Ridgewood must look at facts, then decide
OCTOBER 24, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 10:00 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
We can’t just say no to housing
Jeff Kahn
To the Editor:
Ridgewood residents love this town, and we all want what’s best for it. Most of us agree that Ridgewood needs “something” to remain a great place to live.
But in our public discourse on what that “something” is, we cannot be a town that simply says “no” to new ideas.
This includes proposals to bring modern multifamily residences to downtown. Rather, we must engage the developers, who are open to feedback and suggestions, and present us with a real opportunity to address a number of pressing needs in our town.
Downsizing empty nesters can’t find the modern option they want and are leaving town. Vacant storefronts line Ridgewood Avenue, and large, derelict lots like the old Brogan dealership blot the landscape, hurting our town’s image.
Surely, housing can be part of the answer to make sure Ridgewood remains a vibrant and desirable place to live for generations to come.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-ridgewood-must-look-at-facts-then-decide-1.1117449#sthash.MVGiyxxH.dpuf
thats for sure we gotta do something……
But brogan? Who wants a train running through their
Living room……
The idea that adding hundreds of residents will have no impact on congestion, schools and infrastructure is so disconnected from reality that people like Jeff Kahn cannot be taken seriously.
Our schools draw growing families. When those families no longer see utility from the ultra high taxes needed to pay for those schools, they move. They choose to spend their dollars in a different manner. Stop shaming the empty nesters who move on and stop trying to convince them to stay. The nature of our economy allows for mobility to maximize opportunities. This isn’t 1950, people can move on, the downtown may have empty store fronts and that is not solved by more housing and the fallacy of “zero impact”. Fighting an economy that allows for movement and efficient delivery of goods to your door step is a losing battle. Create a better environment for business and revenue will follow.
The village has proven it cannot even repave a vital road without terrible estimates, poor planning and worse execution. Why would we entrust them to suddenly be great urban planners?
“Housing data from Ridgewood’s Board of Education demonstrate that new housing will have a minimal impact on schools.”
I think I missed where the BOE provided housing data demonstrating hundreds of new housing units would have minimal impacts on the schools. That’s what the developer has been indicating HOWEVER, one need only to look at the RHS directory to know that many, many families live in the available apartment in the Village. Many move in around 8th grade so their children can go to RHS and then move out when the last on graduates. This is a reality and one that needs to be addressed.
Jeff Kahn seems to be reciting the battle cry of these developers….not sure which one he is connected to? The empty nester argument has failed over and over. There is such a backlog of 55 and over housing stock in N. Jersey that the banking industry will no longer finance any development that is labeled as such. As far as pressing needs go, does the chamber really thing all these people will solve their woes? Seems like they have been asking for parking and not much more.
“Does the chamber really thing all these people will solve their woes?”
Its their Hail Mary on our dime
I am sorry, but I really can’t listen to folks like this letter writer. I try to be objective, but the stupidity is overwhelming.
Since when does the prospect of adding 500 new families to our downtown do ‘something” as to the “pressing needs” of our Village. Excuse my harshness, but this fellow presents himself as a complete moron. What exactly is he thinking? Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack. There’s nothing wrong with Hackensack. Plenty of multifamily housing, plenty of space and housing stock for developers to develop. But, it is not Ridgewood. The two towns are something different — equally unique and special in their own way. The question folks like this don’t address honestly is why should those of us who chose to live in a town like Ridgewood now be forced to live in a town like Hackensack? Both lovely options, but those of us who chose Ridgewood did so for a purpose.
This whole debate has really gotten beyond the pale. The developers want to make money — period and end of story. They don’t want to engage in conversation about what’s right for the Village, they simply want to talk about how much money they can make by cramming in as many units as they can. Please, let’s have no more false allegations about the developers only wanting to figure out what’s right and the best thing to move Ridgewood “forward”. Let’s have no more false talk about how the projects will “revitalize” our downtown. And while we are on the subject, why the hell does our downtown need revitalizing? If no one want to shop there anymore, let’s turn it back into single family homes or parkland. Again, it is simply shear stupidity to make the argument that “if no one who lives here wants to shop downtown, then let’s bring in 500 new families who may want to do so.” Such ill-logic does not improve our schools or our standard of living and certainly doesn’t lower our taxes.
