Okay, there we go. >> Okay, we're done. >> All right. Good evening. Welcome to the mayor and council regular session for Wednesday, February 11, 2026. This meeting is also being conducted telephonically. The dial in number is 4254366365,
access code 213563. And the meeting may also be viewed on the Burrow of Ramsay's YouTube channel which is accessible via the burrow website. I please have a roll call. >> Mayor Dylan >> here. Councilwoman Cusk >> here. >> Councilman Gerson
>> here. >> Councilman Gutwer >> here. >> Councilman Kilman here. >> Councilman Po here. >> Councilwoman Poppy here. Thank you. I'll ask Chief of Police Chariza and to the republic for which it stands.
One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Law was enacted to ensure the right of all citizens to have advanced notice of and to attend all meetings of public bodies at which I can't hear you.
>> There we go. That better? >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. The New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of all citizens to have advanced notice of and to attend all meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the public is discussed or acted upon. In accordance
with the provisions of this act, notice of this meeting of the mayor and council was published in the Bergen record and the Spurban News on Wednesday, January 15th, 2026. Do I have a motion to go out of order? >> Yes, madam mayor. I make a motion to go out of order to do the police department
promotions at this time. >> This is Councilwoman Cusk and I second. >> Okay. All in favor? I >> All right. Thank you. Take two freezing. >> No. >> Okay. Do you want to make the announcement?
>> Sure. Um, Lieutenant Fury is going to be promoted to lieutenant for the Ramsey Police Department. >> After we do um the pinning of the badge for each respective officer, I'll give a few words. Chief >> down here for the camera.
Lieutenant uh Michael Kanico is going to be uh promoted to lieutenant police department. Get a drink. Brian Paul is going to be promoted to sergeant. And last but certainly not least, Christopher Shane is going to be
promoted to sergeant for the Ramsey Police DEPARTMENT PRESSURE. Everybody else got first. >> Um I have to I have to stand over here for the camera. Um but I did tell the council I won't be brief, but I think it's important to recognize um these
four newly promoted uh supervisors. Um, first and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS. These these promotions are they're just a testament to they're just a testament to the department's commitment to service, professionalism, and leadership
because they are professionals. That's exactly what they are. Every officer in our department, they're professionals. Lieutenant Fury, for instance, 22 years of experience in patrol. He is the backbone of our patrol. Um, I see how
the other officers go to him for guidance. Um, my hat off to you. My hats off to you. Um, Lieutenant Kanico, he is seriously our Swiss Army knife of the department. between the various
administrative tasks that he has coupled with um the spearheaded things that he does, the projects between the Allenale merger, between the communications upgrade, between the building upgrade, and then having to bounce back and forth to patrol. Um he
does a great job. There's no one really doing it. Um, Sergeant Finn and Sergeant Paul. Um, no two new supervisors. Leadership is not something that's foreign. They are instructors for our department. They are field training
officers. Um, their room for growth is infinite. And um, I'm I'm very proud for their promotions tonight. And there's just one thing I want to add is, you know, every officer in our department shares in the goals and the vision of the Randy Police Department. And I'm
confident to say that tonight, especially with these promotions. Um, I believe that our department is on a very high trajectory and I think the future is very bright for what's in store for us and it starts with these promotions. So, congratulations to you.
Congratulations to your family. Um, these promotions are not only warranted, but they were earned. Always remember that. All right. Congratulations And to clarify on the merger with Allenale, we're not merging the police
department. Okay. We're not. What it is, Allenale's dispatch is going to come over to Lancing. >> Just a communication effort. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Thanks, gentlemen. >> Nice job. I'm the only one that's
>> congratulations. jump over. >> All right. Can I make a motion to go back into order? >> Yes, ma'am. Mayor, I make a motion to go back into regular order. >> This is Councilwoman Cusk. I second. >> Thank you. All in favor? I >> I.
>> Wonderful. Okay. Approval of minutes. >> Uh, yes, Madame Mayor. I make a motion to approve the minutes as listed on the agenda for January 28th, 2026. Second that. >> Okay. Any comments on the minutes?
>> No. All right. Can we have a roll call, please? Councilwoman Cusk, >> I must abstain. I was absent from that meeting. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gweter, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. Councilman Papo. >> Yes.
>> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Okay. Thank you. We'll move on to communications. >> Yes, madame mayor. This is Councilwoman Cusk, and I would like to receive the communications listed on our evening agenda.
>> I'll second. >> Thank you. All right. Any comments on the communication other than I will be addressing them before we get to public comment. Anyone else? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes.
>> Councilman Gutwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Okay. All right. We'll wait till everybody is out of the room before I speak. All
right, good evening everybody. Thanks so much for coming out. Um there clearly is a lot of misinformation ordinance and the process as well. So I wanted >> okay there's clearly a lot of misinformation floating around both as
to the proposal the proposed ordinance and the process I can't >> really can you hear me now? >> Okay let's try this once more. Okay, there's clearly a lot of misinformation floating around regarding the proposed
ordinance and the process. Um, the burrow does not own property in this proposed island island road overlay zone and is not seeking to obtain property in this zone. Control of these properties regarding any potential future development remains in the hands of the
property owners. There is no proposed project in the island road overlay zone and there may never be one. So, I want to discuss the burough ordinance process and the requirements of New Jersey's Fair Housing Act because I know people have raised questions about the process of how we do
ordinances. So, I want to explain it to you. Okay. Any burough ordinance must go through the following process before it may be adopted and enacted. At a mayor and council meeting, an ordinance must be motioned for introduction by a member of the council and receive a second. An
ordinance may then be commented on by members of the governing body, burough attorney, or burough administrator. The introduction of an ordinance is then voted on by the governing body. There's no public comment during an ordinance's introduction. This vote is to introduce an ordinance
to the next step, which is to schedule the ordinance for a public hearing, typically at the next mayor council meeting. The ordinance and its public hearing date are then advertised in the newspaper. After introduction, some ordinances, basically zoning ordinances, also have a
requirement of notification to adjacent property owners that a public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled with the date and time of such hearing. That will be the case with the two overlay zone ordinances on the agenda tonight. Notices will be sent out for the March 4th mayor and council meeting. The
property owners in the overlay zones and the property owners within 200 f feet of the overlay zones will receive written notices at the March 4th mayor and council meeting. The public hearing will be held. Only after conclusion of the
advertised public hearing will the ordinance then be voted on by the governing body as to whether to adopt it or not. Therefore, to be clear, any of the ordinances on the agenda tonight for introduction will not be enacted tonight.
In addition, the Island Road overlay zone and the North Franklin turnpike overlay zone will be the subject of a public hearing at the March 3rd planning board meeting. The Burough plumber will will be in attendance at that planning board meeting to discuss the detail of the two overlay ordinance zone
ordinances and to answer any questions. Okay. Okay, so let's talk about affordable housing which has a very long and torturous history in New Jersey. Okay, the foring the affordable housing obligations are imposed by the state of New Jersey through the Fair Housing Act
and Ramsey must comply with them including all deadlines and there's a deadline coming up March 15, 2026 that we must meet. The Fair Share Housing Act was amended in 2024 and applies to all municipalities in the state of New Jersey.
The state of New Jersey is currently in its fourth round of affordable housing legislation which runs through June 30th, 2025. Ramsey has been in full compliance with the state program for the first three rounds and that continues to the date in the fourth round. In order to ensure
that the bureau has immunity from all exclusionary zoning lawsuits, including builder's remedy lawsuits, the bureau filed a fourth round declaratory judgment action on January 24th, 2025, as required by the fair share housing
program. We want immunity from these types of lawsuits, especially builder remedy lawsuits, because they are expensive, disruptive, and they put the bureau at real risk of losing control over large projects. If a builder's
remedy lawsuit is successful, the bureau will be unable to stop the builder from building in its desired location, whether or not the location is zoned for multifamily housing. and the burough zoning ordinances regarding density,
height, setbacks, parking, etc. will not apply. So, the burrow will be at the mercy of the builder. The burrow's immunity was continued after it entered into a mediation agreement with Fairshair Housing Center regarding its fourth round housing
numbers, which numbers were established via court order court order entered on May 5th, 2025. Fairshare Housing Center is a nonprofit housing advocacy organization and the state requires the bureau to engage with them. The
burough's immunity was continued once again by the fair share housing program after the burough filed its fourth round housing element and fair share plan prior to the June 30th, 2025 deadline. After challenges to the burough's plan were filed by Fairshare Housing Center
and a developer North Franklin LLC prior to the August 31st, 2025 deadline, the bureau negotiated mediation agreements before the program judge with both parties which were entered into on December 12th, 2025 and subsequently
filed with the program and the court for review. The overlay zones were recommended by the burough's professional planner, Burgess Associates, Inc. These mediation agreements together set the numbers needed for Ramsey to meet its fourth round affordable housing
obligation. The burough's fourth round affordable housing obligation is 450 units. However, as a fully developed town, the burough is entitled to take a vacant lands adjustment to reduce its obligation of what needs to be built for
compliance. The number is defined as the burough's realistic developmental development potential or RDP. Fortunately, the number for Ramsey is 26 units that need to be built for compliance over the next 10-year period
to remain immune from builder remedy lawsuits. The entire RDP is expected to be met by six supporter special needs units built on North Central. the approved inclusionary development at 425 Island Road, the proposed development at 40
North Franklin Turnpike, and proposed development at 1 Constantine Drive. No units in the proposed new R5E overlay zone on Island Road are included in Ramsey's plan to be built in order to meet its RDP in the next 10 years. That
bears repeating. There are no units in the proposed new far new R5E overlay zone on Island Road need to be built for Ramsay to comply with its round four perspective need RDP. Having said that, the law does obligate
towns to create zones that could potent potentially meet up to 25% of their unmet need. These do not have to be built, but they need to be created to preserve the community from builder's lawsuits, builder's revenue lawsuits, excuse me. That is what the two zoning
related ordinances to be introduced tonight are intended to accomplish. Negotiations with Fair Share Housing Center require the bureau to identify new overlay zones over one or more areas of the burrow. As part of this process, the state requires municipalities focus
on sites that are near mass transit and highway corridors. Consequently, that became a focal point of the discussion with Fair Share Housing Center. The Burough Affairs Share Housing Center therefore agreed to drop adopt overlay zones over certain
portions of the burrow which include the R5E Island Road overlay zone ordinance up for introduction tonight. The Fairshare Housing Program judge entered an order and decision on January 26, 2026 recommending that the trial judge
continue the burough's immunity if the bureau amends its housing element and fair share plan to include the terms of the settlement and adopts all of its implementing resolutions and ordinances, including the R5E Island Road overlay
zone ordinance by March 15, 2026. the deadline imposed by the Fair Housing Act and the mediation agreement with Fair Hair Fair Share Housing Center. If the burrow does not meet the March 15, 2026 deadline, it will have its immunity
stripped by the county judge as required by the Fair H Fairousing Act and could be subject to builder's remedy lawsuits. While the Island Road overlay zone ordinance gives property owners and their developers the right to develop inclusionary affordable housing
projects, it preserves the underlying zoning. So this is not the same as an actual project with a specific density being approved. Once again, there is no proposed project. The zone might or might ever might or might never produce
actual affordable housing projects. That's up to the owners of the properties whether they all want to get together and sell to a developer. The burrow has no control over that. If the burrow's immunity is stripped for not adopting the island road overlay zone ordinance, the burrow will become
susceptible to exclusionary zoning lawsuits, including builder's remedies. This could result in affordable housing projects that substantially exceed the density allowed under the island road overlay zone. These requirements and tight deadlines
come directly from the state imposed changes to the fair housing act that were approved back in January 2024. In some the bureau does not own the proposed island road overlay zone and is not seeking to obtain property in this zone. And I know the word eminent domain
has been bandied about. There's no eminent domain. The bro is not seizing this property. The bro has no intention of seizing this property. Control of these properties regarding any potential future development remain in the hands of the current property
owners. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Okay. We'll now open it up for public comment. Anyone wishing to address the governing body, please give your name, spelling, last name, and address. Please speak in an audible tone and address
your comments to the chair. There will be a five-minute time limit per speaker unless reduced because of the volume of business on the agenda. Please note public comment is your time. Out of respect and fairness to all, there will be no interruptions or questions answered during your time. No time shall
be seated to anyone else and no time shall be saved for later use. Any responses may be given by during the governing body's comments later in the meeting or is directed by the chair. The burough clerk is the official timekeeper. Thank you, Madame Mayor. I'm Maryanne
Carrie. I live at 498 Island Road here in Ramsey. >> Can you please spell your last name? >> C A R E Y. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And thank you for the explanation because a lot of us, I included, did not
understand the how this works. >> Um The what I did understand and I do understand is that this reszoning whether it happens or not is placed on a neighborhood of property owners and a
collective of we've lived there over a hundred years. Many of us have lived there long term and many of us are new. People are raising their children there and people have raised their children there. We we I the question is why pick
a street that is established, a street that is improving their homes. We pay our taxes. It's not a transient neighborhood. Uh so that was my concern. Okay. >> And that was my question and I guess
you've answered it, but um seems like it still could happen. Well, if I may, it that as I mentioned in my remarks, New Jersey wants you to look at things that are closer to train stations or highways. This meets that bill. And also
the this is what the planner developed because the planner actually went looking all around the bureau saying, "Okay, where is the best place to put these overlays?" And that was the recommendation and then Fair Share Housing accepted that. >> Thank you. Sure.
