Morristown Residents Plea For New Park At Vacant Lumberyard

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A long-vacant lumberyard has resurfaced as a topic of discussion, with Morristown residents proposing to build a park in its place.

Several residents spoke up at the July 11 Morristown Town Council meeting, urging the mayor and council to renew efforts to transform the former lumberyard on Elm Street into a park.

The vacant lumberyard is located within Morristown's First Ward, which is often regarded as one of the most densely populated wards in the town, sharing a space with the downtown, the hospital and the police station.

Councilman Robert Iannaccone, who represents the First Ward, spoke up, stating that the town had been trying for years to obtain that property, which is not owned by the town. "It hasn't really worked out the way we thought it might work out, but we do follow the property, we follow the tax status of the property, we follow the financial status of the owner of that property."

Iannaccone also stated that one of the difficulties is the size of the plot of land, stating that due to its size, it does not lend itself to many uses.

Local resident Ken Hoffman contends that despite its small size, it could still provide a variety of benefits, envisioning a park similar to the Elizabeth Street Garden in Manhattan's Little Italy.

"It's of similar size in a very high-density populated area full of apartments surrounded by a closely knit community with lots of storefronts. It provides space for community events, poetry readings, live music and meditation and of course, just a place to sit and relax," Hoffman said.

Resident Anne Shulman agreed with Hoffman, stating that the current lot is "a blight right now," and that "it would be great to make it a beautiful place."

Iannaccone agreed that, given the high levels of development occurring throughout the First Ward, more green spaces are needed and should be discussed further within the council.

Mayor Tim Dougherty stated that because the town does not own that piece of land, simply converting it into a park would be difficult, as the land is expensive. "The lumberyard, it's been vacant since before I moved here. You can buy that, and we can make it park for about $6.5 million, which we do not have."

Dougherty explained that the town had previously pursued making changes to the lot, but a sale never occurred, and the lot is now listed for $6.5 million. "It's a little bit overpriced for us."

The mayor also agreed that the town would greatly benefit from another park in that area, but that a more cost-effective alternative must be found. Dougherty and Iannaccone agreed to look into it further and revisit it at a later meeting.