POST OFFICE DEMOLITION DELAYED; TC WANTS DEVELOPER DONATION

The permitting process for the former Maplewood Village Post Office project is taking longer than expected and the demolition is not likely to begin until next month, according to a notice posted on the Township website's Maplewood Village construction page.

Posted March 17, the notice offers few specifics, stating only: 

3/17/2016   Demolition of the building at 160 Maplewood Avenue (the former post office), will not begin until early April. Although permitting process is taking a bit longer than anticipated, it is forward. 

At least three members of the Township Committee, meanwhile, are asking that the project's developers, JMF Properties, donate $25,000 to help offset the costs of mitigation during the demolition/construction. 

That would include signage, promotion of Maplewood Village during the hectic time and advertising.

Maplewood Village Alliance had asked the Township to fund $50,000 for such needs in a recent budget request, but the Township Committee reduced it to $25,000.

TC members Greg Lembrich and Nancy Adams suggested at the March 12 Township Committee budget meeting that JMF be asked to contribute the remaining $25,000.

TC Member India Larrier added her name to that list at the March 15 meeting, stating, "I think we were going to try and have the developer try to offset the ($25,000) that they're not getting. We were going to try to get him to make some of that up." 

JMF Chair Joe Forgione did not respond to a request for comment on that additional funding.