Hudson Street Parking Deck – Message from the Village Manager
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Ridgewood NJ, According to Village Hall residents will have an opportunity to chime in on the parking garage design on December 2nd. The three designs presented included the original structure, as depicted on Villlage of Ridgewood (VOR) site, with 405 spaces (130,000sq ft), a modified version with 355 stalls (120,000sq ft) and the lowest profile version with 305 stalls (109,000 sq ft). The cost per stall decreases for each added level:
405 stalls @ $28,000 = 11.5 mil
355 stalls @ $29,300 = 10.4 mil
305 stalls @ $31,000 = 9.5 mil
You can see the higher you go the more efficient the project becomes IF, of course, those spaces are utilized.
As far as the design, it is exactly as shown at the informal meetings. The 355 version indicates a lower profile along Hudson St but retains the same height along Broad. The 305 version includes
the lower profile on both Broad and Hudson. For some reason I didn’t include the heights in my notes but will ask Roberta for those details. Each version includes cantilevering over the entire Hudson St sidewalk with an additional 20″ cantilever extending over the street. The cantilevers were depicted in the original design and, I believe cannot be eliminated due to the lot width.
Also Mayor Aronsohn sent an email (personal email) to residents regarding the three garage designs and process moving forward. His letter indicates surprise ,surprise higher cost for each version likely based on factoring in the original $500,000 bond.
Please share your thoughts and questions with us regarding the deck so that your feedback can be considered by the Council as they deliberate on this important issue at the December 2nd Council Meeting……please also consider coming to that meeting to share your opinions. You can email me at rsonenfeld@ridgewoodnj.net or call 201-670-5500, ext. 203.
Only because the Council has to let us – their minds have been made up for a long time on this. Question everything.
Where are you John V?
As goes this mega mistake..as goes the village multi family housing..zoning limitations and reopen the Valley expansion height plat and underground cavernous Garage..keys to the village survival as a village vs hackensack visage
A total waste of time. They will be building the biggest they can. Bend over; it’s going to hurt real bad and the doctor (Paul Aronsohn) will be laughing as you shake uncontrollably from the pain.
12:28pm –
Is Ridgewood really a “village” at all anymore? We’ve got 25,000 residents, ~100 restaurants, 3 full service supermarkets, a movie theater, a major hospital, 9+ public schools, etc. etc. It seems to me that the days of “quaint village” are long gone…
Isn’t there a model where Ridgewood could be a great, high-end, vibrant, dense “town”. Rather than becoming Hackensack, potential models could be something like Princeton, Palo Alto, Bethesda, Old Town Alexandria, etc. High-end, safe, interesting, just bustling enough (but not “stressful”), and easy to enjoy.
12:37pm –
I agree that the council will likely choose Option A (the four-level one that gives 405 total spaces / 305 net spaces) unless there is major objection to the scale by the whole town. The additional $1.9M compared to the smallest garage gives 100 extra spaces, so the marginal cost per space is only $19k. The first 305 total spaces / 205 net spaces cost $33k each, so the extra 100 spaces are comparatively “cheap”. I don’t mind the scale of the big garage, but that’s just me!
It is all Egos and Power at play. Huge mistake. We will pay for years..excuses will Roll like Rivers..economy..restaurant recession..lack of Big Box Stores in VOR…ECOMMERCE..UBER ..those kids don’t drive anymore etc..hosed again..
John V – you’ve finally shown your stripes. Rigewood is a Village. Not a town, a hamlet, a boro or a city. That’s the way many of us want it. Maybe you’ve given up on the notion – I would suggest you move to Hackensack where you are much more likely to get what you want. It’s already all built up and waiting for people just like you.
And as I read the math, the proposed parking garage only has a hope of paying for itself if it’s 5 stories plus roof parking. Which is where you are right – that’s way to big for a Village.
Enjoyed a snack at Sook yesterday and imagined feeling hemmed in by a giant brick wall instead of looking out into the sky. Super-ugh.
