High Profile Chef Wants Upscale Restaurant in Flood Zone

A renowned New Jersey chef envisions a large restaurant with a covered patio and veranda, valet parking and, rumor has it, a liquor license in a residential, flood-prone area on the Ridgewood-Paramus border, according to sources.

Several persons familiar with the application told Patch the 2.8 acre property at 833 Linwood Avenue would house the "Maison Artiste," a 10,600 square foot building containing an addition to the original "Vasiloff" house, along with 98 parking spots.

The man behind the application is Peter Loria, the chef-owner of upscale Cafe Matisse in Rutherford.

The application, set to hit the zoning board if deemed complete by village departments, requests that the R-125 zone be redesignated as B-1 (business). Numerous variance requests are included in the application.

A source familiar with the plans said a "high" number of trees (around 90) would need to be removed should it procede. It may prove a complicating matter when weighing the fact that the property would be including signficant levels of blacktop in a flood plain.

Though the housing structure and proposed parking section is not in the 100-year flood plain, the lower section of the property is. The Saddle River runs directly to the west of the property border.

Paramus and Linwood Avenues would also need to be widened, a separate source said. Traffic issues are likely to flare up, as the intersection of Paramus and Linwood is among the worst in the area. The county planning board would have to agree to road widenings.

Ridgewood Buildings Department Supervisor Tony Merlino declined comment, saying the application has not finished its completion review to kick it up to the zoning board.

Loria is reportedly still searching for one of Ridgewood's elusive liquor licenses. He did not return requests for comment Monday.

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