The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_KrulishPublished 7:46 p.m. ET April 5, 2017 | Updated 19 hours ago
RIDGEWOOD — Barring any unforeseen developments, the village will soon be home to a new residential complex on Chestnut Street.
Chestnut Village, a 43-unit apartment complex, will include seven units set aside for affordable housing. It will be built at the site of the old state inspection station, near the village’s central garage.
The crowd who loves high-density CBD housing, massive hospital expansions, and giant money losing garages hate adding more parking to the train station and CBD in a simple and low-cost manner. Why? Because supporting simple, low-cost, low-impact, high-ROI programs undermines their entire narrative of over-developing. Is Sears failing from a lack of parking? Is Englewood, NJ struggling with store-front retail due to a lack of parking? We have the parking, the very well done Walker and Maser reports show we don’t use what we have. Why don’t we try maximizing all the space we have already dedicated to parking first, then think about building. The garages all lose money even while requiring huge fee increases and are really subsidies for the local developer and a couple land owners in the CBD.
Halaby et al do not favor any parking solutions except the garage, promised by former Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and former Mayor Paul Aronsohn to the developers so that they could legally provide less parking on their own apartment properties. Resolve the parking situation in other ways and the (unwanted, unneeded, solution-less) garage goes away. We can’t have that!!!!!!!
file photo
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish6:54 p.m. ET Feb. 23, 2017
Ridgewood — Testimony on behalf of an applicant proposing a multifamily housing development on Chestnut Street concluded in front of the Planning Board on Tuesday, though more steps remain before a final vote is taken.
The board will have the opportunity for its own experts to testify and undergo cross-examination. There will also be time for public comment on any aspect of the proposal before a final attorney summation and board discussion.
Nicholas Pugliese , State House Bureau, @nickpugzPublished 5:39 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago
The obliterated homes and torched wedding photos. The lost green cards and melted jewelry. Those things, at least, might have been anticipated once the first flames took hold in the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex in January 2015.
The type of sprinkler system installed in the building, as required by New Jersey’s building code, was designed primarily to give people enough time to get out, not to save the building and its contents. To that extent, it succeeded. No one died. No one was even seriously injured.
State Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, who attended the meeting, said she is preparing new legislation that would potentially help towns, especially densely populated communities like Dumont, address their affordable housing obligations.
“Every municipality in Bergen County is struggling, having no idea how to address it,” Schepisi said. “My biggest concern is, if they have their way, if we don’t stop this now, by 2026 Bergen County will be Brooklyn.”
Ghetto Building?
Jean Mikle and Russ Zimmer , Asbury Park PressPublished 11:10 a.m. ET Jan. 18, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago
A housing advocacy group says “tens of thousands” of new units of affordable housing could be built in New Jersey as a result of a state Supreme Court decision Wednesday.
In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that municipalities must meet affordable housing needs that accumulated during the so-called “gap period” between 1999 and 2015, when the state’s Council on Affordable Housing failed to produce housing quotas for towns.
The ruling could have a dramatic impact on Monmouth County, where several affluent towns have fought increased affordable housing obligations. By contrast, most of Ocean County’s most populous towns won’t be affected because they have already agreed to court settlements providing thousands of affordable homes.
If you voted for Obama or any Democrat in New Jersey it is your Agenda
This is such bullshit. Why all of a sudden this hysteria of pushing for affordable housing. Whose agenda is this? Why stuff nice towns and villages with buildings that are out of character? Why force villages that people have worked very hard to build and live in to bring low income families who will certainly affect the quality of life? Why urbanize beautiful places that residents are so proud of and care so much about ? This will destroy these places and will provide no value to anyone. If you want affordable housing build in places that are already messed up such Hackensack, Rutheford etc. I am sure I am not the only who is stressed out about this nonsense.
photo by ArtChick
July 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, looks like Ridgewood residents who questioned the over development of the central business district proved right all along. A state appeals panel overturned a court order that could have added thousands of units to developers’ plans.
What a shame for Saraceno, Simoncini, Pucciarelli and all the others that stood to gain big time and pushed so hard to get all that housing into the CBD. Kudos to,the citizens who delayed all the development and stood up to Aronsohn and his horrible reign of terror, and Gwenn with her sparkly eyed talk about COAH.
file photo by Boyd Loving
March 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,last night It was a very predictable, 3-2 votes on anything meaningful and the majority stating all the reasons they were voting yes except representing the people. The leaving council majority aka the 3 amigos are enacting a “scorched earth policy” as they will be gone. Turn out was lower than expected because so many saw the vote as a for gone conclusion.
Zoning vote 3-2
Garage vote 5-0
All 5 voted for the Village to bond the garage not the county., Susan and Mike had no other choice but to vote that way because the council majority aka the 3 Amigos would have just gone to the BCPA. This way Ridgewood may retain control of the size, commuter parking and rates. Mike said something about researching a surcharge for businesses owner that are close to the garage to defray cost of maintenance.