Good evening, Madame Mayor. Um, members of the council. My name is Sarah Medina Alvarez. Uh, 486 Island Road. My last name, sorry, spelled very long. ME D I N A- A L V A R C as in zebra. I'm here, as
some of my fellow neighbors, to oppose the proposed island road overlay ordinance for two, sorry, 2026. Uh, thank you for explaining everything thoroughly. However, um I have to say I understand that it makes sense to
um propose these zones to be developed in the future to comply with state mandates, etc. But our neighborhood already has an approved 70 unit uh development going on on 425 Allen Road
in a proposed um um 1719 unit um development going on on Concentrate Drive. We also have the Regency Park. So I think we have a fair share of what the county or the I'm sorry, not the county, the the city needs to do in Ramsey. So I
think uh the low should be spread in other areas of Ramsey because we have seen what happens with Sony. My husband and I moved to Ramsey four years ago from the Ironbound section of Newark. um lovely vibrant, you know, very diverse neighborhood with single family homes,
two family homes. And in the last 10 years, because of signing changes, we see nothing but buildings of four, five stories around our homes, devaluing our properties, traffic, noise, overcrowded schools, nowhere to park, and our kids
cannot play in the streets. And the reason why we moved to Ramsey is to escape from all of that. When we moved here three years ago, people from Richville Park, same thing. Hoboken, New Jersey, we Hogan, same issue. We know
what happens when zoning changes. Nobody's forcing us out of our homes right now. But this family moves away. This family retires, contractor comes, buys this house, buys this house, and all of a sudden we have buildings around us, and our home is not residential
anymore. It's overdeveloped. And we don't want that because we've had it and we know what it means and we think there's other places in town this could be done. I think we have our fair share. You said there's 26 units 26 units already to be in compliance and this is
planning for the future. I think the future could be planned better. Thank you very much. Good evening, madame mayor. I am new in Island Road. I am Mary Beth Himenez Carillo. J I M E N E Z C A R I L O. I
live at 506 Island Road. We've been there about 7 months, but we've been in Ramsey for about 11 years now. We love this town. We love the people here. We moved from Loi to Englewood and this is where we felt at home. When we heard
that news about reszoning, it hurts me because I'm not very familiar about real estate laws and anything that concerns that. All I know is that I need to comply with the rules and I know that that's your
job to do that and I know that you need to ensure to do that. However, you have the residents here who value family, who value that the children are brought up in a beautiful diverse and you know highquality
neighborhood. I think that if we expand in such a place like island where I cannot believe when I met my neighbors, they've been here 40 years. They've been here some of them were like over 40 years, 50 years. and to displace them.
That's not growth. Volume of residents is not exactly growth. Growth is having residents who value each other. And I hope that you would reconsider. I mean, there should be some alternative. We need to think
this through. And I think that you need to have everyone else involved in the planning. We are not here to be combative. We're not here to be argumentative, but we're here to appeal to you and the council to please
let's think about it. Take a step back and look at Ramsey and say, where would it be possible to put it there, not to displace the people that have actually created the roots? So, as a new resident of Island and I appreciate my neighbors
in Island Road so much and resident Ramsey, my daughter is in Ram Jams. She is a Ram girl. She started in kindergarten and she never even think of moving anywhere else. And um as you know, Ramsey education education system,
it's amazing. We are like number one. It's a blue ribbon school. I cannot even imagine being uprooted or uprooting my daughter. So I'm appealing to you to please and the council to think this through. And if you need any input, all of us are here.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Once again, no one's going to be displaced. This is just an overlay zone that we're doing because we have to comply with the fair share with the Fair Housing Act. There's no projects Uh, good evening, mayor and council. Uh,
Jeremy Sass, SASS. I live at 486 Island Road in Ramsey. I'm here to formally oppose the proposed overlay zoning. My home is located at block 3804, lot 9, so would be fully encompassed within the proposed multif family district. As you
just heard my wife say, I moved my family here three and a half years ago from New York, seeking a quiet single family neighborhood after 20 years living in a crowded city on Island Road. We found what we were looking for and we invested our life savings into it. This is our first single family home and we
were hoping would be our forever home where we could raise our family. My wife says first generation immigrant from Spain. We have two wonderful kids who are blossoming in the uh incredible Ramsay School District. And as my neighbor just said, we would hate to leave. I'm also a registered architect
licensed in New Jersey with over 25 years of experience. My specialty is transit and transportation design. Having previously worked for New Jersey Transit for 14 years, I understand and promote the health and environmental benefits of transit oriented development and
walkable neighborhoods. It's one of the main reasons we bought our home on Island Road. As an architect, I also understand the state's need to create more housing. This is an urgent need. I'm not opposed to this, but the planning associated with such large-scale overlays needs to be done in
a much more open and inclusive manner. We are a onecar family, as many of my neighbors are, who rely on transit to get to work. forcing us to relocate our families homes to practically any other part of Ramsey of which there is very little inventory require us all to purchase second cars increasing
financial hardship and adding to an already crowded streets and air pollution. The impending disruptions from the already approved developments at 425 and 575 Island Road will add over 200 new residential units to our neighborhood.
And with it, the added noise and pollution burdens during construction as well as the roadway and infrastructure congestion issues post construction. To further increase these hardships by enforcing new zoning on me and my neighbors is inequitable at best. The
burden for Ramsay meeting the state requirements should not fall upon one singled out community but should be equally borne by the town as a whole. Spreading the required densification over the entire town to better balance vehicular congestion and the burden on
local schools and other infrastructure. As you will and and have heard from my neighbors, there's no willing sellers here. You know, we all love this neighborhood. So, making a lot of these proposed developments unfeasible from the start. uh towns do not achieve compliance of the Mountain World Doctrine with respect
to the zoning and without willing sellers. That's exactly what this action would be. Passing the overlay would only open us up to increasingly predatory behaviors from developers, builders, and external investors. We cannot deny this would happen whose motivation is only
profit, not the overall benefit and health of the Ramsey community. I therefore respectfully ask the council to halt this overlay. Thank you very much. THANK YOU. MR. SETH, I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU got the 200 unit number. Um because the 425
that's going to be 70 units. >> What about the 150? >> That's that's an overlay as well. That's not being developed. >> I understand. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Good evening. My name is Nick Capuano.
Live at 50 Highwood Road. Uh Capuano cap U. Just have a few questions. What do we have left on our co-op obligation? And some of these an some of these questions may have been answered. How many units?
How many onebedroom, twobedroom or threebedroom? Why now? Why not wait until the lawsuit that was filed by Montail and other communities is decided by the Supreme Court?
Is this all affordable housing being proposed in these areas or is this partial afford affordable and regular housing? How do you plan how do you plan to fulfill the 350 units in an area
dominated by privatelyowned property? And last question, how many affordable housing units are currently in use in Ramsey? Thank you. >> Sure. Well, um I mean the number for Ramsey is 26 units. That is our
realistic development potential. As I mentioned earlier, we have no intention of using this overlay zone for those units. Those units will be on North Franklin Turnpike, Constantine Drive, and then 425 Island, which is a 70 unit
development for people 55 and up. And out of that, only 11 of those units are affordable, and they were all onebedroom. Now, anything that would go into if people decide to sell the properties and a developer would come in, that would be
mixeduse. Not everything is going to be um affordable because the developers can't make enough money on it. That's why >> minimum of 20%. >> And it's a minimum of 20%. That's what we go by. So that's going to be it. And additionally, this lawsuit Montville, we
were asked to join that lawsuit. Really thought about it. The lawsuit is a loser. I'm going to be very honest with you. They have never won in court whatsoever. Every time they've been in court, the judges ruled against them. And we don't know if the Supreme Court is going to grant cersiari. I doubt it.
I highly doubt it because normally the Supreme Court grants cersiari when there's a a um a discrepancy in rulings between the circuit courts. There's no circuit court ruling here. This is a state law issue. I really don't think the Supreme Court is going to act upon
it. But and as I mentioned earlier, we have a deadline of March 15, 2026. If we miss that deadline, our immunity could be will be stripped by the county judge and we will be open to builders lawsuits. And as I mentioned earlier,
once you lose your immunity, all bets are off. We're at the mercy of whoever comes into town and what they want to do. And our zoning will no longer apply. Height, density, setbacks, parking. So that's why this is the deadline. And we
can't wait for them if the Supreme Court should grant Cert. We can't wait for that. We have a March 15th deadline. >> But we're not a part of the coalition, which means we wouldn't be >> Yes. No. It applies to everything. If they win, and that's a real if, and I, if I was a betting person, I'd say the
chances are 99% no. Um, it'll apply to every municipality in the state. So you don't have to be a party to the lawsuit in order to benefit from it if they should pre prevail, which is a big if. >> So you're okay with devaluing our neighborhood?
>> No, I'm not. Okay. If anybody has any comments, please. Anybody else? >> Uh Jonathan Granduski. I live at 495 Island Road um in the proposed overlay zone. Uh, appreciate the time. I
appreciate your statement at the beginning explaining. Um, but the tone of the statement is that this is a done deal because of what was agreed upon before. >> Can you answer it? Is it pretty much a done deal to avoid opening ourselves up for litigation?
