Заседание совета по зонированию отложило решение по проекту ресторана Sofia's Table и Terrace в Морристуне

By Ellen S. Wilkowe The fifth hearing for Sofia’s Table and Terrace drew an entourage of enthusiastic supporters to Wednesday’s Morristown zoning board meeting, as expert witnesses made the final push to bring an elevated and upscale dining experience to a former bank at 133 South St. They went home empty-handed — a vote was put off, at a marathon session that also saw the board approve revisions to expansion plans for the Mayo Performing Arts Center. The podium got quite the workout as mostly young adults lined up to take the mic and rally the board for rooftop dining. Melissa Brennan of Morristown was one of them. “I’m a local mom in town and part of a mom’s group,” said when we heard about this project, we thought it was a wonderful addition to the town. I feel like the space has not been utilized to the best of its ability in years.” Steve Thompson, also of Morristown, followed her lead. “I think this project is a great idea for Morristown,” he said. “I lived here six years and have been coming to the town my whole life and it’s great to see the growth and continued popularity going on throughout the years. There’s been a handful of new restaurants in the past years and a restaurant like this would have good foot traffic and outdoor seating.” Public support and revisions aside, the board did not quite turn the tables for or against the project, but it came close. As advised by its attorney David Brady, the board voted instead to draft two resolutions, one in favor and one against the establishment. Brady wanted to buy more time to review the extensive months-long hearings. and also make sure that board member Tom Ferrara came up to speed from a hearing that he did not attend. That is when AI entered the conversation. Apparently Ferrara read a transcript generated by the chatbot Claude instead of listening to the board’s recording. “That’s kind of hypertechnical,” said project attorney Lawrence Calli, praising the overall accuracy of Claude in comparison to court-reported transcripts. The concept to transform the former Capital One Bank into a seasonal rooftop restaurant was first brought before the board in January. The hours-long hearings included expert testimony from a panel of civil and traffic engineers, as well as seasoned restaurateur and certified sommelier investor Eric Heinel, who would run the day-to-day operations. Heinel identifies as a “partial investor and managing partner of operations.” Last October, members of the Walsh family, who would run the place, appeared before the town council to get approval for a liquor license transfer. If the board votes in favor, the venue would add to the Walsh family’s restaurant collection. It includes the Dehart Street trio of The Homestead, Tashmoo and The Dark Horse, and The Horseshoe Tavern on Speedwell Avenue. Sofia’s is hardly the first attempt at rooftop dining in Morristown. Back in 2012, the Walshes unsuccessfully pitched a retractable roof and bowling alley for The Homestead. The late Jimmy Cavanaugh fought hard for dining atop his Iron Bar, but the town cited noise concerns and blocked it. The Stirling Tavern obtained approval for a small upstairs dining terrace, which is not near any dwellings and is considered an accessory given the smaller scope of the feature. A town council land-use ordinance from 2024 was drafted specifically with the rooftop feature in mind. The law was passed with the intent to crack down on excessive noise, protect quality of life in residential neighborhoods and put limits on a “supersaturated night life.” While the blanket ordinance put the kibosh on one rooftop, it did make exceptions for two other venues: Stirling Tavern on South Street and Town Bar + Kitchen on Elm Street. The rooftop features were considered an accessory, given their smaller size that affords built-in crowd control. In the end, the 2024 ordinance set the precedent, at least for Board Chairman James Bednarz and Vice Chairman Scott Wild. “If I were only a resident I would be in support of this application,” said Wild. “But in 2024 our elected governing board, our town council voted to not permit rooftop dining. So, in order for the applicant to make a convincing case to change what our town council voted for, there are certain tests that they have to pass.” Two of those “tests” relate to new and emerging trends and changes in the character of the neighborhood. “That is the argument that I hoped your planner would make and he didn’t,” he said. “He just presented why this was a generally desirable restaurant for this town, and I agree. But that’s not what our land use laws speak to, so therefore I can’t support it.” WHERE TO PARK? Wednesday’s testimony also provided a parking management plan as requested by the board at last month’s meeting. The parking was tweaked to increase the number of spaces from 59 to 61 to make room for EVs. The spaces were made possible by reducing