court forced over developement - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on February 1, 2025 February 1, 2025

Developers Score: Paramus Accepts State Affordable Housing Mandate of 1,000 New “Affordable Housing Units”

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, the borough of Paramus, New Jersey, has officially accepted the state-mandated requirement to add 1,000 new “affordable housing units” over the next decade—the largest obligation of any town in Bergen County. While town officials acknowledge the necessity of meeting state housing laws, they are also seeking ways to reduce this number to 250 units through a study of available land.

Continue reading Developers Score: Paramus Accepts State Affordable Housing Mandate of 1,000 New “Affordable Housing Units”

Posted on January 3, 2025 January 3, 2025

New Jersey Judge Upholds “Affordable Housing” Mandate in Big Win For Developers

file photo

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montvale NJ, New Jersey’s affordable housing mandate will move forward in 2025 after a state Superior Court judge denied a motion to pause a new law aimed at enforcing the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The ruling, made on Thursday in Mercer County by Judge Robert Lougy, dismissed a legal challenge brought by over two dozen municipalities seeking to delay the implementation of the legislation enacted earlier this year.

Continue reading New Jersey Judge Upholds “Affordable Housing” Mandate in Big Win For Developers

Posted on January 22, 2022 January 22, 2022

Stop & Shop and the township of Teaneck release joint statement saying there are no plans to shut Teaneck’s only supermarket

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Teaneck NJ, Stop & Shop in Teaneck at 665 American Legion Drive will not be closing anytime soon. In a effort to dispel persistent rumors, Stop & Shop and the township of Teaneck have released a joint statement saying there are no plans to shut Teaneck’s only supermarket. The memo posted on the township website states that Teaneck “never asked or pressured” the store to close and that Stop & Shop is not looking to close or move.

Continue reading Stop & Shop and the township of Teaneck release joint statement saying there are no plans to shut Teaneck’s only supermarket

Posted on February 22, 2020 February 21, 2020

Reader suggests 24 affordable housing units in Saddle River will cost Taxpayers 30 to 50 million dollars for water and sewage

“It does appear to be suspicious . The property at 78 Woodcliff Lake Rd. Saddle River, NJ that is supposed to have 24 affordable housing units built on it does not have a system in place for water and sewage. The quote that I heard was it is going to cost between 30 to 50 million dollars to put the water /sewage system in place. Something is not right…. Who is profiting here?”

Posted on January 27, 2020 January 26, 2020

Reader says , “It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments”

“Don’t any of you realize the state of New Jersey. An and would force us to permit this type of construction or worse? Like them or hate them it is quite irrelevant who is in the town politics. It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments. The reason they are building giant apartments on top of train track is because the state has set tax incentives to do so : see Waldwick station and Allendale etc. The state of NJ thinks this will fight global warming (seriously). Also the developments are being forced on us ever since the mount olive decision in the 80s. See this as an example:

Continue reading Reader says , “It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments”

Posted on January 18, 2020 September 27, 2020

Englewood Cliffs Forced to allow Hundreds of Affordable Homes after Violating Fair Housing Laws for Decades

the staff of the Ridgewooed blog

Englewood Cliffs NJ, Englewood Cliffs is required to build hundreds of new homes affordable to working families and people with disabilities – after violating the state’s fair housing laws for decades, a Superior Court judge has ruled.

The decision by Bergen County Superior Court Judge Christine A. Farrington requires borough officials to provide a plan within 90 days to build 347 homes to satisfy the town’s fair housing obligations under the Mount Laurel doctrine – or be stripped of all zoning powers.

Continue reading Englewood Cliffs Forced to allow Hundreds of Affordable Homes after Violating Fair Housing Laws for Decades

Posted on September 21, 2019 September 21, 2019

Glen Rock Settles Affordable Housing status

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock Mayor Bruce Packer announced the settlement of Glen Rock’s Affordable Housing status.

On a Facebook post Mayor Packer said , “There will be several more public meetings scheduled in coming months where the details will continue to be discussed. With the settlement behind us, we no longer have the same restrictions with regard to what we are able to talk about. In the meantime, please visit the link below where we have composed a FAQ as I had asked our Planner to answer many of the questions that have come to us over the past few weeks and he has taken the time to do so.”

https://glenrocknj.net/index.asp?SEC=C66C388B-270E-457D-AA59-15CA27F7E627&DE=F23D2A83-DC42-43D8-BE10-BB54B7878BC4&Type=B_PR&fbclid=IwAR2sYdASqvHD0saTmNgc7ycCpqdNx_HIjk5pwH1g6JvwwvaV9cT0Mxc46zs

Posted on December 17, 2018 December 17, 2018

There is a constitutional obligation for municipalities in New Jersey to foster some degree of affordable housing

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, it seems many in Ridgewood are unaware of the so called Mount Laurel doctrine, the Mount Laurel doctrine is a controversial judicial interpretation of the New Jersey State Constitution. The doctrine requires that municipalities use their zoning powers in an affirmative manner to provide a realistic opportunity for the production of housing affordable to low and moderate income households.