>> Well, still there's more opportunity to discuss it. So still if what's going to introduce tonight if the council approves it just the introduction it will then go to the planning board for review and recommendation and that would be on March 3rd.
>> But you've stated multiple times that there is a March 15th deadline >> for this specific zone and the other zones that you spoke about in your statement. Um, if the planning board comes back and says, "Well, this probably isn't a good idea,"
then we're we've missed that deadline. The I I really honestly think that it's a done deal at this point. I appreciate you listening to the residents. Um, but it does open the door to devalue the property. Um, there will be predatory calls for people to buy our homes, to
develop on the homes. It's high density, up to 19 units per acre. Part of the reason why we enjoy our neighborhood, there's great people who've built their homes and buying a home in New Jersey is ridiculously expensive as we all know. True.
>> Part of the reason why they passed this law, right? They're trying to make it cheaper. >> But the problem is >> they're imposing the law on a town that's densely populated, right? >> Yeah. >> Um >> the town's 99% developed. >> Correct.
and to then enforce an overlay zone which is a stock gap, right? And it's not necessarily going to change. It's going to You say we're not actively approving things right now, but it opens
the door to those developers. And once it opens the door to those developers, they're going to be predatory. I already get calls multiple times a week for somebody to buy my home. >> As do my neighbors do as well. >> So do I.
>> And those are developers, right? And that's only going to continue to happen. And as soon as one person sells, but they, oh, maybe we need some more land to be able to do our full project, they turn up the heat on other people, right? And until that happens, there's a vacant
home and it runs down. Drive down that neighborhood. There's beautiful homes. many people investing in their homes, making Ramsay beautiful, you know, houses getting larger, houses being redone. There was one home that wasn't
occupied for for years. Now it's being redone right next to my home. I love it. But at the same point, it's our own little slice of heaven in this town that we've made a home in for the last 13 years. My kids go to school here. We pay our taxes. They go up every year. and we
pay them every year. To then have this put on top without a say on the front side is not how a town should work. Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Jamie Stevenson, s V-No.
I reside at 521 Island Road. I bought my home in 2011 when with my then husband because we believed it would be the place where we raised our family. Life didn't turn out the way I planned. But what never changed was my commitment to
that home and to my children. Today, I'm a single mother of two boys, Jesse and Hunter. and 521 Island Road is the only place that they have ever known as home. After my marriage ended, I worked
incredibly hard to rebuild my life and build a brand new career so I could afford to stay here so I wouldn't have to uproot my children, pull them away from their neighbors, their friends, their schools, and the community, this
village that has helped raise them. This home is what is affordable to me. It's the one place I can realistically keep my family housed, safe, and stable in this town. This house is not an investment property
to me. It's everything. It's our stability, our safety, and our future. It's also the largest asset I'll probably ever own. Built through years of sacrifice, long hours, and hard choices made for my kids. And just
recently, I put even more into it. A new roof, new siding, landscaping, because I believed in our future here. I did that without any warning that an ordinance like this was even being considered, that would devalue my asset,
my home. The idea that an ordinance like this could put pressure on families like mine, people who are not willing sellers, is frightening and deeply unfair. This overlay sets a precedent, a scary one that other neighborhoods in
town should, and I know are worried about. We're not just a number on a map. We're not just parcels of land. We're families, children, and neighbors who have poured our lives into these homes. I'm standing here not just protect, but
protect my son's sense of security. The one thing every parent tries to give their children. No ordinance should make a family feel they could be pushed out of the place they've worked so hard to keep and call home. Please do not move forward with
something that jeopardizes the stability of the people who already live here. I urge you to reconsider the location andor join the coalition other municipalities that brought this to the courts and may get a pause on the deadline. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Hi, mayor and council friends. My name is Stacy Tossy. T O SNY. Dear mayor and members of the council, my name is Stacy Tosny and I reside on 41 Ferguson Place. I stand before you as a mother of three children, a civic
participant, and a small business owner whose family has intentionally deepened its roots in Ramsay. We moved from Ramsay to Ramsay because we believe in the structure, stewardship, and long-term stability of this town. Our commitment was not circumstantial. It
was deliberate. We chose to remain here and invest further in this community. When we purchased our home, I was pregnant with our youngest. She was born one month after we moved in. At that time, our middle child was three and a half years old. He learned to ride his
bicycle on Ferguson Place just after his fourth birthday, pedallingly pedalling confidently under the watchful presence of neighbors who shared in that milestone. And recently, we stood at the end of our driveway and watched our 17-year-old drive away alone for the
first time. It was one of those rare parental moments when pride and vulnerability exist simultaneously. That memory was framed by this neighborhood, by streets we trust, by an environment that has allowed our children to mature gradually within
safety rather than abrupt exposure to unpredictability. These streets are not merely infrastructure. They are the physical setting of formative experiences. On Ferguson Place alone, 15 children grow up together. On Island Road, even more families share that same ecosystem of
familiarity and trust. These are enduring relationships that shape emotional development, identity formation, and social resilience. The stability of this environment functions as developmental infrastructure. As parents, we rely on one another
daily. We coordinate supervision. We monitor traffic patterns. We extend collective oversight. The modest scale and lowdensity design of our street makes that culture possible. Children move with measured independence because the environment itself supports safety.
The proposed overlay represents a structural alteration to that environment. Increased density predictability yields increased vehicular flow, parking compression, delivery frequency, and unfamiliar transient movement. These changes
recalibrate risk exposure and reduce the margin of safety that currently permits children freedom of movement. What appears incremental in planning documents manifests materially in lived experience. Zoning establishes durable entitlements. Once adopted, development
intensity follows. An overlay is not experimental. It is a permanent reccalibration of permissible scale. Responsible government governance requires proportionality, consistency with master planning principles, and careful consideration of cumulative
impact on established residential corridors. The Mount Laurel doctrine requires realistic housing opportunity. It does not require destabilizing cohesive neighborhoods when alternative implementation strategies may distribute growth more equitably. The discretion on
how compliance is achieved carries ethical and generational weight. We are not passive residents. I have served on the design review committee, volunteered with Bergen County Board of Elections as a superboard worker, supported the campaigns of those currently serving on this council, and run for our board of
education. Our home has been a place of civic dialogue and collaboration. We believe in thoughtfulness, the in thoughtful process and responsible stewardship. What is ultimately at stake is the continuity of childhood within a stable environment.
When density increases, unpredictability expands, children internalize that shift. Independence narrows. Informal social bonds weaken. The organic safety network that has defined this block begins to erode. Ferguson Place and Island Road are
living communities where children are forming memories that will anchor them for decades. The developmental context in which they grow matters. Stability is not nostalgic sentiment. It's foundational to healthy maturation and cohesive civic life. I respectfully urge
you to weigh permanent land use implications alongside the generational consequences for the children who call these streets home. Thank you for your attention and for the seriousness this decision demands. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Is there anyone else who would
like to speak? >> Good evening. My name is Joe Carrie. C A R E Y 498 Island Road. I'm here tonight not in opposition to affordable housing, but but I am here in defense of sound
planning and long-term responsibility to Ramsey. Many of you know me personally. I have served Ramsay for decades. I am a 15-year member and vice chairman of the planning board. I am also chairman of both the master plan and the application
review committees. My name is on the master plan page. Ordinance 042026 supports the latest draft of the housing element of the master plan. As a planning board member, I am very conscious that decisions made at a
single meeting lives for many years afterwards. What decisions are made shapes what Ramsay becomes in five, 10, or 25 years. The responsibility of a planning official is to look beyond immediate
pressure and consider long-term trajectory. Now, we are talking about an unprecedented overlay zone in a residential neighborhood. We are being told that this is something that cannot be delayed because of state and judicial timetables.
If that is the case, we know it's March 15th. If there's a court directive, can we see the court directive? Let the and let the consequences of a brief pause for discussion by the impacted parties be clearly stated because urgency
without specific specy excuse me is not clarity. We are told that delay would expose the burrow to builder's remedy. Stripping us of control allowing huge buildings all over town. That's a
serious claim. Builder's remedy requires litigation and strict findings of non-compliance. If we are in mediation and acting in good faith, protection from builders builder's remedy does not
evaporate just because residents start asking planning questions. Island Road is not an enclave of large estates. It's a neighborhood of 1/3 acre lots and modest homes. They're well-maintained and already representing the the organic diversity put forth by
the affordable housing act. And we must make certainty that the opportunity being created is realistic and not theoretical and not dependent on and it's going to have speculators assembling lots to to get property for multif family
homes. Realistic opportunity requires more than zoning on paper. It requires credible and likely path to production. Now, have we exhausted other low impact alternatives before reszoning a stable neighborhood? Shouldn't we look at other
things? What about residential above retail? Shops downstairs, homes, homes above is prohibited in the main street area. However, half the buildings already have that. What about moving our strict 35- ft
building height to 45 ft in targeted commercial corridors that will allow additional third floor on buildings? Again, adding additional housing. And what about accessory dwelling units? There is currently laws being considered
in Trenton. Many prefamily homes have a detached garage that homeowners would like to convert to small apartments. Tactics such as these can add units towards our required goals without upheaval. Tonight, we're also considering a second ordinance, multif
family conversion on 40 Franklin turnpike. If multi-unit is appropriate there, should not that be a part of strategy along the entire turnpike carter rather than the hodgepodge of zoning that's already in place there? Now, we should ask whether our single our our
60-year-old single family use zoning with huge parking requirements and strict height limits have constrained viable redevelopment in areas already suited for growth. And that brings me to a broader point. Why must we approach this obligation as
followers of an outdated zoning framework rather than lead leaders in modernizing it? Communities people admire today are integrated, walkable, and mixed use. Everybody loves Ramsey. If we're required to provide realistic
housing opportunity, why not meet that obligation by updating the tools themselves? Why not modernize the framework? And compliance requires realistic opportunity, not maximum concentration.
Zoning decisions are not temporary responses. the established trajectory. Future governing bodies many years down the road will have to respond to it. They do not reset it. Before we alter the course of a neighborhood, let us be
certain we have examined every reasonable alternative and implemented the reforms. Our own master plan already talks about it. We owe this to Ramsay, not merely to meet the moment, but to but to shape the community for decades. Thank you.