outdoor seating by 10 tables, or 40 patrons. The original plan called for 88 seats. As a result of the reduced seating capacity, the revision also called for a smaller patio. Even with the revisions, the parking still falls short by 119 spaces and the deficit would place a burden on off-site parking in residential areas, lots and garages, said Bednarz. During last month’s hearing traffic engineer Jeff Peregoy of Dynamic Traffic testified that 1,500 parking spaces that are within a quarter-mile radius from the property. Traffic engineer Connor Hughes of Dynamic Traffic contested that number, claiming the original estimate included garages that are not directly accessible to the project. “The actual number of available parking spaces within a quarter mile is closer to 800,” he said. This was more aligned with the Morristown Parking Authority’s estimate, which measured the quarter-mile radius in walking distance from the restaurant. Despite the applicant’s designation of an upscale dining experience and a promise to retire patrons indoors by 11 p.m, the rooftop feature did not meet the standards of an “accessory.” “I have a hard time explaining this rooftop feature as an accessory,” Bednarz said. He took an additional dig at the limited parking availability, namely the impacts that spillovers would have on residential streets and other businesses competing for the same spaces. “In prior testimony the planner failed to address the residences behind the property and the newer residences across the street,” he said. “That is problematic for me. Whether the available parking is within a quarter mile of walking distance of the property, I believe there is a hardship. So, I can not see that this is a good thing for a town.” In closing, Calli recapped the hours of testimony provided by traffic and civil engineers and the responses made by the applicant in order to conform to code. He also took note of the public. “You have half a dozen people coming out in support and no dissenters saying “not in my backyard,” he said. “I’ll take that as a good sign.” Given the time invested and concessions made, the motion to delay the vote did not sit well with Calli. “My client is a contract purchaser and we need finality,” he said. My client is still in theoretical legal limbo,” Calli said. The rooftop is as well, at least until the next meeting. GREEN LIGHT FOR MPAC CHANGES The board was more amenable to approving site plan revisions for the ongoing Mayo Performing Arts Center expansion and restoration project. A decade in the making, the $65 million project calls for construction of the new Ilene and Bruce Jacobs Arts & Education Center and a comprehensive overhaul of the 1,300-seat theater. At the heart of the expansion is a 31,000-square-foot addition behind the existing theater, to house the Jacobs Performing Arts School, seven studios, and a flexible 150-seat rehearsal and performance space that eventually could host public events. MPAC’s architect Jeff Rawding of J.F. Rawding A.I.A. in Morristown equipped the board with detailed renderings to reflect the revisions, while affirming that the square footage will remain unchanged. “This is a reconfiguration, not an expansion,” he said. The board went deep into the night — the meeting ran almost four hours — combing over the signage proposals including an illuminated donor marquee paying tribute to the financial supporters behind the center, a metal sign carved on the building and a narrow static LED sign above the parking deck’s clearance bar, which would be used to inform guests and fend off unauthorized visitors. The revisions also called for an LED-sign inside the parking deck/stair tower which would be used primarily for information such as parking directions, theater news, upcoming shows. Signs would also delineate a performing arts drop off site and VIP entrance. In addition to signage, the revisions addressed ADA compliance on Pine Street, a canopy for weather protection and a mural to enhance the public art programs. The concept of a mural generated enthusiasm among the board, but also was picked apart due to possible visibility constraints. Additional site plan updates involved relocating a transformer and shrouding it with landscaping instead of an enclosure, and moving the parking deck closer to the entrance. On the interior configurations, a proposed 3,000 square-foot gallery was scrapped from the project while two executive offices were added to the existing space. Dressing rooms and offices also were changed up. The board voted unanimously to approve the revisions, pending their terms and conditions placed on lighting, materials and signage. The facility’s overhaul is expected to take between 18 and 24 months. Morristown has a long history of people stepping forward in pivotal moments. When you chip in to Morristown Green, you’re helping your neighbors stay informed, strengthening our civic backbone, and carrying on the spirit that’s defined this town since its earliest days. Rally for local news.