Tag: CBD

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Ridgewood mayor suggests two amendments for downtown housing

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Ridgewood mayor suggests two amendments for downtown housing

September 22, 2014    Last updated: Monday, September 22, 2014, 11:39 AM
By Laura Herzog
Staff Writer
The Ridgewood New

If two is usually better than one, what about when it comes to Master Plan amendments?

Last Tuesday, Mayor Paul Aronsohn surprised Planning Board members by suggesting the board split the currently proposed Master Plan amendment, to allow multifamily housing in the village’s central business district (CBD), into two amendments.

He also asked the board to consider reducing the proposed density, as in allowable units per acre.

One part of the newly bifurcated amendment, Aronsohn said, would consider the CBD’s “core” – East Ridgewood Avenue and Franklin Avenue – and the other would consider the CBD’s “periphery” – south of East Ridgewood Avenue and north of Franklin Avenue.

“We’re looking at a lot here. I think it would simplify it. I think it would allow the board to really focus,” Aronsohn said. “I think it would just help our decision.”

In another proposal, the mayor asked the board to consider modifying the density increase to a range around 30 to 40 units per acre, as opposed to the currently proposed 50 units per acre, which has been criticized as too great by opponents.

“I’m thinking closer to 30 makes sense,” he said.

A couple of Planning Board members expressed interest in further pursuing the ideas, which Chairman Charles Nalbantian said would be discussed more in the future, but most said the board should continue moving forward as it is.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-mayor-suggests-two-amendments-1.1093601#sthash.9hy3VdTP.dpuf

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Parking should be first priority

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Parking should be first priority

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014, 9:55 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Parking should be first priority
Felicia Angus

To the Editor:

The Planning Board meeting on Tuesday night was a firm confirmation as to why the board has to take back control of the future of this town. Sitting there, you might have thought we had all stepped into a Perry Mason special instead of a village meeting. The former Sealfons building developer’s lawyer came out like a bulldog in his “cross examination” of CBR’s [Citizens for a Better Ridgewood] hired planning advisor and was at times condescending, mean-spirited and outright bad-mannered. If he is the representation of the developers that hired him then we can only infer how they would be once they were to get any sort of go ahead to develop in this town. Kudos to Ms. Brigette Bogart, CBR’s planning advisor, for keeping her calm and not being coerced into answering the deliberately leading questions.

What this town needs to thrive is a good parking option to let those who already live here, as well as those from other towns, make use of all that the village has to offer. Walk into any shop and ask the owners. This should be priority number one in helping boost the Central Business District. After that, the Planning Board should decide how it wants to change the town plan and proceed with housing for the empty nesters. Let the village put out the requests for proposals and not be pushed into anything that is not appropriate for the nature of this town.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-parking-should-be-first-priority-1.1091964#sthash.HyNeepem.dpuf

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Ridgewood to encourage downtown employees to park in Ken Smith lot

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Ridgewood to encourage downtown employees to park in Ken Smith lot

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014, 4:22 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Space is being made in Ridgewood’s village code for more parking spaces.

The village has created a new ordinance as a first step to encourage Central Business District (CBD) employee parking in the Franklin Avenue Ken Smith lot, to temporarily free up public parking spaces.

As the village enters a public-private partnership with the new lot owners, KS Broad Street LLC, to allow CBD employees to use the lot, which the village would police and manage, the council on Wednesday introduced an ordinance that establishes requirements for the permitting of CBD employee vehicles in that lot.

“The negotiations still continue. We’re very close,” Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said.

“I want to emphasize that this is a short-term solution,” she added. “The contract that’s been drafted now by [the village attorney] will be a six-month contract. We think it will go longer because I think the current owner still has to go in front of the Planning Board with his plans for the property, but obviously once he decides what to do with the property, it becomes unavailable to us.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/village-finds-space-at-ken-smith-lot-1.1091314#sthash.LjgChrvO.dpuf

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Readers debate cost of living in the Central Business District

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Readers debate cost of living in the Central Business District 

I went to their website and had problems with the “data” that they presented. They think that someone in stupid.

