Ridgewood Village Hall - Page 18 of 19

Posted on January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 by James — 7 Comments

Operation No Confidence : Ridgewood Village Hall, Tonight – 7:30pm

file photo by Boyd Loving

Dear Neighbor,

Here we are yet again at yet another important Village Council meeting, Tonight at 7:30pm at the Village Hall. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to not making VC meetings a must attend every few weeks.

But that’s just how it is. For now anyway. Until we can get some folks onto the council who we can trust will listen to us and do the right thing when it comes to our village. That day will come sooner than later but for now, we must remain engaged.

So, in case you didn’t know already, tomorrow is the night that the Village Council likely plans to vote on overriding itself and go to the County for a bond. This is without a parking garage proposal that fits within the footprint of the Hudson street lot. This is with us being on the hook for several hundreds of thousands of dollars for the County bond, not to mention the likelihood of millions more for the building of a garage. This is against many of the the findings of the Maser Traffic Study from October 15th, which Councilwoman Knudsen and Councilman Sedon were unaware of until late December. I could go on and on…

The bottom line is that, inconvenient as it is, we must remain vigilant and protect Ridgewood, which means showing up and voicing our concerns.

Hoping to see you tomorrow night. And if you can’t make it, please email our Village Council and Village Manager to let them know that even considering voting to go to the County for a bond at this point is against the better interests of our village.

Paul Aronsohn <[email protected]>,
Albert Pucciarelli <[email protected]>,
Gwenn Hauck <[email protected]>,
Roberta Sonenfeld <[email protected]>
Susan Knudsen <[email protected]>,
Michael Sedon <[email protected]>,

Best,

Dana H. Glazer

Posted on October 25, 2015October 25, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

District 40 Candidates Forum in Ridgewood Village Hall This Monday Night !

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

Candidate Forum in Village Hall Courtroom

District 40 Candidates Forum in Ridgewood Village Hall

Candidate Forum in Village Hall Courtroom

Art at Ridgewood Village Hall is next project

March 27, 2015 Last updated: Friday, March 27, 2015, 8:28 AM
The Ridgewood News

Art at Village Hall is next project

To the Editor:

Last week, The Ridgewood News featured photos from the fantastic Maroon & White Celebration of the Arts held at Ridgewood High School on March 12. The event was held in the beautiful new Learning Commons at the high school and featured musical performances from students, as well as various art displays. One of the evening’s highlights was the public opening for a permanent art display entitled “Ridgewood Art at RHS.” This collection was curated by the Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) and features work donated by artists who have a connection to Ridgewood. According to RHS principal Dr. Thomas Gorman, the public is invited to view all the art in the Learning Commons, with the optimal time being after school so as not to disturb students.

Dovetailing on the positive response the “Ridgewood Art at RHS” collection has received from artists and the viewing public, RAC is using it as a model for its next endeavor, “Ridgewood Art at Village Hall.” The purpose of both these collections is to celebrate the wealth of artistic talent in Ridgewood. RAC welcomes artists, 16 years and older, with a connection to Ridgewood, to send an email to [email protected] (subject line: RAC Art Donation) indicating interest. Posthumous submissions from family members are also welcome.

Each respondent will be sent by return email an official application form with further instructions and selection criteria guidelines. Art can be in any medium and any size – fine art, photography, textile and mobile arts, and sculpture included. The deadline for final submissions has been extended, so all interested parties are encouraged to email [email protected] ASAP for application. Once the installation is in place, the entire community will be invited to a gala launch event celebrating RAC and this new chapter of honoring the arts in Ridgewood!

Cheers to the Arts in Ridgewood!

Linda Bradley

Chair

Ridgewood Arts Council

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-art-at-ridgewood-village-hall-is-next-project-1.1297341

Posted on September 18, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — 11 Comments

Parking Meter Scandal : he could not have acted alone

quarters_collection-process4_theridgewoodblog.net_

file photo by Boyd Loving

Parking Meter Scandal : he could not have acted alone

Readers continue to speculate on parking meter security issues and continue to come up with one resounding conclusion ,he could not have acted alone .

