We know what to do come election time. This agenda has been push by the 3 amigos for a long time. They have close ties with some of the developers who will profit by this along with member of the Chamber of Commerce . Next item on their agenda is the parking garage to help certain members of the Chamber. To show how enforcement of ordinances are only for certain people I direct you attention to the wall/planter in front of Greek to Me and the large political sign at Ken Smith Motors. Same person is responsible for both of them , a strong supporter of our Mayor.
Although I suspect that some if not most of the 1000 resident that sign the petition voted for the Dream Team that 1000 votes are enough to vote them out of office before the come up with something else to take car of their friends.
Straight out of the developers playbook…
Know that the existing standard density is 18-24 units per acre
Ask for 50 UPA
Settle for 35 UPA
Double the existing standardt!
But less than 50 UPA …Suckers…
The Planning Board only needs to point to the existing densities that have worked successfully in Ridgewood and say that’s it.
Or they can roll over and give the Developers 35 UPA, double the existing standard, which is what the developers really wanted…to the detriment of our town’s best interests.
JUNE 3, 2015, 9:14 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015, 7:07 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Developers were all smiles as they left Tuesday night’s meeting of the Planning Board, which approved four separate amendments to the village’s master plan, paving the way for high-density, multifamily housing projects downtown.
Several residents walked out of Tuesday night’s meeting when the closing comments by members of the board made it clear even before the vote that the panel would be moving to advance the proposed zoning changes.
The four master plan changes were approved by majority vote; Wendy Dockray, a real estate agent, was the only member to oppose all four amendments. Both Susan Knudsen, a Ridgewood councilwoman who sits on the board, and Michele Peters, an attorney, opposed three of the amendments.
All three women said that a vote Tuesday night would be premature, calling for more discussion of the amendments.
The vote capped five years of meetings, public hearings, and expert testimony on the master plan amendments, first requested by four developers with plans for four different housing complexes.
One developer has since backed out, leaving three housing projects planned with a combined 208 apartment units.
I will not sign the petition only because I have no idea what kind of backlash I might face by doing so. But I wholeheartedly object to their 35 unit/acre proposal. The developers knew the rules when they bought the properties. The rules allow 12 but let’s be generous and go with the 18-24 existing standard – they asked for double that and by their own admission were surprised by the resistance they’ve faced. So they are either stupid or were told by those involved in the process (council, planning board?) that it would be approved. They say the economics don’t work under the current rules – so who in their right mind would take that kind of risk? These developers do not have the best interest of the village in mind, they want more traffic (foot or otherwise) downtown. Who does this help? In some ways the businesses generally but much more so and longer term it helps the landlords. For years they have been jacking up the rents on businesses (driving many away) in a time where retail spending as a whole has moved online making brick and mortar stores less valuable. The landlords see this and are happy to support this over-expansion because there is no other way to fill that revenue hole than to extract it from current residents of Ridgewood.
There were 3 primary considerations for moving to Ridgewood (many years before our first child was even born btw so the “empty nester” argument is invalid here – we are 2nd generation Ridgewood).
1) Great schools
2) Safety – outstanding police and fire response
3) Charming, Beautiful place to raise a family and hopefully retire
Allowing this over-expansion enhances exactly none of those considerations. Ridgewood’s restaurants thrive, retailers do not and likely will not when even the high-traffic areas of 17 have been forced to close. Stop arguing that we need to draw bigger retailers into this town – I can drive to 17 if I can’t find what i’m looking for online. Enough with the nonsense arguments, and enough with Blaise trying to figure out how to stuff the maximum density into our limited space (all this based on his “expert” opinion even though he has zero ability to think about a broader common sense plan for development).
in short – just say No to the developers. It is not our responsibility to tell them what’s allowed – they knew that when they bought the property. Cutting your request from 4X what is allowed to only 3X is not a compromise, it’s still a snow job.
