Ridgewood Adds Three new police officers
Ridgewood NJ, New Ridgewood police officers Ryan McAlister, Kyle Monton, and Peter Tuchol, Jr. are sworn in during Ridgewood Village Council Meeting of Wednesday, January 13th at Village Hall.
file photo by Boyd Loving
SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING – RIDGEWOOD MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING – JANUARY 12TH
January 14,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog with input from several readers
Ridgewood NJ , the Special Public Meeting on high density multi family housing was attended by 30-35 residents attended who heard proposals for studies from five groups as follows:
1. Heyer, Gruel & Associates – who could do studies on the fiscal and school impacts
2. Maser Consuting – traffic study
3. Ross Haber Associates – school impact
4. The RBA Group – traffic study
5. BFJ Planning/Urbanomics – fiscal, infrastructure, school, and traffic
Overall the meeting was peaceful. The mayor as usual did not answer all the questions and asked some residents “your five minutes are up” when they questioned him, though they still had time, and answered questions from some others who were appreciating his efforts.
Mayor Aronsohn could not resist poking residents making a sarcastic remark about the “overflow crowd,” – stating that BF had been selected to handle a large crowd, his comment discounted the fact that 30-35 residents had come out. Which under normal circumstances would be a decent sized crowd .
The Village had two police officers present through the entire meeting, at what cost? It was also unclear whether they were guarding the Council members , or the public since threats were made from hostile council members to the public?
There were five presentations. 2 for school, 2 for traffic and one for everything. The firm which presented everything also included impact on schools and traffic. So, for schools and traffic, 3 options each were presented. For the other two impact studies, only one option was presented BFJ/Urbananomics.
The Village Manager Roberta Schoenfield stated that there had not been an RFP, that there did not need to be for this. Thus we only wound up with ONE infrastructure group, thus no basis for comparison.
Council Women Hauck asked questions of one of the contractors regarding how to discredit residents who disagree with the results of a study.
Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli stated that the public called for experts, and then goes ahead and questions the expertise of the experts, implying that residents should not ask any questions about how any of the proposed studies should be done.
The council seemed to agree informally to go with BFJ for the fiscal, infrastructure and school but RBA for traffic. This was not a vote and it will be discussed further. RBA’s description of their traffic study indicated that would use video technology at 10 intersections, considering the cars as well as the pedestrians and bicycles at each. The tubes-in-the-road technology is outdated and only captures vehicles. RBA also indicated that any data from studies more than 3 years old is basically useless.
They liked the fact that BFJ had the ability to do all the studies and work with each other in-house, but their traffic proposal was weak.
Roberta stated that our in-house experts are quite capable of doing some of these studies .During the initial comments the village manager mentioned that she wanted to use them as hub where traffic and school consultant will feed into them, but she also mentioned that she did not like their pricing for data collection and she wanted them to use already collected data. When one resident asked why was only one firm invited for the other two impact studies, the village manager responded that we may not even go with them and we may do those in house to save money.
It clearly sounded like the village manager doesn’t want an outside consultant to be looking at the water, fire, police, fiscal stuff closely and wants to keep that part to herself ie internally.
Eleven residents made comments, paraphrased:
The VC was thanked for changing the date of the meeting from Friday to Tuesday
Much concern about the traffic studies – one day, two days, a week, what if a snowstorm, how good a picture would any traffic study actually produce
Questions about the RUSH – why not slow down with all of this.
Questions about complying with COAH.
Questions about what was going on with Kensington Assisted Living
REAC PROGRAM – LEAD AWARENESS PROGRAM
January 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) in conjunction with the Park and Recreation Department is pleased to present a series of environmentally focused programs – Back to Basics – Healthy Lifestyle. The first program will be Monday, January 25th at 7:00pm in the Community Center Senior Lounge and the topic will be
“Understanding Lead Poisoning.” This will be an informational presentation by Dawn Cetrulo, Health Supervisor, Ridgewood Health Department and Danielle Cinnante, Health Educator, Valley Hospital. All are invited to this free program. Future topics in this series will be Beekeeping Basics; Streetscapes – Trees, Sidewalks, Roads and Re forestation; Backyard Composting; From Garden to Table; Recycling – After materials leave the curb. Details to follow.
Ridgewood Water https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/water/leadnotice.pdf
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Anthony Lillo took the helm as director and chief of Ridgewood Emergency Services on Jan. 9.Lillo, 57, was sworn in by Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn at the Departments annual installation dinner. Lillo’s emergency services career began in 1991 and he joined Ridgewood Special Operations in 1999. Lillo, an EMT, has served in various leadership positions during his tenure, most recently as deputy chief.
