Tag: Hudson Garage

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A fact based rebuttal to the Ridgewood Mayor’s smear campaign against the garage petitioners

BCIA petition OLMC
May 6,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Mayor and the Village Manager have persistently and knowingly mischaracterized the Village Council’s decision to call a $ 40-45k special election as being required by the terms of the petition.
The special election is NOT required and the Mayor, the Village Manager, The Village Council and now the taxpayers know it.
The clear and compelling evidence of this is that the language of the special election Resolution #16-110 which was passed by the Village Council on April 27 th incorporates the very statute (NJSA 40-49- 27 otherwise known as the Home Rule Act) that specifically provides the option of waiting until the next General Election in November,or if the municipality desires it may call a special election.
This statute was included in the Resolution, according to Matt Jessup, bond attorney for the council since Matt Rogers recused himself (little known fact), “to protect the Council from any litigation.” That says it all right there. Matt Rogers recused himself because he had done some pro bono work for the church, & felt that if he counseled on the petition, it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
The Mayor, the Village Manager and the rest of the Mayor’s customary voting bloc desire a special election because:
1) It creates a diversion from the fact that to date they have wasted $ 415,000 on the design process. They were so arrogantly confident that they could shove the original Plan A and its looming 12 Foot encroachment into Hudson Street through the Council, that they ordered $295,000.00 worth of construction documents BEFORE THE DESIGN WAS SELECTED. They subsequently issued a $120,000.00 change order to try again and we are not done yet
2) They bootstrap a false claim that the petitioners don’t support building a Hudson Street garage at all and are anti -everything. This is false and can be verified as such by any number of Council Meeting recordings and correspondence
3) They can falsely claim that the petitioners are causing the Village to incur the roughly $ 40-45k in expenses, thus smearing the petitioners, when in fact, the Council is deciding to call a special election
4) It puts the election on the calendar when they will be still be using the bully pulpit to misinform the public
5) It fits with their overall victim narrative. They are claiming to hostage to the demands of the petitioners when it’s clearly the Village that is being held hostage to the agenda of the other way around. All the petitioners want is either a more reasonable garage or the residents to make an informed decision Mayor, please stop making stuff up. It hurts the Village you claim to Love
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Not Much in the Way of Free Market Principles” at work in the Over development of Ridgewood

Paul V garage pledge

May 6 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, Reader challenges Ridgewood blog on “Free Market principles “claiming we are picking the candidates in favor of more regulation against “free market developers and development”.

“Ironic that “Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View” is in favor of a government that promises to be more restrictive than the alternative, but in this case, Jamsie, I agree with you 100%.

I hope you are learning the flaws in your Randian world view, specifically, left to their devices, the “job creators” would starve themselves out of existence. In the case of Ridgewood: motivated by short term benefit, the Job Creators (i.e. CBD restaurant owners and landlords) would overdevelop the CBD and surrounding areas to the detriment of our community, schools and way of life. In the long term, the quality of the schools would decline even more, the quaintness of the village would erode, property values would drop, and before you know it, you live in a version of Caldwell or whatever.

The judicious application of regulation is a good thing.”

Got to laugh on this one but the reader is a bit confused ;

The Free Market is ,”A system of economics that minimizes government intervention and maximizes the role of the market. According tothe theory of the free market, rational economic actors acting in their own self interest deal with information and price goods and services the most efficiently. Government regulations, trade barriers, and labor laws are generally thought to distort the market. Proponents of the free market argue that it provides the most opportunities for both consumers and producers by creating more jobs and allowing competition to decide what businesses are successful. ”

What we have in Ridgewood and New Jersey as well as on a National level  is called by many Crony capitalism or Cronyism , “Crony capitalism is a description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.”

Developers using the Village Council forcing tax payers to pick up the tab for a parking garage that clearly benefits certain businesses  ie those that support the Mayor and his consorts is not in any way shape or form “Free Market Capitalism” but clearly a local example and the very definition of “Cronyism”. The negative issues associated with over development in the Village are all a direct or indirect cause be they foreseen and unforeseen consequences of government intervention ie.. 3066 , COAH, open space , and so on . These tax breaks, government grants and other incentives are all put in place to aid developers and to garner political contributions .

Crony capitalism is the marriage of the state and private special interests. Some people have called it corporatism, mercantilism, fascism, or even Communism.

