By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD – The owner of a catering company that hosts events in a Freehold Borough banquet facility has resubmitted an application for a valet parking lot amid continued opposition from the owners of nearby businesses.
Exquisite Caterers is once again seeking approval from the Planning Board to use an existing parking lot on Hudson Street as a valet parking lot for the vehicles of guests who attend events at the Aurum banquet hall in the Market Yard.
Attorney John Giunco presented Exquisite Caterers’ application to the board on March 22. No decision was made that evening. The hearing is scheduled to continue on April 26.
The board granted approval for the use of the Hudson Street parking lot in early 2016 amid objections from business owners on Main Street.
Attorney Edward Liston represented the owners of the Main Street businesses, which back up to the Market Yard parking lot.
The objecting businesses Liston said he is currently representing are the Metropolitan Cafe, the American Hotel, Federici’s and the Court Jester.
Valet parking at the Aurum banquet hall is available to guests. The valets bring the guests’ vehicles to the Hudson Street parking lot. Guests who do not opt for valet parking may park in the Market Yard parking lot.
Supporters of the valet parking lot on Hudson Street believe it will alleviate parking difficulties in the Market Yard, and by extension, the borough. At the 2016 hearing, members of the public testified that parking is an issue in Freehold Borough and said the valet parking lot was needed.
The objecting business owners did not agree with the premise that having a valet lot for the Aurum banquet facility would improve the parking situation in the Market Yard.
During the 2016 hearing, Liston provided reasons why he believes the Hudson Street parking lot requires a use variance, which Exquisite Caterers had not been seeking.
Liston said the valet parking lot would be an accessory use for the banquet hall and he said a banquet hall is not permitted where the Hudson Street parking lot is located.
The board’s attorney, Ronald Cucchiaro, said he believes the valet parking lot is a permitted use on Hudson Street and that a use variance is not required.
Giunco argued that in Freehold Borough, an accessory use is defined as being in the same lot as a principal use and that stand-alone parking lots are permitted in the proposed location on Hudson Street.
After legal action was filed by the objecting businesses, Exquisite Caterers filed a new application and is now seeking use variance relief relating to the Hudson Street parking lot.
Cucchiaro said Exquisite Caterers is not conceding that its prior application was deficient.
“We are eliminating potential objections,” Giunco said.
According to engineer Michael Geller, the Hudson Street parking lot will have 70 parking spaces and two rows of parking. The parking lot does not meet a requirement to be surrounded by curbing, but Geller said he believes the lot is safe.
Liston suggested that the parking lot include wheel stops, which could satisfy the curbing requirement and prevent unattended vehicles from rolling.
Giunco said wheel stops could prevent drainage from operating effectively.
Although Geller testified that the Hudson Street parking lot could function with or without valet parking, he noted that having the lot used by valet drivers could reduce safety hazards.
In response, Liston questioned the training valet drivers receive and how they are certified as professionals.
During his testimony, traffic engineer Jay Troutman said he considers the Hudson Street parking lot to be safe and suitable for valet parking and self-parking. He said the lot exceeds the space requirement for a banquet hall, which is 55 spaces, and he said the facility is convenient to the Aurum banquet hall in the Market Yard.
Regarding wheel stops, Troutman said he believes they are a tripping hazard and could be concealed by snow, making them dangerous for people who would plow the Hudson Street parking lot.
Giunco said his client, Exquisite Caterers, has an obligation to provide valet parking under the terms of an approval granted by the Borough Council for the construction and operation of the Aurum banquet hall in the Market Yard.
The Aurum banquet hall is the subject of ongoing legal action from the objecting businesses, according to Liston’s office.
