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Message |
    
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4748
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 10:35 pm: | 
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What did njphil mean by this?
quote:Lydia,
Keep in mind that Deluca lives on Lexington Ave (last I heard). Although I did not vote for him, one has to believe that he has the best interests in mind when it involves the redevelopment of SA.
Could it have to do with avoiding discussing issues and preferring a different type of discourse? If we value discussion, let's stick to issues. |
claire
Citizen
Username: Claire
Post Number: 80
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 12:01 am: |
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Back to getting Trader Joe's here. . . |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7037
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 4:44 am: |
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Claire, there is a whole thread on Trader Joe's in the South Orange section of MOL. From what I know of Trader Joe's to keep their competitive prices they have to have large sales per square foot, which meant they don't want to open locations that might canabalize sales from their current stores. 
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Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4496
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 8:17 am: |
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Dave:
The motivation of each individual instrumental in the determination and implementation of a new redevelopment plan for Maplewood is very much part of the issue here. Just from reading this thread, it quickly becomes obvious that we do not all have the same priorities. Some of the prevalent positions I have heard on this subject include:
We don't want to do anything to destroy the unique character of our town (applies to concerns of historic preservation, aesthetics, and anti-urban sprawl advocates among others)
We have to do whatever it takes to reduce real property taxes or at least maintain them at present levels. Since we do not want to reduce municipal services or endanger our children's future by cutting back on school services, we should aim for the greatest possible increase in our industrial/commercial tax base.
We need to provide more businesses and services to meet the needs of the residents of our town within our own town borders. Too many of our residents are going to other towns to make purchases and obtain services because they can't get what they need in our own commercial districts.
We need to obtain a better balance of real property values throughout town so that we have less of an East/West divide than some people feel developed during or prior to Reval and never went away. By careful planning, we should be able to bring additional resources to the parts of town where the real property values are presently assessed at a lower rate so they can become even more desireable than they are now.
Too much emphasis is being placed on commercial development. We need to look into developing more senior citizen housing, affordable housing for our young people so they don't have to leave town when the time comes for them to get their first apartment, increased cultural and recreational facilities such as a movie theater on SA, a dog park, a permanent home for the skate park, etc.
We can't lose sight of the need to provide the optimum infrastructure for our existing and future needs. Issues such as adequate parking, signage, traffic control, traffic patterns, lighting, mass transit, drainage, environemnt friendly building systems, police, fire and sanitation services, etc. need to be factored into whatever we decide.
These are just a few of the motivations being expressed individually and in combination by people who will have a direct impact on how our town plans to go into the next decade and other decades to come. In case you haven't noticed, each will lead to a very different result.
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claire
Citizen
Username: Claire
Post Number: 81
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 6:51 pm: |
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BobK thanks for the info about Trader Joes's on the S.Orange thread.
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peter seaford
Citizen
Username: Emet
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 8:41 pm: |
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Joan- It seems to me that one cannot place enough emphasis on commerical development. Without it we will have to cut back on the amenities and services we already have and forget about enhancing them. Commercial development is not evil. It will benefit the whole town and it doesn't preclude offering housing types that appeal to various ages and income levels. Be realistic. In order to have increased cultural and recreational facilities the town has to have the resources to pay for them and without increased commerical development we won't have those resources.
Lydia, thanks for filling me in on former Mayor DeLuca. I hope he stays in "retirement". |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4752
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 9:36 pm: |
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This is the sound of peter talking to himself.
quote:mplwdian
Citizen
Username: Mplwdian
Post Number: 53
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 10:11 am:
Mayor Profeta seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to getting big bucks for Maplewood from Trenton. According to what I read in the News-Record, Gov. Codey's office announced last week that Maplewood will get $1,075,000 for to help build the new police station of Springfield Ave. and for emergency preparedness equipment and training for the officers.
On top of this Profeta got even more money from the state this year: $50,000 to fix up the tennis courts at Oakview and Valley; $100,000 to finance a joint fire communications system with Irvington; $94,000 to fund an internet Recreation Dept. registration system and $20,000 to fund a study on how to share services with S. Orange. If you add this to the $225,000 in extraordinary aid that Maplewood already received that's almost $1.6 million for the town.
