the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ho-Ho-Kus NJ, the developer has a project for an apartment complex with 67 units, mainly 1-2 bedroom and a few 3 bedroom units and also129 parking spaces and some retail space. This will be built in the lot behind Red Cedar, from Grandma’s Attic to Barnett Place and 1st street where the footprint is around 1.5 acres. This is a very high density development for a small village like Ho-Ho-Kus . The plan was changed after the developer got all the variances and final approval from NJ DEP due to the proximity to Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
The previous plan was for 53 luxury units, retail and office space. But this final version of the project for 67 units along with the finished affordable 13 unit building by the Ho-Ho-Kus train station makes for a total of 80 units which can easily bring in around 300 new residents right across the street from the heavily family oriented Barnett and Mulberry Place in Ridgewood .
Families in the area only learned about what is about to happen 2 weeks ago from a neighbor who had received a flyer in the mail. Huge concerns about local traffic, an already congested Maple traffic, air and noise pollution and basically an overnight transformation from a quiet suburban corner into an urban area. The worst is that the impact won’t be felt so much on Ho-Ho-Kus residents since there are no Ho-Ho-Kus families in the immediate area and it is basically all Ridgewood .
boy the traffic is going to be brutal right there. Especially the foot traffic, and wait until they build in Ridgewood on Maple Avenue the old Village Ford site. That will be the next development that’s been crumbling for the past 10 years, which desperately needs to be re-constructed.
They’re not building on the old ford site. It’s going to be long term valley parking. They’ll shuttle bus their employees all day and night.
Which is better…?
Yea ok, they bin saying that for years. Valley will do whatever they like. They have the money, and the lawyers.
That picture in the article is from the 53 unit proposal. The 67 unit version will probably look much different with no retail and office space. Destruction of the suburbs is under way and local officials are happy to oblige. With the addition of 14 apartment units, HHK gains 2 “affordable” units towards its obligation of 30. They are giving the developer every variance they can including a 5ft clearance from the sidewalk instead of normal 10ft. This will be a monster of a building.
Didn’t the residents of Ho Ho Kus shut down a development of 12 luxury homes a few years ago? Surprised that this development made it through. This area looks terrible with the businesses having been shut down for years. The area will be revitalized and with the issues that crop up, they will be solved. Will be interesting to see this change to sleepy Ho Ho Kus. Hopefully it is for the better!
Those 12 houses were built and are all occupied… Hollywood/West Sadd Riv Rd.
How in the world did they get the OK to build this huge complex right on the Ho Ho Kus Brook?
@Anon2
Oh, sleepy HHK will wake up but it will be a rude awakening. Village no more. You can’t cram downtown of a small village with over 300 new residents which amount to almost 10% of current population and expect to be a beautiful awakening. Goodbye suburbs. Falling one by one like dominoes under merciless FSHC, developers greed and lazy town officials. They don’t even care about looks anymore. That white ugly building by the HHK train parking lot is a glaring testimony to this.
Afternoon traffic is already terrible on that stretch of Maple Ave. It takes 2-3 light changes to get past Glen Ave heading north and another 2-3 light changes to get across Franklin Tpk.
People let me tell you something Valley Hospital owns a lot of property, and they don’t give two shits about the Village of Ridgewood. They have a lot of money powerful attorneys and in the end they will win which they are. They can sell the property to the developers, or just let the property sit there and decay and I’ll suck a shit hole and you and I cannot do anything about it. Except Bend over and Jam or finger up your ass dry.
I don’t understand why would Valley have employees park that far from both hospitals, it doesn’t make sense unless they park their ambulances and split the parking with employee private cars. Either way that whole area on both sides of Maple is done. Construction won’t stop for years and the end product will be a zoo. There are other lots around there that will very likely see high density construction so that RW can accommodate its share of “affordable housing”.
Used to be an awesome gym/MMA place back there, American Eagle. It was never great taking a left out back onto maple and now it will be a real sheet show with 100+ cars and their owners living back there. Next they will want a traffics light, and this, being like 50 yards south of the intersection with Franklin turnpike, will be a traffic nightmare.
It’s not going to be parking for Valley hospital. It would’ve if they put the extension on but that didn’t happen they moving to Paramus. They’re either going to sell it to developers, or let it sit in rot and it hurts your home values. What do you think Valley hospital is going to keep the old hospital up and running. Wake up
“It’s not going to be parking for Valley hospital.” The talk about becoming a parking space for Valley was started by a HHK Board member during the last HHK VC meeting about the Crossings project. So it has a good chance to be true. Also the fact that after almost forever they chain fenced the space means that they’re planning to do sth with it. The house market has been so insane that houses in area went above asking price every time last year despite the ugly look of empty lots.
The Village Ford property is for sale!
Amazing how Valley Hospital is trying to dump the property on Maple Avenue but this guy was able to start construction already! Oh yes, The old village Ford is contaminated as well as being located in a flood zone..