The traffic study spokesman talked about increased traffic in several locations( 2 on Broad) and that is without the consideration of the garage. He mentioned some additional policing. No one in the garage discussion talked about the need for policing there or the need of an attendant. I believe I could live with the garage if it was one deck shorter, remained completely on the foot print and the street parking spaces would remain on Broad and Hudson Streets. Local business in those locations will take a hit without them.
Residents again questioned how is it that the council majority refuses to listen to the public? Could it be that they truly are in their own heads and are immune to incoming sounds,like the voices of the residents?
One nuclear physicist spoke wondering how they could be so emphatically certain that the were correct and that the developers could see no cause for concern? He said nothing is that certain and his world is one of exactness.
Mike and Susan seemed on there game and nobody clapped for Rurik and Jim when pontificated .
For most residents it is just too much development/ construction at once ,Yes these developments will bring traffic. The Hudson garage will not be enough. and the business owners must be salivating but most central business district businesses will not survive the construction phase.
Lastly Former Mayor Kieth Killion gets the last laugh , so many voted for this trio ,now buyers remorse .
file photo by Boyd Loving
Dear Friends,
After the September 16th Village Council meeting, everyone I spoke with said, “Well, it’s a done deal with the High Density Housing.” But then September 30th proved us different.
The point is, as Rocky Balboa once said, “It ain’t ’til it’s over.” To add to that: It’s only over if we don’t show up.
Tonight is probably the most important Village Council meeting in the history of Ridgewood. It is the night when it’s decided whether we live in a Village or a City.
No one can foresee the future, but one thing is for sure: coming tonight will send a strong message – not only to this outgoing Village Council majority, but also as a mandate to those who are running for election. Perhaps even more important is that we can say that we showed up when our Village needed us the most and did what we could to stop this madness.
Lastly, if it’s absolutely impossible for you to come, The link to the broadcast can be found here: https://livestream.com/accounts/18208820/events/4985052
(NOTE: this is an unofficial broadcast and can ONLY be viewed at the above link.)
Please share this link and forward this note to as many residents as you can.
Thank you for helping protect our most wonderful village. Hope to see you tonight.
Sincerely,
Dana
March 23,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Readers say , “The only way to stop this is to fill up the room and let our Village Council know how we feel about this vote. It is important that everybody in town come out tonight. It is probably the most important vote in Ridgewood history because it is a question as to whether we want to continue living in a village or make it into a city. If the Village Council votes in favor of this high density master plan amendment, nothing will ever be the same again in our town.”
As Dave Slomin from CBR pointed out, “Ridgewood’s future held by the current powerholders in our Village Council and Planning Board, and that of a large majority of Residents. These powerholders see downtown Ridgewood as bigger scale, taller, denser, and much more bustling. They are planning a town center with a more urban look and feel, not a small town character. I don’t really know what is influencing them, as virtually every Resident CBR has spoken with – 1,000s of them over the past 4 years – wants Ridgewood to maintain its small town feel. Residents want to give their children and grandchildren the same wonderful town we enjoy.
Slomin went on , ‘Oddly, all three of the Council Members who support this over-scaled development are not running again. Why? We can only guess. But what we do know, is that in approving such unprecedented development as a Council Majority, but a Ridgewood Minority, they leave the mess to the next Council and to every Resident of this town… and to our children. Again, bad and unfair planning.”
Most readers find the idea that there will be No material impact? Really? These studies were hastily arranged at best and are not at all credible. If 70 units is so immaterial, why can’t you and your developer friends and family live without them?
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – The village’s planning board met Wednesday night in the hopes of coming to decisions in regards to pressing matters currently before the board such as Valley Hospital and the village’s affordable housing obligations.
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The results of studies on how zoning to allow high-density, multifamily housing downtown would affect the village will be presented to the public Wednesday night at Ridgewood High School.
The four studies, commissioned by the Village Council in mid-January, will explore the possible impacts of five introduced zoning ordinances on local schools, traffic, community services, infrastructure and finances.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said Saturday three firms were contracted to do the work: Ross Haber & Associates to look at the schools, the RBA Group to review traffic, and BFJ Planning, in partnership with Urbanomics, to study local infrastructure and financial impacts.
Experts from those companies will present their findings to the public Wednesday night at the Ridgewood High School Campus Center. The public will be able to comment on the reports afterwards, and a final public hearing and possible votes of adoption are slated for March 23.
The ordinances, approved by the Planning Board by majority votes last June and introduced by the council a month later, would increase the allowable number of housing units per acre from 12 to 30 or 35 in three zones in the central business district. Proponents of the master plan amendments say the resulting housing complexes would provide homes for young professionals and empty-nesters; opponents claim they would strain local infrastructure and forever change the character of the village’s quaint downtown.
