Redevelopment Plan for the Toomey's Automotive Site - January 10th

galileo said:
Ml1 - Just a correction. The unoccupied site in Millburn was Saks. Lord and Taylor's was where CVS and Trader Joe's are now. I really miss that L&T.

you are correct. Saks Fifth Avenue it was.

The L&T was a really cool building.  Still is if you can look at it and visualize what it used to look like.

               
 Jamie: Is there any possible way to limit this ridiculous nested quotation?

All the actors in this ridiculous display of middle school arguments should be given a time out.....

Good grief.

tjohn should definitely get a timeout!!!!

This is another thread way off the rails. Some good information about a pending change to the town is swamped with tired old feuds and author-baiting.

mrincredible said:
This is another thread way off the rails. Some good information about a pending change to the town is swamped with tired old feuds and author-baiting.

 And we don't even have any proposals yet.  

tjohn said:

 And we don't even have any proposals yet.  

 A humble one: Maybe delete that green mile so others don’t have to scroll past it?

ETA: Thanks.

fixed - to everyone - please stay on topic.    

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:
I have a hard time believing most residents are going to be in favor of the township buying that property at market rate to turn it into a parking lot.

 I thought the TC would never sell one of the most valuable plots in town for a net of a few hundred thousand dollars, but they did.  They also forced the Women's Club to pay property taxes and then bought the building when the Women's Club had to sell.  They have a history of bad real estate deals.

One member of the current TC was in office when all those things happened. So no matter what one thinks of any of those deals, it was mostly different people who made them.
And none of that addresses the question of whether taxpayers would want to buy that property just to turn it into 20 parking spaces.  I could be wrong, but I think most people would find that a bad deal.

 And that one member is the key person..... 

And let's be honest, they bought the Women's Club in part to help increase the number of municipal parking spaces in town.

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:
I have a hard time believing most residents are going to be in favor of the township buying that property at market rate to turn it into a parking lot.

 I thought the TC would never sell one of the most valuable plots in town for a net of a few hundred thousand dollars, but they did.  They also forced the Women's Club to pay property taxes and then bought the building when the Women's Club had to sell.  They have a history of bad real estate deals.

One member of the current TC was in office when all those things happened. So no matter what one thinks of any of those deals, it was mostly different people who made them.
And none of that addresses the question of whether taxpayers would want to buy that property just to turn it into 20 parking spaces.  I could be wrong, but I think most people would find that a bad deal.

 And that one member is the key person..... 
And let's be honest, they bought the Women's Club in part to help increase the number of municipal parking spaces in town.

 To my recollection the person who most applied tax responsibility pressure on the women's club was also one of the most vocal objectors to the post office plan. 

yahooyahoo said:

 And that one member is the key person..... 

Three current TC members were on public record opposing the previous deal. I'd say your POV is pretty cynical, to suggest that they are so easily dominated. 

Red_Barchetta said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:
I have a hard time believing most residents are going to be in favor of the township buying that property at market rate to turn it into a parking lot.

 I thought the TC would never sell one of the most valuable plots in town for a net of a few hundred thousand dollars, but they did.  They also forced the Women's Club to pay property taxes and then bought the building when the Women's Club had to sell.  They have a history of bad real estate deals.

One member of the current TC was in office when all those things happened. So no matter what one thinks of any of those deals, it was mostly different people who made them.
And none of that addresses the question of whether taxpayers would want to buy that property just to turn it into 20 parking spaces.  I could be wrong, but I think most people would find that a bad deal.

 And that one member is the key person..... 
And let's be honest, they bought the Women's Club in part to help increase the number of municipal parking spaces in town.

 To my recollection the person who most applied tax responsibility pressure on the women's club was also one of the most vocal objectors to the post office plan. 

Although Profeta brought up the idea, he was deputy mayor at the time and Vic was mayor.  Vic was also mayor when the town bought the Women's Club.

Maybe someone raised more objections to the Post Office redevelopment plan than me,  my computer wore out a few keys on that one.   But I cannot recall making much of an argument on the Women's Club issue,  except for stating once or twice that I thought it was a foolish purchase.

