Northwood Inn Can Continue Lakefront Delivery

False alarm!

Zoning officer William Donegan recently hit Northwood Inn owner Robert Winegar with a warning letter after investigating a complaint accusing Winegar of renting out the restaurant's dock spaces.

Winegar fought back and won at Wednesday night's Zoning Board meeting at borough hall, telling the board and Donegan the boats, which he and a family member owned, were for commercial use.

Winegar secured an OK to reopen the Nothwood Inn years ago under the condition he couldn't rent the property's dock spaces due to limited restaurant parking and a steep driveway entrance.

He argued Wednesday that the spaces weren't being rented. Instead, they were used to store the boats the Northwood Inn uses for lakefront deliveries in Byram Cove during the summer.

"You'll get a lot of people who call in to order their food because they don't want to leave the cove," Winegar said. "Once they're docked in the cove, they don't want to leave. That's the key to the whole thing."

He wasn't upset with Donegan's warning.

"Their interpretation was entirely different [than mine]," Winegar said.

"It's hard for everybody to make everything work. It's hard for everybody to be happy."

Donegan said he was just doing his job, and that he believed the matter needed to be discussed before the board.

"I felt better bringing it to the board," he said. "Let the board talk it over. They made the call. Everybody's happy."

Donegan said when he investigated the scene it looked plausible that Winegar was renting the spaces.

"They had covers," Donegan said. "They definitely weren't moving."

Hopatcong's Northwood section once was vibrant and bustling in the early 20^th century, according to Donegan. Then the area began losing its appeal, and for years suffered from slow business.

When the Northwood Inn closed, the land's owners began renting its docks.

Pavinci Italian Grill, a River Styx Road restaurant and bar, is in a situation similar to the Northwood Inn's, Donegan said. Due to limited parking in the summer, Pavinci must keep a number of docks open so boaters can avoid the packed lot by arriving on their vessels.

"The last thing you want to do is overtax the parking lot," Donegan said.

The whole board ruled in Winegar's favor. Winegar also owns Bob's Café in Hopatcong.

Zoning Board Chairman Ken Trumpore recalled when the Northwood Inn was negotiating its reopening.

"I remember this pretty clearly," he said. "The intent of the board when this was put on was that we not create another marina. And I think it's very clear that he has not created another marina.

"He's got two boats there that are his and he uses them for delivery of food. It's for the operation of the restaurant, and I think it's fairly clear."

Attorney William Haggerty said Winegar's actions were "facilitating the operation of the restaurant and actually seems consistent with it, actually."