Special Public Meeting Minutes 20160112

A SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE AUDITORIUM OF THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, 335 NORTH VAN DIEN AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY ON JANUARY 12, 2016 AT 7:30 P.M.

1.                   CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE – MOMENT OF SILENCE             

Mayor Aronsohn called the meeting to order at 7:33 P.M. on January 12, 2016 and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act.  At roll call, the following were present:  Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon and Mayor Aronsohn.  Also present were Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney; and Robert Rooney, Village Chief Financial Officer. 

Mayor Aronsohn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Mayor Aronsohn then asked for a moment of silence to honor the men and women in the United States Armed Forces who protect and defend our freedom every day, as well as those serving as first responders. 

2.           COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Mayor Aronsohn explained that this meeting has been called to discuss vendors who would like to perform the multi-family impact studies.  He asked if anyone from the public wished to speak.  Dave Slomin, 36 Heights Road, thanked the Village Council for rescheduling this Special Public Meeting to tonight, as the previous date was not possible for many residents to attend. Mr. Slomin said that it is a good idea to do these studies, as it is great master planning.  As a taxpayer, Mr. Slomin is glad to do the studies, because the multi-family housing will define Ridgewood for decades to come.  He said that the Village should take as much time as needed to plan for the multi-family housing, because it should be done right. The Broad Street and Ridgewood Avenue and Franklin Avenue and Broad Street intersections must be looked at because that is where the multi-family housing units are proposed to be built. 

There were no other comments from the public at this time.

3.           PRESENTATIONS BY VENDORS AND QUESTIONS/COMMENTS BY VILLAGE COUNCIL, VILLAGE          MANAGER, AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager, explained the structuring of the studies.  The potential vendors met with the Village Council on December 9, 2015 and the areas in which they would be providing studies, including:  infrastructure, fiscal, traffic, education, and realistic build-out scenarios.  During the process, input was received from Councilwoman Hauck and Councilwoman Knudsen.  She said that this has been a two to four month effort. 

Ms. Sonenfeld said that the revenue analysis was not done through the Planning Board process.  For the education piece, the fiscal impact is cost and revenue.  She noted that the traffic study was the most complex. There are also multiple build-out options.  The studies all take into account that the Hudson Street parking deck is in place and operational.  The Maser parking studies were used as well.  Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that North Walnut Street was not in the mix of areas studied, but it may be in the distant future, depending on what is built there.

Ms. Sonenfeld explained that she, Mr. Rooney, and Blais Brancheau, the Village Planner interviewed the vendors, and they are all credible consultants.  She explained that tonight, only one consultant firm will present at a time, and those who are waiting will be in another room. 

A.      HEYER, GRUEL & ASSOCIATES

The first contractor to present was Fred Heyer, Principal, of the firm.  He said that they perform fiscal and school analyses for over fifty municipalities.  Mr. Heyer said that for the impact assessment, the number of children in the schools is generated.  His firm’s strength is that they go deeper and evaluate the studies and do studies.

Councilman Pucciarelli asked what else constitutes revenue.  Mr. Heyer explained that it is the secondary impact to the activity of the municipality, such as employment or permanent jobs.  Mr. Heyer explained that when the tax surplus is beyond the costs, then sometimes there is a reduction in State aid, which is a negative consequence.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that this firm did not include infrastructure fees.

Councilman Sedon asked if the school impact is standard and then localized.  Mr. Heyer said that it has to be localized, because the lower the rent, the more likely there will be children of school age living in the multi-family housing.  He also said that if people wish to stay in the municipality and sell their homes, then this also adds more children to the schools. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked if there is a formula about how the empty nest homes are repopulated.  Mr. Heyer indicated that it is difficult to get an exact number on this. 

Councilwoman Hauck asked how many municipalities hire consultants when they have an in-house professional Planner.  Mr. Heyer said that a second look from an outside firm, even if there is an in-house Planner.  Councilwoman Hauck asked if the consultants come up with a different conclusion than the in-house Planner, whose opinion is used.  Mr. Heyer said that it is important to get an outside Planner who is a specialist, and this is not an uncommon practice.  Councilwoman Hauck asked if people do not believe the studies done by contractors.  Mr. Heyer said that if people are critical of the studies, then there might be incorrect assumptions.  Councilwoman Hauck said that she believes that one-half of the population will refute studies done by inside or outside consultants.