Even a $41 million renovation of the Ridgewood Train station did not change the out dated parking meter system .

While ,Village officials said a forensic accounting firm has been retained to examine how a former employee managed to steal $460,000 in quarters from parking meters.

See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-hires-auditor-in-460-000-meter-thefts-1.1050247#sthash.Ut7rRzDP.dpuf

Although I’m not convinced that all meters would need to be replaced in order to implement a closed container/collection system, I’ll give the Village Manager the benefit of the doubt.

But, at a minimum, they should deep six those open white paint buckets/pickle containers and have all collectors use the carts depicted here:

https://www.pom.com/collectionsystems.htm

Continuing to use those buckets is a huge security risk, for the individual collecting monies (holdup/robbery) and for taxpayers (shrinkage).

It is actually very funny that we can’t afford to secure the Villages’s cash. I’m sure there is a solution out there that costs less than $460,000.

They made a deal and I’m hoping the whole story will come out eventually. Who in the police dept. is/are being protected?

Yet again, taxpayers getting screwed to protect some mob/union crony(ies) in Village Hall and/or the PD. Put in smart meters like NYC and let people use credit cards… how are we doing on Tommy Boy’s restitution ? Is he paying us back every week? The guy is obviously a wise guy, and refused to rat out his minders in Village Hall.

Posted on April 12, 2014August 30, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Opening of coffee stand completes renovations at Ridgewood train station

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog

Ridgewood NJ, Amelia Ortiz had some extra pep in her step as she boarded her train Wednesday morning. It might have been the coffee.

Flo’s Depot at the Ridgewood train station officially opened for business Tuesday morning, exactly one week after its originally scheduled unveiling. No one, including Ortiz, seemed to mind the seven-day delay – after all, they have been waiting for almost five years for a coffee stand to re-open at the spot.

When New Jersey Transit began a multi-million dollar renovation project and forced the last coffee stand to permanently close its doors in 2009, morning rail riders were compelled to seek their caffeine jolts and breakfasts-on-the-go from other sources. For those residents opting against a travel mug of java from home, the extra stop at a nearby shop or bakery posed a minor inconvenience.

Posted on March 6, 2014April 9, 2020 by James — 11 Comments

Readers debate Urbanization of the Village

Readers debate Urbanization of the Village

Editors note : History has shown us the problem is the Village simply has “ZERO” credibility in its ability to plan ,manage and implement large projects and too many seem to have their vision clouded by personal gain.

No one wants to see empty lots in the CBD , nor do most want to live in the “next, next ” Hoboken .

Like the Train Station renovation before , there is a way for everyone to get something positive, add housing , improve infrastructure , take into account schools and of coarse parking.

Whats lacking is a vision for the future of the Village. A vision uniquely by Ridewood ,for Ridgewood. Not about people getting elected or speculators getting rich off government connections .

This Vision must include Valley Hospital, CBD housing ,retail and parking , traffic and the Ridgewood School district.

The Village with its excellent schools , parks ,CBD, cultural institutions and easy access to transportation offers a very unique opportunity .

If we chose to destroy the character of the town , the very character that has attracted so many to the Village over the years , we will lose the very thing that makes us who we are….

The people advocating for high density buildings (and for Valley Hospital over expansion for that matter) do not care about our town. They care about making money. Once they make their money, if they don’t like what the town is like they will be able to leave. There is no middle ground we can get to right now because they want maximum $$. They will first try for maximum $$ via high density, and only if we defeat them will they come down a notch and try for slightly less (see Valley Hospital). Maybe after several defeats we might get to a middle ground, but even that will be temporary. People like this do not give up. 10 years after we reach a middle ground solution (if we do) they will be right back at it (or their children will take the helm) seeking to make $$ by ruining our Village…..

I think that is what has to be discussed. But to right away jump to conclusion and think over night or even years Ridgewood would turn into any of your examples is foolish and not forward thinking.