The P&I on my mortgage is $1,800. I have a large 5 br 3/3 bath home. My taxes are $2,500. I am not looking to downsize to a much, much smaller rental for a higher cost. This development does not solve my tax problem. It just gives me an expensive alternative. I think that I need a smaller house or townhouse, but not in Ridgewood.

BTW. How many parking spots do I get? We have two cars.

and ….

 How about your cost for lawn maintenance, snow removal, repairs and the set-aside for major repairs (new roof, new AC etc., etc.) I know a former Ridgewood resident who had a house that is probably similar in size to yours. He and his wife are empty nesters and they decided to move to an apartment in Manhattan. They have a 2br, 2bath unit with a doorman and pay $6000/mo. When I commented that it appears that it would have been less expensive to simply stay put in Ridgewood he laid out the cost for me and guess what they totaled about $6000/mo. The Ridgewood developers are talking about $3000/mo for 2br/2br. Granted Ridgewood does not compare with the Big Apple but for the difference in rent a couple could easily afford to go into the city several times a month …..and still have a few bucks left over.

 

https://downtownridgewood.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/RidgewodRumorVsReality.pdf

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Reader asks Why would someone leave a Manhattan 1 bedroom for a Ridgewood 1 bedroom?

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Reader asks Why would someone leave a Manhattan 1 bedroom for a Ridgewood 1 bedroom?

Why would someone leave a Manhattan 1 bedroom for a Ridgewood 1 bedroom? It would add an hour commute, Manhattan is just as safe, and the public schools in Manhattan are, in many cases, better. The reality is different from your view.

https://downtownridgewood.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/RidgewodRumorVsReality.pdf
The enclave:
2 Bedrooms / 2 Baths
1000 sq. ft.
Monthly rent: Monthly rent: $3000

It costs me less than that to own a 4br home in the Ridge school area with a 15 yr 5% mortage.
You’d have to be a moron to pay 3k for rent.

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Ten Reasons to Welcome The Master Plan Amendment (With questions and rebuttals)

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Ten Reasons to Welcome The Master Plan Amendment (With questions and rebuttals)

•Additional housing choices will retain residents who outgrow their homes (But your study says that owning a $550,000 house costs about the same. Is this place for families that are downsizing or upsizing?)

•The proposed developments create lesser traffic than any other development option (Please cite specific references and back your claim up with actual data)

•Minimal additional school children (Really? I believe that this comes from yet another less-than-believable “study” funded by the applicant. Please we all just sat through 7 years of Valley “studies” and we’ve kind of had it)

•Height and mass would be the same if commercial use (But commercial buildings don’t house as many people with cars and school children as your proposed building does.)

•Parking self-sufficient (Based upon how many cars per unit and how many cars per resident? If there are no kids in your building there will be more grownups with cars. Pick one.)

•No requirement of town services (Great – then you’ll agree put down a sizable deposit against which the town can draw if you’re wrong?)

•Contributions to traffic improvement (Isn’t this from that other less-than-believable study that said that traffic will improve if we allow this building to be built?)

•$1.5 million annual net fiscal benefits to school budget and general budget (Seems light. I’d like to see the math here)

•Planned parking structure will ease clog (How does parking ease whatever “clog” is?)

•Resolves affordable housing threat (Sorry, you don’t get this one both ways either. Affordable housing will draw families with school age kids.)

•Solidifies land use in the town with minimal yield (Really? How?)

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Reader says No one is against development, just gross and stupid over-development.

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Reader says No one is against development, just gross and stupid over-development.

Number 1 Sure — very simple. One option, the developer who purchased the property follows the existing code — which will include some apartments and some single family homes as well as some business. Another option, the Village condemns the property using eminent domain and turns it into a park.

No one is against development, just gross and stupid over-development. You have exactly made the point as to why the developers are all wrong. Your argument is in effect, we need to approve the hundreds of units the developers want to build or we will have urban blight. Just the opposite is true — say no to over-development and the master plan as written will allow more sensible building with no need for amendments to the master plan or zoning adjustments.

Why do you suppose the speculator who bought that property is happy to have junky trucks sitting there now? Its exactly to bait people into voting for change without realizing the problems change will bring.

