Council Unanimously OKs New Parking Ordinance, Chamber Foresees Problems

The village council was unanimous in its decision to move forward in addressing Ridgewood's parking problem, altering the fee structure and adding a new wrinkle to the plan that was approved in 2009 but had led to frustration from residents, commuters and the business community.

The new plan, which will likely take effect in June, will designate that all municipal lots are 25 cents an hour while parking rates on the streets remain 50 cents an hour in the CBD, as will the Park & Ride on Rt. 17. Saturdays will be fully enforce when the ordinance goes to effect. Additionally, parking passes for $650 will be available, which will allow pass holders to park in any lot within allowed times. The measure passed with an amendment after resident Boyd Loving noted the Broad Street Annex area cited three-hour time limits in the oridinance, though two-hour limits were the original intent.

Although the plan incorporates the majority of components the chamber of commerce was pushing for when a plan was hatched in January and spirits were high, the business community were less enthused by the ordinance passed on Wednesday night. Similarly, Councilman Paul Aronsohn, the chamber liaison, was aghast by one particular sticking point – hours of enforcement.

Councilman 'confused' by genesis of enforcement times

"I do have concerns with this relatively new development on having the meters in the parking lots from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. being enforced," the councilman said Wednesday night. Aronsohn told the other four council members he was "confused as to what the genesis of this was" because the agreed hours in January were 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the current enforcement times.

Aronsohn and Village Manager Ken Gabbert have had some arguments over the past few months as the plan has evolved.

Deputy Mayor Tom Riche defended the move, saying the plan was "always 12 hours" and based on common sense when asked what the "substantive reason" for the move was by Aronsohn.

Aronsohn also mused that Ridgewood would become perhaps the only town in the country with meters enforced starting at 6 a.m. and said that although in a technical sense, the 12-hour point made by Riche may be right, "it didn't mean 6 to 6." "We were talking extended hours so people wouldn't have to feed the meter," he said.

Economic study needed?

Aronsohn again pressed forward on enforcement times, saying that perhaps an economic study should have been done to verify it was necessary to start enforcement at an earlier hour.

Mayor Keith Killion said he's more interested in how Ridgewood works through its problems than others. "If we go down that track, then we should do an economic study on the whole ordinance. I understand what you're saying but I'm concerned about Ridgewood and what its unique problems are," which is not to say he isn't interested in how other municipalities analyze issues for the benefit of the village, he said.

Aronsohn said even with the provision he objects to, the plan is a "huge step forward" by making parking lots half the rate as on-street parking and allowing for extended parking. "I'm not going to fall on my sword," he said.

"It's going to be great for commuters, it's going to be great for people shopping and dining downtown, it's going to be great for folks working downtown who will no longer have to feed the meter. It's a little bit of financial relief," he said.

Riche related an interesting anecdote that he had seen a Ridgewood News article from the 1920s with its front page detailing Model A cars lining East Ridgewood Avenue with a familiar takeaway point – there's a parking problem.

"There is no casier in terms of parking," he said. "I think what this ordinance does is balances the need of commuters, balances the need of shoppers, business owners and at the same time balances the need of the village," though he said not specifically financial, though he remarked that because of the action of past councils, there are debts, particularly the $189,173 taxpayers will be paying for on the parking utility in 2011.

'Perfect plan? Probably not'

Chamber of commerce representatives were more bear than bull on the effect the hours of enforcement could have on CBD businesses.

Outgoing chamber president Scott Lief (see video on the right) pleaded with the council to turn back the hands of time and pass a measure that reflected the January talks, which were lauded by the business community, the press and village hall, something Lief noted was rare. He expressed disappointment, saying he felt there would be confusion, particularly for those who park early in the morning.

"They're going to dump their cars on the street and then come 10 o'clock, they'll probably end up staying there because they're probably working a morning shift."

"We do have a strong belief that changing the times, taking them out of unison, will ultimately be bad for Ridgewood on numerous levels . . . Certainly we need designated commuter parking, but we don't want to be train station central for the rest of Bergen County," he cautioned.

New chamber president Tom Hillmann echoed a similar sentiment. "What this is going to do is open up those parking lots to out-of-town commuters," he said.

"Is it perfect? Probably not," Deputy Mayor Riche said. "I know we have a lot of empty parking lots right now. Will they get filled up with commuters? I hope so. I hope there's plenty of room for commuters, and for shoppers and diners and business owners."

Councilman Stephen Wellinghorst, who called it a "complicated" and difficult problem, said if business owners were finding problems, the council would reexamine the issue again in six months, which the mayor affirmed. Aronsohn, however, remained suspicious. He pointed to the chamber having to wait two years last go-around for action to be taken.

Overnight enforcement, tickets at 6 a.m.?

Eileen Smith, the owner of Smith Brothers by the train station, said that despite what people may think, her business is not aided much by commuters that will be filling the lots near the longtime village bar.

Rather, she remarked, "Ridgewood is a bedroom community" and those folks are "going home to see their wives and children, hoping that they still remember them."

Smith questioned the council as to late night enforcement, pressing the council to explain the rationale for exclusions to lot parking from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., which she said would provide a disincentive for customers and be troublesome for employees, many of whom must work past 2 a.m.

Killion said that ordinance has actually been on the books "for a few years now" and said police are "understanding" and "show discretion" in ticketing.

When asked by Aronsohn if more staff will be needed or deployed to patrol meters before 10 a.m., Killion said it would not be necessary as the vast majority of people parking there would be commuters, "a captive audience" that wouldn't be going anywhere. The police also have the ability to ticket in the mornings if necessary, Police Chief John Ward said.

The issue of overnight and early morning enforcement also brought to light one of the typographical errors in the ordinance, which was also present at the signs illegally posted before the ordinance had been voted on.

The enforcement time stated parking was prohibited between 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. in the lots, but hours of enforcement are also confusingly to begin at 6 a.m. The council said that would be changed to reflect that 7 a.m. be rolled back to 6 a.m. though it didn't require an amendment for passage.

Annual parking pass, future conundrum at the Park and Ride?

Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh said time was of the essence in moving forward in making the process simpler for people to park. "We've had some competitors selling spaces in their lots with a monthly charge, and it's easy to use for them," she said.

For a cool $650 (down from a significantly higher rate in earlier discussions), an unlimited parking pass would allow the holder to park in any lot. Loving remarked that with the ability of average citizens to doctor passes with a computer a quality color printer, he would like to see the $100 fine stiffer. Village Attorney Matt Rogers said given the criminal penalties that could be issued, the $100 was likely to be the least of the infracting party's problems.

Loving also discovered what could end up being a defect to the new parking plan. After contacting businesses that use the Park & Ride facility, Loving found that they rent spots at the facility and a quick bit of accounting led him to the number trail. If one were to feed the meters as a commuter, it would cost about $1,500 a year in parking. But the passes are available for less than half of that and the village might find itself in a conundrum: what if more passes are sold than spots available? The pass holder is guaranteed a spot, after all.

"My concern is, are you going to be able to accommodate everybody who might buy one of those passes over there, or are you going to get into a situation where somebody has a pass and can't park there?" Loving asked. Gabbert said the village will be keeping track of permits sold and if the holder will be using the Park & Ride.

A report requested by the council answering why the signs were preemptively placed at parking lots before the ordinance had been voted on was not given Wednesday night.