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Planning board finds BMW and Hilton sites eligible for redevelopment; council advances train-station parking bid and park grant hearing
Summary
The borough planning board recommended that the BMW and Hilton properties meet 'area in need of redevelopment' criteria; Councilwoman Nicole Marsh said the council will review redevelopment plans. The council also authorized opening bids for replacing the train-station barn-site retaining wall and advanced a $400,000 matching Open Space Trust Fund application for tennis-court improvements.
The Woodcliff Lake planning board has recommended that two properties—the former BMW site and a Hilton property—meet the statutory criteria for designation as areas in need of redevelopment, Councilwoman Nicole Marsh told the borough council on April 21.
Marsh said the planning board applied "criteria A" (structures that are substandard, dilapidated, obsolete or otherwise not conductive to wholesome living or working) and voted to send recommended resolutions forward; if the council concurs, redevelopment plans will be developed and the council will have the final say. "If you live near them or adjacent and want to voice your concerns, you can reach out to us," Marsh said, urging residents to participate as the process moves forward.
Separately, the borough placed a bid-opening resolution on the agenda for the train-station parking lot, which will include replacement of the former barn-site retaining wall and repaving. Councilors said the work requires coordination with NJ Transit and Veolia because the site sits between the reservoir and the rail right-of-way; the borough hopes to begin construction in late summer when commuting activity is lighter.
Council discussion also referenced an Open Space Trust Fund matching-grant application for tennis-court and park improvements totaling $400,000. Officials described the grant as a matching program that, if awarded, will require the council to identify local match funding in a future fiscal decision.
Residents who spoke during public comment asked about retaining-wall removal, parking capacity (the council said one additional parking space is planned), and how the borough will coordinate approvals; councilors acknowledged delays were largely due to required third-party approvals. No redevelopment resolutions were adopted by the council at the meeting; rather, planning-board recommendations will next be considered by the council.