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Conflicts of Interest Need to be disclosed on all Development in Ridgewood

Ridgewood Guild kids activities
May 3 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Tony Damiano is the owner of Mango Jam ,  When the train station was renovated a lot of parking spots were taken away and because of his business’ location it is difficult to park near his business.Tony Damiano is also the President of the Ridgewood Guild .

 We can understand how someone with a business interest in the central business district would support a garage but we question all the significant conflicts of interests on the HPC ,Historical Preservation Commission.

Tony was recently appointed a member of HPC. There was a vote at HPC for design D. He could not attend and send a letter saying since the new design ‘fits the lot’ he was voting for it. Another member who owns a building right next to the garage voted for this design. When this vote was later questioned, they just said it was a ‘poll’ not a ‘vote’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOCBptQJMcs

Published on Mar 10, 2016 this is all the footage Dana Glazer recorded at the Historical Preservation Meeting in Ridgewood. This is typical of how public meetings are currently in our town. We look forward to a time when ‘civility’ is more than just a political catchphrase and commissions like this do more than just green stamp massively inappropriate changes to our village.

Historic Preservation Commission Members:
Vincent N. Parrillo – Chairman
Joe Suplicki – Vice Chairman
Lynne Brady
Barbara Ferrante
Tess Giuliani
James Schimmel
Tony Damiano
Isabella Altano – Alt

Staff:
Michael Cafarelli – Secretary

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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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Ridgewood Readers want Nothing to Do with Paul’s Pledge

Paul V garage pledge

This is so beyond the pale that one is compelled to check with another source before commenting as one would simply not think that Paul Vag’s letter was for real. Paul Vag says “you can come join my public debate” but he insists “so long as you pledge to accept my views.” NO candidate should accept an ultimatum or a demand like this. This is what you expect in North Korea where everyone gets one vote for one candidate, the exulted leader. Its not America, and it is certainly not the Village of Ridgewood.

Have these people no sense of shame? Have they no sense of decency? Have they no pride in themselves? Is there no shred of dignity left in these cronies, or did the loss in the last election mortally wound them beyond any hope of repair that they should stoop this low.

Clearly, the downtown developers are are desperate and concerned over losing money in their business interests to have gone to this depth. I would like to see which cowardly candidate accepts this demand – – which one of them pledges their dignity in exchange for votes.

I would like to see each and every one of the candidates stand up and denounce this assault on our democracy. They have all been mouthing the words “independence” “progress” “whats right for our Village.” Well, now is the chance to stand up and give meaning to those words. It won’t take any courage or any strength. It will simply take common sense to say “no, Paul, I don’t won’t any part of you, your petty partisan politics or your childish, pathetic pandering.”

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Village Council Candidate Jeff Voigt Explains Why Resents are so Upset About the Garage Vote

pro garage 2
April 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Village Council candidate Jeff Voigt explains why he voted in favor of garage , but not this garage .

Richard Brooks and Gwen Hauck in last week’s letters to the editor on the Hudson Street parking garage miss why most people in town are so upset. Like most, I voted for a garage. But also like most, I didn’t vote for this garage.

1. “Compromises were made.” No they weren’t. Only three council members decided the size of the garage. The only thing the Village decided was to have one. A compromise means parties at opposite ends of the spectrum meet somewhere in the middle. If there’d been a compromise on the size, we’d be digging the foundation for a garage now. This was nothing but a multiple choice test – picking the best of very bad choices.

2. “Exceptional aesthetics.” I, as well as others, call it the “Garage Mahal”. It does not fit with the surrounding character and size of the surrounding buildings.

3. “Inclusion of the public in the design process.” Really? Ask Mount Carmel or other neighbors directly impacted if they were consulted. As to the town at large, Brooks and Hauck confuse a choice between pre-packaged/pre-determined designs and engagement in the design.

4. “Allowing the functionality of representative government to be challenged.” Council members work for residents, not the other way around, and the whims of a select few should never prevail over the interests of the Village as a whole. Imagine if enough of us had spoken up and asked where the millions of quarters were disappearing to? The ability to vocally and publicly question our government is the essence of democracy, and the notion that those Village residents, who have voiced disagreement with the Council majority are trouble makers, is not only absurd, but counter democratic. Based on Brooks comments, candidate for Village Council, referendums such as this set a dangerous precedent that challenges the very basis of our governmental system. However, referendums when used appropriately, as in this case, provide a voice to the more than 1,200 people who were not heard.

