file photo by Boyd Loving
March 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,last night It was a very predictable, 3-2 votes on anything meaningful and the majority stating all the reasons they were voting yes except representing the people. The leaving council majority aka the 3 amigos are enacting a “scorched earth policy” as they will be gone. Turn out was lower than expected because so many saw the vote as a for gone conclusion.
Zoning vote 3-2
Garage vote 5-0
All 5 voted for the Village to bond the garage not the county., Susan and Mike had no other choice but to vote that way because the council majority aka the 3 Amigos would have just gone to the BCPA. This way Ridgewood may retain control of the size, commuter parking and rates. Mike said something about researching a surcharge for businesses owner that are close to the garage to defray cost of maintenance.
The traffic study spokesman talked about increased traffic in several locations( 2 on Broad) and that is without the consideration of the garage. He mentioned some additional policing. No one in the garage discussion talked about the need for policing there or the need of an attendant. I believe I could live with the garage if it was one deck shorter, remained completely on the foot print and the street parking spaces would remain on Broad and Hudson Streets. Local business in those locations will take a hit without them.
Residents again questioned how is it that the council majority refuses to listen to the public? Could it be that they truly are in their own heads and are immune to incoming sounds,like the voices of the residents?
One nuclear physicist spoke wondering how they could be so emphatically certain that the were correct and that the developers could see no cause for concern? He said nothing is that certain and his world is one of exactness.
Mike and Susan seemed on there game and nobody clapped for Rurik and Jim when pontificated .
For most residents it is just too much development/ construction at once ,Yes these developments will bring traffic. The Hudson garage will not be enough. and the business owners must be salivating but most central business district businesses will not survive the construction phase.
Lastly Former Mayor Kieth Killion gets the last laugh , so many voted for this trio ,now buyers remorse .
Well now you know her plans for the Village. It seems she will continue the 3 Amigos plans for Ridgewood. So posters are you going to fall for it.
Not every speaker opposed the change.
“I hope to live in one of these [units] some day,” said Janice Willet, who is running for council.
I don’t think he is laughing but it is ironic.
Yet gain, the vocalantis won the battle but lost the war. Hurrah for VR Day. And by the way, every time I heard a vocalanti complain about how the Council was not listening to them or how they represented the “vast majority” of Ridgewood Residents, I shook my head in disbelief. Yes, the Council majority listened to all opinions over the many months of hearings, but no, it did not kowtow to the loud mouths. It did act in the best interests of the majority of Ridgeood residents. And to all my friends on the Ridgewood Pravda who are predicting my early demise, I did wake up this morning with a big smile. Yes, Ridgewood is moving forward.
welcome to Bayonne
another sad day for Ridgewood
The 3 Amigos bucket list
Larger Parking garage Check
High density housing Check
Valley Hospital In progress
90 foot baseball field In progress
Get our candidates elected In progress
Showing up en masse last night was futile. The check has already been cashed … long ago. Did anyone realistically think that it would turn out any differently last night? The thee amigos each have their personal agendas on the line and those agendas certainly don’t include the best interests of Ridgewood. In true NJ style, you have been gamed folks.
8:55. yes it was futile. The ball rolled months ago.
any surcharge should also apply to the church and Knight of Columbus who are the biggest beneficiaries of the increased parking. Knights can now hold events and people can actually park for them. Church can run even more Saturday evening programming and services and parishioners will be able to park.
If anything, businesses that will be impacted during the construction like the skateboard shop and vacuum store should get tax breaks during construction so that they hopefully can survive.
most down town merchants will not survive the construction phase
Albert stated last night that he ran for office to enact these plans. I don’t remember that. I thought he ran to represent the residents .I feel very sad this morning unlike Rurik because many people worked very hard to present a different point of view and it was seemingly ignored. The council was forced to alter the design of the garage because the original was not feasible re: 18 feet into Hudson Street. What if no one was watching. Rurik calls us vocalantis, I call them heroes. Susan and Mike aren’t the nay sayers , the council majority is. They said no to the people.
