Readers Ridicule and Mock high-density housing complexes could alleviate traffic congestion study
This finding is about as believable as the guy that claims that he drives better when he’s drunk – It’s an insult to our collective intelligence.
Our village government now has no credibility whatsoever. This is a shame because one or two of our “public servants” may actually have some decent ideas of what might be good for Ridgewood. After this finding, however, any idea that anyone on the Village Council puts forward has to be looked at with skepticism. What is in it for this individual personally? What special interest has influenced this individual? What back room meetings have we missed this time?
Welcome to Ridgewood – Aronsohn, Pucciarelli and Hauck have brought this style of government home.
The traffic guys conceded at the recent meeting that the town was over-built and had too much traffic. All they were saying was that the developers were willing to contribute to fixes around the new construction that would ease the flow of traffic in and out of the facility. The traffic would then be pushed to other areas of town.
East and West Ridgewood Ave, Prospect, Glen etc — all these would get another 1,000 cars leaving the projects in the morning and returning to the projects at night. The traffic people admitted that something might have to give elsewhere in the Village. Presumably, as noted elsewhere in the article referenced in the post, this means increased traffic in more residential areas and near our schools at peak times when we would like our children out walking.
How much longer will it take to get through town?!? How much more air pollution will come from all the extra cars idling at lights waiting to make turns? How much more in taxes will everyone have to pay for these developments for all the extra services required? How many more pounds of trash will each of these housing developments generate?
Does anyone know who is monitoring traffic on Linwood near Valley?
The apartments will certainly generate more in taxes than they require in services. Is quite comical to see all of these new residents complain about ‘extra cars’ when they are driving their monster SUVs around, blocking the roads daily in front of Ridge and Willard, while IDLING their motors. Its ok for you newbies to soak the empty nester’s tax money for your astronomical school budgets, but god forbid a multi-generation businessman decides to improve his property. You people are nothing but a bunch of hypocritical limousine liberals.
If these new developments add any students to the school enrollments, its simple no-cost fix. Just increase the class size. Better yet, just increase the class size NOW and save a TON of money. When I was in the Ridgwood schools in the 70’s we had classes of 25-30 kids. Our graduates became CEOs of companies and did quite well. Now the new residents expect their precious rugrats to be spoonfed by the teachers in smaller classes. These kids will never be able to function in the real world without mommy, daddy and their personal tutor. its a real discgrace.
I think Ridgewood is already overbuilt. We should go back to the good old days when Ridgewood was a classy , gentele hamlet. Accordingly, I propose that every structure built in town since 1900 should be razed to the ground. We would have far less congestion, far fewer students in the school system, no more bloated bureaucracy in Village Hall and things would be just picture perfect again.
I have a question for anyone who can answer it. If these housing units are built as proposed how many will be Mt. Laurel housing? ( low income ) The village bought the farm on hillcrest to prevent development there because of low income requirements, the cost of paying another municipality to have your low income housing has skyrocketed. Is this another cost the tax payer is going to get strapped with? Is there anything in the developers proposal that deals with this.
#3 – please share your math on how the new apartments will generate more tax revenue than they will require in services. Not even the clowns that say that the apartments will reduce traffic have had the guts to make such a claim.
#3 – Obviously you are a supporter of Bolger’s proposed development on Chestnut by your comments, “god forbid a multi-generation businessman decides to improve his property.” Mr. Bolger has been a friend to Ridgewood in many ways over the years. At times, some have challenge the intentions of his gifts, myself included. I recall his initial plans were to build a storage center on the Chestnut St. property; now it’s an apartment complex. What I just don’t understand is why the developers insist on changes to the zoning laws and master plans so they can profit. They had access to the information before they purchased the properties. There is no way any of these proposed developments are going to improve the quality of life for anyone who lives in the Village. And, as to your comments about the newbies soaking everyone for the school budgets, I believe you are quite wrong as well as your assumption that I drive a gas guzzling SUV and let it idle when I’m dropping off or picking up my kids from school.