photo by Derek Michalski , Pictured: Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission Richard Wolf documenting ongoing pollution at Toll Brothers construction site in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, Major breakthrough in a 10-month community investigation started back in January 2018 by GreenUSR activist and resident of Upper Saddle River Derek Michalski.
Ramsey, Mahwah, Upper and Saddle River. Over the weekend residents from Ramsay, Mahwah and Upper Saddle River met for the second weekend in a row on the property that was featured in April 23, 2018 CBS New York Evening News coverage. We all remember Channel 2 Lisa Rozner’s report from 5 months ago about those infamous hoses pumping mud into Upper Saddle River stream directly from 100 acre site that had arsenic in the past.* Since that day very little has been done to stop the mud pumping that is occurring now 24/7 according to eyewitnesses. Last weekend the site was visited by Richard Wolf, Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission. This weekend Councilwoman Janet Ariemma took initiative and also met with residents and visually inspected continuous mud discharge into the Pleasant Brook.
As I said previously, we have no candidates with new ideas running. Sedon and Susan may have done nothing visible but push the garage that no-one wants anymore, but they haven’t done too much actual damage to Ridgewood. Aronsohn’s puppets will just pick up where they left off. That means that they will promote even more outlandish development in town, and may revert to that huge garage when basically we don’t want any. Everyone who cares at all about Ridgewood, or who plans to live here a few more years MUST VOTE. If you can’t stomach voting for any of them, you still must vote. Otherwise Aronson’s people will be a shoe in as they will be the only ones to draw the voters. If you stay home, you choose the puppets because they will win by default. All you can do this time is to vote for the current council and then spend some time finding someone with the kind of knowledge we need to lead this town.
I agree with most of what you say but not voting for Aronsohn. I won’t vote at all. Now I have understood what RW politicians are made of, it is NJ after all. They can tear their pie anyway they want but I won’t support any of them. This town is on the path of no return. Whoever thinks that raising voice works is a classic naive. I really expected much more from Susan Knudsen but she turned out to be a huge disappointment.
No-one seems to want to answer the questions put forth in many prior blogs.
1. Where is the water going to come from to supply the needs of all these new residences? I realize they don’t water but hundreds of new families’ personal uses would probably end up to close to the amount of water the lawns consume. They will also have to have some beautification of lawns and trees which will also require watering.
2. Will residents of other areas using Ridgewood Water also be required to limit outdoor water usage as we do? There has been no such agreement in place up to now. Will we be able to hire summer employees (the old crossing guards?) to drive around Ridgewood in the dawn hours and write down all addresses of lawns being sprinkled in violation of the rules? We all know this goes on!
Tomorrow begins the hard core campaign season in New Jersey. People oftentimes ask me, particularly in this current climate, why did I agree to run for office? I am an accomplished businesswoman, attorney, wife and mom. I have survived a bout of melanoma and a recent brain aneurysm. I have worked at the local truck stop flipping burgers and at a premier NYC law firm handling multi billion dollar transactions. I made more money prior to running for office than I do now. …I ran for office six years ago because I care. I grew up here and I chose, as an adult, to return. I am not a career politician. I became involved because I am passionate about trying to save our state from the bad fiscal policies enacted by mostly one party control over the past 15 years. I have watched my property taxes almost double, my take home pay shrink, our insurance premiums skyrocket but yet I stay because I love the state I grew up in. I have been the loud voice on difficult topics (and have subjected myself to horrible name calling as a result) because we must address a better way to govern this state. I am certain you will hear nasty, mostly untrue, things about me over the next 60 days but please remember leadership takes a spine of steel. Real leadership involves discussing and listening to all sides on the most sensitive topics. Leadership is voting no on bad legislation regardless of how much a special interest group may want it. If you ever have a question on why I voted a certain way or what my position is on a particular topic please reach out and ask. I also will be going door to door in all 23 of the towns I represent. I’m taking all volunteers for the journey.
