the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, When will the Council apply Eminent Domain to buy the long-abandoned Town Garage site on Franklin Avenue?
This, in conjunction with other small fixes, such as repaving and reconfiguring the existing Hudson Street parking lot, which was never designed properly, would (at far lower cost than building a parking garage) add plenty of spaces downtown, tucked into small areas here and there. We must not build an $8+-million edifice at Hudson and Broad (and we know how it goes with change orders, etc.) that would require a huge bond and endless expensive maintenance and potentially serve as a hangout for kids at best or a site of drug dealing or other crime at worst while casting a hideous shadow (literal and figurative) over that small, cozy corner. The entire central business district is a historic neighborhood–this would wreck it.
Nothing I have read or could read from any so-called expert will convince me that adding significant numbers of cars to that corner would be anything but a disaster in traffic and injury.
The garage was always a boondoggle to help the developers. Are we going to allow Aronsohn, Pucciarelli, Hauck, and Pfund to continue to manipulate us to this extent?
The referendum to quash the garage was specific to that design–yes, technically and legally. However, many, many people who voted NO were voting NO GARAGE even if that’s not what it said on the ballot.
Council, please buy Town Garage and let’s see how it goes before putting up a monstrosity and white elephant that nobody wants. Please!!
Anybody agree? Tell the council you want Town Garage bought for parking. If the town doesn’t buy it, don’t you think a developer will? Just what we need is more apartments there. We can then change the name of Franklin Avenue to Death Row.
It’s not too late, but it’s getting there. Speak out!