Tag: Ridgewood Planning Board

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Ridgewood Planning Board – July 7th Special Public Meeting

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Planning Board – July 7th Special Public Meeting

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board will hold a special public meeting on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in the Village Hall Court Room, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. The purpose of the meeting is to hold the Annual Reorganization Meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m. A regular business meeting will follow.

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

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Ridgewood Planning Board vote on housing now official

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JUNE 22, 2015    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015, 10:46 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Planning Board passed resolutions on June 16 memorializing official action on amendments to the land use element of the master plan regarding multifamily housing in downtown Ridgewood.

The resolutions contain a full review of the steps taken in arriving at the decision to approve the master plan amendment, as well as a broad overview of testimony presented during the public hearings. With their ratification, the decision to introduce and adopt ordinances will be given to the Village Council.

Before approving the resolutions, the board discussed a few minor changes.

The modifications included an additional sentence to reflect the votes of the alternates and language that more accurately reflected the opinions of the dissenting voters.

Vice Chairman Richard Joel suggested the votes of the two alternate members, Isabella Altano and Khadir Abdalla, be included in the resolution, although their votes are not officially counted since the full board was eligible to vote.

“I’m just making it all-inclusive,” Joel said. “There was a certain vote and we also had two alternates that voted.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/planning-board-vote-now-official-1.1360611

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RIDGEWOOD PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING

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PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE/AGENDA

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Village Hall Court Room– 7:30 P.M.

(all timeframes and the order of agenda items below are approximate and subject to change)

  1. 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: Aronsohn, Bigos, Knudsen, Nalbantian, Joel, Reilly, Dockray, Peters, Thurston, Altano, Abdalla

 

  1. 7:35p.m. – 7:40 p.m. – Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board

 

  1. 7:40 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. – Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics; Correspondence Received by the Board
  2. 7:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. – Memorializing Resolutions – Amendments to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan: AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts
  3. 8:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Reexamination of Master Plan and Development Regulations – Discussion of Historic Preservation and Environmental Protection Provisions
  4. 10:30 p.m. – 10:40 p.m. – Approval of Minutes: June 2, 2014; May 20, 2014
  5. 10:40 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. – Executive Session

 

  1. 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.

         Members: Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Nancy Bigos, Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, Charles Nalbantian, Richard Joel, Kevin Reilly, Wendy Dockray, Michele Peters, David Thurston, Isabella Altano, Khidir Abdalla

        Professional Staff: Blais L. Brancheau, Planner; Gail L. Price, Esq., Board Attorney; Christopher J. Rutishauser, Village Engineer; Michael Cafarelli, Board Secretary

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Ridgewood Planning Board approves master plan amendment

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JUNE 5, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015, 12:31 AM

BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Minutes after the clock signaled a transition from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, the Ridgewood Planning Board capped a years-long master plan amendment debate with the approval of four new zones in downtown Ridgewood.

An evening that began with comment from the public, most of whom stated their opposition to the master plan amendment, came to an anticlimactic end nearly four hours later – after many residents had left their seats – with a majority of the board members giving their approval.

The board voted on each amendment separately, with each zone receiving yes votes from board members David Thurston, Nancy Bigos, Charles Nalbantian, Richard Joel, Kevin Reilly and Mayor Paul Aronsohn. Board member Wendy Dockray voted against all four zones while Michele Peters opposed all but the C-R zone and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen only cast an affirmative vote for the C zone.

The amendments will now go before the Village Council, which will consider an ordinance to change the master plan.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/board-approves-master-plan-amendment-1.1349573

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Ridgewood Planning Board clears way for high-density housing

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JUNE 3, 2015, 9:14 AM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015, 7:07 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Developers were all smiles as they left Tuesday night’s meeting of the Planning Board, which approved four separate amendments to the village’s master plan, paving the way for high-density, multifamily housing projects downtown.

Several residents walked out of Tuesday night’s meeting when the closing comments by members of the board made it clear even before the vote that the panel would be moving to advance the proposed zoning changes.

The four master plan changes were approved by majority vote; Wendy Dockray, a real estate agent, was the only member to oppose all four amendments. Both Susan Knudsen, a Ridgewood councilwoman who sits on the board, and Michele Peters, an attorney, opposed three of the amendments.

