Golden Cleaners got permission tonight from the Morristown planning board to build a one-story dry cleaning shop at 130 South Street, on a vacant lot near the Vail Mansion that cycling advocates once touted for the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.
The board approved the dry cleaning project after the applicant removed a drive-through feature and street parking, and despite lingering skepticism about traffic estimates for the site.
Applicant Jong Hoon Park, operator of a dry cleaning business that will move from 173 Washington Street, promised to incorporate “green” design elements, allow public use of a 15-space parking lot to be constructed behind the shop, and avoid discharging any chemicals from the site.
Two zoning variances are required for the parking lot configuration and a narrow driveway. The applicant also needs a boiler permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection and a permit from the state Department of Transportation for access to South Street.
The project received unanimous approval, even though the board’s resolution noted that members remained “somewhat skeptical” regarding projected levels of service along South Street. Transportation consultant Harold Maltz estimated the shop will generate 21 trips on weekday mornings, 20 trips on weekday afternoons, and 37 trips on Saturdays.
Scheduled hours of operation are 7:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Saturday. Golden Cleaners has six employees.
At least four dry cleaners are within a short walk of the site.
The applicant’s daughter, Grace Lee, testified that the establishment uses an “environmentally friendly” hydrocarbon machine that does not use perchloroethylene.The operation does use about 35 gallons of chemicals annually, but the only byproduct, according to the applicant’s environmental consultant, Merwin Kinkade, is about 40 gallons of “muck” that are removed by a waste hauler.
Soap and water from shirt cleaning are the only anticipated discharges, according to the applicant.
Green features will include energy-efficient fixtures, dual-flush toilets, high-performance insulation and glass, and awnings for shading.
Although the applicant made some cosmetic changes to the design, the new structure will not reflect the 1920s and 1930s style of nearby buildings, said Marion Harris, vice chair of the town Historic Preservation Commission.
“That is a period and we need to respect its character,” she said. “I don’t think their design shows any understanding of that character.”
In 2008, Councilwoman Alison Deeb explored the 66-by-194-foot location as a possible site for the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. The Hall eventually rolled from Somerville to Davis, Calif.
