file photo by Boyd Loving
Ridgewood is a service orientated community mainly for young families whom reap those benefits more than the empty nesters and matured singles.
The scale is tipped in favor towards young families who buy in for the school system, expect and want more. It is orientated to sports groups, leisure activity programs, young mixers, February recess, Spring recess, etc. They move out after the youngest graduates. The matured residents are basically left in the dust except to pay ever increasing school and property taxes.
There is more use of town services by young families vs. empty nesters as far as double the number of garbage cans of waste, recycleables, and water usage with washers running daily by the young families, the library. The matured residents usage is much less.
For decades, the matured residents were able to age in place in their life long homes since the taxes held fairly steady, with gradual increases over time. But, the housing boom of the 21st C. changed all that, and taxes spiraled out of control. Matured residents thought they would be able to continue to stay living comfortably and safely right in the neighborhood they always loved and not have to “downsize”. For many now its a question of should they sell and move together now, before one dies and then only one is left to make that decision later. These things and more, is not a balanced community.