You think modernization and growth and you assume that means higher crime, noise, traffic and every negative thing you can imagine… But it doesn’t have to be that way if you develop a sustainable plan for growth through a thoughtful process.

The contextual makeup of Ridgewood is not sustainable. Look every town around us…. Minus glen rock… We are a old folks home… And it’s sad because we have an opportunity to be an example of a modern town that still remains true to its roots.

It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. What i am really saying is that we are going to expand… No way around it it will happen eventually, just being honest. I rather the people that do care about this towns and it’s history be the ones making the plans and not the (as number one stated) money Hungary investors that can up and leave if it fails.

What rather you have?…..

We don’t want to follow the path of Hoboken, Paterson, Hackensack or NYC. Is there a suitable model out there?….

Posted on February 5, 2014August 30, 2016 by James — 6 Comments

New coffee stand will brew at Ridgewood train station

New coffee stand will brew at Ridgewood train station
Tuesday February 4, 2014, 10:03 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

The Village of Ridgewood is now accepting bids from vendors who are interested in leasing and operating a new coffee stand at the Ridgewood train station, which has been without that particular service since 2009.

The deadline to submit proposals is 11 a.m. Feb. 20, when all public bids will be opened.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/243498621_New_coffee_stand_will_brew_at_Ridgewood_train_station.html#sthash.tD20lT5R.dpuf

Posted on March 7, 2013August 30, 2016 by James — 3 Comments

Reader says politicians and NJT should try commuting sometime before making infrastructure decisions

Orange safety hat , for business attire

Reader says politicians and NJT should try commuting sometime before making infrastructure decisions.

I hope this person will be alright. It looks like the guy was walking home from the train. Last I checked day glow yellow suits are not really appropriate for business, so let’s cut him some slack about attire.

We are on track for a horrific accident at the intersection of Broad and Franklin now that the train station renovation forces commuters to cross at the underpass. There are no crossing signals. Cars coming through the underpass and making a right turn are not expecting people to be stepping off the curb right by the corner. More people are going to get hit. Maybe the politicians and NJT should try commuting sometime before making infrastructure decisions.

I am confident that nobody on the board at NJT eats their own cooking. The conditions at Penn are atrocious. Transferring at SEC is ridiculous in the mornings. And the station rebuild at RGWD is terrible. It is as if no part of that project was designed to improve the quality of commuting for non-ADA impacted people (99.999% of the people who use that station).

And yes, crossing at the corner of Franklin and Broad is about 10 times as dangerous as crossing Broad mid-block. There needs to be a full stop on green for right turns from Franklin to Broad, or at least better lighting on that corner. Good luck getting NJT to address it; they won’t even clear the snow from that corner, and evidently neither will Ridgewood.

Eventually you will see a traffic light on Franklin and Chestnut, too.

Posted on January 15, 2013August 30, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

NJ Transit has made the commute from Ridgewood a nightmare

NJ Transit has made the commute from Ridgewood a nightmare

NJ Transit has made the commute from Ridgewood a nightmare. Express service pretty much cancelled — after a $40 million renovation just two years ago to build this big station, it is now no longer a key express stop per the schedule. Trains are so constantly overcroweded that there are fights (literally) over space to get on the trains. Emails, letters and calls go unanswered.

Now, we have large Advertisements for Empire Casino “decorating” the “RIDDGEWOOD” signs at this new station. I am all in favor of advertisements to reduce the financial strain on riders — but were these ad placements part of the drawings? I dont recall seeing them. Village officials never should have agreed to such a large expansion of the station and large advertisements for NY casinos without a committment from NJ Transit to maintain certain service levels. (BTW – why would a NJ based organization like NJ Transit agree to place large ads for a NY casino on its property when Atlantic City is suffering???) Hopefully this will serve as a warning to future Village leaders not to trust NJ Transit.

Posted on September 12, 2012August 30, 2016 by James — 4 Comments

Ridgewood Train Station plaza parking lot is reopened a day ahead of schedule

Ridgewood _Train_station_theridgewoodblog

Photo from the Ridgewood Police Department

Ridgewood Train Station plaza parking lot is reopened a day ahead of schedule.