4:29pm –
How would you define a “village”? What does that term mean to you, and how does it differ from a “town”? Honest question! Language matters a lot, and since I’m relatively new to Ridgewood I’m genuinely curious what “village” means to different people.
Obviously Ridgewood is incorporated as a “Village” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_(New_Jersey)) but doesn’t that really just refer to the government structure, not anything inherent to the place itself?
I moved to Ridgewood after having lived for several years in Menlo Park, CA, technically a “City” but a place that seemed to be proud of its “village-like atmosphere”. We had many similar debates in Menlo Park regarding development: housing, parking garages, building size, etc.
So why Ridgewood? Good schools, close to work, nice neighbors, the typical reasons. But biggest was so we could live within walking distance to actual amenities. I put my money where my mouth was and paid more for a house within walking distance to everything in town. So yes, I like the action, and more “stuff” going on in Ridgewood is okay for me since that’s why I moved here and live where I do. More people and foot traffic means better restaurants, better shops, better services, etc.
John – correct me if I am wrong but you’ve lived in the Village for about 18 months or so? I don’t think you’ve had enough time to get the feel of Ridgewood or to determine that we are NOT a Village. I like the fact that you walk . . . you do seem to get that aspect. The problem is not parking, it’s people who don’t want to walk, who don’t want to be a part of the fabric that is this “Village”.
abc at 7:46pm –
Correct, I’ve had just over 18 months living in Ridgewood. Though in my defense, I grew up and lived in a very similar town in Morris County, went to college in a very similar town elsewhere in NJ, lived in two very similar towns in the SF Bay Area for a decade, and have been “familiar” with Ridgewood my whole life, having had family living here going back to my great grandfather in the 1950s, thus visiting often. So it’s not like I’m a big city transplant or from a small rural town. I’ve literally spent my entire life living in similar suburbs. Thus, I’d argue I’m more qualified to offer an opinion and perspective than the average “new” resident here, who likely lived in NYC or Hoboken or similar for all their adult lives.
Anyway, I’d like to turn the question back around again. What does “village” (non-capitalized) mean to everyone else? Hasn’t Ridgewood already passed the point of being a quaint, quiet, small town? I’d figure people would move to Ho Ho Kus or Glen Rock if they really wanted a true “village”, but come to Ridgewood if they wanted to live in a place with the friendliness and community of a “village” and the action and amenities of a “town”.
Hi John V you seem like a very intelligent person and well verst in this parking garage. So Im just wondering do you or any of your close friend or relatives have any working relationship with any Village Councile?
John V, looks like you’ve fallen for the anchoring trick used by anyone planning a monstrosity in Ridgewood… “An additional $1.9mn for 405 spaces takes the marginal cost for the extra 100 spaces down to $19,000 so comparatively cheap…” Well that’s just wrong. The end result is a four story garage with 405 spaces that will cost $20 million or more by the time the Village engineer gets done with all the “change orders.” In 10 years when kids don’t own cars we’ll look back on this and say, “Thst was a colossal mistake.” For the same money, we could have more open space, more pedestrian space, a performing arts center, etc.
Well, what do those of us who have lived and thrived here for many years do if we do not want high density housing, parking garages, etc. I never had a problem finding parking to run into Woolworths, the hardware store, etc. I still don’t have a problem parking when I want a cup of coffee, pick up a gallon of paint. I walk a few blocks. Should I move to Glen Rock or HHK as you suggest and make room for newbies who want “amenities? Perhaps newbies that want amenities should move to.Morristown or Montclair.
John V – you seem way way WAY too interested in all of this for a new resident, and way way WAY too informed with facts and figures. I kind of figure that a certain someone is feeding you info and you are the front. Why the hell would you care so much when you are newer in town than even our carpetbagger mayor????