Chief Lillo has worked with Ridgewood Central Dispatch and has extensive background in computer disaster recovery and disaster management as a project manager. He is enrolled in the Certified Public Managers Program at Rutgers University. Chief Lillo succeeds Brian Pullman who retired after serving as director and chief of Ridgewood Emergency Services for 10 years.
Robert Greenlaw, the founder, director and chief of emergency services for 25 years, praised Pullman’s commitment and service saying he helped make the organization what it is today. Pullman joined Ridgewood Emergency Services in 1993.
In addition to Lillo being named director and chief, the other officers were announced during the installation dinner. The 2016 officers include: Deputy Chief Ryan Savaria; Medical Director Dr. Bob Lahita; Public Information Officers Richard Breining and Bob Krane; EMS Captain Murray Yang; EMS Lieutenants John Baker, Brendan Fischer, Emily Benjamin and James Bigos; Special Operations Captain John Epperlein; Special Operations Lieutenants Mike Butler, Eric Frielink and Ace Antonio; Teens in Emergency Services (TIES) Captain Corrine Scarpa; and TIES Lieutenant Kevin Scarpa.
In 2015, Ridgewood Emergency Services responded to 1704 requests for assistance. This amounts to 19,236 hours donated by the volunteers to the Village of Ridgewood on active duty. It does not include time spent on training, meetings, meeting and event preparation. A cost savings of over $1 million dollars to the Village of Ridgewood.
Ridgewood Nj, Peter Deuber of Ridgewood, New Jersey passed away Monday, January 4th at Select Specialty Hospital in Rochelle Park, New Jersey. He was born in Manhattan on January 17,1932 and grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He attended Ridgewood High School and majored in Economics at Columbia. He worked in sales and the building trade in New Jersey. Peter had a great love of gardening, landscaping, and horticulture. > > Peter leaves behind his loving long term partner, Helen Eagy, ex-wife Mary Lou, and cousin Robert Huber; his two daughters: Nancy Gameson (Lyn) and Sharon Richter (Marc); five grandchildren: Ceri Gameson, Victoria Richter, Margaret Richter, Abigail Richter, and Joshua Richter. Burial will be private.
MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 – 7:30pm – Benjamin Franklin Middle School- Impact Study presentations for Multifamily housing, North Walnut Redevelopment Zone, Hudson Street Parking Garage -Presentations by Vendors:
a. Heyer, Gruel & Associates
b. Maser Consulting
c. Ross Haber Associates
d. The RBA Group
e. BFJ Planning/Urbanomics
JANUARY 11, 2016 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016, 2:27 PM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Sheila Brogan was reelected as president and Vincent Loncto as vice president during last week’s Ridgewood Board of Education reorganization meeting.
“I just want to thank the board for your support, and I’m so pleased to continue to work with Vincent and all of you,” Brogan said. “It is a real honor to serve this community in this capacity and to be on the board, so I thank you for that and I look forward to the challenges that we have.”
Loncto, who ran unopposed in the November election, also thanked the board for its confidence in him.
“I’d like to echo Sheila’s comments and express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” Loncto said, adding that he is “honored by the opportunity.”
Loncto was sworn in Monday night to a three-year term.
Schools audited
Mike Andriola, an auditor for accounting and consulting firm Wiss & Company, presented the results of a recent district audit at Monday’s meeting.
Andriola noted that a few mistakes had been made, such as purchasing small amounts of supplies and asking for approval afterward. He said the district also racked up travel expenditures that exceeded the approved maximum.
“They weren’t big dollar amounts; there really weren’t many of them,” he said. “I don’t think it’s anything to be overly concerned with.”
Based on his findings, Andriola suggested that the district “strengthen its internal controls,” in order to ensure that nothing is purchased without consent and that over-expenditures are not made.
He also suggested that the district ensure that monetary transfers are made on a monthly basis, so that “any budgetary account lines that are in a deficit balance” are covered.
“I am confident that (the school district is) going to address these and fix them going forward,” he said.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-school-board-reorganizes-1.1489374
file photo by Boyd loving
Going to the BCIA is a back-door way of going around the electorate, plain and simple.$250,000 in additional cost to the taxpayers because the bond vote failed 3-2.
At the meeting on January 6th a few things were made clear. One is that the “threesome” stands firm as a bloc and of course voted in perfect synchronicity, in spite of the gigantic number of objections to the huge garage. Another point is that Aronosohn is going rogue, going directly to the BCIA to get his funding, for which he only needs three votes.