These false proponents of “modernization” contend that “We need to turn Valley into a super-regional hospital — we need to start turning our downtown into housing projects.” My answer to that is “no, we don’t need these things at all.” If you feel you need to live next to a regional hospital — if you feel you need to live in a multi – family environment, then move your butt to Hackensack or one of the many other very nice options available to you.
Personally, we have paid taxes for the last fifty years to be just where we are — and I would thank you very much to leave me and my family where we are and not make choices about my community simply to put money in the pockets of the developers and satisfy the desires of 500 new families who may want to move into family. We have a healthy diverse housing stock and we don’t need new projects. Our Master Plan does not need amendment simply to suit the whims and profit desires of the developers who speculated on land purchases in the hope and game plan that they will pull the wool over the eyes of the misguided.
Leave Ridgewood alone. And if you feel you can’t, then leave Ridgewood.
I am sorry, but I really can’t listen to folks like this letter writer. I try to be objective, but the stupidity is overwhelming.
Since when does the prospect of adding 500 new families to our downtown do ‘something” as to the “pressing needs” of our Village. Excuse my harshness, but this fellow presents himself as a complete moron. What exactly is he thinking? Once you turn Ridgewood into Hackensack, it is Hackensack. There’s nothing wrong with Hackensack. Plenty of multifamily housing, plenty of space and housing stock for developers to develop. But, it is not Ridgewood. The two towns are something different — equally unique and special in their own way. The question folks like this don’t address honestly is why should those of us who chose to live in a town like Ridgewood now be forced to live in a town like Hackensack? Both lovely options, but those of us who chose Ridgewood did so for a purpose.
This whole debate has really gotten beyond the pale. The developers want to make money — period and end of story. They don’t want to engage in conversation about what’s right for the Village, they simply want to talk about how much money they can make by cramming in as many units as they can. Please, let’s have no more false allegations about the developers only wanting to figure out what’s right and the best thing to move Ridgewood “forward”. Let’s have no more false talk about how the projects will “revitalize” our downtown. And while we are on the subject, why the hell does our downtown need revitalizing? If no one want to shop there anymore, let’s turn it back into single family homes or parkland. Again, it is simply shear stupidity to make the argument that “if no one who lives here wants to shop downtown, then let’s bring in 500 new families who may want to do so.” Such ill-logic does not improve our schools or our standard of living and certainly doesn’t lower our taxes.
These false proponents of “modernization” contend that “We need to turn Valley into a super-regional hospital — we need to start turning our downtown into housing projects.” My answer to that is “no, we don’t need these things at all.” If you feel you need to live next to a regional hospital — if you feel you need to live in a multi – family environment, then move your butt to Hackensack or one of the many other very nice options available to you.
Personally, we have paid taxes for the last fifty years to be just where we are — and I would thank you very much to leave me and my family where we are and not make choices about my community simply to put money in the pockets of the developers and satisfy the desires of 500 new families who may want to move into Ridgewood. We have a healthy diverse housing stock and we don’t need new projects. Our Master Plan does not need amendment simply to suit the whims and profit desires of the developers who speculated on land purchases in the hope and game plan that they will pull the wool over the eyes of the misguided.
Leave Ridgewood alone. And if you feel you can’t, then leave Ridgewood — period and end of story.
Re-elect Paul Albert Gyenn to Village Council 2016. Help then finish what they started
#7- Great letter ! Should be mandatory reading for all Ridgewood residents !
People in this town better wake up and realize that all of these projects, including Valley, are being put out there to do nothing more than enhance the pocketbooks and wallets of a few at the expense of many.
#9 You forgot political future of a few at the expense of many