In a letter dated June 12, an official from Kings Supermarkets assured the Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca that the supermarket chain is satisfied that plans for the development of the Post Office site in Maplewood Village will not negatively impact Kings’ delivery trucks.
Matt Cozza, Vice President of Real Estate and New Store Development, wrote to DeLuca, “Kings is satisfied that the proposed post-office redevelopment project will not impact our delivery operations. The decision is based on the reconfigured site plan provided to us for the post-office redevelopment as well as a letter from Joe Forgione of JMF Properties dated June 12, 2015, representing that the site plan will show an easement area in favor of Kings.”
Cozza continues, “On behalf of the Kings Corporation, I would like to thank you and your team for initiating and facilitating a resolution of our Maplewood store’s delivery operations. going forward to accommodate tractor trailer deliveries after the redevelopment of the post-office site. We also appreciate the cooperation and flexility of Joe Forgione, to our needs and his willingness to incorporate a solution for them into the project.”
The letter concludes, “We look forward to the project itself. We believe the synergy of new residents downtown and five new retailers will benefit existing businesses and contribute further to the economic viability of Maplewood Village long into the future. We are happy that you and your colleagues on the Township Committee understand the need for continued local economic growth.”
Read the full letter here.
At a meeting of the Maplewood Village Alliance in May to review the Post Office Design Review Subcommittee’s (PODRS) recommendations for the Post Office project, there was heated discussion about the ability of Kings to back up trucks from the Post Office property into the Kings loading across the street. The recommendations of PODRS were adopted, but one caveat was that access for Kings trucks be resolved.
Village Green has reached out to the Township and the project’s developer for comment, as well as for copies of the new site plan.