Damn the laws of the land, just find a way around them. Another is that Albert’s trigger temper is still very much alive, as he went after a resident who alluded to the upcoming election. The resident was calm and polite, and Albert was wild, then Gwenn started holding up her cell phone. Such unprofessionalism from the dais, such calm in the audience.
A summary is SAME OLD SAME OLD. A million people spoke. Most were against the garage. The three amigos voted in favor of the bond. Susan and Michael voted against it. Aronsohn is immediately going to circumnavigate the law (legal, but still underhanded) and go to the BCIA, where he only needs three votes. He put that in motion before the ink was dry on the bond defeat. Good luck trying to find the Ustream on the new website. It seems to be nowhere.
Average Property taxes paid
Alpine $20,880.00
Tenafly $18,787.00
Demarest $17,937.00
Upper Saddle River $17,112.00
Haworth $16,940.00
Ridgewood $16,798.00
Saddle River $16,670.00
Franklin Lks $16,635.00
Old Tappan $15,765.00
Glen Rock $15,157.00
Woodcliff lake $15,139.00
HoHoKus $15,045.00
Allendale $14,551.00
Oradell $13,796.00
Wyckoff $13,280.00
Midland Park $11,020.00
Waldwick $10,396.00
Washington Twp 10,157.00
Fair Lawn $10,012.00
Mahwah $8,154.00
file photo by Boyd Loving
EXCLUSIVE: Property taxes up $537 million
HOLD ONTO YOUR WALLETS: PROPERTY TAXES IN NEW JERSEY INCREASED BY THEIR FASTEST RATE IN FOUR YEARS IN 2015.
Michael Symons,
Hold onto your wallets: Property taxes in New Jersey increased by their fastest rate in four years in 2015, with landowners shelling out an extra $537 million.
The hike pushed the average local tax bill to $8,354 for homeowners, up $193 from the prior year, according to data compiled exclusively by the Asbury Park Press. That’s an increase of 2.4 percent, despite a supposed 2 percent cap enacted in 2010.
The jump marks the second straight year New Jersey’s property tax hike has gotten bigger, after three years of slowing growth in Gov. Chris Christie’s first term. Monmouth and Ocean counties fared worse most of the state with tax boosts of 2.6 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.
The trend undercuts one of Christie’s selling points as he touts his gubernatorial record on the GOP presidential campaign trail. On his campaign website, Christie says property taxes are rising at their slowest pace “in more than two decades.” Growth has grown since dipping to 1.3 percent in 2013.
The new accounting tells a costly different story — in a state where homeowners already pay the highest-in-the-nation property taxes. That burden helped drive nearly 14,000 to sign an Asbury Park Press petition urging elected officials to cut property taxes. The petition came in tandem with Asbury Park Press’s investigation of the tax crisis last fall.
Stay or leave?
Adrienne DiPietro’s property taxes have tripled in the 20 years she has lived in Eatontown. She remains optimistic elected officials will do something about the problem but says “I’m not holding my breath.” She is considering whether she and her husband, Paul, will stay in New Jersey. Both are retirees.
“All of our retirement income, we have to start thinking about this in the next five years or so: Do we want to stay here and keep coughing up that much taxes?” DiPietro said. “Do we want to stay here, because the taxes are only going up and up?”
https://www.app.com/story/insider/2016/01/08/nj-property-tax-increases/78504096/
January 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Petitions are available for any Ridgewood registered voter seeking the position of Village Councilmember, in the Village Clerk’s Office at Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.
The Village Clerk will accept petitions which contain the valid signatures of at least 164 registered voters who live in Ridgewood, as required by law.
Three Village Council seats, which have four year terms, will be up for election. The terms begin July 1, 2016. The deadline for filing the petitions with the Village Clerk is no later than 4:00 P.M., March 7, 2016.
Ridgewood NJ, Nineteen members of the RHS Math Team competed in the thirtieth Joseph W. Andrushkiw Mathematics Competition at Seton Hall University. The team placed fourth out of 23 schools and one RHS senior placed fourth overall out of more than 200 students.
Gwenn Hauck has absolutely no business representing us in a lawsuit. For crying out loud, this is glaringly apparent. This is not about what platform she ran for office on, this is not about whether she loves valley hospital. This is the fact that there is a major lawsuit against Ridgewood and one of the two elected official on the mediation is a person who donates big money to them. How can anyone not see the conflict here? She is supposed to be representing US against THEM in this lawsuit, but she funnels money to them.
If anyone thinks that she should represent us in the law suit all you have to do is look up the minuets Sept 19 H-Z hearing and she what she said. Then you tel me.
