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The Enclave

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

New Housing Developments Could Force Sewage Piping Changes

Upgrades to antiquated piping may be necessary to handle sewage from four proposed housing developments.

Four proposed housing developments in the Ridgewood downtown might require the village to replace piping to handle sewage flow, according to a report in The Ridgewood News. Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser said additional piping may be needed in some locations to accommodate sewage, particularly around Ridgewood Station, according to the report. Much of the village's piping is 80-90 years old, he said, adding that he didn't think the developments themselves would require an upgrade at the wastewater control plant. The developers could be on the hook for any additional infrastructure changes their projects bring to town, including traffic upgrades. Proposed are the 114-unit Ridgewood Station at the old Ken Smith site; the 106 unit Dayton …

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Bill Porterfield

5:11 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

As far as i can see, these developments only benefit the developers and the storefronts. It doesnt benefit homeowners in Ridgewood. I believe these are all rentals. It will forever downgrade the overall value of Ridgewood.   more ›

Sunday, January 27, 2013

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 ›

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Few School Kids, Less Traffic Expected at 'Ridgewood Station', Experts Testify

Testifying on behalf of the developer, experts said they believe the 114-unit development at Ken Smith Motors will generate fewer than 10 school kids. Concerns also remain over parking and traffic.

A newly-proposed transit-oriented development at the Ken Smith Ford site would likely generate few school children while accommodating for parking demand, expert witnesses testified Tuesday night at the planning board meeting. But Ridgewood planning board members maintained some skepticism and also expressed worry about traffic impacts on the dangerous Franklin Avenue. Dubbed "Ridgewood Station," the plans envision a St. Mark's-inspired 137,000 square foot mixed use development on Franklin and Chestnut avenues, comprised of 114 luxury housing units and just over 7,000 square feet of retail space. The developer has appealed to the planning board to create an overlay zone allowing for higher densities around the Ridgewood train line, with …

anonymous

10:45 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Next planning board meeting regarding the developments in the CBD is Wednesday January 23rd at 7:30, 4th floor Village Hall. Everyone should go and find out for themselves how they feel.   more ›

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Planning Board to Hear Presentations on Ken Smith, 'Enclave' Housing Projects

The first details of the 114-unit housing project at the Ken Smith Ford site are expected Monday night, as well as an update on the Sealfons building proposal.

Two of the most controversial downtown housing development proposals in Ridgewood will be fleshed out Monday night at a special planning board meeting. In September, Patch broke the news that the Ken Smith dealership property on Franklin Avenue is the site of a proposed 114-unit luxury apartment project with 11,0000 square feet of retail space. On Monday night, the first official governmental discussion will be held, lumped into the larger downtown housing development study undertaken by Village Planner Blais Brancheau. Dinallo Construction Corp., the developer, is scheduled to make a formal presentation, according to the agenda. The developers from 257 Ridgewood Avenue LLC. – headed by Ridgewood library board president John Saraceno – …

Ridgewood Mom 26

9:43 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Where does it say that these are proposed 1-Bed apartments? The article says "multi-family", which to me, suggests more than 1 bedroom. If these units are rental apartments, the occupants won't be paying taxes, they will be sending their kids to our schools (tax-free) and will be creating more pedestrian traffic. I agree that it would be nice to do something about the odd layout of Maple Avenue, …   more ›

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Planning Board to Discuss Downtown Housing Projects Wednesday

Four separate plans have been filed to build apartment complexes in Ridgewood's downtown.

Village zoning officials will be debating the controversial issue of proposed zoning policies for multifamiy housing in Ridgewood's downtown on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The meeting – first planned for Nov. 6 but canceled due to Hurricane Sandy – will take place in the senior center of Village Hall at 7:30 p.m. Village Planner Blais Brancheau spent about eight months determining what he felt was an appropriate scale to potential housing developments in the downtown. In a 5-page checklist, he sought to include desired lot sizes, traffc congestion, density, building height, proximity to public transit and other points. The checklist will likely be discussed on Wednesday. Currently, two projects are in front of the zoning board (Chestnut Village …

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Poll: Dig the Design of 'Dayton' Housing Project?

The proposed 106-unit luxury apartment complex on South Broad Street have been "de-massed" to appear as two buildings joined at the center.

With a series of staggered peaks towering above 106 high-end apartments set behind the Ridgewood rail line, sketches of the Tudor-style housing proposal "The Dayton" on South Broad Street elicit a range of opinions. Scott Loventhal, of developer Garden Homes, says major revisions have "de-massed" the proposed five-story luxury apartment building on the land that had previously been Brogan Cadillac. Garden Homes is appealing for the property to be re-zoned to allow for residential uses; and it's just one of several properties being studied by Ridgewood to assess if zone changes to allow for residential housing downtown should be sought, and if so, what regulations should be in place. The purchase of a small adjoining property has helped …

Alfreddie

9:53 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012

This is NOT beautiful architecture. In my humble opinion, it is not attractive ... does not look sunny and charming. To me it looks dark and dreary. I'm all for innovation, growth and changing with the times. Some towns seem to be bursting with new businesses like Westwood and Ramsey... we need to bring Ridgewood back to the top, attracting new businesses and customers. This design is awful.... …   more ›

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