LETTER TO TOWNSHIP FROM LANDLORD GLENN SUSSMAN

 

SLINGERLAND & SLINGERLAND

COUNSELLORS AT LAW OF NEW JERSEY

109 YEARS OF LAW (1908-2017)

________

E. GILMAN SLINGERLAND, JR. (1968 NJ Bar)               ARCHIBALD F. SLINGERLAND (1908 NJ Bar)

                                                                                                (1884-1979)   

                                                                                    EDWARD  G. SLINGERLAND   (1938 NJ Bar)

                                                                                                (1914-2000)

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Mailing Address PR:  P. O. Box 1445, Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765

Mailing Address NJ:  P. O. Box 276, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040-0276

NJ Client Meetings:  658 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, New Jersey

Fax/Email Address:  EFax 973-860-1610    Email Gil@slingerlandlaw.com

Phone Office:            973-762-1500            Phone Cell:       862-250-7228

April 10, 2017

Ms. Elizabeth J. Fritzen, Township Clerk

Township of Maplewood

574 Valley Street

Maplewood, New Jersey 07040

Re:    St. James Publick House -167 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, New Jersey - Outdoor Café Permit

Dear Ms. Fritzen:

My client, 167 Maplewood LLC, owned by Glenn and Donna Sussman, have requested that I write the Township Committee to update the members on the status of outdoor café dining at the above address.

If you recall, there was an attempt to issue an outdoor café permit and ABC license to John Meade and his corporation without the consent my clients based on the mistaken assumption that the sidewalk in front of the St. James Publick House was entirely owned by the Township.  This was determined by title search that my clients are owners of a portion of the sidewalk, which would require their permission as owner for any outdoor café.

Knowing that there was support for outdoor dining, I offered the tenant a lease starting early this Spring and ending late Fall.  This lease would test whether or not the functioning of the outdoor café adversely impacted the residential apartment units located above the sidewalk café.  This lease would also permit the tenant to determine if offering such outdoor dining would increase the revenue of the St. James Gate and what level of rent would be appropriate based on actual operational results. 

This offer was made without payment of any rent to the landlord. 

Tenant would be required to reimburse Landlord for the legal fees and expenses involved in opposing the earlier ABC application.

Mr. Meade has rejected this offer and did not enter into negotiations with the landlord on the outdoor café lease terms.

For this reason, there will be no outdoor café dining in front of St. James Gate in year 2017.

Very truly yours,

SLINGERLAND & SLINGERLAND

E. Gilman Slingerland, Jr.