high density housing - Page 39 of 41

Posted on March 24, 2015 by James — 7 Comments

Village Council Meeting Wednesday on Redevelopment Zone

Here is the photo of The Kensington Assisted Living Facility in Westchester.

Village Council Meeting Wednesday on Redevelopment Zone

*** Important Information about Redevelopment Zone ***

Ridgewood NJ, TOMORROW, Wednesday, March 25th, at the end of the Village Council Meeting, there will be a CLOSED Village Council Session to address “Contract Negotiations for the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone.”

The Village Council is moving forward with closed-door discussions to evaluate two proposals for the Redevelopment Zone. We recommend that you attend this Village Council meeting (or watch the televised feed) if you have questions about the Redevelopment Zone.

One proposal is for an assisted living facility that would feature commercial space on the ground floor and five floors of residential space. The 5-story building would include a parking garage with 135 parking spaces set aside for public parking, and is expected to generate 18,000 visits per year by the residents’ family and friends. The second proposal would feature 13 duplex apartments in the luxury price range and a massive parking garage that would accommodate 230 standard parking spaces, 118 set aside for residential and retail. (During his presentation, the developer said the parking garage could theoretically accommodate 627 cars with a semi-automatic parking system where cars are stored on pallets and are stacked to save space.) Both proposals would be built to the maximum allowable height of 60 feet.

Most likely, the Village Council will choose one of these two developers to build at the site without engaging residents and without undertaking a Comprehensive Master Plan Review. The American Planning Association guidelines for the state of NJ encourage local government and redevelopers to increase their levels of outreach and engagement efforts as a way to ensure public involvement throughout any redevelopment planning process.

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In response to many of you who have asked about CBR’s position with respect to the Redevelopment Zone, we have quickly prepared some thoughts below, but admit that these are only preliminary thoughts…… We encourage anyone who feels that such an important decision requires more public input and more review, to attend the meeting in Village Hall at 7:30 pm on Wednesday night.

Insights from CBR: Attached is a picture of an Assisted Living facility in Westchester, NY owned by Kensington, the same developer whose proposal is currently in front of the Village Council. The dimensions of this building are actually smaller than what is being proposed for Ridgewood. If three of our five council members favor the Kensington proposal, a similar facility could easily be erected in downtown Ridgewood next year! The Ridgewood building would be 60 feet tall and would have a 5 or 6 story parking garage in the rear. Please look at this picture and notice the garage in the background. The garage would sit on N. Walnut Street. The other proposal is from Langan Development and would include retail space along Franklin Avenue on the first floor of an L-shaped residential building, with a significant parking structure also accessed from N. Walnut Street. The density of the development, which includes 3-bedroom / 2.5-bathroom duplex units, is 12-units per acre.

At CBR, we have always been concerned with development that is out of scale with the surroundings. The sheer size and scale of these developments is even larger than any of the high density developments that have been proposed so far. We are not sure why our Village Council would even entertain building something that is so mega-sized in downtown Ridgewood!
Redevelopment should occur with ample public input. We feel as if our Village Council has not encouraged public input and is moving along very quickly. In fact, are you even aware of the size of these proposals, or that the Village of Ridgewood owns this very valuable piece of real estate in our CBD? Most residents are not. Usually, when a municipality is undertaking a massive redevelopment, they are very excited and community support is strong. We feel as if the community has been left in the dark. Even residents on Walnut Street are unaware of the proposals.

To be clear, this is not a discussion about assisted living or housing. This is a discussion about developing within the character of our town. We are wary of moving forward and building a 60-foot high building in the center of our town without a clear vision for the future. Once again, we have sophisticated developers on the scene ready to “save the day” while our town officials have not done adequate due diligence. This will most certainly pave the way for builders in the future to argue their case for sympathetic zoning benefits. Why is there a big rush / push to urbanize our downtown? And why have the residents been kept out of the planning process? This is a serious issue. Other towns value public input, while Ridgewood seems to have a disdain for its residents and their input.

By way of background, years ago the Hillman family owned the Walnut Street parking lot and our village government took it away from them on the principle of eminent domain, to build a parking garage. Sadly, for years, our village never dealt with funding in order to construct a parking garage. Municipalities all over Northern NJ have addressed their parking problems, issued referendums, bonded out the construction of their own garages and moved forward with viable parking plans.

