>Valley Renewal : Council’s options
Here is a reporting of the situation from the Ridgewood News,
in it they quote Village of Ridgewood Attorney Matthew Rogers – This is part of a news article at https://www.northjersey.com/news/129935998_Council_s_turn_to_hear_all_sides.html?c=y&page=2
Council’s options
Since the Master Plan’s Hospital Zone is already amended, the question, now, is whether the council adopts ordinances that reflect consistency with those changes, according to Village Attorney Matt Rogers.
The council has many options upon the completion of its public hearings, Rogers noted: it may decide to introduce the ordinance as written; take action to recommend changes or to resolve or deny changes; or decide not to introduce the ordinance at all.
“There may even be other options, depending on the way the hearings go,” he said.
He explained that the council’s task is to decide whether the planning board’s amendment is consistent with “sound principles of planning and zoning” as outlined by state municipal land use law.
“It must be noted that in order to have a viable, effective and enforceable land use policy, presumed to be valid against any challenge, the adopted ordinances must be substantially consistent with the Master Plan’s land use code,” Rogers said.
Should the council opt for approving ordinances that are inconsistent with the planning board’s amendment to the Master Plan, it must pass by majority a resolution outlining those inconsistencies and stating the reasons for them. The meeting’s minutes must also reflect that legal reasoning, he said.”