Mayor Aronsohn asked about the secondary effects of fiscal impact.  Mr. Heyer said it depends on the unit sizes, the unit types, and the rental price.  Mayor Aronsohn said that commercial space may be used.  Mr. Heyer said that he would need to have the assumptions on the property and then he would need to learn which option would be evaluated.

Mayor Aronsohn asked for an example of a study that was completed and it was incorrect.  Mr. Heyer said that there was one study done for a school system and it was said that the past would predict the future.  Mr. Heyer said that this is not always the case, and the past trend cannot always be used as an indicator of the future. Mr. Heyer said that if a municipality has a lot of divorces, then there is a lot of downsizing going one.  So schools tend to grow when the residents of towns downsize. 

Ms. Sonenfeld indicated that the build-out must be discussed between Mr. Brancheau and the consultants.  Councilwoman Knudsen said that for the school impact, the school attributes must be taken into account.  Mr. Heyer said that it would take out certain costs.

B.      MASER CONSULTING

The next firm to present was Rick Roseberry and Jeff Diori of Maser Consulting for traffic impact.  Mr. Diori said that traffic count data would be collected for one week on peak and off-peak hours.  There will be eight points where the traffic data will be collected.   Mr. Roseberry said that the data will show how many cars travel in and out of the Village. They will then look at zoning and a trip generation model, so that they can better define the study area.  Mr. Diori said that they will do actual traffic counts, with capacity analysis.  Mr. Roseberry said that different uses on the sites for multi-family housing will be analyzed.  They will come up with a recommendation on traffic mitigation.  Mr. Roseberry indicated that they will meet with the Village Council during the entire process. 

Mr. Roseberry said that Maser Consulting did a traffic analysis for the Hudson Street parking deck, and that will be added into their study; however, it will still be an independent study. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked if Maser Consulting has ever told a municipality that too much development is being planned.  Mr. Diori said that they have done that in the past.  Councilwoman Knudsen stated that Broad Street and Hudson Street is closed to the Dayton Street project, so they must assume that the Hudson Street parking deck is already built, and then they take the volumes and grow it.  Mr. Diori said that they factor the improvements into their analysis. 

Councilman Pucciarelli asked if more density means more traffic.  Mr. Diori said that many millennials do not want a car; they use public transportation and will be able to do so because these developments are close to the bus and train stations. 

Councilman Pucciarelli asked if there is a difference in traffic if there are 25 units/acre versus 35 units/acre.  Mr. Diori said that they will perform a sensitivity test on these two numbers. 

Councilman Pucciarelli said that Maser Consulting’s proposal is an a la carte menu of pricing and asked if there is a fixed pricing.  Mr. Roseberry said that there is no fixed pricing because they don’t know how many intersections will be impacted until they collect the traffic data.  Once they know how many intersections will be studied, they will have a more accurate price for the Village. 

Councilwoman Hauck asked if the timeline had been given to the consultants.  Mr. Roseberry said that they were told the deadline was the end of February. 

Councilman Sedon said that Maser Consulting has done a lot of work in the Village of Ridgewood already, and he wondered if they felt it gave them an advantage.  Mr. Diori reiterated that they are going to do a new analysis, but they will use some of their previous data as well. 

Councilman Sedon asked what would be helpful for their future planning.  Mr. Diori said that they would meet with Mr. Brancheau to see if it is a two-year, a five-year or a ten-year build-out.  In this way, they will be able to determine which intersections will be alright in five or ten years.  Mr. Diori explained that they will be looking to see the growth of traffic and the ability for certain intersections to process traffic in the future years.  Mr. Diori said that if there is a change of use on a property, then it will change the distribution and the flow of traffic. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked for peak travel times do they take into account Mt. Carmel Church, because the intersections by the church are busy between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.  Mr. Diori explained that the traffic counters are on 24/7 collecting data.   Mr. Diori said that they have flexibility as to where they will be placing the traffic counters. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked if there will be traffic counters on Franklin Avenue and Walnut Street.  Mr. Roseberry said that the traffic counters will be at the intersections of the four development sites, and on Hudson Street and South Broad Street because of the parking deck.  Mayor Aronsohn said that at this time, the Village has no idea what will be built on North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue.

C.      ROSS HABER ASSOCIATES

Ross Haber, of Ross Haber Associates, was the presenter.  This contractor performs school impact studies. 

