Tag: Developers

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Reader says There is a very good reason why the prior Village Council sided with the developers because they had no other choice

COAH Village of Ridgewood

file photo by Boyd Loving

There is a very good reason why the prior Village Council sided with the developers.because they had no other choice. The NJ Supreme Court ruled several years ago that EVERY city, town and village in the State of New Jersey has a definitive obligation to provide a quotent of Affordable Housing in thier community. EVERY municipality was assigned a quota they had to meet based on their population. It was fought long and hard by virtually every town but the court ruling prevailed and it still stands today. The Village of Ridgewood was assigned a quota and the Village must comply. The choice all towns face is either to allow some new development and require the developers to “set aside” a percentage of their units for Affordable Housing or the town must provide it themself. In exchange for granting permission to build new units Ridgewood wisely decided to put the burden of complying with the court mandate onto the developers.. The result is a somewhat less quaint Village and one with fewer trees and more concrete but in the end it will avoid the need for the Village to provide the required Affordable Housing and in so doing it will save the residents a ton of money. Frankly, since the new developments are all located in the downtown area the streetscape for the vast majority of residents will remain wholly unchanged. In conclusion don’t blame the Village of Ridgewood for allowing the new developments because it was forced upon the Village.by the courts..

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Lawyers Spar Over Ex-Judge Wolfson’s Affordable Housing Role

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson

Michael Booth, New Jersey Law Journal

Lawyers argued Monday over whether a former state judge who handled affordable housing cases should have at least one of his rulings overturned because of his relationship with a developer.

In Trenton, a lawyer for South Brunswick Township squared off against a half-dozen others representing developers and affordable-housing advocates. The township is seeking to have affordable housing rulings made by now-retired Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson vacated because of what it alleges is the appearance of a conflict of interest: Wolfson’s acceptance of vacations from, and current representation of, Edgewood Properties.

While on the bench, Wolfson handled litigation involving the township, but not Edgewood Properties, according to documents. And Wolfson recused from cases that came before him involving Edgewood.

Nevertheless, Wolfson for years has had personal and professional ties to Edgewood, and South Brunswick claims Wolfson’s decisions in other affordable housing cases could work in favor of Edgewood or its primary owner, Jack Morris, even though he has no projects pending in the township.

https://www.njlawjournal.com/home/id=1202792630368/Lawyers-Spar-Over-ExJudge-Wolfsons-Affordable-Housing-Role?mcode=1202617074826&curindex=0

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Reader says you are wrong and you bought into the fake arguments raised by Arohson, Pucciarli and the developers

Ridgewood 3 amigos

you are wrong and you bought into the fake arguments raised by Arohson, Pucciarli and the developers. Yes, we have requirements, but no, we did not need to line Saraceno’s and the other developer’s pockets in order to address these issues.

We were sold up the river, pure and simple, by a mean spirited and self-serving duo of public officials – – remember, they voted to make these projects the law as they were leaving office. They are carpetbaggers who have no place in our Village life.

We have now entered a new phase for life in Ridgewood thanks to the duplicitous duo. And we need to be ready for it. We are now going to much more like New Brunswick than a Ho-Ho-Kus or Glen Rock. We need to work hard to maintain the value of our properties, our schools and other public services as we deal with an influx of people that will totally drain our infrastructure.

Regrettably, it is not clear what the “new” council is doing to address and deal with the issues that lay ahead. Attention must now be focused on bringing them into focus, but as others on this thread have said, that ain’t going to happen if we all stay home and silent..

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Affordable housing mandate threatens quality of life, mayor says

Projects theridgewoodblog.net

“While I know this is Somerset, it is obvious that with the exception of District 39 and District 40 leadership, the crickets from District 36, District 37 and District 38 are becoming more incessant. When will the leadership of NJ Legislature stop playing this “partisan card”? “, Edward Durfee

Affordable housing mandate threatens quality of life, mayor says

Updated on June 20, 2017 at 3:31 PMPosted on June 20, 2017 at 3:30 PM

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

MONTGOMERY TWP. – Mayor Ed Trzaska is concerned that a potential court mandate requiring the township meet an affordable housing unit quota will put an overwhelming burden on the municipality and negatively effect the quality of life.

