JUNE 1, 2015, 6:02 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015, 6:16 PM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A Bergen County Superior Court judge has denied Ridgewood’s request to be dismissed from a lawsuit filed by the Valley Hospital after its plan to nearly double in size was rejected.
Judge Lisa Perez Friscia still must rule on whether the Ridgewood Planning Board acted properly in rejecting the hospital’s expansion plan nearly a year ago, the second defeat in four years.
The Ridgewood hospital first proposed a $750 million expansion in 2006 to replace decades-old buildings with modern facilities and all private rooms, an issue that’s divided the village and dominated local politics in several elections since.
Valley’s proposed “Renewal” was turned down twice as concerns grew over the potential impact of construction, increased traffic and the safety of middle school students attending class near the property. The hospital sued in October asking a state judge to end the pricey and protracted stalemate.
