20230209 - CBDAC Minutes
Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC)
Meeting Minutes – February 9th, 2023
Thursday, February 9th, 2023 8:30 – 10:00 am Held by ZOOM
Members Present: Tom Hillmann; Jacqueline Luthcke (Chief of Police); Stacey Tsapatsaris; Glenn Carlough; Pam Perron (VC liaison); Steve Aspero; Jordan Kaufman (CBDAC Chair); Stephen Del Percio; Anastasia Bamberg (CSAC liaison); Trish Manzo (Ridgewood Guild); Kathryn Schmidt; Rebecca Tatlock (new member);Phil Davis (Chamber liaison)
Guests present: Paul Vagianos, Kerry White (President of Newcomers), Jeanne Johnson, Kathryn Schmidt, David Rosen, Justine Kaufman
Administration CBDAC approved the January 12, 2023 meeting minutes. Jordan introduced our new CBDAC member, Rebecca Tatlock, who recently moved to town.
Updates
- Village Council -- Pam
o The owner of La Casita has passed away and the store will be closing.
o The Village has filed a condemnation complaint to acquire the unsightly Town Garage on Franklin Ave.
o The Kissing Ball hanging ornaments have been found and hopefully can be reused this coming holiday season.
o Council passed two bond ordinances to build PFAS treatment facilities totaling of $60 million
- Chamber of Commerce -- Phil
o 100th anniversary this year. The plan is to be more “strategic” in 2023 and also get more people involved with the Chamber this year.
o Paula Gavin has been a great resource to help with planning – she will also talk to CBDAC. She is a civic leadership consultant who works across New Jersey with similar towns/organizations.
- Guild -- Trish
o The Guild is starting to work on its events for the year. The Guild wanted the committee to know how much one of the free events costs: “Movies in the Park,” for instance, costs $4,050.00 to produce. With movie royalties jumping to $375.00 per film.
- CSAC -- Anastasia
o In the area around Garber Square (Godwin & W. Ridgewood Ave) no one is taking care of the bushes that are obstructing the view.
o Could we redesign the length of the crosswalks -bike lane area?
o Could a sub-committee be formed to discuss the bump-outs? Jordan suggested a joint subcommittee between CSAC and CBDAC.
- Train Station Pedestrian Tunnel Subcommittee -- Jeanne
o Jeanne is very excited about the 23 submissions of artists who responded and who want to get involved with the tunnel design. Art teachers, high school students, and people from the community are very enthusiastic.
o The Ridgewood Arts Foundation is very involved in making this project happen.
o The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) approval is needed for the artwork (the tunnel is from 1913).
Discussion
- Prioritizing the Master Plan Downtown Recommendations.
o Steve Aspero and Jordan Kauffman prepared a letter for CBDAC’s review before presentation to the Village Council. It outlines our top five recommendations to prioritize in the Master Plan. Jordan briefly reviewed with us the draft letter. If we implement these five crucial recommendations, we can reclaim our status as the best downtown in Bergen County. Send any modifications to Steve Aspero and Jordan. The deadline to alter the letter’s recommendations is February 15th, midnight.
o Chief Jacqueline Luthcke announced her retirement from the Ridgewood Police force. She will still be active until April 28th. We thanked her for her many years of dedicated service to Ridgewood.
o Parking: Chief Luthcke presented the Police Department’s proposal to simplify parking downtown. The basic rule would be, you must pay for parking unless you have a hangtag or a daily pass. The rate would be $1.25/hour everywhere. Many voiced their opinions about the solutions. Should the hours be the same Monday through Saturday? Is Park Mobile making a difference? Paul pointed out that parking rates change with every 2 years with the Council. Simplicity is better.
o Jeanne brought up that the theme for the pedestrian mall could be One World- highlighting a specific heritage every weekend. One weekend it could be about Native Americans, another Irish Americans, etc.
o Jordan introduced Kerry White as the incoming President of Ridgewood Newcomers. He would like Newcomers to communicate with the Chamber and the Guild about bringing in more volunteers and learn more about the organizations who are involved in the town.
New or Old Business Kathryn is planning a CBDAC field trip to Westfield so that we can learn from their SID and from their operating procedures. If you are interested in joining, let her know. The date is to be announced.
Next CBDAC meeting is on March 9, 2023 (via Zoom)
Respectfully submitted by Trish Manzo
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