Residents, Merchants Launch Petition for Post Office Plan

A group of residents has started a petition to ask the Maplewood Township Committee (TC) to hold a public forum to explain a proposed redevelopment plan for the Post Office site.

The plan can be found here on the township website. 

The group, "Engage-Maplewood," has collected 90 electronic signatures and hundreds on paper to request that the TC better explain the plan's specifics and rationale and provide specific, visual examples (including elevations and diagrams) of the types of buildings the plan would allow.

The TC will discuss the latest on the redevelopment plan at its regular meeting on Wednesday at Town Hall. 

Engage-Maplewood consists of resident and businessman John Harvey, Kurt Kiley, Dave Helmkamp, William Dunsavage and Thomas Pauly. The group hosted a meeting last Thursday at Morrow Church to discuss the future of the Maplewood Post Office site, which attracted dozens of residents, business owners and students, said Harvey.

The group wants to encourage township leaders to be more transparent in their decision-making process, arguing that many residents lack a clear understanding of the plan and timeline, and that the administration appears unwilling to listen to suggestions and comments.

"It's good to have a meeting," said Pauly, "but it's not good to be so gruff and not listen to dialogue." 

Pauly also said that the project's timeline was moving too quickly. "This specific proposal has only been in the works for a few months," he said.

He bemoaned what he sees as the TC's reliance on leaving the project's details up to a developer, and said he would like to see the township hold a design competition and call on the knowledge of local architects and designers.

"We can be the envy of other towns," he said, adding that a high-quality development would attract residents and merchants. "We can do better than the Station House," said Pauly, referring to the apartment complex on Dunnell Road across from Memorial Park.

Pauly said he was concerned that some longtime merchants would leave the Village if the proposed project is allowed. "You can't take a charming Village and change it into a city. It's just not the same," he said. "Scale is critical."

Pauly stressed that he was not against development. "I would love for my taxes to be lower," he said, but he is unconvinced this project will do that. "Can someone show us the numbers? Prove it to me."

The township committee plans to cast a final vote on the plan in early July.

For details on the three public meetings the township has held on the Post Office plan, read here, here and here). 

For more information, see this article on the Post Office Redevelopment Plan.

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