John V – You might need to stick around here for a few more years before trying to “upgrade” us from the rinky dink Village that you see us as. I’m sure you’re a nice guy. I see that you also post on “It Takes a Ridgewood Village” on Facebook. I socialize with several of the people that post there though you should be aware that several of them have a vested interest building very large structures in town – just so you’re aware. Nice people, though I couldn’t disagree more with their local political views. There are other nice people in town that you should meet too. Intelligent people that think that maybe smaller hospitals, apartment buildings and parking decks would do just fine. Stay a while, meet some more people and seriously, if Ridgewood is too small for you, you have many other options nearby.
8:59pm –
No business relationships with anyone on the council for me and my immediate family. I have a fair number of relatives in my extended family in town so its possible one of them does have a business relationship, but as far as I know no one does.
My wife actually chairs an advisory committee in town, though the committee is sponsored and led by Mike Sedon, not by any of the “three amigos” as they seem to be called on this site. So presumably that’s “better” in the eyes of everyone here?
10:10pm –
My comment on things being “cheap” was only referring to the per space cost of the last 100 spaces compared to the per space cost of the first 305 spaces. The project as a whole is definitely not “cheap”. And I agree that cost overrun is a major, major issue. What will Roberta et al be doing to ensure that this project stays under budget? Why should we be confident of the cost on this project when other projects have gone over budget.
I don’t disagree with you that self-driving cars or other demographic changes might drastically change things. If stuck with too much parking at that point, perhaps it could be easy to develop the other bare surface lots into 2-3 story buildings, and use the garage as the robot car shuttle and charging area! (That last sentence very speculative and not completely serious!)
I don’t disagree at all with your last point: is this really the best use of $12-15M? If the parking system (without a garage) can generate enough revenue to fund that amount of capital, what’s the best use of that money? That’s a good debate worth having, though at this point I fear it’s a bit too late. I’d be strongly in favor of raising the parking rates and hours right away, seeing the actual revenues generated, and then only proceeding with garage construction if assumptions are correct and financials still look good.
ABC at 10:11pm –
I guess my simple answer is that there are no guarantees that things won’t change when you live in a democratically governed society with free right of movement in and out. There’s some risk of change living in such a society. (People often create gated communities or other “restrictive” forms of governance to reduce such change.) Change can suck, but it’s a risk we all bear. From a 1 person, 1 vote perspective, a 1yr resident has as much say as 30 yr resident.
I’ve tried over the years to become more empathetic towards people averse to such “change”. Thus, I get that change can suck for people who have experienced and enjoyed things a certain way for a long time. But I’m not willing to let that pain outweigh things that are on net beneficial for society as a whole.
Take housing for example. When you build a new housing development, who benefits? 1. The developers, since they presumably earn a profit. 2. The people who move into the development, since they presumably would live somewhere else if they weren’t getting more value than the place costs to live in. 3. Local businesses, since they have a larger base of potential customers for goods and services. 4. Local employers, since their potential hiring base has grown, employees won’t have to commute has far, and perhaps employees will pay less for housing, so cost of living will be lower and thus you don’t have to pay as high wages.
Who is potentially hurt? 1. Local homeowners, since their property values may go down to greater supply, and their town may “change” in some manner. 2. Government finances, unless the new development generates more in revenue than it costs. 3. Perhaps the “environment”, though this depends on lots of complicated factors, externalities etc. 4. Local services/schools, depending on the impact of new residents compared to the capacity of such services.
(I would argue though that local homeowners can benefit significantly from the economic growth and general prosperity that is generated by the new housing, so things aren’t all bad.) I truly believe that on net the additional housing has more benefits than costs, so it’s a good idea to do for “society”. Of course “society” doesn’t vote, local residents do, so it’s not surprising to me that new housing and increased density is often restricted. NIMBYism, etc.
That’s all a long-winded way of saying that I’m sorry, change sucks, I know. Thankfully humans are pretty good at getting used to new things (citation: many, many studies), so perhaps such changes wouldn’t be as bad as you think and maybe you’d enjoy some of the benefits they’d bring.