Speaking before the council during the “H-Zone” hearings to determine the fate of ‘Renewal’, Hauck said on Sept. 19: “Also, I trust Audrey Meyers, Megan Fraser, all the doctors and volunteers I work with and all the spokespersons of the hospital when they tell me that the hospital will have better services and healthier surroundings if they modernize and expand the way they’ve laid out because they’re the health experts…and I believe them.”
While it may seem unlikely a perfect solution will ever emerge, Hauck stressed a “healthy” and “reasonable” dialogue must emerge for any meaningful change to happen.
Any output from her “mediation” will be tainted. That does not serve the interest of anyone, including Valley. Pencil this in for another 10 year slog unless a good faith process for resolution is adopted.
In my experience, the vast majority of ethical types always recuse themselves from legal duties where there is the potential perception of there being a conflict of interest. The key word is “perception”. In a lot of these cases, the reality of an actual conflict of interest is slim to none, but in the interests of showing absolute honesty, they do in fact, recuse themselves. By not recusing themselves, it actually infers that they are in fact attempting to improperly influence a decision.
(201) 421-0506
Youll be amazed when you enter this colonial cape – every square inch has been beautifully updated, even the walls! The owners have spared no expense in turning this homes interior into a stunning modern showplace. From the moment you open the new front door just about everything you see is new – the staircase with richly stained newell posts and handrails, the hardwood flooring, even the doors and the recessed lighting. Adjoining the living room is a beautiful brand new kitchen featuring light-colored engineered stone tops, wood cabinets and stainless appliances including a wine fridge. You can eat at the island or turn the first floor bedroom into your dining room. A magnificent 1st floor bath includes a tiled shower stall with frameless glass enclosure. Upstairs are 4 full bedrooms and a 2nd new bath. The renovated lower level has a comfortable media room on one side and storage on the other. A fenced backyard completes this picture perfect home!
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MLS # 1523480 482 Northern Pkwy, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C Joyce Albert, Sales Associate Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Ridgewood
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MLS # 1548683 228 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col Fortunato Campesi, Broker Owner Fortune Realty Group, LLC
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MLS # 1600743 1023 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Mary Onie Holland, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1548880 332 Eastside Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col Michael Shetler, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1535930 456 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Ranch Thomas Panso, Sales Associate Keller Williams Valley Realty
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MLS # 1538028 286 S Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Joan Marie Monton, Broker Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1545430 312 Thompson Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col Anthony Comunale, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Alpine/Closter
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MLS # 1528348 317 N Pleasant Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Lori Lettieri, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1600552 1016 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, C/C Suzanne Lenihan, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1600758 635 N Monroe St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.n450bs5c.dpuf
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MLS # 1549098 456 Beverly Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col William F. Gilsenan Jr, Broker Gilsenan & Co.
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MLS # 1600732 743 Parsons Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Barbara Masarky, Broker Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1600534 140 Woodland Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Jennifer W. Celiberti, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1533078 371 Crest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Samira Cook, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1600545 312 Mckinley Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Helen Martino, Sales Associate Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Saddle River
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– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.n450bs5c.dpuf
file photo by Boyd Loving
An Open Letter to Fellow Residents of Ridgewood and the Ridgewood Planning Board,
As residents of Ridgewood, we write to share our thoughts about The Valley
Renewal
.
We are among the thousands of Village residents who support
Renewal
.
To continue to be the high quality hospital that residents of Ridgewood and our neighboring
communities need and desire, it is essential for Valley to renew. Valley must right-size its
operating, diagnostic, and treatment rooms to accommodate new technologies and procedures.
It is also essential for Valley to develop single patient rooms to meet new patient care and
safety standards. These steps are not optional, they are crucial.
During its almost 60-year history, Valley has evolved from a local hospital to the award
winning, top quality regional healthcare organization that it is today. The hospital ranks
among the highest in the nation for both clinical care and patient satisfaction. It has evolved
over time to meet the needs of the communities it serves, and it must do so again. Valley’s
role as a provider of excellent healthcare services for tens of thousands is what makes the
suggested revisions to the Master Plan and H Zone not only acceptable, but vital.
As residents of Ridgewood, we disagree with those who have written or stated that
the Hospital’s Renewal will harm the unique character or way of life of the Village.
In addition, we believe that Valley is wholly committed to the safety and security of the
hospital’s patients, its staff, and the neighbors and students who live and attend school
in the hospital’s neighborhood.
We are proud of The Valley Hospital and we know the majority of our neighbors feel the
same way. As friends and neighbors of many Village residents, we suggest that we move
past the “us vs. them” mentality that has unfortunately become a part of this discussion
and move toward ensuring that Valley remains the hospital that all of us would choose for
ourselves and our family’s healthcare, today, tomorrow, and in the future.
Sincerely,
Scott Agins, D.P.M.
