Township Refines Post Office Site Plan

After a recent review of the township's plan to redevelop the Post Office site, the Maplewood Planning Board recommended several changes to the Township Committee, which the TC discussed at its meeting Tuesday.

The complete plan can be found on the township website.

Some of the recommended changes include the following:

1. Building should be a maximum of two stories on Maplewood Avenue and Ricalton Square. Third story should be set back one foot for each foot above 30 feet in height. Forty feet remains as the maximum height of the building so the third floor has to be set back 10 feet. 
2. Because the property slopes about 10 feet when going south (toward Village Coffee), there can be four stories on that end of the building (ground level and three floors above). The fourth story should be set back two feet for every one foot over 40 feet on that side of the building.
3. The traffic study should include the entire Special Improvement District (all the Village and Dunnell Road) and access roads to and from the Village.
4. The Planning Board agreed with the Maplewood Village Alliance (MVA)'s suggestion to widen sidewalks from 11 to 15 feet. There is a zero setback from the sidewalk. (Note: This will pull the building back and improve the viewshed.)
5. Path behind the building will function as a bike path, with lighting added. 

Mayor Vic DeLuca said TC members would also like to add a request to the developer to help improve the current Ricalton Square park area.

"I...[was] favorably impressed with the changes that have been and are being made to the redevelopment plan," said Virginia Kurshan, chair of the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC), in an email to Patch. "There have been a number of positive changes to this plan...especially in terms of reduction of lot coverage, reduction of building height and an interest in breaking up the facade of the new building so that it might be more in accord with the historic context of the village."

Kurshan commended Mayor Vic DeLuca and the planning board for its openness to suggestions from community members who are design professionals. "I am glad to see that the town officials are willing to work with them on this plan," she said.

At Tuesday's meeting, resident Rich Wener said he was "extraordinarily pleased at the receptiveness of the planning board and the TC."

Wener proposed creating a "Design Review Committee" comprised of members of township departments and committees as well as residents with design expertise, to guide the design and developer selection process. Though receptive to the idea, DeLuca was concerned how that might overlap with the Maplewood Village Alliance (MVA) design review committee. Wener said he believed the two would have different makeup and missions.

DeLuca outlined the next steps in the town's timeline for the project:

• Planning Board meets 5/28 to memorialize its decisions. (Note: meetings are open to the public; the agenda is here).
• The TC will review final comments from the planning board, the MVA, economic redevelopment council and the public and put together a final draft of the plan.
• At its Wednesday, June 5 meeting (note this is a change from regular Tuesday meetings), which is open to the public, the TC will make any changes to the final draft.
• Planning Board will take a final look at the plan on June 11; the TC can choose to accept the board's recommendations or not.
• Township Committee will introduce the plan as an ordinance on June 18 and do a second reading of the ordinance on July 2, at which time it will vote on the ordinance.
• Township will begin to request LOIs (Letters of Interest) from developers in a process that is similar to an RFP (Request for Proposal), and will begin to meet with developers.
• By the end of 2013, the township hopes to have designated a developer.