Toomey’s is Modernism We Escaped. Lets Build a Better Destination

Somehow I missed the news about public hearings surrounding the Toomey’s Automotive redevelopment, and I'm pretty bummed about it. But I’m happy now to share some reflection and offer one exciting vision for the future development of our region. There’s no reason at all we can’t build our communities into the kinds of places we like to enjoy when we go on vacation. We work hard in the city so that we can escape the city, so here are some thoughts on the proposed modernist Toomey’s design and some new ideas intended to shape the future development of our towns in ways to deliver maximum relaxation and enjoyment.

-- Proposed design for the former Toomey’s Automotive location on Baker Street. Credit: Uhl Architecture --

Apart from what my friends and I jokingly call the “Star Trek Federation condos” two parcels up from Cactus Charlie’s on Highland Place, Maplewood Village’s current design aesthetic hearkens to romantic thoughts of Olde England and Europe, with exposed timbers, brick chimneys, vaulted gables, cornices with dentils, stone work, and decorative window headstones. These are quaint and endearing elements that create a sense of warmth and welcome in our village, a rare and unique Norman Rockwellian-sense of destination and belonging. These make our town special, and I fully trust that the architects of the Toomey’s redevelopment are keenly aware and sensitive to this.

Now, I don’t hate the design proposal. The proposal as it currently stands presents a tasteful if understated approach to integrating modernism into Maplewood’s vibes, if doing so by remaining as reserved in its tones as it is radical in its departure from the neighborhood. Perhaps we could have gotten a bit more color/flair in exchange for greater adherence to revived colonial idiosyncrasies, or maybe a pitched roof, balconies (why do no apartments in these parts come with useable balconies??), or a public rooftop deck, the world will never know. But densification near rail – which this project represents – is positive, while densification far from walking distance to rail is sprawl, and should thus be discouraged in favor of rewilding and conversion to public green space or permaculture gardens. The addition of new units in this proposal will also moderate the rise of rents in the area, which is almost always a good thing (the biggest question here is how many of these units will be ones that working people can afford, i.e. less than or equal to 30 percent of a $15 full time hourly income?)

Now, I heard that the architects commented that towns with uniform design are “Disneyland.” Disney’s Main Street USA being awesome for walkability and timeless small-town design aside (it’s a destination for a reason), some supporters of the proposed design spoke to the dynamism of having mixed styles, and on this point I don’t necessarily disagree. But rather than the cold straight lines of modernism inspired by the same Ville Radieuse utopianism that brought the failures of Brasilia and Pruitt Igoe, I wanted to offer a warmer, more inviting design idea that better integrates into a promising regional plan concept of our area.

We work in Manhattan. We live in Maplewood, in part, because it’s away from lifeless industrial modernism. We take vacations in the Poconos and Adirondacks and Blue Ridge Mountains. We send our kids to summer camps in Maine so that they learn that this world is not simply dead steel and cement. We clearly appreciate the warmth and relaxation of the mountain aesthetic and lifestyle. And guess what – we are built at the base of an incredible mountain destination in South Mountain Reservation!

My friends, next-door neighbor, and wife are all outdoor enthusiasts. We hike and camp and climb, and we know many of our fellow townsfolk do, too, because we do it with them. We have frequently wondered about why the towns around South Mountain do not embrace our mountain assets to cultivate an outdoors culture and establish ourselves as the kind of mountain town destination that we all seem to escape to on pretty weekends and during the summer. South Orange-Maplewood-Millburn-Short Hills are all part of what I call the “Greater South Mountain Regional Community” (GSMRC). Many of us use South Mountain as the anchor point in the mental maps in our heads. Many of us are vocally opposed to County plans to continue senseless development of a resource we would prefer to keep in its wild (well, as wild as designed by Olmstead) state for hikes and outdoor experiences.

Therefore, I encourage the Maplewood Village Alliance and all the relevant authorities in all of our towns to urge developers and architects toward the classic mountain/Adirondack/North Woods/ mountain lodge design aesthetic for significant new developments like Toomey’s. Instead of the proposed corporate encroachment of the Manhattan we work to escape, what if the proposed mixed-use building looked more like the buildings below (of course respecting height and bulk ordinances)? Not only would this more closely adhere to Maplewood’s broad design norms of using organic materials like wood, stone, and brick to maintain the sense of warmth and invitation that makes our town unique, but it would be just different enough that it would add to the dynamism of the design mixes in our town while also spearheading a new trajectory in line with the Mountain IDEAL Standard for the conservation of characteristics that make mountain towns desirable.

Von Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont. Source: TheRegistryCollection.com

The Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, Montana.

The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Credit: Grant Ordelheide.

There’s absolutely no reason at all that we cannot build our towns into the kind of places we wish we lived in when we go there on vacation. Off and on throughout my life I have lived and worked in mountain resort towns, and these experiences taught me one amazing life lesson I wish I could impart to everyone: Live, at least part of your life, in a place where people go on vacation. It’s amazing. There are always fun things to do, places to eat and play, sights to see, and people to meet. With South Mountain as our touch point and rail infrastructure to whisk us effortlessly to and from Babylon/Mordor for our jobs, there is no reason at all I can think of that we shouldn’t make our regional community into one hopping mountain destination. In Maplewood, at least, we’re part of the way there. The density of mixed-use amenities, from resort-style restaurants to a full grocery store to galleries and coffee shops, heck, we might as well be in Vail already. So why not lean into this and make our towns even more amazing, while providing enough mountain-inspired mixed-income housing densified around rail to grow our communal party to as many people as want to be here?

James Carli is a member of the Maplewood Zoning Board of Adjustment writing in his personal capacity. He has a degree in community and regional planning from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina (and a diplomacy master's from Seton Hall), and planning experience in Appalachian resort communities. He also works part time with a major regional hiking club in their local wilderness lodging facilities. He is a resident of Maplewood Village.