Calling for compromise
OCTOBER 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
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Calling for compromise
To the Editor:
Pending projects in Ridgewood call for compromise.
1. Development in the Central Business District: So many people have weighed in on this issue and the overwhelming majority want to scale back the proposed housing density change from 35 units per acre to approximately 24, when 12 is currently allowed. At a low estimate of 800 total people speaking out at recent meetings, sending emails and signing petitions, multiplied by 20 (a standard political statistic for surveying public opinion), 16,000 people spoke against the higher density change.
That number represents just about every adult resident living in town. This is a mandate. No further discussion is needed. The council should take the vote off the table and revise the resolutions.
2. Parking Garage: The projected costs are huge and people are concerned. Former Mayor Pat Mancuso suggested two parking tiers at several locations throughout the CBD. Many thought this was a great idea.
This solution would be much easier to manage and possibly a benefit to those wishing to park a bit closer to their destination.
3. Schedler: This is not the place for a 90-foot baseball diamond. The neighborhood will be adversely affected for a multitude of reasons including its close proximity to Route 17. The integrity of the historical house is in jeopardy and we lose 4.5 acres of woods.
Friends of Schedler are in favor of a smaller field which will allow for the trees to be saved and protect the house with meaningful land abutting it. A playground similar to the one at Ridge School would be a wonderful addition for all of Ridgewood’s children. It is the right thing to do and the most practical.
In addition, I believe the compost facility should be considered as a location for the larger baseball field. The facility had been problematic and the neighbors might prefer a playing field. The site is level on land we own, it is on the west side of town, convenient to get to and we don’t have to remove acres of trees.
I also propose hiring additional people in the Shade Tree Division, which has been decimated over the years, and get back in the business of planting and maintaining our trees. We moved here for the schools, the town and the trees.
Linda McNamara
Ridgewood