Now that you have heard these alternative solutions, I suppose you will agree with one of them?

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Can this town handle 50 units an acre?

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Copied from CBR Facebook page:Can this town handle 50 units an acre? 

We need more members of the public to attend this meeting tomorrow night at RHS.(Sept 16, 7:30pm) There are only a few meetings left before the planning board comes to a decision on higher density housing in Ridgewood. Can this town handle 50 units an acre? What happens next? Will more developers seek the same zoning benefits? Will our town have to grant those requests or else fall victim to “spot zoning” claims and expensive litigation brought on by other land owners seeking the same density increases? Once this new zone is created, there is no turning back. 50 units an acre that cover 10 acres of our town. Our planning board needs to proceed cautiously and settle on a number that makes sense. This is what planning boards do. Planning Boards plan for communities and amend master plans to ensure a better quality of life for the residents. At what number should the density increase, in order to stimulate development, yet still compliment existing structures and not fundamentally change the character of this town? This whole process is like a walk on a tight rope. The answer lies in a delicate balance. We are hopeful that our planning board finds that balance and does not fall. Please come tomorrow night.

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Change of Location : Special Public Meeting for Planning Board – September 16

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Change of Location : Special Public Meeting for Planning Board – September 16

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Special Public Meeting: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 

Change of Location

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Special Public Meeting at which time the Board will continue the public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan which would recommend changes in zone district classifications and boundaries within the Central Business District and surrounding area including AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts.

The proposed master plan amendment and related exhibits are at the office of the Secretary of the Ridgewood Planning Board on the third floor of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey and are available for public inspection Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The amendment and exhibits are also posted as a courtesy on the Village’s website at www.ridgewoodnj.net.

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Jane Wondergem

Secretary to the Board

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Reader says It is time to just say no to Urbanization

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Reader says It is time to just say no to Urbanization 

Mr. Wrubel is right — the new housing will be a great accommodation for those looking to live in a more urban environment.

But he’s wrong in suggesting Ridgewood should be the site of that migration. The thing is, those of us not looking to living a denser environment are being asked to foot the bill for developers hoping to increase their profit. Those of us who have worked and paid taxes to maintain the standards of our Village are being told we need to open up the downtown for others to come in and enjoy the benefits of what has been built.

Mr. Wrubel’s basic premise is entirely backwards looking. Its been said many times on this blog before and it is worth repeating: A downtown exists to serve the town and not the other way around. If the functionality of Ridgewood’s downtown has reached a historic end, because its been replaced say, by Route 17 shopping, then the downtown parcel should revert to open space or single family homes in keeping with Ridgewood’s community purpose. The death of the downtown should not be allowed to kill off Ridgewood altogether, and that is what a lot of well meaning people seem to overlook.

Let’s look to the future and beyond the self interest of the developers and the yarns they have spun: Young families continue to want to live in a safe, suburban environment in the long desirable Village of Ridgewood — why are folks in such a rush to take away that opportunity? Why is our Planning Board and Council even considering allowing that to happen?

It is time to just say no.

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“crumbling infrastructure” : Reader asks what will be the ultimate cost to the Village taxpayers

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“crumbling infrastructure” : Reader asks  what will be the ultimate cost to the Village taxpayers

What is perhaps most interesting about this article is the fact that when he has testified about the effect of adding 500 new families to downtown with the apartment projects, Ruitshauser has not been concerned about the effect on infra structure. For instance, at one hearing he noted that new sewer pipes would need to be dug under the streets downtown to accept the flow of sewage from the projects, and these would feed into the old pipes. But, then he suggested there would be no effect on the existing decades old pipes that flow to the sewage treatment plants.

Its clear as the apartment projects move forward and as we hear remarks about “crumbling infrastructure” that we really don’t know what the ultimate cost to the Village taxpayers will be. The projects are going to be an eyesore as well as a pocketbook sore in years to come.

Esurance

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Support for downtown housing

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Support for downtown housing

September 12, 2014    Last updated: Friday, September 12, 2014, 9:28 AM
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Support for housing proposal
Arthur Wrubel

To the Editor:

The higher density housing proposed for downtown Ridgewood is in accordance with its historical development. The downtown has changed, adapting to the needs of its growing population.