Mr. Haber said that he will be performing the education impact study.  He has just completed a study for the Ridgewood Public Schools for a projected student enrollment study.  Mr. Haber said that he has done educational studies since 1995, and that prior to that, he was a teacher and a high school principal so he comes to this with an educator’s viewpoint.  He will be studying the multi-family housing impact on school enrollment.  This will include looking at the classrooms available, how it will impact support programs, how it would affect the budget, and whether additional crossing guards are needed.

Mr. Haber said that the data he is looking at is the current enrollment for the Ridgewood Public schools, the specific locations of the developments and the types of units, such as whether they are age restricted.  He said he will be able to make a good guess as to the number of affordable units.  He will also look at the current school budget and the current tax levy.  Mr. Haber said that there is a projection of students and then he will come up with a multiplier. 

Councilman Sedon said that there is a difference between a more desirable versus a less desirable school district to draw families with children into the municipality and draw more students to the schools.  It can be based on test scores and an optimal class size, which is 19-21 students per class.  Mr. Haber agreed that they want children in a nice environment. 

Councilwoman Hauck asked about the data to be used and the variables.  She asked for the number of anticipated children, if Mr. Haber looks at the number of units per acre for the multi-family housing.

Mr. Haber said that for the yield factor, Ridgewood statistics must be applied to it, and it is a balance.  Councilwoman Hauck said that people want something pertinent to Ridgewood, and low price points tend to attract more school children.  Mr. Haber said that the yield numbers are close.  Councilwoman Hauck stated that the school population has gone up and down over the years.  Mr. Haber said that Ridgewood has a shrinking school because there are fewer classrooms due to special needs education, I.T., and other factors. 

Councilman Pucciarelli said that he heard Mr. Haber’s presentation before the Ridgewood Board of Education where he presented data and noted the structures themselves.  Councilman Pucciarelli asked if there are 20 units/acre versus 30 units/acre will there be one-third less impact on the school system.  Mr. Haber explained that it depends on the variety of units built.

Councilwoman Knudsen said that concerning use of space in schools, there are more course offerings in schools today than there were in the 1970s.  She also asked if Mr. Haber works with other consultants.  Mr. Haber said it depends how the schools design for children.  Councilwoman Knudsen asked if a family with two children will generate more cars.  Mr. Haber said that all of the consultants hired will share information. 

D.      THE RBA GROUP

The next consultant to present was Gordon Meth, from the RBA Group, who would be performing a traffic study.  Mr. Meth said that he has looked at the traffic studies for the Hudson Street parking deck.  Mr. Meth said that as far as the multi-family developments, two of them will have between 90-100 units and others will have 60 units. 

Mr. Meth said that five intersections have been looked at, but he thinks that Broad Street, Oak Street, Chestnut Street, and Franklin Avenue should also be studied.  He also stated that Chestnut Street and Prospect Street is an odd intersection.  Mr. Meth said that these will be compared to their highest and best use.  Mr. Meth indicated that his traffic study will have to include Saturday, because there is a high traffic volume on that day.  Mr. Meth stated that pedestrian safety and circulation will be looked at and parking demand specific to Ridgewood.

Mr. Meth said that he has a P.E. in Traffic Engineering as well as a professional Planner and he did the Valley Hospital traffic studies.  He said that he uses video technology for the traffic data collection which is analyzed by 20 support people he has back in his office. 

Councilwoman Knudsen noted that the traffic study is four to five years old.   Mr. Meth said that consultant should not use traffic studies more than three years old, because patterns can change over time.  Councilwoman Knudsen wondered if there were discrepancies in the traffic counts used for Valley Hospital at the intersection of Ridgewood Avenue and Van Dien Avenue. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked if the video system of traffic counts is better than an automatic traffic counting system where there are tubes on the roads.  Mr. Meth said that with video technology, a fish-eye lens is used and the video counts the cars.  He said that the video can be viewed to see if the video count is accurate.  He said that it is good to be able to view traffic in several locations during the same timeframe on the videos. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked if pedestrian circulation would be included in his study.  Mr. Meth said that his study will include both pedestrians and bicycles. 

Councilman Pucciarelli said that the status quo is not a good baseline.  He said that the Village wants a comparison of alternatives.  He asked if the timing of traffic lights could be discussed.  Mr. Meth said that in the CBD, ninety seconds is a long time at a traffic light, and it should be about sixty to seventy-five seconds instead. 

Councilman Pucciarelli asked Mr. Meth if he will be studying five intersections.  Mr. Meth said that he will be studying ten intersections, all at once.  He reiterated that he will also be looking at traffic on Saturday.

