Post Office Project Receives Planning Board Approval

The Maplewood Planning Board voted unanimously to adopt the Post Office Redevelopment Plan at a public meeting Tuesday night.

The plan can be found on the Township website. 

"The version...included virtually all of the board’s earlier recommendations as well as several other changes made by the township committee in the interim," said board chair Thomas Carlson in an email to Patch. "The board found this version of the redevelopment plan to be satisfactory and recommended the township committee adopt it."

The Township Committee will vote on the plan's final adoption on July 16 following a public comment session.

The board's vote asserts that the report is "in keeping with the township's Master Plan, which is what the planning board's duty is in this matter," said board member and Township Committeeman Jerry Ryan.

Carlson said he noted at the meeting (speaking personally and not as a board member, he clarified) his concern about a provision that requires the facades be broken up aesthetically at intervals to be in character with other storefronts in Maplewood Village. The plan also specifies that if real storefronts are not present, the façade will still be divided to simulate the appearance of individual storefronts. 

"I feel such simulated storefronts have the potential to look very contrived and artificial," said Carlson, adding that a skilled and experienced architect was needed to address this "tricky" challenge.

"Of course," Carlson said, "it goes without saying that we need an
excellent architect for the whole project."

The [board] all mentioned that they thought it was a good plan and that it was a better plan than any they'd seen," said Thomas Pauly, who is a member of Engage_Maplewood, a group that has advocated for more dialogue on the plan. "[That] may be true, though it doesn't necessarily make it right for Maplewood," said Pauly, who said he is concerned about the project's "sheer size" and the lack of data on its potential economic impact on taxpayers.

Several board members mentioned the importance of public input during the next series of decisions, said Pauly. 

Carlson explained that because the developer selection process involves screening of candidates, solicitation of bids and negotiation with the final candidate, it will be conducted by the township committee and municipal staff. However, the design of the actual project will be subject to public review at key milestones by both the Maplewood Village Alliance (MVA) and the planning board, with the MVA reviewing the aesthetic design of the exterior, and the board reviewing the overall site plan.