Tag: Planning Board

Planning Board Amendment to Meeting Schedule – November 17th

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Special Public Meeting: Monday, November 17, 2014 

Change of Date and Location

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Special Public Meeting at which time the Board will continue the public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan which would recommend changes in zone district classifications and boundaries within the Central Business District and surrounding area including AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts. 

The proposed master plan amendment and related exhibits are at the office of the Secretary of the Ridgewood Planning Board on the third floor of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey and are available for public inspection Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The amendment and exhibits are also posted as a courtesy on the Village’s website at www.ridgewoodnj.net. 

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Reader asks when fully built out, could result in 500 – 700 new apartments. Why would the Ridgewood News leave out that information? 

At this same meeting Blais said that this new high density zone, when fully built out, could result in 500 – 700 new apartments. Why would the newspaper leave out that information? What will happen once the language in our Master Plan is re-written to encourage more development at a higher density over a large area in our CBD? The vague recommendations of Blais, our town planner, will be permanently written into our Master Plan and any developer moving forward will be able to use that language to argue for higher density on their properties.

Reader says Our Village Planner does not plan – he reacts

Our Village Planner does not plan – he reacts. His role during the entire Valley process was to react to their plans, their assertions and their experts. Now during this process all he seems to be able to do is say “it’s not such a bad idea”. Does he have any opinion at all about how densely populated the Village should be? Has he done any homework at all? Has he been to any of the meetings in Upper Saddle River? He says that “the devil is in the details” but isn’t knowing the details the primary part of his job?

Never has a man with “Planner” in his job title been so devoid of foresight.

Testimony by Ridgewood planner was disheartening

NOVEMBER 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
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Planner’s testimony was disheartening
Felicia Angus

Ridgewood files destroyed in flood prove to be costly

NOVEMBER 4, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014, 2:05 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A state-licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) will perform costly tests to the soil at the Ridgewood Library to determine whether pesticide contamination seeped into the groundwater.

At a Ridgewood Library Board of Trustees meeting last month, members expressed frustration that they were again being asked to shell out thousands of dollars to address what board president John Johansen called a “decades old paperwork problem.”

This issue dates back to 1997 when the state told the library to remove a 2,500-gallon underground oil tank from the front lawn. A couple years ago, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) came back to the library saying that the paperwork for the tank removal was never completed, and soil testing would need to be done to put the case to rest.

Although the board believes that the work was done correctly at the time, the paperwork to prove it was lost along with boxes and boxes of other files during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999.

“When Village Hall flooded, most of the records were down on the first floor,” said village attorney Matt Rogers. “We lost a tremendous amount of planning and zoning files.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/files-lost-in-flood-prove-to-be-costly-1.1126169

Reader says Preservation implies a “status quo” do nothing again ,others disagree

By preserving, you are absolutely doing “something”. It is not an easy job either.

Planning Board Meeting Amended Schedule – November 3

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Special Public Meeting: Monday, November 3, 2014

Change of Date and Location

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Special Public Meeting at which time the Board will continue the public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan which would recommend changes in zone district classifications and boundaries within the Central Business District and surrounding area, creating the AH-2, B-3-R, and C-R Zone Districts and amending the existing C Zone District. 

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Michael Cafarelli

Secretary to the Board

Yes, Ridgewood must remain a Village with as little traffic as possible. I love the small town feel. My detractors tell me that Ridgewood is no longer a village, so they say why not let it just get bigger.

My answer, and to use my favorite metaphor. Yes, Ridgewood is a little overweight, but does that justify letting our lovely Village become morbidly obese.

My dream: Put the village on a diet. Since ordinances and changes to our Master Plan are now allowed GALORE, let us have an ordinance restricting the number of restaurants.

Some years ago there was a lovely article in the real estate section of the NYTimes stating that according to some village residents Ridgewood was becoming RESTAURANT ROW , with accompanying traffic congestion, parking problems, and pollution and that should not be allowed.

I agree. One more point. There was recently an article in NYT about BUTTE COLORADO. A really small village, that Budweiser wanted to develop for commercials and give the residents jobs and more MONEY.

And guess what? Residents lacking full jobs vehemently rejected the idea. One man said, “I would much rather eat beans all of my life, rather than have my village developed. Money and development is not what counts.”

Is that too subtle and elusive to be understood?

Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack.

I am sorry, but I really can’t listen to folks like this letter writer. I try to be objective, but the stupidity is overwhelming.

Since when does the prospect of adding 500 new families to our downtown do ‘something” as to the “pressing needs” of our Village. Excuse my harshness, but this fellow presents himself as a complete moron. What exactly is he thinking? Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack. There’s nothing wrong with Hackensack. Plenty of multifamily housing, plenty of space and housing stock for developers to develop. But, it is not Ridgewood. The two towns are something different — equally unique and special in their own way. The question folks like this don’t address honestly is why should those of us who chose to live in a town like Ridgewood now be forced to live in a town like Hackensack? Both lovely options, but those of us who chose Ridgewood did so for a purpose.

This whole debate has really gotten beyond the pale. The developers want to make money — period and end of story. They don’t want to engage in conversation about what’s right for the Village, they simply want to talk about how much money they can make by cramming in as many units as they can. Please, let’s have no more false allegations about the developers only wanting to figure out what’s right and the best thing to move Ridgewood “forward”. Let’s have no more false talk about how the projects will “revitalize” our downtown. And while we are on the subject, why the hell does our downtown need revitalizing? If no one want to shop there anymore, let’s turn it back into single family homes or parkland. Again, it is simply shear stupidity to make the argument that “if no one who lives here wants to shop downtown, then let’s bring in 500 new families who may want to do so.” Such ill-logic does not improve our schools or our standard of living and certainly doesn’t lower our taxes.

These false proponents of “modernization” contend that “We need to turn Valley into a super-regional hospital — we need to start turning our downtown into housing projects.” My answer to that is “no, we don’t need these things at all.” If you feel you need to live next to a regional hospital — if you feel you need to live in a multi – family environment, then move your butt to Hackensack or one of the many other very nice options available to you.

Personally, we have paid taxes for the last fifty years to be just where we are — and I would thank you very much to leave me and my family where we are and not make choices about my community simply to put money in the pockets of the developers and satisfy the desires of 500 new families who may want to move into Ridgewood. We have a healthy diverse housing stock and we don’t need new projects. Our Master Plan does not need amendment simply to suit the whims and profit desires of the developers who speculated on land purchases in the hope and game plan that they will pull the wool over the eyes of the misguided.

Leave Ridgewood alone. And if you feel you can’t, then leave Ridgewood — period and end of story.

Ridgewood must look at facts, then decide

OCTOBER 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 10:00 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

We can’t just say no to housing
Jeff Kahn

To the Editor:

Ridgewood residents love this town, and we all want what’s best for it. Most of us agree that Ridgewood needs “something” to remain a great place to live.

But in our public discourse on what that “something” is, we cannot be a town that simply says “no” to new ideas.

This includes proposals to bring modern multifamily residences to downtown. Rather, we must engage the developers, who are open to feedback and suggestions, and present us with a real opportunity to address a number of pressing needs in our town.

Downsizing empty nesters can’t find the modern option they want and are leaving town. Vacant storefronts line Ridgewood Avenue, and large, derelict lots like the old Brogan dealership blot the landscape, hurting our town’s image.

Surely, housing can be part of the answer to make sure Ridgewood remains a vibrant and desirable place to live for generations to come.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-ridgewood-must-look-at-facts-then-decide-1.1117449#sthash.MVGiyxxH.dpuf