The area used to be a pedestrian-oriented destination which could supply its population with food and services. Shop owners once lived above their stores. The proximity to the surrounding residential area encouraged walking to shop and take the train to jobs.

The proposed changes to the master plan permit these ideas to flourish again. Further, there is a national trend to living in higher-density urban areas to satisfy people who want to be close to shops, work and services.

The Planning Board and others have studied the various impacts of the development, such as traffic generation, school children, water supply, fire and safety, etc. The studies indicate little or no impact. The traffic in particular is reduced compared to commercial development.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-support-for-downtown-housing-1.1086864#sthash.EGFdodJb.dpuf

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Crumbling pipes cause concern in Ridgewood

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file photo Boyd Loving

Crumbling pipes cause concern in Ridgewood

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014, 2:39 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
Print

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the crumbling pipes, are calling for repair in Ridgewood.

According to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, who detailed the issue in her manager’s report at last week’s Village Council meeting, Ridgewood recently discovered that many of its sewer drainage pipes are “crumbling.”

The problem, she said, was discovered when a contractor employed by PSE&G was doing gas main work around Downs Street and Pearsall Avenue in August. The contractor noticed that the “pipe material was crumbling” in some nearby sewer drainage pipes.

The pipe cost about $1,300 to replace, she said.

According to Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser, the now-deteriorated, aluminum-corrugated metal pipes in Ridgewood’s sewer drainage system were installed 35 to 40 years ago, and are located “all over” the village. But “it’s hard to say” what percentage of the pipes – all in the storm drainage, not sanitary system – are made of this material and need replacement, he said.

Mayor Paul Aronsohn expressed concern when the pipe issue was raised at the meeting on Sept. 3.

“You’re saying this type of pipe, that crumbles at the touch, is all throughout the village,” he said. The mayor also asked Rutishauser if he was concerned.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/crumbling-pipes-cause-concern-1.1087035#sthash.28ETplWZ.dpuf

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Parking solutions sought as former bank building in Ridgewood gets new tenant

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Parking solutions sought as former bank building in Ridgewood gets new tenant

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014, 4:18 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

As the Village Council continues fishing for a parking garage, a big catch – FISH – has entered the discussion on Ridgewood’s parking needs.

FISH, a high-end eatery from Asbury Park, is opening a second location in Ridgewood’s long-empty Bank of America building, and bringing with it as many as 225 new diners.

“They’d like to open somewhere between December and February,” said the building’s landlord John Saraceno, who said he was contacted by FISH six months ago. “They’re a great use for the village.”

The new restaurant, expected to attract many new diners, and cars, is also adding even more urgency to the village’s ongoing search for better parking options in the Central Business District (CBD), a search being done partly with awareness that more popular chains and anchor stores could help revitalize Ridgewood’s downtown but necessitate more parking options.

But luckily, FISH’s plan to valet park its cars will provide some relief.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/solutions-sought-as-historic-building-is-leased-1.1086248#sthash.vx8INNPX.dpuf

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Finally – A parking solution that makes sense

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Finally – A parking solution that makes sense
September 11,2014
Boyd A. Loving
2:18 PM

Our prayers have been answered – Hallelujah!

Village Manager Roberta Sonnenfeld announced on Wednesday, 09/10/2014 the Village’s intent to lease a portion of the former Ken Smith Motors property, on Franklin Avenue near North Broad Street, for purposes of providing parking for the employees of businesses operating in Ridgewood’s Central Business District (CBD).  It is believed that the proposed private/public partnership endeavor will free up many parking spaces on streets in the CBD for shoppers and restaurant goers.

No formal agreement had been reached as of Ms. Sonnenfeld’s announcement, but was revealed that Village parking enforcement agents will patrol the lot for violators, and that the Village will receive 10% of gross revenues.  More details are expected to be released once a formal contract is signed.  No word on the Village’s contribution, if any, to expenses such as building demolition, line striping, etc.

The announcement came with this advisory – the solution will not be long term in nature because the property owner wishes to develop it at a later date.