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.
There are 10 apartments available in Oak Street Manor, according to Zillow over the weekend.
Are we to assume they are vacant because discriminating renters demand finer digs?
Please.
The only motivation for development is the money that changes hands during the process. A half million in quarters is chump change in comparison.
There are plenty of places that have what you want already. Move there. Most of us came to Ridgewood because we like what it is already. You want to fundamentally change it. Same thing with Valley Hospital’s plans to turn our village into something more akin to Hackensack. We don’t want that. We like our town as is. Sure small adjustments here and there are welcome, but not things that will completely reshape this place we love and call home.
Comparing a box of tissues to the prospect of 400 new households is silly. We have water shortages each year, class room shortages and traffic problems. And you are comparing that to the burden of bringing in a box of tissues?
Please, Developers, if you are going to plant a post here, at least have some measure of what makes sense.
I came to Ridgewood because I want a small village.
If I want a big hospital I go to Hackensack or New York. If I want a great concert I go to Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall.
I don’t even want a million restaurants here. When I first came here there were one or two or three.
There should be an ordinance stating number of duplicate businesses.
I want a quiet charming not much traffic village.
And I want a natural lake to swim in. Please do not touch Graydon.
Graydon is gross. But I agree with your other points.
I also want to raise chickens in my back yard. All the other cool people are doing it, and I like fresh eggs.
Raise chickens, then move to a farm.
In that order?
I love how the pro Valley, pro development people get all high and mighty when their opposition shouts them down. Take a minute off from pitching the Planning Board and listen. We’re not against Valley’s modernizing. We are against rewriting the Mater Plan to allow them to double in size. We’re not against replacing a vacant car dealership. We are against rewriting the Master Plan to allow for a massive apartment complex. See a pattern?
Well said #8. They try to paint us as unreasonable when they are the ones trying to make unreasonable changes to our town.
Finally! The apathy in this town seems to be fading away.
These are reasonable places to start #8, thanks. Let Valley modernize on their current footprint, ask them to pay a PILOT to the Village for all of ther RFD calls to reset their fire alarms, and allow for redevelopment of all the old auto dealers under the current density allowances in the existing Master Plan. All good suggestions.
Yes, “all good suggestions.” But, since Valley has taken the all or nothing approach, how about “no, it’s just too darn big !”
so you find lakes with crystal clear water gross?