Reader says Calling Villagers crackpot laypeople is yond belief. Who was the alleged comment really directed to?
He must have meant the “laypeople” on the planning board — perhaps, those asking questions about the faulty premises in the reports of the developers so-called experts, or maybe those who dare to ask what the effect of 400 new families will be on schools, traffic and other aspects of village life. Shame on those planning board members who dare to ask questions of those who testify before the board!!
Could this really have been the developers’ response to the public or did the paper get the quote wrong. Is Saracino that much of a sniveling buffoon who thinks he can get away with destroying the town by insulting Villagers? I suspect there must have been a mistake. Surely, Mr. Saracino is not an ignorant bully who thinks he can insult and buy his way into re-making Ridgewood a city made in his image.
Reader says I don’t understand the poisonous anti-development sentiment
Is anyone thinking that, as detailed in this post, the inventory of apartments in Ridgewood is old with limited ability to modernize because of the types of buildings that were the style in 1915 and again in the 1950′s are not want people want today? Is anyone thinking that newer and more modern style apartment will attract young professionals who want to start a life in Ridgewood and empty nesters who want to stay in Ridgewood? That combination will bring a vibrancy to Ridgewood so this will not just be a village with parents of school age children who leave when the kids graduate.
As a parent, I find the box of kleenex on the back to school supply list offensive beyond words but I do it and for our children, we write cheeks all year long for teams, field trips, concerts, book fairs, etc., etc. It is called the cost of living in a Village with high expectations for the schools. It is the cost of living so close to NYC.
I don’t understand the poisonous anti-development sentiment and the yard signs that imply the end of the world as we know it if things change.
Reader says Never before have the Ridgewood BOE and municipal budgets ever been stretched so thin
Never before have the Ridgewood BOE and municipal budgets ever been stretched so thin. During each of those waves in Ridgewood’s growth you mention above the BOE was still able to maintain their buildings and absorb the growth that resulted from these apartments. That is no longer the case. Our budget cannot afford to repair our current buildings, hire more teachers or build more classrooms. Unless you are looking for another $48 million dollar bond referendum in less than 5 years.
As a parent, I am tired of paying taxes and then being told that I need to raise money to pay for an outdated and unsafe playground, or new risers to replace the unsafe 30 year old ones for my child’s vocal concert or buy non-fiction books to fill the classroom libraries. All of that was covered by our BOE budget before years and years of this gradual growth.
All this growth also occurred before our streets were so filled with cars that even the traffic experts say we can’t handle one more car on our streets. I’m not sure how many pedestrians were hit by cars back then, but I’m guessing it was less than half the number we have today.
The point is, what is being proposed is a change to the Master Plan which would allow for enormous and sudden growth. Nothing like what you outlined above.
PR Representative for Mr. Saraceno (The Enclave) Uses Valley tactic of belittling and attacking the opposition
Loved in the article in The Ridgewood News where I believe it was the PR Representative for Mr. Saraceno/The Enclave stated that, “The crackpot opinions of lay people have to be weighed for what they are”. Very nice. Not sure how calling people crackpots is going to help push through your development.
This is the exact same tactic that Valley has been employing for years. Anyone that dares to disagree with us is part of an ignorant minority. Those that don’t know history.
Funny none of the “The crackpot lay people” walked off with $460,000 worth of quarters right under everyone at Village Hall’s nose .
None of “The crackpot lay people” spent $500,000 on a toilet for vets field .
None of “The crackpot lay people”spent $9 million on renovating the Village Hall from flood damage only nto have it flooded out on the very first rain ..
the list is almost endless
From turf fields in flood zones , banning banks , higher density housing means less traffic to math classes that dont involve addition .
But Since you continue to ask none of “The crackpot lay people” would have even considered highering a Profession “crack pot” like Marty Brooks to be Superintendent of Schools . The BOE had spent countless amounts of tax payer money to a “search firm” which somehow failed to report Marty’s very checkered past . The first 30 pages of a Google search turned up among other things , the “WE HATE MARTY BROOKS ” website , a petition signed by over 800 parents looking to have him removed from his job in Long Island and a whole host of derogatory information . This blog was contacted by those same caring parents looking warn the Village of our coming doom . Education after all is about kids learning something , its not about teachers unions, overpaid administrators or wasteful pet projects . The Village ended up after a bit with a highly qualified , local resident Daniel Fishbein who was clearly the right choice to begin with , you can not possible tell me that the schools , though having some ups and downs are not far more focused on the “Tradition of Excellence ” now than they were then .
