WOODCLIFF LAKE — Democratic Councilmembers Nicole Marsh and Benjamin Pollack were sworn in for new three-year terms, and Republican Joshua Stern was unanimously elected council president for a second consecutive term, during the borough’s Jan. 5 reorganization meeting at the Tice Senior Center.
Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, a Democrat, administered the oaths of office.
Republican Mayor Carlos Rendo, beginning his 11th year as mayor, welcomed councilmembers back and offered a review of 2025 and a preview of goals for the year ahead.
Rendo — a lieutenant governor candidate in 2017 on the ticket with Kim Guadagno — cited a series of borough improvements and initiatives, including lower-density construction and benefits tied to Fourth-Round affordable housing negotiations; infrastructure upgrades; parks and recreation improvements; enhanced public safety and public works services; and steadily increasing residential property values.
Development agreements, affordable housing
Rendo said 2025 began with an agreement involving the developers of 188 Broadway, who plan to construct 37 apartments and nine townhomes. Under the agreement, prior lawsuits against the borough tied to two Zoning Board rejections were dismissed, and the developer entered into a 15-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the municipality.
Rendo said the 188 Broadway PILOT will pay 10% of the development’s annual gross revenue over the first five years, 11% over the second five years, and 12% over the third five years. In addition, the settlement agreement directs the developer to contribute $50,000 to the borough’s Parks & Recreation Fund, he said.
Rendo said that shortly after the 188 Broadway agreement was finalized, the borough’s fourth-round affordable housing obligation was “thrust upon us.”
He said two additional pending developments included a 20-acre site at BMW (300 Chestnut Ridge Road) and the former Party City property at 100 Tice Blvd., comprising about 13 acres.
Rendo said that working with councilmembers Marsh and Stern and the borough’s affordable housing attorney, planner, and auditor, officials were able to resolve the borough’s fourth-round obligations.
“Although not optimal, we worked with what we had to come to the best settlement possible,” Rendo said. “We controlled the number of units being built by working together with Fair Share Housing and the developers. We agreed to very favorable terms for the municipality with the developer of the BMW property.”
Under the BMW agreement, Rendo said, the borough will receive a community benefit payment for the five years of construction, and also negotiated a $2 million payment for the development of the Westervelt-Lydecker House — a Dutch Colonial stone house dating to the 1750s — and its surrounding area.
He added that estimates show the BMW PILOT generating approximately $106 million in revenue.
(See “Council OKs PILOT for 300 Chestnut Ridge Road: estimated $106M over 30 years,” by Michael Olohan, Dec. 11, 2025, thepressgroup.net.)
Regarding the former Party City site, Rendo said the borough’s affordable housing team limited the development from a proposed 188 units to 91 units — “less than 7.5 an acre,” he said.
“This development, not a PILOT, will also double the current amount of taxes that we receive,” Rendo said. “We are confident that all of these developments will bring the municipality much needed revenue without unduly impacting our schools.”
(“Former Party City site deal on housing: 91 units, including 18 ‘affordable’ age-55-plus apartments,” by Michael Olohan, Dec. 27, 2025, thepressgroup.net.)
Infrastructure, parks, public safety
Rendo said the borough undertook infrastructure repairs and upgrades in 2025, including work at the train station crossing, new streetscapes on Broadway, new sanitary sewer pump stations, and continuation of the road paving program.
He also highlighted the May opening of Woodcliff Park on the 2.1-acre former Galaxy Gardens site at Woodcliff Avenue and Werimus Road. The park opened nearly 7½ years after the borough purchased the property for $1.65 million in January 2018.
Rendo praised programming at the park, including Woodcliff Wednesdays, SpringFest, Yoga in the Park, and the Mayor’s Health Walk. He thanked Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Magee, councilmembers Julie Brodsky and Chris Bonanno, and parks and recreation liaisons for efforts to expand activities.
Rendo said the police department hired three new officers and promoted five officers to supervisory positions.
“Our council kept its commitment to keep our community safe,” he said.
He added that in late 2025, councilmembers Jennifer Margolis and Chris Bonanno “worked tirelessly” to improve DPW services boroughwide.
Rendo also said the borough continues “to grow in a good way,” noting that Travel + Leisure Magazine named Woodcliff Lake a “Top 10” New Jersey town in which to own a home.
He said the average home sale price in 2025 was $1,231,141 — 2% higher than the prior year — adding that inventory remains low and demand remains high.
2026 planning and appointments
Stern said municipal taxes in 2025 saw “the lowest increase in six years,” and officials stabilized commercial ratables and settled several large tax appeals.
He said planning will begin in 2026 for renovations to Major Field and the borough’s tennis and basketball courts, with construction likely in 2026 or 2027.
The meeting also included Rendo’s appointments to standing and non-standing committees, along with annual professional appointments, including attorney John Schettino; Neglia Engineering; planner Francis Reiner; and redevelopment attorney Wendy Quiroga.
Mayoral appointments to municipal offices — including zoning official, fire inspector, OEM coordinator, and property maintenance official — were also made, along with appointments to the Land Use Board and Board of Health. In all, 21 consent agenda resolutions were approved.
Both the Jan. 5 sine die and reorganization meeting agendas have been posted.