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Planning commission backs text amendment to allow taller commercial buildings with fire-safety conditions
Summary
The Morristown Planning Commission voted unanimously to forward a City Council-requested text amendment that would allow commercial buildings up to 65 feet in several commercial zoning districts, subject to steel framing, automatic sprinklers above 45 feet, and additional fire-access requirements.
The Morristown Regional Planning Commission voted 9–0 on May 13 to forward a City Council-requested zoning text amendment that would permit commercial building heights up to 65 feet in the TA, LI, IB, PCD and Central Business (CB) districts, subject to additional construction and site-plan conditions.
Planner Sabrina Seamon told commissioners that buildings exceeding 45 feet would trigger extra rules: "Buildings between forty-five (45) and sixty-five (65) feet would have steel framing and automatic sprinkler systems, regardless of occupancy use." Non-CB sites would, in addition, generally need a minimum 20-foot hard-surface fire apparatus access roadway providing ingress to the majority of the building, consistent with the city's adopted NFPA and International Building Code standards and approval by the fire code official.
Supporters said the change aims to expand development capacity in commercial corridors while addressing fire-safety tradeoffs through prescriptive construction and access requirements. Commissioner Jake Stokely moved to approve forwarding the amendment; Councilmember Robert (Bob) Garrett seconded and the commission recorded a 9–0 vote to forward the text change to City Council for two readings.
The measure as presented requires City Council action before becoming part of Morristown's Zoning Ordinance.
