Details of Valley's Latest Expansion Plans Emerge

Valley Hospital on Monday night provided the planning board with the first glimpse of its "slimmed-down" expansion proposal.

Although the plans appear quite similar to the "Renewal" proposal approved by the planning board in 2010 but struck down by the council a year later, there are a few notable changes, its attorney testified.

The plan

"The hospital has listened to what the village council has said and also listened to the expressions of the neighboring objectors," Jonathan Drill told the planning board in the shadow of Valley Hospital, at B.F. Middle School. "And now comes before this board with a modified plan and Master Plan amendment request which responds to the village council's concerns as well as the legitimate concerns of the neighbors."

The hospital is seeking 910,000 of total floor space, a 21 percent reduction from the first "Renewal" plans, which called for 1.17 million square feet. To reduce the proposed square footage, Valley has moved outpatient services off its main campus, Drill said. 

"As a result, the hospital is able to present a smaller, modified plan," Drill said. "Moving select outpatient services to new locations will also reduce traffic to the main campus." 

Many will likely disagree with Drill's characterization that the plan is smaller. When total above-ground construction is factored, the plan remains the same size as its past proposal at more than 1 million square feet.

Valley's new plan still allows for buildings to reach 94 feet in height, and increases the lot coverage to by 10 percent, to 70 percent. Two structures would be demolished and 454 single occupancy rooms (an increase of three beds) spread across the medical facility's floor.

Without elaborating, the lawyer claims the amount of bedrock drilling needed will be significantly reduced. As a result, he claimed, noise and vibration would be lessened and it would "minimize any change in the water table." The previous plan stipulated that 500,000 gallons of water would be removed per day and 22,000 truck trips would be required to haul material per day.

Among the other major changes, Drill said, is the elimination of the sub-basement at the North building. The parking garage would add another level of parking but not increase the overall height, he said, eliminating some surface parking to be replaced by green space along Linwood and N. Van Dien avenues.

The construction time table would also be shorter than the seven to 10 years estimated last go-around, he said, "thereby reducing the impact to the immediate residential neighbors as well as to the middle school."

Process

Details of the plan were not offered Monday night by Valley Hospital. Six expert witnesses would spell out impacts, with the planning board calling its own experts to question testimony.

Testimony will begin on April 2 at B.F. Middle School, with Valley calling its hospital planner/architect and planner. The planning board hopes to have its own experts ready on that date, and may also appear on April 29 with any unresolved questions for those witnesses. A traffic expert, a geotechnical expert, an environmental expert and a construction management expert are also on the witness list.

There were concerns laid out by the residents at Monday's hearing.

Opposition group Concerned Residents of Ridgewood (CRR) chairman Peter McKenna requested that the planning board hire an expert in hospital planning – specifically in urban planning as well – that could analyze impacts to the neighborhood.

"We've experienced this explosive growth in volume on this site in the last 20 years," McKenna said. "The as-is situation is sort of assumed to be the starting point. We need to understand the "as is" and how it's changed in 20 years."

Drill objected during McKenna's comments, claiming he was "arguing the case." It prompted a flood of residents screaming, "Sit down!" 

Close to 100 residents on hand at B.F. were also startled to hear the Master Plan amendment passed by the planning board continues to be in effect, even following Bergen County Superior Court Judge Alexander Carver III's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by CRR.

The latest Valley Hospital Master Plan amendment request would "be an amendment to that amendment," Planning Board counsel Gail Price said.

The judgement was agreed upon by all parties, and dismissed without prejudice. A new vote for the planning board is expected before July 1, 2013. Price noted the aggressive time table is needed because the current board cannot not compel a future board to act on the amendment change request following the July reorganization.

Ridgewood's planning board could vote down the new amendment request, approve it as is or make whatever modifications they feel is necessary, Village Planner Blais Brancheau said.

The council would receive an accompanying ordinance – as it did in 2011 – and take a vote. Should it approve the ordinance, Valley would go back to the planning board with site plans, determining the details needed to begin construction.