Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Conditional Use Operational Limits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board accepts joint stipulation for Colonial Inn; outdoor ceremonies limited and annual sound tests required
Summary
The board approved the Colonial Inn application after the applicant and objectors signed a joint stipulation that limits outdoor ceremony times, requires sound-attenuation measures and annual sound testing with reports to the borough and interested parties.
The planning board approved the application for Ed and Ella’s Colonial Inn after the applicant presented a joint stipulation (marked J-1) negotiated with objectors that places operational limits on outdoor ceremonies and requires engineering and monitoring measures.
Applicant counsel Matthew Dezi summarized the key components: a small, 720-square-foot expansion for a cocktail room that does not increase the property’s approved seating; installation of sound-attenuation walls and an audio limiter tied to the house system; annual sound testing before first use each season; and a requirement that a copy of the sound-check report be provided to the board and interested parties by July 31 each year. The stipulation also requires valet service for gatherings of 100 or more attendees and drainage improvements to meet NJDEP stormwater standards.
Dezi told the board that the parties agreed the outdoor ceremony program would be limited to two ceremonies per day, each no longer than 45 minutes, and that ceremonies would end by 7:15 p.m. between April 1 and Nov. 15. He also said the stipulation requires field testing of sound attenuation and an annual verification process; if tests show standards are exceeded, adjustments will be required.
Board members asked for clarification and noted a line had been omitted from the circulated draft that described the sound-reporting requirement; counsel agreed to restore that language and the document was accepted as a joint exhibit to the resolution. With those clarifications the board moved, seconded and recorded an affirmative vote to approve the application with the stipulation and related conditions.
The board directed counsel to incorporate the stipulation as Exhibit J-1 to the final resolution and to ensure the building department and borough zoning officer receive the required sound-test reports and verification.
