By a unanimous vote, the Morristown council on Thursday gave its final thumbs-up to the Speedwell Avenue redevelopment, a potentially transformative project that has been debated for at least a decade.
The redeveloper, Rich Murphy of Morristown Development LLC, said he plans to “aggressively” pursue planning board approvals with a goal of starting construction later this year on 268 apartments that will comprise the first of three phases that eventually may total 650 rental units and 40,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.
Mayor Tim Dougherty praised the council for supporting a redevelopment agreement revamped by his town planner, Jonathan Rose Companies. The approval signals better days ahead for a neighborhood that could use a fresh coat of paint, according to the Mayor, council members and the few Speedwell-area residents and business people who attended Thursday’s meeting.
“I inherited this,” the Mayor said of the project. “We made it better. We want a neighborhood that flows into the rest of the town… For so long, this part of town has been separate from the rest of town.”
The biggest surprise was Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid‘s vote in favor of the agreement. At hearings last year she contended the administration should have held the redeveloper to a 2007 commitment to set aside 20 percent of the units as affordable housing. The redeveloper cited the sluggish economy and convinced the administration to reduce the requirement to 10 percent — 26 units– in Phase One.
“I thought we should have gone in for more affordable housing,” Raline said after the meeting. Yet the project’s anticipated revenue–planning board Attorney John Inglesino said it should generate annual payments of $619,856 to the town for 30 years in lieu of taxes–could not be ignored, Raline said.
“You have to balance everything. It will be a plus for the town,” said the Second Ward councilwoman.
READ HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT
Marty Epstein of Marty’s Reliable Cycles on Speedwell Avenue called the vote “awesome.” On behalf of the Morristown Partnership, a business organization, he asked the council to contribute towards a $400,000 beautification along Speedwell as a next step. Speedwell Avenue is a gateway to the town, after all.
“Now, it’s a scary gateway,” Marty said. “We want it to look pretty and beautiful.”
Town officials hope the redevelopment will spur investment and encourage shopkeepers to spruce up their storefronts after years of playing wait-and-see. Many decades earlier, Speedwell was a focal point of Morristown. Now, South Street and the historic Green are centers of revitalization efforts. This project could bring the Speedwell area back into the game, said council Vice President Rebecca Feldman.
“It’s going to build a great public space where people from town will actually want to be,” she said.
Council President Michelle Dupree Harris (formerly Harris-King) said her daughter is “a nervous wreck” walking home from her job at the Neighborhood House because so many men congregate along Speedwell Avenue. The redevelopment should bring wider sidewalks, a greater mix of people, and a “more inviting” atmosphere, Michelle said.
“It’s like a major facelift for Morristown,” she said.
The Speedwell Avenue area is largely Latino, and concerns about gentrification were raised last year by a historical preservation group. No Hispanic organizations came to speak on Thursday.
Prospect Street homeowner Sam Grobard welcomed the redevelopment, asserting it will make the area safer and maybe boost his property value.
“I’m very excited about the expansion of Speedwell,” he said.
Although still worried about traffic–the agreement does not immediately resolve the bottleneck at the Speedwell intersection with Spring and Early streets–newly elected Councilman Stefan Armington predicted the redevelopment “will show other areas that this is a growing part of town that’s worth additional investment.”
“It’s definitely a thoughtful improvement over the old plan in terms of reflecting the community’s input,” said town planner Phil Abramson of Jonathan Rose Companies. “We hope it will be a model for future redevelopment projects.”
Rich Murphy, the redeveloper, said construction of Phase One should take 22 months. The amended agreement includes provisions enabling the town to seek another builder if this one balks at proceeding with the last two phases. Rich described his team as “very enthusiastic” and called the agreement fair.
“The definition of a fair agreement is when everyone wishes it was better than it was,” he said with a smile. “The key going forward is, when a municipality and a developer are working together, things can happen quickly.”
MORE ABOUT THE SPEEDWELL AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT
Speedwell Avenue does not need a “facelift.” Come on, whatever happened
to capitalism and free market ecomony. This thing has been shoved through
much the way the Chinese went in to Tianeman Square. No tanks, yet.
So guys, and gals. Mayor this is your responsiblity. You may have “inherited”
it but it is your name, your project, your legacy and your problem. The buck stops with you. You know the Harry Truman reference to the dollar bill stopping on his desk as a sign that he was a responsible leader.
Hate me for this, but, with no respect to Ms Dupree, I will bet you dollars to donuts
no one gets around to the affordable units. They never do. Poor people are not
good business. Has anyone thought, since we are using developers with local track records and other projects, about getting the affordable units up front from
their last project? How bout having them buy upfront 10 or 20 units of affordable
houses that are for sale right now along Speedwell? How much could that really cost. It’s a bargain and an immediate gain. Poor people don’t mind living in houses. I’ves been poor. Houses are nicer than tenements. What about sweat equity loans. A project called Taino had done this in Hartford for years.
what about prefabricated housing? It’s cheap reliable and has come a long
way in looks. But I’m sure you have have gone with what you thought was the best option. It is your deal, your name, and your call. If its a success your name ios on it. If it is a failure, you name is on it. Good luck, we will be watching and our prayers are with you.
.
But know, that all of your names and legacies are sitting on this project.
And by it you will be judged. Because the rest of us are not going to inherit anymore bad deals courtesy of our politics.
How many affordable housing units will be destroyed to make room for this development and how many units will be replacing them?
Will be great to look forward to driving through that section of town – once it becomes a true reflection of the history and charm that defines Morristown. I only hope the developers focus on the historical integrity of the buildings and don’t “cheap-out” — no 1960’s yellow brick! And no siding!
A step forward!
It’s about time!