The point once again is perhaps its time to start questioning the judgement of many of the so called “experts “, and start listening to all the “lay people”.
APRIL 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
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Keep an open mind on new housing
Ed Sullivan
to the editor:
The year 1915 saw great change in Ridgewood when the first multifamily building went up at 263 Franklin Ave., where it still stands today. As demand grew, six more apartment complexes were added through the 1920s.
“Will these new apartments destroy our village?” residents must have asked.
Sound familiar? With a Master Plan amendment currently before the Ridgewood Planning Board, this question has emerged again.
The apartment building history of Ridgewood shows a pattern: The first apartments went up 90-100 years ago. Responding to post-war demand, a second wave of 15 complexes followed during the 1950s-60s.
With each wave, Ridgewood embraced the new while preserving the “old.” History tells us that Ridgewood has a wonderful capacity to adapt to the times while maintaining its excellent schools, charming character and vibrant downtown.
Fifty years after the last significant apartment build-out, new demographic forces are driving a third round, driven by baby boomers and young people.
Empty nesters and baby boomers like me are downsizing at an accelerating pace, but we do not wish to live in a senior community.
Today’s active boomers and retirees desire a modern, high-end option, with amenities and conveniences that come with a walkable downtown setting.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-keep-an-open-mind-on-new-housing-1.841702#sthash.gup9CJqI.dpuf
Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR) endorses Knudsen, Sedon
APRIL 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
CBR endorses Knudsen, Sedon
Carol Bicknese
Amy Bourque
Jennifer DiTommaso
Lori Weil
Trustees of Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
Letter to the Editor:
The future development of Ridgewood is an important issue that affects each and every one of us in our community. How we make decisions about our Master Plan and what kind of development we encourage is critical for the future of our village. The election to fill the two open seats on the Village Council on May 13 will be influential in determining which path we, as a community, will take forward. The Citizens for a Better Ridgewood is excited to endorse Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon.
This election is timely because we have serious issues confronting our Planning Board that could permanently change the character of our village and have an impact on our schools, traffic, parking, pedestrian safety, municipal services, open space, tax burden and property values. We need Village Council members who are well informed about the issues at hand, and who are able to create viable options and assess the needs of our village with an unbiased view.
Debate continues on proposed multifamily housing in Ridgewood
APRIL 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
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Few new developments were announced at Tuesday’s Planning Board hearing on proposed changes to the village master plan that would allow high-density multifamily housing in the downtown, though the debate rages on.
The hearings – and increasing public criticism of the projects – have been ongoing since December. More than two years ago, several developers came forward with proposals for downtown multifamily housing developments that are not allowed under the current master plan, prompting a series of Planning Board workshops prior to the hearings.
On Tuesday, after the Planning Board spent nearly three hours questioning the two planners representing three current housing proposals, opposition leaders expressed some optimism, believing that this questioning indicated improved scrutiny of the projects. But representatives of the developers continue to insist that public skepticism appears to be based on misconceptions, not facts.
Ridgewood planner: Balancing act needed for decision on Valley Hospital
APRIL 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014, 3:30 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
With expert testimony winding down, the Ridgewood Planning Board will soon be charged with weighing the benefits of a proposed Valley Hospital expansion against any and all detriments that might arise from the project.
Hoping to guide the board before its deliberations, municipal planner Blais Brancheau on Monday offered his recommendations and a detailed comparison of the hospital zone standards established in 2010 with those currently proposed by the hospital. Valley is seeking a master plan amendment that would allow the health care facility to nearly double its hospital floor area to 900,000 square feet, largely through new construction.
Other key elements of Valley’s application include a maximum building height of 94 feet, inclusive of rooftop mechanical equipment; a limit of 1,700 on-site parking spaces; and an improvement coverage cap of 469,000 square feet.
