What You Missed From This Week's Council Meeting

Updates on the municipal complex and the status of East Gate Square's liquor license proposal were provided at this week's Moorestown council meeting.

For those who couldn’t make it to this week’s township council meeting, there were a few interesting items that didn’t make it into a full story, but were nonetheless noteworthy. Here are a few leftover tidbits from the meeting:   Council will hold it next regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in the IT room at Moorestown High School.

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East Gate Owners Sue Township Over Liquor Restriction

They don't think the Moorestown Mall should have the sole right to sell alcohol.

The owners of East Gate Square Shopping Center have sued the township, alleging its restriction of alcohol sales to the Moorestown Mall is a violation of state law. East Gate filed the lawsuit last week, five months after voters, by a roughly 2-to-1 margin, lifted Moorestown’s centurylong ban on alcohol, and at the same time voted to restrict those sales to the Moorestown Mall. The second referendum question—written by mall owner PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust)—approved by voters restricts the issuance of liquor licenses to full-service restaurants “located on the same tax lot as an indoor shopping mall in the SRC zoning district.” East Gate is also located in the SRC zone, right across the street from the mall, but …

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What You Missed from This Week's Council Meeting ...

Township manager Scott Carew tries to speed up the budget process, the township pays down its affordable housing debt, and council plans for an update on revaluation.

For those who couldn’t make it to Monday night’s council meeting, there were a few items on the agenda that didn’t make it into a full story, but were nonetheless noteworthy. Here a few leftover tidbits from the meeting:

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Moorestown Restaurant Objects to Liquor Restriction

Al Dente, located across the street from Moorestown Mall in East Gate Square, argues against limiting licenses to the mall, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Passage of Liquor Ordinance Postponed

Mayor Button says council still has questions, tables vote till later this month.

Township council held off voting on an ordinance, Monday night that would have amended the township code to allow alcohol sales. Mayor John Button said council had just received the ordinance and felt it prudent to table a vote until their next meeting. "We recognize this is important to the town," he said. "Everybody has their own set of questions. We want to make sure we get this right." Button suggested council vote on the ordinance at its next regular meeting on Jan. 23. The other council members unanimously agreed. If approved, the ordinance would lift the township's century-long ban on alcohol sales—per the results of November's referendum vote, in which Moorestonians voted roughly 2-1 to go "wet." Moorestown Mall owner PREIT (…

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5 Things You Need to Know

Five Things to Know About Tonight's Council Meeting

A reorganization/regular meeting mash-up yields a loaded agenda. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at WAMS.

1. Tonight’s council meeting is a combo: Reorganization and regular. There will be 54 appointments and (mostly) reappointments to various township boards and committees, as well as the appointment of several other positions, including township solicitor and engineer, and the election of the deputy mayor (currently Greg Gallo). 2. Council is scheduled to discuss and vote on an ordinance amending the township code “governing the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages”—in other words, to allow the sale of alcohol in Moorestown for the first time in a century and establish the policy infrastructure to do so. It is the first real action council has taken on the matter since voters lifted the town’s liquor ban via referendum in November. …

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Moorestown Wants the Most Bang for Its Buck from Liquor Licenses

Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo says township needs to avoid "quick fixes and gimmicks" in deciding how best to use revenue from the sale of liquor licenses.

It’s not every day the township gets a multi-million dollar revenue infusion, so Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo wants to make sure they put the money to its absolute best use. PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust) president Joe Coradino has repeatedly claimed the company is willing to pay $4 million for four liquor licenses—$1 million apiece—for restaurants at the Moorestown Mall. The township is set to introduce and adopt an ordinance in January creating the framework for the implementation of licenses. “It’s time council started thinking specifically about the smart use of that money,” Gallo said Monday. “It’s a large amount of money. It’s a non-recurring amount of money … It’s very important we act responsibly to not let that money…

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Revenue from Liquor Licenses Discussed at Budget Meeting

Township officials touched on several topics during a budget workshop Tuesday, including potential revenue from the sale of liquor licenses.

During a budget discussion Tuesday morning, township officials shed a bit more light on how they expect the implementation of liquor licenses to play out in the coming months. Mayor John Button said he told PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust) the township would be ready to begin bidding out the licenses in February, following the passage of an ordinance in January laying the foundation for the administration of liquor licenses. Given PREIT’s earlier pledge to pay $1 million each for four liquor licenses at the Moorestown Mall, financial officer Tom Merchel recommended council set the minimum bid for a license at $1 million—a suggestion the members of council seemed in agreement on. Presuming all goes according to plan and the…

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News & Notes from Monday's Council Meeting

Liquor licenses, the municipal complex, fixing "smell problems" at the library and a proclamation for a retired fire chief were all on the agenda.

Township council had a full plate Monday night, with discussions regarding the municipal complex project, liquor licenses and field improvements, along with a host of other topics. But since everything on the agenda can’t make it into a full story, here are a few tidbits from Monday’s meeting:

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