Council Says 'I Don't' to Outdoor Weddings at The Grove

Following new complaints from neighbors of a Pompton Avenue banquet hall, township officials are taking action, warning the facility that its right to conduct business in the township is on shaky ground.

While it may have been the first Township Council meeting helmed by new Mayor John Zunic, it was an old issue that reared its head last night during the public comment portion.

Sam White, of Little Falls Road, told the council that The Grove catering facility held two Indian wedding ceremonies in its parking lot, featuring processions of drummers and loud music, before 9 a.m. on recent weekend mornings.

"I'm about 250 feet from them and it was very loud in our yard. It's getting ridiculous. You go out on your deck on a Saturday and you can't stay out there because of the noise."

White says he has filed a noise complaint against the facility with the police.

Additionally, White said, wedding ceremonies spilling out into The Grove's parking lot means vehicles are being parked in the street, which was an issue the Council dealt with in April after other neighbors complained.

Councilman Robert O'Toole, who drove to the facility after receiving a phone call from White, confirmed his description as accurate.

"They were having a wedding, there was a parade outside in the parking lot with drums. I got in my car and I drove up there. It was loud, and it continued until the police came or until they were finished and they went back inside," he said.

Zunic suggested the council contact the Grove's owners to express concerns about the use of the facility's parking lot to host outdoor functions. 

Township Manager Thomas Tucci said he would direct Code Enforcement officials to send a letter to The Grove, notifying them they have violated their certificate of occupancy, and could face revocation if another offense is committed.

"The Planning Board resolution says activities at the facility must be held within the building's four walls. They will get a letter based on this issue arising that they are in violation of their certificate of occupancy, and it will be revoked if it happens again. That's the only avenue we have to pursue at this point." Tucci told the council Monday.

"I'd like to include a line in the letter about the parking as well," Zunic added.

The 700-plus seat banquet hall was the subject of much discussion by the governing body in April after residents complained that overflow street parking was jamming traffic and creating a safety hazard on nearby Brunswick Road, Young Avenue and Little Falls Road. At the time, The Grove faced a volley of complaints, with residents of nearby streets saying overflow parking, and valets parking cars off-site, were resulting in long lines of cars being parked on neighboring residential streets, which they said posed a safety concern.

"We want to be good neighbors. It's a beautiful building, but the parking. We will deal with it on a short term basis. But wait until what? Until they finish [the lot]? Or until someone gets hurt?", Brunswick Road resident Diane Raum asked the council in April.

Dhimetrio Vasilopoulos, owner of The Grove, was summoned before the Council on April 18 to address the residents' concerns. At the meeting, Vasilopoulos took a conciliatory tone, assuring the facility's neighbors that the parking situation would be resolved upon completion of The Grove's attached parking garage, which was under construction at the time.

"We're not here to anger any of the residents. We love this town and we want to make sure everyone is happy. We want a good relationship with everybody and we're working hard to get there," he said at the meeting.

Vasilopoulos assured residents and the council in April that valets "at no time" were instructed to park patrons' vehicles in the street, and promised to fire the valet company if they continued to do so against the policy of the Grove.

However, last night, Deputy Mayor Joseph Chiusolo said enough is enough, and said he favored looking into whether the facility has already violated the certificate of occupancy enough to revoke it.

“We’ve now had 3 different types of violations: noise, parking and outside entertainment. It’s clear to me that they don’t want to follow the rules. They want to make their own rules," he said.

"The rights of Mr. White and the residents of Little Falls Road have been violated as far as I’m concerned, and I would like to see the construction code official revoke the certificate of occupancy, then let [Vasilopoulos] come before the township and show what he’s going to do to resolve the problem."

Vasilopoulos could not be immediately reached for comment.

In an email Tuesday, Zunic said the council's actions are in line with what is expected of the Grove.

"All we ask is that businesses abide by their Certificate of Occupancy. There comes a point where rules have to be enforced."