the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, There has been an ongoing debate about the Schedler property in Ridgewood. Artifacts dating back to the Revolutionary war were discovered on this property. Here is a British Lieutenant’s sword, dated 1747, found at Schedler. Also, a letter written by the same man describing his approach to battle on this exact site. Our Village Stewards are moving towards converting this historical, untouched, wooded area into another ball field. The archaeological investigation that was suppose to happen never did. Instead, the Village spent 99k to remove valuable trees and soil, possibly destroying American History. Further destruction was permitted when developers got approval to cover and bury the parcel with excavated soil. Now the Village has ordered more clearing and tree removal. What a blatant disregard for American History and fiduciary obligations.
In February 2018 the council posted ,”Schedler Property – Phase I and Phase II Archaeological Investigation – RFP”
Village Historian Peggy Norris wrote on March 14, on the Friends of Schedler Page ,”Today the State Historic Preservation Review Board met in Trenton and approved the nomination of the John A. L. Zabriskie house (the Zabriskie-Schedler house) for the state and national registers–a significant step toward being added the the National Register of Historic Places. Margareckey, of Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects, made a great presentation and further announced that the archaeological review just completed showed that the site is of significant archaeological interest as a Revolutionary War site. Many, many people have contributed their knowledge, their voices, their passion to reach this point. Most especially we recognize Isabella Altano, but also (from the earliest days) Chris Peters, then photographer for the Ridgewood News, Ellie Gruber, Phil Dolce, Susan Knudsen, and Eric Holterman, of HMR Architects. Everyone in the neighborhood who worked to save the property and then to save the house deserves a round of applause. I don’t know everyone’s name, but thank you to all.”
The entire point of saving that property was because it was in the cross roads of the American Revolution !
What a shame! Complete atrocity!
Millions of County/State grant money obtained to benefit a special interest group. Way to stick it to the taxpayers.
“The entire point of saving that property was because it was in the cross roads of the American Revolution!”
WRONG! The point was for the Village to use outside funds for their sole purpose.
Same vendor, Downes Tree, gets awarded the Schedler contract again. This guy is making MILLIONS off Ridgewood is their sole contractor. Village Manager says “NO ONE ELSE SUBMITTED A BID.”
BS…smells fishy
So why doesn’t anyone who writes here come to council meeting and speak about it.
Writing here doesn’t change policy.
Actually , I did last night. I spoke to Deputy Mayor Knudsen about my concern that even more trees were being cut down at Schedler. Her answer to me was that more trees are going to be planted. I didn’t have a chance to say that mature trees are being cut down and that mature trees in a undeveloped wooded area are becoming an extinct species. (According to major newspapers an current books on environment) And worst of all snags are becoming an extinct species. Snags are dead trees that feed other animals and that is sort of important , because without them, snags, humans cannot survive. Snags are essential for the whole chain of life. I had arrived at the meeting too late for the last public comment time; the council members were on their way to closed session, but I said a few words about my concern to Knudsen as she was walking out.
Listen, I don’t count. I care about the issues in town; but I don’t count. Other people are going to have to step up to the mic and speak about their concerns. (I hate speaking in public, but I do it. If I can, anyone can.) I really wonder if the people who write here care about the issues they are writing about. It is shocking how few people express their concerns at council meetings. In addition, over the years, I wrote several letters on Schedler, and spoke at the mic. The current council did cut the size of the playing field, but they took most of the trees away, for golden bathrooms and parking. It’s kinda funny how much effort was put into saving the house there. I think trees are more important to save. But hey, those are my values, and as I said my opinion doesn’t count, except in the voting booth.
Why are the neighbors, who opposed the original project are supporting this new project?
“So why doesn’t anyone who writes here come to council meeting and speak about it.” Don’t assume. Hundreds of people spoke at numerous public meetings but the Council went ahead with “the promise,” a ball field.
