Urbanization: Ridgewood ordinance on master plan amendments at center of debate
AUGUST 1, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
On July 18, 2007, a law was passed that defines the process of how the master plan in Ridgewood is amended.
More specifically, the law – Ordinance No. 3066 – makes formal the process and fees charged to any interested party should they petition the Planning Board or Village Council for a change.
The ordinance has been the topic of much debate over recent months as the Planning Board has heard back-to-back applications for amendments to the master plan, first from The Valley Hospital and currently from three housing developers seeking to put high-density housing in the Central Business District (CBD).
One thing is for sure: The ordinance was written in response to The Valley Hospital’s first proposal to expand in 2006. But what’s happened since then is less clear. The ordinance became a talking point during this year’s municipal election and has pitted developers against residents as they battle over who has the right to plan the vision of the village.
To get a better understanding of how the law works, The Ridgewood News spoke with attorneys representing the village (Matt Rogers), the Planning Board (Gail Price), The Dayton and Chestnut housing developers (Thomas Wells), and the citizen opposition group (Ira Weiner) about the history of the ordinance and how it’s played out with the public.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ordinance-is-at-center-of-debate-1.1060846#sthash.qFl3w9C3.dpuf
Build them at they will come and come and come.
Thanks a lot, Judge Pfund.