Dana H. Glazer speech from the Wednesday Night Council Meeting
I am here to express my strong belief that the real agenda here is to make Ridgewood into another “Transit Village” like
Hackensack, in which a giant garage is built to primarily serve commuters from out of town; in which the master plan is radically amended to allow for high density housing which will create a large influx of new families into the CBD – thus straining our resources and permanently altering the face of our town.
I believe this is still the case, because on February 23rd the Executive of the County said in his State of the County address “I’m sure you’ve all read our partnership with Ridgewood. They’re looking to partner with the BCIA to fund their parking garage and partner with them.” He went on to describe this proposed garage as “a commuter garage to be used by commuters all day long..”
Now, on February 21st, two days before the State of the County, Mayor Aronsohn wrote to residents an email saying “in the spirit of getting this project done –once and for all – and in the spirit of doing it together as a community, I am willing to re-introduce the January bond ordinance at our March 2 Council meeting. “
If there’s no intention of making Ridgewood into a Transit Village, why was the County Executive announcing this Ridgewood partnership in his big speech two days later? Shouldn’t someone have told him not to include it? It makes no sense.
The only way it makes sense is if making Ridgewood into a Transit Village is still the only plan. Why else wouldn’t our Village Council immediately repeal the County Bond before funding the garage through the town? 1500 residents petitioned loudly against this, in an initiative Ridgewood has not seen in years – if ever, right? Our Council Majority would never let this happen because it would jeopardize the real plan– Ridgewood as a Transit Village.
That is why the “Plan E” garage proposal that Lorraine Reynolds and Gail McCarthy have so passionately worked behind the scenes to put together, having spoken with hundreds of residents, shopkeepers and Mt. Carmel – what is being called the “People’s Garage” – I believe is going to be sabotaged – or ignored completely.
I believe this “People’s Garage” will never see the light of day because the shenanigans will continue, whether they relate to the site plan, the financials, the traffic studies or anything else deemed necessary to do this right; and then on March 23rd, if Councilwoman Knudsen and Councilman Sedon stand up and say “No” the Council Majority or even just table the issue, the Council Majority will turn this against them, loudly proclaiming, “See, they are anti-garage. Now, let’s vote for people who are pro-garage and let’s vote to go to the County because there’s no other way to do this in Ridgewood.”
But here’s the thing: this upcoming election will not be about a garage. It will be about who votes in favor of the upcoming High Density Housing vote later this month. It will ultimately be about who trashed our town and made it into a Transit Village like Hackensack. That’s what’s at stake here.
So, Councilman Sedon and Councilwoman Knudsen, I am encouraging you to listen to the 1500 people who petitioned loudly that WE DON’T WANT A COUNTY GARAGE. I trust you will do anything and everything to keep this from happening.
Thank you.
If you look at the website Ridgewood will be the model of a transit hub. Mixed use development and public parking.
Is that what residents want? It is definitely what the developers and restaurants want.
https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/njfit/njtransit.shtm
“So, Councilman Sedon and Councilwoman Knudsen, I am encouraging you to listen to the 1500 people who petitioned loudly that WE DON’T WANT A COUNTY GARAGE. I trust you will do anything and everything to keep this from happening.” WELL THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN
How much does that guy sitting down in the green sweater charge to haunt a house?
The planning board said yes to high density housing. The planning board is composed of Ridgewood residents.
The high density housing hearings went on for years. There is nothing to be done. Big business TRUMP’s (Donald Trump) charming, historical quaintish not congested, character of a village business district.
Money, greed, bringing in more customers than the restaurants can even handle ALL DAY AND NIGHT..(reference to that song) is the goal.
The Planning Board is not elected. They are appointed.
They are not “representative” of the electorate. I did not vote for Roberta either.
Appointed by the Council Majority I may add. One more think. There should not be Village Employees appointed on any boards ( and there is). They become puppets of the VM and Council.
Didn’t our current Mayor say in one of his re election speech that he would rescind that ordinance ?
I did not say they were elected. I said they live in Ridgewood. They are residents who volunteered for the positions.
How do you know they are or are not representative. What is representative is of Ridgewood residents are Michael Sedon, Gwenn Hauck, Paul Aronsohn, Albert Pucciarrelli, Susan Knudsen.
No one voted for Roberta. She was appointed by a 3 to 2 decision of the council. Approximately the same proportion that voted yes to the non binding referendum.
There is a silent majority in Ridgewood who is either unaware of proposed changes to the town or in agreement with them.
VOR RESTAURANTS Since you will soon be out of business by engineering this Coup against the local citizens for the drifters to come in and pay for your shore houses ..
Day of reckoning is ahead..there’s still time to fight this insanity ..transit village..what crap..
Dana is right..this is a shaft deal for the long suffering taxpayers..it’s our town people Not the POLS AND FOID HAWKERS..
8:25 a.m. if you are serious then do what food experts like Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman advocate.. Make healthy meals at home; invite your friends over. According to these experts health care costs will come way down, due to eating much less fat, sugar and salt than is put in restaurant food.
