MAY 22, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Progress needed in level of leadership
To the Editor:
The current controversy about sidewalks for Clinton Avenue illustrates how paralyzed community leadership is in our town. Going back to arguments about the size of newer PSE&G power poles, it seems that the only way community improvements can be made over the objections of a very small group of residents is when the ultimate authority to do so is entirely out of the council’s hands. Ridgewood needs to progress beyond the “not this, not that” level of leadership in community development.
We have got to move away from Washington, D.C.’s political gridlock and realize that “NO” is NEVER a plan. We are extremely fortunate in having talented and committed villagers, both as residents and leaders, but we seem to have a cumulative inability to articulate systems-wide community solutions that move us in a positive direction.
Access to Ridge School is a traffic disaster that never goes away. One cause is the utter failure in long-term planning that allowed for dead end streets without sidewalks, lack of “walkable” right of ways accessing the rear of school properties, and the failure to install sidewalks on access streets.
The solution is obvious, but it means residents of some streets have to give up their current street designs and also accept parking in front of their houses. If any one group of residents can convince the council to veto system-wide community improvements for our town, no matter what the issue, then the council essentially abdicates its leadership responsibilities to other sources of authority.
This is as very sad outcome indeed.
Martin Walker
Ridgewood
This letter is ACES, right on the money. thank you Martin Walker .
There are no more politicians with a backbone in the village unless it is to berate someone.
That is a main road near an elementary school. The council needs to stop pandering and put in the sidewalk and open the road.
“This letter is ACES, right on the money. thank you Martin Walker .”
Agree.
“If any one group of residents can convince the council to veto system-wide community improvements for our town, no matter what the issue, then the council essentially abdicates its leadership responsibilities to other sources of authority.”
Yes. I would love to see a plan for the downtown “redevelopment” that is community lead and not developer lead.
Besides the obvious that Clinton Ave. should have sidewalks, who is placing the “Do Not Enter” signs at the corners of the street during times when it is not filled with kids going and coming from Ridge ? No reason for it !
The council is using selective enforcement. In the future their authority will always be in question.
Ridgewood forced residents on a ten home dead end street ti install sidewalks. Certainly a major road near an elementary school should do the same. The fact that the residents of the street do not want it is irrelevant. It is for the safety of the community.
While they are at it, I live near a school. Could they close my street every day? I just hate traffic.
“Vote for me and you will sidewalk free”
2:32 – you refer to the Hawthorne Place debacle, correct??? Not a single soul (or sole) other than people living on Hawthorne Place use that street and they were forced to put in sidewalks. This is an excellent example to put forth to the Village.
Yes, I was referring to Hawthorne Place. I don’t live on the street but at the time I wondered why the town was so adamant about sidewalk safety. It is a short dead end. Except for the few residents no one walks or drives on it. Yet the town insisted that for safety sake the sidewalks must go in.
And in spite of a safety panel recommendation and local resident requests, the current council does not approve a sidewalk on Clinton. Who on that street has Ahronson’s balls in a box?
“Who on that street has Ahronson’s balls in a box?”
Janis Fuhrman and her husband.
8:51. You hit the nail on the head!
“Janis Fuhrman and her husband.”
Yes…he is on the safety committee (surprise surprise) that recommended no sidewalks and did not recuse himself in any way. He was VERY vocal about no sidewalks and quite unhappy the issue kept resurfacing…