Hello, I am Alicia Carbone. I live at 46 Ferguson Place with my four and a half-year-old son Frankie, my 18-month-old Katie. Luckily, I got her out of here. And my husband, Greg. Uh, we sat and had bagels with you last week, Mayor. I wish I knew about this. I would have tried to talk to you about it
then. Um, currently we're finishing renovations at 50 Ferguson Place. You know, the house when you drive into town from the Spring Street exit that was abandoned for 15 years. Um, my husband and I moved next door to 46 and we wanted to find a place to call home in
Ramsey. I feel like I need to speak for those for that home and for the people that lived there before me. Uh, we purchased the home because we were proud. We're proud to restore one of these first houses that you see when you drive into the street. We poured our life savings
and we are continuing to pour our life savings into honoring its history. That is the promise we made when we bought it. That house is not just lumber and siding. It carries the story of the family who built several homes in this town. Their grandfathers on this wall right here. And a teacher at Ramsey High
School, a history teacher who worked in high school and raised his four children here. I'm telling you your their stories because that's what it's what's at stake here. You're not just considering zoning. You're considering the future of homes with history and the future of families and our families who believe in
this neighborhood enough to invest everything in it. We understand the town has obligations under the Mount Laurel doctrine, but Mount Laurel was meant to promote fairness and thoughtful inclusion, to dismantle residential segregation, eliminate exclusionary zoning, and to provide fair share
housing. We're not against that. We're a pretty diverse bunch. I would say it seems that your understanding of this doctrine is to destabilize our established neighborhoods through a sweeping overlay zoning without comprehensive planning. We know this is not eminent domain. We are aware of
that. Ferguson Place and Island Road are not vacant land on a map. We are a living, breathing community. You may not know what that looks like, so let me tell you. It looks like neighbors talking through the streets, bikes on every lawn. It sounds like 15 children running
from backyard to backyard until dusk. It's Stacy ringing the bell for dinner. It's Steve teaching the kids to play tennis. It's Jaime's trampoline, JJ's dog, and Rob digging out everyone's snow. That is what our neighborhood is. That is what community is. And that is
what you are putting at risk. No matter what you say here tonight, if you had walked our streets and you truly walked our streets, you would know this is not an area designed for highdensity multiuse overlay development. Our infrastructure cannot support it. Ferguson Place is currently a dead-end
street that would effectively become a pass through. That means our kids aren't riding our bikes anymore. Since the development in our area, many of us have already experienced major flooding in our homes. Almost every single one of us on Ferguson Street has had to redo their basement. We're not bringing that to you because
we're homeowners that are proud of our homes and want to take care of it. There's one road that leads from Route 17 to Tisdale. How is this not gridlocking our streets? Our preschool classrooms, my son's in Hubard, Stacy's daughters in Tisdale, 15 to 17 kids in a
pre-K. And that's parents paying for that. I can't imagine our schools aren't going to be strained. I don't trust that our safety is considered. I never see I excuse me I respect everything you do but I never see a cop at that train station ever. We have one fire department. I don't
know how emergency services are going to navigate this increased congestion to reach us in time. These are emotional arguments and I'm sorry that I'm angry, but I'm investing my life into this town. These are planning realities. Compliance with Mount Laurel does not
require the town to choose the most disruptive location because you all don't live there. because you've never walked our streets does not require sacrificing a stable historic neighborhood simply because it appears convenient on paper. This is an irreversible decision. Once an overlay
is enacted, land value shift, development pressure increases, the character of the neighborhood is changed permanently. There is no one doing it. We are asking you to meet your obligations, but to do so responsibly, and so that we can all meet them collectively. We are here to figure out
solutions alongside you. Mount Laurel calls for fairness and fairness includes family who live there. Please do not make a permanent decision for a neighborhood you have not fully considered and for whose streets you have not walked. Thank you for your time.
>> Anyone else? >> Sorry. Um, I'm Patricia Payne Marski, P A Y N M A R SK Y. I live at 481 Island Road. Um, I want to thank the council very much for listening to us tonight, giving us this opportunity and particularly to my neighbors, all who
came and spoke so much more eloquently than I will be able to. But, um, I do want to, you know, voice my concerns about the overlay ordinance as well. Um, I'm here tonight with all of my neighbors because we are a cohesive group in this neighborhood who value our
properties and our community ties to Ramsey. I'm sorry I'm getting emotional because everyone has been saying such heartfelt things here this evening and I appreciate it so much. All of us purchased our homes to raise our families here and enjoy all of the benefits of a suburban community in
Bergen County. My husband and I moved here from New York City to 481 Island Road 18 years ago to raise our two sons in order to have more space and more opportunities for growing youngsters. For the last 12 years, we have poured
most of our disposable income into renovating and modernizing our 100-year-old home. We hope to enjoy many more years to in our upgraded home surrounded by our wonderful and caring neighbors in this community. We um
relish the thought of I mean sorry we do not relish the thought of having developers circling around like vultures in our community and trying to locate properties um when everyone here has put so much of their time, energy, blood, sweat and tears and income into salv
keeping the neighborhood in such good condition. As a social worker, I truly do understand the need for having affordable housing and diversity in communities. I think as my neighbor just said, we're a very diverse area as it is. However, I hope the council will see
fit to prevent the reszoning of Island Road community, which already has locations designated for affordable housing and cannot accommodate further saturation of multif family homes and the traffic and inevitable congestion that it would bring. So, I appreciate
what you described earlier and you explained so much to help us understand a little bit better, but what I'm not understanding still at this point is there have already been um large developments that have been approved nearby. The 425 Island Road Yellow Farmhouse where 70 units are going to be
built. The 575 Island Road Ramsey lumber area, I know you said it's not being built right now, but it was approved for 1442 units at one point. the Constantine Road area. You said we only need something like 26 units. So why do we need an overlay to be able to
potentially create more space for people to take to develop even more units when this has already been approved? Those projects alone increase traffic, congestion, noise, and will be a strain on the local roads and services that we have here right now. So this new zoning
would only add another layer of that if it's allowed to go through. And I just want to echo all the sentiments my neighbors made about the fact that this is being pushed through so quickly before we've had a chance to understand it and really have an explanation for what other possibilities there might be
in the town that we should be looking into. So I appreciate your time and thank you. >> Good evening. Mike Dunn, Du N. I live at Tananda Court. Um, it's a culde-sac that's south of the proposed overlay
zone and just around the corner. So, many of these folks or the folks here tonight, friends and neighbors. Um, I guess what I wondered about all of this was having learned about it just a few days ago is why didn't I see this coming?
just as a citizen. Um, busy lives, not always, um, fully on top of everything that goes on in town. And, uh, it seems like this is, it feels like, I know this is not the intention, but it feels like an edict that's been kind of, um, you
know, pronounced upon, um, upon the uh, the overlay zone and the people in in that. So, I went back to your um to the message from Mayor Dylan from the spring Ramsey Journal 2025 in which you talk about having reached a settlement with
the fair share housing center. Um and uh that was almost a year ago in March. Um and the settlement was officially I guess adopted by resolution at the March 26 council meeting from last year. Um at that time I think the
settlement called for something like 51 um I forget what the term is um immediate need or and 451 future need. I'm not getting the terms correct. Um sorry present need obligation of 51 units and uh
prospective need obligation 450 units of affordable housing. That's not where we are now. As you've explained, and I apologize, I couldn't hear standing over there. I couldn't hear your full explanation. Um, so I may have missed something in the translation.
>> Um, but I guess I'm thinking about this. How do we get from this to what I just learned about a few days ago? And sort of echoing what Mr. Carrie brought up earlier. Um, what was considered? Um,
what other alternatives were considered? um transportation center being highlighted. Well, as you know, we have two train two train stations in town, not just um uh not just the one near the uh the overlay zone. Um so I think, you know,
uh I don't feel it as much because I'm not directly in the area, but we all sort of feel like this has been kind of sprung upon us more or less by surprise. Maybe that's not the intention, of course, but nonetheless, that's how it feels. And um
I think we just have questions why what else was considered who was consulted and um why have we now seemingly you know left been left with very little choice given the uh the imminent deadlines. So
>> well it's it's the process that's imposed upon us by the state >> and we have to work within the confines of that process and the process requires us to put forth various plans and elements and then requires us to negotiate with fair share housing center
and we rely heavily upon our professional planners to help us with that. >> Okay. But I don't really remember an update since seeing this over a year ago. In terms of >> your explanation of having to go through that process,
>> I don't know that we are aware of any further discussion in any public forum to notify residents of the town. >> Please, >> the settlement you're talking about with fair share housing just dealt with the number of units that the town would be responsible for. It didn't have anything
to do in then in June we filed a plan that did not include this overlay zone fair share housing subsequently objected to that with another objector and that's when the mediation sessions began with the courts. So it was post that the
agreement was on the number of units the particulars of how that would be implemented was in June that fair share housing then opposed and created other things. So we did not that settlement changed because that was just on the total numbers. >> I see. But I don't recall seeing
anything about any anything notifying residents of the town of further developments like what you just described is is my point. >> We can't control fair share housing center. You know they we we did process that required by state law and then fair
share housing objected >> and intermediation. All I'm asking for is a further explanation. We know we know you can't control FSHC. Um but none of us here I think were aware that
>> that further negotiation had to take place. >> So that's why it feels like it's all been sprung on us and all of a sudden it's a March 15th deadline. >> Okay, understood. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hi, my name is Vincent Vanek, Van,
Capital Eck, 4 Valley View Drive in Ramsey. Mayor and, uh, council members, um, administrators, I don't live in that neighborhood, okay? But in general, as a uh 25, 30-year
resident of uh Ramsay, we don't like high density property development, period, right? We we all okay for, you know, affordable housing. We just don't want it crammed in and
crammed into any specific part of town. Um, so as you write this ordinance that sounds like you're forced to be doing, um, I would just try to recommend that you put verbiage in there to prevent
really compact density housing. That has to be housing two maybe two family house or like Joe said, maybe something that's a three family house and one of the three is your lowincome one. Uh that's the type
of protection this town needs and why we elected you all to protect us. Okay, that's it. >> All right. Hey, good evening. Uh my name is Venet Sha SH AH uh 22 Sunrise
Terrace. just south of the uh overlay proposed overlay area. Um I guess a couple recurring themes I've heard tonight and I just wanted to either reiterate or echo. Um what one recurring theme I've heard is hey we have a
process and we need to be complacent with the process. As a project manager I don't think we need to be complacent with the process. We need to be innovative. Right? So I think this is our opportunity to be innovative with a
process rather than let's just comply right we have a March 15 16th deadline whatever it is but hey let's be innovative in how we respond to that right we can be complacent but I don't think this is the time to be complacent
right um from a capacity perspective we have infrastructure constraints Right. Someone mentioned there's one literally one road from there to Tisdale. That's true. There is one
electric distribution network in that area. That's at capacity. We can check with Orange and Rockland. Uh I already know that just from my professional background. There would need to be massive infrastructure upgrades beyond the electric grid. you know, water,
sewer, roads, all those things need to be considered. Um, with that, right, schools, um, I don't think any of those have been considered or the impact of those have been considered
and that's not an overnight solution. I think the last point here is I think there are many people myself included, you know, this kind of just sprung up almost grassroots, right? I found out about this topic through Facebook, right? And what that
really proves is, hey, communication about important topics is lacking. the fact that I had to find out about not just this meeting. I obviously I know this meeting is a recurring meeting. It exists, right? But that I
had to find out that hey, I need to come to this meeting tomorrow night to learn more about this topic through the Ramsay Facebook, you know, Ramsey parents Facebook group is a little discerning, right? And I think we need to do a
better job of making sure that as residents and homeowners, taxpayers of the town, that we're engaging the community and not slipping something that, oh, by the way, hey, we have three and a half weeks before, oh, we need to
comply rather than let's be, you know, innovative with a response. So, I just want to make sure everyone understood that, hey, we shouldn't just be complying. We should be making sure that people are involved in the process and that we're factoring that in when we
respond as a community, not as a side door deal. Thank you. >> We don't have the capacity to be innovative in this process. >> We can. >> No, we not. Excuse me. I'm speaking. This process has been shoved down our
throats by the state of New Jersey. We It's the Fair Housing Act. We must comply with it. We don't have a choice. >> I'm I'm talking different issues here. All right. And that's and what you brought up about the electric, the infrastructure, and all of that. Yes,
that's valid. However, we're not talking about a project right now. If this should ever come to fruition to be developed, and I highly doubt it will, um that would be the application. That's when all those things would be considered when the application is before the board of adjustment or before
the planning board. There is no pending application to develop. >> So then put it on Main Street. >> Okay. Uh my name is Mikuel Marski. I'm uh from 481 Island Road
M A R SK Y. I'm inventor, architect in industrial designer. I was designing uh in New York City highrises and uh what's going on here? It's making
me absolutely angry because it's really done under the table everything and uh right now uh island road already reaching capacity of the
uh traffic because it is full built what three four floors garage in a station. It's very difficult actually cross the uh street.
