photo by Saurabh Dani
Dear All,
I never comment on this blog, but I feel the need to clarify a couple of comments being made. I did not approve the plan because it fits on the lot. I approved the plan because this plan works from a design standpoint. To err is human. I was asked to write the letter to the HPC since I could not make the meeting. I made the mistake of saying the 4th plan fit the footprint. More importantly, the sidewalk is 10′ from the building to the curb. The 5-6 parking spaces that will be deleted, are being deleted to accommodate the 5′ extension of the sidewalk.
In defense of Mr. Parrillo, he simply stated that a liaison is not authorized to vote. In recollection, when I was president of the Chamber of Commerce, our liaison also was not permitted to vote. They simply were a conduit to the council.
Thank you…
Tony Damiano
P.S. Notice I signed my name, not like the cowards who make comments, mail distorted post cards, etc
Village Green restaurant on the corner has been unethically photo altered to a larger scale to
offset the streetscape imact of the non conforming garage.Look at the Stop sign in front of corner view. I guess they will do anything to get this space ship off the ground.shameless…
Hurrah for Mr. Tony Damiano who represents the best of Ridgewood. As the owner of a small business he works hard and takes risks. By openly expressing his views he shows his honesty and courage.
Regarding Ms. Knudsen’s “vote,” I am surprised that after two years on the Village Council, she is ignorant of the fact that she serves as an observer and liason to the HPC, and not as a voting member.
Well Tony, maybe Rurik and Jim Griffiths will be your only customers. You can stand around and complain about the cowards who used to be your customers.
Mr. Damiano keeps complaining how lack of parking hurts his business. So when is going out of business already.
Who cares about his little tchotche store; I sure don’t. I wish he would leave already. I have some good ideas for what kinds of stores could replace his. That Ridgewood needs.
The tone of Aronsohn was rude. If he wanted to say something he could have said in a polite manner that Knudsen is welcome to vote but that her vote as a council liaison is not binding.
Mr. Aronsohn finds it impossible to be civil to anyone who doesn’t agree with him. In fact he is quite disagreeable.
And he started the civility group in town and continually talks about being disagreeing without being disagreeable.
I see you crawled out of your hole Rurik Halaby. I guess your done with your mourning period for the 3 Amigos not running. What happened to your little fair hair friend Gwenn. Was she told to step aside by the puppet masters because they knew she couldn’t win.
Its time to boycott these business. TAKE BACK RIDGEWOOD form the greedy business men and landlords who support the oversize garage. Time to vote for reasonable council people. Time to get rid of Village management that have support the Council majority agenda.
I can’t believe that someone who stands to make money off the garage is allowed to vote on this.
Did Damiano ever think that the right thing to do was to recuse himself?
This guy has the nerves to say we are cowards when he is flat out lying? Unbelievable. The HPC vice chairman even called the mayor out and said in this meeting, that “when you came here last time you told us the revised design will fit the lot”.
Lets build a list of restaurant owners and store owners who are trying to jam this garage at Hudson Street at the expense of Ridgewood Tax payers. We need to start boycotting these business.
James Schimmel / Jim Schimmel was another hidden jem at this meeting.
Watch the video. He kept referring to the ‘corner building’s fence’. HE OWNS THAT BUILDING. He did not admit it and he voted yes instead of recusing himself or announcing that he has a conflict of interest.
Is the mayor going to call his reporter Steve Janoski from north jersey.com and feed him a page of article on conflict of interest like he did for Susan?
We noticed you signed your name tony. Very nice. But bring up the fact of your signing your name is moot and a week attempt to shadow the real issue here… You F’ed up and can’t bring yourself to that fact. And stop posting here…your just digging your hole deeper.
Tony you KNOW that it does not fit on the lot. You have been to EVERY meeting and behind the scene negotiations/planning. How did you make that mistake of saying ‘it fits the lot’, when you have provided all other exact measurements?
Did you copy that line from Mayor’s corner newsletter?
Mango Jam only problem is every time yo go in it is always the same overpriced items, that is what is hurting his business not the lack of parking.
The gist of the 11 Anonymous comments? Let’s declare The People’s Republic of Ridgewood. With James’s contacts in the Trump campaign let us build a wall around Ridgewood, and we will make the neighboring towns to pay for it. Plus we’ll put James in charge of kicking out all those undesirables. Then those wonderful folk the Ridgewood Anonymi can live happily thereafter in their Camelot.
I have already started avoiding downtown. Won’t drive through period. Taxes are going up anyway
Hi Tony – is this you in this video? Can you explain your vote at HPC endorsing a 5 story garage if this is you speaking in this video?
https://www.tubechop.com/watch/7785335
I love when Rurik waxes poetic about the future. Lol
Every day is the future for someone who is about 97, totally out of touch, and completely laughable.
AND the faster that Damiano realized how well he’s been played in this whole thing, the faster his dime a dozen store can beat it.
