It took about seven years, many more revisions, and at least three name changes. But the ribbon finally got cut Wednesday at Max on Morris, an 85-apartment building at 171-175 Morris St.
“If it was easy, anybody could do it,” said Hampshire Companies CEO Jim Hanson, quoting his dad, 86-year-old Hampshire Chairman Jon Hanson, on hand for the ceremony.
The redevelopment project, pitched in 2016 for a self-storage warehouse until residents protested, boasts some apartments with Murphy beds and movable walls, along with ground-level office cubicles and conference spaces, to accommodate tenants who prefer working from home since the pandemic.
There also are 17 electric vehicle charging stations. A café and public art installation (type to be determined) are coming.
But what really makes Max on Morris “incredible,” according to Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, is Hampshire’s willingness to designate 14 of the building’s 18 affordable units for people with special needs.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin; click/hover on images for captions:
Hampshire has “set the standards for special needs in our community, and for that I am truly grateful,” the mayor said.
CHOOSING A MANAGER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS UNITS
Up to 28 individuals with intellectual disabilities will reside in the 14 special needs units. Management of those apartments was a hot topic at last week’s town council meeting, where concerns were voiced that Hampshire’s choice, Cohome Inc., is not a state-licensed operator.
But the man who hired Cohome said Wednesday the special apartments will be licensed, and that Cohome must adhere to all state regulations as it oversees services to help these tenants integrate into the community.
“We at Hampshire are passionate about this program and want it to succeed, and will do what we need to do so it succeeds,” said John Durso, executive vice president of development for the Morristown-based developer. “We don’t foresee any issues.”
Special needs units were proposed by Councilman Robert Iannaccone when Hampshire was negotiating, successfully, for a tax break known as a PILOT (short for “Payments in Lieu of Taxes”).
But Iacconne expressed disappointment last week that ArcMorris, a nonprofit with a track record dating to 1952, was not chosen to run these units. Former Council President Stefan Armington apologized to a special needs advocate for failing to mandate a state-licensed operator in agreements with the developer.
But Durso said he met with ArcMorris, as well as Arc’s Union County chapter, the United Way of Bergen County, and the Phillips Asset Management Co. Inc. of Florham Park before choosing Cohome. It opened a group home in Morristown’s Historic District in 2019.
Durso said he liked Cohome founder Nate Diskint’s “passion, and his direct understanding of the needs of these residents.” Diskint’s younger brother has an intellectual disability.
Another thing that impressed Durso was Diskint’s process for ensuring compatibility of special needs roommates.
“Some organizations never mentioned that. The last thing you want to do is to have (special needs tenants) move in, have issues, and move out. To us, that’s not creating community,” Durso said.
Diskint, who has declined to comment about council members’ remarks, is listed by the state among entities that can provide these services, according to Durso. He said Diskint’s contract is open-ended and may be terminated with 45 days’ notice.
Questions about how special needs residents will be selected were referred to Journey Services. Records indicate Diskint registered the business in December, at an address shared by UPS in Morristown.
Marketing of the special needs units will start on April 3, 2023, with move-in anticipated in August or September, Journey Services said via email. Applications will be available online, at town hall and at Max at Morris. “Affirmative marketing protocol” will be used to qualify applicants, the email stated.
Neither Diskint nor his pro bono attorney, Frank Vitolo, who also represented Hampshire before the town planning board, attended Wednesday morning’s ribbon-cutting. Iannaccone and Armington also were absent.
Plenty of other town officials were there. They included Council President Sandi Mayer, Vice President Nathan Umbriac and Councilwoman Toshiba Foster; town Administrator Jillian Barrick; town Planner Phil Abramson and planning board Attorney John Inglesino; Police Chief Darnell Richardson, and Public Safety Director Michael Corcoran Jr.
‘THEY DIDN’T CUT ANY CORNERS’
Dougherty hailed Hampshire for doing a “magnificent job,” making numerous revisions after many planning board meetings.
“Clearly, they didn’t cut any corners. This is a beautiful building… they’ve injected life into this area of our community,” Dougherty said.
It’s close to Routes 287 and 24, and a short walk to the train station and the downtown. Hence, the “Max,” for maximum accessibility, and also for maximum flexibility for work-from-home tenants, said Durso, explaining the Max on Morris moniker.
Prior names attached to the project included The L/W, for Live/Work, and Revolution, a nod to Morristown’s Revolutionary War history.
The first tenant moved in last month.
Online listings show rents ranging from $2,478, to $5,680. Some discounts are being offered. Apartment sizes range from 660 square feet for one bedroom units and 1,076-square feet for two bedrooms, said leasing agent Amanda Benitez. Some units have small balconies overlooking a courtyard.
A $35 monthly amenity fee entitles residents to use a communal rec room and the first floor conference- and office areas. Other monthly fees include $125 per vehicle for indoor parking, and $100 for an outdoor space. For each pet, there is a one-time fee of $550, and $50 a month thereafter, Benitez said.
The parking area has 17 electric vehicle charging stations, and there is a place to lock bicycles. A ground-level café is planned, and Hampshire has paid $100,000 toward public art, yet to be specified.
Although the site initially was intended for self-storage to serve apartment dwellers, Max on Morris has no storage area for its tenants.
This story has been updated with information about applications for the special needs units.
Did the revised article omit Stefan Armington’s comments regarding his own failure – while Council President, for securing the special needs units promised by the developer while negotiating and ultimately securing a taxpayer funded PILOT abatement?
Mr. Armington’s apology to Bill Byrnes for the “lack of oversight for the oversight” showcases the developer first – resident second mentality.
Mr. Armington should use this moment of humility to step up and explore how the town can rescind the Taxpayer funded PILOT abatements for the now defunct Hotel project on Market st. and the delayed Phase 2 of M-Station.