Town to Hold Meeting on Post Office Redevelopment
The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19 at the Burgdorff Center.
The Township of Maplewood has scheduled a community meeting on the "Future Redevelopment of the Maplewood Post Office Site" for Thursday, January 19 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts.
The public is being invited to discuss ideas for replacing the post office. Representatives from the town and the planning firm Phillips Preiss Grygiel will be present.
In 2010, the U.S. Post Office was notified by the Township of Maplewood that its lease would be ending in 2013 and would not be renewed (the town owns the land). The town was asking the Post Office to vacate in 2012. Town leaders felt that post office sorting facilities should be relocated in order to free up parking and help ameliorate traffic by removing the dozens of postal trucks that use the facility.
Additionally, the Town declared the property as an area in need of rehabilitation in July 2011. Mayor DeLuca has discussed his vision of redeveloping the site as groundfloor retail with upperfloor apartments, possibly including a small automated post office retail component. DeLuca also has stated that the town has been talking with the ownership of Kings Super Market about relocating the Maplewood Kings to a new location on the site.
Nat
7:12 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
What town removes their own post office? The traffic that was brought to the area probably helped the surrounding businesses tremendously and now it's going to be taken away. If parking is an issue then build a garage. There's already too many struggling small businesses or vacant retail space (particularly on Springfield) to make room for more.
Mary Mann
1:28 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Nat,
This post office is in Maplewood Village, not on Springfield Avenue. It's a different business district. And the town wants to remove the post office sorting facility but maintain a post office retail presence if possible.
But, hey, you should come to the meeting tonight and hear more and have your say!
Susan C. Harris
8:49 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Finally we can open up more space in the village! This idea was bounced around twenty years ago when I moved here and now it actually may happen. There is no reason for the post office sorting facility to be in the village. A small storefront post office is perfect.
More restaurants, a King's whose truck deliveries don't create traffic jams while backing into the sliver of an unloading zone...Nat, think a little more deeply please.
Sara
7:22 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Really?? You think the village really needs MORE restaurants?
Sean
10:06 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Where would a new post office be located if they vacate the current location?
Mary Mann
12:02 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sean,
I have heard the Mayor speak about this on several occasions. The idea is to retain a small retail PO presence in the Village, but to relocate the sorting facility to a more industrial area. It is up to the USPO to determine where that would be. It could remain within Maplewood or without. (The USPO is look at closing PO locations and consolidating facilities.) But I am merely a reporter, not a "decider"! I think your question would be great for the Jan. 19 meeting.
snow man
1:31 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Mail, I was told by a postman, was actually sorted in Kearny, not on site, whether local or not. Is it then subsorted for local delivery in Maplewood?
Mary Mann
2:20 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
I've heard similar info, snow man. My guess is that, yes, it is sub-sorted here. Or they deliver it sorted and then load it on lo the individual trucks in Maplewood Village. We will check with the Mayor to confirm at the Jan. 19 meeting.
snow man
12:34 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Mary
Thanks. If I had to vote for PO location in the Village, I'd argue for Baker Street, which feels a bit forgotten. A PO might help drive foot traffic there. Although some sort of "anchor store" would be even better.