Deputy Mayor Knudsen- “more trees are going to be planted.” What the hell negligent answer is that?!!!! Why destroy invaluable mature trees, assassinate American History and spend tax payer money? Preserve, do the right thing and fulfill your fiduciary obligation to taxpayers and America. What a legend!
Didn’t this start because knudsens parents didnt want to see a condo or lie income housing there which would lower their house values.
yes like the high density housing in the CCBD lowering nproperty values in the whole town
A wonerful town is turning into a stinking cesspool.
“Why are the neighbors, who opposed the original project are supporting this new project?”
Neighbors are not supporting this project. Council hand picked and created a bogus AdHoc committee and claimed the 5 appointed members are the voice of neighbors. The Council completely ignored procedure and the hundreds of public statements given at the Public Meetings. Instead of creating a plan based on required public comments, they went with a plan created behind closed doors-by a hand full of pro field people. FACTS
Here is just one evening of meeting minutes. There are many more.
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/clerk-minutes/1328-village-council-public-work-session-minutes-20151028
Deputy mayor saying “more trees will be planted” as older ones are cut is insulting to anyone’s intelligence. How do you cut decade old trees with established giant roots which are part of an established ecosystem and replace them with 5′ trees thinking it will better? I was one of her biggest fans a few years back but I have come to realize she is not to be trusted. Another insult is to go in front of VC and talk about these concerns at a time when this VC was chosen to take care of these issues and not have us voters to have to keep pushing them to do the right thing.
According to the plans……a lot more trees will be cut down.
Can’t play soccer or baseball with a tree in the middle of the field.
With any luck a large tree will fall on the house.
Decade old trees? Those trees are hundreds of years old, it’s the site of a revolutionary war battle.
The minutes shown certainly provide plenty of TOTALLY IGNORED residents who do not want this clear cutting of trees and planting infant trees on the berm which will take at least 20-30 years based on the town’s planting in front of all the new residences on Queens Court and Kingsbridge. We’ve been here 50 years and have only had to rake in the last 10 or so years. There was nothing on this property when we moved in except for 2 scrawny trees in front. And, according to the history revealed about Schedler “the fighting was done on the rise above the River. ” which is actually my house as we are at the very top of the rise. We all know this property was purchased for the use of the athletic groups in Ridgewood which supposedly was going to provide mega bucks by them for the purchase. Absolutely NO consideration was given to the nearness to the highway, the pollution, and the extreme difficulty of anyone who lives “on the other side of the highway” to safely reach here. Kids can’t bike, walk, or be anything but driven. Putting the parking lot exit within feet of cars soaring off the highway at top speed–and these drivers cannot see the parking exit until they are completely off the highway when their only choice is to try to avoid them or an accident. the incoming car has nowhere to go as the sound barriers are on one side of the exit and the parking lot on the other. West Saddle River Road is so narrow it can’t even be divided in two with a yellow stripe. And, if someone is parked on either side–even for a momentary drop-off–ALL other cars have to wait in two lines to take turns passing it. The people who avidly support it, none of whom live here, and so can say whatever they want. “Seeing is believing” but they won’t even come over and take a good luck. Few even try to get where the field will be and see if they actually hear anything the players and umps are saying. For your information–they can’t hear over the sound of the speeding cars and trucks.
Listen RedMail: I meant why didn’t anyone who writes here come and speak up at meetings about the newest plan to cut down more trees.
I spoke twice when hundreds of people spoke at past meetings several years ago. And I still have copies of the three letters I wrote that were printed in Ridgewood News and Record explaining why it is so necessary to preserve untouched , undeveloped land, the Schedler land. I repeat, why in the hell didn’t those who recently write here come and speak up about the the second batch of trees they plan to cut down. It was on the agenda. And the council told residents of their plans, but nobody came and spoke up.
So I repeat, Knudsen told me last night as we were walking out the door that new trees will be planted. She said, “Don’t worry everything will be good.” Of course I felt like a fool, deeply insulted, because I felt that she thought I didn’t know the difference between a mature tree and a newly planted tree… the difference in how invaluable trees hundreds of years old are to the environment.