At issue is a state Supreme Court ruling in March of 2015 that opened the door for municipalities to be sued for not providing a “fair share” of affordable housing units. The ruling also allows a municipality to demonstrate in court that it has met the requirement to provide affordable housing.

The township, which has a population of some 23,000, has been in the forefront of providing affordable housing units, said Trzaska. Currently, he said the township has 300 affordable housing units, of which more than one-fourth are vacant.

Under a possible court ruling by the Fair Share Housing Counsel, the township could be forced to build between 501 and 1,000 additional affordable housing units, as well as 4,000 market-rate units, said Trzaska. The township has yet to be given the exact number of affordable units it must build, he said.

https://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2017/06/affordable-housing_mandate_threatens_nj_towns_qual.html

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Reader says The facts support the claim CRAB did target Ridgewood for “disruption”

village Council

The facts support the claim CRAB did target Ridgewood for “disruption”:
CRAB’s own meeting minutes going back to February of 2017 reflect the plan to ask the village to fly the flag in a public space, not over village hall.

CRAB then deviated from that to ask the village to fly the flag at village hall, a request they did not make of Glen Rock.
The village, rightly, raised concerns about flying the flag at village hall.

CRAB’s Jan Phillips, Janice Willet, and their supporters, including Voigt, then used that concern to label the mayor and deputy mayor as intolerant bigots. OPRA requests reveal Voigt ignoring and lying about an email on 5/4 from the mayor about flying the flag at Van Neste.

Facebook posts from Jan Phillips show she and her supporters knowingly took the mayor’s comments about flying the flag at village hall out of context in an effort to smear her. When called out that they had done so, they did not apologize or retract.

While the mayor and deputy mayor are clumsy communicators who have been their own worst enemy more times than not, they have been the target of Aronsohn and his library/garage/high-density crowd on this matter.

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One Year Later same people/groups that spoon fed and pushed personal agendas are still at it in Ridgewood

Vote Ridgewood NJ

file photo by Dana Glazer

June 16,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog with a little help from our friends

Ridgewood NJ, a reader wrote us and said ,”I was cleaning up my posts and came across this Facebook thread from last year. It’s amazing that the same people/group that spoon fed and pushed personal agendas are still at it. Our current Mayor and Deputy Mayor remain under attack; false accusations, lies published in the local newspaper, public opinion letters etc.

Why would they still be at it? Answer: We have an election coming up next year. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s positions become available. Exactly two seats are needed for this group to resume block voting and to pick up where they left off. They are also desperately fighting the Council’s effort to review and restructure committees, which were previously formed and by them. Why? Answer: Establishing and enforcing committee Bylaws would greatly restrict pushing personal agendas and members would be appointed to these committees in a fair, term restricted, manner. Imagine the use of checks and balances, which doesn’t exist today. Their biggest threat, is loosing their self appointed positions or that these committees be dismantled. Why? Answer: They would loose their last public platform. Meaning, they would no longer have the same clout, wide reach or public accessibility. Note how every one of their publications lists their titles and positions served. Why? Because an official title or experience gives more weight.

Like Derek Schnure said, “the little guy is now able to counter the misinformation and party politics.” Residents beware and stay informed.

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Reader says obvious silly ploy of Aronsohn and morally corrupt Patsy’s

paul Aronsohn

file photo by Boyd Loving

This is such an obvious silly ploy of aronsohn and his political motives and morally corrupt Patsys. I don’t know why more people don’t see through this,
He made big promises and he didn’t deliver. He literally NEEDS to corrupt this current council and break it all apart to sneak his people back in in order to deliver on the bs promises he made about disabled housing and parking garages. Or his spiral ions go down the drain. What a snake. What a lair. And these food are falling for it and so are all of us! Voigt especially

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Reader says Roberta’s Letter is part of a much larger scheme to discredit Mayor Susan Knudsen

3 amigos

Roberta is, was and will always be Paul Aronsohn’s puppet. This move is part of a much larger scheme to discredit Susan Knudsen. Why? Because they are gearing up for the next election. The dark side has to win the two opening spots so they can regain the voting block. Jeff Voight is holding their third spot. Salivating for 2018. They have a lot of shady agendas waiting to push through.

