The village council of Ridgewood, N.J., has 90 days to approve an ordinance that would allow The Valley Hospital to expand from 565,000 square feet to 961,000 square feet, according to Patch.
Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia said the hospital expansion is "inherently beneficial" and positioning the hospital to better serve the region's health and welfare needs "outweighs" any negative effects on the village, according to the report.
The hospital's expansion plan will add 451 single-patient rooms, according to the report.
Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn said the expansion could end up costing city taxpayers "a lot more money." The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, who were opposed to the expansion plan, said they were "unsurprised" by the ruling, according to the report. They argued increasing the hospital's size puts the safety of nearby Benjamin Franklin Middle School students at risk and creates unnecessary traffic and noise, according to the report.