May 22, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Ridgewood Group urges that Schedler House be saved by John Koster The Ridgewood League of Women Voters has urged that the 1820s Schedler House be saved from demolition. The group also supports the implementation of the open space concept through the limited use of the grounds for sports fields and parking. At a recent public council meeting, Dr. Salvatore Infantino read an approved LWV statement regarding the league’s position on the house and grounds. The council took the note under advisement. Development of the property has been under consideration for some time, but Ridgewood’s financial situation has tended to put public projects on hold. “The house, built by the Zabriskie family -- one of the oldest in Bergen County -- is deeply rooted in the history of the village,” the statement said. “It sits on historic property, the site of Revolutionary War skirmishes and on property originally included in the Old Paramus Church parsonage. The league supports the preservation of historic sites under the purview of the Ridgewood Historic Preservation Commission in order to preserve valued historical characteristics of the Village of Ridgewood.” The LWV said the concept of open space supports a rural atmosphere. “We believe open spaces are to be designed for multi-use activities that include parks, paths, open fields (for organized sports and non-organized sports) and should not be created at the expense of trees, noise/sound pollution, increased traffic, and decreased neighborhood security,” the statement said. The Ridgewood Council formalized its plan to purchase the property in late 2009. The Schedler land at 460 West Saddle River Road, a tract with second-growth woodland and a single older house, was purchased for $2,700,000. The transaction was largely funded with $1.6 million in Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund money and a Ridgewood municipal bond. The Ridgewood Village Council has defeated an ordinance that had previously been continued multiple times. The voluminous ordinance had been drawn up in response to complaints by some neighbors of church activities that reportedly took place during extended hours and raised complaints of the property rights of some neighbors. The council, not having received testimony on the ordinance from various experts, continued the proposal at a number of public meetings and has now defeated it. The council also defeated an ordinance Village council drops pending noise ordinance The estate of Florence Schedler made the land available to Ridgewood as a firstchoice purchaser based on the terms of her will. The council discussed the concept at some length before deciding in principle to buy the land. Few residents opposed the purchase of the land, one of the largest comparatively undeveloped tracts left in Ridgewood. The debate came over whether to leave the wooded land as a passive park or to develop additional sports fields to take the pressure off game scheduling. The sports groups offered some money to help develop the fields, while some neighbors and other residents hoped to see minimal development. The same discussion emerged when Ridgewood purchased the 10-acre Habernickel Horse Farm. Recreation advocates pressed for as many as five sports fields, (continued on page 20) that would have prohibited left turns on West Ridgewood Avenue at the entrance to the Ridge School from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The council agreed to study the problem of frequent traffic congestion at the Ridge School parking lot for further regulation in the future. The council voted a resolution to appoint John Lukacs and former Ridgewood Planning Board member Jane Shinozuka to replace Marlene Lubinger and Alyssa Matthews to the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee for terms that will last until the end of this year. J. KOSTER