The thinking behind building a large garage is “if you build it they will come”. That’s the unbiased logic. There’s also the opportunistic logic of those who stand to financially gain from building a garage (e.g. the lawyers and the various parties who will be involved in the construction project). Then there’s the ultimate beneficiaries, the business owners (mostly restaurants) who believe that they will get more revenue as a result of increased customers). Even if there will be increased customers, which I highly doubt, then why should the Ridgewood taxpayers be on the hook for increasing these business owners net worth?
Parking in Ridgewood right now is no problem, other than Friday and Saturday evenings The dinner rush. Even then there’s enough parking. The folks who think there isn’t simply want to park within a block of their restaurant of choice. Do you honestly think that these same people are going to park their cars in a parking garage?
I ask again. Why am I paying tax dollars to improve the net worth of a select crowd of business owners?
In order to build the garage there must be increased meter rates and increased meter times.
Even with that, the garage will not pay for itself and will cost additional taxpayer dollars.
Sell the Water Co and use Ridgewoood share of the profits to pay for the garage
Ridgewood Taxpayer – the meters will only help with the ongoing debt. Mainly they will be taking money from elsewhere to fund this disaster. BIG money, as in 14 million or probably way more. And that money will come out of the bank account of each and every resident STOP THE INSANITY now before it is too late. NO GARAGE.
Its not too late to make your voice known – – escpecially during this election cycle!!
The best think this Council can do is to fix the parking distribution problem stated and recommended in their own commissioned report (Walker and Maser). Before changing of the guard (May election) build smaller, low-level parking decks, in opposite corners of the Central Business District. D I S T R I B U T I O N !!!!! Clearly, one ginormous garage at Hudson is only to appease personal interests. Follow the professionals recommendations/reports.
You are quite correct 3:59. The notion of building two simple parking decks instead of one big garage makes tremendous sense. It would offer distributed parking throughout the CBD and it has been suggested before and rejected by previous VC’s. The problem with a “distributed” solution is that the economics do not work. Much of the cost of a garage goes into site development costs for footings, , foundations etc. The first level is the most expensive to build and each successive level is less costly.Thus, maximum economic efficiency is achievedby building a single multi-level structure.
Artist rendering falsely presents the presence of an actual MAINTAINED asphalt roadway which does not exist in VOR.We are a third world country within Bergen county Our roadways are a complete and dangerous disgrace.
Stop the Garage.Mill pave and reconstruct the existing lots and roadways.Bond it if need be.
4.37. I have yelling and screaming about the same thing. This town looks like a sh!thole due to its roads, streets and parking lots. What the hell is village manager waiting for? They have $$$. It’s disgusting. If they don’t do this then they’re in the wrong position and I mean this for VM and all VC.
4:14 So you’re saying spending 14+ million on one garage, at one end of town, that doesn’t solve the parking distribution problem is a better solution? Think of it this way…you need brain surgery but you’ll opt for foot surgery instead because it’s economically more efficient than doing the whole brain thing, even though it’s what you really need. You’ll hope the foot sends a signal to the brain and fix itself?
Too many millions for my blood.
agree with 5:26 Managers have not performed their key functions for basic
safe paving and maintenance of our key roadways ( hot patch is not paving ) nor parking lots..take a walk or ride into cottage place or Hudson street lots
Bring your hiking boots…
complete neglect goes way back two administrations..forget the pipe dreams..developers will be long gone with the cash..Get to work.Towns fallen so far…valet parking scenarios etc…HELLO…..?..? millions in parking tolls.and fines..for what..? more SUVS for the club..?
Or better yet than building a garage is let the free market dictate, within the confines of our zoning laws. Rather than build a garagemahal, let business and housing projects fail that do not adapt to our central business district. Why should we prop up doomed restaurants, for instance, if grandiose plans go amuck? Why should we provide parking for out of town developers who are simply looking to make a buck off of the hard work we put in to building the town? Why should we provide parking for out of town commuters who pop in and out of town for the daily commute to NYC?
I really would like the council to go on record saying why these things are good before they take a vote.
9:42/7;47 Excellent and accurate comments. Someone is going to fall and get seriously injured before the town can make up its mind about what it is going to do. The Council has a good reason not to pave if they are going to build there, But those lots are seriously dangerous.