This week, Brancheau said Valley’s proposal is “somewhat smaller” than the hospital’s 2010 plan, which was approved by the former Planning Board. He further stated that reductions seen in the new expansion plan were made partly in response to the Ridgewood Council’s 2011 resolution that explained why the governing body did not introduce the ordinance enacting the master plan changes.
The changes in the scaled-down plan, he said, should be considered when the board mulls over the entire application. Brancheau placed even heavier emphasis on the board’s analysis of the pros and cons of the potential development, but he cautioned that the criteria for evaluating the requested amendment do not contain a “hard and fast rule, in a sense that this is how you always do it.”
“It’s not a cookbook approach, and it’s not something that is precise,” he said. “It’s part heart and part science.”
“[The board’s] decision has to be reasonable, it can’t be arbitrary or capricious” and must be made upon sound information, the planner added.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/health-news/ridgewood-planner-balancing-act-needed-for-decision-on-valley-hospital-1.841243#sthash.RlqEZDxq.5a13lhRi.dpuf
Developer says projects can save Ridgewood’s Central Business District
APRIL 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
John Saraceno is aware that many of his Ridgewood neighbors, for varying reasons, oppose his plan to construct 52 luxury apartments near the intersection of North Maple and Franklin avenues. But the developer and village resident contends that downtown multifamily housing will have a greater positive impact on the municipality than what others believe.
Hosting his third informal open house for interested residents last Thursday, Saraceno hoped to address any lingering concerns and speak to the specifics of his proposed apartment complex, dubbed the Enclave. What he encountered were many faces new to his application as well as the separate plans for the Chestnut Village and the Dayton housing projects.
The Ridgewood Planning Board is currently considering an amendment to the village’s master plan that, if approved, would rezone sections of the Central Business District (CBD) and allow the development of high-density, multifamily housing. As it presently reads, the master plan does not permit these types of projects.
Opponents of the amendment argue that the sheer volume of apartments will create an influx of new residents, which will lead to increased vehicular traffic and overloaded schools. Other contentions include the added burden on Ridgewood’s aging infrastructure as well as a fairness argument — some have made claims that out-of-towners rent apartments, thereby avoiding property tax bills, simply to send their children to the village’s public schools.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/developer-projects-can-save-cbd-housing-proposals-1.841692#sthash.kD7kvl3H.dpuf
Reader asks ” are you willing to allow some expansion or just against all expansion? “
and another answers, 7 years ago, I probably would have said yes. But no longer. NO WAY!
They have squandered all their good will. They have played dirty politics and have cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have forced residents to spend their own money trying to protect their interests and have sucked time away from friendships, family and worthy civic involvement. They tried to stop other towns from having access to quality healthcare for one reason alone….greed. They pretend to be philanthropic when actually they are simply buying good will. They are greedy, deceitful bullies and I would not give them a single square foot any more!
Readers says ” This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud.”
If Valley had made anything approaching a reasonable modernization plan when they first pushed for their “Renewal” (remember way back when it was called a “Renewal”? That was like 3 PR campaigns ago) construction would be finished by now. Instead, they continue to push for this monstrosity of a project that’s no good for anyone but Valley and their plants on the Planning Board and Village Council.
The court asked for a compromise and the compromise is the addition of a 5 story parking garage along Linwood and the elimination of some underground space. Residents have not been engaged in the revised plan. This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud. Residents should take to the streets . Village officials and Valley have been stringing us along.
” This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud.” Of all the statements made above, this one really hits the nail on the head ! How embarrassing to the residents of this town.
Reader says The town desperately needs alternative legal advice–YESTERDAY
In My Humble (Honest) Opinion, The town desperately needs alternative legal advice–YESTERDAY.
In particular, the planning board must have an accurate assessment of their range of options in providing a final response to Valley Hospital’s expansion plan.
We simply can’t accept an after-the-fact justification of rubber-stamping Valley’s expansion plan that goes something like this: “We had no choice. If we had said no, Valley would have sued the town and won.” We’ve been down that road before. Thankfully, it led to a last-minute (miraculous?) vindication of the village’s interests by the Village Council in November 2011. (Read the related newspaper article at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-opposes-valley-hospital-renewal-plan-1.243368 )
“We had no choice, we had to say yes” is a lame excuse. Fortunately, as a legal theory, it also doesn’t actually hold water.
