Politics & Government

Public Concern Prompts Change to Post Office Timeline

Plan introduction is delayed two weeks to give residents another chance to weigh in on the redevelopment of the Maplewood Post Office.

Residents have been asking for more input into the plan to redevelop the Maplewood Post Office site, and it seems that town leaders have heard the message.

The proposed plan, which the five members of the Township Committee have been refining since its release in May, will now be introduced two weeks later than originally scheduled, said Mayor Vic DeLuca on Tuesday. This will allow residents another opportunity to weigh in at the June 18 TC meeting.

"There has been a change in the schedule to accommodate more public input into the process," said DeLuca in an email to Patch. "The proposed plan was to be introduced on June 18 and considered for final passage on July 16. The June 18 meeting will now be another opportunity for the public to make comments and ask questions. The proposed plan will be introduced on July 2."

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In a statement DeLuca posted on the township website Tuesday morning, he noted the most recent plan resulted from "input from residents and business owners over the past 18 months," including three public community meetings, two planning board meetings and numerous township committee meetings, as well as a study the township commissioned from Columbia University's Urban Design Lab.

The public can review the latest proposed plan on the township's website, and it is attached to this article as a PDF. A hard copy is available for review at the Township Clerk's office.

Find out what's happening in Maplewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The schedule for the proposed plan is as follows:

June 18 - Township Committee receives additional public input and may make changes to the proposed plan 

July 2 - Township Committee introduces the proposed plan as an ordinance; the public may comment on the plan 

July 9 - Planning Board reviews the proposed plan and makes recommendations; the public may comment on the plan 

July 16 - Township Committee holds an official public hearing on the proposed plan and considers the ordinance for final passage; the public may comment on the plan

After the plan is approved, the township will issue a Request for Qualifications/Letters of Interest for interested developers. The township will review proposals in September and plans to designate a developer by the end of 2013.


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