So if uh I still partner in the company Machado Designs so we can do planning for you. Uh in my proposal we have a uh country club with a big very big golf
course. Let's cut golf course for three holes and build as much as we want affordable housing. HOW ABOUT THAT? Thank you very much. Hi, Steve Bennett, 36 Ferguson Place, BN
TT. I know you're saying this may not come to fruition. As soon as this zoning gets passed in March or whatever the date it finally comes to realization, all of our properties go down. It doesn't matter
that what happened when they were looking at the expansion 10 12 years ago to put the loan the the apartment complex on Ramsey Lumber. It'll happen again and maybe enough time
will go by where the prices come back up again. But it's a stigma I have to tell every single family person that wants to buy a house. Well, it's it's zone for multif family, multi-units. So
you have that over your head on every negotiation to sell our house that whether it's today or 5 years from now, it's still over our heads to full disclosure to let them know that
your people across the street may sell. So you may not, but there'll be a 30 family unit complex across the street from you. Or they're going to want to take access on Ferguson Place. Well, we can take 10 ft on either side of the
street to expand the road so we can actually have two-way traffic on that street because right now I had a situation where they had parking on both sides. Well, I couldn't go to work because he couldn't get a car through. So they put it on one side so that they
could get a fire truck through for because the fire hides all the way down the end. I'm just saying that once and I heard nothing about this until just recently but then again I don't come to these meetings so it's my own
fault. Um but we have we almost feel like we have no say. Uh we can go on for hours, but come March 2015 or 16th, you're going to have the meeting. We can have this all over again, and you're all
going to go, we got to comply with the state. Well, not everybody has to comply with the state all the time. There are other options. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, mayor and council. Victor Tediscoco, T O D I S O 17 Bir Street.
Actually, I was going to say about the same thing that you said. I mean, 20 units per acre. So, a developer comes in and buys a couple of puts a couple of properties together and now you have change the neighborhood and then
everyone next door is nervous. What's going to happen next? They're going to sell to get out. like a dominoes. Everything will start to fall. Yes, there's nothing proposed. Nothing may ever happen. But this has the potential to irrevocably change the town of Ramsay for the worse. And there's no going
back. It's this is highly dangerous to change to put this overlay there. That's all. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, at this point I'll close public comment. Thank you for all of your
comments and your thoughts. Um once again, this is just the introduction of the ordinance. It is not the adoption. Okay, that would be scheduled um for March 4th, assuming that the council uh passes the introduction of the ordinance
this evening. Okay, so we've heard you loud and clear. I will have conversations tomorrow with our planner at Burgess Associates. I will also have a conversation with our fair share housing attorney. Um, and I'll have conversation with Mr.
Vos. All right. That's all I can promise you. That's all I can do right now about it. All right. But I promise you I will have those conversations to see if there are any alternatives. All right. You have my word on that. Okay. Thank you.
All right. So, we're going to move on. You know, you're welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting if you'd like. You don't have to, and we won't be insulted if you leave. Okay? But you're welcome to stay. >> I'm I'm sorry, Mayor. Mayor, just one more. How do we get a copy of what the
ordinance actually is? Is there is that going to be on the website? The actual verbiage >> there's copies over there. >> Do we have a copy? >> Oh, you have copies here. >> Yeah. Do we have a copy of it? >> He's not staying. >> He's not >> here. You can have mine.
drink. One more. Awesome. >> Okay. consent. >> Yep. >> All right. Um, can I please have a motion to go back into order? >> No. Are we in order? Oh, that's right.
Oh, that's right. Yay. I got myself confused. All right. Consent resol res resolutions. >> Uh, thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh be resolved that resolutions 048 2026 through and including 057 2026 having
been considered by the governing body of the burrow of Ramsey B are hereby passed and approved. There are two special permit requests. The Women's Club of Ramsey is requesting permission to hold the annual tomato and vegetable plant sale at the Masonic
Lodge parking lot Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. That's already in my calendar. And the Knights of Columbus are requesting permission to collect funds outside of various store locations in Ramsey for permission from store owners from April 10th to April
12th, 2026. And there are no block party requests this evening. I'll second that. >> All right. Any comments on the consent resolution? >> None. All right. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gutweather, >> yes.
>> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> All right. Thank you. We'll move on to committee and Lee is on reports. Finance and administration. Councilman Gutwer. >> Thank you again, Madam Mayor. Uh, I'd like to start off by congratulating the
four police officers in the Ramsey Police Department on their recent promotions and thank them for their service to the burough. Uh, for my report for this evening for the library board, there was a fundraiser held on uh this past Friday, January 30th with the theme of a night out at the library. The fund library fundraising team designed
and organized the event and was attended by 71 people. The event was structured as a night out with a variety of activities and refreshments around the library. Uh the library will be running their annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, February 28th from 1 to 4 p.m. is one of the library signature
annual events and will feature nearly a dozen performances of traditional dance music, costumes, and to celebrate the holiday. Uh also be having a scavenger hunt, crafts, riddles, and light refreshments. Library director working on the 2026 budget proposal and the 2025
annual report, state aid report. In addition, the board is working on a 5-year capital plan and will be presented in the near future and a team room furniture will be delivered and installed in the area from late February to early March. Uh residents can check the library websites for winter
programming for recreation commission. The winter basketball and wrestling season are winding down and these sports in the K through2 basketball clinic are very well attended. Thank you to all the parents, coaches, and volunteers. and registration for spring sports are available on the Ramsey Recreation website where there are links for the
various sports. Uh farmers market is still under winter hours from 10:00 a.m. to 1 pm uh through April and the hours will change in May from 9 to 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. And just check on the weather uh as consider recent rough weather on
Sundays where the markets had to close. And March 29th, keep that date open. is a touch truck event sponsored by Ramsey Jr. That concludes my report for this evening. >> Thank you. Public safety Councilman Kilman. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh first,
congratulations to Sergeant Finn, Sergeant Paul, to Lieutenant Kanico, and Lieutenant Fury on their promotion. And as far as my public safety comments regarding the new emergency services complex, NEA Architects and the Ramsey Emergency Services Building Committee
will present tonight an overview of the project design as it nears its final stages. Once the project design is complete and approved, we will set and post a date for a special meeting to present it to the public as promised after which we expect to go out for
public bid later in the first quarter of 2026. That is my report. >> Thank you. Building planning and zoning Councilman Grone. >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. Uh, first off, I'd like to congratulate Sergeant Finn,
Sergeant Paul, Lieutenant Canonico, and Lieutenant Fury. Um, I have nothing to report on the design review board as this month's meeting is not until Tuesday the 24th. And I also have nothing to report on the zoning board as the meeting is not until
Wednesday, February 18th. Uh, thank you. That's all I have to report. >> Thank you. Utilities, buildings, and grounds. Councilwoman Cusk. >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. Congratulations to our police department promotions. Sergeant Finn, Sergeant Paul, Lieutenant Kanonico, and Lieutenant Fiori. Um, a
few comments from u my the meeting that I missed on the 28th, please. From the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of the piles of snow, I want to thank our BPW, DPW teams for their heroic efforts for snow removal. Um, to my burough colleagues and friends, I'm
grateful for your support during the loss of my father, Henry Cusk. Your messages, calls, and thoughtfulness are so comforting. The report right now will be an update regarding our planning board, shade tree commission, and board of public works. The Ramsey Planning Board meeting, the next planning board
meeting is the 3rd of March, 2026. For our Shade Tree Commission, it last met on the 15th of January. The next meeting is 19th February, 2026. Ramsey is a tree city for 30 years. for the board of public works at last met on January um
excuse me yes at last met on January 26th the next meeting is the 23rd of February 2026 per and poly florinated substances are a large group of humanmade chemicals and their persistence in the environment is a concern the EPA has set forth PAS water
quality limits impacting our water supply H2M our architectural and engineering firm is collaborating with the Ramsey water department on treatment solutions for our well facilities The lead service line replacement. The board of public works continues planning and implementation measures to comply
with the NJD's lead service line replacement mandate requiring all lead service lines in the water system be replaced by 2031. The bureau will cover the cost of replacing the portion of the water line service line that it owns while property owners are responsible
for the portion that they own. To encourage proactive replacements, the ordinance offers a 750 reimbursement to property owners who replace their galvanized or lead water service lines within the specified time frame, the latter of 270 days from the adoption of
the ordinance or 180 days from the date the property owner was first notified of the need of replacement. For detailed instructions on how to qualify for the payment, please check the Bureau of Public Works and our bureau uh on our
bureau's website. Um and lastly, BPW projects as a part of the burrow's initiative to replace the antiquated 4-in water manes and aging water manes on Snyder Avenue. There's a new 8-in water man. The entire length of the
water man has been completed. Thank you, Madam Mayor. That's my report for this evening. Thank you, Councilwoman Poppy. >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, so I would first like to congratulate uh Ramsey police officers on their promotions. Uh,
Sergeant Finn, Sergeant Paul, Lieutenant Katako, and Lieutenant Fiori. Thank you for your service. Also, thank you to the mayor and council members um for setting up and running the coffee with the
mayor, council, and Ramsey PD on the first. I was unfortunately out of town on business and could not attend, but it was a great event with good feedback and um I'm thankful for everyone for being there. Um, on February 18th, the Chamber
of Commerce will host their winter social at the Ramsey Golf and Country Club. And also on February 18th, the pool commission will meet here at 7:30 p.m. in the front conference room. I would also like to congratulate our
stigmafree uh t-shirt uh design winners. Uh they've designed t-shirts for our big May um spring fling. Our first place winner was Chloe La um Lenie from Ramsey
High School. And our first place winner from Smith School was Jackson Berber. Our second place winner from Ramsey High School was Isabella Moore. And our second winner from Smith School was Clo
Chloe um Flurox. So, thank you for your contributions and I look forward to working on that subcommittee for the stigma free event. And that concludes my report. Thank you. >> Thank you. Public education, social services, Councilman Popone.
>> Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, I too want to congratulate Sergeant Finn and Paul and Lieutenants Tanico and Fiori on their promotions and thank you for your service. I'll start with uh Refe Ramsey is for everyone. The basketball season
continues. Uh although we were off needed off last week and needed off this week I think for everybody. >> Um they will reconvene after the holiday season will go through. >> Uh February 26 there are scheduled an art class at the community center for
rife as well. And then they have scheduled the spring fling dance which will be May 1st at St. Paul's. Uh for environmental com committee we met uh last night. Uh the styrofoam recycle this month will be cancelled and pushed
to March. Uh the cleanup is still uh scheduled for April 18th and the EV car show is April 18th as well and secondhand Toys is April 19th. Uh for Municipal Alliance uh we met on 2 226.
Uh the big thing is the stigmafree festival which again is scheduled for May 1st. um Ramsey uh high school front lawn from 5 to 8. There's a couple other things in there too that I'll get better dates on for next session that we go through. The next meeting is 2:23 for
Ramsey Municipal Alliance and Board of Education. Our next meeting is 22426. And that'll conclude my report. >> Thank you so much. >> Okay, for my comments, um congratulations to the four officers for the two sergeant positions and the two lieutenant positions. We look forward to
great things with them in their new roles. Um, I'd like to echo Councilwoman Cusk's comments. Uh, the Department of Public Works and everybody who helped did a fabulous job of snow removal from Storm Fern. I was actually in New York
City yesterday for work and it's still a mess. They're still everywhere. So, they did a great job. They got Main Street back and rolling. So, we want to make sure the school buses to get could get through. So they did the overnight operation to remove the snow um using
front loaders and dump trucks. Um and that's a big process especially after they were all so exhausted from doing the snow removal during the storm and after the storm. So I want to thank them for that. Also I wanted to say um note that the board of public works there was
a water main break across um across from Finch nearly two weeks ago church street and they did a phenomenal job replacing that. I think they were out there for at least 10 hours in the bitter cold replacing that water mane. So, a shout out to them for their dedication working
under such challenging circumstances. One thing also note that K9 Jack also graduated from a new program that he finished. It was a six-month program and he graduated with flying colors. We're hoping that he would be here this evening to be recognized, but that did not happen.
>> All right. And that's all I have for administrator. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. I'll just uh briefly talk about a couple one of the resolutions. Resolution 51 authorizes the bow to amend our current agreement with Verizon Wireless regarding the communication power at the DPW. This
amendment would allow for an additional 10-ft extension beyond what is currently in the lease. Uh however, any application by the carrier contractor for construction of the extension would still need to be submitted and approved through the construction office and
planning board as applicable. Um, do you want me to comment on the ordinances now or >> No, wait till the introduction, please. >> Okay. And that would be it. >> Okay. Thank you, burrow attorney. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, burrow clerk. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you. >> Let's move on to the introduction of ordinances. Ordinance 01 2026. Okay. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh this is the uh introduction of ordinance 012026
be resolved an ordinance entitled to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank pass the reading first reading by title and that set ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the mayor and council to be held on the
fourth day of March 2026 7 p.m. prevailing time or as soon after as the matter can be reached at the mal building in said burrow and be it thorough resolved that the burough clerk be hereby instructed to publish in an official newspaper of the burrow in the manner provided by law a copy of said
ordinance together with notice of introduction thereof and notice when the same will be considered for final passage and adoption. >> I'll second that. >> Thank you. Any comments, Mr. Boz? >> Sure. This is just a standard ordinance.
municipalities across New Jersey adopt before they do their budget. It allows a municipality, if you do adopt this ordinance, to increase potential budget appropriations within CAP by up to 3% instead of two and a half%. It does not impact the tax levy cap of 2%. It just
deals with appropriation items that are within the municipal cap and allows flexibility in any given year. Uh while we may not use this flexibility, there's no harm in adopting the ordinance and any amount under it is then uh used in bank for unused would be bank for
potential future year's use. >> Okay, thank you. All right. Uh roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gotwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes.
>> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Thank you. Ordinance O2 20226. >> Uh thank you. So this is the introduction of ordinance repealing and replacing chapter 29 affordable housing of the revised general ordinance of
event Ramsey. passed the first reading by title and that ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the council of the mayor and council to be held on the 4th day of March 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
time or as soon as the matter can be reached at municipal building in in said bur. And be it further resolved that the bur clerk be and she hereby instructed to publish an official newspaper of the
burrow in the manner provided by law a copy and said ordinance together with notice of introduction thereof and notice when the same will be considered for final passage and adoption. Madam Mayor, this was Councilwoman Cusk.
I second. Thank you. Any comments? >> Sure. This ordinance repeals the current chapter 29 of the burough code pertaining to affordable housing, replaces it with this new chapter uh 29, which is being updated in accordance with the new fourth round state
affordable housing legislation. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. Councilman Gutwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes.
>> Thank you. Ordinance 03 20226. >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. This is Councilwoman Cusk. This is an intro to ordinance 03-2026. Be it resolved that an ordinance entitled ordinance repealing and replacing chapter 30 use of development
fees of the revised general ordinances of the Burough of Ramsey. passed the first reading by title and that said ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the mayor and council to be held on the fourth day of March 2026 7
p.m. revealing time or as soon after as the matter can be reached at the municipal building in said burrow. And be it further resolved that the burough clerk be and she hereby is instructed to publish in an official newspaper of the burrow in the manner provided by law a
copy of said ordinance together with notice of introduction thereof and notice when the same will be considered for final passage and adoption. >> I second. >> Okay. Thank you. Any comments? Uh sure. Again, this ordinance uh this
time repeals current chapter 30 of the burough code pertaining to affordable housing and replaces it with the new chapter being updated in accordance with the new fourth round state affordable housing legislation. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes.
>> Councilman Gutwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Thank you. Ordinance 4 2026. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Be it resolved that an ordinance entitled an ordinance
amending the supple and supplementing chapter 34 zoning of the revised general ordinances of the bureau of Ramsey in order to establish a new R-5D Island Road multifamily residential overlay district. pass the first reading
by title and that said ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the mayor and council be held on the fourth day of March 2026 at 700 p.m. or prevailing time or as soon after as the matter can be reached
at the municipal building in said burrow. Be it further resolved that the burough clerk be and she hereby is instructed to publish in an official newspaper of the bureau in the manner provided by law a copy of said ordinance together with a notice of introduction
thereof and notice that when the same will be considered for final passage. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Any comments? >> Sure. This ordinance, as discussed, creates a new R5E overlay zone for Island Road in accordance with the
burough's affordable housing settlement agreement with Fairshare Housing Center and in compliance with the program judges January 26 decision approving such settlement. This will provide a continuation of Burough's immunity subject to ordinance adoption prior to
the March 15, 2026 deadline imposed by the Fair Housing Act of the State of New Jersey. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gutwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo,
>> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, yes. >> Thank you. Ordinance '052026. >> This is the introduction of ordinance '052026. Be it resolved that ordinance entitled an ordinance amending and supplementing
chapter 34 zoning of the revised general ordinances of the Burrow of Ramsey in order to establish a new R-5F North Franklin turnpike multifamily residential overlay district. pass the
first reading by title and that said ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the mayor and council to be held on the fourth day of March 2026 at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time or as soon
after as the matter can be reached at the municipal building in said burrow. And be it further resolved that the burough clerk be and she hereby is instructed to publish an official newspaper of the burrow in the manner provided by law a copy of said ordinance
together with notance of introduction thereof and notice when the same will be considered for final passage and adoption. Second. >> I second. Madam Mayor, I apologize. >> Oh, no words. Thank you. Um, any comment?
>> Sure. This ordinance creates the new R5F overlay zone for North Franklin Turnpike in accordance with the Burough's affordable housing settlement agreement with Fairshair Housing Center and North Franklin LLC in compliance with the judge's January 26th decision approving such settlement. This will provide a
continuation of Burough's immunity subject to ordinance adoption by the March 15th deadline imposed by Fair Share Housing Act by the state of New Jersey. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gutwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman,
>> yes. >> Councilman Pablo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Papy, >> yes. >> Thank you. Ordinance 06 2026. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Ordinance 062026 be resolved that ordinance entitled an ordinance amending
chapter 34 section 4.28 28 entitled affordable housing mandatory set aside of the revised general ordinances of the burrow of Ramsey. Pass the first reading by title and that said ordinance be further considered for final passage and adoption at a regular meeting of the
mayor and council to be held the 4th day of March 2026 7 p.m. prevailing time or as soon after as the matter can be reached at the municipal building in said burrow. And be it further resolved that the burough clerk be and she hereby is instructed to publish in an official
newspaper of the burrow in the manner provided by law a copy of the said ordinance together with notice of the introduction thereof and notice with the same will be considered for final passage and adoption. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Any comments?
>> Sure. This ordinance amends sections of the code regarding the mandatory set aside for affordable housing on certain developments. Previously, the mandatory set aside was 20% for affordable forale units and 15% for affordable rental units. This ordinance amends those
sections to make the mandatory set aside for affordable housing 20% for both for sale units and rental units. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Gotwer, >> yes. >> Councilman Kelman,
>> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. Thank you. All right. We don't have any unfinished business. The new business will have the neta presentation. Um, while you set up, do you want to take a fivem minute break? Yeah. Take a five minute break. Okay.
Everybody okay with the five minute break? >> Yeah. Just >> Okay. >> On the top right. You ready? >> Okay, there we go. >> Yeah, we'll need a roll call. >> Yeah.
>> All right. You want a roll call? >> Yes, please. >> Mayor Dylan >> here. >> Councilwoman Cusk >> here. Councilman Gerson >> here. >> Councilman Gutweather >> here. >> Councilman Kilman >> here. >> Councilman Papo >> here. >> Councilwoman Poppy
>> here. >> Thank you. Well, it's your show now. >> Thank you very much, Mayor. Good evening, council. Um, I'm Matthew Neta. I'm a project manager from Neta Architects. Uh we were retained by the bureau to design an emergency response
uh facility that would house fire rescue and OEM. Uh I myself am a registered architect in New Jersey and I studied at NGI uh New Jersey Institute of Technology where I received my masters of architecture. Um, looking at the building's design,
um, we were tasked with providing the burrow a building that would again house all three emergency response uh, units. Um, and we chose a building that would uh, use brick veneer exterior uh, and
also a cast base uh, which would mimic the look of the adjacent high school building across the street. Uh, again trying to reflect the continuity of the neighborhood. As you can see uh up on the board though we have renderings uh elevations and
floor plans of the facility that we've worked with the burrow in designing. Um the first floor of the building will essentially mostly be for the emergency response division. Uh there are six uh front and rear apparatus bays um that
will allow you know rescue um rescue vehicles, fire vehicles and you know whatever other needs the burrow has. Uh there is one bay that has been used to uh display the burrow's antique fire units uh that they still own till this
day. Um the second floor of the building uh which has been redesigned has been utilized to uh offer a public space of multi-purpose uh facility. Uh there's also storage for that facility for full commercial kitchen um and a training
area in the apparatus bay uh for the firefighters to um complete some of their fire training uh bailout which we've provided um a hole through the floor actually for them to to uh go through for for some of their training exercises and also um some windows off
the training platform that they can I believe repel from. Um there is also the OEM component at the front of the building uh which you will see in the rendering uh mostly the glass on the second floor um which will actually give
a viewing point to the burrow um to have their emergency response meetings um for any situations that may occur uh in the burrow. And one of the the requests um from from our team at the burrow was that they be able to see the high school
um with this emergency response conference room uh in case of any emergencies that may arise. So um as you can see we you know presented it um in both elevation and and rendering and floor plan. So if you guys have any questions um here to answer them now.
