Court Ends Five-Year Fight Over Ridgewood Billboard

Outfront Media LLC will not build its large digital billboard on Route 17 in Ridgewood, according to a letter from village attorney Bruce E. Whitaker sent to Mayor Paul Vagianos on Oct. 29.

The Bergen County Superior Court dismissed the company's case with prejudice. This legal ruling prevents Outfront Media from filing the same claims again. The dispute began in April 2021 when the firm applied to install a double-sided LED structure at 500 Route 17 South.

Court documents describe the proposed sign as 40 feet tall. Each advertising face would have measured roughly 10.5 feet in height and nearly 36 feet in width. The project required variances because the property's zoning designation prohibited such a sign and the area's height limit was 30 feet.

Neighboring residents and property owners opposed the plan. They cited traffic safety, visibility, and the visual impact on the historic Zabriskie-Schedler property across the street. Outfront Media countered that its narrow view technology would limit visibility to highway motorists and offered landscaping to shield the sign from nearby homes.

The Ridgewood Zoning Board of Adjustment held 11 public hearings. The board voted to deny the application on July 23, 2024. Outfront Media filed a lawsuit on Jan. 29, 2025, arguing the board acted arbitrarily and failed to weigh expert testimony properly.

Multiple court conferences were postponed before the parties filed a stipulation of settlement on Oct. 29. A hearing scheduled for that day was canceled. The Ridgewood Village Manager's Office announced the outcome on social media.