Both proposals will give Ridgewood a mere 100-135 additional public parking spaces, in return for approval to build on a prime piece of village-owned property that sits in the center of our downtown. 100 plus parking spots? Our parking deficit is estimated to be 1,000 parking spots or greater. The Kensington facility will amount to 98 housing units on little more than an acre. While we like assisted living and suspect that our Village Council is hoping to bring in much needed tax revenue from this business, we have not seen or know of any financial studies that prove this is the best choice for this property. We are also not sure an assisted living facility belongs smack in the the center of downtown. The promise of an additional 100 parking spots is questionable, as these spots could easily be filled by visitors, volunteers, and members of local groups that cater to the assisted living residents. We believe this business will add to our Village’s parking woes rather than solve an age old problem.

Why not build a two or three story parking deck on this property? The property was acquired by the Village for the purpose of parking! CBR has raised the idea of funding and building a parking deck but feel as if it has fallen on deaf ears. For some reason, a few Village Council members are suggesting that residents will not support funding a 2 or 3 story parking deck at this location. Why is the Council so sure that residents won’t support a parking deck on this lot — when we haven’t even been included in the discussions? And on the flip side, why is the Council so sure that the residents of this town will support a 6-story building when there is nothing in the CBD that is currently 6 stories tall? A parking deck with 300 or more spots, dedicated to employees and customers, will increase sales in all of our shops and businesses downtown. (This could, in turn, increase overall tax revenue).

How does all of this fit into Ridgewood’s plan for the future? We wish we could answer that question! Unfortunately, there is currently no plan for the future of Ridgewood. There are separate discussions taking place behind closed doors all over town and no one, except the residents, seem to understand the importance of having a long-term vision for the future of this town. We think we are in the midst of a very sad time in our town right now. Instead of feeling positive about our future, we feel very uncertain.

Here is a link to an article in the Ridgewood News that discusses both proposals
https://www.northjersey.com/news/two-developers-present-proposals-for-ridgewood-lot-1.1284186

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
[email protected]

Posted on March 24, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 7 Comments

ReCap of Planning Board Meeting

ReCap of Planning Board Meeting
from Citizens for a Better Ridgewood ( CBR)

Hello CBR Friends and Neighbors,

On March 17, the Planning Board met to deliberate the proposed Master Plan amendment that would allow for high density housing in our Central Business District. After several hours of discussion, Planning Board Chairman Nalbantian asked Village Planner Blais Brancheau to come to the next meeting prepared to address the concerns mentioned by board members, including density, height, parking and affordable housing. Please see below for a recap of last week’s meeting and please join us at the next meeting on April 7.

Planning Board Meeting: Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 pm at Village Hall

Agenda: The Planning Board will continue deliberating

CBR’s recap of 3/17/15 Planning Board Meeting

CBR Note: The first condition of this amendment, aside from density and height issues, is changing the usage in the zones from commercial to residential. Keep in mind that when the planning board members state that they support the usage change, that does not necessarily indicate that they approve the densities that are proposed. Changing the zoning in an area of our CBD from commercial to residential is a big step in itself, as presumably once residential is built, there is no turning back to commercial usage on that site.

Once usage is addressed, the next issue is how much residential do you allow? Currently, most residential properties in the CBD have commercial usage on the first floor. Under this amendment, commercial usage on the first floor is no longer required. Allowing housing in our downtown at density higher than the 12 units per acre that is currently permitted makes sense, and anything over 12 units an acre constitutes “higher density.” Considering that the average density that currently exists in our downtown now is actually 22-24 units per acre, CBR would be quite comfortable with setting 22 or 24 units per acre as the new limit for density. We feel that doubling those numbers is too much, and that 35-40 units an acre and beyond would significantly alter the character of our Village. It is very important that our planning board finds the right balance in this amendment.

CBR ReCap: We took notes on each of the Planning Board member’s comments and would like to share them here. Our notes are not direct quotes.

Absent from this meeting was Nancy Bigos. She has yet to weigh in.

Charles Nalbantian, the Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees that the usage (housing rather than commercial) is good, but said the “devil is in the details.” He expressed reservations about the height and RSIS (state mandated parking requirements), and indicated that he is not sure yet about the density.

Richard Joel, the Vice Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees with the usage (housing in our CBD) and believes it will promote the general welfare. He feels that we need to develop these under-utilized sites and there is a need for a variety of housing. He said that he doesn’t know what the right balance between height and density should be.

Kevin Riley, supports the use of housing in our downtown but is concerned with height and density. He said he would like to see the density reduced from what is currently put forth in the amendment.

