Tag: Planning Board

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Readers Question residential to commercial Zone change for Goffel Road

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Readers Question residential to commercial Zone change for Goffel Road 

Two immediate concerns come to mind –
(1) Boscarino, a realtor is putting this forward and he is indicating neighbors have no compaints, I’d like to be very sure to get input from the neighbors and surrounding neighbors
(2) Boscarino stated in the linked article “Developers would come in and build whatever the community needs, office buildings, mixed-use …” I am concerned about that “mixed-use” development. Boscarino in full article is quoted as “The heavily traveled county road noise, freight train in the rear, [and] no sidewalks, contribute to low values,” Boscarino wrote. “It is not favorable for children. You cannot carry on a conversation in front of your home during peak travel periods. The Goffle Road thoroughfare is a major provider of services traveled by buses, all-sized trucks and vehicles of all kinds, and a massive amount of passenger vehicles at 40 [miles per hour].” Why develop NEW (partial residential) mixed-use properties if it is such a negative place to live, and you are making it even more commercial? I would be more favorably disposed to new commercial use as opposed to mixed-use zoning.

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Central Business District Discussion August 20

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file photo Village Hall Boyd Loving

Central Business District Discussion – August 20 at Ridgecrest Senior Apartments – All Are Welcome

The second open forum on the CBD will take place Wednesday, August 20, at the Ridgecrest Senior Apartments at 7 Ridge Road, Ridgewood, starting at 7:30 PM. From 7:30 to 8:00 PM, the microphone will be open to speakers who did not speak at the July forum. From 8:00 until 9:00 PM there will be a panel discussion among residents of ideas advanced to date. All are welcome, naturally subject to the meeting room’s capacity.

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Ridgewood panel to review master plan

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file photo Councilwoman Susan Knudsen

Ridgewood panel to review master plan

AUGUST 12, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — The Village Council plans to create a committee of residents, business owners and officials who will be charged with taking a long, hard look at Ridgewood’s master plan.

The decision came during a lengthy discussion at a recent council meeting, spurred by Councilwoman Susan Knudsen’s suggestion that an ordinance — known as “3066” — be modified.

That ordinance requires that developers requesting changes to the village master plan cover the costs associated with those changes, including, for example, the retention of experts to testify on the proposed changes.

Residents opposed to three high-density, multifamily housing developments proposed for downtown contend the ordinance, adopted in 2007, has made it easier for developers to propose changes to the master plan. Some residents, who suggested the ordinance be repealed, said it limits master plan amendment requests to those who can afford to pay for the process.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-panel-to-review-master-plan-1.1066076#sthash.iuSs2ucD.dpuf

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Readers comment on Village “controversial” ordinance 3066

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Readers comment on Village “controversial” ordinance 3066

3066 states “Upon completing its review of the application, the Village Council or Planning Board, as applicable, shall take whatever action it deems to be appropriate under the circumstances and advise the applicant in writing of its decision.”

Under current ordinance, try responding to a developer that has spent money developing an application and preliminary analysis, “this is a no-brainer”, we aren’t having a hearing.
Maybe, I’m wrong. Perhaps it is all just coincidence that 3066 was passed and we now have had this flurry of development applications.

This ordinance was pushed through when Pfund was mayor in the months leading up to Valley Hospital Master Plan proposal before the Planning Board. If you want find the author of this then look to Mr Collins and the other Valley attorneys and the Ridgewood Village attorney. It might have been Brancheau who was tasked to prepare #3066, but it was others who were pulling the strings. Remember that at the opening Valley Hospital presentation to the Council on Sept 27 2006, it was Pfund who told Audrey Meyers “off camera” (but still amplified for all to hear), “I do not see a problem with this”.

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Ridgewood traffic expert says with any usage, upgrades are needed

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Ridgewood traffic expert says with any usage, upgrades are needed

AUGUST 8, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER

Village traffic consultant John Jahr told the Planning Board on Tuesday that high-density residential housing would bring less additional traffic to the Central Business District (CBD) than most currently allowable commercial uses — including supermarkets, medical offices and retail stores — would if they were developed.

Jahr also emphasized that whether or not the master plan is amended, current traffic woes, including more than 30-year-old traffic lights and several stressful intersection “pressure points,” need to be addressed along with any future development.

