NOVEMBER 30, 2015, 5:47 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2015, 5:47 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Local officials will ask for public comment Wednesday night regarding the size and scope of the proposed Hudson Street parking garage, the construction of which is expected to ease longstanding parking concerns in the village’s crowded downtown.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn said the 7:30 p.m. meeting will feature a presentation by parking deck designer Desman Design Management and give residents a chance to provide opinions on the structure’s height, square-footage, and car capacity. Aronsohn intends to hold an informal council vote that night and introduce a bond ordinance on Dec. 9 to fund construction.
Voters endorsed the garage by nearly a 2-to-1 majority in a non-binding referendum last month. That referendum’s wording said the garage was anticipated to provide a net increase of about 300 spaces without having a “negative impact” on property taxes because parking revenues would be used to pay off the construction debt.
According to documents on the village website, three parking decks of varying sizes have been proposed.
December 1,2015
Ridgewood the staff of the Ridgewood blog
NJ, Planning Board Meeting tonight 7:55 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. – Continued discussion of the reexamination of the Master Plan and development regulations – Residential Land Use.
Our Master Plan has not had a thorough re-examination in 30 years. According to our Village Planner, Blais Brancheau, 90% of the language needs to be re-written. This is a huge undertaking for our planning board. Please attend.
Hudson Street Parking Deck – Message from the Village Manager
Click Here
Ridgewood NJ, According to Village Hall residents will have an opportunity to chime in on the parking garage design on December 2nd. The three designs presented included the original structure, as depicted on Villlage of Ridgewood (VOR) site, with 405 spaces (130,000sq ft), a modified version with 355 stalls (120,000sq ft) and the lowest profile version with 305 stalls (109,000 sq ft). The cost per stall decreases for each added level:
405 stalls @ $28,000 = 11.5 mil
355 stalls @ $29,300 = 10.4 mil
305 stalls @ $31,000 = 9.5 mil
You can see the higher you go the more efficient the project becomes IF, of course, those spaces are utilized.
As far as the design, it is exactly as shown at the informal meetings. The 355 version indicates a lower profile along Hudson St but retains the same height along Broad. The 305 version includes
the lower profile on both Broad and Hudson. For some reason I didn’t include the heights in my notes but will ask Roberta for those details. Each version includes cantilevering over the entire Hudson St sidewalk with an additional 20″ cantilever extending over the street. The cantilevers were depicted in the original design and, I believe cannot be eliminated due to the lot width.
Also Mayor Aronsohn sent an email (personal email) to residents regarding the three garage designs and process moving forward. His letter indicates surprise ,surprise higher cost for each version likely based on factoring in the original $500,000 bond.
Please share your thoughts and questions with us regarding the deck so that your feedback can be considered by the Council as they deliberate on this important issue at the December 2nd Council Meeting……please also consider coming to that meeting to share your opinions. You can email me at [email protected] or call 201-670-5500, ext. 203.
Ridgewood NJ, Sources in the central business district continue to voice concerns that the Valet Parking is exacerbating the very parking problem it is attempting to alleviate .While Roots Steakhouse was already offering valet parking 4 additional Ridgewood restaurants have joined forces to offer valet parking to their customers.
The is issue is most acute on Oak Street were Fish Urban Dining, It’s Greek To Me and Roots have virtually monopolized most of the spaces near Ridgewood Avenue ,leaving little room for customers of retailers such as Luck Brands any available spaces to park.
Retailers have for years complained of parking access for their customers , the Ridgewood blog reported earlier this year that as early as 9am spots on Oak Street are full and now most retails report that after 430 ,because of the valet parking they can just go home .
“see those empty spaces thats where the new Parking Garage is going to go ,bigger is better”
Time to build a parking deck
NOVEMBER 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
‘Time to build a parking deck’
To the Editor:
On Nov. 3, Ridgewood residents voted in support of the financing and construction of a parking deck on the Hudson Street lot. Although the referendum was “non-binding,” the message from the 3,236 residents who voted in favor of the parking deck – a full 65 percent of the vote — was loud and clear: After decades of discussion, it is time to act. It is time to build a parking deck.
Therefore, the questions now before the Village Council are not “whether” to build a parking deck or even “where” to build it; rather, the questions are “what size” and at “what cost.”
So, on Dec. 2, the Village Council will take up these two questions and decide on “what size” and at “what cost.” Then, a week later, on Dec. 9, I plan to introduce a bond ordinance that corresponds with those decisions and moves this process forward.
To facilitate these decisions, our design team has put together three options – at different sizes and at different costs — and although the referendum allowed “up to $15 million in public funds” to be expended, each of the options comes with a considerably lower price tag. (Please visit the Village Hall lobby and Village website for pictures and relevant information.)
Our design team will be on hand at the Dec. 2 meeting to outline the three options – pros and cons – and take questions from the council. We are also making special arrangements to allow members of the public to ask questions of the design team, too.
I encourage all residents to let us know their thoughts about “size” and “cost” – either by email or by showing up at the Dec. 2 meeting. We are at a critical, albeit exciting juncture in this process, and we want all residents to be a part of it.