It has been sickening listening to the council BRAG about how they clear dead trees away from Schedler. They are bragging about removing the snags that give us humans life. Over and over, over the past year they kept us informed about how dead trees were removed.
Several times over past months, I wanted to read a passage from The Overstory, Pulitzer Prize winning novel,2019, and scientific treatise on trees by Richard Powers, Macarthur “Genius Award” winner, a passage describing and explaining , in beautiful , poetic prose the importance of dead trees, snags. But I didn’t. Me alone at the mic , the council would just laugh at me, snicker. The passage I am talking about begins on page 217 and continues …..
The whole book is magnificent about trees and our relationship to them. Actually the book is too good for the council. I wonder if they would understand it, appreciate it. Of course they wouldn’t.
Anonygal, the property was purchased in 2009. Residents have been publicly speaking and being ignored for over 10 years with Schedler. I guess all the people that stopped going to the meetings couldn’t beat the dead horse anymore.
The link above to meeting minutes is just one night. I remember at least 5 other evenings with even more “say no to field, cutting trees etc.” Shame on this Council for moving forward against neighbors.
Anonomous: “TOTALY IGNORED” is an understatement, this is gross negligence. Knudsen and Sedon lived all you mentioned and are intentionally drawing a blank.
Schedler AdHoc Committee:
Ramon Hache, Michael Sedon, Michael Winograd,
Nancy Bigos, Matthew Cunningham, Dan Cramblitt, Tim Cronin, Manish Shrimali, Nick Whitney, Phil Dolce,
Paul D’Arpa, Ellie Gruber
How do you sleep at night?
From another Schedler blog post…Susan is correct in one thing–there actually were a few neighbors who congregated at Isabella Altanos before she died. They only wanted to save the house and were violently opposed to any sort of athletic uses being there. They wanted to “Save the house” at all costs though Isabella kept telling me that “a historical restoration does not need to comply with handicap accessibility.” As an architect , she must have known better. This group had apparently decided that Schedler would be a perfect place for walking trails and peaceful contemplation with a minimum of trees (dead and those that needed to be removed to clear the trails) and absolutely NO athletic involvement. No one knew of a possible use for the house (some organization was apparently asking for use of the house but didn’t want to pay for any of the necessary repairs). All the group asked was for the house to be restored–though only approximately 4 or so rooms were original and the rest the typical additions which all went up a step or down a step (handicapped accessibility was not a concern) as old houses always did when additions were made. That location was already toxic because of the fact that it is bordered by Rt 17 N and the addition of soil that the developers needed to dispose of has made it probably unusable–though I don’t think any health evaluations (given for the toxicity of crumb rubber) were going to checked as they totally ignored anyone who saw problems with the crumb rubber.
From what We heard on the street someone from Washington is going to stop this project. They believe that site will be under investigation. That’s what we Overheard today in the library. A few of the people herd this.
Washington stopping this project would be epic!
Fiduciary refers to an obligation between the trustees and beneficiaries or shareholders. The fiduciary obligation of Village Council is to all taxpayers and residents. Not just a handful and not to a property . Village Council would be in violation of their fiduciary obligation if they operated under the direction of just a few. Their legal relationship is with all residents making the headline of violating fiduciary to Schedler ludicrous.
Fiduciary Obligations TOWARD Schedler Property, not “TO.”
Phil Dolce and Ellie Gruber were part of the original group to save the house. If they are on the ad hoc committee now, they are sorely out numbered.
I also worry that when they start ripping up trees, no one official will be present to sort the soil for possible historical items….
Years ago when I worked with Mike Sedon at the RW News, he said to me a few times that Schedler would be good for a controlled burn so the FD could practice putting it out. I was horrified, he said it often enough that he seemed to mean it.
NEVER did I imagine he would be living in RW and on the council and have any power over the house!!