Anybody have any questions so far? >> Do you have handouts any documents? >> Um, I did not bring them. I know sometimes we pres uh submit those prior to the meeting. Um, >> okay. >> Peter, we can send you a packet tomorrow. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. The other thing is, can you send the back end of this? >> Yes. >> Yes. I have the other one. I do have a lot of questions on this. >> Thank you. I'm a little bit a ways away here, but what is the road, right?
>> Um, that is actually next to the I believe it's the ambulance building on the corner. Um, so that drive comes between the ambulance building and the new OEM complex. >> This is the thorough fair between the rescue and the fire building. >> Yeah, I'm trying to see because it looks
like, you know, >> Yeah, the ambulance building's not pictured there, but it uh they use that driveway for response. Uh they leave out that front drive >> to the left of the building. >> No, >> no, no. Because the ambulance >> this way. >> Yeah. Ambulance would be to the left. >> Ambulance building sits right here in prospect.
>> So that's like the driveway, right? >> Okay. >> What's all the way in the back behind the building? Is that the existing lot? >> Yeah, there's a a good amount of parking in the rear. Um I can't recall how many uh cars we did accommodate, but there is
a residential uh behind the property. And you said the window view uh the large window. >> Yeah, Greg could point to that. That that's the situation >> be a view at a high school, but it'll be it's going to be hard to tell, but it'll be above the sighteline where there's
you'll be able to see without the trees getting in the way. I guess you're right. >> That is correct. >> Right above it. Right. >> Yes. >> Yeah. the first floor of the uh um emergency response complex uh is about 16 to 18 ft in the air just for the vehicles on the first floor. So,
>> okay. >> Can you just go through like what's drill down to what goes on in each floor? >> Of course. >> Like how many apparatus can they fit in there? >> Yeah, so as I mentioned uh previously, we do have six uh front and rear apparatus bay entrances. So, you would
be able to park uh 12 vehicles. Um there is one bay that is only a rear exit on the right side of the that first floor plan on the left. Uh but you'll see in the front of that bay, there is an antiques room that will uh have glass and actually display some of the um
older fire apparatuses. I'm not sure the exact date of those. Uh but they were Ramsy's back um you know in the 50s and 60s. Um and I think there is a Ramsey day that they do display some of those to to the township. That's not one of the 12 bays. That's an addition to >> that. That's seventh bay.
>> Right there over the end. >> Got it. >> Just the front half. >> Okay. So, >> you guys anticipate having how many vehicles? Will you be able to fit 12 in there? >> Yes. >> Between you guys and whoever else is all right if we get up and go drop
>> I can't I can't really see. >> Yeah. Okay. And what else is on the first floor? >> Yes. And there's a so there is a turnout gear room which is where the firefighters um disperse from and a decon zone which allows them after uh they fight a fire to wash um some of the
contaminants off of them uh and then proceed to put their gear into an extractor uh and dryer and then enter back into the turnout gear space. Um >> I could go up to the plan though if you'd like me to point out some of the >> that'd be very helpful.
Left side's the first floor. I'll try my voice here. These are the six front. >> Yeah, we can. >> So, this uh this is the first floor plan here. Uh and we have the six front and rear apparatus bay that you can pull
through. Uh but the intent is is to have two vehicles in each one of these bays. Uh this last bay here which used to be the seventh bay but we've accommodated these tip as well two engines which will be displayed with glazing in both sides and also this front door here as you can
see in the rendering the doors will be glazed. Sorry. And then in the rear of that same bay, there will be parking for an additional vehicle. But there is also a stair up to the second floor train platform which will kind of be situated
within this large apparatus here. Any questions just on that kind of part of the building and you can see that that's pictured here section. >> Getting to the main portion of the building. Um we do have a lobby in the
rear and front of the building, but the intent is the site plan um to actually bring most of the parking in the rear and most of your public uh will enter through the rear lobby. So this one's sized a little bit larger with an elevator and a staircase. They can then
proceed. These will be locked doors obviously because this is emergency response complex, but the public if there was a multi-purpose function going on, they could come up again. You'll have a locked lobby up the elevator and stair, but this is a large room on the
second floor that will be the public function. Very quickly, the remainder of that first floor uh is some office space for both rescue and fire. And again, uh two more additional offices for them. Day room for firefighters in the front
corner uh with a small little galley kitchen. The watch room to disperse uh the sight line out here and also into the bay so they can disperse some of the vehicles. And then this is your large locker room where they will essentially
come in through then put on their gear, disperse into the app bay, but there's also a return for decon washing and this is essentially just a storage for firefighters, tanks and workshop to repair. >> You're assuming that most folks are
going to go on the back doors opposed to the front. Um the parking is in like for events and stuff. >> Yes, you're gonna direct them. >> I mean, unless they're coming in off for like Ramsey Day, they're coming into the front, but >> parking in the rear. So, they can take they can light both entrances.
>> Yeah, there is a front lobby obviously also secure that we can uh with automated controls, they can probably let them in the washroom, but there is a second floor that we would like to highlight if no one had any questions. How much to the right of the existing
building? Is this takes up the exact same exact same location? >> So there's still parking to the right of the >> correct. Yeah. And behind it did say to the right of this is an entrance which is not it's tough to see but it's
a little drive. >> Yeah. It wouldn't be parking just where parking now. The parking is not going to be there. No, parking is all just in the back. >> It's about 20 or 30 feet from property.
>> So, the building's going over the existing parking area. >> It's going right >> to Yeah. to where the bays are. Yes. >> Yeah, I got you. >> Where the fire department member park is right there. >> The second floor of the building again has that public uh component. Uh but
there are also a few more um public spaces that uh can can house people, commercial kitchen and just storage for the multi-purpose room. So this will feed uh any events that are here. Uh it's a kitchen storage. You then have the bathrooms which will u
function. Your staircase is pretty much just storage and and multi-purpose in this zone. But if you see this door here, this is actually a lock door which takes us into the emergency control uh area. OBM there is the OBM coordinator's
office, the situation conference room as we mentioned here. This is the OBM coordinator's office. Um, and then just on the left side here, we just have a small little breakout area for any events that may be while the town is responding and then just a radio comps
for communications. >> Is there an elevator? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Just I want to ask. >> Yeah, it is in the main line. >> And then the area where all your equipment is, I know it's a challenge to get changed safely.
>> The idea, where is that now? >> That's what he pointed out as the PR. Okay. >> So, everything will be in there. The idea is to keep all the exhaust, you know, from the trucks contained in the bays and make it like a warm zone where
we get dressed and go to. >> So, you have a data cage. >> Yes. >> Come in park in the rear, come in, get their gear on and exit to the out of curiosity. >> How many trucks are there right now?
>> Rescue and fire. And there is space on the site to park up obviously other vehicles. We've dedicated zones for any other emergency vehicles, but this is obviously >> But is it the goal is to get the um >> get inside to protect them from the
elements >> to dry out and wear out much quicker >> and store it outside. >> This area is also designed with a >> Well, that's I think the height in the bays is well over 20 feet. >> Correct. >> Yeah. So we can do maintenance on the diesel right side. But this area here,
it's designed with a diesel capture system which is required nowadays. So it literally hooks up to all the trucks. So when the trucks start up, there's a hose on them that exhausts everything outside the the building. >> Wow. >> Once the trucks pull out, it automatically disconnects from the
truck. >> Just for kind of scale, the door is actually here 14 foot tall. So the top peak of this is about 20 something feet 25t. But it's got to get in a 14 foot door. >> Correct.
>> That works. >> Part of the issue is the current doors. >> How much space have you bring >> these bays are? >> I'm just curious. >> So that give you probably a good 10 ft between. >> Okay. >> Twin trunks.
>> 10 ft. >> Much wider. You don't have a picture though from the other side of the building, right? >> I I I do have some uh 3D views that I can share from the rear of the facility and also shows actually that um other side of the building >> where the driveway would be
>> bring some light in to the fire apparatus for for the firefighters and rescue officers. But you can see the doors are glazed to get a lot more light there. That's a a new trend in firehouse design. But we do have the rear building
here which shows slight terrace on the rear and then just some window to break up some work. >> What what is upstairs on the right? >> Uh here. >> Yeah. Uh no >> all the way up >> I guess all the way on the left on the left. I'm sorry.
>> Oh, sorry. Left here. >> Yeah. >> Uh so that that's actually just a window on the side elevation. >> So on the bottom down below right here >> like where do those stairs go? Uh those stairs go to this platform. >> The train platform that's inside the engine room.
>> Yeah, they do get two more small storage rooms, but the tent here is this. This hole actually here is I think it's called bail training. Is that correct? They do bail lab training through hole which is a manhole cover. There's also a few windows here that they can
>> in a fire situation. >> What's a terrace used for? Um, the terrace is just off the multi-purpose room and that's for any of your public people. >> Anybody have to step outside? It's just a small We had we had no space, so we just put a terrace there. If anybody has
to step outside on the second floor, it's just a big event. >> And then the one thing to highlight that we can actually see from this rendering is uh we do house most of the mechanical units. It's a penthouse here to screen them from the public. One thing we didn't mention is this area
here where the elevator comes out this bulkhead here and this bulkhead here. This area is uh designed for future use. So the borrow should decide at some point down the road 10 years down the road 15 20 whatever >> if you're in a up there if you're in a situation where
you have to put in bulk rooms or whatever the case may be for paid fire department if that should ever happen. That area is being designed so that the elevator and the stairs go all the way up there and then at some point down the road the building's made and the structure that you could could add up
deck. So it's a structural deck >> about the special bay doors with the light. I'm sorry but show me the sunrise sunset on this like the north south direction. >> Yeah, because I don't see the if it's not going the right way. I don't see the
benefit. I have north here but the northern facility is actually this direction. So the east will be rising this way and the west will be on the other sidetheast >> doors east and you'll see the firefighters actually do stage their truck. So the way this is
designed is the bays are set back to allow for 50 ft on the front apron so that they can stage even if they're not in the in the apparatus base. Also the same on the rear. >> And what is the length of the driveway to go in? Is it comparable to what you
have now? I guess. >> Uh yes. Yes. And part of the reason why we bought forward a portion of the building is to add somewhat of a screening to the residences across street. The entrance pull up in this station is for them all come out.
