Ridgewood Journal; Preservation Battle Over a Firehouse

By MARCIA RINGEL 

August 1, 1993, Page 2 The New York Times Archives

A TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY firehouse has emerged from long neglect to become the center of a dispute between development and preservation. At issue is whether the village’s oldest remaining municipal building should be restored, revamped or flattened for downtown parking space.

The three-story red brick structure, barely 40 feet wide, has at various times housed the police station, jail, municipal court and village offices, as well as fire headquarters. But it was built for service, not for style.

“If the firehouse had more character . . .,” said Sam Pimm, president of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce. “But it’s just a plain brick building. You know those plaques that you see? This one would say, ‘Nothing happened here.’ “

Demolition was to begin on July 1, but in March the Ridgewood Historic Preservation Commission won a six-month reprieve from the Village Council to study alternatives.

“The building itself architecturally is not a gem,” acknowledged Johannes Hoffman, an architect and member of the preservation commission, which advises the Council. “It’s the history of the people who have presided in the building that makes it valuable.”

Under Consideration for 10 YearsDestruction of the firehouse, on Hudson Street, has been under consideration for at least 10 years. “It was generally agreed that once the new firehouse was built, we would tear down the old one,” said Roberta Svarre, a member of the Council and a former Mayor. Delays in choosing a site prevented the replacement from being completed until last year. But the new station has itself become an argument for retaining the old firehouse.

One concern is the speed of response. The new station was built on the north side of the 6.5-square-mile village, on the same street as a smaller station dating from the 1940’s and less than a mile away.

“Common sense would say that you need more than two firehouses on the same street on the same end of a town this size,” said Richard Copp, a Ridgewood resident who has spoken out at Village Council meetings about the firehouse.

Time trials have demonstrated that it takes longer for firefighters at the new station to reach some parts of this community of 25,000 than it did when they were based at the old, centrally located firehouse.

“People say, ‘It’s only one or two minutes,’ ” said Francis X. Nolan, a retired fire chief. “In four and a half minutes, you’re unconscious, and in seven minutes you’re dead.”

At the Village Council meeting in July, Mayor Patrick Mancuso agreed to invite experts to the Council’s long-range planning session in September to discuss fire station locations in the context of response time.

Another worry is that the new station was built on land that would be inundated by the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook during the sort of flood that occurs every 100 years or so.

Thomas Fitzgerald, a member of the Village Council, has urged preservation of the old firehouse. “I’m not sure that the abandonment of that firehouse is not a safety hazard,” he said. “I’m shooting for keeping one piece of equipment over there, leaving the spare bay and the upstairs for other use.”

But it was when the preservation commission expressed dismay over a potential loss of the city’s heritage that the Village Council agreed to reconsider.

“We felt we had to make a stand,” said Helen Haydon, who heads the five-member commission. “The firehouse is the oldest remaining municipal building in the village. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Mr. Hoffman, the architect, added: “You can remove one building and not make a difference. But if you do it one at a time, little by little the integrity of the historic district could be destroyed.”

The Village Council’s decision to delay destruction of the firehouse was eased by the fact that the building was still in use: while bridge and street reconstruction over the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook blocked access to the new fire headquarters, the old station has remained in operation. Last week, the road was reopened, making the new station accessible.

A September Deadline

The Council gave the preservation commission until September to see what can be done with the structure. “At this point, we want to generate ideas,” said Ms. Svarre, the Council member. “I see no point in razing the building if there is a use for it.”

So far, the commission has found that more than 100 other firehouses in Bergen County have been declared historic sites. Most are still fire stations; others are restaurants, residences, retail businesses, museums and theaters. Grants for restoration of Ridgewood’s may be available from state and Federal agencies.

But bids for demolition are now being considered. At the same time, however, the village has invited developers to buy the property or sign a long-term lease.

Even before advertising the availability of the property, the Council received letters of interest. Residents proposed converting the building to a restaurant, a photography and advertising agency and a not-for-profit performing arts center.

But the prospect of installing any enterprise requiring parking has alarmed the 400-member Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, especially in light of new commercial development already under construction nearby. Merchants fear that shoppers will be driven away if parking is hard to find — and that, they warn, could close businesses, leading to higher property taxes on homes.

“The location was designated in the master plan for parking, which is desperately needed in that part of town,” said Mr. Pimm, the chamber president. He wants the village to level the firehouse, as promised, perhaps retaining the brick archways as an entrance and exit.

So does Mike Hull, owner with his wife, Annie, of a gift boutique. Several years ago, when a new parking lot was to be built near the center of town, merchants lobbied for a multilevel parking garage.

“We were told that they would rather deck the Hudson Street lot when the firehouse came down,” Mr. Hull said, referring to hopes for a two- or three-story garage. “The Mayor and Council said it would be a better place, more out of the way.” The merchants agreed to wait. Now that plan is in limbo.

Ms. Haydon of the preservation commission says the destruction of the firehouse would not help merchants much. “Studies lead us to believe we wouldn’t gain more than six parking spaces,” she said.

Meanwhile, firefighters proudly point to small pockets of history in the Hudson Street structure. A small brick archway once led to a stable next door, providing access for the team that sprang to work at the firebell’s clang; their harnesses were lowered from rings that remain high overhead. But the many trophies won in Fire Department races are now in the new firehouse.

Fire Department workers on Hudson Street brush aside the building’s decrepitude. “It’s like an old shoe,” said Philip Francis, a firefighter. The building represents “almost 100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress,” he added.

It has been unimpeded by repairs as well, since around World War II. Basic renovation has been estimated at $300,000 to $350,000, roughly the same price tag as for demolition.

The building is “very structurally sound,” Mr. Hoffman said. “It looks like it’s falling down, but it’s not. It just needs a lot of love.”

On Sept. 9, the preservation commission will present its final report on the firehouse. The Village Council will probably decide its fate by the end of the month, said Ms. Svarre, the Council member. “It may ultimately become a financial decision, as so many governmental decisions are now.”

Meanwhile, an ordinance to give more power to the preservation commission is being developed. But it won’t be completed until late fall, too late to affect the firehouse.