I sometimes wonder about attorneys who advise municipal governing bodies (Rogers) and planning boards (Price). On the one hand, none of the individual councilmembers, board members, or the mayor can lay claim to having that attorney as their personal lawyer, because strictly speaking, the latter’s client is the municipality. This means no elected or appointed official can legitimately bend the town attorney’s efforts toward their own personal gain or aggrandizement. This is a good thing, of course!
On the other hand, though, non-citizen third party entities like Valley seem to be quite willing and able to spend enormous sums to employ brash mouthpieces to twist municipal law, articulate one-sided theories of liability, and put whatever village attorney is in front of them into some kind of a deer-in-the-headlights trance. The goal, of course, is to get him or her to lose focus his client’s best interests and unwittingly begin promoting those of the third party. Ms. Price’s unnecessarily accommodative behavior in response to the condescending approach of Valley’s lawyer in abruptly and rudely interrupting concerned village residents trying to speak at many recent public planning board meetings this past winter is evidence to show that Valley Hospital’s strategy of relentless pressure and shameless and unapologetic advocacy can eventually bear fruit, particularly when the targeted municipality regularly fails to stick up for itself.
New Jersey municipalities are not just in the business of avoiding lawsuits! They should be about exercising firm but appropriate control on development in the interests of residents and the municipal entity, riding herd on their hired attorneys to ensure they are accurately apprised of the full range of acceptable action in response to third party petitions/applications, and actively discouraging the latter from developing and acting upon one-sided legal theories that bully elected and appointed officials by magnifying out of all proportion the true risk of litigation. Town attorneys who fail to paint a full and appropriately nuanced legal picture for their client risk looking like patsies when sophisticated, deep-pocket entities like Valley Hospital are inexplicably allowed to win major battles, and even entire wars over the course of months or years of wrangling over proposed changes to Ridgewood’s master plan and municipal law without having to fire a single ‘litigation’ shot.
Readers questions “Valley is inherently beneficial because they are a hospital ” mantra
During last night’s meeting, it was certainly drilled into anyone sitting there that we must remember that according to the law that Valley is inherently beneficial because they are a hospital. The board must consider the good for the overall population. Mr. Brancheau told the chairman when asked, that the board had to not only consider the good for their own municipality, but also of the region. I have an issue with this. I can see if they were the only hospital around for miles, you wouldn’t want to deny anyone decent care. But everywhere you look there is another hospital in this region. Even Valley tried to argue a few years back that there was an overabundance of beds. The greater good of the region will not be compromised if Valley isn’t allowed this over-expansion, the board must consider the greater good of Ridgewood for this decision.
Public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan within the Central Business District
Special Planning Board Amendment to Meeting Schedule – April 1 Meeting
Special Public Meeting: Tuesday, April 1, 2014
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, APRIL 1, 2014, in the GEORGE WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, 155 Washington Place, Ridgewood, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The Board may take official action during this Special Public Meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes the following:
1. Continued public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan, which amendment would recommend creation of new zone districts and changes in zone district boundaries within the Central Business District and surrounding area including AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts.
2. Other Planning Board business per the agenda.
The proposed master plan amendment and related exhibits are at the office of the Secretary of the Ridgewood Planning Board on the third floor of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey and are available for public inspection Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The amendment and exhibits are also posted as a courtesy on the Village’s website at www.ridgewoodnj.net.
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.
Valley Expansion and H-Zone Amendment on the Agenda for March 31st Planning Board Meeting
Planning Board Amended Meeting Schedule -March 31
PLANNING BOARD
AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE
Special Public Meetings: March 31
In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled special public meetings for:
• Monday, March 31, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School, 335 North Van Dien Ave., Ridgewood, NJ, at which time the Board will continue the public hearing on the proposed H-Hospital Zone amendment to the Master Plan. An Executive Meeting will start at 7:00PM and end in time for the meeting.
The Board may take official action during these Work and Public Meetings.
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.
