By Michael Lovito
Thanks to an application hailed by one zoning board member as “beautiful,” a few lucky Sanofi executives soon will have an enviably short commute.
The Morristown board on Wednesday unanimously approved plans to convert a mixed-use building at 22 Maple Ave. into four residential units intended to be used by “C-suite executives and other employees of Sanofi.”
The French pharmaceutical giant is planning to move into the M Station complex, a mere half mile from the Maple Avenue site, in 2025.
“I do a lot of these applications in Morristown. I’m not sure I’ve seen one this beautiful before,” project attorney Frank Vitolo said at the virtual meeting.
Situated at the corner of Maple Avenue and DeHart Street, the Victorian-style building was constructed in the mid-1830s. Preserving the structure’s historical character was a priority for project architect Nancy Doherty.
“It’s really going to be an improvement. You rarely get these projects that sort of turn back the clock instead of pushing the clock forward,” Vitolo continued. “This one, I think, will make everyone proud of the look as you’re driving down Maple.”
That fidelity to the building’s history also was the biggest sticking point for Board Vice Chairman Scott Wild.
Taking issue with the fact that residents of the second-floor units would have to enter the building through the back door, Wild insinuated that the applicants were using the site’s Victorian design as an excuse not to construct a second front door entrance.
“I almost feel like we’re treating these other two-unit residents pretty shabbily,” Wild said. “It’s not to serve the current architectural integrity of the building that you guys are choosing not to have an entryway where people could get upstairs from a front doorway. It’s that you don’t want to do it.”
“We’re improving the architectural integrity of the building by making the façade mimic a Victorian structure,” Vitolo replied. “If we were punching holes in the sides and putting more entrances in, it would look like a townhome development.”
While Wild ultimately relented on the issue of a second front door, the board managed to persuade Vitolo and Dougherty to make the back portico deeper than the proposed three-feet, and the vice chair heaped praise upon the application before he voted to approve.
“Despite some of my commentary and questions tonight, this application is beautiful,” Wild said.
“I love that it’s advancing the town’s historical preservation goals. I love that it’s promoting increased housing density close to the downtown core. It’s fantastic looking, and one of my favorite projects since I’ve been on the board. So, I appreciate the application and the work that went into it.”
IN OTHER BUSINESS…
After approving the Maple Avenue application, the board heard the opening round of testimony on two smaller residential properties. James Tagle, owner of 13 Cleveland St., wants to convert a one-family home into a two family resident, while Eric Gastrot and Matthew Connahan, owners of 38 Woodley Road, seek approval for a patio they built without a permit.
The latter application proved to be a source of frustration for the board. Gastrot and Connahan had received a permit to build a 350-square-foot patio in their backyard, a patio they then extended to 832 feet without a permit.
Board Chair James Bednarz cut Gastrot’s testimony short when he couldn’t establish a clear timeline for when he decided to stray from the original permit.
“I’m really tired, and that last application I just could not tolerate,” Bednarz said. “We’ll have to come back to it another night, perhaps a little more organized.”
