From Maplewood Township:
Maplewood, NJ—The Township of Maplewood is launching a process to create its first full Master Plan since 2004. Under the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, municipalities are required to update their Master Plan at least once every 10 years. The Township of Maplewood last updated its Master Plan in 2011.
The planning process began in early 2021 under the leadership of then-Mayor Frank McGehee, in collaboration with Planning Board Chair Karen Pisciotta and Planning Board Member Liz Ward. Together they formed the Steering Committee, initiated the RFP process to hire a consultant, and obtained the required municipal funding. The Maplewood Master Plan Steering Committee held their kickoff meeting on June 14, 2021.
The Maplewood community will play an essential role in identifying the key priorities, concerns, and opportunities the Master Plan should address. Mayor Dean Dafis called the Master Plan, “a pivotal opportunity for Maplewood residents to define their vision for the future of Maplewood. We look forward to getting into the community and hearing from you!”
The Maplewood Master Plan will be a blueprint for the Township.
The new Master Plan will outline a vision for the future and establish community principles to balance economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal planning. The document is not a law, nor does it include regulations, but it provides guidance to elected officials, Township staff, and stakeholders when they make land use, zoning, and capital investment decisions.
The planning process is being led by the Maplewood Master Plan Steering Committee. The committee is comprised of a wide range of town leaders and volunteers from the Township Committee, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Springfield Avenue Partnership, and Green Team. Members include Mayor Dean Dafis, Township Committee Member Frank McGehee, Planning Board Chair Karen Pisciotta, Planning Board Member Liz Ward, Planning Board Member Tom Carlson, Planning Board/Zoning Board Member Morgan McCray, Springfield Avenue Partnership Trustee Stephanie Scott, and Green Team Committee Member Veda Truesdale.
The Steering Committee has commenced regular meetings with consultant BFJ Planning, who will guide the Master Plan formation process and provide feedback. The Committee will report back regularly to the Maplewood Planning Board and Township Committee. The Maplewood Planning Board will ultimately adopt the Master Plan under state law.
Members of the public are invited to share their input through a virtual workshop hosted at MaplewoodMasterPlanWorkshop.com. Members of the Master Plan Team and Steering Committee will be attending events throughout the Township this summer to promote the workshop, the first being Maplewoodstock in early July.
For additional information on the Master Plan process, please visit the Township’s Master Plan web page at maplewoodnj.gov/government/township-master-plan. This page will regularly be updated with the latest news and information regarding this initiative.
