Ridgewood Planning Board

Regular Public Meeting

December 6, 2022

The following minutes are a summary of the Planning Board meeting of December 6, 2022. Interested parties may request an audio recording of the meeting from the Board Secretary for a fee.

Call to Order & Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: Mr. Joel called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m.

Roll Call – The following members were present: Mayor Knudsen, John Young, Councilwoman Reynolds, Richard Joel, Dianne O’ Brien, Fran Barto, and Sergio Alegre. Also present were Lina Corriston, Esq., Board Attorney; John Barree, Village Planner; Christopher Rutishauser, Village Engineer and Jane Wondergem, Board Secretary. Melanie Hooban, James Van Goor, Darlene Johnson and Igor Lyubarskiy were absent.

Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board –  There were no comments at this time.

Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics – There were no comments at this time.

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Avenue, Block 2003, Lot 8 – Discussion re: amendments to resolution and resolution compliance –  Board members discussed the photos of the two ‘no idling’ signs put up in the parking lot. Board members commented that they would want more signs up. Board members would want to see 5 signs and discussed where they should be placed.

The Board discussed the landscape plan and asked to have the church send full-sized plans showing identifying the existing trees and shrubs and what type they are.

A motion was made to have a letter sent to the applicant requesting that additional ‘no idling’ signs be placed at designated areas and that a revised landscape plan be submitted.

Discussion re: Ordinance #3928 to amend Chapter 190 of the Village Code regarding signage in the Highway Commercial Zone – The Board voted to recommend approval of the ordinance to the Council.

Discussion re: Ordinance #3929 to amend the provisions of Article XIII “Affordable Housing” – The Board voted to recommend approval of the ordinance to the Council with some changes to the format and changing the word ‘Township’ to ‘Village’ in two places.

Adoption of Minutes:   October 18, 2022 and November 1, 2022 – The minutes from October 18, 2022 and November 1, 2022 were adopted.

Mr. Joel acknowledged that this was Mayor Knudsen’s last meeting and thanked her for her years of service and dedication to the Planning Board and the Village.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:26 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                      Jane Wondergem

                                                                                      Board Secretary

Date Approved:            January 17, 2023

 Ridgewood Planning Board

Reorganization and Regular Public Meeting

January 17, 2023

The following minutes are a summary of the Planning Board meeting of January 17, 2023. Interested parties may request an audio recording of the meeting from the Board Secretary for a fee.

Call to Order & Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: Mayor Vagianos called the meeting to order at 7:43 p.m.

Reorganization of Planning Board

Administration of Oaths of Office to New Members and/or Reappointments – Mayor Vagianos administered the Oath of Office to Rob Willis, Class I Member; John Young, Class II Member; Councilwoman Perron, Class III Member; Richard Joel, Class IV Member; Michael Stern, Class IV Member; Sergio Alegre, Alt. 1 Member and David Refkin, Alt. 2 Member.

Roll Call – The following members were present: Rob Willis, John Young, Councilwoman Perron, Richard Joel, Dianne O’Brien, Fran Barto, Jim Van Goor, Darlene Johnson, Michael Stern, Sergio Alegre and David Refkin.

Election of Officers

Chairman – Richard Joel was nominated and elected as Chairman.

Mayor Vagianos left the meeting.

Vice Chairman – Dianne O’Brien was nominated and elected as Vice Chairman.

Board Attorney – Appointment and Resolution of Stephen Wellinghorst, Esq., of Harwood Lloyd, LLC, for the year January 17, 2023 through December 31, 2023 was adopted.

Planner – Appointment and resolution of John Barree and A. McKinley Mertz, of Heyer Gruel and Associates, as Planners for the Planning Board for the year January 17, 2023 through December 31, 2023 was adopted.

Conflict Planner – Appointment and resolution of Elizabeth McManus, of Kyle + McManus Associates, as Conflict Planner for the Planning Board for the year January 17, 2023 through December 31, 2023 was adopted.

Engineer – Appointment of Christopher Rutishauser as Village Engineer for the year January 17, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

Site Plan/Subdivision Review Committee –  Ms. Johnson, Mr. Alegre and Mr. Stern were appointed to this committee.

