Yes, Ridgewood must remain a Village with as little traffic as possible. I love the small town feel. My detractors tell me that Ridgewood is no longer a village, so they say why not let it just get bigger.
My answer, and to use my favorite metaphor. Yes, Ridgewood is a little overweight, but does that justify letting our lovely Village become morbidly obese.
My dream: Put the village on a diet. Since ordinances and changes to our Master Plan are now allowed GALORE, let us have an ordinance restricting the number of restaurants.
Some years ago there was a lovely article in the real estate section of the NYTimes stating that according to some village residents Ridgewood was becoming RESTAURANT ROW , with accompanying traffic congestion, parking problems, and pollution and that should not be allowed.
I agree. One more point. There was recently an article in NYT about BUTTE COLORADO. A really small village, that Budweiser wanted to develop for commercials and give the residents jobs and more MONEY.
And guess what? Residents lacking full jobs vehemently rejected the idea. One man said, “I would much rather eat beans all of my life, rather than have my village developed. Money and development is not what counts.”
Is that too subtle and elusive to be understood?
Ridgewood cannot build a moat around itself and ignore market forces.
I moved to Ridgewood because of the CBD, not in spite of it. You want to live in a quiet backwater town with no commerce, then go west a little; you won’t even have to leave Jersey.
I like walking to the shops, bars, supermarkets and restaurants. I like that my kids will be able to run around in the CBD with their little friends and there will be things for them to do. I was at Blue Moon in Wyckoff the other night, and there were 20 kids hanging out in a mini mall parking lit. No thanks.
I know a lot of people in town agree with me. They’ve probably long since given up posting here because mister free market doesn’t eat his own cooking (i.e. he censors anything that proposes a legitimate alternative to his worldview), but they are here.
How true, How true. People move to Ridgewood for its schools, and town services for its future lifetime residents.
People don’t move here to just “shop”…. Be realistic !!!
“People don’t move here to just “shop”…. Be realistic !!!” Dom now Im confused by you last post are for or against the parking garage.
But # 1 and 2, why does that mean adding 500 new housing units to town? Isn’t the beauty of the town its existing size?
It doesn’t mean adding 500 new housing units. I am 100% against that. 50-100? Maybe, if they were done tastefully.
But the concept of putting “Ridgewood on a diet” is just silly. There is a very vocal minority who want no changes whatsoever. But, who doesn’t renovate their house from time to time? The Village infrastructure is no different. The old dealership and the village garage are embarrassing.
100 new housing units – just as bad as 500
walk around – too densly populated already
schhols too crowded already
and lets not forget the infamous “parking problem”
100 units = 300+ more residents (periodically iuncreasd by visiting guests relatives and friends)
What do we have to amend the Master Plan to allow for 50 units per acre when the current limit is 12? Why not 20? 22? Why is it when someone opines that a project is “too big” they are labeled a “vocal minority?” Why have Mr. Aronson, Mrs. Hauck and Mr. Pucciarelli not counter proposed something smaller in scope? Who is running the show here? Clearly the developers.
This issue is starting to look more and more like Valley every day. Those passionately in favor either stand to make a ton of money or are just in the dark about the data.
I think there is a point that all of the residents better digest before its too late.
Most of the vocal ‘anti-everything’ groups are composed of new residents with children in the schools. (judging by the lawn signs)
You are being subsidized by senior citizens, empty nesters, and those of us who never had any children in the school system.
On my block there are 9 homes and of that, 4 do not make use of the schools.
Should those 4 homes sell, there are potentially 15-20 bedrooms that will be full of school age children to crowd the schools.
We are here because we like the area, but when the taxes ascend to unreasonable levels (to subsidize your kids’ computers and sports fields) its time to take the profit and move to Saddle River.
The schools will need more classrooms and more teachers.
Expect to whip out the checkbooks as your taxes go up exponentially.
Better find some ratables somewhere (and not in the form of new apartments)
I
#10. If not luxury apartments then what type of new ratable would you like to see developed in town ? How about converting Ken Smith to a strip mall ? Would you like that ? Or how about a Walgreens ?
Market forces change. Who would have guessed years ago that we would be buying running shoes and running outfits. That indoor gyms too would be so hot.
That we would be eschewing processed foods and margerine and going back to butter. Ridgewood is our rich treasured butter.
Living green means more than a shade tree policy, recycling and using organic fertilzier. It includes our whole environment; keeping our lifestyle quiet , free of traffic congestion, encouraging a real small community environment. A small community, a village is so special so really fragile; delicate really, like the sand dollar I found on beach and save; we should treasure what we have; not wreck it with developement. A small village by definition in exclusive of what will crowd it out; a city by definition is inclusive. Let us keep Ridgewood a Village. Years from a magazine will come to our door like the ones that come now, featuring small village life, shall that village be here or elsewhere. Folks it’s your choice.
#11 Uses the Developers line . Yes a strip mall. NO KIDS
Walgreens or Tenements and all dependance that come with them?
On future forecasters in council and otherwise who think they know the trends and market forces.
There is a trend now, started by Mark Bittman, food writer for NYT and had recent feature in Time Magazine and has written a ton of useful cook books.
Well, the trend is home cooking. He says, invite your friends for simple wholesome easily prepared meals at your home.
Healthy tasty eating is in folks. Restaurants and packaged processed foods are going out. His new book is How to Cook Everything Fast.
I have looked at and learned for years from his books and articles. The point is don’t be so sure restaurants will always do well. Not if home healthy cooking has a chance!! We should have a basic cooking school at Ken Smith Parking Lot. A lot of people here eat out or take in and don’t know how to cook. That would be fantastic. Eventually we could have an ordinance limiting new restaurants would solve parking problem And Valley Hospital would lose business. Do you realize folks that poor lifestyle choices are how hospitals get most of their business.
Ask , a doctor told me that.
I like Walgreens and it sounds like a perfect fit.
I’d prefer a strip club to a strip mall.
#7 — the existing plan allows for development on the sites the developers bought that would bring in probably a total of fifty rental units. That’s not enough profit for the developers so they want more.
The developers have successfully skewed the debate to make it sound like amendments are needed to bring in multi-family housing or over 55 housing. Such amendments are not needed. The existing plan allows for some development. I does not allow for over – development.
What Saraceno and the other speculators want is to increase their profit. They don’t care about the Village in the least.
How about moving the post office to the Ken Smith site?
There would be ample parking, so we wouldn’t need to go to Hohokus or Glen Rock!