TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Construction crews were seen on the long dormant Charlie Brown’s restaurant site at 95 Linwood Ave., on the Paramus border, in late October, preparing to dig the foundation footings for a new Apple Montessori early childhood school after receiving Planning Board approval over a year ago.
Mayor Peter Calamari told us, “It was sad to see the longtime Charlie Brown’s restaurant close, another victim of the COVID pandemic. But things move forward for the best, and I am happy to welcome the Montessori School to Washington Township. Barring significant weather delays, they look forward to quick progress at the site.”
The Apple Montessori School application was originally approved in March 2023, and then an amended plan for a smaller school was approved in August 2023. In August 2024, the board approved a one-year extension for construction to begin on the site. The school is anticipated to open in September 2025.
The restaurant went into disuse following the early 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and never reopened.
The township sought the site for a new home for the DPW in early 2022, threatening the owner with eminent domain. Apple Montessori had already initiated due diligence toward a purchase when the township undertook efforts to acquire it.
Eventually, due to initial findings of suspected gas pump piping underground—and public opposition to a proposed DPW facility or police department there—township officials backed away from plans to acquire the site.
Apple Montessori then moved forward with its purchase plans, noting that their due diligence found no hazardous contaminants or underground piping of concern.
Erica Amon, vice president of development for Apple Montessori, told us that the property sale closed in October. “It took a lot of work to get here to begin construction,” she said, noting the former restaurant on site would be demolished shortly.
Amon said the school will have eight classrooms of multipurpose space, a swimming pool, and also feature a summer camp. She said the school’s capacity will be 167 children, from infants through kindergartners.
“We’re really excited to come to Washington Township,” she said. “Everyone in the township has been really supportive, and Apple Montessori is going to be a great addition to the community.”
She said the school has been in planning for over two years, noting delays due to the township’s interest in the site. “This community is underserved for child care.”
The amended site plan, approved last summer, reduced the size of the school to one story from 2.5 stories, and reduced overall building size from approximately 18,743 square feet to 10,469 square feet.
Moreover, the first-story footprint increased from 8,000 square feet to approximately 10,469 square feet. Thirty-three onsite parking spaces are planned.
See Zoning Board Resolution 23-08 for full details. The resolution, approved in August 2023, can be found on the board’s website. For prior Pascack Press articles, search “Montessori” on thepressgroup.net.
Attorney Duncan Prime, of Prime, Tuvel & Miceli in Hackensack, said that Apple Montessori was required to seek a one-year extension of its Zoning Board site plan approval because construction had not started within the initially approved timeframe.
The board’s approval included a use variance for the site, which is in the township’s “AA” or residential zone. The Apple Montessori school was considered an “inherently beneficial use” for the site, a major reason for its Zoning Board approval.
(For a recap of the township’s interest in the site, see “95 Linwood purchase nixed; council cites contamination concerns,” Michael Olohan, June 21, 2022.)
Approximately 60 people, including teachers and administrative staff, might be employed at the facility, with generally no more than 25 workers on site at any one time, the applicant told us in 2023. Currently, 20 Apple Montessori schools exist in the state .
Apple Montessori’s website notes, “Founded by Rex and Jane Bailey in 1972, Apple Montessori Schools has been proudly serving and refining the early education experience throughout New Jersey. We have been recognized and affirmed through accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). Our educators have proudly set the foundation for a lifetime of happiness and success for thousands upon thousands of children, helping them thrive in the classroom and beyond.”