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Politics & Government

Traffic Near Honeywell Site Still an Issue for Residents

Township approves master plan amendment for the site.

The acceptance of a master plan amendment allowing more flexibility in developing its 147-acre Morris Township headquarters property is not the end of the process for the Fortune 100 company or for the citizens opposed to the changes.

The township planning board on Thursday unanimously approved the master plan amendment after months of public hearings. The amendment allows residential use on the site as well as the redevelopment of the section that contains the former Allied Signal buildings.

In May, the board removed a proposed continuing care facility from the list of allowed uses leaving only townhouses and the office/research use that is in the original zoning.

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The township committee must adopt a zoning ordinance to conform to the changed master plan before the planning board sees a site plan for redevelopment of the site.

Honeywell officials have said they will tear down some buildings no longer in use and renovate others.

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Besides removing the continuing care use, the board amended the setbacks at Columbia Road and Park Avenue from a proposed 150 feet to 200 feet. Board member and Township Committeeman Scott Rosenbush asked for 300 feet, but Township Planner Paul Phillips calculated the number of townhouses that would be lost and the board opted for the lower number. Phillips said a redesign of the townhouse development could result in a loss of fewer than 10 townhouses.

The setback for the industrial area will be 450 feet, leaving the “great lawn” in front of the complex. Mayor Peter Mancuso said that is the first thing people see of Morris Township when entering from the east and it should be maintained.

One of the townhouse areas could harbor an endangered or threatened species, but board members said Honeywell will have to make a study of that at the time of site plan application.

Besides environmental problems, a major concern of the residents opposed to the master plan amendment has been traffic. Mancuso and the mayors of neighboring Florham Park, Hanover and Madison have met with representatives of the state Department of Transportation to try to ameliorate the situation, especially at the intersection of Columbia Road and Park Avenue, already rated an “F” by the state.

While residents applauded the changes made to the draft master plan amendment, they sought more. Of particular concern, according to Daniel Summrs, attorney for the Citizens for Better Planning, was the fact he wasn’t shown the amended document until he got to the meeting. He said calls to Board Attorney Brian Burns were not answered.

Summers also asked Burns if he was in contact with anyone from Honeywell in the week between the last planning board meeting and Thursday's hearing. Burns said he spoke to Honeywell’s attorney about the procedure of the meeting. When pressed by Summers, he said he couldn’t recall discussing any substance with the attorney.

Mary Gorse, of the CFBP, said the group will meet to discuss any action they may take after the vote. She said since the traffic problem has not been solved, nothing should have been done to facilitate Honeywell’s development of the site.

Michele Demarest, of the CFBP, said the 200-foot setback to the townhouses will not protect the view of people entering the township.

"None of us would be happy with a buildout of offices on the site,” Mancuso said.

“It’s never been the purpose of a planning board," Demarest said, "to make up for the shortcomings of decisions Honeywell has made.”

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