Re-heating the bed-and-breakfast debate in Morristown

Morristown's council president would like to see B&B's like this one--Les Saisons Inn of Maplewood--in town. Photo: LesSaisonsInn.com
Morristown's council president would like to see B&B's like this one--Les Saisons Inn of Maplewood--in town. Photo: LesSaisonsInn.com
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Morristown's council president would like to see B&B's like this one--Les Saisons Inn of Maplewood--in town. Photo: LesSaisonsInn.com
Morristown’s council president would like to see B&B’s like this one–Les Saisons Inn of Maplewood–in town. Photo: LesSaisonsInn.com

By Kevin Coughlin

Wouldn’t it be nice to stay in a bed and breakfast in Morristown?

The answer depends on who you ask.

Council President Stefan Armington loves the idea of B & B’s, and wants the council to consider amending town zoning laws to allow them as conditional uses.

“When I travel for work or pleasure, I prefer the environment of B&B’s,” Armington said after broaching the subject earlier this month at a council meeting.

Councilwoman Alison Deeb, who represents the Historic District, pitched the concept in 2010, contending B&B’s would boost tourism and encourage preservation of historic mansions. But she failed to sway her colleagues, and the planning board set aside the question the next year when revising the town zoning master plan.

Opponents of B&B’s expressed fear of crime from transients and opposition to commercial operations in residential neighborhoods, and noted that prospective B&B owners can seek use variances from the zoning board on a case-by-case basis.

“I don’t see the call for them in town,” said Mayor Tim Dougherty, urging thorough research before adopting any ordinance.

Deeb told the council she would run the matter by her Fourth Ward constituents again. The matter is back on the council agenda tonight, May 24, 2016.

Armington said nobody has pressed him to convert a specific home to a B&B. But he cited booming taxes from local hotels, overtures from another hotel, and brisk overnight rentals of Morristown homes and apartments on the website Airbnb — he counted 15 within a short walk of the Morristown Green, renting for $150 to $225 — as evidence of demand for tourist lodgings.

The council president also pointed to an ordinance in Maplewood, which allows four B&B licenses under strict conditions pertaining to parking; annual inspections; and the number of guests, duration of their stays, and their outdoor activities, among other things.

One such license has been issued (Les Saisons Inn) since 2009.

“We have had no issues,” Maplewood Township Clerk Liz Fritzen said in an email to Armington.

‘A TOUGH FIGHT’

Art Christensen, owner of Les Saisons, said he initially faced the same objections that have been raised in Morristown.

“I fought them, and won. It’s a tough fight,” he said.

Maplewood’s ordinance limits him to four guests at a time; ample parking must be provided behind his home.

Les Saisons sits on a secluded acre, set back 100 feet from Elmwood Avenue. The inn caters to township residents who need a place for visitors to stay. Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn have no hotels or motels, Christensen explained. His rates range from $100 to $185 per night.

“It adds charm, it adds convenience for residents. As long as it’s set up with sensible limitations, it should be no problem,” Christensen said of B&B’s.

In 1990, some 90 Morristown residents were survey in three neighborhoods: Franklin Street, Macculloch Avenue/Miller Road and Early Street/Colonial Road.

Two-thirds were receptive to B&Bs, and a long-range planning committee proposed a limited test on mixed-use streets such as Mount Kemble Avenue.

But the Morristown council nixed the experiment by a single vote in 1991.

Nearly 20 years later, Ken Miller, chair of Morristown’s historic preservation commission, questioned the preservation value of B&Bs.  His neighbor in the Historic District, Rutgers professor Michael Rockland, countered that B&Bs would bring vitality to the town.

 

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Awesome idea and a great way to showcase the historic aspects of our town. The notion that crime, transients or noise/garbage would be an issue is far fetched. Especially when you consider how many bars have been blessed to do business in Morristown. This is a great way to expand our offerings as a community and another opportunity for Morristown to shine.

  2. Love the idea! It would be a welcome alternative for family and friends instead of a hotel. The idea it would attract transients sounds like an excuse.

  3. I love the idea of B ‘n B’s in our town. It’s a wonderful way to travel and get to know an area more intimately than staying in a hotel. The worries about transients seems a bit far fetched to me. How many transients have $150 to spend on a single night’s lodging?

  4. B & Bs have been a lost opportunity in Morristown for many years, often due to often emotional responses by uninformed residents. We have many areas in Town such as Morris Street, where restored older homes would be a welcoming feature for tourist traveling to visit george Washington headquarters, for example. They could be a welcome alternative to the existing or proposed new hotels. I know of no instances where a criminal has chosen to stay at a B&B.

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