Lakewood OKs banquet halls in schools, but not in residential zones
LAKEWOOD - The Township Committee gave its final approval to an ordinance that allows banquet halls to operate in local schools, allowing them to host weddings and similar large gatherings.
The committee adopted the ordinance after incorporating recommendations it received last week from the Planning Board, excluding schools within residential zones and increasing the amount of parking spaces required.
The committee decided to go with the Planning Board recommendation to exclude schools in residential zones from this ordinance after board member Bruce Stern brought noise concerns in last week's meeting.
As for parking, the original draft ordinance introduced by the township required 45 spaces for a serving area the size of a basketball court that typically could host up to 550 guests; the planning board recommended bumping that up to 100 spaces, but the committee settled on a formula that would work out to 90 spaces.
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Currently, Lakewood requires theaters to have one parking spot per every two seats, while hotel banquet halls are required to have one parking spot for every seat.
This ordinance legitimizes multiple banquet halls in Lakewood schools that have been hosting events prior to this new rule.
At the remote Town Hall meeting, streamed online, Robert C. Shea, an attorney representing clients from Lakewood Industrial Park, questioned the committee for adopting an ordinance that he said is not to be consistent with Lakewood Master Plan.
In an interview with the Press, Shea argued that the ordinance creates a land-use conflict because it allows banquet halls to operate in zones they normally are not allowed, but schools are.
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Moreover, Shea questioned the committee for not having gone back to in-person meetings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the pandemic state of emergency was lifted in New Jersey this past March.
This ordinance will not intervene with previous resolutions that have banned specific schools from having a banquet facility, Mayor Ray Coles said in the October town hall meeting.
Committee member Albert Akerman abstained from voting given a conflict of interest.
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Juan Carlos Castillo is a reporter covering everything Lakewood. He delves into politics, social issues and human-interest stories. Reach out to him at JcCastillo@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lakewood NJ OKs banquet halls in schools, but not in residential zones