Both of these guys have delicious easy to follow cook books. Le’ts really put the restaurants out of business. We should cut down restaurant eating about 75 percent.
Let’s show them. Let’s spread the good delicious word.
8:22 am – or that silent majority is being mislead?
“don’t worry you are not voting for the design”
“the high density housing will be good for seniors”
“we have legal obligations, if we don’t approve this, we will be taken to the courts”
“we are going to save money if we go to BCIA”
“there are no strings attached with BCIA financing”
Also, have you looked at this year’s historical preservation commission appointees? The guy owns a property right where the garage is being proposed.
“We should be excited,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “This has been a long process.”
He continued, “Tonight, we voted 5-0 to introduce the bond ordinance. I think we’re there. We should all feel good about this. We should all leave this room happy.”
The planning board is stacked with hand picked Arohnson appointees. They might be residents but they are NOT representative. Try getting this b.s. through the more independent zoning board and see what happens.
I do not understand the big backlash against Sedon and Knudsen voting to introduce the ordinance. That does not mean they are voting for it, same with Susan’s vote to introduce BCIA ordinance. IF designs were modified they probably would vote to bond in Ridgewood, but as that is probably not coming we really don’t know how they will vote, do we?
I suggest everyone here write to them, copying the full council and tell them to vote no unless modifications are made so it more resembles garage e. Tell your friends to write them also.
8:39 a,m, Please excuse my stupidity and ignorance. And please correct me if I am wrong.
I voted no on the “non-binding referendum” for the garage. Why? Because I saw, with my two little eyes, that the THREE DESIGNS were all too large for the space and I thought with my brain (very average intelligence, a little below average not much) that because $500,000 of tax dollars were spent for those designs, that by golly , one of those designs were going to be the final brick and mortar real life garage.
I repeat that is why I voted no. I figured that if the referendum passed the council would decide on one of those designs.
The public was not mislead on the garage plan.
They are cads. We are far beyond a grass roots letter writing campaign. Email will be deleted and snail mail will go down the recycle shoot..harsher medicine needed to save VOR THAT WE OWN As heavy taxpayers for decades..
Don’t for God’s sake vote for Bob Hutton. He loves the idea of a garage on Hudson St. He has a letter in today’s Ridgewood News.
Start understanding who is running for council in and what they stand for.
Our mayor has brought this village to this state of division and havoc. He is a man who only gets along with those that agree with him, look at his track record of former and current council members. This village never needed a civil committee before his arrival! When you don’t agree with him, he attacks and becomes aggressive and vindictive. Pitting clergy against clergy; neighbor against neighbor; lying to voters; calling hours at the podium where residents plead for a voice in the process a discussion; using committees to prop up your projects all the while lying to them; hiding information from other council members; hiring a VM to do your bidding; calling residents liars; and the ongoing scheming and plotting how subjects and issues will be brought up on the dais have brought us to this ugly chapter. These examples are just from the last 6 months….And people like this guy? I guess the ones who will make a buck off his “leadership” do! I don’t understand how anyone can defend or support someone like him. Scary! July 1st can’t come fast enough!
I’m going to say it.
Three seats up for vote. Loraine, Gail and Dana run and get voted in.
Mayor imitates art!
Regarding the photo…looks oddly similar to the scene in the movie Airplane…when everyone lines up to slap the hysterical Mayor (I mean passenger).
Dear Fed Uo, I agree with everything you have stated. The people who still support the mayor haven’t had a disagreement with him yet. He is one of the few people I have met that can’t even say hello if you happen to come in contact with him if he feels you are not 100 percent on board with his agenda. I know a brilliant man who supported Paul when he first came to Ridgewood with friendship and money and because he later had some issues, it was over,. He will cross the street to avoid him. This behavior is not only uncivil but poor poilitics. Paul had lost many a potential voter because of this behavior. And to be honest, I feel like hiding whenever I see Paul in sight but I’m not the mayor.
Hi Linda, you are correct. He never crossed the street to say hello to no2bcia Petitioners when he was watching them from across the street TWICE. In a good democracy, he would have walked across the street to say hello.
Well fellow poster Paul is gone but he has left behind his running mates who can and will do more damage to the Village if elected. Gwenn and Albert also have to be defeated. All three ran together and the they should all go together. We should also watch for future candidates that have ties with these three. Ones that have been appoint to various board and commissions. This candidates will do their puppet masters bidding. It like cutting out cancer you must remove some of the surrounding tissues even if that tissue seems health.
Time for a change to install a trusted reasonably clear and honest administration.A lot on the line if this continued this way for the years ahead.Moving Vans and REALESTATE agents might be the only game in a ghost town.
5:26pm – Its more important to watch candidates appointed by Roberta. She knows Gwenn cannot make any decisions. She has two of her candidates running from her old financial advisory committee.
Those two + Gwenn => Roberta will be the pseudo Mayor.
Good point 7:44. Both 5:26 and your post should be kept in mind at the ballot box.
Are there people still here that think Gwenn and Albert can win?? I sure don’t. Change is coming.
One candidate trying to get her name on the ballot is motivated by addressing what she considered to be a shortage of civility. Crikey…what planet is she on.