By Marion Filler
The playbook for successful development in Morristown may have been written Wednesday night, when the zoning board unanimously approved a replacement for a vacant medical building at 79 Maple Ave.
The first go-round before the board, in July 2021, received a tepid response.
“We heard loud and clear the majority of comments suggesting the building doesn’t fit in,” architect Frank Minervini said at the virtual special meeting. “So, we regrouped, and looked to redesign the building with a similar footprint.”
Before and after images (above) tell the story.
Exterior changes include a double gabled roof with dormers and a two-sided porch that faces Maple Avenue and wraps around to Perry Street. Those two features alone had an immediate and positive effect on the Board. The town Historic Preservation Commission was happy as well.
According to Minervini, it has sent a letter strongly approving the design.
There were also changes to the interior.
Formerly, apartment dwellers only could enter through the rear door in the parking lot. An earlier critique by the board led to changing the building to allow both commercial and residential tenants access through the lobby on Maple Avenue.
Office space has been reduced from two units on the first floor and four on the second floor to just a total of four – two up, two down.
There still are two apartments on the third floor, but because of the new roof line, the floor space has seen a commensurate reduction, bringing the plan closer to compliance with the permitted “FAR” (ratio of total floor footage to property size).
Materials and colors of walls and trim remained the same, but lighting fixtures were changed to a more traditional lantern look instead of the earlier contemporary version.
But the devil was in the details–and there were many. Which led to a late night for the board, with thorough questioning of witnesses for the developer, Safeguard-Derby LLC of Gladstone.
Landscape architect Brian Leff resisted a suggestion from the Shade Tree Commission that only native plants be used on the site, but ultimately worked out a compromise.
A question of where to plant street trees also came up. Should they be between the sidewalk and curb, where roots struggle for water and dislodge the pavement? Or, as Leff preferred, at the edge of the property? That was left for the town to decide.
Like nearly every other development project in town, parking was an issue. The original 15 spots at the rear of the building, entered on Perry Street, more than satisfied the ordinance.
However, there was considerable debate about whether to eliminate one or two to gain more green space. Chairman Steve Pylypchuk prevailed, reminding board members that parking is likely to get more difficult in the future, so best to keep the maximum available.
Traffic Engineer Doug Polyniak said increased traffic volume would be negligible, and estimated there would be approximately eight cars per hour in and out of the building. Upon questioning, he admitted it could change depending on the type of business that occupies the space.
He thought shared parking in a multi-use building was ideal for this site, with more spots available on evenings and weekends when apartment dwellers are home. Polyniak also thought a loading space, as required by ordinance, was a detriment for such a small project.
Since Perry Street is one way and cannot be entered from Maple Avenue, neighbors Bill Schlosser and Chris Hohorst, the only two members of the public to call in, were concerned about increased traffic on Perry Street to access the parking lot.
They also worried about drivers mistakenly turning left when exiting the lot, and suggested a one-way sign at the point of egress.
The clean-up batter was Patrick Ward, engineer and planner for Safeguard-Derby LLC.
He outlined the basic package: Energy Star appliances and windows, underground wires, a dry well to capture run-off from the parking lot, compliance with all setbacks and height ordinances, LED lighting indoors and dark-sky outdoor fixtures, generous buffer zones to satisfy neighbors, and a generator that serviced the entire building.
Ward also agreed to others items that were suggested, such as an additional EV charging station, and same-day trash collection for commercial and residential tenants
Members of the board concurred that 79 Maple Ave. would be an asset to Morristown. They praised the developer for heeding suggestions from the board and community.
Board member Anthony Murphy cut to chase.
“What’s there now is, frankly ugly, and that one story building doesn’t go with the context of the street.”
Expressing his appreciation for the hard work by the applicant, Murphy asserted the revised building would enhance Maple Avenue.
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