What will the impact be of garage construction (in a busy corner of town) Valley doubling and 3-4 high density housing projects?
The three council members did what they wanted and are getting out.
Janice Wilett should move to Hackensack
8.42. What a gas bag..
Time will tell..these folks will be long gone…Many intelligent citizens spoke eloquently last night with reasonable arguments on the risks ahead…let the record hold the fact that this is a renegade VOR Council.All heading for the doors with favors owed by vendors and developers..re mr Sedon tax the businesses close by..Never will happen when she role taxpayers stand for every hit these poor managers serve up.people will cash out and sell move to better towns
Lol, that Rurik thinks this is over. This is the battle…the war is over when we say it is, not you.
In the meantime, mayor Aronsohn failed effectively to object to the looming change in the southbound flight pattern of aircraft prior to landing at Teterboro airport, causing them to pass directly over Ridgewood at a very low altitude. One wonders if his behavior in this regard was calculated to benefit Democrat friends in Hackensack at the expense of his local neighbors.
Rurik, Thanks to people like you Ridgewood has taken a huge step back, not forward. But what has been truly fascinating to watch for a 32 year resident like myself is the demise of a town through low life politics. Not so many years ago Ridgewood’s reputation was near the top in education, technology based thinking, safety, great shopping, etc. In other words, a great place to raise a family. Not so much anymore. Because of politics, and yo-yo’s with personal agendas like yourself, who have nothing more than the ability to fool people( or at least think so),it is now a second class town.
So congratulations. But keep one thing in mind : The quality of the people
moving out has been much higher than those moving in. Enjoy.
Build em BIG and build em TALL because that’s the way we like em after all. Let’s get the shovels in the ground. Hello to the new Ridgewood !!
think your tenants are going to survive the construction phase ?
1:08..buildEmBig Bob…what a schill for the builders..perhaps your in the endless supply of overpriced concrete this town is about to be buriedIn..you likely don’t even live or pay the high taxes here..A taker…
9.28 churches pay minimal taxes as a zoned non profit
Anon 11:15 Your braggadocio reminds me of that famous scene in Animal House when the John Belushi character gets the Delta House all worked up to heap all the damage they can on the Faber College homecoming parade. Yes the vocalantis through their antics can and will cause more damage to our body politic. But for what purpose?
Town will collapse for the 10 year period ahead and will cost 10 times the amount to try to fix the carnageincluding tearing down that Aronson memorial Garage.we should cast the statue now of a man leaving town on the last train from traditional high values and morals Ridgewood.CALL IT FAVORS OWED AND SEEYAA
BillH 12:12 Had to be said..we all sadly thank you…Bring in the the Exterminators ,,place starting to show the Rot already..too much crowing..
of promises delivered,Downturn seen ahead via poor governance and
misguided leasdership..lastly Mount St Carmel..a dark star is on the horizon and soon to come to a neighborhood near you.You should have stood up for those too weak to fight these moneychangers,enjoy your new views, We all hope this doesn’t bring any harm your way,
Anybody try to imagine how hundreds of enormous moving vans will maneuver through and park in our narrow downtown streets as countless families move in and out? If, as it appears, they will all be renters rather than condo owners, expect that to happen frequently, especially at the end of every June. Good luck parking and shopping then or even driving through town.
My family recently moved to Ridgewood from NY. We have been been happy with the schools and find the people very friendly. We live close to downtown and enjoy walking to the shops and restaurants. I immediately joined this blog to be on top of the goings-on in the neighborhood and have been baffled by the behind-the-scenes contentious posts I often read here. From the comment about the “quality of people” moving into the neighborhood to the grim predictions of the town’s future, I’m getting a sense that some residents here are against change and a kind of progress that would encourage a more active downtown amd more foot traffic. I don’t understand this sky is falling reaction to apartments and a parking garage, but I’m getting a definite vibe that change is not welcomed and a whiff that my family may not be either. This is the message being sent.
