Latest News June 22, 2009

HAVE YOUR SAY  at the Planning Board Hearings           

- July 15 BF Middle School 7:30pm                                

To the parents of Ben Franklin, Travell, Hawes, Somerville and RHS

HSA Talking Points   Flyer to Parents   BOE Submission to the Planning Board

***Residents Speeches to the Planning Board     Resources, Transcripts, Traffic Studies etc.

CRR REVIEW OF PROPOSED MASTER PLAN AMENDMENTS

June 17 Public Hearing

Quotes: Arie Bortinger: "We need to contain the monster. I don't feel like you know when to pull the fire alarm."

Janet Tuomey (Nurse and teacher): "our children are at risk from this project, especially those with special needs & asthma."

Village Planner response to John Citti: "Yes that about right 1.5 million sq ft if you include the underground structures"

Sheila Brogan (on behalf of the BOE): "...unprecedented size, scope and duration of the project"

The Record coverage

June 8 Public Hearing

Quotes: CRR's Paul Gould: "So where is the compromise in this Plan? Valley gets a bigger hospital and the Village gets dust, noise, traffic and to see taller buildings behind a taller wall - Valley wins and the Village loses.

Valley Traffic Engineer: "The 5 years planned for construction is just for the completion of Phase 1".

The Record coverage   Ridgewood News Coverage   Letters - Ridgewood News June 12 2009    Transcript of Hearing

June 2 Public Hearing

Quotes: Village Planner: "The history shows a pattern here of continuous expansion..."

Traffic engineer: "During the years of construction, 20 truck trips per hour and 40 bus trips per hour will be on the roads."

Village Engineer: "With all they want to pack into the site, I do not think there would be any room for a water tank!"

Ridgewood News Review of the Meeting         Valley-oply      Transcript of Hearing

Proposed H-Zone Master Plan ammendments Released

The Planning Board has released its proposed Master Plan Ammendments. To see all the details and read the proposal click on the Resources button See if you can spot the difference between it and the Valley proposal of March 2008?

Valleynomics

Valley has created a new type of economics - Valleynomics

PVH 128 bed licence granted

The bankruptcy judge has stopped Valley’s bid to “buy and bury” the 128 bed license at Pascack Valley Hospital. Valley has not yet said if they will appeal. The next stage is the certificate of need hearing in Westwood on July 8.

Draft Traffic reports available

Click to see the draft traffic report that Planning Board viewed at its last meeting and the public could not see. Traffic the Studies

CRR supports the opening of Pascack Valley’s 128 beds

Click the link to see why. PressRelease

Valley admits it needs higher patent turnover to pay for “Renewal”

TIn an article in the Bergen Record April 26, 2009 Valley’s CFO Richard Keenan stated that “while Valley Hospital’s survival would not be threatened by the proposed reopening [of PVH], [Valley] would lose half of the caseload it gained as a result of Pascack Valley’s closure and would reduce income from operations by about $12 million a year. A reduction in operating income of that magnitude would force us to modify or delay essential capital projects [RENEWAL] we had planned."

From the introduction of the “Case for Renewal” in September 27, 2006, Valley has continually stated that only 3 more beds would cause little increase in patients, visitors or traffic. Keenan’s statements contradict this claim as he admits for the first time that Valley needed to increase revenue, through patient turnover to pay for the Renewal.

It is also interesting that the traffic study was conveniently undertaken one year after the “Renewal” presentation, after Pascack Valley had closed and had traffic increased. This means that the traffic study is flawed as it was calculated on the wrong baseline.

STOP PRESS - Public Hearing to begin on June 2nd at BF Middle School

The planning board has announced that it intends to hold public hearings about the proposed changes to the Master Plan on June 2nd and 8th at BF Middle School. The board also plans to make the draft wording avialble to the public by May 19th.

Village Releases a Status Report on the Valley Hospital Project

On April 13, a report was posted on the Village website on the status of the Valley Hopsital Project. The report outlines the opportunities that the public will have to comment in the future process. http://www.ridgewoodnj.net/main.cfm?ArticleID=665

Planning Board to meet to finalize DRAFT ammendments, before public hearing

The Planning Board will be devoting the entire agenda of its regularly scheduled meeting on April 21st to the finalization of the DRAFT amendment to the Master Plan concerning the H-Zone. The meeting will be held in Village Hall at 7:30pm. Traffic issues and the timetable & procedures for the public hearing will also be discussed.  As of April 7, the Board had not received word from the County about its position regarding the proposed intersection upgrade to Linwood and Van Dien Ave. At the invitation of the Planning Board chairman, CRR has provided the board with comprehensive recommendations on how the public hearings should be conducted.

County proposal for upgrading Linwood Ave and Van Dien Ave

The draft plan that is being considered would add a right-turn lane from Van Dien Ave into Linwood East and a right-turn lane from Linwood West into North Van Dien Ave. HosptialIntersectionMarch302009Design.pdf

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