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Planning board approves Morristown Motors minor site-plan amendment allowing generator and EV charging with setback variance
Summary
The Morris Township Planning Board approved Morristown Motors’ minor site-plan amendment to add a 73 sq ft natural‑gas generator pad, a Level 3 EV charging pad and a transformer pad, granting a bulk variance for a 4‑foot side‑yard setback where 15 feet is required; approval includes conditions on testing hours and inspections.
The Morris Township Planning Board voted unanimously on Jan. 12 to approve PB15‑25, a minor site‑plan amendment for Morristown Motors at 169–171 Ridgedale Avenue that authorizes a 73‑square‑foot natural‑gas generator pad, a 25‑square‑foot Level‑3 EV charging pad and a 5‑square‑foot transformer pad and removes roughly 101–103 square feet of impervious surface so the project results in no net increase in impervious coverage.
The board’s planner and engineer said the generator is classified as an accessory structure under the township ordinance and therefore must meet a 15‑foot side‑yard setback; the applicant proposed siting the generator approximately 4 feet from the side property line. Planner John Hansen characterized the request as a C‑1 hardship variance driven by the existing building orientation and the location of utility connections, and presented mitigation including evergreen screening (arborvitae and inkberries) and bollards for protection. Engineer James Kaiser testified that the EV charger and transformer pads are not accessory structures and therefore do not require the same setback relief.
The board placed conditions on the approval. The applicant agreed to limit routine testing of the generator to daytime hours and the board specified testing once per month between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with quarterly inspections and a maintenance/inspection regime to be conveyed to the applicant’s compliance team. Board members asked and the applicant confirmed there will be no additional lighting beyond existing site illumination and that plantings will consist of noninvasive/native species.
Attorney Peter Wolfson appeared for the applicant and Jonathan Brower, owner of Toyota of Morristown, identified himself on the record as the property owner and was sworn in. The board conducted a roll‑call vote and recorded all present members as voting Yes.
The approval is limited to the scope presented at the hearing: installation of the generator, EV charger and transformer pads, the variances and the specific mitigation measures discussed. The board’s resolution and the staff conditions will be memorialized in meeting minutes and the project file; the applicant is responsible for coordinating any required outside agency approvals noted at the hearing.
