Ridgewood Board Votes Down Valley Hospital Expansion

The Ridgewood Planning Board voted against a Valley Hospital expansion proposal that would have seen the facility nearly double its size, NorthJersey.com reported.

The board voted 5-2 against a Master Plan amendment that would have allowed for the expansion, the report said.

“It’s Valley’s burden to show that change is warranted and I don’t believe Valley has met that burden,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn told NorthJersey.com.

“I don’t think the proposal will serve the best interests of the community.”

Valley reps released a brief statement about the vote to the paper: “While we are disappointed by the Planning Board’s vote, we remain committed to serving our patients with award-winning care and developing a long-term facilities solution to ensure we can meet that commitment.”

According to the report, the future of the expansion is now unclear – Valley could revise the plan and bring it back to the Board, or sue the village in an attempt to get this decision overridden.

A group of residents who has been fighting the expansion for eight years cheered the Board's vote Tuesday night, the report said.