The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, once again rain brings flooding to Village of Ridgewood athletic fields . According to resident Boyd Loving RHS Stadium Field, Stevens Field, and Brookside Field all began flooding shortly before 10 PM on Saturday, 03/09. Flood waters began subsiding shortly after 12 midnight. These photos were taken at the RHS Stadium Field.
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Excessive rainfall may lead to flooding in the following areas:
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, A proposed “Affordable Housing” law aims to establish the required amount of affordable housing for towns to protect against developers bypassing municipal approval processes. The law suggests using a formula outlined in a 2018 court opinion by Judge Mary Jacobson, which initially applied to Princeton and West Windsor. The Department of Community Affairs would calculate the town’s affordable housing number by Dec. 1, 2024, or seven months within the bill’s effective date, avoiding the need for three regional court-appointed special masters, as proposed in the previous session’s draft.
(early 1900 flooding of RHS Stadium field)
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Village Manager Keith Kazmark said in Wednesday nights council meeting , “Our community experienced significant flooding this week for the for the third time in just over a three-month period. The Village has prioritized these concerns and has engaged the US Army Corps. of Engineers and the NJ DEP as we seek Federal and State support for flood mitigation. We must protect residential properties and both Village and Board of Education assets. I addressed this topic at the Village Council meeting last night.”
Continue reading Village Manager Says Flooding Problem is Bigger than Village of Ridgewood
Overdevelopment in Flood Zones is a County wide problem
photos by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, over the past few decades, rapid urbanization and population growth have led to increased pressure on land use, often pushing development into vulnerable areas, including flood zones. While urban expansion brings economic opportunities and infrastructural advancements, the dangers associated with overdevelopment in flood-prone regions are becoming increasingly evident. This article delves into the environmental and societal perils of unchecked development in flood zones, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable land-use practices.
photos old and new by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, because there is so much confusion ,when something, such as a building or infrastructure, is constructed in a flood zone, it means that it has been built in an area that is susceptible to flooding during certain weather events or natural disasters, particularly heavy rainfall, storm surges, or the overflow of nearby bodies of water like rivers or lakes, brooks, and streams. Flood zones are typically designated based on historical flood patterns, topography, and hydrological data. Most of the area bordering the Ho-Ho-Kus brook and Saddle River are considered flood zones. Here are some key implications and considerations when something is built in a flood zone:
Continue reading RHS Stadium: A Flood Zone Means there is a Significantly Higher Risk of Flooding
photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Superintendent of Ridgewood Schools Thomas Gorman told North Jersey Media on Wednesday that the district is still assessing the most recent damage after the Ho-Ho-kus brook flooded the RHS Stadium and Stevens Field at Ridgewood High School .
file photo by Boyd Loving
PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
7:30 P.M.
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL ONLINE PUBLIC MEETING
Continue reading RIDGEWOOD PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING , Tuesday, January 19, 2021 7:30 P.M.
photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood Master Plan , Stormwater Management Plan Proposed Revision :
Continue reading Village of Ridgewood Stormwater Management Plan Revision
By Linda McMahon, SBA Administrator
For this blog about Hurricane Season preparedness, we thought it would make sense to get some business continuity tips from a real expert—a business owner who survived multiple disasters.
Three Brothers Bakery, a 69-year-old business owned by Janice and Robert Jucker, suffered losses of around $1 million after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston last August. In 2008, the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike forced the couple to close the bakery for nine months. They lost $1 million after that storm.
Continue reading Six expert hurricane season preparedness tips for your business
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East Rutherford NJ, Today Governor Murphy stood alongside developers to promote the American Dream mega-mall proposal in the Meadowlands. The American Dream proposal includes 109 acres being added to the Paterson Plank Road Redevelopment Area. This project with a mall and entertainment complex was supposed to open years ago. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority would give the final approval on which properties would be added for redevelopment. The Meadowlands is an extremely environmentally sensitive and flood-prone area and the New Jersey Sierra Club opposes this development.
file photo by Boyd Loving
During last week’s Planning Board meeting, Village Planner Blais Brancheau explained some changes he recommended the board make to the master plan.
Brancheau began by reading from the current master plan, discussing housing, changes in population in the village and historic preservation, among other topics.
One change he recommended was updating the master plan regarding soil removal.
“Right now, we have three levels of soil permit procedures: a ministerial, a minor and a major permit,” he said. “We don’t need that level of difficulty to do a soil movement permit, where you’re going to get both Planning Board and council approval to move soil. One or the other should suffice.”
Another change he said would be beneficial was updating the master plan in terms of flooding zones.
Brancheau explained that the federal government has been making changes to its flood area designations, and that these should be reflected in Ridgewood’s master plan.
Chris Rutishauser, the village engineer, noted that this would be done as soon as possible, since people who would potentially be in flood zones may need to purchase flood insurance, and should know sooner rather than later if they required it or not.
