Tenafly council introduces Dean Drive redevelopment amendment after heated public comment

The Tenafly borough council voted to introduce Ordinance 26-14, an amendment to the Dean Drive redevelopment plan, after developers presented a concept that would replace an assisted-living allocation with multifamily housing while keeping a hotel requirement.

Councilwoman Jackson moved to introduce the ordinance and set a public hearing for April 21, 2026; the motion was seconded and passed by a council majority, with at least one member voting against or abstaining. The introduction authorizes a later site-plan review by the planning board and begins the formal public-notice process.

Planner Wendy told the council the ordinance is an amendment to an existing redevelopment plan that changes the permitted use from assisted living to multifamily while preserving the hotel component. She said: "At a future council meeting there will be a second reading of that ordinance, assuming that it's introduced tonight," and that the planning board and the public will have further opportunities to review design, engineering and mitigation measures.

Developers described a combined project centered on the Clinton Inn parcel: a 200-room hotel with ground-floor retail (a proposed market), a 95-unit apartment building with 19 affordable units, a 25,000-square-foot spa, a 15,000-square-foot ballroom with up to 500-person capacity, and two levels of below-grade parking. Project architect Conrad (presenting for the team) said the design aims to "create connectivity in Downtown Tenafly" with masonry, glazed-brick and green-roof elements and to hide most parking below grade.

Council members repeatedly directed the team to expand studies and commit more detail at the planning-board phase. Councilmember Dayton said the traffic analysis should include intersections beyond Dean Drive and asked specifically that Highler Avenue, Westervelt Avenue, Franklin Street and George Street be studied. Wendy clarified the planning board will conduct in-depth engineering review at site plan and that the council's action tonight concerns zoning and the redevelopment overlay.

The introduction triggers a sequence of formal reviews: a public hearing at the next council meeting, potential adoption of the zoning changes, and then site-plan applications at the planning board where municipal engineers, the police, fire and other departments will review specifics. The council set the hearing date and advanced the ordinance to the next stage.