the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog has spent the last couple of months talking to merchants, residents, readers, and insiders in order to get to get a full picture of the parking problems the Village faces. We boiled down the responses to the simplest terms.
Employee parking : At 930 am Chestnut street is full of parked cars , none of the stores are open so one can only assume employees are parking in all the spots,
Ken Smith Employee parking : Most feel $80 bucks a month seems a bit stiff for restaurant and retain workers .
Meter parking enforcement hours : Merchants felt their customers were paying for parking while restaurant guests were not . Some suggested longer meter hours , say till 9 pm with a reduction in parking rates as a way to better spread out the pain.
Valet Parking :Many merchants felt about all the Valet parking only added to the parking problems taking even more spots away from potential customers as well as the general disrespectful attitude or the employees or the Valet Parking companies.
Parking App: Many felt the over 55 set would be resistant , and almost everyone felt it eliminated the quick in and out shoppers by making parking to much work as well as the App made parking even more expensive.
Garage Location : While many merchants liked the idea of a garage they also voiced concerns about the location and the anticipated traffic tie ups when parkers enter and exit.
Garage : NJT Commuters from other towns would take the spots and add nothing to the local economy except more congestion.
Taxpayers : Almost everyone asked why aren’t developers , NJT, merchants and restaurants contributing to paying for parking , they are ones benefiting.
Parking fees : Many felt Ridgewood was pricing itself out ,with fees being to high .
Request for Proposals – Design of a Multi-level Traditional Self-Parking Structure – Hudson St.
Click Here for Proposal Document
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level 5 Village Manager’s office, at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., prevailing time, then publicly opened and read aloud for:
“Request for Proposals
For
Professional Architectural/Engineering Services
For the
Design of a Multi-level Traditional Self-Parking Structure at the Hudson
Street Parking Lot, Lots 12 and 13, Block 3809”
The Village of Ridgewood is seeking proposals for professional architectural/engineering services to prepare plans and specifications for the construction of a multi-level traditional self-parking structure on the Hudson Street Parking Lot, a.k.a. Lots 12 and 13 of Block 3809 of the Village Tax Map.
The RFP package may be obtained from the Engineering Division Offices, Level 3, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, (201) 670-5500, extension No. 238. Proposal packages may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, Monday through Friday. Prospective respondents requesting proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No proposal forms shall be given out after 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 24, 2015.
All prices quoted in the proposal must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Proposals may be submitted in person or by mail prior to the proposal opening, addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the date and time stated for receipt of proposals.
Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the respondent thereon and endorsed,
“Request for Proposals
For
Professional Architectural/Engineering Services
For the
Design of a Multi-level Traditional Self-Parking Structure at the Hudson Street Parking Lot,
Lots 12 and 13, Block 3809”.
All respondents shall present satisfactory evidence of being authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. All respondents shall also provide a copy of their New Jersey Business Registration Certificate with their proposal. All respondents shall adhere to the requirements presented in the “Request for Proposals”. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality or to accept a proposal, which in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village.
” BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27). A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the Request for Proposals.
JULY 31, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Who will benefit from high-density housing plans?
To the Editor:
My family moved to Ridgewood in the early 1950s, living first on Lincoln Avenue then buying our family home in 1957. I was born here and went through the public schools, for which my father worked most of his adult life. So if anyone has seen “change” in this town, I have.
Some change has been for the better; for instance, the ethnic and racial mix is a bit more diverse. Some has not. While superficially we are more varied, with a wider range of skin tones and ancestry than in my youth, Ridgewood is increasingly homogenized economically. Growing up, I knew families from all socioeconomic levels. Now, blue-collar and other regular working folks — people who made things — are crowded out, and only investment bankers, hedge fund managers, and others who “make” only money dominate. With that comes a certain mindset, one which, to borrow Oscar Wilde’s quip, knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Of that group, some may have come for good schools or even because they like it here. Others may have moved here for the cachet of a “golden zip code” or snob appeal, or as a rung on the ladder toward someplace more exclusive, say Alpine or Short Hills, or with the hope of making some money in a town where housing values have held steady even in downturns, due to the precise thing that high-density housing would destroy, namely, Ridgewood’s small-town ambiance.
