Letter: Ridgewood Redevelopment Looks like a Blessing not a Curse
"Chasing away reinvestment" is not a solution, according to one reader.
It is very common in NJ towns to hear public outcry when significant redevelopment is proposed. More kids to teach, more cars to park, and a new streetscape. These are all valid concerns. Ridgewood is not an island. It shares these issues with most NJ towns. Many of these communities have moved ahead with projects and the worse-case fears never materialize. Once built, redevelopment projects quickly become part of the fabric of the community. The new vitality encourages more reinvestment especially in the smaller properties nearby. Ridgewood’s population/household density is not remarkable in the county or the state. I’m not sure, but since the 80’s Ridgewood like many NJ towns has seen a decline in population. Almost every town does a …
Robert Steelman
11:57 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
My opinion is that COAH or Mt Laurel is an example of land use regulation gone wrong. Despite a noble intention it missed the mark from the start. COAH most likely built nice second homes for many lawyers, capital bureaucrats and planners. It buried municipalities in a mountain of paperwork that needed to be trucked to Trenton. It also opened the door to a form of housing development most … more ›