>> And then how about getting out on the back side? >> What's up? >> Well, you have 12 trucks. So you have vehicles. >> Those are going to be your what we call second vehicles. >> They'll go out in the >> They'll go out in the rear direction. Yes. And to the last
>> the infrequent times that they're needed >> in the go to left right. Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Almost every single response all the trucks rescue included will come out the front door. >> Correct. >> The first two I got. >> Okay. Any other questions? What was that other rendering Greg that you
>> This was just another rendering of the from the building from a bit of a different perspective here >> just give you an idea just few from this direction roof design is a metal roof so you get
50 has 60 years out of roof as opposed to single. We're really trying to design a building, I guess, for >> so you and I will be >> 50 to 75 years. >> You and I will be around for the 50 or 60 years. >> If you go roof replacement, >> I won't
pick our samples matching high school building >> that we did. who actually high school. >> The intent was to to design a building that will give the burrow the use of this building for the next 50 plus years
without any real modification but not not design something of a building of just you know once. This is just the bare minimum. You know we we're preferring to have bunk rooms now but not necessary now. So you have that option down the road. >> Um >> and it was a big undertaking to get the
functionality of three organizations >> under one room and into two floors. So, we're we're we're really at at a point in the the in the design where uh I think we whittleled it down. We've been doing this now for the last obviously 24
months that got to this point. So, >> question with the uh with the parking because I know at the schools they use a lot of that parking, right? The kids and what what have we talked to them? Where are they? Has that totally been gone? Like there's nothing back there. There have to be there will not be any school
parking back there. Okay. We've actually kept the same count of parking has not increased it from the existing >> that's good if you even calculate. I don't know if we know how to calculate the parking but yeah >> okay
>> and it just has like regular electric like like no solar panels or anything? >> No solar panels. Uh generator building generator response facility has to be fully backed up. So there's a generator on site not building mounted but Out of curiosity, we can't put solar
panels or >> No, we could, but they're just a warranty issue mainly and they put penetrations through your roof. So, and the longevity of the roof warranty and span it technically sometimes manufacturers won't warranty a roof
system that has been true through the solar panel system, but it is an option. We can we can review that. We looked at it from sorry, we looked at it from a lead standpoint. all the lighting, all the air conditioning units, all that stuff will be, you know, the latest and greatest
for sustainability and energy efficiency. It just didn't see. I think we did look at that. It just didn't make sense from solar array think would generate much much out of it. >> I think the lighting in the parking lot was one of the things that we lighting as well is all you know so you don't get
lightly across the property. for the lights. >> Exactly. >> But again, the warranty on the roof that was the big >> just right. >> You know, we have designed as Greg was starting to there is a a paper system on
the second floor here. The first intent, sorry, and it will be right here off this coping. The first content is possibly use it for some training if they can. But again, if the facility can be expanded at the future later, the ent structure was designed the same as the
second floor deck and concrete slab structure. So there is just a flat membrane out there versus the pitch. >> The bathrooms are all ADA and they're currently All right. Anything else you want to tell us about the building
>> in the foundation that's going to be all taken care of? >> Yes. >> Geotech performance. >> So we know we know we got rid of these from all the testings and the test kits we did. We we're pretty pretty sure what we're dealing with over there.
>> One there are some environmental advantages too. This does have oil grease interceptor. The trucks do waste. They normally change oil or just even spray down some of the vehicles. You get some oil dripping into these trench trains. So, this is designed to be under
the trucks. There's also an oil interceptor now as you're going out to the street. So, it separates that oil from getting into your sewer system. Yeah. >> How often does that have to be like cleaned? Um, it's actually located like right out the front end. I think right
around here in the apron or just in landscaping, but it will usually check. >> Yeah, we're not it's not commercial kitchen. It's basically residual stuff that might come off the trucks. Most of the service on the trucks gets done at
DPW. Although we'll be able to do more and more regular maintenance on this. We'll be able to put the the front of the trucks up the high side, but You shouldn't be getting much oil. >> Okay. Any other questions? >> Sure.
>> Identify who you are though. >> My name is Jennifer. >> We can't You're not going to get picked up your question unless you go over there. No, >> Jennifer Crannle, 150 West Oak Street. I
was at the first presentation and I'm not really figuring out what has changed. I know that you mentioned the doors open sideways. Does that still happen? >> No. So, the the change actually was we reduced the third floor of the building and reduced the building overall by
about 7,000 square feet. So, initially the presentation uh that we first gave had a third floor to the building. Yeah, partial third floor. >> Yeah, actually that housed all your public space. So the intent there was to put all the public on the third floor and the second floor had the dorm rooms
and and also the EOC. So in this general vicinity it was the dorm rooms and then just lock rooms to feed to feed those dorm rooms because when they stay over there showers and other facilities to to accommodate the firefighters and rescue. But uh the
task was to to reduce some of the space that was given so What we did was we removed a floor, kept the seven same seven bay design, but we did relocate the antiques room which is shown on the first floor. This used to be actually over in this zone here. We relocated it
to use one of the bays so that we're using some of the space >> and those doors that open sideways are no these are different doors. >> They're still in the in the works. We'll have to see how the audit comes back when when the bidding goes out. >> You know, they can be swapped out for
overhead doors or throws. There's not much savings there, but obviously we're we're, you know, going to watch, >> but the time for the firemen to get their trucks out is you had mentioned in the first presentation when they open sideways, it's less time. So, is it
significantly less? >> It is. They snap open pretty good. They're pretty efficient. seconds. >> There's a great uh video that I if I could have brought and presented it, I would I would have, but they open and close in the same amount of time that overhand door takes to just open. So,
it's great for the emergency vehicles and it provides the one thing that lacks in the old firehouse design and apparatus base is the light component. Um, you know, when you're in those spaces that are very dark, we're renovating another firehouse and another
uh location. That's just actually built one in Jersey City which was an 1870s firehouse where they can't even fit the trucks inside the bay doors. So they pay a premium would be it's it's crazy to hear the amount these trucks cost but
the renovation of the firehouse is actually less than the truck that in the fire just to accommodate the 10ft height of the door. The first floor, the decontam decontamination space that you had, is that smaller than in the first set of drawings? Same size.
Okay. So, basically everything is the same except for that piece and the doors may or may not stay. Okay. >> We did move the multi-purpose room down from that third floor that would accommodate on the second floor. It did get smaller. Okay, >> that was all. Thank you very much.
You're welcome. >> Sure. Oh, that's actually >> I left it out there. >> No worries. Uh Nick Capoano, uh 50 Highwood Road. Um just a couple quick questions. Um the um the bay um it has it seems to have a
long roof line and I know you had mentioned about the solar panels. What is the reason possibly not to put the solar panels on there? >> Um typically it's hard to get manufactured warranties. Now you can work with a specific manufacturer but insurance also for the burrow. We work
with some builders insurance that will not uh actually insure buildings that have solar panels on them. So it is a it is a thing to look at but uh it is actually just for to make a lot of penetrations through roof system. So skylights were a popular thing back in the day. They cause a lot of leaks,
right? So the intent is to in design we we don't want to penetrate the roof at all. Right? That's the main intent. so that we can uh extend the longevity of the roofing system. Um but no, it's it's always a possibility. Uh I I just don't we were tasked with looking at lead and
then uh eventually got removed from the requirement of the project. >> Okay. And I know this question was probably asked and I know it was there some discussion. Are there more parking spots or less parking spots in the back? >> More parking spots. And I know
>> I don't have the but I recall when we did this the first time the site plan has not changed from the first presentation the building just removed that third floor. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> And I'm not trying to pin you down about >> it was about 90 to 100 cars. >> Okay. In the back and about an
improvement about 10 20. >> Okay. And I know you had said that students aren't allowed to park there but I guess I'm going to throw this in your direction. Would students be allowed to park there? >> No, we were talking about the vehicles having to come out in the back. >> Yeah.
>> And that would be a problem. >> Okay. I just wanted to know. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I would I would just add though, I think the increase though, too, is we we have cars outside. We have emergency vehicles. We >> have emergency vehicles parked outside. That's part of the issue because >> Exactly. >> they're breaking down over time being
exposed. >> Exactly. >> To the going to be So that was taken up. They were housed right now on the site, but they won't be in the facility, >> right? >> Right. >> I just have a question with like you're talking about the doors previously. So,
I just don't know for >> how it works like is the driver usually the first one in the truck or not necessarily? >> Not necessarily. >> Not necessarily, but a good majority. Like it's usually whoever is going to be the responding officer which sits in the passenger seat up front. It's either the
driver or that officer position. >> So someone like in like whoever that first person is opens the door first or >> correct. >> So usually like the truck might not be full by the time the doors open. >> Correct. >> Typically now now that the trucks will have the diesel capture system. You know we normally would start the truck idle
inside the building. >> Yeah. >> Now now we can get the truck getting run or belching exhaust inside the inside the building. And usually then we have a software that lets us know who's actually responding to the firehouse. the driver, the officer will get a full
load. >> Does somebody have to like physically plug the truck into the diesel? >> Yeah. When when when the truck comes back in, there's an attachment, a magnetic attachment that goes on the exhaust pipe. >> It's a flexible pipe. >> Big hose that comes down.
>> Truck backs in. >> Somebody just puts it on and the truck just >> you start the engine disconnects. >> Okay. So, that's >> Yeah. The old systems used to be pneumatic. that what what happens the firefighters driveway and they rip the system off they update it to a magnetic system so if they forget to pull it off
>> so basically what happens is as the truck exits the building the hose stays attached when it gets to the front door it gets a little disconnect on the on the ceiling and that lets the magnet come off and then the thing just swings away kind of works >> and then for the door to open is there I
mean this might be a silly question is there a button is it a smart system like what Typically we have butless inside the thing and in these doors will probably have openers in the in the trucks. Um it's been a long thing in the fire service that you know we usually
don't put buttons in the trucks because sometimes guys open the door and then go out before the doors all the way up >> and they get the door in this case you have to snap opens which eliminates that problem. But from the from the radio dispatch room or the day room down here right >> the watch room right there
>> all the door controls are also right here. so that whoever's operating the radio can look down the day and then shut all the doors or they can be put on a timer and >> just one more question. >> Uh Jennifer Kandle, I sorry I forgot one thing. Um you said first quarter for the
bid, right? First quarter would be um >> ideally >> ideally and and how long does that take to build? Uh >> construction is usually 18 to 20 months. >> Okay. Right. That's it. Thank you.
Hi. Um, quick question. Joe Carrey, uh, 498 Island Road. Um, one, appreciate the work that the volunteers, the emergency services volunteers have done on this. It's been a long, grueling thing and the
fact that you guys can bring your professional expertise to this is amazing. Um, now I we know the plans have been revised due to budgetary restrictions. Um we've already talked about a couple of um the changes. Is there anything
else that has changed um that has been mentioned yet? >> No. Site design I stay the same. Um as I mentioned the parking in the rear of the facility is almost what the current facility has. Uh the building itself though was just revised to that third
floor. There were options to reduce the apparatus as well. But the burrow uh you know the emergency vehicles being the main facility. They did want to some of those apparat Joe I will I will off one for one change from on the site plan
since the burrow is going to the new radio upgrade everything we're no longer putting an antenna on the site >> that's what was my next question because I don't see the tower that we had originally had >> so that with the new upgrade >> we're going to be doing that
>> um >> can you also uh touch upon the relocation and um you know how long from demo Mo to the new open understanding all things can go wrong but is there a projected time that all the responses
will be coming from DPW area >> probably 18 months >> 18 months >> that's demoing usually >> yeah well so once you guys are out of there and you got to be on the west side of town >> it's going to be 18 months with the new
um I guess the flow for you guys um and And once all the bids are out, then we can the public can look at budgets. Is that okay? Thank you. Appreciate the work. >> Thank you.
>> Anybody else have any questions? Okay. Thank you so much. >> Appreciate it. >> And great job on the design. OKAY, THAT WAS BEING our new business. Can I please have a motion to adjurnn? >> I'll make that motion to adjurnn, madam
mayor. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Reminder, the next meeting is March