STORE CLOSURES BECOME OBVIOUS ALONG NA’S RIDGE ROAD!
Longtime businesses move out or move on, why so many vacancies? 
NORTH ARLINGTON – While some view the gentrification of Ridge Road’s business district as no big deal or some example of “progress,” one can’t help notice the amount of closed retailers and businesses that have seen longtime brands like Crystal Florist and others to move on. Several retailers just across the street from Queen of Peace Church have closed permanently and the fate of some of these structures remain seemingly in limbo as this apparent rush for more apartment dwellings threaten the long standing charm of being the gateway to Bergen County to now an extension of Hudson County, Harrison and East Newark. For their was once universal agreement that North Arlington was a bedroom community, a place best described as a collection of one and two-family properties along with two large garden apartment complexes in which many referred to the borough as small, safe and suburban. But with a up tick in vehicular robberies in recent weeks and the propensity for this all-Republican Mayor & Council to approve virtually all apartment construction along Ridge Road, some feel maybe a need for responsible two-party government is what is best for North Arlington. For after hundreds, if not thousands of all “yes” votes by this all-GOP governing body, some believe adding Democrats to the borough council makes common sense for the community. There seems to be an obsession with building apartments at a record pace, with no attention to the overall impact on density, parking and public safety services. Many seem to believe this urbanization of Ridge Road is out of character with the suburban landscape of the rest of NA. And when one looks at who is actually funding the municipal campaigns of NA Republicans, there is a plethora of out-of-town builders, developers and other real estate interests that dominate the GOP list of political contributors. Many development and real estate interests are largely financing these local contests even in 2023 when incumbents Mario Karcic and Donna Bocchino had no opposition and ran unopposed.Why raise so much money when you can’t lose? 
For Democrats John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia hear these comments in their door to door campaign to secure signatures for their nominating petitions.To date the Democrats have accumulated some 300 names and they plan to file 500 with election officials.“We oppose increasing height restrictions and unbridled construction of apartment dwellings. We want to take a long hard look at the borough’s Master Plan on how best to move forward. Ridge Road needs to be and continue to thrive as a local hub of our economy. One idea might be to eliminate metered parking as an incentive to draw more locals with a two-hour limit. We would like to speak with business owners and create a dialogue on what’s best for the business community,” offered Balwierczak and Yampaglia. The two Democrats are concerned by the amount of vacancies when compared to neighboring Lyndhurst and even Kearny. Both believe revisions and amendments to the Master Plan should become a discussion for all the entire community. “Government can’t be controlled by just a few and elections regarded as some political nuisance. It is our job to build a consensus for economic change while offering voters a competing and persuadable policy point-of-view. We need to change the minds of the electorate with good ideas and a better way to govern. The future of North Arlington is at stake and what we see on Ridge Road is not working.” The Democrats plan to meet in February and a time and place to be announced.
To speak with the candidates, call (201) 655-8497.