Site Plan Exemption Committee – John Young was appointed to this committee.

Master Plan Reexamination Committee – Ms. O’Brien, Mr. Joel, Councilwoman Perron and Rob Willis were appointed to this committee.

Historic Preservation Commission –  Ms. O’Brien was appointed to this committee.

Open Space Committee – Ms. Barto was appointed to this committee.

Resolution re: Compliance with the Requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act and the Schedule of Meetings. The resolution was adopted.

Reorganization portion of the meeting was closed. Regular Meeting was called to order at 7:50 p.m.

Roll Call – The following members were present: Rob Willis, John Young, Councilwoman Perron, Richard Joel, Dianne O’Brien, Fran Barto, Jim Van Goor, Darlene Johnson, Michael Stern, Sergio Alegre and David Refkin. Also present were Stephen Wellinghorst, Esq., Board Attorney; John Barree, Village Planner; and Jane Wondergem, Board Secretary.

Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board – No one came forward at this time.

Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics – Councilwoman Perron explained the Attendance Ordinance and what is expected from Board members.

Discussion re: Zoning Board of Adjustment Annual Report – Mr. Joel explained that the Zoning Board of Adjustment prepares an annual report for the Village Council and Planning Board, based upon its review of its decisions on applications and appeals for variances over the previous year.

One of the comments the Zoning Board addressed in the report is enforcement and compliance issues. Mr. Barree explained that enforcement is out of the purview of the either the Zoning Board or the Planning Board. Enforcement would be done by the Construction Official, the Zoning Officer, inspectors or the Village Engineer, depending on the issues and direction from the Council.

Another suggestion from the Annual report is to permanently extend variance approval to 2 years.

Mr. Barree said that many applications to the Zoning Board are for front yard setback variances to put a front porch on a house. The Zoning Board suggests that due to the general character of Ridgewood homes, if the home is compliant in all other aspects, the front porch should be permitted.

Other issues in the Annual Report included existing setback rules with minimum/maximum calculations in relation to neighboring properties and clarification regarding driveway widths and circular driveways.

Mr. Alegre said he had been a Zoning Board member and Chairman of the Zoning Board and in regards to enforcement, he said applicants who come to the Board are sometimes at a disadvantage because they see residents who do non-compliant improvements on their property without approval or permission and when they are told by the Village that they need to submit an application, the Board is supposed to treat it as if the work had not been done, which is difficult.

Public comment:

Greg Brown, 444 Linwood Avenue, Zoning Board Chairman, thanked the Planning Board for addressing the issues, and commented on other issues, such as incomplete applications, the length of time applicants need to wait due to the volume of applications, and further explained the ambiguity regarding driveways.

Diana Ruhl, 322 Crest Road, a current Zoning Board member, explained the maximum/minimum setback concept and how it impacts the streetscape and how it may be preferable to have a minimum/maximum where you need to be within a certain amount of feet of your neighbors’ house and not necessarily 40 feet from the street.

Board members asked how prevalent are the issues of people doing work without Board approval. Mr. Brown said he doesn’t know many residents do it, but that a big issue is applicants asking for coverage variances when they are already over the maximum improved and no one can say how they got there. Mr. Brown said that issue may come up as often as every other meeting.

Discussion re: Implementation of Master Plan – Mr. Joel said the Master Plan Committee will meet, review the Master Plan and discuss how to move forward, find out what the Council considers priority, look at the action matrix in the Master Plan and come back to the Board to discuss. Mr. Barree said that a lot of the items will be up to the Council to implement and fund and the Planning Board’s role is more advisory at this point.

Ms. Perron asked if the zoning ordinances needed to be reviewed for compliance with the Master Plan. Mr. Barree said that there are recommendations in the Master Plan to look at modifications to the zoning ordinance and anytime an ordinance is amended it should be reviewed for consistency with the Master Plan, which is the policy guide.

Ms. O’Brien asked about the proposed demolition delay ordinance for historic sites. Councilwoman Perron said that ordinance was not passed.