A big round of applause for Ridgewood Council members Gwenn Hauck and Albert Pucciarelli and Mayor Paul Aronsohn for successfully stewarding the parking garage project for downtown, culminating in voter approval earlier this month. Decades of no progress on this topic finally have been broken.
There are many positives to this project, with the most important being to strengthen our central business district by addressing the No. 1 challenge: parking. As the mayor recently pointed out, the “only real negative aspect was the disinformation campaign that sought to confuse and undermine the public conversation – a disinformation campaign represented in part by an anonymous mailer.”
The mayor noted that “no one was willing to take responsibility for the mailer, [but] the language was strikingly similar to that used by some of the parking deck’s most vocal detractors.”
The next challenge for the parking deck is to secure financing. In order to bond, four of five council members are needed to vote yes. Will those who did not support the project vote no? That would be in direct opposition to the overwhelming voter support for the project.
Ridgewood NJ, This afternoon around 1 PM we were on the horse-drawn carriage, part of the Ridgewood Guild Winter Festival, which was an absolutely wonderful event. As the carriage headed west on Hudson toward Broad, lo and behold there were many empty parking spots in the Hudson Street lot. Yes, indeed, on a holiday weekend, less than a month until Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, with a big event occurring in the park, with people going out to eat because they are sick of turkey……all of that, and still plenty of spaces.
Moreover, as we headed north on Broad and looked back, we saw the beautiful spires of Mt. Carmel and United Methodist churches……these will no longer be visible, not even close to visible, if the gigantic garage is built on that corner. Food for thought.
Ridgewood NJ, BFJ Planning is a consulting firm providing professional expertise in planning, urban design, environmental analysis, real estate and transportation since its establishment in 1980. Led by founding partners, Paul Buckhurst, Frank Fish, and Georges Jacquemart, BFJ serves public, private and non-profit clients throughout the country and overseas. The firm’s philosophy is one of integrated planning and hands-on, senior-level leadership.
BFJ has successfully completed more than 1,000 projects in the U.S., East Asia, Europe, and South America. Our range of services allows us to bring a project from the initial feasibility stage, through planning and approvals, to site design and implementation. Principals and staff provide expertise in a range of areas, bringing together informed, innovative thinking from different professional points of view necessary to the success of complex planning and development projects. This inclusive approach ensures that BFJ’s planning and design recommendations are realistic and achievable within project constraints.
In all the work we do, from master plans through environmental reviews and resiliency planning, BFJ is committed to participatory planning. We have a depth of experience in consensus building, public participation and community liaison programs and understand that early and consistent public involvement in the planning process is crucial to the development of plans that will be supported by the community and can be effectively implemented.
BFJ is supported by its affiliate, Urbanomics, which provides public- and private-sector clients with an array of economic development planning services, including market studies, tax policy analyses, program evaluations and economic and demographic forecasts.
BFJ Planning is a consulting firm providing professional expertise in planning, urban design, environmental analysis, real estate and transportation since its establishment in 1980. Led by founding partners, Paul Buckhurst, Frank Fish, and Georges Jacquemart, BFJ serves public, private and non-profit clients throughout the country and overseas. The firm’s philosophy is one of integrated planning and hands-on, senior-level leadership.
BFJ has successfully completed more than 1,000 projects in the U.S., East Asia, Europe, and South America. Our range of services allows us to bring a project from the initial feasibility stage, through planning and approvals, to site design and implementation. Principals and staff provide expertise in a range of areas, bringing together informed, innovative thinking from different professional points of view necessary to the success of complex planning and development projects. This inclusive approach ensures that BFJ’s planning and design recommendations are realistic and achievable within project constraints.
On Saturday, November 28, 2015 The Ridgewood Guild will sponsor its fifth annual Winterfest, to coincide with Small Business Saturday!
Memorial Park at Van Neste Square will set the stage with special holiday performances by The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus and Declan Power!
The park will be decorated, there will be ice sculptures, horse drawn hayrides around town, cookies, candy canes, complimentary hot chocolate a trackless train ride and more!
So, come downtown to enjoy the festivities, welcome in the holiday season and support your local businesses! Learn more about what Ridgewood Businesses are doing for Small Business Saturday!
Join us for Small Business Saturday!
Shop Small Ridgewood!
November 28, 2015
Win 1 of 5 Ridgewood Guild $100 Gift Certificates to use at any participating business (listed below)
All you need to do is:
1. Follow @ridgewoodguildnj on Instagram
2. Like the Ridgewood Guild on Facebook
3. Post a selfie tagging @ridgewoodguildnj and #shopsmallridgewood
You will automatically be entered into the random drawing! Have fun shopping small (and local) this year!
Participating Ridgewood Businesses:
Mango Jam
Chestnut Deli and Catering
Markosian Fine Art Jewelry
Wostbrock Home and Floors
Backyard Living
Kate Spade
Gardiner and Co.
