Bergen County · Washington Township · #24-442
95 Linwood Ave
95 Linwood Ave, Washington Township, NJ · 10,500 sq ft non-residential, institutional
About this project
A building permit for new construction at 95 Linwood Avenue in Washington Township for an adult and child day care serving six or more occupants. The building is about 10,500 square feet, with a reported construction cost of $917,650.
Official description: Institutional Adult/Child Day Care for 6+ Occupants; Single-Family Detached; reported construction cost $917,650
- Plan type
- Building permit (new construction)
- Land use
- Single-Family Detached
- Status
- Certificate
Filing history
- 2024-11-15 · #24-442 · Building permit (new construction) · 10,500 sq ft
- 2024-10-23 · #24-410 · Building permit (new construction) · 10,500 sq ft
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
The county record describes a new one-story building of about 10,500 square feet at 95 Linwood Avenue. It would be a child day care and preschool, with a reported construction cost of about $918,000. Local news coverage links the site to Apple Montessori School.
The lot is about 1.5 acres and was formerly a steakhouse restaurant, and before that a gas station. It sits in a zone meant for single-family homes. The township looked at buying it for a public works or police facility, then dropped the idea over public opposition and contamination questions.
The school first proposed a two-story building of about 18,700 square feet for up to 154 children. The zoning board approved that plan in March 2023. A revised, smaller one-story plan of about 10,470 square feet was then put forward, which matches the county record. No coverage of the outcome of the revised plan was found.
What it could mean nearby
- Traffic: the county asked that the driveway move farther west on Linwood Avenue, a county road, to ease turning movements.
- Jobs: the school said about 60 staff would be employed, with no more than 25 on site at once (original plan).
- Parking: the original approval allowed fewer parking spaces than the code requires, so drop-off and pick-up traffic is a likely concern.
- Site: the lot's paved coverage would drop and more plantings would buffer the neighboring street, per the original approval.
Where it stands
The zoning board approved the original plan in March 2023, and the amended plan was scheduled for a hearing in July 2023. A building permit was filed with the county in November 2024, which suggests the project reached the construction stage. The current construction status was not confirmed.
- Nov 2024 County building permit filing for the new day care building
- Jul 18, 2023 Scheduled zoning board hearing on the smaller, one-story amended plan
- Apr 18, 2023 Zoning board resolution memorializing the original approval
- Mar 13, 2023 Zoning board approved the original preschool plan 5-0 with a use variance
- Sep 8, 2022 Preschool application filed with the zoning board
- Jun 2022 Township council voted not to buy the site
Want to weigh in? The township zoning board of adjustment decided the use variance and holds public hearings. Residents can comment at its meetings, and any further approvals would go through the township's land-use boards.
Who's behind it
Apple Montessori Schools · A private Montessori preschool and child care operator, named in local news as the applicant for this site.
Around the web
- Preschool proposes a more modest build at 95 Linwood AveThe Press Group · Jul 16, 2023The revised plan cuts the building to about 10,469 sq ft and one story, with a hearing set for July 18, 2023.
- Inherently beneficial use preschool wins ZBA OK at 95 Linwood AveThe Press Group · Mar 14, 2023The zoning board approved the original 154-student preschool 5-0, with conditions including a county-requested driveway move.
- Preschool back in the mix on 95 LinwoodThe Press Group · Sep 26, 2022The preschool applied in September 2022 for a use variance on the former restaurant site after the township dropped its purchase plans.
Planning terms explained
- Use variance
- Special permission to use land in a way the zoning does not normally allow, such as a school in a single-family zone.
- Zoning Board of Adjustment
- A local board that decides requests to depart from zoning rules.
- Inherently beneficial use
- A use, such as a child care center, that state law treats as serving the public good, which makes a use variance easier to justify.
- Site plan
- A detailed drawing showing the building, parking, driveways, drainage and landscaping on a lot.
- Impervious coverage
- The share of a lot covered by pavement or buildings that rainwater cannot soak through.
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: $3.7M
- ~52 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~26 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
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