Bergen County · Woodcliff Lake Borough · #25-203
585 Chestnut Ridge
585 Chestnut Ridge, Woodcliff Lake Borough, NJ · 12,506 sq ft non-residential, school
About this project
A new educational building of about 12,506 sq ft is proposed at 585 Chestnut Ridge in Woodcliff Lake Borough. The filing reports a construction cost of about $2.05 million.
Official description: Educational; reported construction cost $2,050,000
- Plan type
- Building permit (new construction)
- Land use
- Educational
- Status
- Certificate
Filing history
- 2025-07-11 · #25-203 · Building permit (new construction) · 12,506 sq ft
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
A new one-story child care and preschool building of about 12,506 square feet is proposed at 585 Chestnut Ridge Road in Woodcliff Lake. County records put the construction cost at roughly $2.05 million.
Borough Land Use Board records for an October 2024 meeting describe the same address as a Goddard School application. The applicant would tear down the existing building and site improvements and replace them with the new school. The site is in the B-2 zone, a business zone along this road.
The Goddard School's web page for Woodcliff Lake lists this address and says it is enrolling. That suggests the school is operating or close to it. The page did not give an opening date. The October 2024 minutes could not be read in full, so the board's final vote was not confirmed. No news coverage or opposition was found.
What it could mean nearby
- Drop-off and pick-up traffic on Chestnut Ridge Road is likely, because child care centers generate short, concentrated trips morning and evening.
- The new building replaces an existing structure on a business-zoned site, so no open space or new homes are involved.
- The school would add child care capacity and some staff jobs, but the records give no numbers.
Where it stands
The borough's Land Use Board took up the application in October 2024, and a county filing followed in July 2025. The Goddard School website now lists the location as enrolling. After board approval, the usual next steps are building permits, construction and a certificate of occupancy.
- Jul 2025 Latest county planning filing for the new 12,506 sq ft school building
- Oct 8, 2024 Woodcliff Lake Land Use Board meeting with the Goddard School application on the agenda
- Sep 27, 2024 Borough Engineer deemed the application complete
- Sep 17, 2024 Application received and deemed complete
Want to weigh in? The Woodcliff Lake Land Use Board hears the application at public meetings listed on the borough website, and the borough's approval appears to have already been considered in 2024.
Who's behind it
The Goddard School (applicant for the Woodcliff Lake location) · Goddard School is a national franchise network of early-childhood preschools and child care centers, and this location is listed as Woodcliff Lake.
Around the web
- 10-08-2024 Land Use Board MinutesBorough of Woodcliff Lake · Oct 8, 2024Minutes of the meeting where the 585 Chestnut Ridge Rd Goddard School application was heard.
- 10-08-2024 Planning Board Meeting AgendaBorough of Woodcliff Lake · Oct 8, 2024Describes the demolition of the existing building and a one-story school with a 12,506 sq ft footprint in the B-2 zone.
- Goddard School of Woodcliff LakeThe Goddard SchoolLists the school at 585 Chestnut Ridge Road as enrolling.
Planning terms explained
- Land Use Board
- The borough board that reviews development applications and decides whether they meet local zoning rules.
- B-2 zone
- A business zoning district that allows certain commercial and service uses.
- Deemed complete
- The application has all required documents, so the board's review clock can start.
- Building footprint
- The ground area covered by the building.
- Certificate of occupancy
- The final municipal sign-off that a finished building is safe to use.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $4.4M
- ~62 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~31 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)