The Princess And The Permit: North Jersey Business Clashes With Township

VERONA, NJ — A fairy tale romance may be over in Verona.

For more than 20 years, Bella Princess – a local business that operates at 555 Bloomfield Avenue – has been catering to a unique niche of clients: families that want to host a “fairy tale party” for their kids. The parties include appearances from costumed actors dressed as storybook characters like Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid, in addition to several other non-copyrighted versions of famed, fictional princesses.

That’s about to end – at least in Verona, the businesses’ owners say.

Last weekend, Bella Princess shared a post on social media, claiming that a zoning-related dispute with the township is putting its owners’ life savings in jeopardy and driving them out of town.

Verona officials say the issue isn’t so cut-and-dry, however – and Bella Princess may be able to apply for a variance that could allow it to keep operating (see more below).

‘WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT’

The proprietors of Bella Princess sounded out Saturday with their allegations, which have been widely recirculated on social media.

According to their post:

“For over 20 years, Bella Princess has brought joy and unforgettable memories to thousands of children and families. We did everything right. We followed every rule. The Township of Verona officially approved and issued our permit in 2023. We invested our life savings. We built something beautiful. We served your families with our whole hearts. Our record: zero noise complaints. Zero police reports. Zero code violations. Not one in over two years. Then everything changed. Following an unrelated incident at another venue in town, Verona rescinded our valid permit. Last night the Board of Adjustment denied our appeal and ordered us to close our doors permanently. No fault of our own. Not a single complaint against us. We are not going quietly. What was done to Bella Princess was unjust and cruel. We are taking our 20-year legacy, our performers, our characters, and our magic to a community that actually welcomes and protects small business owners.”

The owners elaborated on the situation:

“The town is claiming that their own zoning official who issued our permit in 2023 didn't have the authority to do so, so they rescinded it. We did everything right. We went to the town. Their official reviewed our application and issued us a valid permit. We then invested our life savings renovating a space and signing a five-year lease based on that permit. And now, two and a half years later, they're saying their own employee made an error and we have to pay the price for it.”

“No complaints against us,” they added. “No violations or warnings. They made the mistake – and we're just left completely devastated.”

VERONA BOARD HOLDS HEARING

The issue was brought up during the Verona Board of Adjustment meeting on July 9.

According to the board, the business may be operating as an unpermitted event space, and the zoning officer who approved the 2023 application didn’t have the authority to give the permit a green light (watch the video below).

Verona Township Manager Kevin O’Sullivan told Patch that municipal administrators are aware of the concerns about Bella Princess LLC.

“Because there remains the potential for additional legal proceedings, the township’s comments must be limited to the procedural history,” O’Sullivan said.

He continued:

“A determination was made that Bella Princess LLC was noncompliant with the township’s zoning ordinances. Following that determination, the business was afforded the opportunity to either appeal the decision or seek a use variance while continuing to operate. Bella Princess LLC elected to appeal the finding that the business was noncompliant.”

The appeal was heard by the Verona Board of Adjustment, an independent body established under New Jersey law that functions separately from the township council and municipal administration.

During that hearing, Bella Princess and its attorney were given the chance to present testimony, evidence and legal arguments in support of their position.

The board decided to uphold the earlier finding – and the zoning permit was rescinded, O’Sullivan noted.

“Bella Princess LLC has the right to apply to the board of adjustment for a use variance,” O’Sullivan said. “If granted by the board of adjustment, a use variance would allow Bella Princess LLC to continue to operate even though its use is prohibited by the current zoning.”

“Because additional proceedings may occur, the township cannot comment any further on this matter,” he added.

In the following video, the Verona Board of Adjustment hears testimony about the permit situation at 555 Bloomfield Avenue during their July 9 meeting (video is cued to the beginning of the discussion at the 107:57 mark):

‘WE ARE NOT DONE’

Close to $250,000 of the owners’ own money has been invested in their Verona space, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched in support of Bella Princess.

The dispute with the township hasn’t been cheap, its owners say:

“As an LLC, I cannot represent myself before the board, so I was forced to hire an attorney. That alone cost us over $10,000 just to prepare for the July 9 hearing. At that hearing, the board ruled that our business does not fall under the amended ordinances updated in March 2026, nor under the original 2020 variance granted for our building. They ordered us to cease operations immediately. Our only option now is to seek a use variance, a process that could cost up to $20,000 in additional fees and take months, all while being closed.”

“Most of what we invested will now go to waste through no fault of our own,” the owners of Bella Princess continued. “We are actively exploring every option available to us, including fighting to remain and continue serving our community.”

“Whatever path forward we choose, one thing is certain: we are not done,” they added.

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