20230713 - CBDAC Minutes

Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC)

Meeting Minutes – July 13, 2023         In-person meeting 8:30 – 10:00am

Members Present: Police Chief Forest Lyons, Glenn Carlough, Pamela Perron (Village Council liaison), Jordan Kaufman (CBDAC Chair), Rebecca Tatlock, Phil Davis (Chamber liaison), Stephen Del Percio, Tom Hillmann, Steve Aspero.

Guests Present: Nina & Andy McGonnell, Cavan Sieckowski, Tony Damiano, Jeanne Johnson

Administrative Matters: Glenn moved to approve the minutes of the June 8, 2023 CBDAC meeting.  Tom seconded. The members unanimously approved the minutes.  Jordan announced that he is moving to HoHoKus in August.  Pamela thanked him for his leadership to date. 

Welcome:  CBDAC welcomed Ridgewood’s new Police Chief, Forest Lyons.  Chief Lyons lives in Ridgewood and has children in the school system.  With several new sergeants and lieutenants, Chief Lyons said the police force is focused on being present for residents and improving traffic enforcement.  He outlined what the police do, including patroling the CBD.  Further, he described challenges, such as the time-consuming review of videocam footage. 

Public Comment:  Guests expressed interest in beautification and upkeep of the CBD.  Residents might donate to that effort if they knew how.  Maybe set up a GoFundMe or a charitable organization (Venmo, QR code).   Tony Damiano responded that the Ridgewood Guild is raising money for holiday decorations. 

         Guests further noted the need for a better mix of retailers.  Some storefronts are unkempt.  The buildings need painting.  Engage the property owners. 

Updates:

Council: Pamela summarized Village matters including the arrival of our new Village Manager, Keith Kazmark.

Chamber of Commerce: Phil reported that CoC Board members are now required to volunteer for a subcommittee.  The Car Show Sept 8^th still on track starting @ 6pm.

Ridgewood Guild: Tony (filling in for Trish Manzo) advised that the Guild expanded its Board by three positions.  Movies in the Park are scheduled for three more evenings and the Music Fest is scheduled for September 9.  The Oktoberfest is set for the second weekend of October on the west side of town. 

Pedestrian Tunnel:  Jeanne said the tunnel needs more significant maintenance than just painting.  Therefore, the Village Engineer will have to contact the historic preservation architects, Connelly & Hickey. 

Special Improvement District:  Jordan reported that the SID subcommittee met again with Stuart Koperweis of Economic Development Strategists, LLC and felt that this was the right firm to conduct the feasibility study.  The group discussed how long the study would take and how much it would cost. 

Pedestrian Plaza Impressions Discussion:

         Phil calculated that, based on his shop’s numbers, the Ped Plaza has been successful, but the weather is a key factor.  He thought it unrealistic to expect the same level of foot traffic as we saw during COVID. Steve Aspero said young couples rave about Ped Plaza, but perhaps limit the streets that are closed, i.e., reduce the size.  Steve DelPercio pointed out the brutally hot days; nevertheless, families love it – especially the kidddie water tables.  The bouncy houses were less popular.  His family would not be going to the Ped Plaza every week.  Moreover, parking is difficult Saturday nights.  Tom felt the street closures go too far.  In addition, the lack of signage on the barriers was off-putting to customers.  Rebecca observed that the Ped Plaza has been great for her three-year-old; however, she wished for retailers who spoke more to her grown up tastes.  She did not anticipate that her family would be going week after week.  Tony was disappointed that the Pedestrian Plaza had not brought more foot traffic to Oak and Chestnut Streets.  Pamela objected to the noise of the inflatables’ generators. 

         Guests’ observations:  Cavan loves to eat outdoors; but the corrals need improvement.  She agreed the vendors are not relevant.  She also observed that things are too spread out.  Jeanne felt that we should have targeted the nearby towns more and aimed for more high-end branding.  Just do the first weekend of the month.  Andy suggested more advertising would have helped.  Nina suggested reducing the frequency. 

The next CBDAC meeting will be Thursday, September 14, in person 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. in the Senior Lounge at Village Hall.

Respectfully submitted by: Pamela Perron