PLANNING BOARD POST OFFICE REVIEW HITS BUMPS

Planning Board Tuesday night

If anyone thought the Maplewood Village Post Office redevelopment plan was nearing a settlement of any kind, they would be mistaken.

Tuesday night's Planning Board meeting offered the latest sign that opponents to the three-story, five-store, 20-apartment project are not backing down.

As the board planned to review the final site plan from JMF Properties for the project, Board Counsel Michael Edelson dropped a bombshell in the form of several letters from Village Keepers Inc., the non-profit group that has opposed the plan, and other interested parties.

Edelson noted that in letters to the Township, Village Keepers was appealing the recent Maplewood Village Alliance approval of the project. Village Keepers had previously filed suit against the Township claiming the MVA had not followed proper procedures, but dropped the suit last month

 See Edelson's report below:



The board agreed to consider the appeals at its next regular meeting on September 8.

Despite the appeals and its objections, the board went ahead with its review of the site plan, but did not make any final decisions, voting to adjourn until August 31 when the presentation will continue.