Let’s dispense with the false choices. Everyone wants to spend tax dollars wisely, while retaining our Village character; to give our kids a top education; to live in a safe environment; to maintain the standard of living all we’ve collectively worked so hard to achieve. It’s how we do it that matters. Other than a few developers and speculators pushing for over-development, most agree. Most believe our Village is a model to emulate, not change in such dramatic fashion. What needs to change is the character of the current Council.

I voted in favor of a garage on Hudson Street. I am still in favor of moving forward with one and join with those seeking a reasonable design compromise that will increase parking without the flaws of the current design. My hope is that the message of “fool me twice, shame on me” will be delivered loud and clear at the May 10 election.

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Village of Ridgewood Change Order

Village_Manager_Roberta_Sonenfeld_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

April 12,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld explaining what the Village spent $295,000.00 on for designs that were not approved yet…followed quick by a change order for $120,000.00 to switch to Design D. Enjoy. Thank Charlie Nowinski for bringing this up at the Village Council meeting.

https://www.tubechop.com/watch/7840960

 

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Reader says We have something unique here and we have to be careful not to destroy it

clock_cbd_theridgewoodblog

The full page ad from the Garage Cabal was an insult. It had Roberta’s exasperated catch phrase “enough is enough”. Well, I am fed up to, but I am fed up with our local government. Look at the list of signers in the ad. I recognize many of the names of business owners and residents who make their living working for these businesses (architect, PR guy). We also have some Financial Advisory Committee and Historic Preservation members. And then there are the hangers-on Don, Tim and Rurick. They did not make the list alphabetical because you would be able to see that entire families signed the petition just to make it look like a ground swell of supporters.

We are on the cusp of overdevelopment and everyone is grabbing for what they can get. The businesses care only about themselves. If business was not profitable they would have moved on to another town. They stay because they make a buck – good for them. I did not move to Ridgewood 27 years ago for the restaurants and banking opportunities. I moved because I liked the community as a whole.

Build the right-sized garage in downtown Ridgewood and limit high density housing. Thankfully we will soon have a new council and I hope that they can slow things down. I am not against change. Planned development can be a good thing. We are a community first, not a shopping center.

Look carefully at those running for a seat on the council. Two are FAC members (we need a separate thread just about this group – what exactly is their function?) who supported the garage in its original form. A third person seems to have nothing to do with the garage/development issue (The Manchurian Candidate). He is bff with Vaggianos and would like to help out his friend on the development side.

That leaves us with three other candidates. They have posted things on this site and social media. They are explaining their positions. I am listening carefully. We don’t want Englewood and Montclair as our models for a downtown. We have something unique here and we have to be careful not to destroy it.

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In 2015 a 4 level Garage in Ridgewood could pay for itself what changed ?

walker study Ridgewood 2015

April 1,2016

Ridgewood Nj, from the Take Back Ridgewood Facebook page , Here is walker study from July 2015. The village administration and council had commented in July 2015 council meeting that the cost of this new structure can be paid by the parking revenues. What changed? Why is a 4 level plan not financially feasible now?

dont forget we have since raised meter rates….

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/20150705WalkerStudy.pdf

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The Ridgewood blog we will be livestreaming the meeting starting at 7:30pm

ridgewood village council

file photo by Boyd Loving

Dear Friends,

After the September 16th Village Council meeting, everyone I spoke with said, “Well, it’s a done deal with the High Density Housing.” But then September 30th proved us different.

The point is, as Rocky Balboa once said, “It ain’t ’til it’s over.” To add to that: It’s only over if we don’t show up.

Tonight is probably the most important Village Council meeting in the history of Ridgewood. It is the night when it’s decided whether we live in a Village or a City.

No one can foresee the future, but one thing is for sure: coming tonight will send a strong message – not only to this outgoing Village Council majority, but also as a mandate to those who are running for election. Perhaps even more important is that we can say that we showed up when our Village needed us the most and did what we could to stop this madness.

Lastly, if it’s absolutely impossible for you to come,  The link to the broadcast can be found here: https://livestream.com/accounts/18208820/events/4985052

(NOTE: this is an unofficial broadcast and can ONLY be viewed at the above link.)

Please share this link and forward this note to as many residents as you can.

Thank you for helping protect our most wonderful village. Hope to see you tonight.