All three women said that a vote Tuesday night would be premature, calling for more discussion of the amendments.

The vote capped five years of meetings, public hearings, and expert testimony on the master plan amendments, first requested by four developers with plans for four different housing complexes.

One developer has since backed out, leaving three housing projects planned with a combined 208 apartment units.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planning-board-clears-way-for-high-density-housing-1.1347831

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Ridgewood Planning Board Approves High Density 35 Unit per Acre Plan for Central Business District

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June 3,2015
the staff of the Roidgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, 35 Units per acre was approved by the Ridgewood Planning Board in a 6  to 3 vote, in what can only be described as a victory for special interests over the residents of the Village . Last night the Planning Board approved a  change to the Village master plan from a density of 12 units per acre (current) to a density of 35 units per acre (almost triple) , giving the Village Central Business District a higher density than Hackensack 22 units per acre, Teaneck 28 units per acre, or Fair Lawn 17 units per acre.

According to Citizens for a better Ridgewood ,( CBR ) YES VOTES FROM….David Thurston (works in commercial real estate), Nancy Bigos (works for our parks and recreation), Mayor Paul Aronsohn (excited to open the door to high density), Charles Nalbantian (has sat on the board way too long, the public seems to annoy him), Richard Joel (has young children in our schools), Kevin Reilly (seemed hesitant to vote Yes, but did anyway) NO VOTES FROM…Council Woman Knudsen, Wendy Dockrey and Michele Peters. ALL THREE NO VOTES WANTED DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS MORE IN CHARACTER WITH OUR VILLAGE WITH DENSITIES CLOSER TO 24. THEY WANTED OTHER OPTIONS THAT BLAIS FAILED TO GIVE THEM. THEY PUSHED FOR OPTIONS LAST NIGHT AND THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD REFUSED TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS.

While opponents of the high density Master Plan change look for other options , many  wonder if this now opens the door to a court victory for Valley’s major expansion?

CBR is still circulating there petition to stop the over development of the Village https://www.change.org/p/ridgewood-nj-planning-board-village-council-vote-no-on-the-high-density-housing-amendment-at-35-units-per-acre-last-minute-petition?just_created=true .

The petition was ignored last night with Planning Board Attorney Gail Price calling it , “hear say” and Chris Harris of the Record claiming , “a bunch of names are not even from Ridgewood” .

There is an opportunity to speak Mayor Paul Aronsohn how will be holding office hours for Ridgewood residents this Saturday. Mayor Aronsohn will meet with residents on Saturday, June 6 from 9AM to Noon in the Council Chambers (Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room) on the fourth floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. For an appointment to meet with the Mayor, please call the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 206. You may come to the Mayor’s office hours without an appointment, but those with appointments will be given priority.

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Ridgewood Planning Board reviews district’s solar panel plan

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MAY 1, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Planning Board performed a courtesy review of a proposal that was subsequently approved by the Board of Education to add solar energy units at George Washington (GW) and Benjamin Franklin (BF) middle schools, Each school will be getting its own unique project.

A presentation before the BOE in March focused on the general overview of the plan, as well as the potential financial savings. The courtesy review performed last week by the Planning Board took a deeper look at the structural aspects and impact on the surrounding area.

The larger of the two projects, slated for BF, features a carport structure somewhat similar to the one constructed at William Paterson University in Wayne. Doug Bagwill, an engineer, noted that there were a few differences between the two projects, notably the dual-incline inverted canopy that prevents snow from shedding off the side of the panels, pushing it toward the center.

“The whole concept of that is instead of a situation here when it’s melting and sliding, it’s going to go to the center port instead of the edges,” said Jim Wavle, president of Verterra Renewable Energy, who oversaw solar panel projects at the district’s other schools. “It keeps the weight distributed over the support.”

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/board-reviews-solar-panel-plan-1.1323095

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Readers Concerned over Planning Board Members Connection to Commercial Development

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The two Planning Board members (Thurston and Abdallah) in favor of the project,as is, are both involved in commercIAL real estate and development. Interesting…very interesting.
We are not sure industry experience automatically implies a conflict , but … 

There’s a real conflict if he is voting on things or even commenting on things that could affect his clients or potential clients. He can add his comments from the podium along with the rest of us. Did the council know he was actively involved in real estate projects in Ridgewood when they appointed him? What the hell were they thinking????

