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Ridgewood Voters Get Garage Buyers Remorse

Hudson Street Parking Garage
photo courtesy of Edward Feldsott
January 4,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, It seems that many who voted YES, voted ‘yes” for more parking. More parking yes , but not a monstrosity of a parking high-rise building being proposed for the Hudson Street parking lot. Many feel they were misled into thinking that a particular design had not been decided upon, even though this giant megastructure was the only option that was ever, in reality, on the table.

Everyone is quite aware of the peak demand parking shortage in our Village. The above is an image of what the proposed garage would look like. As you can see if dwarfs all the surrounding buikdings. If this monstrosity of a garage is not what you signed up for, when you voted YES for parking, please attend this Wednesdays Village Council meeting and let the Mayor and members of the Village Council know that this mega garage may work for Hackensack or Ft Lee but definitely does not fit in to the character of our Village. Furthermore, plans for any garage should be held off until the 4 impact studies are concluded. What is the point of having impact studies on traffic, etc… if our Village Council pushes through this huge garage.

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Village of Ridgewood Posts Parking Garage Floor Plans Posted Online

highlander-garage-fight

Copy of referendum resolution also posted online for residents to review.
Hudson Street Parking Garage

Walker Parking Consultant Study – July 5th, 2015

Walker Parking Floor Plans

Resolutions

Resolution 15-222 : Non-Binding Referendum – Nov 3, 2015 Ballot

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Ridgewood to ask voters about plan for downtown parking garage

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JULY 9, 2015, 5:48 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, 5:53 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — When they enter polling booths this fall, village residents will be invited to weigh in on the proposed expenditure of $15 million for a parking garage in the central business district.

The language for a non-binding referendum will ask Ridgewood voters whether they favor bonding $15 million “in public funds” for the construction of a parking garage at Hudson and South Broad streets.

The outcome of the vote will have no impact on the council’s final decision on the garage’s construction, which Ridgewood officials have been considering for months.

The financing of the garage “would be paid for by using parking revenues,” according the referendum’s language, which was read at Wednesday night’s council meeting.

Councilman Mike Sedon said Wednesday he supported gauging public sentiment on the building of a parking garage downtown. Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli also backed adding the referendum question to this fall’s ballot.

Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck said she thought it was important that Ridgewood residents understand their annual municipal taxes won’t be impacted by any garage-related costs. Councilwoman Susan Knudsen also endorsed the ballot measure.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-to-ask-voters-about-plan-for-downtown-parking-garage-1.1371721

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Reader says a 465 space garage sounds crazy

parking

According to Marshall Valuation Service (updated May 2015), the cost of multi-level parking structures range from $9,900/space to $21,500/space depending upon height and quality. We can assume in Ridgewood, it would be at the upper end of the range. But that’s just a rule of thumb. Marshall’s estimates the cost per square foot of gross building area at $92.12 per square foot, which is the cost before developer’s profit, and is the more accurate method. So what is the size of the proposed building? Using an average of 350 +/- square foot per space including an aisle would result in a per space price of $32,200. So $15,000,000 divided by $32,200/space results in a garage with 465 spaces. Does this math sound crazy yet? A 465 space garage sounds crazy, unbelievable and won’t look very good no matter how it is dressed up.

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Ridgewood plans referendum on parking garage

122614-rn-hudsongarage

JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

On Wednesday night, the Village Council revisited the notion of a non-binding referendum for a municipal garage on Hudson Street and also debated the merits of having a similar vote on the plans for the North Walnut Street redevelopment zone since it could mark a significant change to downtown Ridgewood.

The village is in the midst of doing environmental work at Hudson Street while waiting for results from a parking consultant on a recommendation of a traditional or automated parking garage. A $500,000 bond ordinance for pre-construction activities has been introduced and will be subject to a public hearing on July 15.

Meanwhile, officials are currently working with Kensington Senior Development, which has pitched an assisted living facility for the Town Garage property at Franklin Avnue and North Walnut Street. The village is in the process of reviewing financial information from the developer.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/vote-on-financing-for-garage-planned-1.1363594

Ridgewood might have referendum on downtown parking garage

JUNE 26, 2015, 12:22 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:24 PM

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-might-have-referendum-on-downtown-parking-garage-1.1364140

 

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Ridgewood debate at Hudson Street lot was ‘past versus parking’

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Photo courtesy of the Ridgewood Library

Ridgewood debate at Hudson Street lot was ‘past versus parking’

December 29, 2014    Last updated: Monday, December 29, 2014, 11:52 AM
By Laura Herzog
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood New

A historic village building on Hudson Street was demolished in 1993 in exchange for more parking, and to make way for a parking garage. More than 20 years later, the village is still investigating a garage in the crumbling Hudson Street parking lot.

The former 83-year-old building, which served as a firehouse back when Ridgewood used horse-drawn pumpers, came back into the news recently as the result of plans to preserve a priceless sculpture, which was set aside before the structure was demolished. An adjoining municipal building was demolished as well.

Revisiting this history, a question emerged: Given Ridgewood residents’ ever-expanding parking concerns, are several more parking spots, but no parking garage, still worth it, in exchange for 80-plus years of history?

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/for-ridgewood-debate-was-past-versus-parking-1.1182819