The doctrine takes its name from the lead case in which it was first pronounced by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1975: Southern Burlington County N.A.A.C.P. v. Mount Laurel Township (commonly called Mount Laurel I), in which the plaintiffs challenged the zoning ordinance of Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey, on the grounds that it operated to exclude low and moderate income persons from obtaining housing in the municipality.

In 1985 the New Jersey Legislature responded by passing the Fair Housing Act. Accepting the premise that there was some constitutional obligation for municipalities to foster some degree of affordable housing, this legislation created an administrative agency, the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), to establish regulations whereby the obligation of each municipality in terms of the number of units and how the obligation could be satisfied.

Posted on December 17, 2018 January 17, 2019

Valley Hospital Van Dien Campus and Affordable Housing

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Part of that affordable housing plan involves an alternative approach to The Valley Hospital campus on Van Dien Avenue. Valley is moving its main hospital to a 372-bed facility on Route 17, expected to be completed by 2023. Its Ridgewood campus will then become a medical services hub.

“It is our intent to maintain a vibrant campus that will include a walk-in care center and a range of outpatient services,” Megan Fraser, vice president of marketing and public relations for The Valley Hospital, said in an email.

I suspect everything that The Valley has at 1200 East Ridgewood Avenue will move to Van Dien after all is said and done. The property at 1200 East Ridgewood would then go up for sale – High density housing with an affordable housing component is my bet for that location, just like their property on North Maple where the old Ford dealer was.

Also, I question whether the YMCA really needs to be physically located in Ridgewood any longer. I would not be surprised if their property goes on the chopping block and gets sold to a developer who wants to build high density housing. Properties within walking distance to the train station are, and will continue to be, in very high demand for luxury apartments, especially when Midtown Direct Service begins on the NJ Transit Bergen & Main Lines.

I suspect that the YMCA might build a state of the art facility in the industrial section of Glen Rock – Harristown Road or maybe Fair Lawn – Pollitt Drive.

The Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club property will also be in play within the next few years.

Posted on December 16, 2018 January 20, 2019

New Jersey Affordable Housing – Time to Make it Fair!

by: Friends of STQP
recipient: New Jersey Residents
New Jersey Affordable Housing… #care2 https://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/60622121

New Jersey is….

1st in the nation for highest property taxes
3rd most expensive state to live in
5th in the nation for highest per student school spending
5th in the nation for highest state income tax
6th most expensive state to purchase a home
#1 most densely populated state in the nation with 1,216 people per square mile

Land is at a premium and developers want to cash in and develop every last inch

FACT: Renting or owning a home should be affordable to NJ residents who qualify, but not at the expense of local ordinance that is contrary to NJ municipal land use law.
FACT: NJ’s affordable housing (AH) mandates are not working and our government is not listening to the voice of the people – who support AH but want it to be implemented fairly, honestly and sensibly.
FACT: The current pace of proposed AH development is not reasonable or sustainable and will be catastrophic to towns, schools, volunteer emergency services, infrastructure and to NJ’s natural resources, ecosystems, waterways and environment.

What We Want
1) We believe municipal AH obligations should not be determined by the courts and that there should be clear, statewide guidelines to follow.
2) “Builder’s remedy” lawsuits should be eliminated as a mechanism used to satisfy a municipality’s AH obligations.
3) We believe the laws governing AH must consider the impact on our schools, roads, traffic and congestion, emergency services and the preservation of open space and our quality of life.
4) NJ’s environment must be protected from sprawl and overdevelopment; AH should not be built on environmentally-sensitive land or land that has been remediated from contamination.
5) AH that is built should not “expire” and should count towards all future AH rounds and obligations.
6) We, the residents of NJ, seek to disband the Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC) who takes our hard-earned tax dollars to enrich the wallets of lawyers and developers at the expense of NJ’s future.
7) We, the people, demand a bi-partisan review of AH and legislative reform to make NJ’s affordable housing fair.

We are calling for reasonable ways to address the current problems to enact clear legislative guidelines that will: 1) ensure that AH benefits those in need; 2) implement a regional or statewide approach; 3) expand the ways in which municipalities can address their fair share of affordable housing—FAIRLY!

Affordable Housing Quota Challenge and Legal Actions