JMF Properties Is Showing Proposed Plan For Post Office Site Tonight

ArchBroad said:

To me, it shows Kings lack of wanting to work with the township if they refuse to use smaller delivery trucks. Our town, much unlike many of the neighboring towns, specifically moved our downtown off a major wide roadway, so we could have smaller retailers. If Kings is unwilling to adapt to the peculiarities of being in our quaint downtown, I'm sure there is another grocer who would relish moving in. I know several areas on the outskirts of the New York boroughs, that while semi-urban/suburban require their retailers to use small trucks since the big rigs are unable to make the turns required to get to their downtown areas. They adapt and still serve the community. There's no reason those big trucks need to be on Maplewood Avenue. Any metro-NYC area retailer knows this and adapts their prcocesses.

ETA: At the MVA meeting, it was noted that Kings declared they were unable to alter their delivery schedules to only occur in early morning hours. This is also horse$hit. If the MVA wanted to enforce early deliveries for grocery stores, they could. Kings would either adapt because they want the business or they would leave and we'd have a new organic grocer who only uses hybrid deliver trucks at off hours. Kings is not a sacred cow, IMHO. There would be another grocer easily wanting to take over that space.

 I would prefer that we find a way to accommodate full-size tractor trailers rather than telling Kings to suck it up.   I would not make an assumption that we could find an equivalent replacement for Kings if they left town.

author said:

kings could swap buildings with Bank of America.

 @author. That is a fabulous idea. I love it and I would probably shop there much more often if they moved into that building.

I use the Drive-Up ATM at B of A more often than I shop at Kings. If someone seriously proposes anything that would eliminate that ATM I will have to withdraw enough cash to pay for some Lawn Signs.

author said:

kings could swap buildings with Bank of America.

 The vault would be great for retailing caviar!

CONFUSED said:

I use the Drive-Up ATM at B of A more often than I shop at Kings. If someone seriously proposes anything that would eliminate that ATM I will have to withdraw enough cash to pay for some Lawn Signs.

 Maybe they'll keep the ATM but just not stock it with cash, much like the new post office doesn't have stamps...

After all the words written by author about having an outdoor plaza or cafe on the site. now he's complaining that it's a terrible site for an outdoor plaza.  Absurd. 

ml1:

https://youtu.be/29E6GbYdB1c

nohero said:

So, "Keep the Village a Village" means "Let the tractor trailer trucks in".  Such a village.

Just the latest, and most desperate, spaghetti strand being flung against the wall. 

Pretty ironic!

@author-

Your NIMBY-ism is extreme.

The 24,000 residents of Maplewood do not need an expanded Ricalton Square just to satisfy the views from the 2-4 apartments on your side of the Village Coffee building. We have Ricalton Square (which yes, should be upgraded) and a beautiful Olmstead park across the tracks. Maybe you can even see that from your window. 

Now, that VA member whose house directly faces Station House and is the only person who sided with Fred on the VA vote? I can sympathize with him a bit. I find it hard to sympathize with you.

But from my window I can see Russia.

pastrez said:

Comes back (as Meier indicated) to scale. Station House II is still at least 4 times the size of anything on the street. As to the design: The miltant embrace of mediocrity is mystifying. It could be a lot better.

 By what true measure is it 4x the size of every other building?

author said:

Ml1.........put things into the proper context.   I never championed a Plaza around the Kings Folly Building.  You should  know i have been opposed  to this minimally useful creature being built in Maplewood.  Why would I champion a plaza attached to it.

However my primary dream is no building at all.   Just because we have an open space does that mean we have to fill it with  any building at all..........much less the largest one in Maplewood Village.

No , No ,  a thousand times no..............Just kidding  with all the No's.  But  A true Village Green..........a smaller but still nice  version of what Bloomfield has near Bloomfield College would be wonderful.

If you allow that...............there would be plenty of space for the trucks from kings to pull in and out in order to make their deliveries.

Bank of America would  not have to swap buildings with Kings
and we would not have to deal with finding stray $100.00 bills in our fresh produce.

 so you're in favor of a plaza next to the current PO building but not next to a new building. Because of the trucks that would go past a new building. Like the ones that go past the current PO building. 

So basically the trucks have nothing to do with it. Good to see you admitting that you would not favor any building of any kind on the site.  Lets everyone know where you're coming from. 

Define frts

While I hold my breath for that one.........have we ever seen the updated Plans.?   Not saying they have not been issued as they were supposed to be shown to the public a few days ago but except for a tiny view of the building from a block away I don't recall anything new being issued.

Still awaiting the plans. I would bet they are trying to fix some things that were still unclear on the drawings before they issue them.

Here's a link directly to the PDF:

Download (PDF, 6.19MB)

Here is the link to the plans via Village Green:

http://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Maplewood-Post-Office-Redevelopment-Power-Point-5-6-15_reduced.pdf

author said:

Define frts

Lets.  

I heart slide 18.

The article the plans are attached to.

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/government/post-office-development-moves-forward-planning-board-review/

I'd like to point out that Village Coffee's parapet is 39'6" from grade on the uphill side and the uphill edge of Post House is only 41'.  An 18" difference. And the edge closest to Village Coffee is only 47'-8" to grade. Less than a storey of difference due to the grade change. Not. A. Big. Deal. 

Why don't we create a cool outdoor public space on the roof?  Or put a cafe up there.

To me that's a fair concession - we have a high building - but we can enjoy the view.

great idea Jamie!  Could be a great place to watch maplewoodstock...and fireworks!

Also, it is clear from the overhead drawings, that a Kings delivery truck will not be able to back into the alley.  I wonder how they will change the plan.