Wendy Dockray, thinks concept of multifamily housing is a good one but has her “yellow flags” or reservations. She is not sure this is actually what seniors are looking for in terms of space and affordability. She is concerned that the height and scale will negatively impact the historical character of Ridgewood. She said going from 12 units per acre to 40-50 is a “huge jump” and she is not sure if building 40 – 50 units an acre is necessary or appropriate to achieve housing. She is also concerned with the fiscal impact and noted that our schools are “at capacity.”

David Thurston, supports the amendment AS IS. He doesn’t want to “play chicken” with developers by giving them less than what they want. He said this is his business and if the Planning Board comes back with less than the amendment, it may not be “economically sound” for the developers. He is in favor of the 40 – 50 units in our CBD and is worried about what our town will look like in 40 years if we don’t allow the developers to build.

Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, not in favor of the amendment as it is written. She is concerned with the density, height, impact of adding more pedestrians that will impede traffic, open space and the changing character of Ridgewood. She said the she would like to see developers move forward with something, but would like to see a balance.

Mayor Paul Aronsohn, feels this is an opportunity for Ridgewood. He feels like we have enough information to make a decision and we should move forward soon. He said that people who don’t want their big houses could move to these apartments, but we need to strike the right balance. His stated that his issues are 1) density, 2) amenities (he would like to find a way to incentivize the developers to build high end apartments), 3) housing for special needs residents, 4) parking (he wondered if developers not providing sufficient parking could be forced to pay money into a fund to use for public parking), and 5) can separate amendments be crafted to address each zone individually?

Michele Peters, concerned about the density. Not in favor of the current amendment. She questioned whether the parking that was being considered as part of the proposals in the redevelopment zone on N. Walnut would alleviate some of the parking deficit in Ridgewood, but was told the deficit is beyond what could be added in the redevelopment zone.

Isabella Altano, (1st alternate on PB) wants to see more consideration given to the impacts. She feels we need a lower density. She asked about the potential costs to our infrastructure, if projected school enrollment could be provided that included approval of 400+ new apartments and what could be done to address our open space deficiency.

Khidir Abdalla, (2nd alternate on PB) said that we shouldn’t be afraid of change and supports the amendment. He is not concerned with the density and scale and feels that this type of housing fits in well to an URBAN downtown. He feels we need increased density in order to get pedestrian traffic that is needed to revitalize our downtown.

Click on this link to read the recap from the Ridgewood News

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planning-board-members-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1292462?page=all

Thank you for your support!

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
[email protected]

Posted on March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Planning Board members weigh in on housing proposals

MARCH 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015, 3:13 PM
BY BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

With the completion of public comment and attorney summations, members of the Ridgewood Planning Board were given the chance to weigh in on the proposed master plan amendment at a deliberation meeting on Tuesday night.

Many of the board members stated their belief that some form of multifamily housing downtown would benefit the village, while opinions diverged on subtopics such as density, building height, traffic and impact on the school system.

Planning Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian began with his observation that higher-density, multifamily housing in and around the Central Business District (CBD) would be good for Ridgewood and that an amendment of some kind to the housing element of the master plan is timely due to the under-utilization of the chosen sites.

However, he noted that “the devil is always in the details,” and while he believes the amendment reflects appropriate use, there are reasonable questions regarding many of the smaller issues – height, affordable housing and density chief among them – that form the larger picture.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planning-board-members-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1292462

Posted on March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 by James — 7 Comments

Ridgewood planners start debating new housing rules

Ridgewood planners start debating new housing rules

MARCH 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — A majority of the village’s Planning Board voiced support Tuesday night for a proposed master plan amendment that, if approved, would clear the way for high-density multifamily housing complexes downtown.

Public deliberations on the long-sought change to Ridgewood’s master plan began during the Planning Board’s meeting on Tuesday, with most members agreeing such developments would enhance the village while filling various housing needs.

However, those same Planning Board members said the amendment needed some minor tweaking before it could be considered for a final board vote.

Specifically, several of the board’s members said the amendment’s height and density limitations are an issue.

The master plan amendment would increase the amount of units allowed per acre to between 40 and 50 from 12, and raise restrictions on building heights to 55 feet from 50.

Mayor Paul Aronsohn, who sits on Ridgewood’s Planning Board, endorsed the housing complexes that have been pitched by the three developers that first applied for the master plan change little more than five years ago.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/planners-start-debating-new-housing-rules-1.1292069

Posted on March 16, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 2 Comments

Reader says development is a Fait accompli

Reader says development is a Fait accompli

I personally think this issue is a Fait accompli; Kensington is likely to get the nod. Here’s what The African Queen (Councilwoman Hauck) said following the Kensington presentation. Seems to me that her mind is made up, which means that Paul & Albert have likely decided as well.

