Ridgewood January 16, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Planners review luxury apartment proposal and stucco. The apartment building would include an interior walking track, a fitness center, rooftop green space and outdoor seating areas, with residential parking below grade and not visible from the street. No comments from the public were taken at the meeting, but response from the planners was generally favorable. Outside the meeting, some observers questioned the size of the building as a step toward a more urban Ridgewood, and others wondered if the streets would be able to handle the additional traffic and the schools would be able to handle the additional children. The idea of getting rid of the Ken Smith space for something with a prestigious design, however, brought favorable comments. Before the structure could be built, the planning board would have to submit a zoning change to the council, which would then introduce, advertise, and potentially adopt a related ordinance. At last week’s Ridgewood Village Council meeting, (continued on page 16) An artisit’s rendering of the proposed four-story 114-unit luxury apartment on Franklin Avenue. by John Koster The Ridgewood Planning Board now has detailed plans from Dinallo Construction Corp. for a proposed four-story 114-unit luxury apartment where Ken Smith Motors now stands on Franklin Avenue. The building would require rezoning drafted by the Ridgewood Planning Board and approved by the Ridgewood Village Council, a process that observers say could consume several years if successful. The first formal plans were unveiled at last week’s planning board meeting. The four-story structure would include 114 luxury apartments with an additional 7,250 feet of retail space facing Chestnut Street. The apartments would include 12 studio apartments, 63 one-bedroom apartments, 37 two-bedroom apartments, and two three-bedroom apartments. The plan includes 166 parking spaces, with 22 designated for the retail space. The apartment complex is designed to harmonize with the nearby Wilsey Building -- even to the emblematic cupola tower -- and with the Mission style railroad station recently refurbished. Materials would include stone, brick,