Brancheau also pointed out that flood areas prohibit certain activities, such as building houses in some locations, making it even more important that the changes be updated as soon as possible.
https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/master-plan-review-continues-1.1501713
file photo by Boyd Loving
AUGUST 24, 2015, 4:19 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, 7:50 AM
BY JAMES M. O’NEILL
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A new online mapping tool that covers flood-prone neighborhoods along a six-mile stretch of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in Bergen County was unveiled Monday, the fourth in a series of maps designed to help residents in numerous Passaic River basin communities get better information about potential flooding from oncoming storms.
The newest maps show stream flows, water depths and streets likely to be flooded during various brook cresting heights for the area from White’s Lake Dam in Waldwick, downstream through Ho-Ho-Kus to Grove Street in Ridgewood.
The interactive flood inundation maps, a collaboration between federal and state agencies, are expected to help the towns’ emergency management officials plan evacuations and road closures – and make it easier for officials to persuade people in a projected flood zone to evacuate, reducing the risks for emergency personnel who must rescue stranded residents in the middle of major flooding.
file photo by Boyd Loving
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1256 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015
…HEAVY RAIN ON TUESDAY COULD CAUSE URBAN FLOODING…
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING IN SOUTHERN …CONNECTICUT…SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD. IN
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…EASTERN BERGEN…EASTERN ESSEX…
EASTERN PASSAIC…EASTERN UNION…HUDSON…WESTERN BERGEN…
WESTERN ESSEX…WESTERN PASSAIC AND WESTERN UNION. IN
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…BRONX…KINGS (BROOKLYN)…NEW YORK
(MANHATTAN)…NORTHERN NASSAU…NORTHERN QUEENS…RICHMOND
(STATEN ISLAND)…SOUTHERN NASSAU…SOUTHERN QUEENS AND
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER.
* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
* SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH A WARM FRONTAL PASSAGE COULD
PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN HEAVY RAIN CAPABLE OF CAUSING URBAN FLASH
FLOODING IN THE NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA.
* RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES…WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 3
INCHES AND HOURLY RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER
HOUR…ARE EXPECTED. WHILE THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS NOT EXPECTED TO
BE WIDESPREAD…URBAN AREAS THAT RECEIVE THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS
COULD EXPERIENCE DISRUPTIVE IMPACTS.
* DESPITE DRY CONDITIONS…SOME FAST-RESPONDING SMALL STREAMS IN
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY COULD APPROACH BANK FULL IF DIRECTLY
IMPACTED. LARGER STREAMS AND MAIN STEM RIVERS SHOULD NOT
EXPERIENCE FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S
PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
AUGUST 5, 2015
1. 7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
5. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
6. Presentations
a. Senior Citizen Needs Assessment Survey
b. June Year-to-Date Financial Review
7. Discussion
a. Parking
1. Hudson Street Parking Garage Update
2. Proposed 15 Minute Parking Spot
b. Budget
1. Capital Ordinance – Funding for Grant – Handicap Ramp at Graydon Pool
2. Award Contract – F150 Pickup for Parking Enforcement
3. Award of Contract Under State Contract – Purchase & Servicing of Firefighting Equipment and Supplies
4. Award Contract Under State Contract – Snow Plows
5. Award Partial Contract – Siding Repairs to Traffic and Signal Building
6. Award Contract – Maintenance Agreement for SCADA System and Software Support
7. Authorize Change Order – Emergency Service Repair to Water Pollution Control Facility SCADA System
8. Authorize Change Order – Benjamin Franklin Middle School Drop-Off
9. Award Contract – Printing Services – Ridgewood Water
10. Award Contract – Consulting Engineering Services – Ridgewood Water
11. Award Contract – Emergency Laboratory Services – Water Department
b. Budget (continued)
12. Award Contract – Lead and Copper and Water Quality Parameter Testing & Compliance Services – Ridgewood Water
13. Award Contract – Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water – Ridgewood Water
14. Award Contract – Emergency Repairs of Graydon Pool Well
15. Approve Agreement with Washington Township – Paving and Curbs – Hampshire Road and Standish Road
16. Approve Shared Services Agreement – Fuel – Ridgewood Board of Education
c. Operations
1. 2016 Village Council Meeting Dates
2. Establish Deposit Fees for Use of Village Barricades
d. Policy
1. Discussion of Schedler Property and House
2. Middlesex Regional Education Services Commission Cooperative Pricing Agreement
3. Green Business Recognition Program
8. Review of August 12, 2015 Public Meeting Agenda
9. Manager’s Report
10. Council Reports
11. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
12. Resolution to go into Closed Session
13. Closed Session
A. Legal – Valley Hospital
B. Personnel – Human Resources Position
14. Adjournment
