At the Sept. 29 Morristown Town Council meeting the council introduced and debated several land-use and capital ordinances and adopted rules for medical cannabis retail operations. The measures include zoning changes tied to the town’s housing element, an ordinance to comply with Fair Housing Act requirements and large airport capital-appropriation ordinances.

The council introduced Ordinance O-35-2025 to amend Chapter 30 regarding the planned walkable neighborhood zoning district overlay and Ordinance O-36-2025 to update affordable-housing regulations to address requirements of the Fair Housing Act and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls and to comply with the town’s round 4 affordable housing obligations. A planning/staff speaker summarized two main changes: modernizing affordable-housing policies (including proposing to increase the rental set-aside from 15% to 20%) and reverting certain land-use ordinance sections to the 2018 version in consideration of the Quarry Road project. The council voted to introduce the ordinances and a planning-board consistency review for both is scheduled for Oct. 23; public hearings and possible adoption are set for Oct. 28.

Council members asked for additional briefings before deliberation. One council member requested a staff meeting with Phil (planning staff) to review details; staff agreed to hold sessions limited to no more than three council members to avoid quorum issues.

On medical cannabis, the council adopted Ordinance O-30-2025 to amend land-development regulations regarding medical cannabis dispensaries and to allow medical dispensaries to operate as classified cannabis licensed retailers. The public hearing on that ordinance closed with no public speakers; the adoption vote recorded one abstention by Councilman Polipchuk and affirmative votes from other members.

The council also introduced capital-appropriation ordinances for airport improvements: Ordinance O-37-2025 ($189,935) and Ordinance O-38-2025 ($6,059,746), and Ordinance O-39-2025 increasing prior airport project funding to a total of $7,475,153.46 with an additional contribution from DM Airports Limited. Ordinance O-31-2025, a reappropriation of $55,322 for playground replacements at Victor Woodhall Park and Orchard Street Park, and Ordinance O-32-2025, a rights-of-way agreement with Comcast Business Communications, LLC, were adopted. Ordinance O-33-2025, concerning compensation for certain management/nonunion positions, was also adopted.

Several items will progress through the planning board and subsequent council public hearings; staff and council members said they will provide more detailed briefings and supporting materials before final adoption votes.