New Plans Unveiled: Toll Brothers Proposes 60-Unit Townhouse Development for Former Mahwah Post Office Site
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, A prime piece of real estate in Bergen County is officially one step closer to getting a major face-lift. Luxury home builder Toll Brothers, operating as Toll Mahwah LLC, has submitted a formal proposal to construct a 60-unit townhouse complex on the 3.4-acre lot where the former Mahwah post office once stood.
Located at the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and East Ramapo Avenue, the high-profile property has sat dormant for years following a string of failed development attempts. The new townhouse plan is officially scheduled to head before the Mahwah Planning Board for its first public hearing on July 13.
Here is a breakdown of how the site’s zoning has shifted, what Toll Brothers is planning to build, and how it impacts the surrounding neighborhood.
From Senior Living to Luxury Townhouses: The Site History
The post office lot has been a subject of intense municipal debate for half a decade.
-
The Original Concept (2021–2022): Monarch Properties originally fought through 16 grueling zoning board hearings to build a massive 175-unit graduated-care senior housing project. They eventually scaled the project down to 149 units before completely losing their funding partners and abandoning the project.
-
The “Condemnation” Push (2024): In November 2024, Mahwah Business Administrator Ben Kezmarsky and the township designated the location an “area in need of redevelopment” with a condemnation clause to aggressively force a cleanup and jump-start repairs on the blighted lot.
-
The Affordable Housing Shift: The current Toll Brothers application comes on the heels of a Township Council resolution passed on December 29, which rezoned five local properties to satisfy a Fourth Round mediation agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center. This rezoning legally bumped the allowable density on the post office site from 45 units up to 60.
🏡 Inside the Toll Brothers Proposal
The new site plan outlines a seven-building townhouse complex comprising 49 market-rate luxury units and 11 affordable housing units.
The Layout Breakdown:
-
Market-Rate Units (49 total): 8 two-bedroom units and 41 spacious three-bedroom units.
-
Affordable Units (11 total): 1 one-bedroom unit, 6 two-bedroom units, and 4 three-bedroom units.
No Variances Requested: In a move that could streamline approval, Toll Brothers’ plan requires zero zoning variances. The buildings strictly comply with existing municipal regulations, topping out at four stories (44 feet). Additionally, the plan keeps lot coverage at 64.3%, well below the town’s 70% maximum allowance.
Parking & Local Infrastructure Impact
To combat potential traffic and street congestion concerns, the developer has over-allocated on-site parking infrastructure. While the town requires 139 standard spaces, Toll Brothers is proposing a whopping 193 spaces, including:
-
33 traditional two-car garages equipped with two-car driveways.
-
16 two-car tandem garages with single-car driveways.
-
6 one-car garages paired with one-car driveways.
-
34 designated on-street spaces (surpassing the town’s requirement of 30 visitor spaces).
The site sits directly east of the Conrail, Paterson, and Ramapo train lines—right across the turnpike from the Mahwah Museum and the Mahwah Police Department—making it a highly walkable location for future commuters. The local bank anchoring the southwest corner of the lot will remain completely unaffected by construction.
Join the new Saddle River Valley, Ramapo and Pascack Valley Communities Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1931704860512551/
#news #follow #media #trending #viral #newsupdate
#currentaffairs #BergenCountyNews #NJBreakingNews #NJHeadlines #NJTopStories
-
Tags: Mahwah NJ, Bergen County, Real Estate Development, Toll Brothers, Townhouse Project, Affordable Housing, Local Government, Planning Board
Wait until they stop building at the old hotel site, oh my God, it’s gonna be chaos within a few years in Mahwah. You’re not gonna be able to move. The building everywhere..