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Ridgewood proposes $350,000 decorative barrier atop Hudson Street garage after rooftop safety incidents
Summary
Village staff requested authorization for a change order of up to $350,000 to install a decorative, unclimbable screening along the fourth‑floor perimeter of the Hudson Street parking garage after photos showed young people standing on the edge; councilors supported the safety goal but asked for visuals and historic‑district input before approving cost.
Village Manager Keith Casmark raised a circulated photograph showing young people standing on the edge of the Hudson Street garage's top floor and said the image "haunts" him. Staff engaged Epic (the original contractor) to design a decorative perimeter screening that can be mounted to the precast wall and withstand wind shear. Casmark asked for authorization of a change order not to exceed $350,000 to fabricate and install the screening on the fourth floor perimeter.
Council members supported preventing a potential tragedy but questioned the $350,000 cost and asked for a justification and design visuals. Several members noted the garage sits in or near the historic district and asked for Historic Preservation Commission input and for the manager to circulate schematics before a final vote. Staff said a temporary private security presence is monitoring the garage at high‑use hours but that the security firm is not on site 24/7, and that permanent screening would be decorative, short (to prevent climbing) and designed to be consistent with downtown aesthetics.
Staff committed to provide design visuals to the council and HPC before the council acts further. The manager said the work would be performed under a change order to the original contract and funded from available parking utility capital.
