Proposed Hotel Complex in Millburn To Get Public Hearing: Opposition Mounts

Where do you stand on the proposed hotel complex on JFK Parkway?

The proposed mixed-use development – located near the Mall At Short Hills – would include a hotel, a four-story garage and more than 200 residential units, opponents of the project stated during a public meeting held on Monday at Millburn High School.

If approved, the new hotel complex could break ground in the spring of 2016 and be completed as early as 2019, according to TAP Into Millburn.

The Millburn Planning Board will discuss the proposal during a Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Millburn Town Hall.

The proposed complex – a 233 Canoe Brook Associates project - is already garnering significant flak from many Millburn residents, who claim that the new residences would result in a large influx of new students into the district’s schools and necessitate a redistricting or a new building plan.

More than 1,100 supporters have signed an online petition in opposition of the proposed project.

“Any elementary aged children living in this complex would be zoned to attend Hartshorn School - some discussion estimated that to be 300-400 additional students,” wrote the petition’s sponsor, Robin Finkelstein in an update following Monday’s meeting. “As a point of reference, the current enrollment at Hartshorn is roughly 500 students.”

“In addition to the potentially huge impact to our school system, there is also concern that Canoe Brook Road would be re-opened to through traffic - opening the Poets neighborhood and adjacent areas to mall traffic/traffic from JFK Parkway,” added Finkelstein.

NorthJersey.com reported that plans to redevelop the site began last year:

“Amendments to the municipality’s Master Plan allowing mixed usage at the location were approved by the Planning Board in September 2014 and at a meeting this past February, Township Committee members unanimously approved an amendment to township zoning provisions to allow further development of the site.”

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