Ridgewood May 18, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 9 Parking ordinance approved; revisions still possible by John Koster The Ridgewood Council has adopted a parking ordinance change that aims to take some of the pressure off all factions in Ridgewood’s chronic parking congestion. Village officials have left open the option to study any aspects of the ordinance that might cause issues for the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce. “There is no panacea in terms of parking,” said Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche. “I think we have to balance the needs of the shoppers and the commuters. If this doesn’t work out in three months or six months, we’ll come back and tweak it.” “I promise it won’t take us a year to re-examine this if you think it’s affecting your business,” Mayor Keith Killion said to Tom Hillman, one of the people who represented the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce at the meeting. Hillman said the Chamber foresees a problem. Members believe that 12-hour meters in lots will encourage use by outof-town commuters, and that this will push employees who use the long-term lots into street parking spaces, impacting shoppers who use street parking while they are dining or shopping. Killion and the council acknowledged that the ordinance might not be perfect, but they said they had to do something substantive instead of the fits and starts that have categorized Ridgewood parking reform, according to Riche, since the days of the Model A Ford. “We’ve been haggling with this for what seems like five years, even though I’ve only been on the council for six months,” Councilman Stephen Wellinghorst said. He added that it was time to act. Councilman Paul Aronsohn suggested an economic study of one of the lots and a comparison of what other towns do, but Mayor Killion responded, “I’m sorry, but I can’t get into what Alaska does for its parking or what Newark does for its parking...if we go down that track we’re going to do an economic study of the whole problem.” In the end, Aronsohn voted with the rest of the council to adopt, and perhaps later amend, the parking ordinance. One tweak took place at the May 11 meeting. The section on the Broad Street lot was amended so the spaces will be available for two hours at a time rather than three hours. This amendment will be advertised and voted so the whole ordinance can take effect May 31. The ordinance as originally worded had created a three-hour parking zone on both sides of the Broad Street Annex, the entire area at the west end of East Ridgewood Avenue on the flank of the downtown business district. The adopted ordinance also creates 12hour commuter parking at the entire Cottage Place lot between Franklin Avenue and East Ridgewood Avenue from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with 30 additional parking spaces at the Cottage Place Annex. The ordinance provides 12-hour metered spaces at a number of other locations. The train station will have approximately 112 parking spaces between Garber Square and Hudson Street and the railroad bed. The Hudson Street lot at the corner of Hudson Street and South Broad Street will offer 35 spaces. The former fire station at Hudson Street between South Broad Street and Prospect Street will offer 37 spaces. Metered parking will also be available for 12-hour increments along Prospect Street near Van Neste Square, from the corner of Franklin Avenue and North Walnut Street and on Walnut Street. The closest 44 spaces to Chestnut Street at the Chestnut Street lot would also be designated as 12-hour spaces, as would the 25 spaces in the southeast corner of the Chestnut Street lot. ������������ �� �������������������������������� � Proms, Graduations, Weddings and Summer Days With Our Summer TeethWhitening Specials 20% Off Your Choice of Lyons becomes police lieutenant Dr. Philip Schwartz D.M.D. Administrator • ZOOM 2 - One office visit • Custom Made Bleaching Trays - Do at home • Professional Sheer Whitening Strips Do at home Caring for our community for over twenty years Ridgewood Police Sergeant Forest Lyons has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. The promotion took place at the Ridgewood Village Council’s May 11 public meeting. Ridgewood Mayor Keith Killion, a former police captain, administered the oath. A college graduate, Lyons has served nine years as a Ridgewood police officer and made sergeant about four years ago. 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