Ridgewood
March 3, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3
Council approves zone change for Broad Street
by John Koster The Ridgewood Council has approved a zone change to allow construction of a 10-unit group home for patients with Asperger’s Syndrome, despite the fact that neighbors from the Broad Street neighborhood had unanimously opposed any more special-needs housing in their section of Ridgewood. “This will be a fully, fully supervised group care home,” said West Bergen Mental Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Mike Tozzoli. He said the 10 units include space for a live-in caretaker. The building, which would require the razing of a Victorian house, could theoretically be 40 feet in height, according to Professional Planner Blaise Brancheau, who was present at last week’s meeting. Observers noted that New Jersey has few homes for patients with Asperger’s Syndrome, which is sometimes described as a milder form of autism. Neighbors, however, argued that Broad Street was being imposed on once again to accept housing that the rest of the community did not want. One neighbor who worked in the mental health field said that Asperger’s patients, while generally docile, were sometimes subject to episodes that senior citizens found very frightening. “These people who are mentally challenged have episodes where they are mentally ill,” she said. “I am totally against this.” Aesthetics and property values were also subjects of the neighbors’ concern. Some residents asked if the site of
The Ridgewood Police Department is investigating a number of burglaries and thefts from parked automobiles, including the reported theft of a diamond ring valued at $14,000. On Feb. 18, a Linwood Avenue resident reported that his open garage had been entered and his Craftsman pressure washer had been taken. Also on Feb. 18, a custodial employee of the Ridgewood Board of Education reported graffiti at the Orchard School. He had not seen any graffiti the night before when he went home, but discovered the graffiti the next morning on the exterior wall. On Feb. 19, a Grove Street resident reported that a diamond ring valued at $14,000 had been stolen some time in July 2008, but the theft had not be reported at that time because the owner was not sure whether the ring had been stolen or misplaced. The same day, an Oakland resident reported that she had
Police investigate burglaries, thefts
her car valet-parked at Valley Hospital and left her purse on the front seat. When she returned, $1,470 in cash and checks were missing. On Feb. 20, a Bogert Avenue resident reported that while the family was away during the second week in February someone had entered the home and took money and other items. On Feb. 22, a River Edge resident reported that she had parked her vehicle in the YMCA parking lot on Oak Street and, when she returned to the vehicle, she noticed that her child was able to run up to the vehicle and open the door before the woman had unlocked it. A bag containing numerous items was missing from inside the vehicle. Also on Feb. 22, a Glenwood Road resident reported that when the family returned from vacation, they found that their house had been entered. It appeared that numerous parties had been held inside the house while they were away. J. KOSTER
the abandoned Brogan Cadillac dealership could be used to cover Ridgewood’s estimated requirement of about 20 affordable spaces for group care. “There may be a time when I want to sell my property,” said Donald Richard Thomas, a lifelong resident. “I don’t know who would want to live there. If we continue this process, there’s not going to be any family residences on Broad Street. There’s absolutely no reason to change the vote at this time.” The Reverend Thomas Johnson of Mount Bethel Baptist Church, a frequent neighborhood advocate, said he had worked in mental health care for 15 years before he became a clergyman. He said the location on Broad Street was unacceptable to the community, which is already impacted by many other projects. “We are black, and we have been discriminated against all our lives,” said Arlene Gidney, a third-generation resident of Ridgewood. “We do not want this being constructed on our street.” “I’ve been a Ridgewood resident for 35 years and feel this is being shoved down out throats,” said Peter Mullano, a Broad Street resident. “I couldn’t be more upset.” “It’s just opening the door for all these other zoning (continued on page 15)
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