(all timeframes and the order of agenda items below are approximate and subject to change)
1. 7:30 p.m. – Call to Order, Statement of Compliance, Flag Salute, Roll Call – In accordance with the provisions of Section 10:4-8d of the Open Public Meetings Act, the date, location, and time of the commencement of this meeting is reflected in a meeting notice, a copy of which schedule has been filed with the Village Manager and the Village Clerk, The Ridgewood News and The Record newspapers, and posted on the bulletin board in the entry lobby of the Village municipal offices at 131 North Maple Avenue, and on the Village website, all in accordance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act.
In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, all meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work sessions, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings, which are always open to members of the general public.
Members: Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Nancy Bigos, Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, Charles Nalbantian, Richard Joel, Kevin Reilly, Wendy Dockray, Michele Peters, David Thurston, Isabella Altano, Khidir Abdalla
Professional Staff: Blais L. Brancheau, Planner; Gail L. Price, Esq., Board Attorney; Christopher J. Rutishauser, Village Engineer; Michael Cafarelli, Board Secretary
JUNE 1, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015, 9:46 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village Council approved on May27 a contract for a consulting firm to study two options for a parking garage on Hudson Street.
The governing body also discussed a potential bond ordinance that would cover pre-construction funding for such a project.
The contract, approved by a 5-0 vote, was awarded to New York-based Walker Parking Consultants, which will perform an evaluation of automated parking systems versus traditional parking garages for the lot at Hudson Street.
The study needs to be done prior to a request for proposals (RFP) on the design, said Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld. The village must decide if it wants to build a traditional deck or one with automated parking before going out for an RFP, she said.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen inquired about the cover letter submitted by Walker, which said the Hudson Street lot was only 100 feet wide and does not have the dimensions for an efficient self-park garage, thereby defeating the purpose of studying two systems.
Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser agreed the lot does not have the depth for a traditional deck, but a study done by Ridgewood’s engineering department revealed there were a number of options the village had if it wished to build a traditional deck.
Ridgewood NJ , CBR invites you to please open the link below and consider signing this petition. The Planning Board will most likely be voting on this amendment tomorrow night and we want to show them many people are not for this considerable change to our master plan from a density of 12 units per acre (current) to a density of 35 units per acre (almost triple).
Just to give you an idea of what other towns allow: Hackensack 22 units per acre, Teaneck 28 units per acre, Fair Lawn 17 units per acre, etc. Why would we want to have such a high density of 35 units per acre in our Master Plan? If they vote yes, there’s no turning back. Ridgewood will no longer be the charming Village we all love. Yes, change is good, growth is good, but this is too much. It needs to be a more reasonable number. Please sign and forward. Only 1 signature per e-mail address is allowed. Please send to your spouses e-mail address, so they can sign too.
We have reason to believe that the Planning Board may vote on the revised Amendment to the Master Plan at tomorrow’s meeting! Yes, this could all be over tomorrow night!
Please read and sign the petition below to urge responsible planning and to encourage the Planning Board to “VOTE NO” to 35 units an acre .
Please SHARE THIS PETITION ASAP TONIGHT!
Share on Facebook, via email, on Twitter — everything!!
Encourage others to forward and share, as well!
Please join us at the Planning Board Meeting THIS Tuesday, June 2nd at Village Hall at 7:30 pm
Agenda: FINAL Public Hearing on the Revised Amendment to the Master Plan that was put forth on April 21st (Revised Amendment is attached)
We need your attendance at the next Planning Board meeting on Tuesday. We are close to the end, but we must still attend the meetings and continue to urge our Planning Board to act cautiously when altering our Master Plan. In our opinion, the Revised Amendment is still not appropriate for Ridgewood and will have long term negative consequences.
The new Amendment takes a one-size-fits-all approach to increasing density, offering the same benefits across all zones, regardless of the context or surrounding location — a risky approach that we do not support.
The new Amendment allows for up to 35 units an acre, with affordable for rent units included. While this is indeed an improvement from the 40-50 units put forth in the initial Amendment, in our opinion, this is still too big of a jump from the 12 units per acre that is permitted now and the 22 units per acre average that currently exists in our down town.