Councilman Sedon asked if over the course of his data collection, if Mr. Meth will add more intersections to his study.  Mr. Meth said he will do so, and within the current budget he has presented. Councilwoman Knudsen indicated that South Broad Street and Hudson Street, as well as South Broad Street and Passaic Street should be added.  Mr. Meth said that they were not listed because they pertain to the parking deck and not the multi-family housing developments.

E.       BFJ PLANNING/URBANOMICS

Mr. Rooney explained that there are three representatives present for this group, which represents all four multi-family housing impact studies.  Those presenting include Susan Favate, Georges Jacquemart (specializing in traffic engineering), and Tina Lund (from Urbanomics, specializing in economic development and socio-economic development).  Ms. Favate said that twenty people work for them and Urbanomics shares space with BFJ Planning. 

Tina Lund, from Urbanomics, explained that she has performed fiscal and school impact studies in Jersey City as well as a school study in Port Chester, NY.  Ms. Favate said that she worked in Westchester County on various projects and has looked at how zoning changes affect development. Mr. Jacquemart worked on traffic studies at Princeton University and in White Plains. 

Ms. Favate said that the group is a great combination of talents and they are used to working to find the cumulative impacts of various developments.  She said that they will give fresh perspectives on how they can move forward. 

Ms. Favate said that she will work with staff and the Village Planner to look at the four areas to be developed with multi-family housing with three different zoning districts.  The questions that will be asked include:  what if there were more retail or restaurants and what if there were more mixed use.  She will also look at the Ken Smith lot to see how it could be developed under the current zoning. 

Ms. Lund said that she will look at the previous study done about the number of children in the school district.  She will also look at the school budget and the Village budget, because there are economies of scale.  In addition, the community facilities will be studied. 

Mr. Jacquemart said that he will look at the existing traffic studies, and then he will look at three additional intersections, for a total of nine intersections.  He said that the intersections will be studied with both the existing and future zoning changes.  Mr. Jacquemart said that he will work with the Village staff, but more time and more money will be needed if the Village Council wants to look at more than nine intersections. 

Mr. Jacquemart said that all of these studies can be done in one office.  He explained that they are very good at developing future scenarios, because they are a small firm where the principals of the firm are involved.  They consistently finish on time and on budget.  

Councilman Sedon asked if all of the disciplines work together.  Mr. Jacquemart said that all of the studies are connected to one another.  Ms. Lund said that this is an iterative process and since all of the consultants are in-house, they can all work together for time savings. 

Councilwoman Hauck said that the consultants saw the build-out analysis and she wondered if there is an add-on for a ripple effect study, because she is interested in metrics.  Ms. Lund said that they need a reasonable development scenario.  They need to study what the balance is between tax revenues and costs. 

Councilman Pucciarelli said that this group does all four of the proposals, from the revenue side to facility and infrastructure.  Ms. Lund said that they also do an economic analysis.  Councilman Pucciarelli said that this is a necessary analysis, because on the expense side there is a cost to the Village.  There will be a tipping point when one more resident will cause the Village to hire another Fire Fighter.  Ms. Favate said that they will also look at the population change and work with the Department Directors for water and sewer to see what upgrades are planned. 

Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the traffic impact study and said that the Village is hiring new consultants in order to get a new set of eyes on this issue.  She wondered why old traffic data would be used and if it is related to cost.  Mr. Jacquemart said that a traffic study was done for the Hudson Street parking deck from 2011-2014.  There will be additional street counts done.  Mr. Jacquemart explained that they will determine the peak traffic periods and the pedestrian traffic must also be taken into consideration. 

4.           VILLAGE COUNCIL COMMENTS

Mayor Aronsohn asked about thoughts and next steps.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that she will leave it up to the Village Council to discuss, because all of the consultants were credible.  She said that she could also provide the Village Council with the team’s recommendations.  Mayor Aronsohn said that the resolutions will be provided for tomorrow night’s Village Council Public Meeting.  He asked for thoughts from the Village Council on the presentations.

Councilman Sedon said that for the traffic study, he liked The RBA Group, because they will also look at bicycles and pedestrians.  He thought that Mr. Meth would be flexible in his analysis.  Councilman Sedon said that it was difficult to determine a price for Maser Consulting, since all of the prices were a la carte.  Councilman Sedon said that he also like BFJ/Urbanomics because they would save time in working together.  He felt that the traffic presentation from BFJ/Urbanomics was weak, so he would hire them for the other three studies and then The RBA Group for the traffic study. 