Even if he currently does not do business with these firms he may hope to work with them in the future.
He should enter the discussions because of his experience but he should not vote.

Thurston is not afraid of developers . . . he IS a developer.

Mr. Thurston has been active as a Real Estate Professional for over 30 years. After graduating from Law School in 1982, Mr. Thurston spent two years in Dallas, Texas practicing real estate law. He then moved back east and spent the next four years practicing real estate law in Philadelphia and Manhattan at the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Shea and Gould. In 1987 he left legal practice and joined The Binswanger Company headquartered in Philadelphia where he managed the National Industrial Brokerage Group for four years and then the International Group for the next five years. He then joined NAI in New Jersey and managed the Corporate Services Group for two years. He was recruited to start up and manage the National Office Sales force at Equis Corporation. He moved to Marcus & Millichap in 1999 to manage the New Jersey office. He is a Director in the Company’s National Office and Industrial Properties Group and in it’s Net Lease Properties Group and specializes in the sale of Retail, Office, and Industrial Properties in New York, New Jersey, Northern New Jersey and Bergen County and in Single Tenant Properties Nationwide.

David Thurston’s background certainly gives him an interesting perspective in all of this. Since he is involved in the sale of commercial real estate in Ridgewood, should he recuse himself from these discussions? Is there potential conflict of interest” Or does he bring years of valuable experience to the table? Interesting.

“Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale The Lincoln Building, an office property at 45 N. Broad St. in Ridgewood. The 24,000-square-foot multi-tenant property sold for $3.9 million. David Thurston of Marcus & Millichap’s New Jersey office represented the seller, a partnership, and secured the buyer, a local limited liability company.”

“Mr. Thurston has been active as a Real Estate Professional for over 30 years. After graduating from Law School in 1982, Mr. Thurston spent two years in Dallas, Texas practicing real estate law. He then moved back east and spent the next four years practicing real estate law in Philadelphia and Manhattan at the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Shea and Gould. In 1987 he left legal practice and joined The Binswanger Company headquartered in Philadelphia where he managed the National Industrial Brokerage Group for four years and then the International Group for the next five years. He then joined NAI in New Jersey and managed the Corporate Services Group for two years. He was recruited to start up and manage the National Office Sales force at Equis Corporation. He moved to Marcus & Millichap in 1999 to manage the New Jersey office. He is a Director in the Company’s National Office and Industrial Properties Group and in it’s Net Lease Properties Group and specializes in the sale of Retail, Office, and Industrial Properties in New York, New Jersey, Northern New Jersey and Bergen County and in Single Tenant Properties Nationwide.”

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Reader says While we are at it Let’s bring civility back to the Planning board meetings

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Reader says While we are at it Let’s bring civility back to the Planning board meetings

Let’s bring civility back to the Planning board meetings by replacing the current attorney and by enforcing rules of order that protect the rights of Villagers. Has anyone noticed that the planning board attorney sits in the middle of the table and effectively runs the meeting? I would like our fellow Villagers to be in control of and responsible for the meetings — for good or for bad — and not a lawyer who seems to make up the rules as she goes along.

I thought Charles Nalbatian controlled the meeting. I thought Gail Price was there to answer legal issues and questions that came up and to ensure that legal protocol was followed along with Nalbatian.

show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=355335

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RIDGEWOOD PLANNING BOARD AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

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Planning Board Meetings – January 6, 13, 29, 2015

 RIDGEWOOD PLANNING BOARD AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Special Public Meeting: January 6, 2015, January 13, 2015, January 29, 2015

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:

• TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

• TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

• THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015, 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.

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Ridgewood’s Valley Hospital sues over rejection of expansion project

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Ridgewood’s Valley Hospital sues over rejection of expansion project

OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:53 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:56 PM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The Valley Hospital filed suit Friday against the Ridgewood Planning Board for rejecting its proposal to nearly double in size, arguing the board illegally sided with neighborhood opponents rather than permitting an upgrade for “an inherently beneficial regional hospital.”