“So I’ve been sitting in the meetings and I don’t have any questions. But, I thought one thing that would have been great for the presentation is a little more of a demonstration of what your ground floor retail looks like because I think that’s one of the nicer things you have to offer to the Village. So, I guess there are four different public spaces that everyone can visit. There’s the cafe, the art gallery, the hair salon, and the physical therapy. Also, can people sign up for physical therapy classes? And the lobby area and the front door is a welcoming space. It’s really a comfortable scenario. I think when people see the schematics I think they will see that it is very inviting to the public. When I look at all of these plans, when I look at the redevelopment zone parameters the goal was to increase parking for the Village of Ridgewood, which was our main objective, and to reinforce pedestrian and retail activity, and to improve the appearance of the Village. I think that you have hit everything there. We can only address certain issues in the meeting today. We will be dealing with other issues such as remediation and financial impact to the Village taxpayers, but for now I see this as an excellent presentation.”

Posted on March 15, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 6 Comments

For now, no more redevelopment zone proposals will be heard

For now, no more redevelopment zone proposals will be heard
March 14,2015
Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, In response to a taxpayer’s direct question, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld responded on Wednesday evening that Village Council members have no plans at this time to hear any further proposals from developers in connection with the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Plan.

Only two (2) proposals have been publicly presented. One from the Kensington Senior Development, LLC for an assisted living facility/parking garage/retail complex, and the other from Langan Development Corporation, for a large parking garage/luxury apartment/retail complex.

According the Sonenfeld, both proposals are now undergoing an extensive review of “the finances.”

Stay tuned

Posted on March 11, 2015March 11, 2015 by James — 4 Comments

New Jersey’s Supremes direct trial courts to manage affordable housing

New Jersey’s Supremes direct trial courts to manage affordable housing

Posted by Matt Rooney On March 10, 2015

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Assemblyman Greg McGuckin voiced frustration on Tuesday afternoon, Save Jerseyans, after our state Supreme Court gave trial courts jurisdiction over affordable housing in the Garden State.

Click here to read the Opinion of Justice LaVecchia.

“Once again, our Supreme Court has decided that the elected branch of government will not set housing policy in our state, but instead it will be done by the courts,” said McGuckin, R-Ocean. “I urge my Assembly colleagues to immediately pass A-4124, introduced last month by Assemblyman (Dave) Rible and myself. The measure protects municipalities, which have not historically discriminated against low and moderate income residents, from the oncoming barrage of builder’s remedy lawsuits. Towns that have not committed a constitutional violation should not be forced to provide a constitutional remedy.”

New Jersey’s affordable housing guidelines expired in 1999. Litigation commenced last year when COAHfailed to issue new rules by November 2014 as mandated by the Supreme Court. Gov. Christie continues to run into court-imposed roadblocks on this issue and others, too, notably on the pension front (and most recently on the eve of his FY 2016 budget address).

https://savejersey.com/2015/03/new-jerseys-supremes-direct-trial-courts-to-manage-affordable-housing/

Posted on March 9, 2015March 9, 2015 by James — 4 Comments

Proposals call for senior apartments, luxury duplexes in downtown Ridgewood.

Proposals call for senior apartments, luxury duplexes in downtown Ridgewood.

March 9, 2015 Last updated: Monday, March 9, 2015, 1:21 AM
By CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
The Record

RIDGEWOOD — More than two acres of land downtown could soon be transformed into luxury duplex apartments or assisted-living housing for seniors.

Ridgewood issued a request in September seeking proposals from developers for the 10 properties — including the former gas station site at 132 Franklin Ave. — that make up the village’s redevelopment zone.

The plan from Kensington Senior Development, based in White Plains, N.Y., calls for two structures: a 60-foot-tall residential building — with 98 assisted-living units and 5,000 square feet of retail space — and a parking garage the village would own and operate.

The garage, which will be accessible from Walnut Street, would add more than 130 much-need parking spots to Ridgewood’s downtown, said Harley Cook, one of Kensington’s founding partners.

