| Author | Message | ||
     marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 513 Registered: 9-2001 |
I can't believe there hasn't been more discussion on this here. The urban planning consultants hired by the town to create a redevelopment plan released a 42-page blueprint last week. From what I can tell, thanks to Mayor Fred Profeta, it looks like we FINALLY have a strong and sensible redevelopment plan to attract more tax-paying businesses to town and -- hopefully -- start reducing our terrible property tax burden. What absolutely kills me, though is that FORMER Mayor DeLuca has to oppose it, of course. (Can this guy be in favor of ANY of the good works and township improvements that Mayor Profeta and the township committee have accomplished so far?) http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1102833262277730.xml?starledger? nex Just out of curiosity, FORMER Mr. Mayor, what kind of businesses are you afraid will be pushed out of Springfield Ave? the Sunflower Spa, all the nail salons or the wig shops??? | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 4686 Registered: 4-1998  |
Such as NetNomads, The Beaded Path, Wooden You Know Toys, etc. | ||
| canismajor Citizen Username: Canismajor Post Number: 298 Registered: 7-2001 |
"The report calls for the township to recruit chain stores such as Kinko's, Outback Steakhouse, Johnny Rockets, Foot Locker and Game Stop to the strip of Springfield Avenue between Boyden Avenue and Burnett." Foot Locker and GameStop maybe, but Outback, Johnny Rockets and Kinkos? Not within sight of the Irvington border. An Outback would be a cookie jar for car thieves, and a Kinkos couldn't stay open all night because of the proximity to Irvington and the likelihood of a robbery. Johnny Rockets' wholesome, whitebread image makes an SA location highly unlikely. All in all, not a very realistic plan. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7018 Registered: 5-2001 |
How much have rents increased on SA since the improvements? Certainly high rents are a problem in Maplewood Center. Still, I don't think possibly higher rents is a reason not to develop the area in question. I have to admit that when I read the names of teh possible chain tenants in the News Record my reaction was similar to canismajor's. | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 514 Registered: 9-2001 |
It appears that there are two major arguments proposed above: 1: Springfield Ave. will never be able to attract those brand name stores; and 2: If we did attract those stores, they would destroy all the mom and pops. First, we'll never know if we can get these stores to come to town unless we try. Second, I fail to see why we would drive out all the mom and pops just by attracting some big-name stores. One could also argue that the mom and pops would see their sales increase with the increased foot traffic such brand names would bring to the avenue. I would also like to focus on the primary recommendations of the redevelopment consultants--that we can contemplate $200 million in new ratables under the plan, which would decrease property taxes by 10% I love and live within walking distance of NetNomads, The Beaded Path, and Wooden You Know Toys. I try to patronize them as much as possible because I have made a renewed commitment to spend as much of my money as I can in town. I am doing that for a variety of reasons, the most important one being that I am afraid if my property taxes go up any higher, my family and I will have to move out of Maplewood soon. There's no way we can afford a continuation of the property tax hikes we've seen. (And we moved into town AFTER the reval.) Residents of Maplewood like myself need relief as soon as possible. And while I love and support stores like Net Nomads, Wooden You Know It, etc., at the end of the day, the needs of Maplewood residents have to come first. (And I say that still unconvinced that these stores will be harmed by big names chains--they will more likely be helped by them.) | ||
| Mark Fuhrman Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 981 Registered: 9-2001  |
Any mention about lot depth or parking? These retailers require larger footprints than available with current lots, and parking is always an issue. | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 4691 Registered: 4-1998 |
Maplewood has solicited those and many other stores through the SAP.
Because those large stores have minimum space requirements, which leads to the need to demolish buildings.
Maybe. While at the same time possibly driving down home values due to overdevelopment. If some houses need to be taken by eminent domain, those ratables are lost.