“You already know you have to stay on top of this stuff,” Jahr said. “Very simply, depending on the land use, depending on how you make the changes here to the CBD, it appears to me that multifamily housing … would be a lesser traffic generator.”

If the housing developers’ projects were approved, Jahr said, they would have to contribute to CBD improvements, because “we can’t continue to maintain fixing things after other people come in and break them.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/traffic-expert-says-with-any-usage-upgrades-are-needed-1.1064470#sthash.smxTqYhV.dpuf

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Ridgewood planner explains details of controversial ordinance

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Ridgewood planner explains details of controversial ordinance

AUGUST 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014, 2:39 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER

One Ridgewood ordinance – 3066 – has become known by many Ridgewood residents as the reason the village proceeded with Planning Board hearings on multiple controversial applications for master plan amendments at once this past year.

However, the reason may actually be village management more so than the ordinance, according to Village Planner Blais Brancheau.

Brancheau, who wrote the ordinance more than seven years ago, explained its history at Wednesday’s Village Council meeting.

The ordinance, which was adopted in July 2007, did not force the recent Planning Board hearings. State law implies that applicants are allowed to petition municipal governments for master plan amendments, he said, but boards do not have to go through a formal hearing.

“Nowhere does Ordinance 3066 commit either the Planning Board or this board to go to a hearing,” Brancheau told the council. “You would only go to a hearing if you’re done doing preliminary analysis, to say, ‘We think this has some merit.’ …We shouldn’t go to hearings unless we have that feeling.

“You don’t go to a hearing on a strip mall in the residential zone until you feel it has merit,” he continued. “There has to be an overwhelming, a compelling reason, a strong sense that this is something that can be good for the community as a whole.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planner-explains-details-of-controversial-ordinance-1.1064179#sthash.Jr5frZUu.dpuf

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Consultant expects increased traffic in Ridgewood

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Consultant expects increased traffic in Ridgewood

AUGUST 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
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RIDGEWOOD — Traffic in the village will likely increase with the development of three multifamily housing projects downtown, the Planning Board’s traffic expert testified this week.

Jahr testified at the Planning Board’s meeting Tuesday night that zoning regulations permit a myriad of commercial uses at the three properties being eyed by developers for high-density housing.

Jahr’s findings align with those presented previously by the developers’ traffic experts.

Jahr’s analysis on Tuesday will play into the board’s consideration of a master plan amendment that would potentially permit such developments in Ridgewood.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/expert-expects-ridgewood-traffic-to-rise-1.1063975#sthash.rnQfslnj.dpuf

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Village Planning Board – Executive Session at 7pm – August 5, 2014 Meeting

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Village Planning Board – Executive Session at 7pm – August 5, 2014 Meeting

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Executive Session – 7 PM

to Precede August 5, 2014 Meeting

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that prior to the start of the August 5, 2014 Planning Board Special Public Meeting which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Ridgewood High School Student Center, 627 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, the Planning Board will hold an executive session at 7:00 p.m. 

With the exception of Executive Sessions, 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.

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Urbanization: Ridgewood ordinance on master plan amendments at center of debate

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Urbanization: Ridgewood ordinance on master plan amendments at center of debate

AUGUST 1, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

On July 18, 2007, a law was passed that defines the process of how the master plan in Ridgewood is amended.

More specifically, the law – Ordinance No. 3066 – makes formal the process and fees charged to any interested party should they petition the Planning Board or Village Council for a change.

The ordinance has been the topic of much debate over recent months as the Planning Board has heard back-to-back applications for amendments to the master plan, first from The Valley Hospital and currently from three housing developers seeking to put high-density housing in the Central Business District (CBD).

One thing is for sure: The ordinance was written in response to The Valley Hospital’s first proposal to expand in 2006. But what’s happened since then is less clear. The ordinance became a talking point during this year’s municipal election and has pitted developers against residents as they battle over who has the right to plan the vision of the village.

To get a better understanding of how the law works, The Ridgewood News spoke with attorneys representing the village (Matt Rogers), the Planning Board (Gail Price), The Dayton and Chestnut housing developers (Thomas Wells), and the citizen opposition group (Ira Weiner) about the history of the ordinance and how it’s played out with the public.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ordinance-is-at-center-of-debate-1.1060846#sthash.qFl3w9C3.dpuf

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Readers say lets not blame everything on parking

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Readers say lets not blame everything on parking 

Yes it make me sad also to see so many stores empty but let not blame it all on parking. How the failing economy. Bad business plan . Internet sales and greed of the landlords. 

