yeah it is the natural outcome. We are in a situation now where we can choose the least worst alternative. If this can gets kicked down the road yet again, the next steps would be the BIG main street proposals that are now taking place in towns like Bogota and Closter… that result would be more mixed use, fewer stores, more restaurants, banks, Gyms and apartments, putting more pressure on parking and schools which would require a bigger parking solution. While the choices now are not great, the building of a garage soon makes sense to curtail further expansion of mixed use stock a la other communities..
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that on February 5th, Ptl. Zachary Knudsen responded to Valley National Bank located on 103 Franklin Avenue on a report of the bank discovering damage to the ATM machine on the premise. Upon arrival a bank ATM technician was on scene and reported the ATM was inspected and determined to have been compromised by an unknown actor altering the internal components of the machine between 2/3/18 and 2/5/18.
The Ridgewood Detective Bureau and Valley National Bank are investigating the incident. Any person who utilized the ATM machine at the above location should contact Valley National Bank and monitor your account and report any fraudulent activity.
The Franklin Street “Village Garage” lot was publicly targeted by the Village Council for condemnation as “blighted” as part of a redevelopment plan. The Village would rely on the decision in Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005), a case decided by the U. S. Supreme Court involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private owner to further economic development. Construction of a municipal parking garage would then follow. $15 million in bond money was raised for that purpose, but when Village residents objected to the heavy-handed use of the eminent domain power, the plan was dropped and the money spent on other priorities. The current owners bought the property at that time at a relatively low price expecting to make a tidy profit in the near future. Obviously that didn’t exactly pan out for them.
Wait, so the argument now is… because a previous council approved the building of condos, in order to “save” the Village we need to appease the developers and build a garage for them given that they will obviously not have the needed parking spaces for their new tenants….and if we don’t build this thing, this town will become a glorified Rt 17 strip filled with gyms, banks and more condos? Come on people…..let’s all assume they build this thing, how does that change anything in terms of the parking landscape in this town? Yes, commuters will use it, yes shoppers will use it, but lets be realistic, probably only those looking to shop on Broad St or very close to it. We all know that everyone in this town or those that come here want to park right across the street from where they’re going, as stated in many of the posts before, if you look for parking you will find it, but you may have to walk a bit. So the taxpayers of this town should spend millions of dollars to alleviate a problem that may or may not exist for two to three hours on Friday and Saturday nights?? Do the math, it doesn’t add up and with Uber that problem is going away. Let’s spend money on updating the current run down parking lots we have or reconfigure current parking lanes and see how that goes….what’s the downside? We need to stop looking backward and look forward….Uber and Amazon to name a few are changing how we live our lives….less brick and mortar, less cars being driven for nights out….that’s the future, not building a garage that maybe in 1990 there was a solid argument for.
RIDGEWOOD NJ, Special Properties Real Estate Services, LLC, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, welcomes Miriam Barnard to its Ridgewood, NJ office as a Realtor® Associate. The addition of Barnard is part of the agency’s continued expansion in Ridgewood and throughout the region.
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Miriam has been a resident of Bergen County since 1999, when she moved to Ridgewood from Hoboken with her husband and four children. Now a resident of Ho-Ho-Kus, she continues to be active in her community and in her children’s schools. While in Ridgewood, Miriam was a member and served on the board of the village’s Newcomer’s Club and was actively involved with the Ridgewood Public Schools. Currently, she is active in fundraising for Bergen Catholic High School, where her sons are students. Her noted accomplishment for Bergen Catholic is the establishment of the Senior Class Graduation Sign Fundraiser. She is also an active member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Ridgewood.
In her spare time, Miriam enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking with her family. The family has hiked up and down the east coast and in several locations in Europe. Miriam is a graduate of the College of Saint Elizabeth with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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A garage is needed. I’m willing to accept that the size of such a facility is up to debate but in my opinion, as unpopular as it may be in this echo chamber, it is needed. It’s presence will not destroy the character of the town but will improve the quality our visits to downtown and the health of our businesses.There are plenty of other wealthier towns that have such a facility and their characters and/or home values have not be eviscerated.
As to the size of the proposed housing developments. I think there is room for good debate there as to whether the scope of the developments is appropriate for the downtown or whether they should have been allowed in the first place. I will say however that the empty lots that exist now are eyesores.
There is great value to preserving the history and character of our village. Does 315 East Glen Avenue qualify? I don’t know, but if the home is from the 1830s then I think it is at least worth considering. There is and always will be tension between those who wish to preserve certain qualities of the village and its structures and those who argue that development needs to naturally proceed and a property owner can do what he wishes, within reason, with his own property.
