Following the recent approval by the Lakewood Township Committee of the banquet hall ordinance, a lawsuit was filed by a group of citizens who are alleging that the procedure was used to pass the the ordinance was not proper and should therefore be void.
Attorney Rob Shea, the attorney representing the group of residents, is also the attorney who is currently suing a local wedding hall and nearby school over what neighbors allege are the current illegality of their Simcha halls.
The latest lawsuit also alleges that the newly approved ordinance was created specifically to shield the wedding hall and school from the original lawsuit and claims that new legislation can not correct a previous impropriety.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Township Committee meetings – which were held virtually – were in violation of the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act and that the public notice for the second Committee meeting was insufficient due to the substantial changes to the Ordinance between first and second reading.
“Following the Planning Board’s review, the ordinance was substantially changed, yet at no time prior to adoption of the ordinance on second reading was the public noticed regarding the changes,” the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff’s have also requested an immediate Restraining Order to stay enforcement of the ordinance.
The case has been assigned to Ocean County Superior Court Judge Francis Hodgson, who will also have to decide whether to first grant the restraining order.
Care to be a bit more vague perhaps?
Vaguewood.
Alrighty guys, sit back & watch the show!
Great. Lets hope they win!
Lakewood is not the place for wedding halls
Unless it is in the industrial park
As any place is heavily residential
And there is no room for parking and extra traffic
The place to build wedding halls
Are in Jackson and Howell and Plumstead township where is lots of empty wooded land and farms
Which are not on the same block as 200 houes
Howell doesn’t need or want banquet wedding halls either, the people that live in the rural area do not want their neighborhoods changed for weddings of people from out of town. Please be more considerate of your neighbors.
Howell has wooded areas with no neighbors
So it will not effect any neighbors
Unless they decide to build a house next to the wedding hall after they know there is a wedding hall there