Oregon-based automaker wants to turn Ringwood land into storage land
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Development boom in North Jersey
A development boom is occurring in North Jersey, where mixed-use buildings are increasing in almost all city centers and commercial buildings are increasing.
Miguel Fernandez, NorthJersey.com
RINGWOOD – Open ground in otherwise dense forest off Margaret King Avenue may soon be home to hundreds of new luxury cars.
Recently sparsely stocked with a few rusting trailers and construction equipment, the site was viewed by Oregon-based Lithia Motors as a storage lot for vehicles destined for Route 17 dealers in Ramsey and Paramus. A request to be heard by the Passaic County Planning Board on Thursday proposes 630 parking spaces atop a new permeable asphalt base, the records show.
The 21-acre site includes approximately 7.6 acres that were cleared and leveled with crushed stone before the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act was passed, according to city records.
Work on the site began in 2000, but was halted by local authorities the following year when members of the Planning Council discovered that the work carried out “went well beyond the limits of clearing”, according to the records. Landowner Raymond Raykov returned to the town planning council in 2009 with a plan to build three 15,000 square foot buildings for warehouse and industrial space. This plan was then withdrawn.
The new plan was led by Lithia Northeast Real Estate. The commercial real estate company is associated with Lithia Motors, Inc., one of the nation’s largest automotive group retailers. The company operates six Prestige Family of Fine Cars dealerships in Bergen County and New York State.
The plan calls for the trailer delivery of new plastic-wrapped vehicles from the Port of Newark to a secure and closed lot. A 2,700 square foot commercial building is also proposed. It would contain desks and four service bays for vehicle details and final preparation before delivery to Bergen dealerships, according to records. Oil changes and other mechanical work are not offered on the site.
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In its current use, nearly 15 acres of the commercially zoned property is assessed farmland, according to state tax records. The property tax bill for this parcel is approximately $ 78 per year. The rest of the site has a tax bill exceeding $ 13,000, according to records.
The project was proposed pending approvals or exemptions from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Highlands Council.
David Zimmer is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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