Not only does this demonstrate that he has the connections to produce in Trenton, but he is keeping up campaign promises to do things like reduce taxes, boost police morale and provide better facilities for the force, improve recreation facilities and make the town government more accessible for the residents.
Kudos to Profeta and to Gov. Codey for coming through for the town. We've havent gotten this much state aid in as long as I can remember.
peter seaford
Citizen
Username: Emet
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 10:23 am:
Sounds like the town is really being supportive of the police. So can someone explain why Committeman Huemer voted against giving the police officers a retroactive raise? He said in the paper that he believed in the concept but didn't want to "set a precedent". Is he a Scrooge or am I missing something?
In other words, peter's been around a while and is playing sock puppet for us. Multiple usernames speaking with one another, trying to convince the world that the politics of personal destruction is cool. Up until his posts this was a fairly worthwhile and useful topic and I hope we can get back to it. |
Straw's world
Citizen
Username: Strawberry
Post Number: 4153
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 10:07 pm: |
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I must say nothing bothers me more than a poster who uses multiple passwords. 
That said it will be a cold day in hell before Vic is re-elected to the TC. He needs to move on as does Maplewood. |
luv2cruise
Citizen
Username: Luv2cruise
Post Number: 311
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 12:10 am: |
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Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?  |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4508
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 8:30 am: |
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Peter:
As your own post suggests, we need not view each of these and other motivations as an either/or solution to redevelopment. Hopefully, the resulting development, if and when it occurs, will give at least some consideration to all of these concerns and more.
My main point here is that we need to be very clear at the beginning of the process as to what we want the end product to look like and that end product is apt to be very different depending on the outlook and vested interests of the persons participating in the planning process. A plan which focuses solely on maximizing revenue from new commercial development may not be the best plan to follow. |
fredprofeta
Citizen
Username: Fredprofeta
Post Number: 72
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 4:34 pm: |
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Joan - my sentiments exactly. Thank you for your contributions to this thread. |
Glenn
Citizen
Username: El_duderino
Post Number: 517
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 9:18 am: |
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Joan,
Can you please elaborate on the reasons against commercial development... |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 3334
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 12:18 pm: |
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"...we need not view each of these and other motivations as an either/or solution to redevelopment."
Well, there will always be reasons for or against both residential and/or commercial development... For this reason we first need to plan the work, then work the plan.
It appears clear that's what the Township Committee is doing, and IMHO, a good job of it as well.... |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4527
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 5:08 pm: |
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Glenn:
This question would better be asked of someone who is opposed to an expansion of commercial development in our town. I favor commercial development but I want to see it done properly and I want to see a balanced approach which doesn't lose sight of other development needs we have here in town.
For example, I favor the addition of neighborhood based businesses which would enable residents of our town to make more of their purchases in town, thereby contributing to the town economy but I don't want to see this accomplished through the addition of big box stores which will require increased infrastructure and municipal services to support them and which in addition are likely to drive away existing businesses which have contributed to the town for many years.
I would like to see the redevelopment accomplished, if possible, without destroying the ambiance of our town, which I feel is one of its major attributes.
I would not like to see people forced out of their homes and/or businesses to make way for the assembling of large lots, even if those lots have the potential for contributing more to the tax base.
I would like to see the town include other than purely commercial uses in the redevelopment plan. Mixed use which includes senior citizen and starter housing as part of the development plan could be a plus IMHO.
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alindsay
Citizen
Username: Alindsay
Post Number: 79
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 22, 2004 - 5:19 pm: |
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Who says we need to develop now?
Even a random sampling of Hilton and other areas that had been overtaxed would likely show that sale prices have grown 30+% over the last 4 years - why not have another reval and spread some of the load back?
Isn't that why the reval was done in the first place? To open up neighborhoods for equitable growth?