Councilwoman Hauck said that she liked BFJ/Urbanomics because they could look at the build-out.  She liked The RBA Group for the traffic study. 

Councilman Pucciarelli said that he liked Ross Haber Associates for the education study.  He said that he liked BFJ/Urbanomics because they will use the data for fiscal and community facilities.  Councilman Pucciarelli said that he liked The RBA Group because Gordon Meth will take a fresh look at the traffic in the area.

Councilwoman Knudsen agreed that The RBA Group is outstanding and will do a great job on the traffic study.  She also agreed that Ross Haber Associates should be hired for the education study.  Councilwoman Knudsen thought that Heyer, Gruel & Associates would be best for the fiscal and infrastructure study.

Mayor Aronsohn liked The RBA Group for the traffic study.  He would choose Ross Haber Associates for the education study, and BFJ/Urbanomics for the fiscal and community services study.

Ms. Sonenfeld said that the team, which included her, Mr. Rooney, and Mr. Brancheau, recommends the RBA Group for traffic; Ross Haber Associates for education; and BFJ/Urbanomics for the financial impact.  She said that she is not clear that they will be hired for the infrastructure study, because she thinks that they are overpriced.  Ms. Sonenfeld explained that the infrastructure study can be done through the data which has been collected by Village employees. 

Councilman Pucciarelli stated that the first and last presenters were weak, in his opinion.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that she liked BFJ/Urbanomics because they will do the build-out scenarios and get it right.  Councilwoman Knudsen agreed and stated that BFJ/Urbanomics has experience with affordable housing in other areas. 

Mr. Rooney stated that BFJ/Urbanomics will be the lead agency.  He thought that The RBA Group would be the best for traffic, because it will be realistic, with the video traffic counts.  He also thought that Ross Haber Associates was good. 

Mayor Aronsohn summed it up by stating that BFJ/Urbanomics will be used for the fiscal analysis, the community analysis and the build-out analysis. Ross Haber Associates will be used for the education analysis, and The RBA Group will be hired for the traffic analysis.

Mayor Aronsohn said that he does not want to micro-manage what the consultants do.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that she will keep on top of them, so that they finish on time.  She also stated that these studies will have to be budgeted.  Councilwoman Hauck asked where they money should come from, and Mayor Aronsohn said that this information would also be valuable to the Planning Board.  Mr. Rogers said that this is a Village Council exercise, so it may be allocated to the Village Council budget. 

5.           COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Martin Walker, 114 Cottage Place, thanked the Village Council for holding this meeting.  He said that poor planning occurs when there is a failure to see the future.   He said that all of the studies are framed around the vision of what Ridgewood should be, so they will be beneficial. 

Mr. Walker stated that most people want to live in Ridgewood, and what must be determined is what makes them want to continue to live in Ridgewood.  He said that he liked how the traffic study will include pedestrians and bicycles because Ridgewood is a Complete Streets community.  He is worried that the Village Planner is not pro-active enough with the Complete Streets protocol. 

Mr. Walker is concerned how to plan the education study, due to the probable increase in special education students.  He wondered how he consultants will find out what the special education demand will be. 

Mr. Walker said that he wonders what the Village Council’s view is of what the Village will look like in the future.  He thinks it should include equal numbers of grandparents, parents, and children. 

Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that the Village Planner is not responsible for Complete Streets.  The Engineering Division and the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee is responsible for Complete Streets. 

Bill McCandless, 71 Ridge Road, said that the parking deck was considered built and operational.  He asked what level is for the commuters and that commuters should be looked at in the analysis being done.  He said that the intersection of North Monroe Avenue and West Ridgewood Avenue should be looked at by the consultants, because there are many traffic backups in that area. 

Ms. Sonenfeld said that all of the consultants will look at the Garber Square area, and stated that there is a huge amount of traffic at the North Monroe Avenue/Godwin Avenue/Lincoln Avenue intersections. 

Ellen McNamara, 120 West Ridgewood Avenue, said that the Village Council should listen to the consultants’ prior experience in other municipalities.  She noted that the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone was not considered.  She was happy tonight, because the education studies were not just based on the Rutgers studies.  Ms. McNamara said that she wants an overall vision and plan for the future of the Village of Ridgewood.  This will help the multi-family housing projects to move forward. 

