Mayor Knudsen has worked with RCRD and our 1000’s of supporters for many years. She is incredibly knowledgeable and in her very real actions and votes has been a staunch advocate for “truly” reasonable development, while successfully guiding our Village through Covid. As a Planning Board member, former RW Fire Chief, JIM VAN GOOR has shown a proven track record supporting reasonable development. These are the quality of dedicated, reliable civil advocates – with real voting track records that we need running our town.
Ridgewood NJ, a post making its way around Facebook lays out the primary issue of reckless and irresponsible overdevelopment in Ridgewood “and concludes ,“Only Melanie Hooban has a clear and honest track record”. Aside from Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development and Concerned Residents of Ridgewood the group Friends of Schedler has also endorsed Melanie Hooban.
“On November 2nd (and earlier by mail-in-voting), Ridgewood Residents are being asked to choose a new Village Council member. As most residents are aware, two citizens groups have long defended the Village from oversized development. Where RCRD was founded to support rational changes to our CBD, CRR members prevented Valley Hospital from overwhelming a vital Ridgewood residential district.
Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development (RCRD), is pleased to endorse LORRAINE REYNOLDS, BERNADETTE WALSH and SERGIO ALEGRE for Village Council in the May 2020 “Mail-In Ballot” Elections.
photos courtesy of Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development Facebook page
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, last night the Ridgewood Planning Board pushed back the next hearing date to January 7,2020 on the 2 beautiful old homes, on large properties, on N Maple Ave are in danger of being knocked down to create a sub-division, with 8 new homes on a Cul De Sac. The houses are 232 & 250 N Maple Ave- Directly across from the Stable, and the Stable parking lot.
Ridgewood NJ, This message is being distributed by Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development, Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, Friends of Schedler, and The Preserve Graydon Coalition.
Information obtained today has led four major grassroots groups to create a joint statement for our constituencies.
“Alexandra Harwin’s campaign for Village Council was revealed today to have paid substantial sums to a public relations and marketing firm that prepares communities for large-scale real estate development.
The public relations company describes itself as “assessing the political landscape for real estate development” (publitics.com). One project shown on company founder Matthew Krayton’s LinkedIn page is the downtown redevelopment initiative of the City of Hackensack. Unlike Hackensack, we do not want–we cannot absorb–more large-scale high-density development downtown.
Such firms do not come cheap. How much did it cost?
Public filings required of all candidates (elec.state.nj.us) show that as of April 27–11 days before the election–the Harwin campaign had received nearly $25,000 in donations, surely unprecedented in Ridgewood, and had paid nearly $10,000 to the above-mentioned firm for direct-mail and Facebook advertising. All but three of the largest donations came from out of state. Again, this is new. Are we comfortable having outsiders influence our election?
In contrast, through April 27, Susan Knudsen’s campaign received $6,695 and Michael Sedon’s $5,500, all from local residents.
Repeated libelous accusations–once again, never before seen in Ridgewood–are typical, bullying, developers’ tactics. Very little is said in the campaign literature, and for good reason, about the challengers’ attributes. Pounding the incumbents with fictional insults does not accurately represent our Village. We must resist being dragged along through the mud.
Those of us who have seen the hate-mailers may not soon forget them, and not in a good way. Those who have not seen them are lucky. Notably, the images and nasty messages do not appear on the candidates’ websites.
Despite weeks of character assassination from the opposition, our incumbents have remained civil, in the long tradition of this Village.
The Village Council for the next four years will play a significant role in overseeing our first Master Plan rewrite in 35 years. The Master Plan becomes the guidebook and blueprint for decades to come. We must protect our Master Plan from meddling by outside interests, including developer-friendly groups that are right now seeking overlay zones to allow multifamily development in single-family neighborhoods.We know that Susan Knudsen and Mike Sedon will protect us.
For the future of our Village, please share this message via email, social media, on the phone, and in person. PLEASE VOTE on Tuesday, May 8. Polls are open from 6am to 8pm.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. “
