PASCACK VALLEY AREA, Bergen County, N.J. (May 9, 2025) — With a June 30 deadline looming, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake — the two Pascack Valley towns facing the largest affordable housing targets — are taking sharply different paths to comply with New Jersey’s next round of state-mandated obligations.
Park Ridge is seeking a 90-day extension, with Mayor Keith Misciagna calling the current timeline “objectively untenable.” Woodcliff Lake, by contrast, has already negotiated its obligation downward and plans to present its Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (HEFSP) in June.
These moves come amid widespread confusion and pushback across the state over the rollout of the fourth round of affordable housing requirements. Municipalities must submit their updated housing plans by June 30 — even though many have not yet received final obligation numbers from courts or the state.
In Pascack Valley, all eight towns are preparing fair share plans and conducting vacant land analyses. Whether they can meet the deadline remains an open question.
Park Ridge Seeks More Time
Mayor Misciagna told Pascack Press that Park Ridge filed for a 90-day extension on April 9, joining nearly 100 municipalities doing the same.
“This deadline is objectively untenable, which is why the borough filed a motion requesting an extension until Sept. 30,” Misciagna said.
As of late April, the borough had not received final obligation numbers from the trial court. The borough’s planner and attorney are compiling data to support a vacant land adjustment and determine its realistic development potential (RDP). Those figures remain confidential.
In January, Park Ridge adopted a resolution recognizing a fourth-round obligation of 137 present-need units and 119 prospective-need units. The borough also reserved the right to seek reductions through adjustments and legal challenges.
A pending objection from the New Jersey Builders Association is under review by the state’s Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program.
Misciagna emphasized the need for time to develop a legally sound and sustainable plan.
“Comprehensive land use planning takes time,” he said. “Between community outreach, legal compliance, and thoughtful consideration of infrastructure and environmental limitations, giving towns more time could lead to stronger, more defensible plans.”
Woodcliff Lake Advances with Reduced Obligation
Woodcliff Lake, originally assigned a 423-unit prospective need—the highest in the region—has negotiated that number down to 360 in discussions with the Fair Share Housing Center.
Councilman Joshua Stern said the borough is finalizing its vacant land adjustment and RDP, which he expects to be “substantially less” than 360.
“Our interpretation of the statute is that we have to zone for 25% of the prospective need, or 90 affordable units,” Stern said. That number may be further reduced through bonus credits and redevelopment.
Potential affordable housing sites include the former BMW headquarters, the old Hilton Hotel property, and 240 Broadway. Additional credits may come from proximity to transit or converting commercial space for residential use.
Stern said the borough plans a joint Land Use Board–Borough Council meeting in June to present the HEFSP and receive public input. A 10-day public notice period is required before the hearing.
Fourth Round Background
New Jersey’s fourth-round affordable housing cycle covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2035. It was shaped by a 2024 amendment to the state’s Fair Housing Act, which created a new methodology for calculating obligations across all 564 municipalities.
The original law, enacted in 1985, was based on the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a series of court rulings requiring municipalities to provide a “fair share” of affordable housing.
The state published preliminary, nonbinding numbers in October 2024. Since then, towns have been reviewing those figures, conducting vacant land studies, and preparing their HEFSPs.
Most Pascack Valley towns are expected to present their plans in June. Those seeking extensions hope the courts will acknowledge the difficulties of the compressed timeline.
For now, much of the region is watching how Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, and others navigate their obligations—and whether courts will grant more time to get it right.