For Valley, the lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Hackensack is an attempt to end a protracted and costly stalemate with the village — its expansion plans have been defeated two times in the last four years.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-s-valley-hospital-sues-over-rejection-of-expansion-project-1.1102356#sthash.4G5tiib0.dpuf

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Ridgewood Planning Board resolution reaffirms hospital vote

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Ridgewood Planning Board resolution reaffirms hospital vote

September 19, 2014    Last updated: Friday, September 19, 2014, 12:01 AM
By Laura Herzog
Staff Writer
The Ridgewood News

A long process has been memorialized with a long document.

The Planning Board on Tuesday approved a 47-page resolution explaining its vote on The Valley Hospital’s master plan amendment in June.

Though the resolution was passed without further discussion on Tuesday night, The Ridgewood News obtained the document via OPRA request Wednesday morning.

The document, which details the roughly eight-year history of the hospital’s two proposals, lists 113 points that were considered by the board in coming to its 5-2 decision to reject the amendment and the hospital’s proposal to expand, almost doubling in size to accommodate a switch from double to single-bed rooms and other modifications.

In its final point, the board notes: “The 2014 Final Board Master Plan Amendment, when analyzed with the concerns elicited by the 2011 Council in its Resolution, does not represent a substantial enough compromise and departure from the 2010 Amendment.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/resolution-reaffirms-vote-on-valley-hospital-application-1.1092086#sthash.qdB3LyJv.dpuf

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Ridgewood Planning Board member calls for moratorium on proposals to amend master plan

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Ridgewood Planning Board member calls for moratorium on proposals to amend master plan

JULY 17, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014, 3:14 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

Following three hours of testimony and questioning on proposed multifamily housing on Tuesday night, Ridgewood Planning Board member Michele Peters said she felt rushed by developers for an answer on whether the village’s master plan should be amended.

Three developers are seeking the amendment as the first step in a process to gain approval to build multifamily housing in the village’s Central Business District.

“How are we going to stop this train?” Peters said. “When are we going to take the time to really talk about the master plan?”

Applications to amend the village’s master plan amendment from the housing developers, and one from Valley Hospital which was recently rejected, have forced the board to hear proponents of change for several years.

In response to vocal opposition from resident group Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR) and lawn signs that read “Save Our Village,” Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli has scheduled an informal public meeting for an open discussion on the future of the CBD. The forum will begin at 7:30 p.m. on July 23 in the Village Hall courtroom.

The issue stems from an ordinance adopted in 2007 that allows individuals or groups to propose master plan amendments. Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who was sworn in earlier this month, has called for the village to repeal the ordinance.

“Can we have a moratorium on applications? Can we not take some time to stop so we can talk about this … instead of dealing with a fire as it comes to us?” Peters asked.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planning-board-member-calls-for-moratorium-on-proposals-to-amend-master-plan-1.1053301

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Ridgewood planning board told it can’t make changes to Valley Hospital expansion plan

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Ridgewood planning board told it can’t make changes to Valley Hospital expansion plan

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2014, 11:09 AM
BY  BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD – For a year, residents opposed to The Valley Hospital’s plan to nearly double in size have been attending hearings, sitting through hours of testimony and questioning experts in their effort to get the village Planning Board to scale back the project. On Monday night, they learned the board will not amend the proposal.

Gail Price, the board attorney, told residents at yet another hearing that the board could accept or reject the master amendment that would allow the hospital to expand, but it couldn’t make any changes. Price said the board could reject the application and then write an entirely new amendment and start the process over.

“To say I’m mad is an understatement,” said Pete McKenna, president of a group opposed to the project, Concerned Residents of Ridgewood. “I just wasted another year of my life here only to find out the board doesn’t have the latitude to make any changes.”

Valley is seeking an amendment to the village master plan that will allow them to construct a building that will rise to 94 feet high, if rooftop mechanicals are included, in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The project also calls for construction closer to the neighboring middle school.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/ridgewood/Ridgewood_planning_board_told_it_cant_make_changes_to_Valley_Hospital_expansion_plan.html#sthash.2o15Yagg.dpuf