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US housing starts surge to 9-year high in October

realestate_forsale_theridgewoodblog

Reuters

U.S. housing starts surged to a more than nine-year high in October as builders ramped up construction of both single and multifamily homes, offering hope that housing will contribute to economic growth in the fourth quarter.

Groundbreaking jumped 25.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.32 million units, the highest level since August 2007, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The percent increase was the biggest since July 1982. Starts increased in all four regions last month.

September’s starts were unrevised at a 1.05 million-unit rate. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts rising to a 1.16 million-unit pace in October. Residential construction has been a drag on gross domestic product for two straight quarters.

Single-family home building, which accounts for the largest share of the residential housing market, jumped 10.7 percent to an 869,000-unit pace in October, the highest since October 2007.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/17/us-housing-starts-oct-2016.html

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Reader says it always appeared that Aronsohn sold Ridgewood out to developers and other profiteers with whom he wished to curry favor

Ridgewood 3 amigos

In my humble opinion, it always appeared that Aronsohn sold us out to developers and other profiteers with whom he wished to curry favor. Its shameful Yes, we have parking issues. They were never addressed by the Aronsohn administration because his focus was on those who seemed to want to profit from government largess and not Village residents. Distribution is probably our main “problem” – – and its good to see the new council recognizing that and attempting to address that issue before spending millions on a new garage. Yes, we may need a new garage, but let’s see what some of the other solutions are first. I thought Voght laid it out very nicely a meeting or two ago. Yes, let’s spend a few thousand on signs, parking and street re-alignment and then see if we need the garage. Keep up the good work!!

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Reader says We should memorialize Hudson Garage caper with a village plaque to hubris and for the future generations

Village of Ridgewood : Van Neste Memorial Park "Revival" project

We should memorialize this caper with a village plaque to hubris and for the future generations to Trust but first Verify.Could have turned out quite differently without the hard and determined efforts to overcome those developers and some whom they called to dance to their opportunistic tune.

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Mayor and Progress Ridgewood riling up shoppers and diners when 80% of new spots benefit developers and politicians

Parking 2/8/16
All this propaganda for less than 50 spots targeted to dining and shopping ? Let’s talk about the real agenda
June 18,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Mayor and his cronies are playing fast and loose with the truth and the rank and file doing their bidding may not understand the real plot.  Stooping so low as to grab out dated of context quotes to imply that the 5 members of the incoming Council endorse a YES vote is essentially manufacturing a lie but trying to wipe off your fingerprints of the tools of deceit.  The incoming Council DOES NOT endorse a Yes vote and if you doubt me, just ask them, they are all available on email.  They are trying to stay on the high road, which the Village Manager couldn’t find with a map, but they are livid at the bald attempt to attach their names to Paul and Roberta’s desperate attempt to deceive.

They don’t want or need any “help” from the outgoing Council who are leaving their post with as little grace and professionalism as you would expect from observing  the last 4 years

The Walker study (attached ) makes clear that of the 250 incremental spots created the vast, vast majority (191 of 250 or 76 %) of the spots created will be monthly spots.  The 126 hourly spots is less than 50 more than what exists in lot now  (76 spots ) when you consider the destruction of on-street parking Garagzilla requires.

So wait …We spend $ 11.5 MM to get essentially less than 2 levels of shopping/dining parking and 3+ levels of monthly parking to warehouse extra cars for the high density residents and serve out of town commuters? That makes sense how?????

Who benefits from monthly spots ?  High density developers who have too many cars and out of town commuters.
Who benefits from 50 subsidized hourly spots being created in a $ 11.5 MM boondoggle?  Local Landlords looking to raise rents on small business tenants.

Who benefits from developers, out of town commuters and local landlords being happy?  Politicians who need money and allies to run for office.

TRUST THE NEW COUNCIL AND VOTE NO.  DONT LET THE MAYOR TIE THEIR HANDS
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Reader says developers are playing the long game to draw families here to multi bedroom rentals with our schools as the magnetic force

kinopoisk

The over-developers paired with the Paul V.s of the village are playing the long game to draw families here to multi bedroom rentals with our schools as the magnetic force. It is very simple. Problem is, our schools are over capacity and our high school is well past capacity. So, how will our schools stay at the top? They can’t. That doesn’t concern the local developer, he’ll have sold by then. It will be someone else’s problem. It is simple and undeniably true. They lie about Brogan and Ken Smith parking spaces needing to be replaced, spots that are not a part of the public parking inventory. “Smiling faces with hidden agendas”.

