AUGUST 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015, 8:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Recent discussions at Village Council meetings over what should be done with the Schedler property — 7 acres of wooded land the village purchased six years ago — have resurrected age-old allegations in town of political favoritism.
At the council’s work session Aug. 12, a handful of speakers contended that Ridgewood was a divided community where a collective “east versus west” mind-set was pervasive and that village officials had long overlooked their neighborhood on the far east side. They said decisions about the Schedler property reflected bias against residents of their neighborhood.
Generally, the railroad tracks are considered the dividing line. However, Route 17 severs a triangular tract on the east that touches both Washington Township and Ho-Ho-Kus from the larger portion of the village, which is home to the Village Hall, the central business district and all the village’s schools.
That neighborhood runs from Route 17 to just beyond Van Emburgh Avenue, and from Racetrack Road on the north down to Linwood Avenue.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/rift-over-parkland-opens-old-wounds-1.1397332
I’m a broken record. There are 3 60×90 fields already in town.
The Rec Comm wants to upgrade the facilities. They want another showcase site like the high school.
They have cleverly asked the RBA to petition the Council for the new field but make no mistake this field will be utilized more by soccer and lacrosse than the baseball players.
One of those 3 60×90 fields is a mess. Lower Hawes barely fits 90 foot baselines. First and third are at the edge of the infield. I think the RBSA has proposed addressing this field but have been turned down by the BOE and the neighborhood. The Somerville field is in good shape and functional but is also a full dirt infield, not the best for ‘true’ baseball. The primary field at Vets was in rough shape at the end of the high school season. Too many teams playing too many games on that field.
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I’m a broken record — let’s thank the Willard school district for all of this. They helped pass the vote for getting their school extended while including the field changes at the high school and BF (removing a 60×90 and a softball field). We can go back further to who proposed putting into that vote the field changes and Willard changes. Can’t continue to post-blame at this point.
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Let’s look at what’s needed to support the needs of youth sports in town. If soccer, baseball, softball, lax and other field sports can use the field, why is that such a bad thing? I believe (and could be wrong) that there was a review of the field usage and needs in town and we came up short. Schedler will help alleviate these needs.
What would former Eco Ed Schwarz say about cutting down seven acres of trees or even four acres of trees that buffer noise for those who live nearby and are valuable in and of themselves for the environment. No sooner has he passed away than everything he stood for is dead. For shame.
“We are trying to do a good thing over there,” the mayor said. That says it all Mayor ” Over there “
Good catch 12:39. All of his comments are like saying “some of my best friends live east of Route 17”. This is a defining moment for the Power Trio, no matter what the results, it will say who they were and will be their legacy.
lots of RHS sub-varsity baseball at hawes every spring….
blaming the Willard folks is fashionable but not accurate….
fast eddie is relentless….
This is just wrong ESP for the home owners in this area.they are taxpayers too,it’s almost an eminent domain impact on their homes value notice level and quality of life and any increased truck braking noise southbound as trucks compression brake all nightlong or a lessening of CO2 buffers such as existing trees shud be seen as off the table,would this discussion be taking place In the Heighs,,No,,,case closed,
Political favoritism? In Ridgewood? Friends of our Council majority have done quite well haven’t they.
Get real.
The dividing line for east Andy west are the train tracks.
The difference is quite clear to anyone .
Eco Ed may have done some good in other places, but he threw the weight of his REAC committee behind putting tons of crumb rubber in the flood plain, doing no favors at all to the environment. Let’s not assume would he would do here
It’ll be another Showcase athletic facility !
Its a tier system 6:18. Westside ( railroad tracks) Eastside and their as the Mayor has said “We are trying to do a good thing over there,” meaning across Rt. 17 . I guess he thinks of them as (Sub Eastside)
The shame of it is S Frapz those people ” over there” overwhelming vote for him and the other Amigos.
I’m embarrassed to live on the west side now.
Grab your ankles cuz here it comes….once again.
Isn’t there a major error in this article? Aronsohn, Hauck, and Pucciarelli voted “yes” to only one resolution, not two. Or am I mistaken?