After Losing Lawsuit, Council to Meet on Liquor License Issue

UPDATE: A meeting has still not been scheduled to discuss the outcome of the East Gate lawsuit, township manager Scott Carew said Monday.

He said the township is looking at the end of this week or early next week (after the Labor Day holiday on Monday) to hold the meeting. 

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Township council will meet this week to discuss its options after . 

Bookbinder ruled last week the township couldn't confine the sale of alcohol to the Moorestown Mall, and invalidated both the township ordinance imposing the restriction and . 

Township attorney Thomas Coleman had no comment following the ruling, saying he would review the judge's decision with the township.

Township manager Scott Carew said council will hold a public meeting sometime this week to discuss its next course of action—though most of the meeting will likely take place behind closed doors since it concerns potential litigation.

Mayor John Button was reserved when asked what council might decide.

"We're putting our heads together on this," he said. "We always knew this could happen ... Everything doesn't go the way you planned it."

As of Friday afternoon, the council meeting had not been scheduled.

PREIT, which owns the mall and was a party to East Gate's lawsuit, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Button said he had spoken with representatives from PREIT, but didn't know what they planned to do.

Asked about the possibility of allowing liquor licenses at East Gate Square and whether that was an option council would consider, the mayor continued to be coy, but said, "? Probably not."

Check back with Moorestown Patch later this week to find out when the meeting will be held.