Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • October 9, 2013 Ridgewood Expansion opponents dislike lawyer’s interference by John Koster A number of the Ridgewood residents who oppose the plan to expand Valley Hospital walked out of last week’s meeting after Jon Drill, attorney for Valley Hospital, said the testimony of the opponents’ principal spokesman was out of order. Peter Steck, a professional planner hired by the Con- cerned Residents of Ridgewood, was interrupted a number of times at a meeting that drew almost 500 residents. Attorney Drill and Attorney Gail Price, who substantially agreed with most of his points, will reportedly meet with Attorney Michael Kates, representing Concerned Citizens of Ridgewood, to see which topics may be discussed at future meetings. Before he was limited in what he was allowed to say, Steck had argued that the surrounding homes make the Valley Hospital site a low-density area and that a building whose highest elevation would be 94 feet was not suitable for a residential neighborhood with large homes and tree- lined streets. Ridgewood officials said that, while they understand that Drill has a job to do, they could also understand the frus- tration and indignation of the residents who had retained Steck and then saw his testimony being circumscribed by objections. A previous public meeting in August was ordered terminated due to overcrowding while objectors were voicing their opinions. If the planning board concurs with Valley Hospital’s stated need to vastly expand the current building and maintain all single-patient rooms to remain competitive, the planners will have to request a change of Ridgewood’s zoning ordinance and master plan to permit the type of expansion the hospital is requesting. Planning board members are appointed and council members are elected by the public. According to some observers, an approval of the hospital’s rezoning bid after a prior rejection by the council following a previous planning board request would be political dynamite. During the last non-partisan Ridgewood election, the one candidate who unequivocally supported the Valley Hospital expansion trailed the field despite good qualifi- cations. Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, who sits on the planning board, has already said he will recuse himself from the council vote on rezoning. Residents also urged Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck, who has been involved with Valley Hospital for many years as a fund raiser and auxiliary member, to recuse herself because of her affiliation with the hospital, though she did not agree. The Valley Hospital hearings are being held at the Ben- jamin Franklin Middle School auditorium located near the hospital on Linwood Avenue. The board has scheduled two meetings at the same venue that will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 29. A semi-emergency resolution adopted by the Ridgewood Village Council opened the way for the display of a meno- rah at Van Neste Park, and opened the northwest section of the park to future display of religious symbols of other faiths. The resolution established what Mayor Paul Aronsohn defined as a “12-foot-cube,” meaning that the menorah, or any other religious symbol, could not cover more than 12 cubic feet of park space. A detailed ordinance may be introduced, advertised, and adopted after a public hearing at a date not yet chosen, but the resolution supported the wishes of a number of people that the menorah be permitted for this Chanukah season. “We had to work out some of the details,” said Mayor Aronsohn. “Matt (Village Attorney Matt Rogers) has been working on the issue.” The issue, as Aronsohn described it, was balancing the clear support from several religious groups for display of the menorah and the principle of separation of church and state, which some have interpreted at forbidding the use of public property for any religious display. (continued on page 18) Resolution includes various symbols