On Tuesday, November 10, the Planning Board moved to recommend the Dunnell Road Redevelopment Plan to the Township Committee--albeit with suggestions for limiting the bulk and mass of the site requirements.

Local architect Marvin Clawson caused a stir when he presented--as part of the public commentary portion of the meeting--two renderings (with attached street sections) showing what a multi-unit housing development might look like at two different heights: 35' and 50'.

Clawson wanted to make clear that he administered the preparation of the renderings as a concerned citizen, not as a professional architect. Clawson further clarified, "Clawson Architects, LLC does not design multi-family projects or provide planning services for Multi-Family projects. The renderings were prepared as a visual tool for the Maplewood Planning Board and Maplewood residents to accurately assess the proposed mass, bulk and height of the project recommended by Stuart Portney of the Metro Company, LLC in the September 2009 Draft Dunnell Road Police Station Redevelopment Plan."

With Clawson's permission, Patch has attached pictures of the renderings. Also included here are captions for the two renderings and two street sections:

Apartment Building (50' height)

An Architectural rendering of apartment building based on the design principles stated in the September 2009 Draft Dunnell Road Police Building Redevelopment Plan.  The Illustrated building is a 50-unit Apartment building with units of one and two bedroom apartments.  The building is comprised of four stories of residences above a one floor garage at eye level; a five foot plinth is required in order to address the existing flood plain.  The building would be placed directly adjacent to the sidewalk.  Cars and parking spaces inside the Garage would be visible to pedestrians. Neither of these conditions enhances the pedestrian’s walk.  The building and the park co-exist without engaging the other.  There would be major site improvements, especially with regard to the utilities and railroad embankment. This rendering was contracted out by the 

 A Street Section of the Apartment building shows how the mass of the building overpowers the adjacent buildings and the Park.  The pedestrian would feel overwhelmed by the scale of the building.  This rendering was contracted out by the Save Memorial Park group (work performed by Phil Hamilton Architectural Illustrator www.philhamilton.net). These are not developer submitted proposals.

Townhouse Building (35' height)

An architectural rendering of Townhouses or Multi-Family Residences that compliment the architectural character of Maplewood, the bucolic setting of Memorial Park and the design and scale of the  adjacent buildings.  The Townhouse Building compliments the ensemble of buildings along Dunnell Road and within the park.  The illustrated building anticipates 24 stacked flat units with surface parking in the rear.  Single car garages could be placed along the railroad embankment providing a visual buffer. The front gardens and stoops have a dialogue with the park creating a pedestrian friendly environment. These residential units also act as a gateway to the downtown business district.  There would be minimal site improvements to implement this plan. 

A Street Section of the Townhouses shows the alignment of the Townhouse building with setback of Office Building and Nelson’s Garage. The façade of building has a direct relationship with the adjacent buildings. 

These renderings were contracted by the Save Memorial Park group. The illustrations were performed by Phil Hamilton, architectural illustrator.