends Jisun and Namin, the stakes couldn’t be more different. Jisun, the daughter of a powerful business mogul, grew up on a mountainside estate with lush gardens and a dedicated chauffeur. Namin’s parents run a tented food cart from dawn to curfew; her sister works in a shoe factory. Now Jisun wants as little to do with her father’s world as possible, abandoning her schoolwork in favor of the underground activist movement, while Namin studies tirelessly in the service of one goal: to launch herself and her family out of poverty.But everything changes when Jisun and Namin meet an ambitious, charming student named Sunam, whose need to please his family has led him to a prestigious club: the Circle. Under the influence of his mentor, Juno, a manipulative social climber, Sunam becomes entangled with both women, as they all make choices that will change their lives forever.In this sweeping yet intimate debut, Yoojin Grace Wuertz details four intertwining lives that are rife with turmoil and desire, private anxieties and public betrayals, dashed hopes and broken dreams—while a nation moves toward prosperity at any cost.

Bookends is a legendary New Jersey Landmark! We are known for our incredible author events and have hosted well over
1,000 authors in the past 15 years!
Can’t make a signing? We take phone orders for signed copies.
Call now at 201-445-0726!

All books MUST be purchased from BOOKENDS for any of our events and a valid Bookends receipt must be presented for entry.

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.

Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726

Posted on February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood’s Piccolo Bistro Italian Offering Special Pricing

February 24,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Piccolo Bistro, 29 Chestnut St., Ridgewood is offering special pricing of $25 per person Sunday through Thursday. For details piccolobistro.net. The off is on a 3-course Prix-Fixe menu .

Executive Chef, Giancarlo Borletti specializes in a fine contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. His sustainable and vanguardist style of cooking adds a creative and innovating flair to tradition.

Piccolo Bistro is located at 29 Chestnut Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Phone:

201.882.1111

Hours:

Sun – Thurs: 12PM to 10PM

Fri – Sat: 12PM to 10PM

Posted on February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 by James — 1 Comment

Testimony concludes on Chestnut Street proposal in Ridgewood

Chestnut_street_parking_theridgewoodblog

file photo

Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish6:54 p.m. ET Feb. 23, 2017

Ridgewood — Testimony on behalf of an applicant proposing a multifamily housing development on Chestnut Street concluded in front of the Planning Board on Tuesday, though more steps remain before a final vote is taken.

The board will have the opportunity for its own experts to testify and undergo cross-examination. There will also be time for public comment on any aspect of the proposal before a final attorney summation and board discussion.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/02/23/testimony-concludes-chestnut-street-proposal-ridgewood/98259162/

Posted on February 22, 2017January 20, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Many NJ residents exposed to risk of Edgewater-style fire

Nicholas Pugliese , State House Bureau, @nickpugzPublished 5:39 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

The obliterated homes and torched wedding photos. The lost green cards and melted jewelry. Those things, at least, might have been anticipated once the first flames took hold in the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex in January 2015.

The type of sprinkler system installed in the building, as required by New Jersey’s building code, was designed primarily to give people enough time to get out, not to save the building and its contents. To that extent, it succeeded. No one died. No one was even seriously injured.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/02/20/many-nj-residents-exposed-edgewater-style-fire-risk/98164240/

Posted on February 22, 2017February 21, 2017 by James — 2 Comments

LETTER: Seniors being forced to flee New Jersey

file photo by Boyd Loving

12:05 a.m. ET Feb. 21, 2017

Why is New Jersey forcing senior citizens to flee the state?

After decades of contributing as full-fledged members of our communities throughout New Jersey, we find ourselves increasingly forced to flee the state due to the burdensome and discriminatory nature of property taxes for seniors on fixed incomes.

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation, an average of $8,500 per year versus the national average of $3,800. However, you know these facts. What you don’t know is that for senior citizens, who often live in adult communities to reduce their expenses, the property tax burden is disproportionately higher — often 17-20 percent of a senior’s annual income, and climbing.

The issue of taxes is always a complicated decision for leaders, to allocate resources equitably among disparate interests and groups. The Abbott decision, for example, appropriately (and importantly) required the commitment of state education funding to support urban districts. But funding decisions by the governor and state Legislature, over time, had unintended consequences as well.

The shifting of aid to education in some areas of the state, without increasing overall state aid to education, has resulted in communities being forced to fund local education through higher property taxes. The unintended — but real consequence of this trend — has resulted in retirees (on fixed incomes) being forced to pay disproportionately higher taxes.

https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/letters/2017/02/21/new-jersey-seniors-taxes/98172656/

Posted on February 21, 2017February 21, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

PSEG VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD IMPROVEMENTS – FEBRUARY 20 – 24, 2017 WORK SCHEDULE UPDATE

Updated: February 17, 2017

PSE&G ELECTRIC RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS UTILITY UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE

WORK SCHEDULE UPDATE: February 20, 2017 – February 24, 2017 VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD

February 21, 2017 –February 24, 2017

Underground Pipe Installation

North Broad Street

(E. Ridgewood Avenue to Franklin Ave)

Traffic will be maintained in both directions

Metered Parking Spots will be used on both sides of roadway to allow all traffic to be shifted to the east side of North Broad St.