True, but I don't see how large chain operations that require demolishing peoples homes help those people or their neighbors, who will no doubt see values decrease rapidly as the town loses its character. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7020 Registered: 5-2001 |
If you think of Springfield Avenue as a shopping mall, or probably more correctly a series of shopping malls, having an anchor store or stores doesn't preclude viable local businesses and actually may aid them because of traffic. As the report states there still isn't a lot of foot traffic in them there parts. I am just a little skeptical about the ability to attract many of the types of stores mentioned in the report. I think we should cross the bridge of eminent domain when and, more importantly, if we get to it. From a conversation with one of the former Mayors (Vic or Jerry) here on MOL I know that even the older plan had provisions for expanding lot size to one degree or another. | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 515 Registered: 9-2001 |
Uhhh....nobody's talking about demolishing any homes here, Dave. We are talking about attracting chain restaurants like Johnny Rockets and stores like Kinko's and Foot Locker. These establishments can easily fit in some of the existing lots. (And frankly, if that means demolishing the Sunflower Spa, please tell me how I can start the wrecking ball.) As for the "We've tried it before and they weren't interested" argument. That was under another administration--one that clearly had no clue what it was doing when it came to township-wide redevelopment. Who here besides me remembers DeLuca's numerous foot-in-mouth quotes in the Star-Ledger, among other newspapers, about how Maplewood was "fully developed." "Yes, we're fully developed here, folks, please, please--no new businesses that can contribute to the tax base need apply." Seeing him quoted saying that more than once in the papers was enough to make me vote against him. | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 4695 Registered: 4-1998 |
Where do you put $200 million worth of development? Where do people park to patronize that development? I don't see how it's done without wiping out a few blocks of houses. And when it's done and those lucky enough not to be tossed out of their homes are living next to big, garbage producing, mouse infested chain restaurants and their property values plummet, who do you think will pay more in taxes? Probably the same people hit by the last reval, that's who.  | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 516 Registered: 9-2001 |
Dave, Read the report. It is very specific in targeting absolutely NO residential zones. It makes use of the present shallow commercial zoning by recommending disguised parking decks and combined retail/residential use, which does not require large depth. (And depth is available at the Universal Chain/Verizon and Rutgers/Burnett sites, and these are the sites where bigger operations are possible.) Meanwhile, Springfield Ave. is full of vacant and underutilized buildings. Who loses if they are demolished? The taxpayers would certainly gain. Would you rather see the present percentage of utilization and density continue? If pedestrians are attracted by the new stores, they will stay and patronize the old operations too. Why should developers target the viable mom and pops when there are plenty of other opportunities? Drive down home values?!? All the evidence is to the contrary. Vital thriving shops will energize the whole neighborhood and increase the values of adjacent homes. This was Englewood's experience. Beronio has said this on numerous occasions. Is the value of homes greater when they are adjacent to bustling shopping areas or run-down areas? | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 4697 Registered: 4-1998 |
All those new residences won't affect school taxes, I hope. | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 517 Registered: 9-2001 |
Dave, There is literally no pleasing you tonight! ;-) I suppose we could push for senior housing in the residential mix. Actually, that's not a half bad idea... | ||
| growler Citizen Username: Growler Post Number: 364 Registered: 11-2001 |
Actually a KFC would be nice! | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 4699 Registered: 4-1998 |
I admit I'm doing a bit of devil's advocacy here. | ||
| buzzsaw Citizen Username: Buzzsaw Post Number: 1544 Registered: 5-2001  |
I would have loved the KFC. | ||
| joecool Citizen Username: Joecool Post Number: 134 Registered: 11-2001 |
Marian - Your taxes are not going to go down. Period. An increase in ratables might slow the increase in taxes. Ask Mr. Beronio if the taxes went down in Englewood. They did not. Springfield Avenue is not full of vacant buildings. Yes, there are underutilized buildings.However, the Avenue is in much better shape than it was a few years ago. Recent projects have brought higher densities and new businesses. Pedestrians are not likely to be attracted by many of the proposed new chains. When was the last time you walked to an Outback Steakhouse? It is a place you DRIVE to. The small independent businesses won't pick up much help from those. And viable mom and pop operations were targeted in the plan, especially at the corner of Prospect, notably Topf's pharmacy, the new kids art studio and the new art gallery. Also - some consideration needs to be given to whether or not some of the stores mentioned are "vital" as you phrased it. Is a Quizno's vital or is an independent ethinic restaurant more likely to be vital. Large scale development will bring chain stores because they will be the only ones that can afford the rents that will be needed to support large scale development. That will mean that mom and pop operations will not be locating there. That will take away some of the community feel that Maplewood prides itself on. There is certainly a happy medium to be found. But the report deserves scrutiny, careful consideration and lots of questions. It is the residents of Maplewood that will have to live with the results, not Mr. Milder or Mr. Beronio. | ||
| Lydia Citizen Username: Lydial Post Number: 794 Registered: 5-2001 |
How do we pursue increased development and still keep a small town feeling for Maplewood? I don't know. I am strongly opposed to businesses like Outback Steakhouse, which has an anti-labor history rivaled only by Wal-Mart. We have to be careful with the big stores we court - take a lesson from casinos and the lottery and remember that some quick fixes can cost more in incidental damage to the community than the revenues they generate in the short run. | ||
| sac Citizen Username: Sac Post Number: 1704 Registered: 5-2001 |
NetNomads, Wooden You Know and the Beaded Path are all in the stretch between Princeton and Prospect ... that's pretty far from the Boyden to Burnett section being discussed in the article, isn't it? Or did I miss something? I'm not sure how I feel about the big chains, but I think the small stores everyone is most concerned about are not mostly in the same part of SA. However, there are a couple of good jewelry stores down there that do repairs as well as sales, and I'd sure hate to lose them. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 4768 Registered: 1-2003  |
Is it remotely possible that the town could somehow help get entrepreneurs loans to start independent businesses? Those independent businesses might attract the same number of patrons, and the labor practices might be better, and the businesses might be more responsive to community needs and desires than chain businesses. |
