Final Vote On Plan For Historic Property Expected At Ridgewood Meeting Wednesday

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — After more than 10 years of debates, what's the plan for constructing athletic fields on the historic Schedler property in Ridgewood?

The town completed a purchase of the property, including an 1825 Dutch home once owned by the farming Zabriskie family, in 2009. But historic preservation experts, neighbors, and others have sparred over whether the house should be moved, and what kind of fields or recreational paths and park amenities should be placed on the property. (See one petition here.)

The latest plan may be sent to the state's Historic Preservation Office after a vote by the Village Council on Wednesday night.

Even with many officials agreeing that more fields are needed for sports in town, including soccer and baseball, not everyone has agreed on their scale, construction, or how to preserve the historic integrity of the property.

"Citizens will be stripped of their right to a clean, safe and healthy environment, American History will be destroyed, a green ecosystem will be clear cut and wildlife will be decimated," says a petition. "This State and National Historical Revolutionary War site is a full ecosystem of wildlife and vegetation."

A recent story on TAPInto quoted Mayor Paul Vagianos as saying a decision from the state's historic preservation office could take one to two months.

The town listened to testimony at the July 2023 council meeting from a preservation expert, who floated the idea of acquiring adjacent land on West Saddle River Road and moving the home.

The property was last owned by the Smith family, who had bought the home in 1908. Carman Smith's daughter Florence Schedler died in 2007.

A special meeting starts at 7 and the regular meeting starts at 7:30.

You can attend the meeting at in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room, on the 4th Floor of Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Ave.

You can also watch remotely on the village website here or on the YouTube channel here.

When meetings are Zoomed, you can use this link.

The video and agenda can be viewed afterwards here.

Read the state's description of the historic home here.

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