Certainly we don’t want the village to become a cookie-cutter suburb like much of New Jersey. The area of the lawns is testament to what happens when a developer does as he pleases (nothing against the people there at all). The village should have proper controls in place to determine what is worth saving and what is not. Room for public debate should be included in any discussions.
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
FEBRUARY 7, 2018
7:30 P.M.
7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
Announcement – Launch of Burbio App
Presentation
New CBD Website
Explanation of Complete Streets Program
Explanation of Purchasing Process
Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Award Contract – Pipes, Appurtenances and Service Materials
Award Contract – Customer Portal, Communications and Consumption Analytics Software
Award Contract – Tree Maintenance Services
Property Easement Agreements
Parking
Coinless Parking
Budget
Declare 2006 Ford Focus Surplus – Building Dept.
Increasing Amount of Petty Cash for Fleet Service Dept.
Turf Replacement at Maple Park Field
Wi-Fi in Memorial Park in Van Neste Square and Graydon Pool
Release of Bid Bond for Public Valet Parking
Policy
Discuss Donations to Parks and Recreation Department – Screens for Somerville Tennis Court “No Knock” Solicitation Ordinance Sale of Fireworks Property Tax Refund
Operations
Liquor License Transfer – FISH Ridgewood to Oak Street Liquors
Explanation of Bergen County Police Services
Review of February 14, 2017 Public Meeting Agenda
Manager’s Report
Council Reports
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
Ridgewood NJ, from the National Weather Service ..WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON…
* WHAT…Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of up to 2 inches, with localized amounts up to 5 inches across the
extreme northern portions of Fairfield and New Haven counties. Ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch are expected.
* WHERE…Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York.
* WHEN…Until 5 PM EST this afternoon.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The snow and ice will result in difficult travel conditions. Be prepared for reduced visibilities at
times.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for
slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving. Check local Department of Transportation information
services for the latest road conditions.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood resident Saurabh Dani has discovered that anyone can pull anyone’s water bill on the Ridgewood Water website. Mr. Dani brought it to Mayor Knudsen’s attention buy sending her a copy of her Ridgewood Water bill further driving home the point.
1. go to – https://water.ridgewoodnj.net/
Official Site – Ridgewood Water – Ridgewood Water
water.ridgewoodnj.net
Updated- 11/13/17-Water Main Replacements at Various Stream Crossings. Water Quality Information. Water Conservation Ordinance Information, FAQ’s & More- Click HERE
2. Click on “pay bills”
3. Click on “HERE” in the text which says ‘click here to pay bills”.
4. It will take you to the site – that will look like this – https://www1.mcc.net/tvhactive/BillPayerLogin.aspx?TID=LvQL2uPQJNQ8LLsUecwtmcb40pIW9MOwWDH13A4vdTubywfTfyR%20Xg==
5. Then create an account- you just need user name password.
6. then sign in to that account.
7. Now click on “search” then select “bill category” as “water” – then “search by” – Location — there type an address – for example “390 bedford rd” is my address. then click on search.
Ridgewood NJ, The annual NJ School Performance Reports are out. Each year, the New Jersey Department of Education releases school performance reports on every public school in New Jersey. The Ridgewood district’s 2016-17 performance reports can now be found on the individual school web pages. Please contact your school with any questions. Click here to access the links to the Ridgewood Public Schools’ individual school reports : https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/cms/one.aspx?portalid=207600&pageid=4184469
1)Ridgewood needs high-end apartments
2)Ridgewood needs a performing arts center
3)Ridgewood needs parking decks/garages
4)Ridgewood needs to be more business-friendly
Many view this “Vision” as a vision to destroy the Village of Ridgewood and turn into just another New Jersey overbuilt dumpy town .So now for ever more the Current Village Council and Village residents are stuck with the mess they created .
Unfortunately the high density housing was approved with the idea that a garage would pick up the slack with parking and allow the developers to offer less parking spaces . The fact that the developments will create a need for more schools, more water, more parking and generate more congestion in an overly congested central business district is left for the Ridgewood taxpayer to pick up the tab.
One wonders if some those who suggested there was enough water and that parking and congestion were not issues could and should be prosecuted ?
PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Village Hall Court Room – 7:30 P.M.
(all timeframes and the order of agenda items below are approximate and subject to change)
7:30 p.m. – Call to Order, Statement of Compliance, Flag Salute, Roll Call – In accordance with the provisions of Section 10:4-8d of the Open Public Meetings Act, the date, location, and time of the commencement of this meeting is reflected in a meeting notice, a copy of which schedule has been filed with the Village Manager and the Village Clerk, The Ridgewood News and The Record newspapers, and posted on the bulletin board in the entry lobby of the Village municipal offices at 131 North Maple Avenue, and on the Village website, all in accordance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act.
