WOODCLIFF LAKE—The Land Use Board will review the proposed 21-acre mixed-use redevelopment of the former BMW property at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall.
The plan — advanced by RW Woodcliff Lake Urban Renewal LLC, a joint venture of Russo Development and Woodmont Properties — calls for 370 housing units, including townhomes, multifamily apartments, affordable housing, supportive housing, and retail space.
According to the public notice, the development would include 47 townhouses, a 297-unit apartment building (with 34 affordable units), and a 26-unit supportive housing building offering 40 beds for people with physical or mental disabilities. Two retail spaces totaling 9,000 square feet and 912 parking spaces are also planned, along with 40 additional land-banked spaces.
The Land Use Board’s role Thursday is to determine whether the redevelopment plan is “consistent” with the borough’s Master Plan. The board may suggest revisions or conditions but cannot reject the plan outright. Those recommendations then return to the Borough Council for possible action.
Mayor: ‘The best we could do under the circumstances’
The Borough Council approved the redevelopment plan unanimously on Sept. 15 after a nearly three-hour hearing at the Tice Senior Center, where about two dozen residents raised concerns over traffic, school impacts, emergency services, and the town’s single-family character.
Mayor Carlos Rendo said the plan was part of the borough’s ongoing effort to meet its state affordable housing obligations through 2035.
“It’s the best we could do under the circumstances,” Rendo said. “Given the affordable housing mandates and the situation that communities find themselves in, we have to meet those mandates — and that’s what drives the density. Affordables are only 20% of new housing developments. That’s what’s creating the problem.”
Tax revenue, open space, and impact
Russo Development CEO Edward Russo said the project was refined multiple times to balance market-rate, affordable, and supportive housing, with retail and public open space. He estimated it could generate $54 million more in tax revenue than current office use, and as much as $78 million more over 30 years under a proposed PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement, with 95% of payments going to Woodcliff Lake and 5% to Bergen County.
Russo said half the site will remain open space, with a public walking path around the property.
He also pointed to declining school enrollment—down 15% to 20% in recent decades—as evidence the project would not add “a meaningful amount” of students.
What’s next
Thursday’s Land Use Board meeting will give residents an opportunity to question the developer’s professionals and, before hearings close, to offer public comment.
The full redevelopment plan is posted at wclnj.com, under Residents > Redevelopment.