The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Westwood NJ, New Jersey lawmakers are set to vote on two controversial bills—S2974 and S1408—that could dramatically change suburban communities across Bergen County and Pascack Valley. These bills, expected to go before the NJ State Senate on March 24, 2025, would:
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TEANECK NJ, Mayor Mark Schwartz has removed Councilwoman Hillary Goldberg from her Class I (Mayor’s Representative) seat on the Teaneck Planning Board, not due to performance issues in her Planning Board role, but in direct retaliation for her independent vote as a Council member on March 11, 2025.
Continue reading Teaneck Planning Board Member Removed in Retaliation for Vote
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Montvale NJ, the Local Leaders for Responsible Planning (LLRP) have filed a new request for a stay on the looming January 31, 2025, affordable housing deadline. Citing flawed rulemaking by the Administrative Director of the Courts (ADC) and the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA), the group argues that municipalities are being forced into compliance without adequate notice or opportunity to comment.
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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
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Paramus NJ, North Jersey’s development landscape shows no signs of slowing down. From multifamily housing to sprawling warehouses, the region is transforming rapidly to adapt to economic shifts like the rise of remote work and the explosion of on-demand delivery services. While some developments breathe new life into blighted areas, others replace beloved landmarks, altering the character of local communities.
Continue reading Massive Development Scheduled For North Jersey in 2025
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Palisades Park NJ, in a recent decision, a judge ordered the Borough of Palisades Park to create a “comprehensive fair-share housing plan” and a revised land-use ordinance within 90 days. This decision comes after six “builder’s remedy” lawsuits filed by developers who sought to increase affordable housing options in the area. Judge Christine Farrington ruled that the borough’s current zoning ordinance does not adequately support the development of affordable housing, mandating that the borough take swift action.
Continue reading Palisades Park Faces 90-Day Deadline to Address Affordable Housing Needs
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Montvale NJ ,a bipartisan group and growing list of New Jersey mayors, led by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, has filed a lawsuit against the recently enacted housing law, P.L. 2024, c. 2. This action, brought by the Local Leaders for Responsible Planning (LLRP) coalition, challenges the new housing mandates and aims to protect local communities’ right to manage their growth responsibly.
Parsippany-Troy Hills which was named as one of the best places to live in America and the Garden State, has now approved the resolution to join the coalition. This lawsuit was the only way that we could get officials in Trenton to pay attention to the issues and concerns that we and our residents have about this brand-new process that was imposed upon us. This lawsuit is not about delaying or obstructing affordable housing, it is about advocating for a coherent, statewide strategy for building affordable housing that reflects modern development patterns and allows for responsible local planning without the fear of developers leveraging every large parcel in town for high density housing.
Continue reading List of Towns Fighting the Bogus “Affordable Housing” Mandate Continues to Grow
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Montvale NJ, according to Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, more towns joining our coalition and ACTUALLY fighting for their residents to bring fairness to the “affordable housing” “Program”. Each town committed $20,000 over two years.
Other towns will be listed once they complete the internal approval and signing on process. Towns already committed to join us with resolutions and joint defense agreements:
Continue reading Coalition to Fight New Jersey Bogus “Affordable Housing Program” Continues to Grow
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Ridgewood NJ, the landscape of commercial real estate construction in New Jersey is undergoing a significant transformation. Unlike the boom years of the past, new commercial projects—ranging from strip malls to industrial warehouses and office spaces—are not being built at the same pace as they were just a few years ago. The reasons for this shift are complex, involving economic factors, evolving market demands, and global challenges.
Continue reading New Jersey’s Commercial Construction: A Shift from Expansion to Adaptation
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Hackensack NJ, Plans for a substantial apartment building at the intersection of Anderson and Linden streets are progressing, with an additional 30 units proposed for a mixed-use development at the location.
Continue reading 350 Unit Development Planed for Anderson Street in Hackensack Near Train Station
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Paramus NJ, in response to a wave of new development, Paramus is set to revisit its master plan, which serves as a framework for local officials to manage construction and conservation within the town.
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Trenton NJ, A proposed “Affordable Housing” law aims to establish the required amount of affordable housing for towns to protect against developers bypassing municipal approval processes. The law suggests using a formula outlined in a 2018 court opinion by Judge Mary Jacobson, which initially applied to Princeton and West Windsor. The Department of Community Affairs would calculate the town’s affordable housing number by Dec. 1, 2024, or seven months within the bill’s effective date, avoiding the need for three regional court-appointed special masters, as proposed in the previous session’s draft.
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Franklin Lakes NJ, the borough postponed a vote to rezone the Cigna property for mixed use until August 15th . The vote was scheduled for action at the Borough Council’s July 6 meeting, but it was postponed that night until at least its July 18 session. Tuesday’s notice on the borough’s “Latest Buzz” website newsletter changed the vote date to Aug. 15.
Continue reading Franklin Lakes Council Postpones Vote to Rezone Cigna Property for Mixed Use
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Upper Saddle River NJ, a two-year simmering dispute over building violations and the size and scale of several Jewish facilities under construction on its northern border has finally generated a public pledge to pursue remedies from the Upper Saddle River Mayor Arman Fardanesh and Upper Saddle River council at Thursday’s meeting.
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Glen Rock NJ, a new mixed-used development at 175 Rock Road in Glen Rock was rejected 3-2 by the Glen Rock Planning Board on Friday, with the opposition citing traffic and safety concerns. “As a cop, you go with your gut instinct,” Police Chief Dean Ackermann said, “and my gut instinct is that this will be a public safety nightmare.”
