Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • December 18, 2013 Area Ridgewood officials explain board’s responsibilities by John Koster Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli told resident Boyd Loving that they understand his concern, but also understand the legal position of the Ridgewood Planning Board, which has repeatedly told residents they could not comment on some aspects of recent applications. Loving said he understands that Ridgewood resi- dents who sat through a lengthy meetings, first about the Valley Hospital expansion proposal and then about the community development areas, were not allowed to address any concerns that had not been covered by hired professional experts who spoke at the meetings. (The hospital and community development area hearings are still in progress.) “We’re all taxpayers,” Loving said. “We’re all entitled to the same respect. This needs to be straightened out.” Mayor Aronsohn said that while he sympathized with the residents and understood Loving’s concern, there is a legal issue. The Ridgewood Planning Board is a quasi-judicial board that must function under state regulations, and comments about matters not brought up at the formal hearings are seen by some legalists as inappropriate. Pucciarelli, who is an attorney, supported Aronsohn’s statement. The council, on the other hand, allows residents to speak on any matter they wish to address at both the beginning and the end of public meetings. Citizens may also comment on individual ordinances at the time of the adoption hearings. Loving agreed to disagree. He felt that residents and taxpayers who sat through the lengthy, often repetitious meetings should have the right to comment on any aspect of planning that could affect their lives. Stopping resi- dents from discussing anything not covered by immedi- ate expert testimony, he said, was inappropriate. “It’s frustrating,” Loving said. “It’s a disgrace.” Super Pass to speed travel during Super Bowl Week In conjunction with the Christie administration’s ongoing preparations to welcome and safely transport hundreds of thousands of visitors across the Garden State for Super Bowl XLVIII, NJ TRANSIT announced the launch of a commemorative, unlimited ride SUPER PASS that will speed travel for customers utilizing the agency’s transit system throughout Super Bowl Week. “The Garden State is ready to welcome the world to Super Bowl XLVIII,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Our administration’s SUPER PASS will further speed their travels and offer the flexibility to utilize the entire NJ TRANSIT system throughout Super Bowl Week.” The SUPER PASS is now available to the general public via online orders only at njtransit.com/superbowl through Jan. 20, 2014. The 4 1/8 x 5 1/2 inch SUPER PASS will be printed on card-type stock with lanyard capability for convenient use. “This is the first ‘Mass Transit Super Bowl,’ and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with Governor Christie and NJ TRANSIT to offer this convenient, cost-effective pass to efficiently and safely transport hundreds of thousands of visitors to events in New Jersey and across the region during Super Bowl Week and for the game itself,” said Al Kelly, Jr., CEO of the New York-New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee. Super Bowl XLVIII will be played at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2, 2014. More than 400,000 guests are projected to visit the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region in conjunction with this mega-event, infusing an estimated $550 million into the region’s economy. NJ TRANSIT has been designated by the NFL and the New York-New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee as the lead transpor- tation agency for this important event. “Our SUPER PASS will provide significant savings for those traveling to and from Newark Liberty Air- port as well as for customers planning to attend Super Bowl events, such as Media Day at Newark’s Prudential Center, the NFL’s Super Bowl Boulevard in Manhattan, or any other of the myriad of events planned near NJ TRANSIT’s service areas,” said Transportation Com- missioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman James Simpson. To support the anticipated spike in ridership between critical venues, NJ TRANSIT is currently finalizing service plans that will provide robust and convenient service on Super Bowl Sunday and throughout Super Bowl Week. These plans will be unveiled in the coming weeks. The agency is also recruiting and training and will deploy more than 800 NJ TRANSIT Employee Ambas- sadors across the system during Super Bowl Week. The agency also is completing critical infrastructure improvements in Secaucus that will support Super Bowl-related transportation operations and events well after Super Bowl XLVIII. Rail platform extensions will permit the use of longer, higher-capacity trains to and from MetLife Stadium. A new bus service area will also triple bus capacity, which will further enhance Meadow- lands-area bus operations. “NJ TRANSIT is ready to welcome the legions of Super Bowl visitors to the Garden State, and we look forward to providing them with a safe, efficient, and (continued on page 23)