Let me know if you’d like to help out.
Holly Schepisi New Jersey State Assemblywoman for District 39
Nicholas Katzban, Staff Writer, @NicholasKatzban Published 7:38 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2017 | Updated 8:41 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2017
A Superior Court judge in Bergen County ruled Tuesday that a former Ridgewood councilman was not in conflict when he voted to rezone areas of downtown for multifamily homes, a council move that caught the ire of some residents who decried the push toward higher densities in their sleepy bedroom community.
Following four major amendments to the village’s master plan in 2015 that nearly tripled the allowable density in certain municipal zones, a group calling itself Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development sued the Village Council, looking to block the ordinances that codified those amendments.
The group alleged that then-Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Councilman Albert Pucciarelli had discussed and approved the ordinances despite two separate conflicts of interest.
Ridgewood NJ, For the second time in 28 days Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s attempt to get the State Assembly to relieve municipalities from over development arising from court-mandated housing requirements was denied.
The court mandated over development endangers Bergen County quality of life and will require many towns to build unneeded housing in a state with a declining population .
Schepisi said , “I’m very disappointed that the speaker again blocked my efforts to relieve municipalities of this incredible burden. The only roadblock helping our communities is Democrats’ continued refusal to take action,”
Earlier Schepisi asked Speaker Vincent Prieto to post her bill package addressing court-mandated affordable housing before today’s special voting session, but was again denied.
From the Assembly floor at 1 a.m. on July 4, Schepisi urged the legislature to suspend all affordable housing litigation until the end of the year so the legislature could address the issue. Her effort was voted down 44-26 along party lines.
“This is a bipartisan issue that has turned into a potential disaster for our towns and our constituents. Just ask the mayors from Democratic towns outside of my district who have asked me for help instead of their own local Democrat legislator,” continued Schepisi (R-Bergen).
“Maybe Democrats aren’t listening to their mayors, councils and constituents because Phil Murphy funds the non-profit suing our communities and forcing unwanted development. It’s not what is best for towns, our environment and our schools; it’s what is best for their party.”
On June 19 Schepisi introduced an eight bill package shifting all municipal obligations to the state and recalculate obligations based on reasonable need. It also makes changes to how affordable housing is administered to best help communities.
“I have introduced a package that addresses all of the concerns I have heard from mayors on both sides of the aisle. And it ensures that affordable housing will be built to accommodate the needs of the residents of this state,” concluded Schepisi.
Schepisi’s affordable housing package includes:
• Amending the state constitution to require the state calculate affordable housing obligations (ACR250).
• Increasing the numbers of senior and special needs housing that can count towards the affordable housing obligations in the State.
• Requiring COAH and Courts to take into account environmental considerations, municipal infrastructure, school and emergency services department capacities
• Allowing municipalities to provide preference to their own residents in need of affordable housing
• Requiring COAH to administer affordable housing obligations (A5025).
• Allowing municipalities to challenge obligations administered by COAH (A5026).
• Requiring COAH calculate obligations based on reasonable need factors and imposing a population increase cap (A5027/A5028).
• Eliminating the exclusion of urban aid municipalities from obligations (A5029).
• Amending the state constitution to prohibit exclusionary zoning and clarify municipal affordable housing obligations (ACR249).
• Prohibiting the builder’s remedy in exclusionary zoning litigation (A5030).
Trenton NJ, At 1 am on the 4th of July Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi finally had an opportunity to force a vote on her bills which would help our towns in their fight against forced over development. Not surprising, but certainly disappointing, the Bergen County democratic members of the Assembly all voted to stop my legislation from moving forward. Chairman Jerry Green gave a speech as to why he won’t move the bills forward stating among other things that the legislature should essentially cede its duties and obligations to the Courts. Schepisi has asked for a copy of the video of his speech which she will circulate promptly. The attached link is a copy of her speech.