Cook said Ridgewood could expect an additional 18,000 visitors each year to the village, should his plan gain the appropriate approvals.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/plans-seek-to-transform-downtown-ridgewood-1.1285094[/fusion_text]

Posted on March 7, 2015March 6, 2015 by James — 7 Comments

Assisted living facility, luxury condos pitched for Ridgewood lot

Assisted living facility, luxury condos pitched for Ridgewood lot

March 6, 2015 Last updated: Friday, March 6, 2015, 4:12 PM
By Mark Krulish
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News

Two developers were invited to the Ridgewood Village Council meeting on Wednesday night to present proposals for the redevelopment of the North Walnut Street zone.

A committee of village officials had been meeting with potential developers over the past several weeks to give feedback on ideas for the redevelopment zone. From those meetings, the committee selected candidates for a public presentation, described as the “first step” in a process to determine the best use for the site. It has been noted that one of the conditions for any redevelopment on the site was that it would have to provide a net gain of 100 parking spaces in the Central Business District (CBD).

Harley Cook of Kensington Senior Development presented a proposal for an assisted-living facility in Ridgewood so that local seniors can continue to stay in the village even when their health requires full-time care.

The proposal includes a parking garage to be built and donated to the village – with the existing Town Garage to be removed at the developer’s expense – in exchange for the right to build an assisted-living residence, with the first floor of the building dedicated to retail and other commercial uses.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/two-developers-present-proposals-for-ridgewood-lot-1.1284186

Posted on February 28, 2015February 28, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

If Glen Rock can do it, why not Ridgewood?

If Glen Rock can do it, why not Ridgewood?

FEBRUARY 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

If Glen Rock can do it, why not Ridgewood?

Martin Walker
Ridgewood

to the editor:

The Record reported on Feb. 21 that Glen Park Village LLC plans three buildings to house a combined 67 apartment units restricted to residents aged 62 or older.

Why is there a relative lack of attention to this option in planning discussions about higher density in Ridgewood?

I have written several letters to the editor on this topic and spoken in at least three public meetings over the last 12 months. The Ridgewood News’ otherwise excellent New Year’s summary of housing issues in town made no mention of it at all. Commonly designated as over 55 housing, the issue was also absent from the council elections last year, save a single comment by one of the winning candidates that age 55 no longer guarantees families without children.

The only reference I’ve seen reported here was Mayor Aronhson’s question to the developer of the Dayton project, Scott Loventhal, as to why he had not considered this option. Mr. Loventhal’s unfortunate response was that an over 55 residency requirement would diminish the property’s “vibrancy.” As an over 55er, I am personally offended by It’s unlikely that any other major social group, much less the largest growing one in America, would be subject to such an implicitly negative stereotype without eliciting public opobrium.

What gives Ridgewood? Where is the public outcry and the political leadership for the most obvious and beneficial solution to downtown blight and low business activity? Where is the support for the only higher density plan that will both decrease school utilization and provide a wider distribution of our tax load?

Requiring that new higher density housing downtown be limited to an over 55 age demographic is a good start, but additional steps such as downtown assisted living facilities, and zoning changes to promote “in law” apartments in private residences are also called for.

A recent letter to the editor said we should plan for 2025, the very least we should expect from effective leaders. The demographic shift toward baby boomers, as well as the urban job creation trends at the expense of suburbs are unmistakable. For Ridgewood to miss out on the largest growing sector of the American service economy would be tragic.

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-if-glen-rock-can-do-it-why-not-ridgewood-1.1279178

Posted on February 20, 2015February 20, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Developers, opponents sum up points on Ridgewood proposal to allow density housing downtown

FEBRUARY 19, 2015, 9:57 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015, 9:57 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Attorneys representing developers with plans for high-density multifamily housing complexes downtown have made their final pitches on a pending amendment to the village’s master plan.

Ridgewood’s Planning Board heard final summations Thursday night from two attorneys for the three developers that have requested the master plan change, and another that was retained by a grassroots citizens group opposed to the village ordinance that permitted the developers to ask for such an amendment.

If approved by village officials, the proposed master plan amendment would clear the way for all three projects, slated for various parcels throughout the downtown.

The three developers have plans to construct a combined 208 apartments downtown.

Attorney Thomas Wells, who represents two of the developers, said that experts have testified there is a need for more housing options in Ridgewood, especially for empty-nesters.

Wells said experts also postulated that traffic in the village would barely be impacted by the new housing developments and that the projects would not worsen Ridgewood’s well-established dearth of parking space.