Please stop the arguing and embrace a change that would welcome others who see the great things about Ridgewood and its future.
like the water restrictions during the summer , image 300, more units
Elena – I appreciate your opinion, truly I do. But surely you moved here for reasons positive and not that we are in massive decline as the council majority would have people believe. Surely, the sky is not falling now so why make wholesale changes to the town we all love?
Because you are new, I give you a pass for not understanding the behind the scenes action. Heck, many people living here for decades don’t know or care about that stuff. But when you do become aware it is truly disgusting. To know our zoning board was bypassed and the planning board was stacked by friends of the mayor to specifically pass these kinds of changes that the majority of residents DO NOT support. That our mayor will soon exit and try to capitalize on his urbanization victories to run in other democratic races funded in all probability by restaurant owners and developers in town? To know that our council liason to represent the village against Valley hospital is a lifetime Valley donor? To see citizens questions regularly go unanswered or ignored in public meetings unless you ask a favorable question or are a friend of the mayor?
So Elena, thanks for caring. But no, we probably won’t stop trying to maintain the Village that WE all moved here for. Glad to know there are families like yours lined up to purchase when I give up..
Well said 8:44. Change is welcomed in Ridgewood when it is done for the right reasons. Valley, the garage, and high density housing are projects that have more negatives than positives for the people in this town.
Change? As in making a city? No. Let’s be real here…. No one, I mean no one…. will move to Ridgewood without the idea of having children. People move here fore the schools. Dont believe me? Go see a Travell school directory and see the amount of kids from the Oak St. area. that live in apartments.
3000k a month for a luxury apartment for a commuting husband and wife? Why? We have nothing to offer that other closer more stable cities have. 3000k a month with children sounds like a better idea.
We are NOT hoboken, we are NOT montclair, we are NOT morristown. We have few similarities at best as in a train station and some nice shops but thats it.
Your schools class sizes are about to get a shock of their life, your nice class sizes are about to get big. No one seems to remember when Hawes and Sommerville had trailers as classrooms because of over-crowding, I remember because I was taught in them and it takes years for infrastructure to catch up to over building. If you have young children entering the schools you should be the most concerned.
Sewer, water, police, fire and DPW services all have to be increased to support additional population. We ALL pay for that. Don’t want to pay for it? Enjoy more county involvement.
Yeah, keep squabbling over the vote… the garage and apts are a done deal… and at least they won’t be in the middle of a residential neighborhood like the 800 pound gorilla at the corner of Van Dien and Linwood… thats where the village will get hammered… the Valley execs are thankful for the diversion… well done anti housing and garage folks
After years of wondering whether I’d made a mistake moving to the southwest quarter of town, with nothing but houses and Van Dyck’s Ice Cream within walking distance, I am now relieved.
11:11. Not sure what you mean? Most of us live in residential neighborhoods. You don’t need to live in town or near valley to realize the impacts of traffic and diversionary traffic for construction will be horrendous and schools will be consistently over crowded with no opportunity for children to age out.
Paul smith, you should just thank them. At least someone was paying attention. What would you have them do, insert themselves into closed door remediation sessions?? I specifically remember a few people bringing up the valley conflict and I don’t recall you at the meeting adding your voice.
First Valley, then high-density housing, and then the garage. Somewhere along the line someone commented that “Ridgewood is for sale.” We all better hope the Planning Board rejects Valley’s latest end around or this quote will be changed to “Ridgewood has been sold.”
I think what they did was admirable but there are 3 things on the table and the 800 pound gorilla has the biggest impact of the 3 (and I’m not a NIMBY as i am not in the affected area) on residential areas. I also do not think that the mass majority is against the garage and housing nor do I think Ridgewood will turn into Hackensack. I think the mass majority may be indifferent more than anything else. I have lent my voice in print under my own name several times (gotta work late to pay the bills like many others in this town) about Valley. I didn’t see anyone named anonymous speaking either.
Sorry. Obviously that should read mediation, not remediation.
11:11, think you are missing the point. The council majority is pushing through their own agenda, doing whatever they want. Current zoning does not matter when you have hand picked the planning board to rezone. Whether it is multi family, valley habernickel etc. all changing zoning to suit their needs.