Roll call: Knudsen, Voigt, Joel, Patire, Scheibner, Torielli, McWilliams, Barto, Van Goor
2. 7:30 p.m. – 7:35 p.m. – Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board
3. 7:35 p.m. – 7:40 p.m. – Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics, Correspondence Received by the Board
4. 7:40 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. – 200/210 South Broad Avenue, LLC, Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan and C Variance, Block 3905, Lot 6 and 7 – Pubic Hearing continued from November 7, 2017 – continued from January 16, 2018. To be carried to March 6, 2018 without prejudice to the Board
5. 7:45 p.m. – 8:05 p.m. – 257 Ridgewood Avenue, LLC, Block 3703, Lot 4, 6, & 8.01, Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan. Adoption of Memorializing Resolution of Approval – continued from January 16, 2018 without further notice and without prejudice to the Board
6. 8:05 p.m. – 8:25 p.m. – KS Broad Street II, Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan, 76 & 80 Chestnut Street and 25-27 Franklin Avenue, Block 2005, Lots 11,12,13,14. Adoption of Memorializing Resolution of Approval – continued from January 16, 2018 without further notice and without prejudice to the Board
7. 8:25 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Ridgewood Water, Informal Review, 205 East Glen Avenue, Block 3107, Lot 33.01. Adoption of Memorializing Resolution of Approval
8. 8:30 p.m. – 8:35 p.m. – Ridgewood Water, Informal Review, Dead End of Salem Lane, Block 4805, Lot 4. Adoption of Memorializing Resolution of Approval
9. 8:35 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – Robert Jennee, Minor Subdivision and C Variance, 246 Mountain Road, Block 2509, Lot 13.01. Adoption of Memorializing Resolution of Denial
10. 8:40 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Ordinance #3625, which amends Chapter 190, Land Use and Development to permit certain illuminated signs in the B-1, B-2, and C Districts
11. 9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Calbi, Minor Subdivision and Permit for not Abutting Street, 315 East Glen Avenue, Block 2106, Lot 20. Public Hearing continued from December 19, 2017 without further notice and without prejudice to the Board
12. 10:30 p.m. – 10:35 p.m. – Adoption of Minutes: March 7, 2017
13. 10:35 p.m. – Executive Session (if necessary)
14. Adjournment – In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, all meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work sessions, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings, which are always open to members of the general public.
Professional Staff: Christopher Martin, Esq., Board Attorney; Christopher J. Rutishauser, Village Engineer; Brigette Bogart, Village Planner; Michael Cafarelli, Board SecretaryMembers: Susan Knudsen, Jeff Voigt, Joel Torielli, Melanie McWilliams, David Scheibner, Richard Joel, Debbie Patire, Frances Barto, James Van Goor
Ridgewood NJ, a petition is circulating to Stop the disruption of History, Stop Developers from building 6800 sq ft homes within an already sub-divided flaglot. Planning Board meeting scheduled for 2/6/2018 at 730pm.
The historic 1830s Ridgewood home at 315 East Glen Avenue where I grew up is currently being threatened with destruction so that the current owner can replace it with two houses to sell on this large property! The house shares many original architectural and decorative details with the Hermitage and Hohokus Inn and has a fascinating history with residents including the actor Edwin Boothe, and it was reputed to have been a part of the Underground Railroad. Aside from the beauty, history and trees/landscaping that would be lost with the destruction of this home, the proposed variances create issues for the town and neighborhood (detailed in the petition.) These proposed variances will be discussed this Tuesday, Dec. 19th at 7:30 at Village Hall – if you do not want to see this historic home lost, please consider signing the petition below, forwarding it to friends and/or joining us at the Planning Board meeting on Tuesday! https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-destruction-of-historic?source=c.em.cp&r_by=19358725
the concept of a garage solving all our downtown problems was the narrow minded vision of those two buffoons Arohnson and Pucciarelli. They were totally out of touch with reality and where our society is heading.Unfortunately, their mantra of “we need a garage” caught hold of others. But, we don’t need a garage. We need downtown landlords and businesses that are willing to adapt to our foot print and the needs and wants of a citizenry that now lives in the 21st century. The so-called progressives who ran for council last time around on placards of “let’s build garages and blocks of apartments!” are simply out of touch with reality. Building a garage is not going to bring back Mayberry RFD nor is it going to turn us into Futureworld. Its only going to saddle us with an eyesore and make it harder to adapt to chaning circumstances and lifestyles while preserving our standard of living..
So, let’s preserve our Village and stand up to the developers and others who simply want to shake us down like an immmense piggy bank and watch our loose change fall into their pockets. Tell the council not to go forward with the garagemahal. Haven’t we already been saddled with enough unwanted building?