Several properties (West Bergen Mental Healthcare and neighboring lots) that were originally identified as suitable for high-density housing in the first amendment have been eliminated from the revised amendment, which puts Ridgewood at risk for legal action for spot zoning.
In the revised amendment, the much larger Ken Smith property has been lumped into the same zone as the smaller Enclave (Sealfon’s) site. These are two very unique properties and their zoning benefits should differ.
Our Village Planner insists that a minimum density (of approximately 35 units per acre) is necessary to economically incentivize developers to develop their properties and build housing, however, a lower density could be awarded that would still allow developers to build and profit. Below is a link to a Letter to the Editor that references developers in HoHoKus that are seeking much lower density than 35 units per acre.
They should do that in Ridgewood instead of the assisted living facility the Kensington which is like a hospital and would involve over-the-top amount of traffic. Several shifts during the day. and night, Kensington will house over 90 residents and each resident including food preparation and basic need care will need about five staff members per resident.
Also additional medical staff on premises. Remember were talkin people who cannot take care of themselves PLUS Alzheimer residents, dementia residents.There is a new assisted living being built in Wyckoff at The Christian Health Care facility. Plus there are lots of other places.
Restaurant memoire Recognized as a Top Performing Restaurant
Posted: 28 May 2015
Ridgewood NJ, Restaurant mémoire, a seasonal American eclectic restaurant, announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.
“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Restaurant mémoire and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor,” said Tom Finnelli, Executive Chef & Owner at Restaurant mémoire. “There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by one’s guests. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on guest reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”
Restaurant mémoire is a fresh, seasonal American eclectic restaurant featuring a menu that is made to order. We are happy to modify or even go off our menu to accommodate you in every way. Here at mémoire, the answer is always, “Yes”.
Restaurant mémoire is located at 16 Chestnut St., Ridgewood. call 201-857-8899
www.diningatmemoire.com
Tonight, May 29, 2015, marks the start of another season of “Music in the Night.” Artists play around town from 7-9pm. Please come out and show your support for the local businesses.
Tonight’s Lineup
Take 4 – near Due, La Tour, & Malee
Jake Thistle – near It’s Greek to Me
Dom Boresta – near Raymond’s
George Shabet – near Starbucks
Nic Scott – Ben and Jerry’s
Musicians set up around town at various shops and restaurants, sweetly serenading the patrons. The program is sponsored by The Ridgewood Guild, who holds auditions and places talent around the town at or near member business of The Ridgewood Guild.
If you or somebody you know is interested in performing with the Music in the Night program, please email [email protected]
MAY 29, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY GLORIA GEANNETTE
MANAGING EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Times have certainly changed since waves of Italian immigrants first arrived in New Jersey in the 19th century, but there are still Romans searching for the American Dream and some of them have landed in the village.
Claudia Rovegno and her husband, Roberto Santagati, arrived in Ridgewood two years ago with big ideas and a commitment to build a brighter future for their children, Caterina, 11, and Filippo, 14.
The affable couple hit the ground running and opened an online business, FromScratchRidgewood.com, almost immediately. They feature authentic Italian cooking that can be ordered online and they’ve experienced quite a bit of success building up a network of loyal customers. They have just opened a grocery/bistro, Italia Di Gusto Ridgewood, at 44 E. Ridgewood Ave., that includes seating for 25 people and sells imported Italian foods in addition to delicious home cooking. A grand opening celebration is planned for 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.
MAY 22, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Don’t make Ridgewood a city
To the Editor:
The Record ran an article on Tuesday detailing applications by two developers in Ho-Ho-Kus to construct new multifamily buildings with unit counts and densities much lower than the proposals here in Ridgewood.
A developer for the 2.12-acre site that currently houses Granny’s Attic on Maple Avenue is pitching 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments along with retail and office space, in a three-story building. This helps maintain the commercial character of Ho-Ho-Kus’ downtown area, while also providing a reasonable and responsible number of new apartments, including some affordable units. Looking at the apartments alone, the multifamily component density is 12.74 units per acre.
