24/7 Businesses Won't be Permitted if Ordinance Passes

If an ordinance Washington Township councilmen introduced Monday gets adopted, retail businesses in the township would have to close their doors between midnight and 5 a.m.

The ordinance would apply to retail businesses only and not establishments governed by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which would include restaurants and catering halls.

A change in the law would affect the , which calls for a 24/7 convenience store at the intersection of Pascack Road and Washington Avenue.

Council President Fred Goetz said the purpose of the ordinance was to prevent 24/7 establishments from opening up in the township.

Members of the governing body unanimously approved the introduction of the measure Monday after discussing the appropriate closing times at a special meeting May 2.

There was some disagreement about how late to allow businesses to remain open. Mayor Janet Sobkowicz said she thought midnight was too late and preferred 11 p.m. while Council Vice President Steve Cascio said he would suggest a 1 a.m. closing time.

Township Attorney Kenneth Poller said he believed an 11 p.m. closing time would be challengeable and suggested pushing it back to at least midnight.

Councilman Richard Hrbek said he believed few businesses would stay open to the latest closing time allowed. "They're not going to get business to sustain being open," he said. "They'll close early anyway."

After some back and forth, councilmen settled on having the closing time for retail businesses in the ordinance read from midnight to 5 a.m.

The public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for the May 23 council meeting.