
July 18,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, What is most troubling to people is the amount of money that is being spent on the buying of the Elks to house the water dept. Why wouldn’t the village move the dept. to the Gatehouse at Habernickle Park? The village already owns the gatehouse and since we as taxpayers just spend $20,000 for new steps and handicap ramp why not use it to better our own village departments?
Instead we rent it to a business for $3,700 a month plus included in that rent is free garbage pick up, 12 parking spots, a plot of land for a garden (which would cost a resident $10,00 a year in taxes) free advertising on village parks and rec site, video cameras that feed to police and village hall, parks and rec continually at her beck and call and police needed to monitor the park for Healthbarn. All of which is added costs and taking away village employees to monitor a help a business that doesn’t not benefit the residents at all. Having it at a park only adds more cars to this area and makes it harder or spots team to park for events.
This is a FOR PROFIT business which is only taking business from our own programs offered through Parks and Rec. Why does the village continue to advertise for Healthbarn on the the village site? The Village offers most of the same programs as Healthbarn so it’s only hurting Parks and rec bottom line ultimately effecting the tax payers of Ridgewood. It’s crazy to think the Village is that stupid to allow tax dollars to be spent so carelessly on a business that doesn’t share it’s profits with the village.
So why is the Village when it’s said and done going to be spending upwards of $3MILLION dollars to move the water dept to the old VFW? It would be cheaper to remove Healthbarn and have the Water dept or another village sponsored program use the Gatehouse. Let’s try to save tax dollars and not continue to burden the residents by raising the taxes for things like this.
Good suggestion. Here another. Change the name of the park.
AMEN
The name of the park is not habernickle, people just cal it that. The town bought the property, it was not donated. I call the park Hillcrest field, most fitting name.
Purchasing the Elks building is a mistake. Leave the water dept where it is or move it to Hillcrest Field. Let a private purchaser buy the Elk building. Town needs to stop spending.
Better suggestion would be to let a home be a home. The gate house is a wonderful house that for many many years was a rental. All I see in Facebook are people asking for suggestions of short term rentals. The village can charge a going rate rental of between 4000-6000$ and no longer need to use tax money to pay cops and park and rec to canstantky go there because of neighborhood complaints. How this business got in there is absurd
I have driven by there many times and have seen even the passive field being used for sports. Why can’t there ever be a place that is passive around here. I feel for those folks who live there. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse on the passive side all the while a for profit business with camps, fueled trips and busses!!! I had to pass a chartered bus once parked hillcrest rd!! These folks don’t get a break. Why can’t there be a place for us seniors or childless people to sit in a park and relax. I thought passive meant passive. Especially when there are sport fields 100 feet away. Wake up Ridgewood. That’s why us seniors are moving away!!!!
@7:38. Sadly it is habernickel. Soon to be healthbarn USA. I agree don’t honor a name ” habernickel” when it was not donated!!!!
Brilliant Idea. Are the council members reading this???
Did we ever figure out who was parking that boat on Ridgewood Water property?
Here’s another suggestion for that park…use the gate house for RIDGEWOOD people. The volunteers who run the sport programs are constantly looking for a place to hold meetings, why not use the barn for storage and the house for meeting rooms.
The village is going to do what I want do you think they care we say we’re going to spend spend spend
People don’t want appointment is the village Cashcow come wake up
No one is going to drive to Hillcrest Field and think that it is a passive park. Maybe the immediate neighbors would like that. It is not much of a park for anyone to visit.
Sell it to a developer. Put some high density housing there instead of in the already congested town.
Make it into a big AirBnB and use the land for Uber Parking and build a mini airfield for Amazon (Whole Foods) drone storage.
What a mess
6:14 That is really an amusing concept. However, people would complain about all the noise and activity. But it sure would be a profitable use of the land!
6:14. Good ideas for ratables. I don’t mind the noise
Sell Hillcrest field.
The property was heavily discounted to allow the Village to buy it by choice. The family could have made a pretty penny if they sold it privately.