The proposed housing projects will be a boon to business in the village, Wells said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/developers-opponents-sum-up-points-on-ridgewood-proposal-to-allow-density-housing-downtown-1.1274658

Posted on February 16, 2015February 16, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood : residents deserve best solution

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood : residents deserve best solution

To the Editor:

At a Planning Board meeting two years ago, a group of residents learned that the Planning Board would consider amending the master plan to allow up to 50 units of housing per acre in 10 acres of downtown Ridgewood. Many of us who had been attending meetings were disappointed that a compromise or scaled-down approach to adding new housing in our downtown was not put forth before moving forward with testimony.

We simply believe that residents deserve the best solution to this issue, one that enhances and supports our Central Business District and encourages a diversity of housing options while protecting the unique character of our village and the quality of life we currently enjoy.

The Planning Board is tasked with the important responsibility of finding a solution that balances benefits to the community with the potential negative effects. We understand that this is not an easy task and that the Planning Board will be making a decision that has enormous implications for the future of Ridgewood.

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR) wants to thank the Planning Board for allowing residents to have a voice in this process, and for allowing the process to proceed without rushing to a quick conclusion. We urge the Planning Board to consider all sides, to proceed cautiously and to do what’s best for Ridgewood. Please remember your residents really do care.

Amy Bourque

Lori Weil

Trustees, Citizens for a Better Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-ridgewood-residents-deserve-the-best-solution-1.1271152

Posted on February 13, 2015February 13, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Developer asks Glen Rock to rezone land for senior housing

Developer asks Glen Rock to rezone land for senior housing

February 12, 2015 Last updated: Thursday, February 12, 2015, 4:35 PM
By Richard De Santa
Staff Writer |
Glen Rock Gazette

A private developer has asked Glen Rock officials to rezone land on Prospect Street to permit a senior citizen apartment complex that has been on the drawing board for two years.

Representatives of Glen Park Village LLC appeared at the Feb. 5 Planning Board work session with advanced schematics for the three-building, 69-unit project, consisting of one- and two-bedroom apartments for occupants 62 and older. The company purchased the land, which is north of the Harristown Road intersection and west of a Ridgewood-owned sewage treatment facility on Prospect Street.

Glen Park Village representatives at the meeting included principal Richard Harrison, attorney David Rutherford and project engineer Tibor Latincsics of Conklin Associates, Ramsey.

Rutherford called the proposed facilities spacious and “very nicely-appointed units,” most with fireplaces and balconies, and with community gathering space and exercise facilities also provided on the ground floor of one of the three buildings. He said surface car parking would be augmented by underground lots beneath two of the buildings.

“We’re very confident that what we’re proposing will address a real need for senior housing” for residents of Glen Rock and nearby communities, Rutherford said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/developer-asks-glen-rock-to-rezone-land-for-senior-housing-1.1270448

Posted on February 10, 2015February 10, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Worried about Ridgewood’s future

Worried about Ridgewood’s future

Regarding “Villagers’ plea: Don’t overbuild” (Page L-1, Feb. 4):

Why do the developers want to build high-density housing in Ridgewood? The answer is that they can make a lot of money, because property values are high.

But why are property values high? It is because people want to live there. Ridgewood has an appealing small-town ambience. And why does it have that ambience?

It is because there is no high-density housing … yet.

The poet Oscar Wilde famously said, “Each man kills the thing he loves.” Except these developers love only the money they hope to make.

As long as theirs is the only such housing, they can still use “Ridgewood exclusivity” as a selling point. But how will the Planning and zoning boards justify saying no to the next high-rise? And the next? Before you know it, Ridgewood would be Fort Lee without the bridge.

By then, why should the initial developers care? Capital has no commitment to anything but itself; it vacuums the value and moves on. Developers get short-term profits and we live with long-term consequences.

Affordable apartments within easy walking distance of downtown and train and bus stations would be a good idea, although I doubt anything built in Ridgewood would be affordable. The Planning Board should leave the master plan as it is, since it already provides for apartments. And the developers should go back to the drawing board, perhaps to produce blueprints that would require only rezoning or minor variances.

A.C. Willment

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/the-record-letters-monday-feb-9-1.1267329

Posted on February 9, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

Planning Board Amendment to Meeting Schedule – Cancelled 2/17; Add 2/19

file photo Boyd Loving

Planning Board Amendment to Meeting Schedule – Cancelled 2/17; Add 2/19

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Cancelled: February 17, 2015, Public MeetingCalled: Work Session & Special Public Meeting: Thursday, February 19, 2015

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 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015, in 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, creating the AH-2, B-3-R, and C-R Zone Districts and amending the existing C Zone District.

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

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