Sincerely,

Dana

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The Wrap : Wednesday Ridgewood Council Meeting , Kitchen table meetings, baseball fields and Garage funding

village council meeting
photo by Boyd Loving
March 3,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, All was calm last night no major out breaks , no assaults reported . Lorraine, Gail and others opened up the meeting with comments regarding design of the garage which would be one level lower and allow retention of street parking on Broad Street which is extremely important to the businesses in that area such as the Bamboo house( take out orders pick up),a design shop and others whose clients need to park close to the store for business purposes.

The council majority kept talking about all the compromises they have already made . It is uncertain if changes were made because the original ideas were not feasible such as the structure entering into the street by 12 feet. Clearly not compromise, it is common sense solutions that needed to be brought to their attention.
The Council Majority caved to the Chamber of Commerce demands by changing parking hours from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. and adding free parking on Saturday night. The estimated loss in revenue $ 50,000. The Council Majority used the excuse it was for the church goers on Saturday.
The most interesting discussion was about Schedler. Mike had real issues about the whole process which he felt was not done with full transparency with regard go the grant, budget and was full of inconsistencies.  Roberta said that she was holding a 100,OOO dollar check from the RBSA issued in January that had ” Strings Attached “.  It was to be used with the guarantee that a 90 foot baseball diamond would be placed at the property. She also said that the village had in their coffers an additional 100,000 dollars of Open Space funds.  Every one seemed quite surprised as it had not been mentioned before.  Could this money be used for other projects such as Kings Pond, Schedler House, etc. ?  The answer is yes.  Where  was this money when Friends of Schedler was applying for a  matching grant to save the house and the town said they had zero money?
The “sink hole” in Midland Park which released gallons of sludge that was in the streets coming out of sewers and man  hole covers.  A concrete pipe had disintegrated due to hydrogen sulfide gases collecting in the pipe.  The sludge was directed into the brook, wells were closed and are being monitored.  A village employee said that this is a serious problem and is a prediction of things to come.
Anne Loving made a brief comment about Albert’s use of electronic devices at the dais since he mentioned he was in constant touch with his family during meetings!
Rurik Halaby praised Roberta for everything under the sun  and was so glad that she had no previous municipal experience.  Mr Halaby took yet another swipe at The Ridgewood Blog during Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting when, during a public comment period, he publicly announced that he’d been named “Villan of the Year” by The Ridgewood Blog.
Much about The BCIA funding and it appears that they are going forward with both funding options .
Paul Vagiones concluded the meeting with comments regarding kitchen  table meetings . One was held at his kitchen table with our garage friends including Lorraine, Dana and  Gail and even though they didn’t agree, it was all very pleasant.
Next meeting is to be held at Ridgewood High School March 9th at 8PM.  The Housing Density Ordinances are coming up and COAH litigation and deadlines all in March. Hope this gives you a few ideas.  Snow tomorrow I hear!  Sincerely, Linda
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“Progress Ridgewood” ad in the Ridgewood News Pushes Hudson Garage with the same old Insults

Hudson Street Garage bogus renderings
photo by Saurabh Dani
March 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, it has been pointed out that an ad recently placed in The Ridgewood News from a group called “Progress Ridgewood” is asking the Council to vote unanimously on March 2nd to reintroduce the Village bond ordinance. The ad states that a small group is objecting again to the garage and that its based on incorrect information. They feel that the Council will agree to the Village bonding the garage if they all agree to the current garage revision.

According to sources , “Progress Ridgewood” was based on an email that was sent around, it was paid for by Mr. and Mrs. Halaby. They solicited names of people who wanted to be included in their ad. The ad’s characterization of “a small ground of vocal residents” is quite inaccurate, as it is now well known that over 1300 signatures were put on the petition to stop the BCIA funding, with more coming in this weekend. It must be emphasized that this grass-roots effort is totally within the laws of the United States’ democracy, and has been conducted with proper respect for the law. These citizens should be applauded for exercising their rights. The petition does not seek to stop the garage, but to stop the funding by the County. The ad’s characterization that “a small group…..stalled the project” is an unfortunate choice of words, as it is more accurate to state that a large group is seeking to keep the project funded in town. Something else to note is that least two of the signers are not Ridgewood residents and thus do not even vote in Ridgewood.

The Halaby name gives it all away .They are clearly not the best arbiters of what’s good for Ridgewood, as we have seen over the years as they seem to agree with every single major change that is called for and use rabid name calling as you have seen on this blog.