BobK - you're the real estate /property tax guru on this board - what say you? Has the aggregate value of Maplewood increased enough to stave off reckless (or accelerated if you prefer)development for a few years if we harvest the new market value of the 'wrong' side of town? |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4547
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 22, 2004 - 5:53 pm: |
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Alindsay:
Redevelopment isn't just about tax rates. In fact, redevelopment may not impact upon tax rates at all.
If you read this and other recent related threads, you will discover that all is not well with the commercial development our little town has at present. Long established businesses are leaving the Village because they can no longer afford the rents charged there. Posters to this board talk about going to other towns to do even their most basic shopping because Maplewood no longer provides such simple staples as a hardware store or full service bakery. Childrens and adult clothing stores which used to be present in the Village have mostly moved out. Not everyone is happy with what is replacing them.
I read recently that across the country the trend is changing. People who used to flock to shopping malls are rediscovering village shopping. Don't we want to be a part of that trend? |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7076
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 6:42 am: |
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Alindsay, everything I have seen indicates values in the Hilton area and, probably even more noticeably, in the area east of Boyden have increased more rapidly than in other areas of town. At this point I don't think, even though it would probably be to us K's advantage, it is a good idea to tinker with the assessments and possibly reverse this trend.
In any event, a revaluation or reassessment is a zero sum game. The tax revenue isn't increased, just redistributed.
Vic, much to his credit I think, during his time on the TC tackled Springfield Avenue. I think he is in a position now, a little like Dr. Frankenstein, in that he has created a monster he no longer can control. One way or another a lot of SA is going to be redeveloped and the area on Burnett from Universal Chain to the old Verizon building offers a wonderful opportunity to increase rateables as well.
I am a little skeptical about how succesful we will be in attracting the types of businesses mentioned in the report, although I admit my entire knowledge on this subject is from a conversation with a women who does this for a living during a two hour airplane flight from Chicago.
However, we have an opportunity to increase rateables and if Maplewood is going to remain a viable community we have to take it. SA is, I believe a two mile stretch of roadway here. I think there is room to have both "Big" box, or at least "Medium" box stores and viable local businesses such as Joan mentions above.
I work with a woman who lives in Englewood. She is very persceptive and involved in the community there and I will try to get her take on what has happened there next week.
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njphilf
Citizen
Username: Njphilf
Post Number: 152
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 6:59 am: |
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alindsay,
The east side of Maplewood had been overpaying on property taxes for nearly 20 years until the reval was finally done. Now you think they should do another because you feel prices have risen? Let them recoup some cash for all of those years of over-taxing before the word reval is mentioned again.
FYI - I visited SA yesterday and must say that the chance of this redevlopment being a success is low. Good luck... As the saying goes, "You can put an ugly woman in a pretty dress...but she's still an ugly woman. |
Fruitcake
Citizen
Username: Fruitcake
Post Number: 195
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 9:07 am: |
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But if she's supporting the best interests of Maplewood she must have a beautiful personality inside, which is more that we can say for njphilf.
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jeffl
Supporter
Username: Jeffl
Post Number: 898
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 9:24 am: |
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njphilf, didn't you move out of town? Am I thinking of the right person? |
court07040
Citizen
Username: Court07040
Post Number: 175
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 10:01 am: |
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njphilf-
I disagree with you. I am 34 years old with 3 kids and I bought my house on the east side 6-1/2 years ago (only had one kid back then). My home has appreciated over 250% in value. Among other things, I credit much of this appreciation to my post reval tax rate. (My taxes are only $1,000 more than they were when I bought the house). In fact, during the reval, I told my wife that this would be a windfall for east side property values.
I am now in the market for a larger house. I would love to plow my capital gains into a bigger home in Maplewood where I love the schools, village, diversity, location, midtown direct, etc. I recently saw a very nice 4bedroom home on Park St. priced at $695K (which, by the way, is still on the dreaded "east side.") While the price was within my budget, I was scared away by the taxes: $17.5K! I can only imagine what the taxes would have been had this house been on the "west side."
I'm concerned that many families will leave Maplewood as they look to upgrade their homes. It's a shame because several of our friends love Maplewood as we do, but just can't afford that much in taxes. I've already had neighbors move to a $900K house in Union County due to the lower tax rate.
