Westwood Approves Playhouse Plan Without 'Golden Age' Theater

A plan for a unique playhouse on Kinderkamack Road was appoved this week, but the application did not include the "golden age" movie theater which was originally planned.

The applicant proposed to revitalize a former law office at 312 Kinderkamack Road with a playhouse and two unspecified medical offices. The Westwood Zoning Board unanimously approved the plan during their meeting Monday night.

The application had originally two nights a week. The business is a "bucket list" item for Ray Walsh, a retired New York Giants scout who wanted to open the theater. The original plan also called for one medical office, which is permitted in the zone, and a dry cleaner.

The theater was removed from the plan after an attorney for Westwood Theaters said they were objecting to the application because of concerns over parking.

The playhouse will be similar to the New Jersey Children's Museum in Paramus but with more emphasis on dramatic play, according to Lorraine Barratta, one of the future playhouse's owners. The playhouse will feature various areas with different themes, such as a barnyard with stuffed animals and a construction site with Lego bricks, Barratta previously testified.

The playhouse will not be a daycare and children will have to be accompanied by parents, Barratta said. There will also be rooms for private parties.

Walsh told Patch he had not yet started looking for a new location, but still hoped to open the theater at some point.

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