It’s no mystery why the advocates of high-density housing would want it: this being Ridgewood, it will be high-priced, and there will be lots of money to be made in the short run. Unfortunately, when Ridgewood loses the character that made it desirable in the first place and becomes just Fort Lee with a longer commute, values will drop; but by that time, they will have pocketed their profits and have no reason to care.
To discuss in detail all the reasons high-density housing is wrong for Ridgewood would expand this letter to un-publishable length. I will simply end by quoting two Latin maxims: “cui bono?” (Who benefits?) and “res ipsa loquitur” (the thing speaks for itself).
Sunday, August 9th @ 10:00am, New York Times Bestselling author and syndicated talk-show host, Mark Levin, will sign his new book: Plunder & Deceit
Books available August 4th
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
Summer Sidewalk Sale Days
Thu, August 06, 2015 – Sat, August 08, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Downtown Ridgewood, E Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Event Description
Participating Stores:
Alex and Ani 134 E. Ridgewood Ave
Anik 119 E. Ridgewood Ave
Beauty Plus Salon 25 E. Ridgewood Ave
Bookends 211 E. Ridgewood Ave
Brain Balance Allendale
B Witching 130 1/2 E. Ridgewood Ave
DoubleTake Consignment 189 E. Ridgewood Ave
Duxiana 63 E. Ridgewood Ave
Femmebot 203 E. Ridgewood Ave
Fusion Academy Englewood-In front of the Park
Goldfish Swim School
Gypsy Warrior 125 E. Ridgewood Ave
Huntington Learning Center- In front of Park
Just Our Shoes/Mephisto 16 N. Walnut St
kate spade 202 E. Ridgewood Ave
Learning Express 111 E. Ridgewood Ave
Loft 41 Jewelry Studio 41 E. Ridgewood Ave
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt 171 E. Ridgewood Ave
Panico Salon & Spa 144 E. Ridgewood Ave
P. Smith & Co. 65 E. Ridgewood Ave
Park West Tavern
Pink Bungalow 185 E. Ridgewood Ave
RACEFASTER 211 E. Ridgewood Ave
Red Velvet Luxe 59 E Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood Bootery 200 E. Ridgewood Ave
Storm Guard Restoration
Town & Country Apothecary 60 E. Ridgewood Ave
VINYASA YOGA BY EQUINOX
Equinox Paramus, the leaders in luxury fitness, bring you Vinyasa yoga with one of our renowned instructors before you hit the Ridgewood Sidewalk Sale. Participate in a more athletic approach to yoga characterized by flowing poses and sequences that are linked to the breath. Mats will be provided and all levels are welcome.
Van Neste Square
August 8
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
RSVP to [email protected]
For more details, please call us at 201-445-2600 or email [email protected] www.experienceridgewood.com
PARKING GARAGE -We are so excited -the Parking Garage got the needed 4 Votes.
Thank you so much!
The Ridgewood Chamber now invites you to a”call to action” meeting to put the facts on paper why this garage will not:
cost the residents more taxes,why it will save their “downtown town”.All businesses have a vested interest in this parking garage.
Ridgewood NEEDS to bring the infrastructure of its business district up-to-date -NOW IS THE TIME.
This topic has been talked about for over 88 years -NOW IS THE TIME.
Ridgewood Parking Garage Facts
Yes No
Parking Garage Needed X
Developer Interest X
Land Study X
Zero Cost to tax payer X
Vote X
First “call to action” meeting…
Thursday, July 30, 2015 9am – Chamber office.
many more meetings to follow.
Please call 201-445-2600,
if you are attending.
JULY 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015, 3:37 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village Council took the next step toward allowing more residential buildings in the Central Business District with the introduction of five ordinances pertaining to the master plan amendments approved by the Planning Board in June.
All five ordinances were introduced by a 3-2 margin with Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck voting in favor and Councilman Michael Sedon and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen voting against introduction.
Knudsen asked the council to table the introduction of each based on receiving a copy of the ordinances for the first time at the beginning of last week’s work session meeting.
“At that exact moment we received five ordinances, which were a total of 40 pages of complicated, detailed information regarding the changes to the master plan,” said Knudsen. “And I felt at that time because we had just received those documents at 7:30, we didn’t have an opportunity to have discussion and question the village planner in a proper work session.”
Village of Ridgewood Council Meeting Wednesday July 15, 2015- 7:30pm, Court Room The Village of Ridgewood Council will be voting for the future of a parking garage in Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce looks to rally the troops tonight to push through the parking garage readers say not so fast .