Posted on September 5, 2012August 21, 2019 by James — 7 Comments

“Town Garage” looks to make a comeback

“Town Garage” looks to make a comeback
September 5, 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, With the Village facing a “”Park-pocalypse” next week the Village council looks to continue discussions during the councils next work session on the recently proposed “Chamber of Commerce” parking plan for the Central Business District and a new plane for the you guessed it “Town Garage” property.

As previously reported members of the Ridgewood business community presented an elaborate, through expensive multifaceted plan last month that included not one but two parking structures and a new retail space as well as a strategy to fund the entire venture. This plan has become known as the “Chamber of Commerce” parking plan.

Criticism has centered on whether the plan can come in on budget to meet the very aggressive requirements to fund the parking complexes without risk to tax payers. A rosie scenario was presented but given the Villages past inability to meet construction budgets ie, the $2 million Village Hall that became a $9 million fiasco or the $400,000 ‘Golden Toilet” at Vets field that much chronicled on this blog leaves readers with doubts .

Tonight the “Town Garage” project is expected to be resurrected by the owners .Village Council members are expected discuss the plan at length. Past plans for the property have always been based on the socialized taxpayer financing with profits kept in the hands of the few. Taxpayers in Ridgewood up till now have been in no mood to finance someone else’s profits., but with the new regime the jury is still out.

There is also the issue of old fuel tanks , and soil contamination at the site if needed with no one really sure what the Village is on the hook for.

Posted on July 27, 2012June 27, 2021 by James — 2 Comments

Long-vacant “Town Garage” back on in the news again

As previously reported in reader commentary : Urbanization of Downtown Ridgewood is coming

Massive development set to take place in the Central Business District

https://theridgewoodblog.net/reader-urbanization-of-downtown-ridgewood-is-coming/

Long-vacant “Town Garage” back on in the news again

THURSDAY JULY 26, 2012, 1:49 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Village Council members are expected next month to resurrect a discussion initiated by the Ridgewood Planning Board, which has asked the governing body to review the stipulations and intentions of the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Area and Redevelopment Plan.

The Village Council will reopen discussions next month on what to do with the Town Garage property.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/163887616_Long-vacant_lot_in_Ridgewood_is_back_on_table_for_discussion.html

Posted on July 20, 2012August 30, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Advertising placements at Ridgewood train station pitched

Ridgewood NJ, Village officials remain on the fence about several aspects of New Jersey Transit’s (NJT) proposal to sell advertising space at the Ridgewood train station.

New Jersey Transit is proposing the placement of advertisements on platforms and the pedestrian underpass at the Ridgewood train station. Council members and other residents left last week’s work session meeting with a better understanding of NJT’s plan; however, many were not yet convinced that the initial ideas presented by NJT representatives are in the village’s best interest.

In addition, some council members suggested that the transportation corporation, which operates the country’s largest statewide public transit system, must completely fulfill the obligations of the recent $40 million renovation before moving forward with the advertising project.

As of early this week, NJT and its advertising contractor, Titan Outdoor, had hopes of working with the village to sell and install advertising placards at the train station. Transit officials are targeting spots on the platforms and the station building as well as the walls of the pedestrian underpass. The ultimate goal for both NJT and the village is an increase in revenue, transportation officials said.

Posted on June 1, 2012August 30, 2016 by James — 4 Comments

Ridgewood council discusses underpass upgrades at train station…again

Photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, A conceptual plan to improve the pedestrian underpass at the Ridgewood train station has piqued interest among several council members, who last Wednesday expressed desire to meet with New Jersey Transit (NJT) officials and discuss the potential ideas.

NJT recently completed a $40 million renovation project at the station to make Ridgewood’s transit hub accessible to disabled passengers and more convenient for all riders. That project, however, did not include improvement work to the underpass.

In its current condition, the underground walkway shows deteriorated walls, exposed rebar and general disrepair. Though it is out of sight to many village residents, the passageway is an eyesore to those who use it.

Candidate Forum in Village Hall Courtroom

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