Reader : Developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is
The developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is. They want to maximize their profits and run away. If they buy a piece of property knowing that it must be rezoned to be profitable and the town is against it, that really should be their tough luck.
What use are zoning laws and master plans if all the developers are able to get around them? I personally can’t believe that anyone who could afford a luxury condo would want to live next to a commuter train line!
Go to the Planning Board meeting Wednesday, January 23, 4th floor Village Hall at 7:30 and voice your opinion. These developers are telling the board everything they want to hear instead of the truth. The board must hear from the citizens and how they feel. Time is of the essence. They will be voting soon. Don’t sit back and do nothing.
I agree completely. I’m going to the meeting tonight. Everyone should get there and voice their opinion. The 4 projects proposed total over 320 additional housing units in the downtown. Our infrastructure, schools and traffic congestion cannot handle that kind of increase. Not to mention the quaintness and character of Ridgewood being destroyed in the process.
I wish I had been there tonight. I will be there next week. Is there anyway to get the word out to get more people to the meeting?
If what I’m reading is true 320 housing units in the downtown area would create havoc. The increased tax revenue would be far out paced by the cost of infrastruture upgrades, if any were mandated.
Build it. We need the ratables.
Could some one explain the difference between a ratable and non- rateable please?
Rateable is a structure, i.e., a home/building which pays taxes to the town based on its valued assessment in exchange for services. A non-rateable is a not-for-profit establishment such as a church, synogogue, not-for-profit enterprise such as a hospital or YMCA which pays no taxes or reduced taxes in exchange for services but do not get all services such as schools. However, if you consider a home/condo with 2 adults and 2 children as a rateable the cost to the town includes the price of educating 2 children so it is not that simple (tax for home: $10,000 v. cost of educating 2 children). Empty nesters or childless couples pay taxes and cost the town less than families with children. The developers are proposing that the audience for their projects are young childless professionals, empty nestors and affluent seniors. Caveat emptor.
The developers can say that all they like, but people with children are going to move into those units. Many people come to this town based upon the school’s reputation and also the lovely, quaintness of the town. Many people have moved here from the city, or hoboken and such looking for a nice little town. Now the powers that be are trying to turn the town into one of those cities. Everyone could’ve just stayed where they were.
#6 thank you for an exellent answer to my question.