Valley Decision Could Have Major Political Implications

It's a battle that has led to arrests for calls to riot, featured theatrics like children wearing gas masks, stirred up lawsuits and pitted neighbor against neighbor for about five years. Now, after a highly controversial opened up the road to expansion, the Valley Hospital "Renewal" proposal is at the council's gate.

Should the council allow the amendment, Valley Hospital's $750 million project would be cleared for building demolitions and erections, road widenings and a transition from 451 double-bed occupancy rooms to a more personal, private setting with 454 single-occupancy rooms and space for more modern equipment.

But at 1.1 million square feet of space–double what it is now–in a dense, tight-knit neighborhood, many say it's far, far too big for its space and will urbanize Ridgewood. Those opposed say traffic issues will be extreme; there are safety and quality of life concerns with construction; property values could depreciate; it's not in line with land use precedents and it would degrade education for students at B.F. Middle School, which shares a property line with Valley.

"I think my expectation is the village council from all indictions to date is going to take a more common sense approach to this," said Pete McKenna, the chairman of Concerned Residents of Ridgewood (CRR), a group vocally opposed to the expansion. "The planning board process seemed to be focused on how to built this much hospital on this site."

McKenna's group, which claims its membership is in the thousands, against the planning board in late summer of 2010. Their approach will be different this time around the block, he said.

"We're planning as if we will get an attempt to point out some things that were missed" in the planning board hearings, he said. The CRR has hired a land use attorney and site planner for the upcoming hearings.

Meanwhile, a new stakeholder has arrived. Though many of its members had attended the process from the beginning, The Ridgewood Residents for Valley (RRV) boast a very public tally of over 600 members, whom organization head Gene Cornell says are just a fraction of those who really support the "Renewal".

It's his contention the majority of Ridgewood want to see a change.

The head of the new grassroots organization said they've been happy so far with the process and believe the village experts that vetted through the various aspects of the plan for years "did their due diligence" and appropriately endorsed the "Renewal." They won't be hiring attorneys or site planners, however, Cornell told Patch. 

"We're only going to speak on our own behalf," he said.

Process for "H-Zone" hearings

They'll get the opportunity to . The council will be holding a series of seven special hearings lasting through November where members will hear testimony from witnesses during the planning board hearing, and also listen to the opinions of the public.

Attorneys of the "major stakeholders" will also be alotted more time to speak, though no new witnesses will be called. Mayor Keith Killion said last week that the meetings must be civil and orderly. Signs are permitted, but chanting and speaking out of turn will not be. The village does not want a repeat of the , in which hundreds were locked out, a man was arrested for inciting to riot and Valley was accused of busing employees in to force out the public.

Should the council vote in favor of the "H-Zone" ordinance amendment, it would require a go-ahead from the state and would then kick back to the planning board for a developer's agreement. If the council votes against approving the planning board's ruling, there could be a future court battle looming with Valley.

Political implications

Even if there is no court case, the political consequences could be swift. The CRR has yet to suffer defeat in candidates it has endorsed, including a school board candidate (Christina Krauss). All five members on the council have cruised to victory with their backing and three members are up for election in the spring.

Mayor Killion and Councilman Paul Aronsohn (who lives less than 2 blocks from the hospital) both said in the 2008 election race they did not approve of Valley's plan as presented. Although the plan has been modified throughout the planning board's process, the proposed square footage remains the same, and the same concerns for residents remain. 

Councilman Steve Wellinghorst, like the rest of the council, was . While the East Side attorney has not taken a side publicly, most speculate that Wellinghorst is against the expansion.

Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh is not so tight-lipped. Walsh was from the onset of her candidacy.

Perhaps the most intriguing figure is Deputy Mayor Tom Riche. Riche, who previously served the council in the early part of the decade, voted to approve the Master Plan amendment while a member of the planning board. Riche has repeatedly said the vote was not an endorsement, just his intention to move the process forward based on land use law.

Still, and subsequent vote has not endeared him to many in the village. He's frequently been called "Benedict Riche" on the local blogs and been subject to threats and harassment.

Said one village insider, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, should the council approve the measure there will be a lot more than just name calling.

"There are three seats up for election and those incumbents know [that] if they vote to approve the expansion, they're done, finished," they said. "Frankly, though, I'm not even sure I'd want to get elected. No matter how this shakes out, it's going to be ugly."

Meetings begin at the RHS Campus Center on Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Speakers are limited to three minutes during public commenting and will be heard on a first-come, first-served basis. The meetings continue through at least November. They'll be televised on Cablevision Channel 77 and through computer video streaming at ustream.tv. Agendas for each meeting will be posted on the Village’s website prior to the meeting.