Township Asks: What Should Be Done With Ridgeway Property?
Residents can give their input tonight to local officials.
What to do with six acres of township-owned land is still up in air, but the township is calling on residents to give their input on what should go there.
Tonight, June 18, there will be a meeting held at 7 p.m. at the Blessed Pope John XXII Academy gymnasium, 8 St. Cloud Place, for residents to give their input on what should be done with the property at 55-57 Ridgeway Ave.
The area is owned by the township, but is not currently in use and once belonged to The Life Christian Church. In 2004, the church exchanged lands with the township and relocated to Northfield Avenue.
For more than a year, plans and ideas have been swirling around but nothing ever came to fruition. Near the end of 2011, a plan fell through to partner with Montclair State University to place a botanical garden there.
The township held similar meeting in June 2011 to hear what residents thought should go there. Some of the ideas suggested at that meeting were to preserve the area as open space, create a senior citizen center or arts center, or make it into a recreational area.
Sumi
9:25 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
I would like to see the property preserved with one building being dedicated to WO History, another for an Art Center and also recreational use
L.Muldoon
12:56 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Yes, this area should be preserved for recreation, historical preservation, and the land used for walking trails . If they put some money into the building to make it safe and up to code, They could possibly gain revenue by renting some of the house out for events. If they partnered w/ an environmental group to keep the grounds maintained, it would be a lovely resource for the township.
wohopeful
1:10 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
A Chipotle Restaurant would be a nice addition to our town. It is one of the healthier fast food restaurants and it offers a lot of healthy foods to choose from.
Ken
4:38 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
That might actually be a good idea for the former Ekko, but I don't think it'd work on Ridgeway, where it'd be two blocks into a residential neighborhood.
See http://goo.gl/maps/w3bc
wohopeful
5:59 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
It is actually a great location...in the spirit of going green we should locate more businesses and restaurants in residential neighborhoods so the people can walk or bike and don't need ot use their cars. I bet the residents of the area would love it if it could be a combo 7-11 and Chipotle restaurant.
john anthony prignano
9:56 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
wohopeful NO commercial enterprise in the St.Cloud area should be discussed . It will fail. It will be boycotted , and classic N.I.M.B.Y. issues like excessive traffic, proximity to ....to.... something or other, inadequate { perhaps woefully } on - site parking, noise pollution, boisterous patrons, destuction of habitat and old forests, Historical Preservation ,etc. etc. will again come to the fore . How would a customer get there ? Would they take the scenic route and enjoy the breathtaking Himalayan grandeur of the speed "bumps " on St. Cloud Avenue ? Will they drive an all - terrain vehicle over Old Indian Road and hope that their warranty will be honored ? No, my friend ,no, St.Cloud is a gateless gated residential community and that's that.
Jennifer Tunnicliffe
10:00 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
I would like to see the integrity of the space preserved as gardens and the building be event/learning space a la the Van Vleck House in Montclair. I do like the suggestions of incorporating some sort of historical perspective within the space. I think our town needs a space for reflection and serenity that has more cultivated intimate feel, as opposed to the natural, expansive beauty of the reservations.
wohopeful
8:24 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
How about a bank?!?! The people in that area have to travel quite aways to any bank and they seem to have plenty of financial needs that would support a bank in that location.
Ken
9:32 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
This isn't a city. We're not going to but a commercial property in the middle of residential. That's the entire point of zoning. (Again, it's a decent idea for the Ekko location, but you seem intent on making some sort of absurd point about ... something.)
wohopeful
9:31 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Or why not sell it and get it back on the list of tax ratables in town so that it is contributing to the township debt instead of adding to it?
Tom
8:25 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Rent it. Triple net lease. And return the monies to the taxpayers.
Tom
8:26 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Or sell it.