Claudia Allocco
Andrea Aluisi
Michael W. Azzara
George Becker, M.D.
Timothy Berry
David F. Bolger
Mary Camerlingo
Tracey Carbone, M.D.
Eugene Cornell
Anne G. Crane
Thomas R. Crane
Charles D. Crowley, M.D.
Elizabeth O. Crowley, M.D.
Bettina M. Daly
Anne Raftery Denyeau
Marc M. Dreier, M.D.
Stephen J. Errico
Kevin M. Fee
Carole E. Forenza
Russell R. Forenza
James D. Fraser
Megan Fraser
Danielle M. Gaglioti
Robin L. Giordano
Robert Gutenstein
Gwenn Hauck
Cynthia Halaby
Diana Hock
Fletcher Hock
John Johansen
Sally Jones
John Kandravy
Leslie Kane
Sue Kelly
Maryann LeBert
Edward and Joan Lefferman
Kenneth Levitsky, M.D.
Hugo Lijtmaer, M.D.
David Lipson, M.D.
Donna H. MacPhee
Gail M. Matthews, M.D.
Susan H. Mayo
Diane Meissner
Klaus J. Meissner
Audrey Meyers
David Namerow, M.D.
John Nasr, M.D.
Ali Nasseri, M.D.
Pat and Mario Perillo
Thomas J. Rakowski, M.D.
Eileen Richardot
Bettie and Howell Rile
Marivic F. Santiago, M.D.
Kathleen B. Sayles
David G. Sayles
Maria Scibetta, M.D.
Marjorie L. Slankard, M.D.
Ann Marie Snyder
Charles J. Snyder
Susan J. Snyder
Jack Tohme, M.D.
Daniel Van Engel, M.D.
Wayne A. Yankus, M.D.
Patricia J. Van Dyke
Victoria Van Dyke
Susan Viniar
Michael Wesson, M.D
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
FROM THE PASTOR Dear friends,
Since the bulletin is prepared on Wednesday, before the Village Council meeting, I cannot share with you what happened. Below, please find the statement of the Parish that was emailed to Council members and read into the record.
On behalf of the Archdiocese of Newark and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, I would like to thank Mayor Aronsohn, Councilwoman Knudsen and the architectural/engineering teams working with the Village of Ridgewood for their willingness to engage in these open discussions and for their participation in the two meetings held at the parish last week. I have attached a memorandum from Daniel Disario, P.E., PTOE, of Langan Engineering, the firm that the parish has retained to review the traffic study submitted by Maser Consulting. The memorandum has identified several areas of concern that we would like to see addressed prior to the project moving forward.
While we are encouraged by the fact that the Village is willing to consider reducing the size of the proposed structure, we still believe that the construction of a parking deck for 200 additional cars will significantly impact day to day operations for the Church community and accordingly we would like to see the project proceed with due caution. Though we are thankful that the Village commissioned a traffic study, we feel that the report was limited in scope and a more thorough analysis is necessary.
The study was performed on Wednesday, October 7th for two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. As a result, the report does not take in to account added volume due to; daily drop off and pickup for Windsor Academy School, drop off and pick up for religious education classes, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, funerals and other parish events – including the significant attendance for weekend masses. With Mount Carmel being the closest neighbor to the parking structure, we would have preferred more interaction with Maser’s engineers so they could take these factors into account.
We are also uncomfortable with potential ripple effects and future implications of issues yet to be determined, including the possibility of the reversal of traffic flow and the elimination of street parking on Hudson and Passaic Streets, both of which border Church property. Certain aspects of the design, including the introduction of crisscrossing left hand turns at the entrance/exit of the lot, a problem which will be exacerbated by the inherent increase of both foot and vehicle traffic at mass times, should be more closely reviewed and fleshed out.
Furthermore, the proposed “cantilevered” overhang is a major aesthetic concern and also could present a series of logistical issues. We agree that solutions need to be found for the parking problem in Ridgewood and it is the intention of the parish to cooperate with the Village to address this longstanding issue. We also recognize the viability of the Hudson Street lot as a potential site, however, we believe the matter needs the type of comprehensive study and analysis that was recommended in the “Summary and Conclusions” portion of the original study completed by Maser Consulting on October 15, 2015 (page 22).
To this end, the parish is willing to retain an engineer at its own expense to examine the ramifications of the proposal in more detail. In conclusion, we formally request that bond approval be placed on hold until both engineering firms are given the appropriate time to study the matter in the required detail and subsequently confer for the purpose of providing a mutually beneficial solution for both the Village and parish communities.
Please pray we come to a peaceful agreement.
God Bless,
Fr. Ron
