Failed Morristown Hotel Site To Undergo Review By Planning Board

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Cambria Hotel, or the hotel that never was, may be phased out as a potential development as the Morristown Council seeks viable site replacement options.

On Tuesday night, the Morristown Council voted unanimously to investigate alternatives to the Cambria Hotel and Suites project, which was approved nearly six years ago as the town's first new hotel in decades.

The hotel was slated to open on a site located between Market and Bank streets, one block from the historic Morristown Green, but construction never materialized.

Morristown Administrator Jillian Barrick stated on Tuesday that the initial site plan was approved in April 2017, but the applicant never requested any application extensions following the initial approval.

The approved resolution will direct the Morristown Planning Board to investigate whether the hotel site "constitutes a condemnation area in need of redevelopment" in accordance with the provisions of the Redevelopment Law.

The Planning Board will also be permitted, in accordance with the approved resolution, to create a redevelopment plan for the property if the project site meets the official requirements.

According to Barrick, the current owner of the land has been shopping the property for sale, but the town has not seen or heard of any potential applications or contracts in place. "At this point, our concern is that, with the history of this site, it will not be developed without further assistance," Barrick said.

Sunstone Hotels Morristown, LLC owned the anticipated six-story "boutique hotel," which was to include 114 guest rooms, ground-level retail space, valet parking, and a 2,500-square-foot upscale restaurant and lounge.

Barrick said that Sunstone Hotels attempted to apply for an extension in October 2021 but later withdrew that request in February 2022.

Since the hotel's initial approval, the town has also passed a zoning amendment in 2018, which changed the height allowances for buildings in the area. According to Barrick, the original approval was for six stories, but the new zoning cap is for five stories.

If the applicant tried to resubmit the same plan, they would now have to go before the zoning board to request a variance to allow for the extra height.