Does anyone else think the very limited store hours of most of the Village merchants is significant detriment to shopping here , sorry folks I still have a job and there are many merchants I have never seen open ?
And what about the Chamber ,shouldn’t they be promoting the Village instead of spending their time coming up with schemes to get at tax payer money ?

Yes some of the same landlords that want more building. We the residents pay the majority of property taxes not the landlords. Its funny you see many stores empty but not many building for sale. Why is that?

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Reader says a Parking Garage may actually make the downtown more pedestrian friendly and safer

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Reader says a Parking Garage may actually make the downtown more pedestrian friendly and safer

Parking Garage, in the downtown area on Franklin, with store fronts on Walnut and Franklin to create a facade that would hide the garage structure. Remove Parking from some some streets partially or entirely. This would force people to use the garage, and may actually make the downtown more pedestrian friendly and safer. A possible enticement is for restaurants and stores to provide partial parking vouchers when purchases are made in their establishment. I’ve heard this was done in California with good success.

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North Jersey empty-nesters move downtown

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North Jersey empty-nesters move downtown

JULY 27, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Since she moved from a single-family home to an apartment in downtown Englewood, Linda Kourakos has been able to spend less time in the car and more time on foot.

“You walk out the door, you have shops and restaurants, you have the Bergen Performing Arts Center,” said Kourakos, 62, a retired interior designer who moved from East Brunswick to be closer to her daughters in Bergen County. “I felt if I was downsizing, it would be nice not to have to get into a car all the time.”

Her neighbor, Andrea Diamond, also moved from a single-family house to the Towne Centre apartments in Englewood.

“You can walk to everything, the supermarket, the post office, the library, restaurants,” said Diamond, 65, who has children and grandchildren nearby.

As Diamond and Kourakos found, a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle can be a good fit for people who want to drive less (or not at all) as they age. And North Jersey was highlighted in a recent report by New Jersey Future for having towns that can work for seniors because they offer walkable neighborhoods, downtown shopping areas and good access to public transportation.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/empty-nesters-move-downtown-1.1057914#sthash.fRPrD96c.dpuf

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Ridgewood residents weigh in on downtown planning

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photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood residents weigh in on downtown planning

JULY 25, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
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RIDGEWOOD — Inadequate parking remains a major factor in the village’s downtown, according to residents who attended a special forum this week.

Most of 50 people at the Wednesday meeting agreed that the prosperity of the village’s Central Business District hinges entirely on parking and providing more spaces for visitors.

For more than 40 years, Ridgewood officials have tried to address the village’s parking woes, yet a dearth remains.

More than 20 people spoke during the Village Hall forum, which was hosted by Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli. Mayor Paul Aronsohn also attended.

Some speakers suggested that Ridgewood explore a joint effort with business owners to acquire and operate a shuttle bus that would circulate throughout the downtown, carting shoppers to and from off-site parking lots.

Others insisted that a parking garage needs to be constructed downtown.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/scarcity-of-parking-spaces-irritates-residents-1.1057320#sthash.jc8wF9yX.dpuf

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Ridgewood residents sound off on downtown

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photos by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood residents sound off on downtown

JULY 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014, 3:27 PM
BY BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

More than 50 people attended a meeting on Wednesday at Village Hall to voice their thoughts and concerns about the Central Business District (CBD).

In total, 18 residents spoke, 12 said parking woes stifle growth, and nine called for development in the downtown in terms of both housing and parking structures.

The meeting was triggered by what Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli said is a need for more open discussions about the CBD to get a sense of what people want for their town.

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The forum was not meant to address the applications currently before the Planning Board to amend the master plan to allow multifamily housing. In fact, Pucciarelli asked that residents specifically not speak about them before the forum began.

“If we could avoid talking about that, that would be great,” he said, citing the need to give developers due process.

Three main topics were addressed at the forum: parking, development and process.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/ridgewood-residents-sound-off-on-downtown-1.1056980#sthash.VgARpnaV.dpuf