It seems that most of the 30-40 year olds from Park Slope are moving into Maplewood's entry level 3 and 4 bedroom houses. But who are buying the bigger houses up on the hill with $25K+ taxes? While the houses in my neighborhood sell after one open house to multiple bidders, these larger homes tend to stay on the market for quite a while.
In the long run, I believe it isn't healthy to have any area of town overtaxed. |
marian
Citizen
Username: Marian
Post Number: 521
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 10:40 am: |
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Amen, Court. But how can we ease the property tax burden without attracting more development and the business ratables that come with it? As mentioned above, a reval is a zero-sum game. It does not decrease the property tax burden, just redistributes it. |
court07040
Citizen
Username: Court07040
Post Number: 176
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 11:13 am: |
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You hit the nail on the head, marian. We always talk about the distribution of taxes as unfair. What we really should be talking about is why taxes are so high in the first place! |
Addy
Citizen
Username: Addy
Post Number: 331
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 12:17 pm: |
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That's easy: Christie Whitman |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4626
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 1, 2005 - 2:21 pm: |
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I finally got a copy of the DANTH report at Town Hall and spent part of yesterday reading it.
For the most part, I think the authors are to be commended for getting a good feel for how we Maplewoodians feel about our commercial business areas and what changes we would like to see.
Some of their suggestions, such as improving the pedestrian tunnels between Maplewood Avenue and Dunnell Road are original and valid. This should be done whether or not a final decision is made to turn the Nelson's - Police Station - Office Building strip into a commercial strip which becomes an extension of the Village.
I like the fact that the report talks about encouraging businesses which will be viable to all of the surrounding area, not just or even primarily to Maplewood residents. (The proposed supermarket is a good example.) This shows a desireable regional view which has been missing in a lot of the earlier proposals I have seen.
On the negative side, I don't like the dependence on redevelopment zones and other condemnation techniques which are being proposed on an even broader scale than the News Record article suggested. Shouldn't we build on our strengths and protect our existing homes and viable businesses rather than taking a raze and rebuild from scratch approach?
I also don't like the impression I get from reading the report that commercial areas such as the strip along Valley Street and the Parker Avenue/Irvington Avenue commercial area are less promising for revelopment because they would be less attractive/less suited to the kind of large lot assembly/chain store/mixed use solution which is being proposed for commercial areas throughout town without any regard for whether some other solution would work better in a given locale due to the individual characteristics of each neighborhood. |
birdbrain
Citizen
Username: Birdbrain
Post Number: 52
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 9:58 am: |
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To drop back a few posts to njphilf, I have to disagree. You stated that " visited SA yesterday and must say that the chance of this redevlopment being a success is low. Good luck... As the saying goes, "You can put an ugly woman in a pretty dress...but she's still an ugly woman." I have been in Maplewood for over 5 years, and have seen change there, and think it can easily be a viable shopping destination. When my daughter has basketball practice at St. Joes I amble over to NetNomads for coffee. When there is soccer in the park behind the Betty White building, I amble over to the little resteraunt there (Central American food? I'm blanking on its name) for goodies. I was just at the HobbyShop a couple of nights ago for paints and tools for the Scouts Pinewood Derby. My most recent set of tires was purchased on Springfield Ave, and we take our Dodge minivan there for work.
I think there are already viable reasons to shop on the Ave, and that a coherent plan could attract more traffic and increase the desirability of at least some of the homes in that area.
I've traditionally been opposed to chain stores, but as I watch the Village drown under a wave of non-franchised nail salons and franchised relators, I've begun to reconsider that blanket opposition. What's better, a tasteful food franchise that I will actually use, or yet another real-estate office?
-David "I'd like a manicure and a 4-bedroom, 3 bath please" Wren-Hardin |
njphilf
Citizen
Username: Njphilf
Post Number: 155
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 6:44 pm: |
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Birdbrain,
Everyone has an opinion. I base my views having lived in Maplewood for 38 years. Back when we had Starks five & dime, a nice deli, Hy's cheesecake, a wonderful bakery (Loved Mrs Stevens there, god rest her soul), etc.
