Why We Oppose The Kensington in Ridgewood

Kensington Senior Living has made multiple attempts to establish an assisted living facility in Ridgewood over the past several years. Earlier efforts targeted the former Sealfons Department Store in Downtown, and the old Brogan Cadillac site on Franklin Avenue, but both fell through due to site limitations, competing redevelopment plans, and community concerns about scale and location.

Their current proposal of 120 beds focuses on three buildings at North Maple Avenue, Marshall Street, and Franklin Avenue, requiring new zoning (the S-1 Senior Overlay Zone) to proceed. This version has advanced further than prior attempts, but was halted on August 13, 2025, when Ordinance #4052 was defeated as the residents united to fight against it. Ridgewood Mayor met with Kensington representatives and asked them to bring a different proposal/ scaled-down design.

The presentation proposal has not been released yet, and the community has asked the village council to do a public meeting instead, so all residents can participate in person or via Zoom. It is still expected that Kensington will come back with a similar massive proposal to maximize "heads to beds" profit.

🚦1. Traffic & Safety Risks

The location is a main vein for our youngest residents to commute via foot to The High School and to the Benjamin Franklin Middle School, and a lot of residents on the East side of the town who walk to Downtown. N Maple, Franklin Ave, and Marshall St are two of the busiest pedestrian areas in the village. A massive development on this intersection will create:

• Safety risks for students, young families with children, pet owners, elderly members of the community, and the disabled. Please note that this intersection is not even ADA compliant. The Ridgewood master plan identifies this intersection on p.87, as "Unsafe".

• Increased vehicle flow of staff, who come and leave in two shifts: 6:30-7:00 AM, and 2:30-3:00 PM. This clearly will create chaos with school pick-up. 24/7 Ambulances, deliveries, and visitor traffic, which, as presented by Kensignton, is between 15,000-20,000 per year.

• More congestion and longer wait times at an already stressed intersection with ambulances coming in and out; ride shares for the facility residents to and from their appointments. Commercial delivery trucks, food, laundry, maintenance, cleaning company, contractors, landscapers, garbage and recycling pick up, and so on.

• No independent, comprehensive traffic or pedestrian safety study has been completed before advancing the proposal. All statements presented at the August 13th 2025, village council meeting were based on opinions, not facts.

• Marshall and Franklin, which would be the entrance and exit of the facility, are heavily trafficked pedestrian routes, and cannot handle the influx of cars as it is, less the commercial truck traffic 24/7 that the Kensington facility will bring.

🏢 2. Out-of-Scale Development

The project seeks zoning allowances for a structure much larger than anything nearby. Even if reduced in size, residents are concerned about:

• Height & Massing - Building height that overshadows nearby homes and streets. The proposed height was up to 71 ft, which is two times plus 10 ft higher than the existing building.

• Density - 85% lot coverage leaves minimal green space.

• Reduced setbacks by removing green buffers and visual openness.

• Noise pollution and constant activity from round-the-clock operations 365 days of the year.

• Light pollution will impact the homes behind the facility, affecting the circadian rhythm (sleep patterns) of the homeowners.

• Risk of soil contamination of the nearby homes with the facility's septic tanks.

• Mismatch - Erosion of the small-town character described in the 2022 Ridgewood Master Plan.

🧩 3. Strain on Village Resources

This isn’t just a neighborhood issue — it’s a village-wide one:

• More calls for EMT, firefighters, and police, potentially quadrupling response times in Ridgewood.

• Added strain on aging Village infrastructure -Sewer, Power, Gas, Stormwater.

• Parking overflows into the surrounding residential streets.

• Ongoing operational demands that require municipal oversight and services.

🏛️ 4. Village-Wide Impacts

Even if you live across town, this project could affect you:

• Precedent Setting: Approving an overlay zone here could encourage other developers to seek similar “spot zoning” exceptions, leading to large-scale projects in other parts of Ridgewood.

• Traffic Ripple Effects: Congestion near schools could spill into other commuter routes.

• Emergency Service Delays: Increased call volume at one site can pull responders away from incidents in other neighborhoods.

• Budget Pressures: Greater service demand may eventually push municipal costs — and potentially taxes — higher for all residents.

🔃5. Process & Transparency Concerns

Many residents have questioned whether this project has been advanced without enough public involvement:

• Limited notification — some residents received only one letter and had minimal time to prepare feedback.

• Perception that plans were already in motion before community input began.

• Calls for clearer communication, more public workshops, and independent studies before any decision is made.

🌱6. Flooding & Environmental

High coverage and grading changes can worsen street and basement flooding without strong mitigation and maintenance:

• The area already experiences regular flooding events.

• Potential water hazards from disposing of medications down building drains, mixed with industrial cleaning products.

• A massive building with a massive impervious surface coverage.

• Inadequate stormwater management for the facility size.

• Loss of critical green space and mature tree canopy.

• The building structure will block sunlight and airspace for local residents on Franklin/Marshall.

Why This Matters to All Ridgewood Residents

The Kensington proposal is more than one building — it’s a test case for how Ridgewood handles development, zoning exceptions, and affordable housing obligations. Decisions made here could shape future projects across the village. Once exceptions are granted, they are hard to reverse. This is why residents are speaking up now — to ensure development fits the community’s character, protects safety, and uses resources wisely.

”That corner is already dangerous with students crossing to the high school and BF Middle School. Add delivery trucks, ambulances, visitors, and it becomes a hazard we can’t accept.”

”We’re not against seniors — but this needs to be in the right place, and done in a way that works with traffic, parking, and the schools. This isn’t a NIMBY issue, it’s a planning issue. We need a plan for the whole village, not just one project at a time.”

Voices of Ridgewood Residents

”Why is this being pushed through so quickly? We had one letter, just a couple of week to respond... This is a permanent change to the neighborhood. There should be months of study and public discussion before you even think about a vote.”

”It feels like we’re being managed, not represented. The role of the council is to advocate for us, not to push through what the developer wants.”