Ridgewood schools superintendent discusses impact of housing proposals
Thursday February 7, 2013, 5:00 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The head of Ridgewood public schools made an appeal Tuesday night to Planning Board members and four developers who hope to build separate multi-family housing complexes in the Central Business District.
And the message was plain and simple: The proposed housing will impact Ridgewood schools.
“When predictions don’t pan out, we’re here to deal with it,” said Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein, expressing the district’s cautionary viewpoint on the suggested impact the proposed developments will have on student enrollment as well as traffic and the overall revenue stream to the village, among other factors.
All four developers and their teams appeared before the Planning Board this week, each rehashing highlights of their proposals. The presentations essentially capped the developers’ individual requests that Ridgewood ease zoning requirements and amend its Master Plan to allow mixed-used and multi-family housing in the downtown area.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/190274771_Ridgewood_schools_superintendent_discusses_impact_of_housing_proposals.html
Thank you, Mr. Fishbein for being courageous and stating the truth. We value our schools in Ridgewood and most of us understand why we pay such high taxes. There is no way that these developments won’t attract small families who can not afford homes in Ridgewood but want the good schools. No variances!!!
Job well done this has been going on for years and the tax payers have been footin the bill. If the development is absolutley necessary make the developer(s) accountable down the road by way of a non refundable performance bond.