Politics & Government

Planning Board Denies Dewey's Dogs

Site hours for the Forked River House Plaza were amended; solar carports put on hold

Dewey’s Dogs no longer has a place to call home after the Lacey Planning Board unanimously voted against the relocation of the hot dog stand to the Forked River House Plaza.

The food truck has been stationed in a vacant lot for 12 years but in January, the Planning Board , where Dewey’s currently sits.

Anthony Geiger, who operates Dewey’s, has been working ever since to find a new location.

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Applicant George Mackres, owner of the property, sought permission from the Planning Board to have the truck sit on the grass between the Forked River Animal Hospital and the Forked River House Plaza. Patrons were expected to park in the animal hospital’s lot.

“I would like to help the young man and his family, if I can,” Mackres said.

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Mayor Gary Quinn expressed opposition to permitting Dewey’s to relocate. The zoning laws in town have changed since Dewey’s started business. Business stands are no longer a permitted use in Lacey because they compete with local businesses that pay taxes and bills, he previously said.

“The bottom line is we made a decision years ago, and the decision was to limit those types of businesses to those existing because we didn’t want to see these types of things popping up and down the highway, similar to what they had in Bayville a year and a half ago,” Quinn said.

The issue in Bayville caused complications with businesses, landlords, the Board of Health and the police department, he said.

“From my standpoint, I’m 100 percent opposed to that,” Quinn said. “I know [Geiger] is a nice young man. I stop there from time to time to get a hot dog myself and I hate to see him lose his business.”

Having Dewey’s located in the Forked River House Plaza would put the food stand on a dirt lot in a high traffic area, Quinn said. Patrons will inevitably park on the grass, which is unacceptable.

“It’s just not something this site was designed for,” he said.

The Planning Board voted unanimously against relocating the truck.

Quinn said the issue is a business decision between Geiger and Mackres, who also owns the vacant lot where the office building is to be built.

Other stands that are currently in business in Lacey were grandfathered in prior to the township's adoption of the ordinance, he added. While Dewey’s also existed beforehand, he had always been located on the corner of Lakeside Drive.

“It was the site that was grandfathered in,” Quinn said.

Lacey Patch readers came out in strong support and opposition of Dewey’s relocation.

Food stands are unfair to small businesses that operate within town codes, user Al Dente said.

“Rent out a store in town,” he said. “There are plenty of vacancies. Why should anyone be allowed to circumvent the township codes? People who own property pay taxes on their building. What does a mobile food vender pay to the town besides his vending permit?”

User gottabeme said, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

“Dewey’s Hot Dogs has been around for many years, long before most businesses here,” gottabeme said. “It is this man’s living and none of the local businesses are complaining. He is always busy, people like him and his food….I think people want him here."

Continue to follow Lacey Patch for reaction from Geiger and his patrons.

Site Hours and Solar Carports

Mackres also sought to amend site hours of the Forked River House Plaza and add solar carports in the parking lot.

The shopping center previously had hour restrictions to accommodate the high volume of customers at the Forked River House, Quinn said.

“There is an existing parking shortage,” attorney Jason Marciano said.

The site needs 134 spaces but has 127. Due to the lack of spaces, the shopping center could not be open after 7 p.m.

With a new tenant opening, Mackres was looking to amend site hours so the martial arts business can remain open for classes in the evening.

The parking lot is typically busy after 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings, Mackres said. Amending the site hours will not impact parking at those times.

The board voted to amend site hours so the shopping center can remain open until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The Planning Board put off voting on the solar carports until the January meeting.

The applicant was seeking to install two solar carports to the south of the building, totaling 318 solar panels. Mackres would also have solar panels installed on the roof.

The shopping center would not lose any parking and there would not be any change to offsite runoff, Marciano said.

The solar carports will produce 150,000 kWh a year, Nick Mackres of Easy Energy New Jersey LLC said. The average store uses about 5,000 kWh a year while restaurants use about 300,000 to 400,000 kWh per year.

Members of the Planning Board asked Mackres to relocate the carports but he said it would not be as financially productive.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s a good spot for it,” Chairman Steven Kennis said. “It would probably be better out of the parking lot.”

Mackres will appear before the Planning Board at next month’s meeting to address further concerns.


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