The garage is the Trojan Horse. The village now admits, we don’t need more parking, we don’t even utilize what we have.

The full day kindergarten should be voted DOWN in Nov. When studies were presented for multifamily housing, the ‘expert’ assumed new staffing for full day kindergarten was already in place. If we vote the full day Kindergarten down, then the schools will not have funding for new teachers needed to serve newly built apartments. At that point hopefully the builders will be charged an impact fee, instead of sneaking the higher cost caused due to apartments in the name of the KG program.

 

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Ron Simoncini previously linked to a Hoboken, Hudson County mess with some dubious mail-in ballots ?

Hudson County Machine Politics

May 3,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Progress Ridgewood? Ridgewood 2020? The Truth About Ridgewood Facebook page moderated by Ron Simoncini who was previously linked to a Hoboken, Hudson County mess with some dubious mail-in ballots. Google away using search terms Simoncini, Hoboken, mail in ballots, etcetera. Isn’t Mr. Simoncini the big time supporter behind the Weitz, Willet, Brooks ticket? Pay attention Ridgewood. Link here to one article but there’s more if you care to dig for The Truth. By the way Ridgewood had over 450 votes by mail for garage referendum in Nov. hmmm..
https://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/24627525/article-Hoboken-s-legacy-of-vote-by-mail-schemes–Rent-control-referendum-results-stand–and-shed-light-on-dubious-election-pastime–?instance=latest_story

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The Progress Ridgewood group Weitz, Willett and Brooks Event tonight at Park West

Paul V garage pledge

May 2,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The progress Ridgewood group has an ad in the paper saying those are the 3 that will be at the candidates forum at Park West Loft on May 2nd.

The Progress Ridgewood group is clearly the developer sponsored group .You can only go, if you signed the pledge, so i guess that means they signed it. Nice to know that 3 of the candidates have already decided to be exclusionary, and not listen to others that may have a different opinion then them.

At the candidates debate, all 6 candidates said the current council has been too divisive. Some of the language from the 3 that signed the pledge said “all groups need to be included and involved”, “the council works for everybody. Everybody needs to be informed”, “lead by example”, “public discourse needs to be lifter to a higher level”, “inclusiveness, solutions, and a united approach to figuring out where we’re going, and how to get there”.

Nice to know that the 3 have already shown us that their words don’t mean much, since their actions have proven to be the opposite.
If you want your village government to be exclusionary, then you know who to vote for, Weitz Willet and Brooks.

If you want your village government to be individually thinking people, with varying backgrounds, who are willing to discuss the issues with anyone, you need to vote for Voigt, Hache and Walsh.

Anyone who would like to challenge Weitz, Willett and Brooks on any or all issues should make themselves known at Park West Tavern tonight, 7PM. There is a Happy Hour sponsored by Progress Ridgewood. Maybe you’ll get a free beer and a handful of nachos for your troubles.

Anyway, here are the bullet points that came with the invite:

Each of these experts can bring financial, legal and communication skills to Ridgewood’s Village Council.
They will be the most thoughtful stewards of your tax dollars.
They can successfully negotiate necessary compromises.
They are constructive, not de-constructive.
They epitomize character.

Weitz Willet and Brooks signed the Paul Vaggianos pledge.Bernie Jeff and Ramon refused, that says it all .

A reader says, “Personally, I would not lower myself to drinking their free beer. It would make me feel like Louie at that last scene of Casablanca where he looks down and sees that he has been drinking Vichy water and he tosses it out in disgust.
Tonight’s event was the set up they tried – – the “debate” where you had to pledge allegiance to the developers – – let it be poorly attended. they are trying to whitewash the fact these candidates are for massive overbuilding in our downtown. Their party line at the public debate was “call me an optimist, I am sure the developers will do just fine” and “bring on those additional school children to our overcrowded schools.”