Litigation Threat Looms: Developer Unveils Revised Plan for Controversial Ridgewood Senior Care Facility

Ridgewood Senior Care Battle Heats Up! Developer Rushes to Present Revised Plan Under Threat of Losing ‘Builder’s Remedy’ Immunity

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Affordable Housing Showdown: The North Maple Avenue Debate. The proposed senior assisted care facility by Kensington Senior Development has become the focal point of a heated affordable housing battle in Ridgewood, NJ. After the Village Council rejected a crucial zoning overlay in August, the developer responded by filing an affordable housing civil action against the municipality.

Now, as the court-mandated mediation deadline approaches, the developer is hosting a community outreach meeting to unveil a revised plan for the 125-bed facility on North Maple Avenue.

• Community Outreach Meeting: Monday, December 15, 7:30 p.m. at the Village Library (hosted by the developer).

• Official Village Review: Wednesday, December 17, 7:00 p.m. (special public meeting).

Village Manager Keith Kazmark confirmed that the plan has been updated but has not been formally submitted to the Village yet.

The Builder’s Remedy Threat: Why Ridgewood Is Rushing

The urgency surrounding the revised plan stems directly from the ongoing litigation and the threat of the dreaded “builder’s remedy” provision under New Jersey housing law.

Mayor Paul Vagianos issued a stern warning about the stakes:

Mayor Paul Vagianos: “The court has made it clear that if we fail to settle this case by Dec. 31, we are in danger of losing our immunity to builder’s remedy litigation. The loss of immunity opens the door to development throughout the village that is not in keeping with the integrity and small town character of Ridgewood, and is completely unacceptable.”

The 1.3-acre site at 61, 65, and 74 N. Maple Ave. is a key property in the Village’s Fourth Round Housing Element. While Ridgewood argues it only needs to build four new affordable units (of the 427 assigned by the state), failing to settle this lawsuit risks opening the floodgates to high-density, court-mandated development elsewhere in the community.

Resident Opposition: Traffic and Congestion Concerns

The August vote to reject the zoning change was preceded by a 2¼-hour public hearing where twenty-one residents spoke in strong opposition to the project. Their core concerns revolve around traffic and pedestrian safety:

• Pedestrian Hazard: Residents argue the oddly-shaped intersection of North Maple Ave and Franklin Avenue is already hazardous.

• Congestion: The proposed facility, combined with existing apartment projects and a strip mall nearby, is seen as contributing to unacceptable congestion near the Central Business District.

The community will be keenly watching Monday’s outreach meeting to see if the developer’s unspecified revisions address these major quality-of-life concerns.

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