Morristown NJ Willow Hall Mansion Spared!

Posted by Susan Zanzonico on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 6:45am.

Morristown NJ Real Estate

Morristown NJ protects its historic buildings. Read about Willow Hall Mansion in the Morristown NewsBee...

Willow Hall mansion saved by Coalition

Published: Dec 26th, 7:11 AM

MORRISTOWN– Willow Hall, the 19th Century puddingstone house on Speedwell Avenue, will be spared development of any kind now that the Passaic River Coalition has purchased the building and is expected to use the house for its for for its own purposes.

The cost of the purchase should be covered by state Green Acres funds and Historic Preservation grants the coalition received earlier for the land, Filippone said.

Because Willow Hall will now be used as the coalition’s headquarters, the coalition must go be before the Board of Adjustment to seek a use variance for the property, which is zoned residential.

Stradtman, a retired teacher who had been bequeathed the house, had been seeking a sale for the past four years.

He said the decision to sell now at the lower price was due to the slumping housing market. Stradtman said he is retiring to the Golden Isles in Georgia.

Filippone said she has ordered environmental assessments of the property and plans to increase parking at the site after meeting in the previous days with Town Planner Michael D’Atillio and Zoning Officer John Fugger.

The site would replace the current coalition headquarters in Warren Township in Somerset County.

Filippone said she wants the new site to serve as environmentally low impact historical and ecological education center.

Mayor Donald Cresitello, who had wanted to see the house sold for development, said last Wednesday he is not happy with the sale because it means that as a tax-exempt organization, the Passaic River Coalition would not pay taxes on the property.

Cresitello said he did not mind the coalition purchasing the house but said he would have preferred the land surrounding the house be developed for condominium housing.

He also suggested he may ask the Town Council to buy the property out from under the coalition to create a park.

The house had all but been sold five months ago when buyer K&K Realtors had contracted to purchase the property, spare the house from the wrecking ball and build out condos on the rest of the site.
That deal fell through in September when an Appellate Court ruling overturned the zoning on the site and said only single-family housing may be built on the property. That ruling came as a result of a suit filed by a citizen’s group, Friends of Historic Speedwell, which had worked to overturn the zoning.

A Morristown NJ Weichert Realtor stated that the coalition still faces a hurdle because it would need a use variance that could be difficult to obtain because Morristown would be reluctant to allow a non-profit organization that would take the building off the tax rolls. This property pays $49,000 per year in taxes which was paid by K&K for the last three years. These taxes will now be the responsibility of Stradtman. Susan Zanzonico - Morristown NJ Realtor - 973-214-5872 - Specializing in Morristown NJ Real Estate and Morris Township NJ Real Estate