Photo by Chad Hunt Angela Matusik, left, and Lisa Cohen, co-founders of the Maplewood Film Society, have been leading the charge for a theater venue in Maplewood village.
Angela Matusik, left, and Lisa Cohen, co-founders of the Maplewood Film Society, have been leading the charge for a theater venue in Maplewood village.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Every seat at the Woodland was filled recently when the draft of the Movie Theater Redevelopment Plan was presented. Many attendees were in red and black, to show they were in support of saving the historic theater.
Mayor Nancy Adams and Paul Grygiel, a planning and real estate consultant, hosted the event and answered questions from the community. Committee persons Dean Dafis and Deborah Engel were in attendance.
The agenda included a recap of the redevelopment process and an overview of the draft for the redevelopment plan.
Adams reminded the audience, “This is just a plan.”
Grygiel said, “This is an ongoing process that has a way to go.”
Redevelopment plan objectives were to “respect the existing character of Maplewood Village and the land use context of the Redevelopment Area while optimizing its value to the Township.
Grygiel said, “The main points are to enhance and preserve Maplewood Village. It’s a tightly knit community that has character. We’re providing for opportunity for development for downtown areas to thrive, including theater space.”
Regarding design, the plan is that architectural style and other standards match Maplewood Village Alliance requirements. “Try to make something fit in even though it’s brand new,” said Grygiel.
When attendees were invited to comment, Corinne Maulby, Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission said, “The Village is the heart of Maplewood.” She said that the Maplewood Theater being preserved and reused is one of the top priorities; and was met with loud applause from the community.
Angela Matusik, one of the founders of the Maplewood Film Society, said, “Since the last town meeting in the spring, many residents, both long term and new, have felt despondent about the fate of the historic theater building in the heart of our village. We are here to say that it is not too late, and we can do something. In just four months we have gathered a community of over 600 residents who all agree that having a place to watch films together is a needed and necessary ingredient to our vibrant, diverse, culturally minded town. We have surveyed our members and found that overwhelmingly they believe that Maplewood would benefit from having a theater venue. Since the publication of this draft redevelopment plan, just two weeks ago, we have spoken with other town planners, architects, neighboring communities, and more, and believe strongly that we can do better than this. As a result, we would like to ask for an immediate pause on this redevelopment plan as it is written today.”
Lisa Cohen, the co-founder of the Maplewood Film Society, said, “As the plan currently stands, it leaves the future of our beloved theater entirely in the hands of the developer, treating options like condos, stores, or restaurants as if they hold equal value for our community. But the theater is more than just another business opportunity—it’s a cultural and historical cornerstone of Maplewood.”
Cohen’s suggestions were to pause the redevelopment plan, conduct a market study on the community’s needs, and to create an advisory committee of stakeholders.
In favor of keeping the historic theater, a resident in the audience said, “An audience for good movies is very high.”
Another said, “We just came out of lockdown. You are taking a space from children who could go and bond. Where are they gonna go? Think about the kids!”
A concerned resident asked, “In maintaining the image of our adorable town, how does a hotel fit in? Fifty feet high—that is not typical of Maplewood Village.”
Adams explained that 35 feet is the maximumheight along streets.
Grygiel said, “We’re consultants. We’re trying to make a balance between your point of view and what makes sense.”
Another resident was in favor of a hotel. She said, “I own a retail store in town. I would support a hotel. It brings more traffic. It supports foot traffic in town.”
At the end of the meeting Adams assured the residents, “This process is not over. We will talk about the comments. It will go to the planning board.”
For additional information, visit: https://www.maplewoodnj.gov
Stage, screen and TV actor Zach Grenier was among those to show up at the meeting that was held in the Woodland in Maplewood.
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