Lakehurst Council Hears Concerns Over New Restaurant Parking

Members of the Lakehurst Borough Council said they would take action after hearing concerns that the recently-opened Three B's was drawing problems to nearby homes on Cedar and Lake Streets.

Borough resident Steve Green told the council during the redevelopment and council meetings on Feb. 3 that parking has become congested, he has found trash believed to have been left by customers and he has witnessed cars speeding down residential streets near the new shopping center where the restaurant is housed. 

"I'm glad it's bringing in revenue to the borough," Green said of the business located on Lake Street and Route 70. "I've got to come home and hopefully get into my driveway, because they're all parked there."

Green also said that he has been finding trash appearing to be from the restaurant.

"Somebody who ate there had a to-go bag and it's sitting on my sidewalk," he said. "I'm noticing more and more paper plates. Now that I'm going to have a problem with."

Business Administrator Norbert MacLean said that the council will look into ways of having the business police the surrounding area.

"If we can determine that the refuse is coming from Three B's, we can invite the owner to have a meeting ... and have his workers police the area," said McClean. 

Councilwoman Pat Ford suggested that the restaurant might want to adopt the block.

Green also said that the shopping center has drawn more traffic on surrounding residential streets and he has witnessed cars driving too fast, especially around 10 a.m.

"We will talk to the police chief and ask him to make sure he has a patrol in that area around that time of day," Mayor Timothy Borsetti said.

The mayor said that the borough's small size can cause parking problems. Three B's lot is typically full, causing patrons to find parking on nearby streets.

The shopping center in which the restaurant is located has more retail space available, and Clerk Bernadette Dugan said that a bagel shop is expected to open sometime in the future. 

"Most people who come in to develop usually request a variance for the parking because most of the spots that they look to develop aren't big enough to accommodate the parking," Borsetti said. "That happens in a lot of these smaller municipalities. Everybody within 200 feet are noticed that this is going in front of land use."

Residents were notified about the construction of the Three B's shopping center, the council said, but there was no significant opposition.

Councilman Steven Oglesby said that the borough cannot restrict parking to residents.

"It's a public roadway. You can't tell a taxpayer they can't use the roadway," he said. "There is no ordinance right now preventing them from parking on Cedar Street."

Oglesby said the borough's obligation is to issue tickets for violations. "If they're not in violation, there's nothing we can do," he said.

"The only thing the borough can do is make the street no parking, which then is penalizing the residents," Oglesby said.

Though noise has not been a problem thus far, the council said that if residents ever feel they need to make a complaint, there is no time restriction as to when police can be alerted.

"If you're being disturbed, you call," said McClean. "Any time there is loud music, noise, conduct that's disturbing you, pick up the phone."