Possible Expansion Of Morristown Medical Center Spurs Public Concern

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A prospective expansion proposal for Morristown Medical Center has sparked public worry and anger among local people who believe the town is keeping them in the dark.

During Tuesday night's town council meeting, several residents from around town, specifically from Parsons Village, a townhouse community across the street from the hospital, spoke out, demanding better transparency on the future project.

According to the town council, no official plan or application has yet been submitted to the town, but the local medical center has had discussions with the town about a potential major expansion on and around its campus, which could include a new 11-story building, a six-story parking garage and other construction on adjacent property.

Council President Sandi Mayer noted during the meeting that she and Councilman Nathan Umbriac were excluded from discussions about the proposal owing to their proximity to the site.

Mayer and Umbriac both live within 200 feet of the project.

According to Morristown Attorney David Minchello, Mayer and Umbriac were pulled from the conversations after it was raised that they would have a conflict of interest in attending the sessions.

"I provided my legal advice to the affected members. What those members do with that and whether they choose to follow my advice and adhere to the law or not is their decision. I just want to clarify that in no way was anyone told that they could not participate; I gave my advice," Minchello said.

Mayer argued against that, stating that both she and Umbriac had not received calls from Minchello, giving them the option to participate in the meetings with Morristown Medical Center.

"I feel disrespected. I think you all feel disrespected. These are our homes; this is our life; this is where we live, and we're just getting trotted over. It's just unexpectable," Mayer said. "I'm going to fight like hell for you people. I will be hell in heels. I will be at every meeting that I'm allowed to. I might not be able to vote, but I will be at every meeting because this is ridiculous."

Citizens have raised their concerns, despite the fact that officials are still developing the plans and that any proposed project would still undergo a lengthy review and approval procedure by town officials.

Charlotte Gabriele, the President of Parsons Village, a 198-unit co-op in Morristown on South Street, spoke out at the meeting, questioning why the community was not being notified about the potential construction plans.

"Parts of my co-op are incredibly close to the buildings on Madison Avenue, the buildings that we believe were bought by the hospital. There are going to be issues regarding traffic, noise, road deterioration, blocking of sunlight and water drainage. These all need to be considered and evaluated. Parsons Village has not been informed about any of this. We really don't know what's happening," Gabriele said.

Councilman Robert Iannaccone, who was present at the meeting with Morristown Medical Center, said that the hospital had offered the town a preliminary site plan. Iannaccone said that he agreed that any potential decision that the town makes needs to come after various meetings and opportunities for public engagement.

"This process has a long way to go before any decision is made," Iannaccone said.

Earlier this year, Atlantic Health System, the parent company of Morristown Medical Center, also confirmed the purchase of one of the town’s most desirable downtown properties.

The property in question is an acre on South Street, just adjacent to the Vail Mansion. The horseshoe-shaped site was approved for 29 premium apartments and ground-floor retail space in early 2022.

The recent sale of the property, though, may have put an end to that.

According to Karen Zatorski, an Atlantic spokesman, the corporation has completed the acquisition but was not willing to divulge the new use of the property.

"AHS Investment Corp., a subsidiary of Atlantic Health System, can confirm the purchase of property at 126 and 136 South Street. While the timing of the plans for the mixed-use development of the property remains under internal discussion, Atlantic Health System is proud of its history as a collaborative partner with the greater Morristown community," Zatorski said.

The transaction was made public for the first time in mid-December when a notice was filed with the Morris County Clerk's Office. The deal, however, was still in the due diligence stage at the time, and the parties involved were not allowed to speak.

No official update on that project has been made.

"The hospital should not get carte blanche to bypass zoning. If they want to improve their property, and nobody is against them improving their property, we all know expansion has to happen, but it's the way they are going about it. It's the secrecy; it's the innuendo and gossip," Mayer said. "We're really in a dark place right now, and it might have not been such a dark place if someone had just given us the information."