Hopatcong Restuarant Owes $22K in Violations

A restaurant owes Hopatcong $22,000 in violations, though it could end up paying much less if its issues are soon resolved.

removed an interior wall without Construction Department permission in January. The business, which Mayor Sylvia Petillo said was also hit with several other violations, was fined $500 and given three weeks to resolve the situation with the borough. But since the business never contacted the borough about remedying the problem, and because the fine increased $500 for each week past the first three, the fine has grown to $22,000 after 44 weeks, Borough Administrator Bob Elia said.

"They understood this," Elia said.

Lakeside Grill manager Lina Pilinci, niece of owner Angelo Pilinci, blamed the problem on poor communication. "It was a whole mix-up with my uncle and not communicating," she said.

The issue could be resolved by as early as Friday, however, if the council receives positive reports from the health board and fire marshall and borough Construction Official Bob O'Connor agrees to a settlement with Lakeside Grill and receives a payment. O'Connor has the authority to negotiate a fine, which means Lakeside could end up paying less than $22,000, Elia said.

If the violations are resolved, Lakeside Grill will receive a new entertainment license, Petillo said. Lakeside's entertainment license application was revoked in June due to the violations. The new license would last through June 2012.

If the violations aren't resolved, Lakeside Grill's latest entertainment license request will be denied, Petillo said.

"If there was a resolution today and this was going to be solved and it was all going to be taken care of, I personally wouldn't have a problem with giving [Lakeside Grill] that license if that's the case," Petillo said to Lina Pilinci at Wednesday's council meeting at the . "If we find out that's not the case, there is no resolution, then the license shouldn't be issued."

"It's a shame that it's come to this," Councilman Richard Bunce said.

"We want to help people," he said. "But it's just not right. At times it almost feels like a situation is being ignored, and it's not the first time. So hopefully some lessons are being learned."

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