Lorraine Reynolds, 550 Wyndemere Avenue, said that Gordon Meth explained that he will spend a few days collecting data, and she wondered what days will he do so.  She said that seven days seems better, and the Village Council should ask him to add more days to his traffic study.  Ms. Reynolds said that Saturdays and Sundays are huge traffic days because of the restaurants and the services at Mt. Carmel Church.  She said that Mr. Meth should also be asked about the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone, just to put it in his mind.  Ms. Reynolds said that the Village should tell Mr. Meth not to do the traffic study during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and not during February break for the schools.  She is concerned, because January and February are probably the least traveled months of the year, due to the cold weather and possible snow.  In addition, many residents go to Florida in the winter, so there is not as much traffic.

Saurabh Dani, 390 Bedford Road, thanked the Village Council for doing these multi-family housing impact studies.  He noted that of the five groups this evening, only one did an impact study on water, Police, and Fire.  Mr. Dani said that Mr. Meth should be asked for NJDOT accommodations.  He is concerned because the North Walnut Redevelopment Zone was not considered. 

Ms. Sonenfeld said that she brought up 100 to 50 who are not consultants????? She noted that adding the North Walnut Redevelopment Zone to the studies will be at an additional cost.  She emphasized that the consultants this evening are experts.  She said that the Village experts may present the information on infrastructure.

Mayor Aronsohn said that one reason that the North Walnut Redevelopment Zone was not included in these studies is that it may not be developed. 

Bill McKay, 231 Avondale Road, said that more commuters will be added to the busses and trains through the multi-family housing, since they are located so close to public transportation.  He asked that the commuters be taken into account in these studies.

Enid Joseph, 17 North Murray Avenue, said that the traffic study must be done.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that the Maser study was done to evaluate the previous traffic study.  She said that if more intersections are added, then it will cost more money.  Ms. Sonenfeld said that The RBA Group will provide fresh traffic study data. 

Ms. Joseph asked why these studies should be rushed.  There are water issues, but perhaps the multi-family housing developments could recycle their water.  Mayor Aronsohn said that there is a strict timeframe due to the affordable housing issues. 

Ms. Joseph said that it seems that the parking deck on Hudson Street was pushed forwards.  Mayor Aronsohn explained that the parking deck was done in a deliberate way. 

John Saraceno, 17 Coventry Court, said that E-Consult has provided a report on the number of affordable housing units are realistic for Ridgewood, so the Village should move forward.  Mr. Rogers explained that the E-Consult report was issued on December 30, 2015 and the number of affordable housing units required for Ridgewood is higher than anticipated.  He is working with the Planning Board Attorney and the Village Planner.  Mr. Rogers further explained that due to the court order that the Village is currently under, the Village has until the end of March 2016 to adopt the housing element of the Master Plan.  Mr. Rogers stated that he must explain to the court, on a monthly basis, the progress that has been made in this regard.  By doing these interim reports which must show progress, the court will allow the Village to move forward in good faith and will protect the Village’s immunity from lawsuits being filed by developers or Fair Share Housing. 

Mr. Saraceno asked if the Planning Board is working on the housing element.  Councilwoman Knudsen explained that the Planning Board will continue to work on it in February.

Melanie McWilliams, 431 Bogert Avenue, asked why these studies have to be done during this time of the year and why there is such a rush to get them done.  She asked if the traffic study will be postponed if there is snow. 

Ms. McWilliams said Councilwoman Knudsen indicated that the housing plan will be worked on in February.  She asked where the affordable housing is going, where it will end up, and how it will be built.  She said as far as the studies are concerned, if there is no rush, then the traffic studies should be done in the spring.  Ms. Sonenfeld replied that the consultants being hired for the traffic studies are experts, and they will do the studies when they think it is best to do so.  Councilman Pucciarelli agreed that the experts should do the studies.  Councilwoman Hauck said that once the studies are completed, they can be used for the Village’s affordable housing needs. 

Rick Boesch, 64 Park Slope, said that this was a good meeting and the study is framed in a vision in the Master Plan.  The solutions coming out of the impact studies must remain solutions for five years or ten years.  He asked how the Master Plan will get the Village to where it will be in the future.

6.           ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Village Council at the Special Public Meeting, on a motion by Mayor Aronsohn, seconded by Councilwoman Hauck, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Special Public Meeting was adjourned at 11:07 P.M.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 _________________________________                                                                                                                                       Paul S. Aronsohn                                                                                                                                                                     Mayor

_________________________________                                                                                                                                 Heather A. Mailander                                                                                                                                                          Village Clerk