10:20 pm –
I can assure you I’ve been in no touch with anyone in town on these issues. As far as facts and data and information, if you read all the info on the Ridgewood site on this parking project (https://www2.ridgewoodnj.net/main_recent.cfm?ArticleID=1740) you will have as much info as I do. This is exactly what I did this past Sunday while half-paying attention to the Giants game. You will see that my flurry of comments on this issue began around that time. Though I will admit a few things: 1. I’ve been interested in and followed local politics and land use for many years in the places I’ve lived previously, so I’ve seen many of these issues and arguments before. 2. My profession(s) before moving to Ridgewood have involved reading lots of documents, synthesizing what I learned, and rapidly putting together coherent, fact-based arguments. 6 years of science grad school and 3 years at a big consultancy is a lot of training in getting up to speed quickly on things.
10:20pm –
I forgot to answer your other question, why do I “care so much”? Very good question.
For one I’ve been a bit bored lately and needed some intellectual stimulation. I enjoy reading and writing and arguing. This is fun.
A bigger reason is that I’ve found the comments and discussion on this blog (and the Ridgewood Facebook groups) to be pretty appalling. So much shouting back and forth, so many accusations and conspiracy. Very little focus on the facts, reason, and logic behind the issues.
Frankly, when James started posting the recent stuff on this blog about Trump and the celebrating Muslims, I got pretty pissed off by the unwillingness of him and others to admit that trump was at minimum grossly exaggerating, if not outright lying.
Thus, I decided to get a bit more active and push the discussion here to focus a bit more on the actual facts at hand. Hopefully some of you have appreciated that over the past few days!
Build the biggest garage possible. Then build another at the other end of the CBD. Run shuttle up and down ERAve.
Remove the homes around Valley Hospital and let them expand as much as they can – out and up.
Build multi-family units in CBR and give occupants a discount for parking in the new garage.
Put up a mini-mall on the Schedler site with a big box store as anchor.
Make Valley Hospital and all of the church properties pay taxes.
Re-Elect the three amigos.
Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, how about free high speed wi-fi that covers the entire village.
11:08pm-
I definitely don’t see Ridgewood as a “rinky dink” village. I wouldn’t have moved here if I did! I actually think the downtown is quite “good” and the town overall is “very good”, but my desire is to see it become “great”. When I moved here, some relatives explicitly encouraged me to use various non-Ridgewood services, since they were “better”. Examples: Don’t use the downtown Rite Aid, the Midland Park CVS is much better. Don’t use the Ridgewood YMCA, the Wyckoff one is newer and nicer. Don’t use the Ridgewood supermarkets, the big Kings in Midland Park is better, the big Whole Foods in Paramus is better, the big Stop & Shop in Wyckoff is better. And I don’t disagree with those statements at all! I think many of the amenities in Ridgewood have the opportunity to go from good -> great. Projects like more convenient parking and more downtown housing would push things in that direction, and that’s why I support them. I’d love to see more restaurants like Novo that are ambitious, or more solid, high-quality places like Raymond’s. Fewer mediocre Italian places and the like.
I guess I just don’t see ~50 ft high building as “too big”. It’s not like every block would have such big buildings, and we already have a few buildings of that size scattered around the downtown.
Lastly, I get that many of the “proponents” have vested financial interests in such projects. It would definitely be good to have more transparency on all of that! But so what, shouldn’t we just evaluate projects on their actual merits? I haven’t heard many “facts” to dispute the conclusions in the Walker Report. My ears and eyes are open. The most serious risk is that the project fails financially – I’m certain the proponents are under-estimating that risk. It needs to be seriously addressed. Re: scale, different people have different views on what’s acceptable. Many towns put together an overall comprehensive plan on what type of heights and density are allowed. The “piecemeal” re-zoning in downtown Ridgewood is not a great idea as we’ve all experienced.