The prospective restaurateur at the Clarus Maplewood site testified at the December, 2016 Planning Board meeting. The applicant provided promises that the dumpster storage area and the 100 foot path between the building and the dumpsters could be kept clean, but provided no specifics as to how this could be assured into the future given the numerous staff and hauling services that would routinely be accessing the 13′ x 23′ storage building–or the reasonable expectation that accidents and spills could be expected to happen from time to time.
When questioned further, the applicant refused to answer questions about their experience in such matters and the similarities between this proposal and the operations they use at their other restaurant in Gladstone, New Jersey.
The images below are from that restaurant. In that case the trash is kept immediately adjacent to the rear area of the restaurant and is fully enclosed by a wooden fencing. Access to the containers by service companies is from the rear of the building, with no visual or traffic impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
Testimony thus far suggests that the restaurateur and the developer have been unable to agree on alternatives for Clarus Maplewood that could be as well designed as those at Gladstone Tavern. As a result, we feel the Planning Board record has been left incomplete. Testimony from independent experts should be sought to explore other methods for waste handing, in particular those methods used in denser environments than the applicant has experience working in.
An overview of the request to the Planning Board is available.
∫ ∫ ∫
This site chronicles the five year public process leading to the construction of Clarus Maplewood. We recently re-arranged it to provide easier access chronologically and by topic area. Check out the changes here.
Oh No 60 