Another developer is looking to build 45 townhomes there on 3.66 acres, a density of 12.3 units per acre. I recognize that there are some differences between these proposals and Ridgewood’s, but what does stand out is that commercial, for-profit developers are proposing construction at densities much lower than those they are demanding here.
For the past few years, Ridgewood residents have been hearing from Ridgewood developers, our own village planner, and some members of the Planning Board, that much higher densities are required to incentivize the building of some new housing units downtown. The Ho-Ho-Kus proposals, in a borough very similar to Ridgewood, show that these excessive densities are not required. They are just the product of a desire for improving their property values and profits. But greed is not always good.
To date, Ridgewood’s planner has never given any studied and proper reasoning as to why we need to have densities of, first 50 apartment per acre, and now an amended 30-35 per acre (which is still too high). All we know is that 50 was declared the max and 35 is a number acceptable to some developers. But this is unacceptable planning for Ridgewood.
At the last board meeting, I asked our planner what financial due diligence was done to determine that Ridgewood’s developers needed this high density to make enough of a profit to spur development. I inquired what property purchase prices, what income and expenses and what cap rate of return were used in his pro-forma that says 30-35 is now the number. He admitted he had not done any such study, but came to the higher numbers because the Brogan site developer complained that an earlier determination of 25 per acre wasn’t enough for them. So, the current densities are based on a developer complaint.
That’s not good planning.
Many residents, along with Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, a group promoting smart and fair development in Ridgewood, are advocating for building new housing, but at densities more fitting for our village. If we cannot have the benefit of proper analysis to determine correct densities, we should go with what we know works here. Either keep the master plan the same at 12 per acre, or, if we want to incentivize development, raise it to 18-25/acre, the current average that exists throughout Ridgewood.
Baseball Hall of Fame Manager, Tommy Lasorda, will sign his new book, My Way .Each Person attending must have at least one book.
TOMMY LASORDA
Thomas Charles Lasorda
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1997
Primary team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Primary position: Manager
For more than three decades, he has been the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And after more than sixty years in the Dodgers’ organization, Tommy Lasorda remains the embodiment of Dodger Blue.
Lasorda, who managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-1996, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 by the Veterans Committee following a career where he won 1,599 games, two World Series and two more National League pennants – all with the Dodgers.
Thomas Charles Lasorda was born Sept. 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pa. He got his start in pro-baseball at the age of 18 as a southpaw pitcher when he signed with the Phillies in 1945, then served two years in the military.
In 1948, Lasorda made a record-making return to the baseball scene with the Schenectady Blue Jays as he authored a 25-strikeout performance. In 1949, the Dodgers drafted him from the Phillies, and he made a new home pitching for the Greenville Spinners and the Montreal Royals. During his time with the Royals, Lasorda led his team to four minor league championships.
Lasorda made his major league debut on Aug. 5, 1954 with the Dodgers. He played for the Dodgers for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics, where he pitched for one season.
After the 1960 season, Lasorda ended his playing career in pro ball and became a scout for the Dodgers until 1965. He managed in the minor leagues from 1966-72, and in 1973 Tommy made his way back to the big leagues as a third base coach for the L.A. Dodgers under another future Hall of Fame manager – Walter Alston. Alston retired in 1976 after 23 years with the Dodgers, and Lasorda took the reins.
By 1978, he had led the Dodgers to two straight National League championships, and became the first NL manager to win pennants in their first two seasons. After losing to the Yankees in both the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the Dodgers went on to win the World Series over the Yankees in 1981. They defeated the A’s in 1988 to give Lasorda his second World Series title.
After retiring in 1996, Lasorda stayed busy working in baseball. In 2000, he managed the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team to a gold medal in the Sydney games.
“Guys ask me, don’t I get burned out?” Lasorda said. “How can you get burned out doing something you love?”
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