As part of our electric reliability improvements in Bergen County, PSE&G will be performing utility underground work in the Village of Ridgewood. As of February 2017, PSE&G will beperforming the following activities in your area:

Excluding inclement weather delays, PSE&G anticipates working Tuesday –Friday, (7:00am – 5:00pm)

Posted on February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 by James — 11 Comments

Town Garage ,A History of Ownership Transactions

February 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, reader questions the ownership status of the “Town Garage” , “Last I heard an LLC or such owned it. Did they manage to pass it off to the town w/o cleaning it? The Village would be nuts to have bought it in an “as is” condition. The owner of the Town Garage property was bought out by the LLC (?) with little or no warning. I assume he sold “as is” because he really had not planned on selling it. I hope they didn’t make a tidy profit by selling it “as is” to the town. Or worse, the Village cleaning it up for the present owners with a deal to then buy it at a reasonable price.”

One of the more effective tools on the Ridgewood blog is the “timeline ” it continues to roll and record the ups and downs of the Village of Ridgewood. Will a little search we found comments from March 1st, 2007 discussing the ownership of the Town Garage.

The Town Garage, 120 Franklin Avenue; the eye of the storm . . .

>
The current hot discussion topic among those who monitor Village Hall happenings is how an out of town firm was able purchase the Town Garage property from right out under the noses of Village Council members. Village ownership of the subject property (see posted photo) is seen as key to the successful construction of a municipal parking garage.

Reportedly, Village officials had offered previous owner Richard Agnello more than the $1.265 million sale price. However, it is being reported that Mr. Agnello refused to sell until the Village found a suitable location nearby for him to relocate his motor vehicle repair facility.

So the fly would like to know: 1) How was the Wells partnership able to buy the property for less than what Village officials had offered Mr. Agnello? 2) Will Mr. Agnello be closing up shop, or has the Wells partnership found a location for him to move his operation to? And, 3) What prompted the Wells partnership to purchase a piece of property destined for involvement in eminent domain proceedings?

https://theridgewoodblog.net/the-town-garage-120-franklin-avenue-the-eye-of-the-storm/

And in May of 2007 we asked if the Town Garage was for sale yet again.

Is the former Town Garage property for sale, again?

Village Council members met behind closed doors on Wednesday evening to
discuss possible options for acquiring 120 Franklin Avenue, formerly home of
the Town Garage. Acquisition of this property is key to the planned
construction of a municipal parking garage at the northwest corner of North
Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue.

It is now rumored that Ridgewood 120 LLC, the site’s current owners, have
offered the property for sale to Village officials at a price much higher
than the $1.265 million paid in November of 2006. Scuttlebutt is that
Ridgewood 120 LLC’s asking price is at least $1.865 million, and possibly as
high as $2.265 million. The current owners have made no improvements to the
property since purchasing it from the Agnello family late last year.

Council members must decide whether to: 1) pay the asking price, or 2) enact
the right of eminent domain, or 3) revise parking garage building plans to
eliminate the need for that parcel. Still unanswered is the question: “How
did Village Council members manage to get themselves in such an expensive
jam? In other words, how was a real estate investment group able to acquire
the Town Garage property from right under the Council’s noses?”

https://theridgewoodblog.net/is-the-former-town-garage-property-for-sale-again/

Posted on February 16, 2017February 16, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce celebrating its 90th Anniversary

February 16,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Chamber is proud to announce its 90th Anniversary.

We are one of the oldest running Chambers in the nation 1927-2017.

We will be celebrating through out 2017.

watch for event on the Chamber website
www.experienceridgewood.com
for details
201-445-2600
[email protected]

Posted on February 15, 2017January 20, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Bergen County will be Brooklyn

State Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, who attended the meeting, said she is preparing new legislation that would potentially help towns, especially densely populated communities like Dumont, address their affordable housing obligations.

“Every municipality in Bergen County is struggling, having no idea how to address it,” Schepisi said. “My biggest concern is, if they have their way, if we don’t stop this now, by 2026 Bergen County will be Brooklyn.”

https://www.northjersey.com/…/action-stayed-dumont…/97846622/

Posted on February 15, 2017February 15, 2017 by James — 9 Comments

Reader says Contamination at the Town Garage was well known to the purchasers who rushed to beat the Village in buying the land–hoping to make a substantial profit

Contamination at the Town Garage was well known to the purchasers who rushed to beat the Village in buying the land–hoping to make a substantial profit when they then sold it to the Village. They own it. It should be their responsibility for cleaning it up before selling it to the Village at a handsome profit. Is the Village going to subtract the cost of cleanup from the eventual purchase price? Or are we paying a premium to purchase the land and then must add cleanup costs to that? The lawyer groups were in such a rush to buy–why aren’t they being forced to do the cleanup? A homeowner with a leaking oil tank can’t just pass that cost on to the buyer, so why are we cleaning up land we don’t own?

The Town Garage, 120 Franklin Avenue; the eye of the storm . . .

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