Tag: Planning Board

Ridgewood residents grow frustrated with planner’s housing testimony

NOVEMBER 21, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014, 10:29 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Frustration with a lack of certainty was the theme of Monday’s Planning Board hearing on a master plan amendment that would allow high-density apartments downtown.

At the meeting, which at one point attracted more than 70 people, about 20 members of the public continued questioning Village Planner Blais Brancheau about the proposed amendment.

That questioning first began at a meeting earlier this month.

This Monday, many residents related their concern to the “speculative nature” of the benefits expected from the amendment – like an expected boost to business in the Central Business District (CBD) and the belief that many local seniors would want to move from a home to an apartment.

These concerns came in combination with what many consider to be a biased decision on the village’s part: to say that, on the other hand, factors of speculative concern to the public either were unlikely or should not drive the decision-making process for the Planning Board.

Some of these concerning factors for the public included the maximum units that could be built with the proposed amendment and associated costs. On Monday, Brancheau revised an estimate he offered at the last meeting – 500-700 units – to 325-545 units, calling this an unlikely scenario and a “very, very rough guess.”

“I just would like to know what the real numbers are … We have not yet heard any numbers in terms of extra costs, much less the projected revenue of the taxes on these buildings,” said resident Felicia Angus.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/frustration-builds-as-questioning-continues-1.1138966

Gymboree on East Ridgewood Avenue now shuttered
November 20,2014
Boyd A. Loving
9:22 PM 

The Gymboree retail children’s clothing chain closed its store located at 234 East Ridgewood Avenue late last week.  The building is owned by Milridge Realty, LLC of Tenafly, NJ.  No word on whether the building owner has a new tenant scheduled to move in.

The Gymboree Corporation is a specialty retailer operating stores selling high-quality apparel and accessories for children under the Gymboree, Gymboree Outlet, Janie and Jack, and Crazy 8 brands, as well as play programs for children under the Gymboree Play and Music brand.

The nearest Gymboree store to Ridgewood is at the Paramus Park shopping mall

Reader says Previous Reports make it obvious that the densities being proposed in ridgewood are too dense.

So Brancheau doesn’t consider the extensive report prepared by CBR’s attorneys to be adequate planning? CBR spent tens of thousands on hiring a well respected law firm which prepared a 25 page report comparing densities of the most desirable municipalities in Bergen, towns comparable to Ridgewood, which have maintained densities per acre in line with, or just slightly higher than Ridgewood’s current master plan which allows for 12 units per acre in the business district…This report analyzed regs of 72 municipalities in Bergen..a quick review of this report makes it obvious that the densities being proposed in ridgewood are too dense.

The board also heard testimony from and received an 18 page report from professional planner Brigitte Bogart…who was also hired by CBR..this report details how the proposed development/amendment to the master plan would affect our schools, traffic, open space deficiency, need for additional resources such as police, fire, etc.,…Bogart also discusses in detail how any proposed amendment to the master plan should be reviewed with respect to open space and recreational facitilites…

Doesn’t sound like poor planning to me…I hope the board is considering this evidence it has before them and acts responsibly. We will remember come election time..in 2016 and for years to come… whether or not they acted to protect and preserve Ridgewood.

file photo

Reader says Some really bad decisions are being made because the town is looking for a buck

I do think that is a factor right now. Think about it, the ridiculous bike lane was done bc the town received outside money , a study is being funded by the freeholders (not the town) to study parking, Blais said at the meeting the other night that no independent studies have been/would be conducted on housing bc we don’t have 100k to spend, etc, and they want developers to take over so they can fund traffic improvements that we can’t. Some really bad decisions are being made bc the town is looking for a buck.

Reader says When the developers financial interests matter more than the increased burden on residents they are no longer representing our best interests 

Our government should absolutely be representing our best interests, and repealing the proposition that lead to the multi-family housing and Valley expansion fiascos would be a great start. When the developers financial interests matter more than the increased burden on residents they are no longer representing our best interests. If I owned a 3 bedroom home right now in need of any updating, I would be very worried about my home value decreasing too ( all values might go down a bit but that would seem the hardest hit).

Reader asks an increase of 300-500 new residential units how might affect Village Services ,Schools ,Water ,Recreation and so on 

To ask them how an increase of 300-500 new residential units might affect their dept. Would they need to hire more staff? Would they need more equipment? What might these additions cost? Can our parks, both passive & recreational. handle more residents effectively? Would we need additional water treatment facilities? Would we have to float another bond to expand our schools? Would we need to hire more teachers? All of these departments are impacted by a potential increase of 300-500 apartments. Sure, our downtown would get more foot traffic, but we should also be researching how it will affect the village as a whole. That’s why you need reports.

Reader asks Why can’t the officials in Ridgewood seem to look at these applications with a critical eye?

Doesn’t anyone in this town have any balls?!?!?! No one with a village job wants to be on the record as having an opinion on this stuff. It’s crazy! Blaise talks out of both sides of his mouth. 

The superintendent of schools does not speak up on behalf of our schools (except once over a year ago). Where is a report from the police? The fire dept? The sanitation dept? Where is a report from Parks & Rec? And you know Rutishauser will tell you that there’s plenty of capacity in our water & sewer system to handle 500 new apts AND an expanded hospital. 

Why can’t the officials in Ridgewood seem to look at these applications with a critical eye? They should be questioning everything a developer is telling them. They should be researching what other towns are doing and figuring out what Ridgewood wants to be. 

They should be asking for resident input. Instead, they attend meeting after meeting and talk in circles. The developer tells them everything will be great and the residents have to hire lawyers to prove them otherwise. While I appreciate the time the Planning Board members sacrifice to be on the Board, I think it’s time for them to work smarter, not longer.

Ridgewood residents grill village planner on strategies to limit downtown development

NOVEMBER 19, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Age-based restrictions on housing planned for the downtown. Open space. A referendum.

All were suggestions floated by residents hoping to find ways to limit proposed high-density, multifamily housing developments in Ridgewood’s downtown if an amendment to the master plan is approved.

Several residents peppered the village’s longtime planner, Blais Brancheau, with questions about other projects that could be permitted in the area.

Could age-based restrictions be placed on these planned complexes, ensuring the school system would not be additionally burdened?

Could the village purchase or otherwise acquire the sites of the proposed projects to convert the land into open space?

Could the master plan amendment be put to the voters on a village-wide ballot question?

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-residents-pressing-for-ways-to-limit-development-1.1136437

Ridgewood residents continue challenges to proposed master plan change for downtown housing

NOVEMBER 17, 2014, 10:16 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014, 10:16 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Village residents on Monday night continued to question the possible fiscal impacts associated with a proposed master plan amendment that would set the stage for high-density housing downtown.

Blais Brancheau was back in the hot seat for Monday night’s Planning Board meeting, fielding queries from a handful of Ridgewood denizens who continued their collective cross examination of the village’s planner.

Two weeks prior, Brancheau presented his analysis of the proposed master plan change before endorsing it, adding the anticipated effects of any resultant housing complexes would be negligible.

The proposed change is being sought by three different developers. If approved by village officials, it could clear the way for the construction of a trio of high-density, multifamily housing projects downtown.  Public hearings are continuing and the issue still is some way from being formally considered by the full Planning Board.

More than 30 people attended the board’s meeting.

Brancheau has said that 300 to 500 units could be constructed in a built-out village, under the amended master plan. The village planner anticipated impacts on village schools and traffic downtown would be minimal.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-residents-continue-challenges-to-proposed-master-plan-change-for-downtown-housing-1.1135877