“Where will the shopper/diners/employees park during construction? A net loss of 80 spots at any given time for three years. Let me remind you $.50/hour per meter. 80 spaces x $.50/space = $40/hour. $40 x 12 hour day = $480/day. $480/day x 465 days x 3 years = $525,600 revenue loss during construction. About the same amount that could pay for the parking study commissioned by the 3 Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
Skimmed the linked (Walker)report and my heart sank at the photos. This is not suitable. Walk down Hudson St. with a building sticking out over our heads? How is this appropriate? The noise, the traffic, the smells, people rushing around at rush hour–forget sitting on the sidewalk at Sook or Natalie’s, or probably even inside. Who wants to listen to/look at/smell that thing? The mayor and deputy mayor are so proud to be pushing for this? Burn in hell, guys.”
“How can we even consider something that costs this much money? We will never get it back in any way. Let NJ Transit and CBD building owners pay for it. The turf was bad enough.”
“Of course the wording is misleading. They have every intention of misleading the public on this. They are trying to shove this parking garage down our throats and they want to be able to say that we all approved it.”
“As sure as you’re born, a parking garage erected by Ridgewood’s village government will be co-opted for use by out-of-town commuters in accordance with the preferences of those seeking to dismantle New Jersey’s deeply ingrained “home rule” tradition and replace it with a new oligarchical style of regional government. Imagine a regional, multicounty board of overseers populated by Gwen Hauck-type cloned hand-puppets easily manipulated by namelesss, faceless third-party wealthy power brokers. That’s what many forward-thinking progressive statists see in their dreams. They don’t give a whit about mere business owners and their parking concerns…”
“My questions:
1. What happens if parking revenues fall short of expectations?
2. What is the proposed parking fee structure for the new garage?
These are very important questions and I will explain why. For the first one, the answer is pretty obvious. The Village taxpayers will be on the hook for it as the construction bond cannot be reneged on just because you hoped there would be enough revenue. The second one will absolutely dictate the success or failure of the entire project. Any fee structure that is more than street parking will completely disincentivize most people from using the garage. They will circle the blocks until a street space frees up, or they will go somewhere else to eat/shop. As I’ve stated before, this garage will represent the parking location of absolute last resort, and I predict it will be viewed in years to come as one of those “what were they thinking” buildings.”
From the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce :
PARKING GARAGE
We invite everyone to attend next weeks Village of Ridgewood Council Meeting
Wednesday July 15, 2015- 7:30pm, Court Room
The Village of Ridgewood Council will be voting for the future of a parking garage in Ridgewood…
we encourage everyone who knows that the future of Ridgewood’s business district depends on this very important vote- **needed are 4 yes’s from the Council members**
Please attend the meeting,voice your concerns at the public form and show your support for a parking garage. It’s been 88 years since Ridgewood’s needed a parking garage…NOW IS THE TIME! pu Save our “downtown”! see you there.
Ridgewoood NJ, If you’ve ever received a summons for overtime parking at meter #218 on North Walnut Street alongside the Post Office, this may be your lucky day.
Meter #218 is currently configured to allow 15-minute parking only. However, the current Village Code stipulates that particular parking spot should be equipped with a meter that permits up to 3-hour parking.
Section 265-29 of the Village Code specifically designates only two (2) 15-minute (1/4 hour) parking spaces on the East side of North Walnut Street between East Ridgewood and Franklin Avenues. Meter #218 is the third in a series of three (3) 15-minute (1/4 hour) spaces there.
So, if you received a summons for overtime parking at meter #218, and you were parked for less than 3-hours, your summons may be bogus. I suggest you visit the Violations Bureau at Village Hall if you think that you might have been bamboozled.
Village Council members are expected to introduce & approve a revision the Village Code authorizing an additional 15-minute parking space alongside the Post Office, but that could take months. Until then, just remember that any summons issued for overtime parking (for less than 3-hours) at meter #218 may not be legit.
We need serious discussion of the combination of these affordable housing developments and the planning board’s decision to allow hundreds of new families to move into a few acres of land in downtown Ridgewood. I think one of the consequences of the housing projects approved by the planning board will be to set ourselves up for these very builder suits as well as claims of “spot zoning.”