Again feel free to do the green quote thing if anyone can research the subject matter.

When a private developer's plan to purchase the Womens Club building and maintain it as an event space received serious opposition from the neighborhood, he gave it up.  Any other private purchase would have meant the end of that unique event space, with some sort of apartment/retail building in its place.  By purchasing it, the Township maintained it as an event space, which has benefited a lot of people here in Maplewood.

And there is always the question of cost.  I will not get into an extended discussion on the matter.....

but the numbers released to the public raise a question as to cost vs benefit.

The purchase price was in the neighborhood of 1.1 million dollars.  The figures estimated as to how much it would cost to bring the building up to snuff and other expenses ran several hundred thousand dollars which brought the total in excess of 1.5 million dollars.  The town of course could not tax a building it owns. Money lost through the transaction.

When you have no money for a project,  how to find it.  Why a bond issue of course which will in time be a debt obligation for the Township

Does ownership of the building justify these expenses?

I didn't get the impression the town is looking to buy the Toomey property. I may have missed something in some of the earlier posts.

I know a couple of people brought up green space or parking but those were just expressions of personal wishes. Or so I thought. 

My understanding is a developer has acquired the property and is planning to demolish the existing building and build a new 3-Story building with apartments and retail. Am I more or less caught up?

mrincredible said:
I didn't get the impression the town is looking to buy the Toomey property. I may have missed something in some of the earlier posts.
I know a couple of people brought up green space or parking but those were just expressions of personal wishes. Or so I thought. 
My understanding is a developer has acquired the property and is planning to demolish the existing building and build a new 3-Story building with apartments and retail. Am I more or less caught up?

 More

Thanks.

Anyone know how tall the building to the right of Toomey's Is? The house that's been converted into professional offices. 

mrincredible said:
Thanks.
Anyone know how tall the building to the right of Toomey's Is? The house that's been converted into professional offices. 

It's a standard three story Maplewood house.  It is slightly uphill from Toomey's which helps make it look quite tall compared to the single story Toomey building.

jamie said:
From the town:
The Township of Maplewood will hold a second community meeting to discuss the draft Redevelopment Plan for the Toomey's Automotive Site at 104 Baker Street. The meeting will be on Thursday, January 10th at 7:00pm in the Parlor at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Road, Maplewood.
In July 2018 the Maplewood Township Committee determined the former Toomey's automobile site at 104 Baker Street qualified as an "area in need of rehabilitation" and engaged a licensed planner to prepare a draft redevelopment plan. The plan sets forth standards for the construction of buildings and other improvements at 104 Baker Street.
At the first community meeting on November 19th, there were a number of suggestions and questions about the draft redevelopment plan. Based on the community feedback, changes have been made to the draft plan. At the meeting on January 10th, those changes will be discussed.
It is expected that a majority of Township Committee members will be present at the community meeting. No formal action will be taken.

Hi Neighbors. Please come to the Tuesday Feb 5th 7:30pm Township Committee Meeting.
The former Toomey’s lot was sold to a developer with a plan to build a structure as tall as the Clarus (3 ½ stories...30 feet along Baker Street facade, up to 47 feet in stepped-back portion of the building, plus an exemption permitting an additional 12 feet of total height for an elevator shaft) on the lot. The architectural style also may not be in keeping with the neighborhood (“the rehabilitation area’s location...allows for variation in building style from the traditional...including more contemporary design…”) This overdevelopment of our neighborhood could decrease property values and be detrimental to the fabric of our community. The current version of the draft document will be shared at the February 5th 7:30pm Township Committee Meeting at the Municipal Building on Valley Road. Please come to this important meeting, hear for yourself what is quietly happening in our town and let your voice be heard. This is our town. Thank you.

tjohn said:
I hope they at least considering repurposing the building. In Millburn, a gas station, I think, was converted into a burger joint.

 ---- been out of business for years. However, the burgers were good.