While many debate whether Ridgewood is or is not on a downhill slide; Mr. Halaby’s gloomy assessment is dead wrong as is his support for an over sized hospital, high density housing , and Godzilla garages in the central business district. Mr Halaby seems to have unwavering support for the council majority and is always on the wrong side for Ridgewood. Once again With all the distrust and misinformation flying around town its best to put off all major decisions for the New Council in June .

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Reader says Totally bogus renderings of the Hudson Garage on the Ridgewood site

Hudson Street Garage bogus renderings

photo and math courtesy of Saurabh Dani

New math rule: 40+ feet is about 80% of 30 feet. Here is the proof:

Reader say rendering is out of scale

Print the attached image and then measure the two red arrows. The building which is supposed to be 40+ feet high has an arrow which is 80% in length of the street width’s red arrow. Hence Proved (that 40+ is shorter than 30)!!.

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Concerns Mount over the Change in Traffic Patter and Loss of On Street Parking Near the New Hudson Garage in Ridgewood

Mount Carmel

December 16,2015
th\e staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, if the new parking lot goes through as designed, they will reverse the traffic patterns on Hudson ad Passaic streets. But more importantly (and this was never mentioned in the impact studies), is that they also plan to remove on-street parking. This will be devastating to Mount Carmel Church and Knights of Columbus .

Also many current Merchants on Broad Street and nearby are going to get hammered all around both before during and after. Many small shops will barely survive in durring the construction and later in the shadow of a garage.

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New Parking App Could Help Ridgewood Shoppers Find Spaces

parkwise

December 15,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, could a new APP now being used in Boston be the answer to Ridgewood’s Parking problems?  According to the news Park Wise App, it’s all in a days work . The Park wise App now available in Boston allows you to view free spots and soon-to-be open spots in your area . It also tracks parking regulations and street cleaning schedules and some would say the best part is it automatically reminds you where you parked .

From their website; ParkWise is a Boston based parking app that alerts users to scheduled street sweeping taking place in their neighborhood, as well as other features like helping them find an open parking spot.

When a driver is looking for a parking spot, ParkWise provides real time information about open parking spots, as well as the location of soon-to-be open spots in the area. Once a driver finds a spot and parks their vehicle, ParkWise will save the location for the driver’s future reference. It will also alert the driver about any upcoming street cleaning scheduled to take place at the parking spot location, or any other restrictions like events and festivals.

ParkWise automatically updates the status of a parking spot for other users. When a driver approaches their vehicle, ParkWisewill automatically alert other drivers in the area about the soon-to-be open spot, and once they drive away, it will be marked as open.

ParkWise aims to create drivers’ communities where neighbors share information about available street parking spots to save time and gas for everyone in the community.

Unlike other parking apps, ParkWise complies with city regulations and does not allow users to sell or hold their spots. We created an app that is fair and legal. All parking spots are first come, first served.

ParkWise currently covers most Boston neighborhoods including Somerville and Cambridge. ( https://www.northendparking.com/ )

So could this be it , a new APP to bring downtown Ridgewood Shoppers into the 21st century ? Certainly it would be far cheaper and faster to roll out  than building a garage .

 

ParkWise helps Boston drivers find empty parking spots

There never seem to be enough parking spaces on Boston’s crowded streets, but a local company is teaming up with an Israeli firm to help drivers hunt them down.

Anagog Ltd.,  of Tel Aviv, uses the location trackers in thousands of smartphones to identify empty parking spots, much the way Google Maps reports on traffic conditions by using GPS to track the speed of smartphones traveling on the same road.

Anagog’s software can tell when a phone is moving at driving speed, when it’s slowed to a walking pace or stopped altogether. When a phone goes from 40 miles per hour down to a dead stop, then starts moving at 5 miles an hour, the software infers that the user was in a car, parked, and got out.

The place where the rapid motion stopped is now identified as a parking space. When the driver returns to his car and pulls away, the increased speed indicates the car has left its space, which is now available to others.

“It is not foolproof, but it certainly gives a level of visibility that is not available today,” said Jake Levant, Anagog’s chief marketing officer.

Anagog’s technology has been embedded into ParkWise, a free parking app developed by StreetInfoTech LLC of Boston, and the companies are currently testing the service in the North End.

https://www.betaboston.com/news/2014/12/15/parkwise-helps-boston-drivers-find-empty-parking-spots/