Jekyll and Hide
Coco Curtain Studio
Suite 201
Social by Suite 201
Vintage 61
Pangea Coins and Jewelry
Rossi’s of Ridgewood
Ridgewood Cycle
Goffle Brook Farms and Garden Center
Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique
Village Eyewear
Red Velvet Luxe
Beer’s Flower Shop
The Quilt Spot
Kilwin’s
Park West Tavern
Ben & Jerry’s
The Green Olive Branch
Bazaar Star Beadery
Pinot’s Palette
Greenwich Nails
Karma Organic Spa
Araya Rebirth
Carlo’s Bakery
La Tour
Due
Ridgewood Culinary Studio
Super Juice Nation
A Mano
Italia di Gusto
Best of Everything
Fish Urban Dining
Greenbaum Interiors
Memoire
The Daily Treat
Cupcakes by Carousel
Flackman, Goodman, and Potter
Raymond’s
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
Natalie’s
NOVEMBER 25, 2015, 3:28 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2015, 8:58 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Votes by village officials on zoning changes that would clear the path for high-density, multifamily housing downtown will likely be delayed until January while officials gather more information about the controversy-raising proposal’s potential impacts.
Also, Mayor Paul Aronsohn said Monday. the public will be allowed additional sessions to comment on the five introduced zoning ordinances at the council’s Dec. 9 public meeting. The changes would increase the number of allowable housing units per acre from 12 to 35 in four zones in the central business district.
The Village Council, however, won’t vote on them that night. It will await results of a yet-to-be-commissioned financial impact study, which Aronsohn has called the “missing piece of the puzzle.” The study “won’t answer every question, and it may leave a lot of questions unanswered that we need to address,” he told the council at a meeting this month. But at least the questions would be raised, he said.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Vote “Yes” For Parking signs in CBD paved the way for others
November 24,2015
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, Now that everyone knows it’s perfectly legal to place non-commercial signs basically any place you want to in Ridgewood, they’ll be popping up everywhere as evidenced by this “Ridgewood Thanksgiving Day Run” sign, one of several placed in flower pots within the Central Business District.
Thanks Paul A. and Paul V. for starting the unsightly trend.
Ridgewood NJ, According to Village Hall residents will have an opportunity to chime in on the parking garage design on December 2nd. The three designs presented included the original structure, as depicted on Villlage of Ridgewood (VOR) site, with 405 spaces (130,000sq ft), a modified version with 355 stalls (120,000sq ft) and the lowest profile version with 305 stalls (109,000 sq ft). The cost per stall decreases for each added level:
405 stalls @ $28,000 = 11.5 mil
355 stalls @ $29,300 = 10.4 mil
305 stalls @ $31,000 = 9.5 mil
You can see the higher you go the more efficient the project becomes IF, of course, those spaces are utilized.
As far as the design, it is exactly as shown at the informal meetings. The 355 version indicates a lower profile along Hudson St but retains the same height along Broad. The 305 version includes the lower profile on both Broad and Hudson. For some reason I didn’t include the heights in my notes but will ask Roberta for those details. Each version includes cantilevering over the entire Hudson St sidewalk with an additional 20″ cantilever extending over the street. The cantilevers were depicted in the original design and, I believe cannot be eliminated due to the lot width.
Also Mayor Aronsohn sent an email (personal email) to residents regarding the three garage designs and process moving forward. His letter indicates surprise ,surprise higher cost for each version likely based on factoring in the original $500,000 bond.
NOVEMBER 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015, 1:56 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
With the November election and the affirmative results of the non-binding referendum in the rearview mirror, the next steps for the village include further discussions on specifics for a garage on Hudson Street and the presentation of a few different design options for the public.
Earlier this month, voters approved a non-binding referendum question asking residents if they were in favor of bonding up to $15 million in public money for the construction of a parking garage, which is expected to be paid for principally, if not entirely, with parking utility revenues. The measure passed with 65 percent of the vote.
In the subsequent weeks, the village appears to have settled on three different designs for a parking deck, which vary in terms of overall size, height, cost and the number of cars it can house. Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld provided The Ridgewood News with specifics on each of the options.
Option “A” is the design that has been most prominently featured at public meetings with a capacity of 405 cars, which would provide a net gain of 305 spaces. The 136,650 square foot building is 49 feet, two inches, to the top of the highest parapet with the tower extending to 68 feet. The approximate construction cost per space is approximately $29,630 and the village would plan to bond $12 million.
A second rendering, known as Option “B,” brings the height of the building along Hudson Street down to 37 feet, four inches, but the highest parapet on South Broad would remain at the 49 foot mark and the corner tower would also remain the same height. This garage will hold 355 cars for a net gain of 255. The village would plan to bond about $11 million for this 119,800 square foot proposal.
Option “C” scales down the building even further with the tower now lowered to 56 feet, eight inches, and both the Hudson and Broad parapets down to 37 feet. This design can house 306 cars for a net gain to the village of 206. Ridgewood would plan to bond $10.1 million for the 109,350 square foot structure.
In a letter sent from his village email account, Mayor Paul Aronsohn invited residents to come to the Village Council’s meeting on Dec. 2 to weigh in on their preferred design. Renderings will be made available on the village website and in the first floor lobby in Village Hall, the mayor said.