Board members reported on the various committees that are looking at the action items in the Master Plan and how they can work towards implementing the Master Plan.

Adoption of Minutes:  The minutes from December 6, 2022 were adopted as drafted.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                      Jane Wondergem

                                                                                      Board Secretary

Date Approved:            February 7, 2023

 Ridgewood Planning Board

Regular Public Meeting

October 4, 2022

The following minutes are a summary of the Planning Board meeting of October 4, 2022. Interested parties may request an audio recording of the meeting from the Board Secretary for a fee.

Call to Order & Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: Mr. Joel called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

Roll Call – The following members were present: Mayor Knudsen, John Young, Councilwoman Reynolds, Richard Joel, Dianne O’ Brien, Melanie Hooban, Frances Barto and Sergio Alegre. Also present were Stephen Wellinghorst, Esq., Board Attorney; McKinley Mertz, Village Planner, and Jane Wondergem, Board Secretary. James Van Goor, Darlene Johnson and Igor Lyubarskiy were absent.

Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board –  There were no comments at this time.

Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics – There were no comments at this time.

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Avenue, Block 2003, Lot 8 – Preliminary and Final Site Plan approval for paving and striping existing parking lot, lighting improvements and changes to site landscaping.

Joseph Russo, Esq., entered his appearance on behalf of the applicant and made opening remarks. Mr. Russo referred to the requirement regarding the EV spaces and if it was a necessity at this time. Mr. Russo mentioned the summonses that were issued to the church.

Michael McGeary, Chairman of Trustees for the church, was sworn. Mr. McGeary spoke of the history of the lighting, going back as far as 1960.

Mr. McGeary testified regarding photos of the existing lights, marked as Exhibit A-1; the approved site plan showing the location of the lights, dated 4/29/21, and marked as Exhibit A-2. A copy of the approval from the Site Plan Exemption Committee was marked as Exhibit A-3. The church received summonses from Mr. Rutishauser, and the copies of those summonses were marked as Exhibit A-4. Mr. McGeary stated that he was not told which code was being violated and that the case was adjourned by the Municipal Court to a later date in order to have the issues regarding the inconsistencies in the lighting plan resolved at the Planning Board.

Mr. McGeary testified that the lights need to be on later at night than agreed to and should be extended to 10:30 pm to give people time to leave. Mr. McGeary stated that one tree was removed and has since been replaced.

Mr. McGeary testified regarding the proposed paving, stating that they will lose 4 spaces in order for the spaces to conform to code, but will not need a parking variance as the church and school will not operate at the same time.

Board members asked what tree was planted, Mr. McGeary stated it was an arborvitae. Board members asked about the difference between the prior lighting and what is there now and the spread of the lighting.

Public questions:

William Fajardo, 229 N. Walnut Street, asked if any of the landscaping will be trimmed or removed for paving. Mr. McGeary said it wouldn’t be. Mr. Fajardo asked about discrepancies between the lighting plan and what was actually installed on the building and in regards to the height of the poles. Mr. Fajardo mentioned that the lights shine into his windows. Mr. Fajardo questioned the safety issues that Mr. McGeary mentioned and if they had been reported to the police. Board members asked if the lights could be turned off when the building is not in use.

Donald Yannella, 222 N. Walnut Street, asked about the location of the proposed charging stations and who would be using them. It is unknown at this time if it will be required.

Laurie Howard, 282 N. Maple Avenue, asked if the wall mounted lights, which are on all night, could be shielded as they shine into her bedroom.

Joseph Donlan, 232 N. Maple Avenue, asked about shielding as the parking lot is lit up like daylight. Mr. Donlan talked about the history of the lighting and said that they continue to remove screening.

Peter Jerdee, 211 N. Walnut Street, asked about the EV spaces. The Engineer will answer those questions.

Board members asked if the Church would be willing to work with the Board and the neighbors in regard to shields and landscaping. Mr. McGeary said they would.

Mr. Russo said the Church was there first and that conditional use rules are strict for schools and churches to exist.