I understand Mr. Damiano’s position – build a big garage and my business becomes more profitable. While he hasn’t actually come out and used those words, that is his position. Understandable. What I don’t understand is why Mr. Damiano and the other interest groups that favor this larger garage over smaller alternatives always resort to name calling. It seems that anyone that raises questions or objections to such a large structure is immediately called out as “obstructionist”, “anti-everything”, “vocal minority” or in this case “cowardly”. When someone resorts to name calling you generally know that you’ve beaten them on the merits of your position.
Rurik Halaby Don’t be so cranky. The 3 Amigos abandon you we know. You are like a jilted lover. Im sure
Gwenn will make you cookies and milk to ease the pain. She will have plenty of time after July 1st. You all can sit around the house and talk about the good old days when they ran the town.
Rurik who are supporting in the upcoming Council election?
Two HPC members stand to gain.
Schimmel owns the building next door but never lets on. Pretends that altering the historic nature of the downtown district is good for the village. He stands to gain from the garage.
Damiano does not hide the fact that the garage will benefit his business. He also stands to gain from the garage being built.
Both should not have voted. Does the villaga have any protocol or guidelines for this?
Any other HPC members that stand to financially gain?
Anon 12:26: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” -Greek Proverb. But short-sighted miscreants like you can’t see past their stupid noses. And by the way, I just turned 100!
Rurik who are supporting in the upcoming Council election?
Well that’s shocking, Rurik. You look at LEAST 106.
Do the old men plant trees and then sprinkle them with Monsanto pesticides??
You’re lucky you won’t be around long enough to see the damage that stuff you love so much is causing.
Maybe it’s the reason behind all of this “naysaying”.
Gwenn can through her arms around your neck like,she always does, Rurik, and then you will feel better. Does your wife enjoy watching Gwenns public displays of affection?
Dear Rurik, I love your quote about trees but for entirely different reasons. Not only are we fighting to plant more trees for the future but we want to care and keep the ones that we have for our benefit as well as in the future. You have stated you want the woods at Schedler clear cutted in order to put in a 90 foot baseball diamond. We want to keep the trees and put in a 60 foot multi purpose field. I’m an older lady who wants ” to plant trees whose shade I shall never sit in.” A positive future is not always about more development. For many of us it’s about environmentally friendly and common sense development that respects all our needs both for now and in the future.
12:48… “resorting to name calling”…. are you kidding? Like opponents to the garage, high density housing, Valley expansion, the council majority, any change etc. don’t resort to juvenile taunting and name calling? Hey, it’s a 2 way street… but your message is rational… just thought the name calling thing was kind of ironic…
Rurik… belated birthday wishes… 100? What’s the secret to long life and still being with it, as you actually are… WOW!
Dear Linda: Many thanks for your gracious note. While we disagree on many issues, I respect you and I know that people of integrity can have honest differences of opinion. See you at the next Village Council meeting. Rurik
To Paul Smith: May I dare hope that we are now 20% in agreement? Cheers, Rurik
Anon 2:28: Speaking of Greek sayings, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, drink deep or taste not the Pierian Springs.” In your case I suggest ignorance is bliss.
Rurik, you wrote a letter to the Ridgewood News last year stating you were almost hit by a speeding car on a quiet street you were crossing and you said you were in your seventies, not one hundred.
Rurik, you don’t look a day over 50.
Paul Smith – the opponents provide a reason too. The proponents only do name calling.
Rurik, looks like you have a secret admirer here (4:43pm)
Rurik who are supporting in the upcoming Council election?
Tony – if you are comparing Chamber of Commerce to HPC, you should immediately resign from HPC.
Chamber of commerce represents merchants, and it’s not part of the village government.
HPC is part of the planning board, and is supposed to represent the residents (its sad that this mayor has appointed merchants to it to fulfill his plan to change the downtown).
No secret admirer… we disagree and are not afraid to post our names… how ’bout you 603? And 516… thanks for illustrating opponent logic… kind of says it all right there…
Rurik… it may be 25%… but let’s not overdo it 🙂
Anon 4:43. I will turn 76 in a couple of months. Seventy-six is the new fifty.
Not 100?
Paul, 3/4 of 100!
God bless Rurik and many more even though we disagree on just about everything.
back to the original topic:
Tony – if you are comparing Chamber of Commerce to HPC, you should immediately resign from HPC.
Chamber of commerce represents merchants, and it’s not part of the village government.
HPC is part of the planning board, and is supposed to represent the residents (its sad that this mayor has appointed merchants to it to fulfill his plan to change the downtown).
8:22 well said…
Okay Mr Halaby but at the 3/4 mark you’re still going strong… met a guy in East Rutherford at the Park Tavern who was there for his 101st and was full of vim and vigor… and if you want to see high density housing in action the Rutherford train station is the perfect benchmark… lots of young folk dining and shopping up and down Park Ave… and they have a garage too!
How nice of you 8:22
HPC is a joke. Just another layer of bureaucracy. Nothing “historic” about the behemoth structure.