With SA surrounded by Vauxhall & Irvington, well, I said it before. Best of luck..... |
njphilf
Citizen
Username: Njphilf
Post Number: 156
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 6:51 pm: |
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Jeff,
Of course I moved. Who in their right mind would continue to live in the Hilton section? Having spent 30+ years there, I was happy to sell at these overinflated prices. Anyone who feels "safe" living in this section are fooling themselves. My family is worth too much to me. After the shootings by Quick Check in June and the one at DeHart in the summer, it was time. Irvington is getting closer & closer. By the way, my move to Monmouth county couldn't have gone better. Thx ! |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 325
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 7:26 pm: |
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If you love Monmouth so much, why do you keep spending time posting here trashing your old neighborhood??
Your postings suggest that you were no loss to Maplewood. Hoping that Monmouth is more to your tastes, and that eventually your life is too full to waste time on this board. |
Carl Thompson
Citizen
Username: Topcat
Post Number: 92
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 8:34 pm: |
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I propose a little informal survey of MOL'ers.
Here's the question: how many minutes a month do you spend trashing the last place you lived? Any form of trashing is allowed, it doesn't need to be online posts. For example, sitting around with your friends and family and swapping ugly stories about the old homestead would count. We don't need an exact count, just an estimate of how much time you devote in a typical month. BTW, to help with the math, there are approximately 43,000 minutes in a month.
OK, I'll start. Here's my answer: zero.
Anybody else?
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sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12918
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 8:41 pm: |
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I love the last place I lived
(that's because it was in Maplewood) |
aquaman
Citizen
Username: Aquaman
Post Number: 235
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 7, 2005 - 12:49 am: |
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I loved the last place I lived too - I was priced out because of redevelopment.
One of the best things that ever happened to me, it pushed me out of the (rent control) nest and I ended up in Maplewood owning a house that became a home.
I shopped on SA today and it was a mess, I was driving slowly looking for my store and cars were passing me on the left and the right.
At least I knew where I was going.
if I was a newbie I would have given up and high-tailed it home or to Route-whatever. SA is still a well-intentioned project with too many pretty bump-outs and not enough real signs, |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4668
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 7, 2005 - 5:08 pm: |
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I loved the last place we lived. It was a rent stabilized apartment on the east side of Manhattan at the corner of 54th Street and 1st Avenue: a twenty minute commute to work, five households of relatives within a three block radius, easy walk to theater, museums, concerts, shopping. We would still be there if the baby hadn't come along and we hadn't gotten to thinking about owning our own home. |
Dicksson
Citizen
Username: Dicksson
Post Number: 4
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 9:17 am: |
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I checked this site today to see if anyone had read the article in the New York Times Sunday Section, "Maplewood: A Smudge on the Jewel." I surprised that it doesn't look as if the article has affected this web discussion.
The replacement of the stationer's with ANOTHER nail shop seems to be a simple illustration of the dilemma facing downtown Maplewood. We are quickly going from "one of the best places to live in the US" to "the Nail Shop Capital of the US."
Who is going to stop the trend? I support hiring an outside city planner for both Maplewood and South Orange so we can get more parking in both commerical areas, attract useful business for both sexes that are going to stay, and increase the inherent charm of our downtowns. |
birdbrain
Citizen
Username: Birdbrain
Post Number: 56
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 9:42 am: |
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I think the Yet Another Nail Salon is an example of that annoying Free Market thing we have. It's hard to tell a landlord who he can or can't rent to, and to tell a potential business owner that other people are allowed to run that business in town, but you're not.
If it thrives, then I guess there was room for it. If no one goes there, then it will close, and something else will come in.
-David "I get my left hand done at Kim's, my right at the Chelsea Set" Wren-Hardin
Show Them the Door.
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jet
Citizen
Username: Jet
Post Number: 691
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 9:50 am: |
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Just my opinion, but I would have preferred a Starbucks to yet another nail salon . |
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 3212
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 11:44 am: |
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dicksson - Look in Soapbox: All politics. 71 or so posts on the subject. |
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