Thomas Donahue was sworn and his credentials as a professional engineer accepted.  Mr. Donahue said he had been involved with the project since March 2021. Mr. Donahue testified regarding the lighting plan from 4/29/21, stating that the fixtures were installed without shields and then corrected. The poles were taller than approved. Mr. Donahue shared the specifications for the pole lighting, marked as Exhibit A-5, and the wall lighting, marked as Exhibit A-5a.

Mr. Donahue testified regarding the as-built lighting plan, Exhibit A-6, and the lighting intensity.

Mr. Russo referred to the Planners report received.

Mr. Donahue testified regarding the proposed paving project, stating it will be striped for 100 spaces, where 90 spaces are required.

Board members asked how many lights were originally proposed and how many were actually installed. Mr. Donahue showed what was proposed and what was added according to the site plan.

William Fajardo, 229 N. Walnut Street, asked Mr. Donahue to identify which fixtures remained and which were new.

Peter Jerdee, 211 N. Walnut Street, asked about the foot-candle and how it is determined that the Church complied. Mr. Donahue explained the process, which is done off site. Mr. Jerdee suggested that the process should be done on site.

The hearing was carried to October 18, 2022 without further notice. Mr. Russo asked if the Church could move forward with the paving. An email will be sent to the Village professionals to discuss.

Public Hearing on the Village of Ridgewood Master Plan (Continued from September 20, 2022 without further notice) Ms. Mertz said that the Master Plan Committee met and went over the changes and added information and the final revision would be ready soon. Board members asked if an index was able to be added and it was reported that it was not able to be done.

The Master Plan hearing was carried to October 18, 2022 without further notice.

Adoption of Minutes:   The minutes of September 20, 2022 were adopted as drafted.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                      Jane Wondergem

                                                                                      Board Secretary

Date Approved:               October 18, 2022

Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission

Meeting Minutes

November 8, 2022

Opening

The regular meeting of the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission was called to order at 7:35PM. The meeting was held in the Village Hall Garden room.

Present

Andrew Lowry, Declan Madden, Ian, Mahmoud Hamza, Maria Damasco, Nancy Brennan-Hill, Pamela Perron, Yamini Chinni

Organizational Tasks:

Minutes from Oct 2022 approved

Current STC membership comprised of 7 regular + 2 alternates. Voting was conducted to see if alternates should continue or do all the members become regular.  Based on the results of the voting it was decided that all the members will become regular members.

Current STC membership tenure varies from 1 year to 5 years. Voting was conducted to see if 3 years tenure for all members should be the way forward and it was agreed upon by the majority of the STC

There will be 2-3 vacancies by the end of 2022

NJ guidelines state that meeting minutes should be posted on the town website. This helps in getting aid.

Fall Planting:

Existing tree removals to begin from Nov 9^th, 2022

Email was sent out regarding the CBD tree removal along with posters in the downtown area.

The planting effort will entail, first removing the existing trees (including stumps) , fill mulch and new soil and then planting new trees

Every newly planted tree will get deer protection as well as a gator bag in the Spring. For residential trees after-care letters will be put as door hangers for the nearby home owner.

Budgetary discussions:

The intent is to contract out the watering for trees in CBD in Spring. As long as this expense is part of  the capital budget it can be pushed for use in the next year.

It was proposed that the remaining budget from this year be used to do a tree inventory. There was a discussion if the budget for this would need to go to the CFO as it will be re-purposed from the original intent. It was advised that generic language was used and hence it may not require the CFO review.

It was suggested that Dina Kat be paid a stipend to work on the grants for STC. Cynthia may also be interested and will be invited to the next STC meeting.

Misc:

Initial Tree Canopy plan (10 year tree plan) has been created and will be reviewed when Carolyn and Adam are present. About 500 trees per year will make a difference to the canopy. 

A meeting needs to be set up to come up with the estimates for fulfilling the Tree Canopy plan.

Declan mentioned about a dashboard that shows where the trees are being planted. STC members were interested in viewing the dashboard and Andrew to forward the email with access details

Yamini and Ian to work on setting up a drive for better organization of files for the STC