Ridgewood NJ, Village Manager Keith Kazmark emphatically stated that Healthbarn USA will not have free access to the proposed covered pavilion at Habernickel Park. Green Acres laws prohibit such an arrangement said Kazmark. His remarks were made during a Wednesday, March 6th Village Council Work Session. The Village Manager said that in all likelihood, if Healthbarn USA should desire to use the planned facility, the terms of their existing lease with the Village will be renegotiated.
Ridgewood NJ, readers of The Ridgewood blog have much to say about alleged harassment they’ve suffered at the hands of Healthbarn USA’s owner. All of this is said to have occurred while these readers were trying to use PUBLIC PARK facilities at the Irene Habernickel Family Park, which was partially paid for with State of New Jersey Green Acres funds.
Ridgewood NJ, in 2015 the Gate House of the former horse farm at Habernickel Park was rented out to a new tenant. The Village Council approved a mulit-year lease with a local organization that teaches both children and adults about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, HealthBarn USA .
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Village Council has once again put HealthBarn USA’s future at Habernickel Park’s Gate House on hold , The Village Council agreed to delay a new lease offer until the cost of repairs to the building is known.
Ridgewood NJ, Village of Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and Village Restaurants are backing a new lease for Healthbarn USA, the occupant of Habernickel Park Carriage House.
Ridgewood NJ, are the supporters of Healthbarn concerned if the lease doesn’t get renewed Stacey Antine will no longer do good for Ridgewood through her Foundation? That is not what the lease is about it is about Healthbarn USA a private for profit business. Healthbarn foundation is headquartered in Lyndhust. So why does every thing written about Healthbarn talk mainly about the foundation not about her classes going on in the park?
Ridgewood NJ, In the article on the front page of The Ridgewood News in quotes it states “this partnership has exceeded all expectations & proven to be a mutually beneficial to all”. How? It has always been called a partnership but the first few years NO profits from Healthbarn went to the village. Healthbarn kept 100% all while the village advertises it on its parks & rec website. The only classes today that are partnership are the few offered on one day off school holidays.
Funny because a neighbor to habernickel has emailed over and over again about a dead tree that needs to be removed before someone is seriously hurt and the date she was given was 12/27. Crazy yet our children play fall ball there and marroons soccer. But 12/27 is acceptable???
Yet the village managed to add commercial lighting to the parking lot within a month of a private non profit sharing business start date to allow this business to hold late night restaurant style living but cannot remove a dead tree that may injure a child until 4 months after tha fact. Crazy!!! Why can an excess of village tax payers dollars be used to assist a private business , but cannot be allocated until December to remove a tree that could seriously hurt someone?
photo courtesy of Take Back Ridgewood Facebook page
April 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Healthbarn USA Inc. business continues to raise concerns in the neighborhood . First the amount of people using the parking lot during the day as well as the new lights which seem completely unnecessary as well as detrimental to the natural habitat.
This is land Habernickel Family Park was set aside for conservation purposes but sprinklers are now being installed for a garden by Ridgewood Water? This seems antithetical to the purpose of conservation.
Once again the soccer and baseball games have begun and the parking situation has become dangerous. Simple issues like No Parking signs and a crosswalk have still not been addressed by the Village even though they proceeded Healthbarn and have been problems for years .
Soccer and baseball are already seeing the effect of Healthbarn being given 12 parking spots. Loss of the lot have pushed Ridgewood tax payers and the teams they are hosting for sports into the street for parking. There are no designated spots for Healthbarn, therefore their private clients are and will continue to utilize the entire lot to the exclusion of Ridgewood residents.
Neighbors are very concerned about the effect all this commotion 25 plus kids in a small home and 25 plus cars an hour will do to the natural green acres habitat the park is suppose to protect.
What Village has addressed immediately however are sprinklers and lights for a business in a residential zone ? Once again the needs of a private business are outweighing the benefit to the public good.
FEBRUARY 12, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s Village Council members discussed the proposed addition of HealthBarn USA to the Irene Habernickel Family Park at the Feb. 3 meeting.
“I feel very strongly that it makes sense to have HealthBarn there,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “I’m not just supportive of this program, I’m excited about it.”
The final decision on whether to approve HealthBarn moving onto the property was postponed to a later date during the Feb. 10 meeting, due to some of the council members wanting to see the business’ lease before deciding on anything.
The current plan is to have HealthBarn USA, a company that offers various outdoor activities to children, take up partial residence in the house on the Habernickel property, in exchange for payment to the village.
This does not sit well with local resident Margene Rubin, who said at the Feb. 3 meeting she feels the addition of HealthBarn to the property would make the area a less-enjoyable place to live.
“Everyone in that area that faces that field does not want (HealthBarn),” Rubin said, adding that HealthBarn founder Stacey Antine can “go someplace else” and not disrupt the neighborhood.
“It’s very upsetting,” said Rubin. “I really do encourage you to think about how many people this is upsetting,”
I can’t recall the Village Council ever approving a resolution permitting such an operation (at The Stable).
Does anyone know how this all happened and whether it’s legal? Are they operating there for free (on the taxpayer’s dime), or is money exchanging hands? All a mystery.
OCTOBER 14, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015, 9:03 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Gate House of the former horse farm at Habernickel Park is getting a new tenant.The Village Council earlier this month approved a mulit-year lease with a local organization that teaches both children and adults about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.For the next five years, HealthBarn USA will occupy the house at 1057 Hillcrest Road, for the rental price of $3,700 per month. In the contract, there is also an option to renew for an additional five years. The lease ends on Oct. 31, 2020.
HealthBarn USA provides educational programs for children that will allow them to connect nature with nutrition as they learn to grow and harvest food and prepare recipes. Students get a unique “farm-to-fork” experience and are taught where food comes from and why eating fresh food benefits both their bodies and the environment.
The opportunity to bring a new use to the Gate House came when the previous tenants decided to move, giving the village an opportunity to reevaluate its situation, said Janet Fricke, assistant to the village manager.
The village then consulted with a real estate professional to get a recommended baseline bid, posted multiple real estate listings and held open houses to find a new tenant. Before moving forward with a new lease, the village received approval from Green Acres since the land was purchased using grant money.
A further hearing to explain the changing use to the public will be held on Nov. 4, said Fricke.