Affordable housing is a great goal. But what we completely don’t understand is how the courts will enforce the means to that goal. So, we are on the verge of approving 400 to 500 new family units in the middle of town at selected sites. Some of that will be designated for low income. What if it is not enough in the eyes of some judge? What if the judge measures the need for low income housing against the entire town as a whole. Is it possible the judge could say we need to designate 50% of all new housing to low income?
Frankly, that might bring a nice diversity to the town and I think we all love to hear about hard working families that are given a chance. But, what will the effect be on the speculators / builders who think they just hit the jackpot with the planning board. Low income means less profit. Will that profit come out of the facades of the buildings we have to look at? Will it come out of the taxes the developers said would be generated when the developers go in and demand tax reductions? Will it come out of the structures themselves so that we are the cusp of creating tenements in our downtown. Remember, the planning board did not approve “quality housing.” It approved increased housing density, period. If the developers are forced to give up profit by the courts, they will have no incentive to build quality units and we will have no ability to stop them from building sub-standard units.
And then there is the issue of surrounding properties. Once one property owner sees that they can tear down a store and put up 50 to 100 family units, why won’t they? The planning board randomly picked spots in town and said they were suitable for high density living. There is no rhyme or reason to what they did, other than that is what the developers asked for first. The planning board did not “plan”, it “reacted” to what the developers demanded. These same developers or the next set will come in and ask for the same treatment. And when they don’t get it, they will make the same arguments that hoodwinked the current planning board – – we need to do this to satisfy affordable housing rules. And regardless of what the planning board says, they only need to convince one judge that they are right.
The Village council needs to seriously consider these issues in detail before it approves the massive over-development of downtown Ridgewood.
As sure as you’re born, a parking garage erected by Ridgewood’s village government will be co-opted for use by out-of-town commuters in accordance with the preferences of those seeking to dismantle New Jersey’s deeply ingrained “home rule” tradition and replace it with a new oligarchical style of regional government. Imagine a regional, multi-county board of overseers populated by Gwen Hauck-type cloned hand-puppets easily manipulated by nameless, faceless third-party wealthy power brokers. That’s what many forward-thinking progressive statists see in their dreams. They don’t give a whit about mere business owners and their parking concerns…
A parking garage that close to the train station and bus stop would be sufficient to serve commuters. The street level spaces near the should all be limited to 3 hors for the benefit of CBD businesses and their customers. Oh, and parking should be free on Sundays. Okay, now someone else can be king for a day…
The chamber wants it for increase parking for the business but you say it for the commuters. Can’t have it both way. And if you think that the commuter are going to get off the train and eat and shop in Ridgewood I don’t think so. Commuter just want to get home after a long day. On a side not if they get off the train after 5:30 they couldn’t shop anyway all the store are closed. Which is it?
If it is meant to be a place for long-term commuter parking, then I can see a better chance of it working. For this to happen, the existing all-day parking bays at/near the train station and the bus station will need to be changed to meters that only allow short-term parking intended for shoppers and diners.
The parking garage under consideration would be constructed across the street from Our Lady if Mount Carmel Church. Has this location been determined to be the best? What happened to the lot across the street from TD Bank on Franklin Avenue? Wasn’t that lot condemned for the purpose of erecting a parking garage? And wasn’t a bond issued at the time that we never used to build the structure?
Readers say at the end of the Taxpayers will be on the hook for the garage while business,developers and NJT will all benefit from it
My questions:
1. What happens if parking revenues fall short of expectations?
2. What is the proposed parking fee structure for the new garage?
These are very important questions and I will explain why. For the first one, the answer is pretty obvious. The Village taxpayers will be on the hook for it as the construction bond cannot be reneged on just because you hoped there would be enough revenue. The second one will absolutely dictate the success or failure of the entire project. Any fee structure that is more than street parking will completely disincentivize most people from using the garage. They will circle the blocks until a street space frees up, or they will go somewhere else to eat/shop. As I’ve stated before, this garage will represent the parking location of absolute last resort, and I predict it will be viewed in years to come as one of those “what were they thinking” buildings.
Its called a shell game. money from the parking revenue is now used to support the town budget. money from the new garage if a surplus will be used to pay the loan off on the new garage. If revenue from the new garage isn’t adequate the town (I mean taxpayers) will have to make up the shortfall.
Or should the Village tax the CBD landlords for the garage or local businesses, their the ones that are going to profit from it.
