file photo Boyd Loving
Reader says Village officials would have preferred a high voltage utility pole route of South Maple to East Ridgewood, or South Maple to Dayton.
Testimony at the public hearing provided by Village of Ridgewood witness Michael Barker suggests that if a street route were PSE&G’s only option, Village officials would have preferred a route that bypassed Spring Avenue and Hope Street. Â Most likely South Maple to East Ridgewood, or South Maple to Dayton.
However, this raises the question: Â “Why are property owners/residents of South Maple Avenue and Dayton Street any less important than property owners/residents of Spring Avenue and Hope Street?” Â The direction Mr. Barker’s testimony took suggested that Village officials place more importance on “protecting” the rights of single family home owners than they do for those owners of commercial and multifamily properties.
How could Village officials possibly say tall poles are bad for one street, but not for another (and the other street is not industrial in composition)?
A political time bomb in my opinion.
The points you made here are well taken.
Don’t push a problem on others. If it is not safe for Spring then it is not safe for Dayton.
And if it is not safe for Spring/Hope, it is not safe for South Maple/East Ridgewood Avenue. Property owners on those streets deserve the same consideration as those who live on Spring and Hope. We will expect a fight be put up for our benefit as well.
Spring Ave has friends of Ahronson
One or two of Aronsohn’s political benefactors live on Spring and are very active in the Bergen County Democratic Party. The Maple Dayton route does the least political harm and does not offend County Dems. Aromsohn wants to push the problem to apartment dwellers who don’t vote.
so now were are getting the real story , this all about Aronsohns buddies
These comments make no sense. As best I know there are no significant donors of any kind who live on the 1 block of spring that is impacted.
The routes under consideration would impact many fewer residents. The only residential properties on Maple between Spring and Ridgewood ave are the apartments which have a significant setback from the street. There are 4 houses on Dayton and only 2 on the side of the street that would be effected. The polls themselves would not be in front of those homes and then would run along the church.
Either of these routes would mean that about 40 homeowners would not have to have these polls in front of their homes. As the Village testified, the setbacks on Hope are particularly small which exacerbates the issue. The apartments on Maple have a significant setback which would mean much less impact.
The best route would be the Right of Way but PSE&G has made such a mess of the Right of Way that they cant upgrade their polls because they built haphazardly. They are in essence just passing on their problem to home owners.
Some people believe anything.
#7 – Check your facts. There are several 2 family homes along S Maple A. If the poles topple as people on Hope S claim they will then what dif does it make what side of the street u live on. If the poles are poisonous as the woman on Hope claims they are what difference does it make what your setback from the street is. Do not push this problem to another street
Hey #7 did you forget about mr & mrs o’rourke on spring?
You can use my name since I post as Brian.
There are no 2 family houses on the east side of Maple on that block. There are some medical offices but no houses. Yes, there are 2 houses on the W side of the block.
The setback makes all the difference for smell, etc. I am not personally worried about the polls falling given their width they seem pretty sturdy. Perhaps I should be but that is not my primary objection.
I think that the balance of 40 houses v. 2 houses should be a consideration for the path of this power line.
To amend my statement, there are 2 houses on the W side of the street. 30 years living in the area and I never noticed (thanks Google street view). Any way, it doesnt change the issue of the greatest number/greatest good. You have to try to deal with these things making the minimal impact.
I again still believe that PSE&G should use the property we gave them that we dont tax along the right of way. It is disgusting that instead of fixing their haphazard infrastructure they put the burden on the home owners. They should fix the lines on the right of way so that they can add these lines and whatever additional lines will need to be added in 5, 10, 15, 20 years.
So now it is “the greatest good”? How convenient. I am sorry that I signed the petition against the poles. I was not interested in the greatest good, I was concerned about the health and well being of my friends. I am just as concerned about the residents and business owners on Maple as I am on Spring/Hope. It sounds like some residents are only concerned about themselves.
Still do not understand, if you are going from Fairlawn to Paramus why not go out century rd. where there are a lot less homes?
Brian – For the record, the following residences are located on South Maple between Spring and Dayton:
57 S Maple
65 S Maple
Complete list of single and 2 family residences on S Maple between Spring and Dayton:
57 S Maple
60 S Maple
65 S Maple
72 s Maple
79 S Maple
80 S Maple
109 S Maple
110 S Maple
115 S Maple
120 S Maple
123 S Maple
The Aronsohn Team’s only way out of the “my street is more important than yours” debacle is to suggest the Spring/Hope route was a terrible choice only because of street flooding conditions at Spring & Hope. Otherwise, there is no defensible difference between the 3 possible street routes.
However, under oath on Monday evening, Village Engineer Christopher J. Rutishauser testified that street flooding conditions at that intersection are solely attributable to an “undersized” storm drain system. So why not improve the storm drain system Mr. Rutishauser? The street flooding excuse won’t hold up either.
Next?
“The Aronsohn Team” I like that. What a bunch of looser. Where is Gwen on all this? Is she still stuck on Vally hospital.
They like the people on Spring better than the people on Maple. All the arguments aboutnsafety are bogus.